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Idea of DAP-SNAP merger conceived as one important measure to take 416 UBAH political awakening in Sarawak to its full flush of victory in next national elections

Firstly, let me congratulate the 12 newly-elected Sarawak DAP State Assembly representatives led by Sarawak DAP State Chairman Wong Ho Leng, Deputy Chairman Chiew Chin Sing and State Secretary Chong Jian Ren for their success in the historic 416 Sarawak state general elections the previous Saturday.

It is not so much a victory for the DAP as a victory for the UBAH generation in Sarawak spearheading a political awakening for change in Sarawak with far-reaching implications for Malaysian politics as a whole.

Just as the 2006 Sarawak state general elections (520 or 20th May) paved the way for the 308 “political tsunami” of the 2008 general elections which saw the fall of Barisan Nasional in five states and the loss of its parliamentary two-thirds majority for the first time, will 416, which saw DAP elected representatives doubling from six to twelve and a collective Pakatan Rakyat State Assembly presence of 15 representatives, herald another historic political change in the forthcoming general elections with the fall of Barisan Nasional in ten states and a change-over of Federal Government in Putrajaya from Barisan Nasional to Pakatan Rakyat?

As a response to the 416 UBAH political awakening in Sarawak, I had broached the idea of a possible DAP-SNAP merger not only to learn from the lessons of the Sarawak general elections to avoid multi-cornered contests but also to accelerate the mobilization and political awakening of Sarawakians for the 13th general elections expected any time. Continue reading “Idea of DAP-SNAP merger conceived as one important measure to take 416 UBAH political awakening in Sarawak to its full flush of victory in next national elections”

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Urban bumis also swing to opposition

By Wong Teck Chi | Malaysiakini

On top of a huge swing of nearly 40 percent of Chinese voters to Pakatan Rakyat in Miri, a smaller proportion of urban or suburban bumiputera voters has turned to the opposition coalition, which resulted in SUPP losing almost all three state seats in Miri three days ago.

However, the magnitude of the swing is hard to estimate, given that there is no single area in Miri with a super majority of bumiputera voters.

The best example which showed there is some swing to Pakatan among the bumiputera community is Senadin, which is located on the outskirts of Miri.

Despite that that the seat has a mix of 49.98% Chinese, 28.97% Malay or Melanau and 15.88 % Iban, PKR candidate Michael Teo was still able to slash the majority of SUPP incumbent Lee Kim Sin from 4,799 votes in the 2006 state election to just 58 votes.

If not for the controversial postal votes that numbered around 1,000, SUPP would definitely have lost Senadin, and the party would have been totally wiped out from Sarawak’s second largest city.
Continue reading “Urban bumis also swing to opposition”

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10th Sarawak State Election 2011 Results – A Reflection For GE 13

By Richard Loh

My delayed comment on the Sarawak State Election results was because I was on the road the past few days. By now most of you must have read statements from party leaders from both sides, the winners and losers, the experts from the new media and of course the umno/bn controlled media as well.

Was there really a tsunami in this State Election? There was none and let me explain why.

A tsunami cannot happened by itself, it needs an action to trigger it. The recent tsunami in Japan was triggered by a 8.9 Richter Scale earthquake. A tsunami usually will not happened for earthquake less than 5 Richter Scale, it will just create ripples.

In my earlier posting I clearly mentioned that the wind of change in Sarawak was only ripples being formed and there can be no tsunami as yet.
Continue reading “10th Sarawak State Election 2011 Results – A Reflection For GE 13”

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After Sarawak setback, what next for BN?

The Malaysian Insider
April 18, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, April 18 — Barisan Nasional (BN) lost significant ground in its stronghold of Sarawak during Saturday’s state assembly election, setting the stage for a shift in government and economic policy as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak works to regain support.

The government recorded its worst performance in 24 years in the poll in a result analysts say reflects the mood across the country, which could prompt Najib to switch tack in his plan to recapture the ethnic minority vote and restructure the economy to catch up with Asian neighbours. Continue reading “After Sarawak setback, what next for BN?”

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Poll results blow for PM, say analysts

M Jegathesan
Apr 18, 11
Malaysiakini

Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak is unlikely to call snap elections after a bruising state poll in which his ruling coalition lost ground to the opposition in a traditional stronghold, analysts said.

The BN coalition held onto its crucial two-thirds majority after Saturday’s vote in Sarawak but the opposition had its best result for nearly a quarter century in the resource-rich state on Borneo island.

The vote was seen as an important gauge of popularity for Najib, who has dished out money for rural development.

Some observers said it was the most crucial test for the BN since the 2008 general elections when the opposition seized a third of parliamentary seats and threatened the BN’s half-century grip on power. Continue reading “Poll results blow for PM, say analysts”

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Dominique Ng should take Azizah’s advice and withdraw from April 16 state election so as not to spoil PR and Wong King Wei’s chances of winning in Padungan constituency

I endorse the advice by the PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail yesterday that the independent candidate for Padungan, Dominque Ng Kim Ho, should withdraw from contesting in the April 16 state election.

Ng Kim Ho should take Azizah’s advice and withdraw from the Sarawak state general election so as not to spoil Pakatan Rakyat and DAP candidate Wong King Wei’s chances of winning the Padungan constituency next Saturday.

Under the election law, Ng can withdraw as a candidate before midnight.

The battle in Padungan as well as in Sarawak is between Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional.

With Ng in the three-cornered contest in Padungan, there is a possibility that the SUPP/BN candidate Sim Kiang Chiok may win on split votes. Continue reading “Dominique Ng should take Azizah’s advice and withdraw from April 16 state election so as not to spoil PR and Wong King Wei’s chances of winning in Padungan constituency”

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A hornbill joins battle for change

Regina Lee | Apr 1, 11
Malaysiakini

Never before has political campaigning in Malaysia become this cute.

Arguably one of the most adorable (and probably the only) mascot used by any political party in the country, DAP has deployed Ubah (Malay word for change), a hornbill, in the coming Sarawak state election.

Since then, the mascot has appeared to have taken a life of its own. Ubah merchandise, ranging from plush toys to buttons, are flying off the shelves while stiff party leaders turn giggly at press conferences when asked to pose with the mascot.

On the cyber front, Ubah even has its own Facebook page and Twitter account, often posting photos of itself at DAP functions in Sarawak.

While the mascot clearly has to put up with the numerous “Angry Bird” puns – a popular game first available on the iPhone – Malaysiakini too could not resist and called out the bird in an email interview.

Below are the excerpts. The responses have been edited for language and brevity. Continue reading “A hornbill joins battle for change”

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Seat allocation agreement reached among DAP PKR PAS

Twitter File

limkitsiang
All systems go in Swak 2establish Swak no more BN fixed deposit state by at least denying BN 2/3 state assembly majority/end 30yr Taib rule
1 hour ago

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DAP 2contest 15seats – Padungan Pending KotaSentosa BatuKawah Simangang Repok Meradong BukitAssek Dudong BawangAssan Pelawan Kidurong Pujut Piasau BukitKota
2 hours ago

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Sarawak Pakatan Rakyat leaders from DAP PKR PAS in Kuching 2nite announced agreement on seat allocations 4April 16 Sarawak general elections
2 hours ago

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PR leadership must not allow the Carcosa sex tape caper to distract focus from the Sarawak general elections

The Pakatan Rakyat leadership must not allow the worst case of gutter politics in Malaysia – the Carcosa sex tape caper targeting Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim – to distract focus from the Sarawak general elections or those behind the latest political conspiracy would have achieved one of their objectives.

With nomination for the Sarawak elections in ten days’ time, it is urgent and imperative to restore public confidence in the Pakatan Rakyat, which had recently come under a bout of adverse publicity particularly in the past fortnight.

The key to the restoration of public confidence in Pakatan Rakyat for the Sarawak general elections is to resolve seat allocations for the Sarawak state general elections without any more delay.

In fact, such negotiations should have been concluded already and not been allowed to be so protracted and inconclusive. Continue reading “PR leadership must not allow the Carcosa sex tape caper to distract focus from the Sarawak general elections”

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Malaysia opposition vows to support Anwar after mystery group shows alleged sex video of him

By Julia ZappeiThe Associated Press
22nd March 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — Malaysia’s opposition pledged Tuesday to fight allegations that Anwar Ibrahim was filmed having sex with a prostitute, insisting its leader’s troubles won’t fracture his three-party alliance ahead of national elections expected within a year.

A sex video depicting a man believed to resemble Anwar was shown to several Malaysian journalists under mysterious circumstances Monday. It has not been publicly circulated, but opposition officials are scrambling to convince people that it is a plot hatched by the government.

Prime Minister Najib Razak denied authorities made the video, which marks the latest accusation of sexual misconduct confronting Anwar. He is currently on trial on charges he sodomized a 25-year-old male former aide and faces up to 20 years in prison if convicted.

Anwar’s top allies held a news conference Tuesday to voice their support for him, claiming the video was simply the latest effort to smear Anwar’s reputation.

“All Malaysians must express their outrage and condemnation that Malaysian politics have reached a new depth of character assassination,” said Lim Kit Siang, a veteran official in the Democratic Action Party. Continue reading “Malaysia opposition vows to support Anwar after mystery group shows alleged sex video of him”

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The prelude to the Battle for Putrajaya

By Thomas Lee

The dissolution of the 71-seat Sarawak legislative state assembly on Monday 21 March 2001 has set the stage for the introductory phrase of the Battle for Putrajaya.

The Sarawak state election is a foreshadow of the battle royale between the Barisan Nasional and its formidable foe Pakatan Rakyat in the impending 13th general election for the control of Putrajaya.

The Sarawak Barisan Nasional is not expected to have an easy time sailing through smoothly in the current state election, unlike almost all previous state elections when it literally had the monopoly of the Sarawakian support.

The alternative Pakatan Rakyat coalition is going all out to cash in on the current revolutionary fervor in Egypt and in almost the wholes region of the Middle East to sound a clarion call to the people of Malaysia for an electoral revolution to oust what it claims to be an oppressive and corrupt regime. And Sarawak will be the acid test on whether the momentum of the March 2008 tsunamic impact is gathering force or losing steam in its march to Putrajaya.
Continue reading “The prelude to the Battle for Putrajaya”

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Selangor DAP tells PAS to stop anti-gaming talk

By Debra Chong
The Malaysian Insider
Mar 06, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 — Selangor DAP chief Teresa Kok warned political ally PAS to stop pushing for all Pakatan Rakyat (PR) states to adopt Kelantan’s controversial gaming ban for fear of losing non-Muslim votes in the coming general election.

“If PAS pushes this further, it’s not going to help them win more Malay votes and it might cost them non-Malay votes,” she told The Malaysian Insider today.

Kok was weighing in behind DAP national chairman Karpal Singh who had yesterday criticised the Kelantan government for enforcing a state law which, he said, had denied the rights of its non-Muslim citizens. Continue reading “Selangor DAP tells PAS to stop anti-gaming talk”

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By-elections: Pakatan on the defensive

By Bridget Welsh

But despite the BN’s victories in recent by-elections, neither side is coming out to be the clear winner.

The upcoming contests of Merlimau and Kerdau are like a drawn-out boxing match where both opponents are bruised and tired. The next two rounds heavily sway in favour of the BN, as both constituencies are in traditional Umno territory.

In the upcoming two matches, the BN has a comfortable weight advantage.

What matters in these by-elections is not the final result – almost a foregone conclusion in states where the result will not affect the balance of power – or arguably even the majority, but the honing of tactical skills in the campaigns and the condition of the opponents after the by-election battle is over. These contests foreshadow the real prize fight – the next general elections.
Continue reading “By-elections: Pakatan on the defensive”

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Malays are afraid of themselves

Mariam Mokhtar | Feb 21, 11
Malaysiakini

The BTN or National Civics Bureau is divisive, racist and politically-motivated. Most people are aware of this except for BN politicians. Despite the serious allegations made about the BTN, their main coalition partners, MCA and MIC have not been effective in condemning the BTN.

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin denied claims that courses run by the BTN were a form of political indoctrination. He said, “BTN is to inculcate nationalism and unity among the people in line with the 1Malaysia concept”.

Talk of nationalism smacks of the supremacy of one race over the other races. If he had said that the mission of BTN was to promote patriotism, this would be more in line with the spirit of Malaysian unity.

After a media blitz on the BTN in late 2009, the cabinet decided that the BTN would be revamped as it had run counter to its aims of instilling a united Malaysia. When former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad disagreed, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Nazri Aziz described him as racist.

Nevertheless, the task of revamping the BTN was given to Ahmad Maslan, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, who is also the BTN chief. As is common with most BN politicians, he flip-flopped and said that he was not going to revamp the curriculum but would merely ‘upgrade’ it. Continue reading “Malays are afraid of themselves”

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32% Chinese voter support for BN in Tenang – PR should move on to get support from all Malaysians for political change

MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek, who previously claimed that Barisan Nasional had secured 45% Chinese voter support in the Tenang by-election, has now upped the claim to 50%, quoting as authority former MCA Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Fong Chan Onn. (Guang Ming Daily)

However, the first professional analysis of the voter trend in the Tenang by-election has given a completely different picture, showing that I had erred on the conservative side when I estimated that Chinese voter support for the Pas/Pakatan Rakyat candidate was in the region of 65% when it was probably closer to 68%.

According to the analysis “Soi Lek wrong on Chinese support”by psephologist Ong Kian Ming, writing today in Malaysiakini, Barisan Nasional’s Chinese votes in the by-election on Sunday fell by 3% to 32% from 35% in the 2008 general election, while BN increased its Malay votes from 80% in 2008 to 86% in the by-election and increased its Indian votes from 74% in 2008 to 86% – based on Chinese, Malay and Indian voter turnout rates of 55%, 79% and 50% respectively.

PR should move on from Tenang to get support from all Malaysians for political change although MCA leaders are now claiming BN secured 50% Chinese voter support despite professional analysis that BN Chinese support had fallen to 32% in the by-election.

If PR is to succeed in its campaign to effect political changes, it is the responsibility of all the three component parties to ensure that we can continue to get increasing support from all the communities for the PR common policy programme for justice, freedom, democracy and change – whether Malays, Chinese, Indians, Kadazans, Ibans or Orang Asli. Continue reading “32% Chinese voter support for BN in Tenang – PR should move on to get support from all Malaysians for political change”

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Soi Lek wrong on Chinese support

Ong Kian Ming | Feb 2, 11
Malaysiakini

ANALYSIS

Right off the bat, I’d like to state that the Tenang by-election result, including who voted for whom and at what percentage, is far less important than the property damage and hardship experienced by the voters in that constituency and in other parts of Johor as a result of the devastating floods.

Having said that, I still have the responsibility of analysing the by-election results. I had earlier predicted that the BN would win the by-election with a majority of 3,200, a 700-vote increase to the majority it got at the 2008 general elections.

The turnout assumption among the Malay, Chinese and Indian voters were 77%, 71% and 58% respectively and the support for the BN by ethnic group were 85%, 35% and 80%.

The eventual majority was 3,700 with the BN winning 70% of the popular vote on a lower than expected turnout of 67%.

One of the points of contention with regard to the election results has been whether or not the BN’s share of the Chinese vote has increased or decreased.

The DAP has said that Pakatan Rakyat’s share of the Chinese vote has increased to 70% based on the results in the 96% Chinese-majority Bandar Labis Tengah polling station. MCA has said that the BN’s share of the Chinese vote has increased to 45% based on the fact that the BN won three out of the four Chinese-majority polling stations.

At the same time, there is broad agreement that the Malay and Indian vote did indeed swing back to the BN, which explains the 1,200 increase in BN’s winning majority.

Is the DAP or the MCA right? Does it even matter? Continue reading “Soi Lek wrong on Chinese support”

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Why PAS lost the battle for Tenang

By Kuek Ser Kuang Keng and Regina Lee | Malaysiakini

ANALYSIS Even before campaigning for the Tenang by-election started, much had been said that the Jan 30 event would serve as an important testing ground for a BN move to call for a snap general election.

It was easy to see why. With the racial breakdown of the semi-rural mixed seat being the archetype of most of the voting constituencies of Peninsular Malaysia, Tenang became a litmus test of sorts.

But is the BN victory with a 3,707-vote majority truly an indication of a return in voter sentiment and support for the ruling coalition? Well, yes and no.

The rather untimely floods and heavy rainfall – which the locals said were worse than the 2006 Great Johor Flood – had severely affected a few polling stations in the Chinese-majority areas.
Continue reading “Why PAS lost the battle for Tenang”

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In Tenang, Malay votes won the day for BN

By Shannon Teoh
The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 31 — More than half of Barisan Nasional’s (BN) 1,200-vote gain over PAS in Tenang was due to increased Malay support in the constituency, DAP statistics have shown.

Malays who had in 2008 voted against Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s stewardship of BN or abstained from the general election, came out to signal its support for Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s administration.

The Malays make up about 49 per cent of the 14,753 voters in Tenang. Chinese account for over 38 per cent and Indians, 12 per cent.

Umno’s Azahar Ibrahim received 83.3 per cent of Malay votes, up four percentage points from Election 2008, said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua on Twitter earlier today.

A Malay turnout of 81 per cent yesterday, up two points from 2008, translated to a 700-vote increase.

BN’s 3,707-vote majority was also due to Chinese voters skipping yesterday’s by-election.

Although Normala Sudirman managed to hold on to PAS’s 64 per cent Chinese support from the 2008 general election, an 18-point fall in turnout resulted in another 300-vote gain for BN’s majority. Continue reading “In Tenang, Malay votes won the day for BN”

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Muddy waters: Post-Tenang reflections

Bridget Welsh | Jan 31, 11 4:58pm
Malaysiakini

COMMENT

Malaysia’s 14th by-election since March 2008 scored another victory in the BN column, as they held onto their seat. This was expected, as it was home ground for Umno and the contest was purely about the winning majority.

Even with the lower voter turnout, Umno did well with a comfortable and higher majority of 3,707. Rather than provide a numerical assessment of the voting results, let me share some broader observations and tensions that arise from the Tenang campaign.

Despite the centrality of machinery and money, this election highlights the increasing challenges of engaging the diverse electorate in Malaysia. Arguably, the dynamics of the by-election in Johor muddy the waters, making the decisions about national electoral strategies and tactics even more complex.

Decision to proceed irresponsible

The most defining feature of this election was the weather. It was dreadful, and it negatively affected the polling. Watching voters drench themselves to vote, despite umbrellas, and wade in up to knee-high water to the polling station, made me question whether the by-election was worth the risks involved.

I remain deeply puzzled why this by-election was not postponed. I woke up the morning of the poll thinking that it might already be time for Noah’s Ark as the overnight downpour had already affected roads and submerged parts of the constituency. Continue reading “Muddy waters: Post-Tenang reflections”

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With 10% increase of Chinese voter support for Pas/PR candidate in Tenang, will Chua Soi Lek have the political courage to tell UMNO the truth?

I had said at the close of the Tenang by-election campaign that Pakatan Rakyat would have cause to celebrate if it could achieve three of four aims – firstly, to debunk Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin’s boast of winning 5,000 majority in Tenang which he had described as a Barisan Nasional “fortress”; secondly, to slash the BN’s 2,492 majority won in the 2008 general election; and thirdly, to secure the votes of more than 55% of the Chinese electorate who voted for the PAS candidate in the 2008 general election.

The fourth aim is to win the Tenang by-election, which I had not considered as likely.

In the event, only two of three aims – debunking Muhyiddin’s boast of 5,000-vote majority and increasing Chinese voter support for the Pas/PR candidate from the previous 55% – were achieved in the by-election yesterday.

I have no doubt that all the three goals would have be achieved if not for the climatic disaster, resulting in incessant rain and heavy flooding aggravated by selective and discriminatory assistance given by various government agencies ferrying only Barisan Nasional voters to the polling stations. All this caused unprecedented low voter turnouts, especially in Chinese and Indian areas.
Continue reading “With 10% increase of Chinese voter support for Pas/PR candidate in Tenang, will Chua Soi Lek have the political courage to tell UMNO the truth?”