Two political bombshells went off today which have seismic effects on the Malaysian political scene in the weeks and months to come

The Selayang parliamentary constituency is the 47th parliamentary seat I am visiting since my six-month suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22 in pursuit of the question “Mana RM2.6 billion?” in Parliament.

I have set out on a nation-wide tour of the parliamentary constituencies in these six months to witness the rising crescendo of the people’s demand for answer to the question to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak “Mana RM2.6 billion?” as well as for answer to another of Najib’s twin mega scandals – the RM55 billion 1MDB scandal.

Najib and his Ministers went to great lengths both at the 25-day budget meeting of the Dewan Rakyat and the five-day 69th UMNO General Assemblies to suppress all disclosures and discussion about the twin mega scandals, but apart from causing Najib’s credibility to plumb to ever-lower depths, it could not succeed to bury both mega scandals for the simple reason that events and developments are no more within Najib’s full control.

This is why a political bombshell related to the 1MDB scandal exploded today, not in Malaysia, but far away in the United States where the Wall Street Journal published another 1MDB shocker, claiming that 1MDB sent at least US$850 million (RM3.7 billion) last year to an offshore entity formed to appear as if it was owned by an Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund.

On top of Najib’s RM2.6 billion “donation” scandal, we now have another RM3.7 billion mysterious offshore account scandal. Continue reading “Two political bombshells went off today which have seismic effects on the Malaysian political scene in the weeks and months to come”

What “olive branch” Najib could offer PAS in exchange for support of 14 PAS MPs to secure two-thirds parliamentary majority together with 134 UMNO/BN MPs to amend the Constitution for redelineation of parliamentary constituencies?

If by some miracle, it is possible to restitch back Pakatan Rakyat and get back together the three parties, DAP, PKR and PAS (plus a second miracle of re-uniting PAS and Parti Amanah Negara) under one roof for the 14th General Election, could the reconstituted Pakatan Rakyat defeat the UMNO/BN coalition by winning more parliamentary seats than the 13GE?

I don’t think so although UMNO in the 14th GE will be more fractured and weaker than in the 13GE with Datuk Seri Najib Razak as Prime Minister haunted and hounded by so many political and economic scandals as compared to the general election two years ago.

This is because the reconstituted Pakatan Rakyat in the 14th General Election will be fighting a losing battle just to win back the same number of parliamentary and state assembly seats, for the most important element which led to the 53% popular support for Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th General Election, resulting in 89 Parliamentary and 229 State Assembly seats (minus Sarawak) will be missing, i.e. absolute trust and confidence in the PR because of the people’s belief in the adherence and unswerving commitment of DAP, PKR and PAS to the PR Common Policy Framework and the PR consensus operational principle.

I am reminded of the nursery rhyme:

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall,
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall;
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again.

Like Humpty Dumpty after its “great fall”, it would not be possible to put Pakatan Rakyat together again. Continue reading “What “olive branch” Najib could offer PAS in exchange for support of 14 PAS MPs to secure two-thirds parliamentary majority together with 134 UMNO/BN MPs to amend the Constitution for redelineation of parliamentary constituencies?”

Malaysia Premier Tightens Grip as Draws Islamic Parties Closer

Shamim Adam
Bloomberg
December 14, 2015

Having silenced his critics at a meeting of Malaysia’s ruling party, Prime Minister Najib Razak is moving to cement his hold on power by further wooing the ethnic Malay majority.

After five months of political turmoil sparked by a multimillion-dollar funding scandal, Najib has seen off potential threats to his leadership, securing the backing of the powerful division chiefs in his United Malays National Organisation. His message of unity and his calls for loyalty went largely unchallenged at a five-day annual UMNO congress last week attended by detractors including former premier Mahathir Mohamad.

As an additional buffer, he is bringing UMNO closer to the main opposition Islamic party. That could help rally the Malay vote ahead of an election due by 2018. UMNO, in power since independence in 1957, won the 2013 ballot with its slimmest result yet as Chinese and Indian electors deserted Najib’s coalition, and since then he’s embraced policies that play to his support base of Malay voters.

A closer working relationship with Parti Islam se-Malaysia could have dual outcomes: Further help Najib fend off the funding scandal and lead to more hardline policies. PAS, as the opposition party is known, has advocated Shariah law — which allows for stoning or amputation for certain crimes — in a state it governs, while Najib has already made greater use of the country’s Sedition Act with the detention of media executives and political opponents. Continue reading “Malaysia Premier Tightens Grip as Draws Islamic Parties Closer”

PAS loses shine with campus students

by Zulkifli Sulong
The Malaysian Insider
14 December 2015

Groomed by PAS in university for a future in politics, four close friends who lived and studied together, and were part of the Islamist party’s campus network, have decided to abandon the party and affiliate themselves with other political parties instead.

In events that mirror developments at the national level after PAS progressives left to form Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah), the four friends, Khairul Najib Hashim, Mohammad Amar Atan, Fahmi Zainol dan Adam Fistival Wilfrid, said they found PAS to be stifling.

The Universiti Malaya (UM) student activists said the PAS network, also known as “jemaah” (congregation) on campus was controlling and restrictive. Continue reading “PAS loses shine with campus students”

DAP does not regard the three million UMNO members and one million PAS members as “enemies” but only as Malaysians with different political inclinations and we are always prepared to engage with them for the common purpose to save the nation and not just to save individuals or political parties

DAP has become the favourite punching bag in the current UMNO General Assemblies, which is a reflection of the loss of direction and the sense of purpose of the UMNO leadership which have strayed far from the UMNO founding principles to serve the Malay community and the multi-ethnic country.

Today, we read of the UMNO representative from Terengganu declaring that PAS should not be perceived as the main enemy of UMNO, and that it is the DAP which is UMNO’s “main enemy” because PAS is an Islam-based party with the members comprising the Malays.

By this logic, UMNO should declare the majority of the parties in the Barisan Nasional, including MCA, Gerakan, MIC and the Sabah and Sarawak parties which are not exclusively restricted to Malays or Muslims also as UMNO’s “main enemies”.

Is this the direction UMNO is leading the country after some six decades of nation-building?

What has happened to the 1Malaysia concept which the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak had proclaimed on becoming Prime Minister in April 2008 and on which he spent so much public funds on 1Malaysia propaganda and gimmicry in the run-up to the 13th General Election in May 2013? Continue reading “DAP does not regard the three million UMNO members and one million PAS members as “enemies” but only as Malaysians with different political inclinations and we are always prepared to engage with them for the common purpose to save the nation and not just to save individuals or political parties”

Malaysians can now hope again for political change in next general election after the roller-coaster ride of high hopes and virtual despair in the two years since the 13th GE

Endau made history tonight, firstly, with Endau joining the national mainstream of Malaysians demanding that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak must answer the question uppermost in everyone’s mind, regardless of race, religion, region (whether urban or rural areas, whether in Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah or Sarawak) or even party politics.

Secondly, the establishment of the protem committee of the new DAP branch in Endau and the strong presence of Parti Amanah Negara which is in the process of forming a branch in Endau – and I welcome in particular the four AMANAH and Pakatan Harapan stalwarts who are here tonight: Professor Madya Dr. Sulaiman Mohd Nor, representing the Johor AMANAH Chairman; IR Hj Khairudin Abdul Rahim, Johor AMANAH Secretary; Prof. Madya Hj Hamidon Musa representing Pakatan Harapan Mersing and Sdr. Fadli Ramli of Rompin Pakatan Harapan.

Mersing (with the two State Assembly seats of Endau and Tenggaroh) is the 30th Parliamentary constituency I am visiting since my outrageous suspension from Parliament on Oct. 22 to spread the word that Najib can suspend one Lim Kit Siang from Parliament for six months, but this will only seed tens and hundreds of thousands, even millions of Malaysians, regardless of race, religion, region or politics, to stand up to declare that they are also Lim Kit Siang in demanding full accounting of “Mana RM2.6 billion?” and the RM50 billion 1MDB twin mega scandals.
Continue reading “Malaysians can now hope again for political change in next general election after the roller-coaster ride of high hopes and virtual despair in the two years since the 13th GE”

The final countdown, earthquakes and iPhone

Liew Chin Tong
Malaysiakini
19 Oct 2015

MP SPEAKS Much as it sounds like cliché, our time is indeed both the best of times and the worst of times. In such a confusing time, clarity is in short supply.

Three things may help us to describe the state of affairs in Malaysian politics better: that the final countdown is imminent; that there were major political earthquakes, tectonic shifts and realignments in 2015; and that the voting public is waiting for something transformative, a bit like the iPhone when it was first created.

The final countdown

The joint press conference by former rivals Dr Mahathir Mohamad and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah surprised some of us. Many of us were even amazed with the unprecedented statement by Majlis Raja-Raja Melayu (the Rulers Council) on 1MDB and the falling ringgit, as the council usually restricts its pronouncements to matters relating to Islam and national unity.

Since the Asian Financial Crisis in 1997 and the sacking of Anwar Ibrahim from the government in 1998, Malaysia has been a nation impatiently waiting for change. But change has been meagre, if any.

And we are now entering another crisis – a ‘perfect storm’ crisis that engulfs the nation on multiple fronts – politics, economics, finances, ethnic relations and so on. Continue reading “The final countdown, earthquakes and iPhone”

Political myths in Malaysia that must be debunked if Malaysia is to move forward to fulfill our destiny to be a world model of an united, harmonious, moderate and successful plural society

There are several political myths in Malaysia that must be debunked if Malaysia is to move forward to fulfill our destiny to be a world model of an united, harmonious, moderate and successful plural society instead of becoming basket-case of a failed, or even worse, rogue state.

Some of these political myths are:

1. Umno is Malay and Malay is UMNO.

Nothing can be further from the truth as right from the first general election in 1959, UMNO was not the only political party representing the Malays in the country.

Arising from this myth, other myths have been born – the myth that Malay rights and interests are under threat because UMNO is fighting a battle of political survival and that Malay rights and interests will be the first casualty if UMNO is ousted from Putrajaya in the next general election.

Whether Najib is ousted as Prime Minister or UMNO replaced as the leading political party in the government coalition, Malay political power is not threatened as a new Prime Minister will be a Malay and new coalition will be Malay-dominated reflecting Malaysia’s demography. Continue reading “Political myths in Malaysia that must be debunked if Malaysia is to move forward to fulfill our destiny to be a world model of an united, harmonious, moderate and successful plural society”

One way to avoid three-cornered fights in 14 GE is for PAS to concentrate in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis while AMANAH focuses on all the other states, subject to adjustments to the arrangement by two parties

The various combinations and permutations in the Malaysian political arena, not only in the ruling coalition of UMNO/BN parties but in the Opposition, seem to be the hot topic of the day.

Yesterday, there was the grand announcement of new political alignment and co-operation between PAS and Perkasa, but such a development would not forestall the holding of three-cornered fights in the 14th General Election which must be held in 2018.

May be one way to avoid three-cornered fights in 14th General Election is for PAS to concentrate in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis while Parti AMANAH Negara focuses on all the other states, subject to adjustments to the arrangement by two political parties.

This may or may not be a workable proposition as I have not discussed it with any other political party or personality. Continue reading “One way to avoid three-cornered fights in 14 GE is for PAS to concentrate in Kelantan, Terengganu, Kedah and Perlis while AMANAH focuses on all the other states, subject to adjustments to the arrangement by two parties”

Young Chinese in Malaysia ‘delusional’ to think Malay domination can change, says top Singapore diplomat

Malay Mail Online
October 6, 2015

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 6 — Malaysia’s ethnic Chinese youth are “delusional” if they believe that Malay dominance in politics can be replaced by a change in the system, Singapore’s ambassador-at-large Bilahari Kausikan has said.

Instead, the top Singaporean diplomat said this dominance will be defended by any means, including a possible political alliance between Malay nationalist ruling party Umno and opposition Islamist party PAS. Continue reading “Young Chinese in Malaysia ‘delusional’ to think Malay domination can change, says top Singapore diplomat”

The evolution of political Islam in Malaysia

– Liew Chin Tong
The Malaysian Insider
26 September 2015

I would divide the evolution of political Islam in Malaysia into three stages: Islamic revival/resurgent which culminated in changes in Umno and PAS in 1982, the emergence of PAS’s progressive faction in 1998, and the “post-Islamism” of 2015.

I have always been reluctant to draw direct comparisons between international trends in the discourse of political Islam and Islamic politics at home, because to a large extent, politics is local.

However, international trends and labels are instructive as a window to observe domestic changes. Continue reading “The evolution of political Islam in Malaysia”

Political ‘earthquakes’ that realigned Malaysian politics (Part 1)

— Liew Chin Tong
Malay Mail Online
September 25, 2015

SEPTEMBER 25 — In the wake of an earthquake, tectonic plates will shift and realign. It takes time before gradually stabilising. In the process of seismic shifting, instead of hoping for a more stable surface, it would be better to reflect on the possible changes after the earthquake.

The spectrum of Malaysian politics experienced three great political earthquakes that caused shifting and realignment. After each shaking, the scenario that emerged was a previously unthinkable one. Once the tectonic plates shift, the outcome is a change that will never be the same again.

The first pre-Merdeka pan-Malayan General Election in July 1955 saw the success of the Alliance, using the UMNO-MCA-MIC formula. Continue reading “Political ‘earthquakes’ that realigned Malaysian politics (Part 1)”

Raja Bahrin tebus baiah taklik beri makan orang miskin, lapor akhbar

The Malaysian Insider
10 September 2015

Ahli Parlimen Kuala Terengganu Datuk Raja Kamarul Bahrin Shah memilih untuk memberi makan kepada 10 orang miskin sebagai menebus sumpah baiah yang dilafazkan sebelum ini berhubung ketaatannya terhadap perjuangan PAS, lapor Sinar Harian hari ini.

Tindakan itu diambil selepas beliau melanggar lafaz baiah yang diikrarkannya secara sukarela di hadapan Presiden PAS Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang dua tahun lalu dan kini mengambil keputusan menyertai Parti Amanah Negara (PAN).

Beliau berkata, tindakannya itu dirujuk berdasarkan kepada ayat al-Quran berhubung ruang untuk menebus sumpah baiah jika berlaku pelanggaran sumpah.

“Hukumnya adalah memerdekakan seorang hamba, beri makan 10 orang miskin daripada apa yang kita makan dan berpuasa 3 hari.
“Saya memilih yang kedua, akan beri makan 10 orang miskin,” katanya kepada akhbar itu.

Sebelum ini, melalui baiah tersebut, beliau bersumpah perkahwinannya akan terbubar dengan talak 3 sekiranya beliau meninggalkan PAS. Continue reading “Raja Bahrin tebus baiah taklik beri makan orang miskin, lapor akhbar”

Is Umno Baru the Malays’ defender?

Mariam Mokhtar
Malaysiakini
7th Sept 2015

In the past, Umno Baru used the battle cry, “Umno Baru is the only party in Malaysia which defends the Malays”, to try and win their hearts and minds. Not wanting to be excluded, PAS would claim, “PAS is the only party that protects Islam”.

Ironically, a highly divided Umno Baru and fragmented PAS can no longer claim to be defenders of the Malays, nor the protectors of Islam, but then, they never were. There will be Malays when both Umno Baru and PAS have been wiped out.

Today, both Umno Baru and PAS are in disarray. The leaders’ greed for power, selfishness, underhand tactics and their manipulation of the Malay mind, have brought about their own downfall, and that of their parties.

These leaders failed to lead. They were only interested in feathering their own nests and prolonging their power. Continue reading “Is Umno Baru the Malays’ defender?”

Boikot Bersih 4: PAS untung atau rugi?

Mohsin Abdullah
The Malaysian Insider
2 September 2015

Akar umbi Umno pun tidak marah Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad hadir pada perhimpunan Bersih 4. Itu menurut berita yang disiarkan The Malaysian Insider.

Sebabnya – mereka terima “penjelasan “ Dr Mahathir yang bekas presiden mereka bukan sokong gerakan Bersih secara khusus tetapi kerana beliau menyokong rakyat.

Maknanya Dr Mahathir melihat rakyat menyebelahi atau bersama gerakan Bersih. Sekali gus tuntutan Bersih adalah tuntutan rakyat. Boleh disimpulkan begitu?

Jika boleh, persamaannya (berdasarkan hujah Dr Mahathir) ialah Bersih = rakyat. Satu “equation” yang boleh membimbangkan pucuk pimpinan Umno
kerana “akar umbi setuju with such an equation”.

Dan dalam konteks PAS pula – adakah ketidakhadiran parti itu pada perhimpunan Bersih kali ini membawa erti parti itu “tidak bersama rakyat”? Continue reading “Boikot Bersih 4: PAS untung atau rugi?”

PAS “supports” no-confidence vote against Najib – I’ll believe it when I see it

(Scroll down for English text)

“Sokongan” PAS kepada undi tidak percaya terhadap Najib – Saya akan percaya hanya apabila ia benar-benar berlaku

Timbalan Presiden PAS Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man dan pengarah pilihanraya PAS Mustafa Ali telah menyatakan bahawa PAS akan menyokong undi tidak percaya terhadap Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Tuan Ibrahim dan Mustafa Ali bukan Ahli Parlimen, dan kenyataan mereka bahawa PAS akan menyokong undi tidak percaya terhadap Najib di Parlimen itu hanya saya akan percaya setelah mereka benar-benar melakukannya.

Pakatan Rakyat berkubur setelah tujuh tahun memikul harapan dan keyakinan rakyat tidak mengira kaum, agama, atau daerah, ke arah perubahan politik kerana PAS di bawah pimpinan Presiden-nya, Datuk Seri Hadi Awang, tidak boleh dipercayai dan kata-katanya tidak boleh dipegang sebagai janji.

Berkali-kali PAS di bawah Hadi melanggar komitmen dan janji mereka, sama ada janji untuk setia terhadap Dasar Bersama Pakatan Rakyat mahupun prinsip muafakat yang bermakna tidak ada satu parti atau seorang pemimpin mana-mana parti boleh membatalkan atau melanggar keputusan yang dicapai menerusi Majlis Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat, sama ada berkenaan ketetapan untuk bertanding satu lawan satu di semua kerusi Parlimen dan Dewan Undangan Negeri pada pilihanraya umum ke-13, keputusan untuk melantik Datuk Seri Dr. Wan Azizah Wan Ismail sebagai Menteri Besar Selangor atau keputusan sebulat suara bahawa rang undang-undang hudud atau sebarang usul persendirian PAS berkenaan hudud akan dibawa ke Majlis Pimpinan Pakatan Rakyat sebelum dikemukakan di Parlimen. Continue reading “PAS “supports” no-confidence vote against Najib – I’ll believe it when I see it”

Himpunan ulama progresif serlah keterbukaan politik Islam

A Shukur Harun
The Malaysian Insider
18th August 2015

Sehari suntuk mengikuti sekumpulan ulama progresif dalam majlis Nadwah Ulama Nahdhah Jadidah 2015 (Nunji ’15) di Shah Alam Sabtu lalu mendedahkan kita kepada keterbukaan fiqh yang merangkumi politik Islam sesuai dengan keadaan masyarakat majmuk di negara ini.

Nunji ’15 itu berjaya mengumpulkan ulama yang berfikiran terbuka dan mendukung aspirasi Gerakan Harapan Baru (GHB) yang bercita-cita membawa rakyat Malaysia kepada Islam sebagai “Rahmatan lil Alamin” (Rahmat seluruh alam) dengan sifatnya yang teguh, anjal, toleran dan adil.

Ini satu perkembangan baharu dalam memahami kemurnian tasawuur Islam, terutama mengenai hukum-hakam yang dilihat sering diselubungi kejumudan dan shadid (keras), menyebabkan wajah Islam yang sepatutnya ceria dan ramah menjadi bengis, malah menakutkan. Continue reading “Himpunan ulama progresif serlah keterbukaan politik Islam”

New Pakatan Rakyat to be formed must not repeat the mistakes of Pakatan Rakyat which died an early death because of the lack of trustworthiness of one of its component parties

Recently, the PAS Deputy President Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man called for the revival of a united opposition amid the twin scandals of 1MDB and RM2.6 billion deposited into Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s oersonal bank accounts in AmBank just before the 13th General Election.

He said this was the “crucial hour for all opposition parties to unite” and sit together to find common ground and minimise their differences.

I admit to great wariness of such a call after the early death of Pakatan Rakyat despite the high hopes and trust placed on it by Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region rooting for the first political change on the national landscape, vesting it with 52% of the popular vote in the 13th General Election. Continue reading “New Pakatan Rakyat to be formed must not repeat the mistakes of Pakatan Rakyat which died an early death because of the lack of trustworthiness of one of its component parties”

When a new political party emerges from Gerakan Harapan Baru in a few weeks time, a new Pakatan Rakyat – whether PR Baru, PR 2.0 or whatever name – will be ready to carry the torch for a Malaysia Baru

DAP Johor State Assemblyman for Pekan Nenas Yeo Tung Siong told me just now that Ayer Baloi tonight breaks record with the biggest crowd ever in history, signifying the powerful public support for Gerakan Harapan Baru and hopes for political change after nearly six decades of UMNO/Alliance/Barisan Nasional rule.

However, we want to create history not only in Ayer Baloi but in Johore and the whole of Malaysia in the forthcoming 14th General Election – when we are not only setting our sights on the Federal government in Putrajaya but also the state government in Nusajaya.

For over half a century, Johore had been regarded as an impregnable fortress for UMNO/MCA/MIC coalition and an invincible UMNO/Barisan Nasional “fixed deposit state”.

UMNO/BN leaders were so arrogant that they even talked about Johore being a “zero-opposition” state until such cockiness were buried by the historic Pakatan Rakyat breakthrough in the 13th General Election in 2013, winning 18 State Assembly seats – one seat short of denying UMNO/BN two-thirds majority in the Johore State Assembly.

But now Pakatan Rakyat is no more and the country needs a new Islamic political party which is all-embracing and inclusive which can unite not only Muslims and Malays but also non-Muslims and non-Malays, in other words, with all Malaysians to achieve the Malaysian Dream of ensuring that all Malaysians, regardless of race, religion or region, are entitled to basic human rights and dignity as citizens of a modern society. Continue reading “When a new political party emerges from Gerakan Harapan Baru in a few weeks time, a new Pakatan Rakyat – whether PR Baru, PR 2.0 or whatever name – will be ready to carry the torch for a Malaysia Baru”

Pilihan raya lokal hakis hak Melayu?

Saifuddin Abdullah
Sinar Harian
3 OGOS 2015

MINGGU lalu, Presiden Pas Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang menuduh DAP “cauvinis” kerana ingin mengadakan semula pilihan raya Pihak Berkuasa Tempatan (PBT). Enam bulan terdahulu, beliau menyatakan yang pilihan raya tersebut akan menghapuskan hak keistimewaan orang Melayu.

Saya tidak terlibat dengan perselisihan antara beliau dengan DAP. Tetapi, saya tidak bersetuju dengan pendapatnya tentang hak orang Melayu dalam konteks pilihan raya PBT.

Pada 13 Mac 2015, saya telah menyampaikan syarahan khas bertajuk “Adakah Pilihan Raya PBT Menghakis Hak Keistimewaan Melayu” di Persidangan PBT di Malaysia: Menilai Laporan Athi Nahappan Untuk Masa Kini, anjuran Penyelidikan Untuk Kemajuan Sosial (REFSA). Teks syarahan itu diterbitkan dalam REFSA Quarterly, Isu 1 2015.

Saya mula berbicara dan menyokong diadakan semula pilihan raya PBT sejak 1986. Saya pernah menjadi Ahli Majlis PBT Temerloh selama enam bulan, pada 2007, iaitu sebelum menjadi Ahli Parlimen Temerloh pada 2008-2013. Oleh kerana pada saya, Majlis Daerah dan Majlis PBT tidak partisipatori dan representatif, maka, sebagai Ahli Parlimen, saya telah menubuhkan mini-parlimen tempatan, iaitu Majlis Perundingan Parlimen Temerloh. Continue reading “Pilihan raya lokal hakis hak Melayu?”