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Will PAS’s new dream team be Umno’s nightmare?

By Sheridan Mahavera
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

ANALYSIS – June 5 — The election of veteran activists, parliamentarians, state administrators and think tank experts into the top PAS leadership has appeared to put the party on a firm war footing.

This line-up of Mohamed Sabu as the PAS deputy president and vice-presidents Salahuddin Ayub, Datuk Husam Musa and Datuk Mahfuz Omar is expected to not only stand shoulder to shoulder with allies in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) but it is said that they want to spearhead the coalition in its march to Putrajaya.

Their election perhaps speaks of the party’s changing membership and support base, and the rank-file’s desire to see the party move beyond an Islamist movement to a national-level ruling party. Continue reading “Will PAS’s new dream team be Umno’s nightmare?”

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Berani pilih sedia berjuang

By Wan Hamidi Hamid
June 05, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider

5 JUN — Ulama tidak kalah, profesional tidak menang dalam pemilihan PAS. Yang membentuk wajah PAS sekarang ialah gabungan kedua-dua kumpulan di samping mereka yang bukan ulama dan bukan profesional — guru, pegawai perkhidmatan awam, peniaga dan aktivis.

Pemisahan antara kumpulan-kumpulan itu yang wujud lebih sedekad lalu tidak lagi menjadi isu dalam PAS kerana latar belakang mereka disatukan atas kesetiaan perjuangan mereka berlandaskan perlembagaan parti.

Yang menang adalah para perwakilan yang dilihat kecewa dengan kelembapan kepimpinan PAS dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang selama ini terganggu dek pujuk rayu Umno yang kononnya mahu mewujudkan perpaduan Melayu. Continue reading “Berani pilih sedia berjuang”

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Some lessons from PAS muktamar

By The Malaysian Insider
June 04, 2011

JUNE 4 — Beyond the headlines in the past few days, some interesting facts and storylines have been thrown up by the PAS elections. These include:

Lesson Number 1: For all the stereotyping of PAS as a party of backward religious types, these elections have shown that the Islamic political party is committed to democratic principles.

In the months before the polls, it was clear that this was going to be a tough and possibly acrimonious polls between the religious class and the progressives. Some argued that the PAS leadership should have postponed the bruising elections in view of coming general elections.

No way.

PAS went ahead with the party elections, believing that electing leaders is a crucial part of democracy. Unlike Umno who has postponed its party elections for fear of infighting. Unlike the MCA which has also postponed its party election. Continue reading “Some lessons from PAS muktamar”

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Victory of the ‘Erdogans’ bodes well for Pakatan

By Bridget Welsh
Jun 4, 11 | MalaysiaKini

COMMENT There was a sense of excitement in the air in Gombak this morning as the results of the PAS party polls were announced. It is a truly historic day for PAS and the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Stalwart Mohamed Sabu (right) defeated his two contenders for the deputy position (by 21 votes), three non-ulama leaders – Salahudin Ayub, Mahfuz Omar and Husam Musa – were elected vice-presidents, and non-ulama leaders secured two-thirds (12 out of 18) of the slots in the party’s central committee.

The progressive forces in PAS has secured a major victory, overturning the Terengganu dominance of the party. This is the first non-ulama leadership team – except for Abdul Hadi Awang of course – since the 1982 coup against nationalist PAS president Mohamad Asri Muda, where it was stated that there should never be non-ulama leaders occupying the top posts. Continue reading “Victory of the ‘Erdogans’ bodes well for Pakatan”

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Hadi calls for unity as PAS gears up for snap polls

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani
June 04, 201 | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 — Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told PAS to be united and gear up for the coming general election after his Islamist party experienced its most hotly-contested polls in recent history.

The party president also congratulated the delegates and candidates for showing maturity in accepting the election results gracefully.

“We lead as a collective and not individuals.

“It is the delegates who make changes in the party and not the leaders. The party’s policy won’t change but the strategy will,” he told delegates today. Continue reading “Hadi calls for unity as PAS gears up for snap polls”

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‘Lucky’ Mat Sabu aims to take PAS to wider audience

By Kow Gah Chie & Salhan K Ahmad
Jun 4, 11 | MalaysiaKini

Newly-elected PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu said that he will take the mandate to place the Islamic party in the national mainstream by appealing to non-Malays and non-Muslims.

This, he said, is especially important in light of the upcoming general election.

“You can’t win elections just on the back of Malay support. I will endeavour to garner more support from non-Muslims using the Pakatan Rakyat platform,” said the popular grassroots leader.

Considering himself “lucky to have garnered grassroots support” in the three-way fight, the Penangite believes that he can strengthen the Islamic party’s relationship with Pakatan Rakyat. Continue reading “‘Lucky’ Mat Sabu aims to take PAS to wider audience”

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Hadi spurns cooperation with Umno-BN

By Aidila Razak | Jun 3, 11
Malaysiakini

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang today made it clear that any bid to forge cooperation between PAS and Umno in the name of Malay unity is an effort in futility.

Not mincing his words during his keynote speech at the Muktamar in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur today, Abdul Hadi (right) said that Umno had forsaken the Malays and bumiputera by plundering wealth through dubious means.
Continue reading “Hadi spurns cooperation with Umno-BN”

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PAS vows to defend Pakatan states

By Aidila Razak | Jun 3, 11
Malaysiakini

PAS today vowed to use “every ounce of their energy” to defend the four Pakatan Rakyat states from returning to the BN in the next general election.

“Let us all vow to defend Kelantan, Kedah, Selangor and Penang which we have governed together, with every once of our energy; let our sweat soak the earth, with high spirits and through God’s will, we will defend our victory,” said its president Abdul Hadi Awang.
Continue reading “PAS vows to defend Pakatan states”

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Intel report sees strife in BN, Pakatan

Malaysiakini
Jun 1, 11

Specialist publisher Economist Intelligence Unit has warned that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak may face political revolt within Umno and from coalition parties in Sabah and Sarawak, should he fail to secure a clear victory in the next general election.

Divisions among the three Pakatan Rakyat component parties are also likely to widen if PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is jailed for sodomy, the publisher said in the June report for Malaysia.

It predicted that Malaysia’s political stability will come under moderate threat in the next five years due to internal strife within the two main political alliances. Continue reading “Intel report sees strife in BN, Pakatan”

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Longing For A Free Mind (Part 12 of 14)

By M. Bakri Musa

Q& A (Cont’d): Pakatan, UMNO, and Mahathir

Q4: Pakatan declared that it will take away Malay special privileges. Why should I vote for that coalition?

A4: Your greatest fear, and reason for not voting Pakatan, is the possible loss of your special privileges. Thanks to the agitations of leaders from the increasingly shrill Mahathir down to the ever-frothing Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali, affirmative action is now an existential issue for Malays.
Continue reading “Longing For A Free Mind (Part 12 of 14)”

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Pakatan gov’ts offer aid to landslide victims

Malaysiakini
May 22, 11

Pakatan governments of Selangor and Penang have pledged aid to the victims of the landslide yesterday in Hulu Langat, Selangor as a sign of moral support.

Selangor is sending aid as well as contributing RM1,000 to each victim’s family, while Penang is suggesting a RM25,000 lump sum donation to the victims of the tragedy.

16 youths were reported killed and nine injured when a landslide hit Hidayah Madrasah Al-Taqwa orphanage at 2.30pm yesterday.

Selangor Menteri Besar Abdul Khalid Ibrahim yesterday said the state has sent a humanitarian aid mission to the scene of the tragedy to provide immediate assistance to the victims. Continue reading “Pakatan gov’ts offer aid to landslide victims”

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Change a byword for Kedah Chinese, but to whom?

By Sheridan Mahavera
The Malaysian Insider
May 22, 2011

ALOR SETAR, May 22 — About a month after he was put in charge of Kedah Barisan Nasional (BN), Datuk Paduka Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah declared the state’s Chinese community was returning to the national coalition.

Ahmad Bashah, who made this claim after a Chinese New Year dinner in February, was confident this was happening because of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia concept.

He is not far from the truth. The Malaysian Insider conducted a straw poll of Kedah Chinese residents and found that a significant number of respondents wanted to change the Pakatan Rakyat state government.

However, this did not mean they liked BN either. In fact, the poll showed that only 12 per cent of all Chinese respondents found the 1 Malaysia concept exciting or attractive. The rest were lukewarm, totally uninterested or unclear about it.

Also, though there were more Chinese respondents who wanted to change the state government, this was not reflected in their feelings about the PR administration. More than half of respondents felt satisfied with how PR was running things. Continue reading “Change a byword for Kedah Chinese, but to whom?”

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Anwar to lead even if jailed, says Guan Eng

By Clara Chooi | May 18, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 18 — DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng declared today that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will remain as Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) opposition Leader in Parliament even if he is jailed for sodomy.

Lim said the PR leadership have agreed that Anwar will hold on to the post “as long as he is still an MP” and until all legal avenues are exhausted.

“There is no replacement of opposition leader. Definitely no replacement. As long as he is an MP, he will not be replaced,” he told reporters after attending the launch of the George Town Festival 2011 at the Lot 10 shopping centre here this morning.
Continue reading “Anwar to lead even if jailed, says Guan Eng”

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Erti persabahatan Pakatan

By Wan Hamidi | May 13, 2011
The Malaysian Insider

Semua orang tahu PAS, DAP dan PKR tidak akan berganjak dari prinsip perjuangan masing-masing. Itu soal dasar parti. Komponen sekular MCA, Gerakan dan beberapa lagi parti dalam Barisan Nasional yang menolak Ketuanan Melayu pun masih boleh bersahabat dengan Umno walau pun dalam senyuman pahit.

Perbezaan ketara di antara PAS yang berpegang kepada Al-Quran dan Sunnah sebagai dasar politik dan DAP yang memperjuangkan demokrasi sosial bersifat sekular telah menjadi bahan kepada musuh politik mereka Umno untuk mengapikan permusuhan.

Yang tidak ditonjolkan oleh media arus perdana milik Umno dan Barisan Nasional ialah kesefahaman PAS, DAP dan PKR dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang berpegang kepada dasar bersama untuk menegakkan keadilan melalui demokrasi tulen yang menentang rasuah, salah guna kuasa, politik perkauman dan mempergunakan agama untuk kepentingan politik.
Continue reading “Erti persabahatan Pakatan”

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‘Utusan’ best recruiting agents for Pakatan

By Yin Ee Kiong | 12 May 2011
CPI Asia

First things first: DAP’s ban on Utusan Malaysia is wrong. Wrong because it is hypocritical to damn Umno-BN when they ban certain media from covering party or official functions and now DAP is doing the same thing.

DAP banning Utusan is wrong because it is the right of every paper to attend events so that they can report to their readers. Let the readers decide on the veracity of each report and let the authorities deal with the paper if it has overstepped the mark. Wrong because to call for freedom of the press on the one hand and now to ban a paper on the other all only the party does not like what it’s reporting is an indefensible position to take.

And wrong again to kick up such a ruckus as it did over the Utusan issue. It is enough to refute such false statements. There is no need for the brouhaha because it is in the opposition’s interest that Utusan and their fellow travellers be given enough rope to hang themselves.
Continue reading “‘Utusan’ best recruiting agents for Pakatan”

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PAS leaders put down right wing paper’s latest fire

Harakahdaily

KUALA LUMPUR, May 9: PAS leaders have come together to slam right-wing group Perkasa’s mouthpiece Utusan Malaysia in its latest claim against DAP of a ‘Christian conspiracy’ to make Islam the religion of the Federation.

PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang condemned the paper for being irresponsible in playing up communal issues to fan sentiments especially among the Malays Muslims.

Hadi reiterated that PAS, PKR and DAP have long agreed to defend the Federal constitution, among which makes Islam the official religion while ensuring freedom for other religions to be practised.

“This commitment is enshrined in Pakatan Rakyat’s common policy. Hence, the ploy played by certain media aiming to rouse the people’s sentiments especially among Malays Muslims that Malaysia would become a Christian state smacks of irresponsbile reporting,” Hadi told Harakahdaily. Continue reading “PAS leaders put down right wing paper’s latest fire”

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‘Think of it as a duty roster than a shadow cabinet’

Susan Loone | May 8, 11
Malaysiakini

Sarawak DAP state representatives played down the current spat between the party and PKR over the shadow cabinet issue, saying the temporary crisis would not mess up the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

DAP Sarawak secretary Chong Chieng Jen (right) described the issue which recently pitted the two Pakatan allies as a ‘minor hiccup’ which will not affect the existing relationship between the duo.

Chong, who is Kota Sentosa MP, explained that the problem has cropped up because the two parties viewed the issue differently.

Chong said the DAP viewed the exercise as a “portfolio distribution’, where every assemblyperson would get to flex his or her muscle in areas where they excelled or have expertise in.

“PKR, however, viewed it as a reflection of a future ministerial cabinet (where the candidates would eventually assume the ministerial post should Pakatan seize Petrajaya in the coming election),” he said.

“So to avoid controversy, perhaps we can call this line-up by another name…for example…a duty roster?” he added, at the conclusion of the party’s mega-ceramah in Penang last night. Continue reading “‘Think of it as a duty roster than a shadow cabinet’”

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RM30 million donation rejected and scholarship for the poor

By Koon Yew Yin

1. I am not a politician. But I know politics is very important because it affects you and your children. I want to help you win the coming election. I have already donated RM100,000 during your last dinner to celebrate Lim Kit Siang’s 70th Birthday, a few months ago. (Admin note: RM100,000 donated to DAP Perak)

I put my money where my mouth is. Many people would grumble and complain about BN government’s corruptions, abuse of power and Chinese cannot get university places and also employment in the civil services, etc but they dare not come forward to support Pakatan Rakyat to change the Government.

I hope my coming forward openly will encourage many people to show support. Your party needs money and I hope you all will donate as much as you can afford.

2. You must bear in mind that the population of the non Malays is relatively small, even all non Malays vote for the PR and without Malays winning some seats, Pakatan Ryakyat cannot control the Perak State Government or Putrajaya. After tonight’s dinner, I would like each of you to make a serious effort to make friend with at least one Malay and convince him to vote for PR.
Continue reading “RM30 million donation rejected and scholarship for the poor”

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To explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger in my three days in Kuching, Sibu and Miri starting tomorrow

In my three days of visit to Kuching, Sibu and Miri beginning tomorrow, I will also take the opportunity to explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger as a follow-up to the 416 political awakening in the recent Sarawak state general elections with the twin objectives to accelerate greater political awakening among Sarawakians of all ethnic groups and deepen and strengthen DAP and Pakatan Rakyat political support in the state.

This will be in line with the decision of the DAP Sarawak State Committee at its meeting in Sibu last Sunday to give the nod to explore further the idea of a possible DAP-SNAP merger.

I propose not only to meet SNAP leaders and veterans but also to discuss the post-416 political scenario and challenges with a whole spectrum of Sarawakians. Continue reading “To explore further the idea of a DAP-SNAP merger in my three days in Kuching, Sibu and Miri starting tomorrow”

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Pakatan’s Chances of Winning the 13th General Election

By Kenny Gan

The 13th general election will be the most watched and anxiously awaited event in the annals of Malaysian political history. Previous general elections have been tame affairs where the result was never in doubt; it was only a matter of how many seats the opposition could wrest away from BN. But the next election will be different as BN faces a real threat of losing power to a united opposition.

To be sure, this is not the first time that the opposition parties have grouped together to challenge BN. In the 1990 general election, Tengku Razaleigh’s Semangat 46 forged a coalition with other opposition parties and in 1999 DAP, PAS and Keadilan formed Barisan Alternatif to take advantage of public revulsion over Mahathir’s cruel treatment of Anwar.

But these opposition pacts did not even manage to deny BN its customary two-thirds majority. They failed because the social forces at that time were just not in their favour. The minorities were controlled by racial and religious fears and the mindset of the people then could not accept being governed by any coalition other than BN.
Continue reading “Pakatan’s Chances of Winning the 13th General Election”