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There must be no Islamophobia or non-Islamophobia if Malaysia is to succeed as a nation to achieve her full potentials benefiting from her diversity and confluence of the world’s great religions, cultures and civilisations in Malaysia

It is the right of the PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to talk about his aim for PAS to win at least 40 Parliamentary seats in the next general election, but it is the height of irresponsibility in a plural society for any political leader to pander to either Islamophobia or non-Islamophobia.

This is because there must be no Islamophobia or non-Islamophobia if Malaysia is to succeed as a nation to achieve her full potentials benefitting from the diversity and confluence of the world’s great religions, cultures and civilisations in Malaysia.

Hadi has the right to talk of his expectation that PAS will win 40 parliamentary seats, just as it is the right of others who prognosticate that PAS may even lose the Kelantan state government which PAS had ruled for five consecutive general elections since 1990 under the late Tok Guru Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who was both Kelantan Mentri Besar in all the five general election battles and PAS Mursidul Am.

Not only that, there is also the forecast that PAS would possibly face the worst electoral defeat in the next general elections in the 14GE under Hadi’s leadership.

It is regrettable that Hadi seems to be promoting a form of non-Islamophobia when he said in a special address in Kedah that the PAS’ previous political consensus with Pakatan Rakyat allies PKR and DAP had achieved the best result so far for the Opposition, but had resulted in a political imbalance.

He said: “Do you realise how the situation was with the seats? Unknowing, the 89 Opposition seats were 21 seats for PAS, 30 for PKR, and 38 for DAP.”

He asked: “Is it fair for this country, the government is governed by Muslims in 39 seats, with non-Muslims having a larger share? This is not right.” Continue reading “There must be no Islamophobia or non-Islamophobia if Malaysia is to succeed as a nation to achieve her full potentials benefiting from her diversity and confluence of the world’s great religions, cultures and civilisations in Malaysia”

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Najib is consigning his initiative of a Global Movement of Moderates to the grave if he is not prepared to be part of the global outrage at US President Trump’s cruel and inhumane executive order against refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries

It is now more than 58 hours since US President Trump, at 4.42 pm Friday Washington time, with a stroke of a pen signed the cruel and inhumane Executive Order against refugees and immigrants, creating world-wide turmoil and reverberations, with chaos and confusion in US airports and capital cities all over the world.

What is disturbing is that the Malaysian Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his government are not part of this global outrage at the inhumanity and insensitivity of Trump’s executive order.

It cannot be that Najib and the Malaysian Foreign Ministry had been overtaken by complete surprise by such an executive order, as Trump had in fact been talking about such an inhumane measure since the GOP primary campaign last year, and Trump’s executive order against refugees and immigrants had in fact been leaked to the media several days before Trump signed the executive order.

Najib cannot blame anyone for asking why he acted with such alacrity when he lashed out at Myanmar and Aung San Suu Kyi on the Rohingya issue but is so tame and tardy when the Muslim world is revolted and outraged by Trump’s executive order against refugees and the 130 million people from seven Muslim-majority countries, viz: Iran, Iraq, Syria, Sudan, Somalia, Libya and Yemen.

As a sign of growing political intimacy and collaboration between Najib and the PAS President, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, there is also conspicuous silence from the PAS leadership on Trump’s cruel and inhumane executive, completely out of character of PAS leadership which would have been the first to denounce Trump’s executive order.

Is this a sign of growing maturity and responsibility of the Hadi PAS leadership or just of closer political collaboration with Najib’s UMNO leadership? Continue reading “Najib is consigning his initiative of a Global Movement of Moderates to the grave if he is not prepared to be part of the global outrage at US President Trump’s cruel and inhumane executive order against refugees and immigrants from seven Muslim-majority countries”

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Stand Firm Against PAS Under Hadi

Koon Yew Yin
29th Jan 2017

Long before the setting up of Amanah, the progressive Islamic party, in 2015, I had called on Malaysians to reject PAS under its hardline leader, Abdul Hadi Awang. Today with the drums of an early election beating louder, I am directing this call again to the opposition parties to stand firm and to reject PAS if it insists on the hard line condition of support for RUU 355 before any kind of opposition electoral understanding is arrived at.

I do not understand why the BN and Pakatan are courting PAS which under its present leadership is in such a hurry to promote the establishment of an Islamic state.

Most Malaysians can understand it – the promotion of an Islamic state – if the advocate is a fundamentalist or opportunist such as those from UMNO. But does anyone that is sensible and practical and who is not power hungry see this as a desirable vision?

How the establishment of an Islamic state can resolve the problems of our complex economy and society has never been spelled out by PAS since the beginning of its existence in 1951. Continue reading “Stand Firm Against PAS Under Hadi”

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My lawyers instructed to consider whether Hadi’s insinuation that I am anti-Islam is defamatory and cause for legal proceedings

What a haughty, arrogant but misconceived and misinformed response from Hadi.

It is PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s prerogative to dismiss any possibility of working with DAP, but he has no right to turn and twist facts to justify his position.

It is not the DAP but Hadi as PAS President who violated the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and the Pakatan Rakyat consensus principle that all decisions in Pakatan Rakyat coalition should be reached by consensus of all the three component parties.

But the last straw that broke the camel’s back was when Hadi vetoed what had been agreed by the Pakatan Rakyat leadership council with PAS represented by its Deputy President and Secretary-General, demonstrating that Hadi not only wanted to be a dictator in PAS but also in Pakatan Rakyat.

Hadi should look into the mirror when he alleged that the DAP has failed to look after the interest of the people of Penang, although it had one term to do so.

Lest Hadi forgets, DAP-led Pakatan Rakyat won 30 state assembly seats in the 2013 general elections as compared to 29 seats in the 2008 general election.

In the 2013 general election, DAP not only won all the 19 seats it won in the 2008 general elections, but with a bigger majority in everyone of the 19 seats, with majority as big as more than 300 per cent as in the case of Chong Eng in the Padang Lalang seat where she won with a 14,930- vote majority as compared to the 4,242-vote DAP majority in 2008 general election and of over 400% increase as in Padang Kota where Chow Kong Yeow won with 7,196-vote majority as compared to 1,661-vote majority in 2008; and in Pulau Tikus where Yap Soo Huey won with a 8,220-vote majority as compared to 1,714-vote majority in 2008 and in Seri Delima where RSN Ryer won with 9,227-vote majority as compared to 2,128-vote majority in 2008.

In contrast, Hadi was thrown out of the Terengganu state government after one term as Mentri Besar. In the 1999 Terengganu state general elections, thanks to the Anwar “reformasi” wave, Hadi became Terengganu Mentri Besar with PAS winning 28 out of the 32 state assembly seats, winning 87.5% of the popular vote in the state.

In the 2004 general elections, an astounding reverse took place, with Hadi thrown out as Mentri Besar when UMNO won 28 out of the 32 state assembly seats, leaving PAS with only 4 seats but its popular vote crashed from 87.5% in 1999 to 12.5%.

Can Hadi explain such a great contrast in popular support for the DAP-led state government in Penang as compared to his ignominious one term as Teregganu Mentri Besar? Continue reading “My lawyers instructed to consider whether Hadi’s insinuation that I am anti-Islam is defamatory and cause for legal proceedings”

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Ketika Harakah umpama kapal bocor, Pas lagi menyedihkan, kata Lutfi

Malaysia Dateline
24 Januari 2017 | BORHAN AHMAD

Bekas ketua pengarang Harakah, Ahmad Lutfi Othman menyifatkan akhbar milik Pas itu kini umpama ‘kapal yang bocor menunggu masa untuk tenggelam’ manakala nasib partinya pula, Pas, lagi menyedihkan.

Dalam tulisan pertamanya selepas 26 bulan tidak menulis, Lutfi dalam tulisan pertamanya di Malaysia Dateline berkata, “Gugatan media baru memang satu faktor besar tetapi kurangnya persiapan untuk mencabar ancaman baru itu, bagi saya, lebih berperanan untuk menjatuhkan lagi jumlah cetakan akhbar.”

Lutfi yang tidak sihat sejak beberapa tahun lalu tamat perkhidmatannya secara rasmi dengan Harakah akhir Disember tahun 2016 lalu.

Kini beliau menyertai akhbar mingguan Amanah yang dimiliki oleh parti pecahan dari Pas itu sebagai Penasihat Editorial mula menulis dengan Malaysia Dateline mulai hari ini. Continue reading “Ketika Harakah umpama kapal bocor, Pas lagi menyedihkan, kata Lutfi”

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I am prepared in the next 72 hours to meet Liow and Mah any place any time in the national interests to discuss how to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy and ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy

During my “Jelajah Desa Bersama Kit Siang” visit to Sungai Gelugor on Sunday, I told a media conference that if the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang is prepared to conclude a solemn agreement that the top priority in the 14th General Election is to save Malaysia from becoming a global kleptocracy and a failed and rogue state, which would be the national agenda for the next five to ten years, I am prepared to co-operate with him. Was Hadi prepared to make such a commitment?

This had created a lot of political waves, both in MCA and Gerakann quarters, with the MCA Youth leader and Deputy Education Minister launching into a tirade against the DAP.

Why? Is it just because of my preparedness, despite our great political differences, to work with Hadi Awang on a common agenda in the larger national interests to free the country from the curse of a global kleptocracy?

Only the small-minded and political opportunists will call this an “U-turn” or hypocrisy, when it is the highest form of expression of patriotism and love for Malaysia.
I do not know what is Hadi’s response, but I stand by my position that despite our great political differences, I am prepared to work with Hadi to save Malaysia from global kleptocracy – not mere kleptocracy.

No country can claim to be God-fearing, guided by the religious, moral and ethical precepts and principles, whether Islamic, Buddhist, Christian, Hindu or Sikhist, and nobody can claim to be patriotic and want to save the country if he is she is content for Malaysia to remain a global kleptocracy! Continue reading “I am prepared in the next 72 hours to meet Liow and Mah any place any time in the national interests to discuss how to purge and cleanse Malaysia of the infamy and ignominy of being regarded worldwide as a global kleptocracy”

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Pensiangan Formula to address the political and constitutional stalemate created by UMNO’s support for Hadi’s private member’s bill motion on RUU355

An idea came to me during my visit to Pensiangan and Sook in the last three days on a formula which could address the political and constitutional stalemate which had haunted Malaysia for the best part of this year as a result of the initially surreptitious support of key UMNO leaders for PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Awang Hadi’s private member’s bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355).

I was visiting Pensiangan as part of my visit to the Sabah Interior which also include Tenom and Keningau together with DAPSY leader and Perak DAP State Assemblyman for Canning, Wong Kah Woh; National DAPSY Publicity Secretary Henry Shim; Sabah DAP Chairman and MP for Sandakan, Steven Wong; Sabah DAP Adviser and MP for Kota Kinabalu, Jimmy Wong; Sabah DAP Deputy Chairman and Sabah State Assemblyman for Kepayang Dr. Edwin Bosi; DAP Sabah Vice Chairman and Keningau DAP Branch Chairman Peter Saili; Sabah DAP Publicity Secretary Phoong Jin Zhe; Sabah DAP Director of Political Education, Adrian Lasimbang; Melalap DAP Branch Chairperson Grelydia Gillod; Pensiangan DAP Assistant Co-ordinators Clare Taunek and Robinson Rusikan.

The majority of the people in Tenom, Keningau and Pensiangan are Christians.

The MP for Pensiangan is Tan Sri Joseph Kurup, the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in charge of national unity.

But Kurup was not in any “national unity” mindset when he warned Putrajaya in May this year that Sabahans and Sarawakians may demand to split from peninsular Malaysia if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed in Parliament.

Kurup said Hadi’s private member’s bill risks dividing East and West Malaysia and called for its withdrawal.

He said: “If it is forced into Parliament and passed, I’m afraid it will trigger more feelings among the people of Sabah and Sarawak to go their separate ways.

“They [Federal government] shouldn’t have the slightest thought of introducing this law.”

On the last day of the Budget meeting in November when Hadi’s private member’s bill was expected to come up again, the MCA mouthpiece, The Star, devoted the whole of its front-page to Hadi’s private member’s motion with the headline “Solid ‘NO’ to Hadi’s Bill”, featuring the quotes and pics from leaders of five Barisan Nasional leaders, namely from MCA, Gerakan, MIC, PBB and PBS. Continue reading “Pensiangan Formula to address the political and constitutional stalemate created by UMNO’s support for Hadi’s private member’s bill motion on RUU355”

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“Once bitten twice shy” means nothing for leaders of MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties in Sabah and Sarawak who are singing to a new mantra of “Once bitten, twice not shy and thrice still willing”

The saying “Once bitten twice shy” means nothing to leaders of MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other Barisan Nasional component parties in Sabah and Sarawak who seem to be singing to a new mantra of “Once bitten, twice not shy and thrice still willing”.

This sums up the sorry saga of the seven-month long Barisan Nasional crisis, which is compounded by the fact that the Barisan Nasional leaders, especially from the 13 other Barisan Nasional component parties, have been acting like ostriches with heads buried in the sand – who do not know or do not want to admit even to themselves that UMNO’s axis with PAS over Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) had plunged Barisan Nasional into its worst crisis since its formation 43 years ago in 1973.

In response to remarks by the Deputy International Trade and Industry, Datuk Ahmad Maslan on Sunday, MCA Secretary-General and Second Minister for International Trade and Industry, Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, declared that any Government Bill to be tabled before the Dewan Rakyat must take into account the Barisan Nasional spirit of consensus.

He said a final decision of those Bills can only be made after consultation and deliberation among all component parties.

He said: “There is no such thing that Barisan component parties must support the Government Bill.”

It is noteworthy that Ka Chuan was trying to rebut a statement by his own Deputy Minister – clear evidence of the topsy-turvy world in the political hierarchy in Barisan Nasioanal where the MCA secretary-general although second Minister for International Trade and Industry is politically subordinate and subservient to the Deputy Minister in his own Ministry, who is just an UMNO Supreme Council member!

Ahmad had said that all Barisan component parties cannot object to proposed amendments to the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 if becomes a Government Bill.

Ahmad was not merely giving his personal view but disclosing an elaborate UMNO strategy to “cement UMNO’s unity with PAS”, and the first step for UMNO support of Hadi’s private member’s bill motion is a government takeover of Hadi’s private member’s bill when the private member’s motion is passed in the March Parliament – which would be equivalent to the first reading of Hadi’s private member’s bill. Continue reading ““Once bitten twice shy” means nothing for leaders of MCA, Gerakan, MIC and other BN component parties in Sabah and Sarawak who are singing to a new mantra of “Once bitten, twice not shy and thrice still willing””

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Worst BN crisis since 1973 – leaders of other BN component parties should cancel their year-end holidays overseas to requisition emergency meeting of BN Supreme Council to establish whether UMNO has smashed BN consensus principle into smithereens

The cat is out of the bag. UMNO leaders were determined right from beginning to outfox the other 13 Barisan Nasional component parties on Hadi’s private member’s bill and the strategy of how UMNO is going to support Hadi’s private members bill was revealed by two UMNO leaders yesterday.

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Jamil Kamil Khir Bahrom said Hadi’s Private Member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Courts (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act (Act 355) enabled the government to circumvent the due constitutional process, as requiring consensus from all states, the National Islamic Council and the Rulers’ Conference.

Jamil explained: “You can’t bring it to the Rulers Conference if you don’t have consensus from 14 states, but a private member’s bill requires only one state or one person to table it.”

Jamil made this shocking admission at the Umno Overseas Club Alumni annual general meeting in Kuala Lumpur yesterday.Jamil said that when Hadi’s private member’s bill motion moves to the second reading stage, it would be taken over by the government and read out by him.

What Jamil did not mention was that this UMNO strategy to support Hadi’s private member’s bill not only tried to circumvent the constitutional process to secure the consensus from the 14 states and the support of the National Islamic Council and the Rulers’ Conference, it was also a ploy to circumvent the Barisan Nasional consensus of all the 14 BN component parties for any policy or measure to be adopted in the name of Barisan Nasional Government. Continue reading “Worst BN crisis since 1973 – leaders of other BN component parties should cancel their year-end holidays overseas to requisition emergency meeting of BN Supreme Council to establish whether UMNO has smashed BN consensus principle into smithereens”

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Second tranche of five questions for Salleh to answer before he can restore his right to demand answers from others

Yesterday, I said that the Minister for Communications and Multimedia, Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak has lost the right to ask questions and demand answers from others, when he as Minister which incorporated the Ministry of Information of the past, had failed to answer numerous questions about government scandals and failings.

I put to him the first tranche of five questions for him to answer to perform his Ministerial duty before he could start asking questions and demanding answers from others.

Today, I am putting forward to him the second tranche of five questions to answer in the process to restore his right to demand answers from others.

My second tranche of five questions are:

Question 6 –

In early October, the country was convulsed by reports of the rampant corruption in the Sabah Water Department, especially the revelation that 60 per cent of the RM3.3 billion earmarked by the federal government to improve water supply to residents, including those in remote areas in the Sabah State, had been “siphoned off” by corruption.

Would Salleh agree that the 60% corruption at the Sabah Water Department, for which no one has yet been charged in court for corruption, is proof that Malaysia is not serious about combating corruption, even less so with regard to grand corruption affecting top political and government leaders.

Can Salleh explain why China is catching “tigers” and Indonesia “crocodiles”, but Malaysia has not been able to catch a single “shark” at the national level in the war against grand corruption?
Continue reading “Second tranche of five questions for Salleh to answer before he can restore his right to demand answers from others”

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Election Warning Shot Sounded: Is the Opposition Prepared?

Koon Yew Yin
7th Dec 2016

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. There were two photos which came out in the media during the last few days which are worth at least two thousand words if not many more .

The first shows UMNO President sitting side by side with Dato Seri Awang Hadi, President of PAS. Although they were together at a rally to condemn the violence against the Rohingya in Myanmar support, the picture of Najib and top Umno leaders sitting shoulder-to-shoulder with Barisan’s long time enemy shows clearly that the union of PAS and UMNO is only a matter of time. Not only that but the two parties are working secretly as well as openly together in their joint attempt to kill off the Malay and Islamic opposition.

This marriage of PAS and UMNO is no ordinary marriage. It is meant purely for both Najib’s and Hadi’s personal advantage. Both leaders have been guilty of the worst possible mistakes and scandals – Najib on 1MDB and Hadi with hudud. Both leaders, in the recent past, have shown that they could not give a damn about the plight of the Rohingyas. However, this time round, they have – in typical hypocritical fashion – decided that it was important for these two who have never shown any love for each other in the past to shower each other with hugs and kisses. Continue reading “Election Warning Shot Sounded: Is the Opposition Prepared?”

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MCA stand it cannot support PAS private member’s motion but would support it if the bill was moved by the government most shocking and unbelievable as it is downright unprincipled and irresponsible

The MCA stand, as declared by MCA President, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai in Parliament lobby yesterday, that MCA cannot support PAS private member’s motion but would support it if the bill was moved by the government (reported by New Straits Times) is most shocking and unbelievable as it is downright unprincipled and irresponsible.

Such a declaration should reinforce general concerns whether MCA and the other Barisan Nasional parties could be trusted to firmly and uncompromisingly defend and uphold the constitutional principles of a secular democratic Malaysia with Islam as the official religion of the nation.

This is a matter of grave concern as it is speculated that the next move of the private member’s motion of the PAS President, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, is for the UMNO/BN government to take over Hadi’s bill and present it to the March meeting of Parliament as a government bill.

Has MCA and the other Barisan Nasional parties agreed and authorised UMNO to take over Hadi’s private member’s motion and present Hadi’s private member’s bill as a government bill of the Barisan Nasional government? Continue reading “MCA stand it cannot support PAS private member’s motion but would support it if the bill was moved by the government most shocking and unbelievable as it is downright unprincipled and irresponsible”

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Are MCA Ministers seeking “insurance” to remain in Cabinet as long as possible by equivocating on Hadi’s private member’s bill motion?

MCA Ministers led by the MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai must have thought that they are very smart and clever in finding a way to get “insurance” to remain in the Cabinet for as long as possible by equivocating on PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill motion.

MCA leaders have been going round the country declaring that MCA Ministers will relinquish their Cabinet posts if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed.

This is begging the question as MCA Ministers are completely avoiding the issue which may come up in the first week of Parliament beginning on Monday as to whether Hadi’s private member’s bill motion will be debated and passed by simple majority vote.

Will MCA Ministers declare that they will relinquish their Cabinet posts if Hadi’s private member’s bill motion is passed in Parliament either next week or the last week of Parliament from Nov. 21 – 24?

And if not, why not?

This applies to the Ministers from Gerakan, MIC and other Sabah/Sarawak Barisan Nasional component parties.

By making an artificial distinction between Hadi’s private member’s bill motion and Hadi’s private member’s bill, MCA Ministers hope to get “insurance” to cowardly and cravenly hang on to the Cabinet for as long as possible – relying on Standing Order 49(3), (4) and (5) to argue that although Hadi’s private member’s bill motion had been passed in Parliament, Hadi’s private member’s bill had not yet been passed. Continue reading “Are MCA Ministers seeking “insurance” to remain in Cabinet as long as possible by equivocating on Hadi’s private member’s bill motion?”

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Six possible scenarios as to what could happen to Hadi’s private member’s bill motion in the 25-day budget Parliament

There are six possible scenarios as to what could happen to the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill motion in the 25-day Budget Parliament beginning on Monday, viz:

1. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion comes up for debate in the first week of Parliament, whether on Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday and passed with simple majority support.

2. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion debated in the first week of Parliament and rejected with simple majority vote.

3. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion not debated in the first week of Parliament and deferred until after the 2017 Budget’s debate and passage in the last week of Parliamentary meeting from Nov. 21-24.

4. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion debated in Parliament’s last week and passed by simple majority.

5. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion debated in Parliament’s last week and rejected by simple majority.

6. Hadi’s private member’s bill motion not debated and deferred to next year’s Parliamentary meeting.

I am quite perplexed by the statements which the MCA President and the MCA Transport Minister, Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai, had been making in the past two days about the possibility of Hadi’s private member’s bill motion coming up for debate and vote in next week’s Parliament. Continue reading “Six possible scenarios as to what could happen to Hadi’s private member’s bill motion in the 25-day budget Parliament”

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Congrats Hashim Jasin for appointment as new Mursyidul Am PAS but he should not allow others to put words into his mouth

Congratulations to Hashim Jasin for his appointment as the new Mursyidul Am PAS but he should not allow others to put words into his mouth.

I refer to the Bernama report yesterday quoting Hashim as saying that PAS would never co-operate with DAP again and is willing to face three-cornered fights in the coming 14th general election.

He regarded PAS-DAP ties as beyond reconciliation alleging that DAP had “reneged on its agreement to cooperate with PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang”.

Hashim said the cooperation with DAP in GE13 was based on a conditional political approach while its cooperation with Umno was on the basis of Islamic unity.

“We do not want to repeat our mistake and be bitten twice in the same spot for resuming ties with DAP,” he told a press conference in Kangar.

The former Perlis PAS commissioner is entitled to his political views but he is not entitled to speak on matters he has no personal knowledge or to try to pass off untruths as truths. Continue reading “Congrats Hashim Jasin for appointment as new Mursyidul Am PAS but he should not allow others to put words into his mouth”

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Will there be a tectonic shift of the fundamental basis of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963 next week in Parliament if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed?

I visited Parliament to collect the Parliamentary Order Paper for the 25-day budget meeting of Parliament from Oct. 17 to 24th November, and I find the parliamentary business planned most surprising and even shocking.

Firstly, will there be a tectonic shift of the fundamental basis of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963 next week in Parliament if the PAS President Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang’s private member’s bill is passed?

Hadi’s private member’s is slated as the fourth item of parliamentary business after a motion by the Youth and Sports Minister, Khairy Jamaluddin to congratulate the Malaysian Olympians and Para-Olympians for their sterling performances in the two recent world sporting events; the Advocates (Sabah) (Amendment) Bill 2016 and a Treasury motion to convert a RM500 million loan to Small Medium Enterprise Development Bank Malaysia Berhad (SME Bank) to equity.

Under the circumstances, the possibility that Hadi’s private member’s bill motion will come up for debate and voting either on Tuesday, or even on Monday, cannot be ruled out. Continue reading “Will there be a tectonic shift of the fundamental basis of the Merdeka Constitution 1957 and Malaysia Agreement 1963 next week in Parliament if Hadi’s private member’s bill is passed?”

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Belasungkawa Allahyarham Dato’ Dr Haron Din

DAP menzahirkan rasa simpati dan takziah kepada keluarga Allahyarham Dato’ Dr Haron Din atas pemergian Allahyarham pagi ini.

Walaupun ada kalanya berbeza pendapat dari segi politik, DAP mengiktiraf peranan Allahyarham sebagai tokoh penting dalam medan politik dan dakwah negara.

Semoga Allahyarham ditempatkan dalam kalangan mereka yang beriman.

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Dangers of passing a law to impose hudud

Koon Yew Yin
Malaysiakini
04.8.2016

COMMENT In two months from now, Parliament will be sitting again. What is at stake for the nation is nothing less than our way of life and our Malaysian dream.

This is because a Private Member’s Bill to amend the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act 1965 will be tabled and debated at that sitting.

PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has been going around to claim that this bill is only to upgrade the Syariah Courts and that it has nothing to do with non-Muslims.

PAS-oriented analysts and ulama leaders have also commented that it is not really a “Hudud Bill” and that it’s passage is only intended to pave the way for PAS to enforce its version of the Islamic penal code in Kelantan. Hence they argue that its effect will be limited.

However, Hadi and his supporters are only trying to fool the public. Continue reading “Dangers of passing a law to impose hudud”

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Why a one-to-one fight is not the “magic potion” to defeat Barisan Nasional without a common policy commitment

There has been a vehement reaction to my suggestion that the results of the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections may be justification to revisit an earlier proposal that PAS concentrate in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis while AMANAH focus on all the other states, subject to adjustments to the arrangement by two political parties.

PAS Vice President and MP for Bukit Gantang Idris Ahmad described the suggestion as “illogical” and that PAS should be allowed to contest in areas it had previously contested in to “maximise victories for the opposition” – as in last Saturday’s Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

He said there would not have been an issue in the first place if PAS was up in straight fights against the Barisan Nasional in the Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar by-elections.

Idris cannot be more wrong, for the recent two by-elections are good examples why after the break-up of Pakatan Rakyat because of the refusal of the Hadi-led PAS leadership to honour the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework and the Pakatan Rakyat consensus operational principle, the one-to-one fight is not the “magic potion” to defeat the Barisan Nasional. Continue reading “Why a one-to-one fight is not the “magic potion” to defeat Barisan Nasional without a common policy commitment”

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An early GE14 on the cards?

P Gunasegaram
Malaysiakini
21 Jun 2016

QUESTION TIME While most people had expected BN to win the parliamentary seats of Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar hands down, the huge margin of victory must have surprised both BN and the opposition and raises the possibility of early general elections in the wake of the euphoria and an opposition in disarray.

But before we discuss that, what caused the rout and what are its implications? By numbers, two things seem fairly obvious. One, there was a massive swing to BN of Chinese votes and two, Amanah’s support among Malay votes were even lower than expected. Continue reading “An early GE14 on the cards?”