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Malaysia’s Najib: Jump or be Pushed

by John Berthelsen
Asia Sentinel
Wednesday, 08 May 2013

Election aftermath could soon claim its real loser, the current PM

Former Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, having been instrumental in driving his successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi from power in 2009 after a poor electoral performance, now may be poised to try to do the same thing to the current prime minister, Najib Tun Razak.

It may depend on whether Najib jumps or is pushed, however. The premier is said to be disillusioned and discouraged and may leave the premiership at the United Malays National Organization annual general meeting in October, handing over power to the current vice president Muhyiddin Yassin, sources say – if he lasts that long. Najib led the Barisan Nasional to its lowest vote total since independence at 46.66 percent of the popular vote to the Pakatan Rakyat coalition’s 50.1 percent, taking a diminished 133 seats in the parliament to Pakatan Rakyat’s 89 – amid allegations of voter irregularities that put the Barisan over the top.

“I am told that Najib will hand over to Muhyiddin in October,” a lawyer with close contacts to UMNO said. “The change may finally come but voluntarily between Najib and Muhyiddin. We’ll have to let it play it out some more.”

That could foreshadow months of instability inside the UMNO leadership as a weakened Najib hangs on to power in the face of a wing of the party that wants to double down on the policies that have led to diminished returns in the last two elections. Toppling him now for Muhyiddin could well lead to costly party rifts, as it did in 2009 with the Badawi faction of the party. A change would probably signal that UMNO will steer to the conservative right, counterintuitive to what the electorate appears to have been saying. It was UMNO moderates such as Khairy Jamaluddin and Shahrir Samad who profited in the election while Malay nationalists Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin were soundly defeated. Continue reading “Malaysia’s Najib: Jump or be Pushed”

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Najib, Muhyiddin and Mahathir must each apologise for their irresponsible and unMalaysian remarks completely at variance with policies of 1Malaysia and Bangsa Malaysia if there is going to be genuine “national reconciliation” after 13GE

The most sensible, level-headed and statesmanlike statement completely in conformity with the policies of 1Malaysia and Bangsa Malaysia in the past three days since 13GE Polling Day came from former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah, who demanded a stop to all attempts at racialising Sunday’s polls by blaming a particular community for Barisan Nasional’s poor showing at the ballot boxes.

Abdullah said: “This is unfair and unhelpful”.

Guilty of such “unfair and unhelpful” statements were none other than the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and former Prime Minister, Tun Mahathir, who indulged in irresponsible race-baiting and inflammatory incitements totally careless and reckless about the harm they are doing to race relations in the country.

For instance, immediately after the 13GE results were known on Sunday night, Najib talked about a “Chinese tsunami” when it was in fact a “Malaysian tsunami” caused by the political uprising and awakening not only of the Chinese, but all other communities as well, whether Malays, Chinese, Kadazan-Dusun-Murut or Iban communities.

Najib’s “Chinese tsunami” statement was immediately supported by Muhyiddin who said it was “unhealthy in a multi-racial society like Malaysia” to allow one community supporting one side and another race supporting another as it would lead to “tension in inter-racial relations and political instability”.

This is a conclusion based on a total fallacy, for the 13GE has not led to a situation of “one community supporting one side and another race supporting another” as the 13GE was not a battle between the Chinese versus the Malays, but one multi-racial coalition against another i.e. Pakatan Rakyat versus Barisan Nasional. Continue reading “Najib, Muhyiddin and Mahathir must each apologise for their irresponsible and unMalaysian remarks completely at variance with policies of 1Malaysia and Bangsa Malaysia if there is going to be genuine “national reconciliation” after 13GE”

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Vote-rigging helped BN win Putrajaya, Kit Siang tells rally

By Boo Su-Lyn
The Malaysian Insider
May 09, 2013

PETALING JAYA, May 9 — Barisan Nasional (BN) would not have retained federal power if Election 2013 was free and fair, DAP veteran Lim Kit Siang told a mass rally of tens of thousands last night.

Some 50,000, dressed mostly in black, packed Stadium MBPJ in Kelana Jaya here to the rafters at Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) rally against electoral fraud, shouting “Ubah” (Change) and “Reformasi” (Reformation) throughout the night.

“BN has 133 seats. Minus 30, they’re left with 103. Does he still qualify to continue to be prime minister?” roared Lim, referring to Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“No!” the multi-racial crowd yelled in response, as they sounded air horns and cheered. Continue reading “Vote-rigging helped BN win Putrajaya, Kit Siang tells rally”

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This Little Malay Ripple That Joined The Tsunami

by Karina Bahrin (Notes) on Tuesday, May 7, 2013 at 9:07pm

Dear Prime Minister and all in UMNO

I am, by your definition, Malay. Except it is said that in our family folklore, my paternal grandmother was probably biologically Chinese. And yes, my mother is a former Catholic from the Philippines.

Not that any of that should matter because, as far as you are concerned, I am Malay.

Only, I did not vote for you. And neither did a whole lot of other Malays,despite what you would like to think. Do the math. If 80% of the population voted, then surely, you cannot blame the erosion of your power on the Chinese minority. Or did you fail that subject too?

I voted for the Opposition because as a Malay, I myself have had enough. Not because I necessarily like all the Opposition leaders, but frankly, I just like you lot less. Because despite all your rhetoric about the Opposition being a lying, conniving bunch, I have personally born witness and been on the receiving end of YOUR lies and policies that stoke racial and religious polarity. Not the Opposition’s. Continue reading “This Little Malay Ripple That Joined The Tsunami”

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Najib Tun Razak, Chua Soi Lek, Ali Rustam, M Saravanan and Dr Mahathir should stop racializing the 13th General Election results and focus instead on Revamping the Electoral System, starting with asking for the members of the Election Commission to resign

BN leaders should be ashamed of themselves for continuing to racialize the GE13 election results. This is thoroughly unbecoming of their status as national leaders and statesmen. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak continues to irresponsibly racialize the GE13 results when he refused to condemn the reprehensible and thoroughly disgusting headline of Utusan Malaysia yesterday on the 7th of May which read “Apa Lagi Cina Mahu?” (What more do the Chinese want?). Instead, his response which alluded that the Chinese papers were writing the same thing makes a mockery of his election night statement that he wanted to embark on a program of national reconciliation.

Dr Chua Soi Lek too has refused to apologize for making the remark that the country is now on a ‘two-race’ system. This is pure stupidity since 50 out of the 89 Pakatan MPs (or 56%) are non-Chinese (39 Malay, 10 Indian, 1 Kadazan).

Ali Rustam should also offer his profuse apologies to not just the Chinese voters in the constituency of Bukit Katil but also the Malay voters, who make up 53% of the voters in this constituency, and also the Indian voters, who make up 6% of the voters in this constituency for exercising their democratic right to choose their candidate of preference, which happens to be his opponent, Shamsul Iskandar, from PKR.

M Saravanan should also apologize for agreeing with Utusan Malaysia and with Ali Rustam by saying that the Chinese were ungrateful since I am sure that many of the 12743 voters who voted for his opponent (or 38% of the total vote) included Malay and Indian voters.

Do both of these leaders also mean to say that all those who voted against the BN, including almost half of the voters in the 95% majority state of Terengganu, are also ‘ungrateful’ voters?

The worst culprit of this race baiting is none other than Dr. Mahathir himself who continues to outdo his younger self in polarizing and dividing the country when he accused the Malaysian Chinese community of ‘rejecting the hand of friendship’ extended by the Malays. Continue reading “Najib Tun Razak, Chua Soi Lek, Ali Rustam, M Saravanan and Dr Mahathir should stop racializing the 13th General Election results and focus instead on Revamping the Electoral System, starting with asking for the members of the Election Commission to resign”

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What else do Chinese want?

by Allan CF Goh

This is my personal view, spoken out of my soul and conscience. Though I sincerely believe many intelligent and fair-minded Malaysians, including Malayans, Sabahans and Sarawakians, share the same sentiment, it remains my personal conviction.

Merdeka came in 1957, while I was still in an English medium school during the 50’s. Then life was very slow and simple. True values were the basis of one’s education and upbringing, cutting across the racial lines. Indian, Malay and Chinese classmates mixed around as fully accepted Malayans, without being aware of, or awkward about our different colours. We visited each other’s home, and sometimes ate the food offered, without hesitation. Some may recall, we even called each other “racist” names as endearment, in real friendship without malice. No offence was taken. I remember some Malay classmates even took Bible Knowledge in their Form 3 Examination, with the full blessing of their families. They still remain good, devout Muslims.

When merdeka arrived, all communities welcomed it with great hope and unity. Merdeka was pledged to all, without exception. Reading the Straits Times and Straits Echo in the school library (we could not afford our own newspapers at home) during breaks, we were constantly assured by the then Alliance leaders from UMNO, MCA and MIC, that all races would be treated equally. Continue reading “What else do Chinese want?”

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Najib’s hollow victory

by Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
May 6, 2013

It is widely believed that a happy and contented Singaporean is one who has achieved the 5Cs – cash, credit card, car, condominium and country club.

In neighbouring Malaysia, the victorious Umno Baru leader is defined by the 6Cs; corruption, chaos, cheating, cronyism, cowardice and concubine.

BN head Najib Abdul Razak injected many millions of ringgit into the country to secure a victory, and unleashed a violent campaign of ‘blood, sweat and tears’ to defend Putrajaya. In the end, he only managed a ‘win’ by a handful of seats.

For many Umno Baru leaders, the effort has been worthwhile because the alternative is a long spell behind bars.

Ironically, the worst damage inflicted on Najib and BN, was Najib’s own ‘1Malaysia’ slogan.

Malaysians are fairly reticent people and not known for outward displays of public-spiritedness, but yesterday, in the true spirit of ‘1Malaysia’, Malaysians of all races were united in defending their polling stations against foreign ‘phantom’ voters. Continue reading “Najib’s hollow victory”

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Lim: Stop racialising elections results

G Vinod| May 8, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

The DAP veteran urges Barisan Nasional leaders to improve the fraudulent electoral system instead of racialising the poll results.

KUALA LUMPUR: DAP has criticised Barisan Nasional leaders for racialising the recent general election results instead of revamping the electoral system marred with irregularities.

Speaking at a press conference held at the party headquarters, DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang reiterated that the massive swing of support to Pakatan Rakyat was a Malaysian wave rather than a Chinese one.

“No doubt there are was considerable swing from the Chinese but it also involved the Malays and the other communities. Do you think I could have won the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat without the support from the Malays and the Indians?” he asked.

On Sunday, Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak attributed the heavy losses suffered by the ruling coalition due to a “Chinese tsunami.”

Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia yesterday carried a provocative headline, “Apa Lagi Cina Mahu?” (What else do the Chinese want) attacking the Chinese for backing Pakatan Rakyat. Continue reading “Lim: Stop racialising elections results”

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‘Stop blaming one community for BN’s bad performance’

BY CLARA CHOOI
The Malaysian Insider
May 08, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today demanded a stop to all attempts at racialising last Sunday’s polls by blaming a particular community for Barisan Nasional’s (BN) poor showing at the ballot boxes.

“This is unfair and unhelpful,” he said in a statement here.

The former prime minister, who stepped down in favour of Datuk Seri Najib Razak in 2009 after he led BN to lose its coveted two-thirds parliamentary majority in Election 2008, agreed that following Sunday’s polls results, there was a pressing need for the country to undergo the process of national reconciliation and unity.

He also called on the opposition to accept and respect the election results, despite the fact that they had lost by slim majorities amid claims of fraud and widespread irregularities in the polling process.

“Malaysians deserve stability and certainty that can only come with finality and closure from this election,” he said in his message to the opposition.

“Let us move on in the interest of all Malaysians.” Continue reading “‘Stop blaming one community for BN’s bad performance’”

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Kit Siang accepts polls results, but questions 30 seats affecting BN’s legitimacy

By Ida Lim
The Malaysian Insider
May 08, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, May 8 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang today said he accepted last Sunday’s polls result where Barisan Nasional (BN) won the contest to be the federal government, saying he was only questioning 30 federal seats which could affect the coalition’s legitimacy.

“By and large, I accept the elections result, but 30 seats – the electoral fraud, electoral abuse, electoral irregularities – if these are proved, then they have to be corrected.

“And if they are corrected and Najib loses these 30 seats, he doesn’t have majority to be prime minister,” the DAP advisor said at a press conference at the party’s headquarter. Continue reading “Kit Siang accepts polls results, but questions 30 seats affecting BN’s legitimacy”

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Don’t repeat the 1987 ‘fire’, Kit Siang tells Najib

Ram Anand
Malaysiakini
May 8, 2013

DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang has warned Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak not to “play with fire” by making “race-baiting” statements targeted at the Chinese after the Sunday polls.

Kit Siang said that Najib is risking a repeat of the racial tension that emanated prior to the 1987 Operasi Lalang.

Although Kit Siang did not elaborate on the matter, in 1987 there had been an allegation, which Najib had denied, about waving a keris and a pledge to “bathe it with Chinese blood” plus a combination of other factors that caused racial tension with the Chinese community.

“Najib must ask himself, does he want to be a prime minister for all Malaysians?” Kit Siang asked.

Kit Siang said that whilst Najib might be making those statements to appease the Umno grassroots, the latter mustn’t lose sight of the 1Malaysia concept that he had espoused four years ago. Continue reading “Don’t repeat the 1987 ‘fire’, Kit Siang tells Najib”

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BN’s victory ‘superficial’

Jeswan Kaur| May 7, 2013
Free Malaysia Today

BN’s dirty tricks to win the 13th general election will never be forgotten; the time for retribution will come slowly but surely.

COMMENT

Ruling coalition Barisan Nasional has little reason to gloat over its win in the May 5 general election.

Violence, phantom voters and the unreliable indelible ink were only part of the shenanigans BN resorted to in its bid to secure Putrajaya.

Victory however was far from sweet for BN; not only did it fail to reclaim a two-third majority, the 13th general election also sent home the message that the rakyat, in particular the ‘thinking’ generation want “representatives” who respect them, their faiths and who ‘walk the talk’.

Despite BN’s extensive propaganda, good sense thankfully prompted voters to reject candidates such as Malay extremist party Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali who was knocked out by PAS’ Nik Abdul Nik Aziz in Pasir Mas, Kelantan. Continue reading “BN’s victory ‘superficial’”

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It was a M’sian tsunami, Kit Siang tells Najib

by Koh Jun Lin
Malaysiakini
May 6, 2013

DAP’s newly-crowned Gelang Patah MP Lim Kit Siang has condemned BN head Najib Abdul Razak for attributing the coalition’s worst showing in a general election to a “Chinese tsunami”.

He said it was in fact a “Malaysian tsunami”, and that Pakatan Rakyat could not have achieved its results without the backing of Malaysians of other races.

“In many parts of the country, Pakatan won seats in areas that were previously considered as BN strongholds and took down many big BN guns in Malay-majority areas,” he told a press conference today.

To back his claims, Lim listed several Malay or bumiputera-majority seats that Pakatan had won, or retained with an increased majority. Continue reading “It was a M’sian tsunami, Kit Siang tells Najib”

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Malaysia BN’s polls slump a ‘Malaysian tsunami’, ex-NSTP boss says

The Malaysian Insider
May 06, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, May 6 ― Barisan Nasional’s (BN) weaker showing in Election 2013 points to a strong wave of rejection from all Malaysians and not just from the minority Chinese, a former editor of the Umno-owned New Straits Times said today.

Datuk A. Kadir Jasin observed that the 13-party coalition not only drew fewer seats in the 222-member Dewan Rakyat and 12 state assemblies in yesterday’s general election compared to 2008, but also lost the popular vote for the first time since polls in 1969.

“Is it not possible that this is not a Chinese tsunami or racial chauvinism but a Malaysian tsunami that is centred on the aspiration and new reality, especially among young voters?” the man who had been group editor-in-chief of the public-listed News Strait Times Press during the Mahathir administration wrote in his blog.

BN chairman Datuk Seri Najib Razak had alluded to a “Chinese tsunami” in an immediate speech just after midnight when the Election Commission announced the BN as winners by a simple majority, but the veteran journalist today brushed aside the perception as unlikely. Continue reading “Malaysia BN’s polls slump a ‘Malaysian tsunami’, ex-NSTP boss says”

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Ordinary Malaysians, extraordinary day

by Bridget Welsh
Malaysiakini
May 5, 2013

GE13 SPECIAL On this historic day of GE13, Malaysians are bravely stepping into the unknown. Some are already queuing up to vote, and yet others are waiting for the crowd to disperse before heading out to the polling stations. Every Malaysian knows today will not be an ordinary day.

There are four intense but quiet battles taking place that will shape whether May 5 will indeed bring about change.

The first battle is a personal one, national in scope, taking place deep in the hearts of every Malaysian. It is a contest over what sort of country Malaysia should be. Many Malaysians are voting for a different moral foundation for the country’s politics.

The anger and sense of disbelief of BN governance runs deep, from the issues of corruption to its racial polemics. While there are many Malaysians who strongly support the status quo, among this group are many who question whether something is not quite right.

Indeed, today the country will be voting for its soul. Continue reading “Ordinary Malaysians, extraordinary day”

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BN faces fight of its life in this general election

by Stuart Grudgings, Reuters
Malaysiakini
May 5, 2013

Malaysians vote on Sunday in an election that could weaken or even end the rule of one of the world’s longest-lived coalitions, which faces a stiff challenge from an opposition pledging to clean up politics and end race-based policies.

Led by former finance minister Anwar Ibrahim, the opposition is aiming to build on startling electoral gains in 2008, when the Barisan Nasional (BN) ruling coalition lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority.

The historic result signalled a breakdown in traditional politics as minority ethnic Chinese and ethnic Indians, as well as many majority Malays, rejected the National Front’s brand of race-based patronage that has ensured stability in the Southeast Asian nation but led to corruption and widening inequality. Continue reading “BN faces fight of its life in this general election”

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Anwar vows no retributive justice for political foes

by Susan Loone
Malaysiakini
May 4, 2013

Pakatan’s prime minister-designate Anwar Ibrahim has vowed that his political opponents will not face “retributive justice” should he assume power in Putrajaya tomorrow.

His political enemies, among others, is his former boss,ex-premier Mahathir Mohamad.

“I have no intention of taking revenge against him nor will we be conducting any investigation on him,” said Anwar at a press conference in Kubang Semang today.

“However, this does not mean that the wealth of Petronas will continue to remain a monopoly in the hands of his cronies,” he was quick to add.

“Such ill gotten wealth must be returned to the people,” he stressed.

“I can understand his hysterical outburst recently but no one said we will go after him,” he quipped. Continue reading “Anwar vows no retributive justice for political foes”

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Malaysia’s Ruling Party Gets Desperate

by Azeem Ibrahim
The Huffington Post

Malaysia has in reality been a one party state for over 55 years with the ruling UMNO party winning a string of elections without much opposition. However, with the stellar rise of Anwar Ibrahim, the ruling party is facing its most tightly contested election in its history. In the final days of campaigning in an election which many pollsters now believe the government will lose, it seems to be pulling a number of desperate stunts.

Firstly is the amount of money the prime minister’s office is spending on advertising. Industry experts have identified over 50 million USD in advertising buys by the prime minister’s office alone. Sources say that the amount of money being spent on advertisements exceeds one million, a virtual buy out of all ad space on Microsoft networks (which include Skype and Bing) for the last 10 days of the campaign. On Facebook the PMO’s office, again according to sources, is spending upwards of $200,000. Continue reading “Malaysia’s Ruling Party Gets Desperate”

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BN has lost ‘nambikei’ for nominating Zul Noordin

by Ragesh Kumar Lingam
Malaysiakini
Apr 24, 2013

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

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

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

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

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