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On the alleged ACS statement re closed door meeting with PR

By Teresa Kok

I’m surprised that The Star reported yesterday that the Association of Churches Sarawak (ACS) has expressed regret at Pakatan Rakyat regarding our closed door meeting. The Star’s report is intentionally incomplete, and is politically-motivated to paint Pakatan Rakyat leaders in a negative light and a desperate last-ditch attempt to mislead the public for tomorrow’s Sarawak state elections.

I wish to clarify what happened.

ACS leaders had agreed to meet Pakatan Rakyat leaders in a closed door meeting with the requests that

a) they would not hold any press conference together with us, and that
b) we would not allow members of the media to come into the room to photograph our meeting, which Pakatan Rakyat fully complied with.

ACS leaders saw the presence of the media when they arrived at the venue. They also saw Pakatan Rakyat not allowing the media to enter the room to take pictures of us.

ACS leaders were aware that the media were waiting outside the venue. They never forbade us from speaking to the media. And we Pakatan leaders could not have been expected to ignore the media after the closed door dialogue session when the media had been waiting outside all the while. It was understood that Pakatan would speak with the reporters after the meeting ended. Continue reading “On the alleged ACS statement re closed door meeting with PR”

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Epistle to the Church in Malaysia

By Thomas Lee Seng Hock

Dear sisters and brothers in the faith,

Greetings in the Name of our beloved Saviour and Lord Jesus Christ. His love, grace, peace, joy and blessings be upon all of you who love, honour and obey him.

I write this open letter as a fellow believer and as a humble servant of the Almighty God to make a clarion call to my sisters and brothers in the faith to unite in solidarity of vision and mission to bring about a moral and spiritual transformation of our beloved nation, by our individual prayers and united corporate intercession, and through our vocal articulation and visible demonstration of our life and faith beyond the walls of our comfort zone within our churches. The time has come for us to wake up from our spiritual slumber, and stand up, without fear or favour, and be counted for the Lord Jesus.

Most, if not all, of you are surely aware and concerned that our beloved country is currently going through a very critical and uncertain time, during which various delicate and sensitive matters are being exploited and abused by the evil forces out to destroy the peaceful and harmonious co-existence of our multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural, multi-ideological and multi-lingual nation. It is during such a time as this that we as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ need to go on our knees before the throne of grace to seek forgiveness, mercy and divine intervention to save our nation from disintegration and destruction.

The Church and State

One of the most heretical deceptions that the Christian community has been infused with by misguided western missionaries is the so-called separation of the church and state, meaning that Christians should not be involved in matters of the state, or take any stand on political issues. This teaching is based on a distorted exegesis of the statement by the Lord Jesus on the issue of paying tax: “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21). Continue reading “Epistle to the Church in Malaysia”

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“Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Taib gives another illustration with entry ban of Bersih2 Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan

“Power tends to corrupt. Absolute power tends to corrupt absolutely.” Sarawak’s 30-year Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud has this morning given another illustration to prove the truism of this famous aphorism by British historian Lord Acton.

Bersih2 Chairperson Datuk Ambiga Sreenivasan was barred from entering Sarawak when she flew into Kuching from Subang in Firefly flight at 9 am and was forcibly repatriated to Kuala Lumpur by 10.40 am MAS flight as she is on Taib’s blacklist.

What has Taib to fear from Ambiga and Bersih2 when all she and Bersih2 wanted was to monitor the 10th Sarawak state general elections to ensure that the polls tomorrow are fair, free and clean.

Is Taib preparing for the dirtiest Sarawak state general elections tomorrow so that it will be the most fraudulent in the nation’s history to allow Taib to subvert, impede and defeat the greatest political awakening of Sarawakians of all ethnic groups since the formation of Malaysia in 1963 and in their demand for change? Continue reading ““Power corrupts. Absolute power corrupts absolutely” – Taib gives another illustration with entry ban of Bersih2 Chairperson Ambiga Sreenevasan”

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Will Mahathir be proven right that Taib could be another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak because he refuses to step down after 30 years as Chief Minister?

Can former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad be proven right when he cryptically advised Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to “learn from history” in deciding when to step down, citing the case of “one MB who insisted he should continue, and lost the whole state”?

Mahathir was of course referring to the case of Tan Sri Wan Mokhtar Ahmad who was Mentri Besar of Terengganu for 25 years from 1974 to 1999 and was ignominiously evicted from office when Barisan Nasional suffered an electoral rout of 4 – 28 state assembly seats to PAS in the 1999 general elections.

Has Taib overstayed as Sarawak Chief Minister marking his 30th anniversary in office this year?

There can be no doubt that the question of getting Taib to step down as Chief Minister is the single most potent weapon and burning issue against the Barisan Nasional in the 10th Sarawak state general elections, uniting Sarawakians regardless of race or religion throughout the state not because of Taib’s age, the length of his tenure as Chief Minister but because of the lack of accountability, transparency and good governance under Taib’s Chief Ministership illustrated by the mountain of allegations on abuses of power and rampant corruption under his rule which he has not been able to rebut. Continue reading “Will Mahathir be proven right that Taib could be another Wan Mohtar losing power in Sarawak because he refuses to step down after 30 years as Chief Minister?”

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On the Ubah campaign trail (6)

Tweets @limkitsiang :

820am AA Sibu-Kch flt further delayed to 1020am. TQ @jeffccl1 Reminded of age – am feeling strain when in past took all stress in stride
9:40 AM Apr 13th

Met airport exPBB MP Bujang Ulis (78-90) n Taib’s nephew Azizan Manan who r campaigning 4 Salleh Jafaruddin in Balingian 2defeat Peh Moh.
10:10 AM Apr 13th

No more delays – flying off @ 1020am
10:11 AM Apr 13th

BN faltering on Taib factor (TMI) http://bit.ly/hnI3xi
2:04 PM Apr 13th
Continue reading “On the Ubah campaign trail (6)”

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Sarawak Elections 2011 – Change or transformation?

by Chris Anthony

Dawn of a new Sarawak for all

Come April 16,2011 our fellow Malaysians in Sarawak will go to the ballots to choose their state government for the next five years. This tenth state election is an important one for both BN and PR as the results may determine their fate at the next general elections predicted to be held soon. It is also of utmost importance to the people of Sarawak as their destiny would be decided on that day.It is also an important election for the rest of us as the results of this election will greatly determine the trend in the whole country in the next general elections.

The exceptionally huge crowds at the ceramah of opposition PR came as a great surprise to all. Even the opposition leaders who were pleasantly surprised were shocked at the huge turn outs. That gave them a great moral booster which was badly needed after successive losses in several by-elections lately.

On the other hand the BN leaders too were taken by surprise that the state which used to be referred as the safe ‘fixed deposit’ for them for over 30 years is suddenly changing. It is evident from the response of the people to the campaign so far that they want change. Large crowds at election ceramah may not be an accurate reflection of wins as many a time such massive response does not necessarily translate into votes. Continue reading “Sarawak Elections 2011 – Change or transformation?”

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DAP releases postal vote tampering video

By Sheridan Mahavera

SIBU, April 13 — DAP released a video clip purportedly showing four women handing over their postal votes to a man at Wisma Sanyan here yesterday.

The one minute clip shows a be-spectacled man receiving what looked like postal ballot papers from four women who had just picked them up from the Election Commission.

The video, which was released at the DAP’s daily press conference, here, showed the women handing over the ballots to the man in a stairwell at the iconic building, which is the tallest in Sibu.

Postal voting proper only got underway at 9am today.

The five were caught unawares while they were being filmed by a DAP polling agent. They immediately dispersed when they saw the party worker filming them with his camera phone.

The man attempted to block the DAP agent’s view of the women as they ran out of the stairwell.
Continue reading “DAP releases postal vote tampering video”

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PM’s Sandiwara in Sarawak!

By Martin Jalleh

The PM has excused himself from his duties in Putrajaya (at the taxpayer’s expense of course) and planted himself in Sarawak for six days till polling day to give the BN campaign a much-needed push.

He seems to be panicking for he has asked the whole Cabinet to park themselves in the Land of the Hornbill and endlessly praise the component BN parties there, whilst pouring scorn on the Opposition.

It appears that Taib Mahmud’s campaign has been quite pathetic. After 30 years as CM there is little proof that the people have progressed! But, he now promises he will turn Sarawak into the richest state after the elections!

Najib believes that as PM his personality, popularity, position and plenty of “I-help-you-you-help-me” pledges, will lessen public preoccupation with Taib and successfully persuade the masses to vote for BN.
Continue reading “PM’s Sandiwara in Sarawak!”

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Wind of Change blowing strong and hard in Sarawak –Sarawakians should write “416” in golden letters on Saturday as latest addition to the political lexicon of numbers of “520”, “308” and ”516” as powerful symbols in the quest for political change in Malaysia

The wind of change is blowing strong and hard in Sarawak. In Kuching, Sibu, Bintangor, Sarikei, Bintulu and particularly Miri as well as all over the state, there can be no mistaking the deep and powerful yearning of the Sarawakians for political change.

I am particularly impressed by the awakening of the people of Miri, who after allowing Kuching and Sibu to lead political change in the past few decades, seemed to have galloped, almost overnight, to the very forefront to join and lead the quest for political change not only in Sarawak but also Malaysia.

I call on the voters of Sarawak on Saturday to write “416” in golden letters as the latest addition to the political lexicon of numbers as powerful symbols in the quest for political change in Sarawak and Malaysia.

Let Saturday, April 16, go down in Sarawak and Malaysian history as another major milestone in the battle to establish “People’s Power” and reclaim the birthright of all Sarawakians and Malaysians to be full, equal and free citizens of this land entitled to all the fundamental rights promised when this nation was founded and enshrined in the constitution, including freedom of religion, rule of law, human rights, good governance, high quality of life and a just and prosperous society! Continue reading “Wind of Change blowing strong and hard in Sarawak –Sarawakians should write “416” in golden letters on Saturday as latest addition to the political lexicon of numbers of “520”, “308” and ”516” as powerful symbols in the quest for political change in Malaysia”

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On Ubah campaign trail (5)

Tweets @limkitsiang:

Deepest condolence 4bereaved family on death of SabahAir Bell206 helicopter pilot Capt Sahimi Razali.
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 11:08 AM

What investigations into SabahAir helicopter mishap n death of Capt Sahimi n what other actions being taken by civil aviation authorities?
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 11:27 AM

@bongkersz now in bintangor will be in sarikei/sibu 2nite n sri aman tmr
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 12:54 PM

Meradong ppl ask Y Muhyiddin cannot come from Sibu by car 30mins-ride or heli mishap wld not have occurred n capt sahimi wld still be living
Tuesday, April 12, 2011 1:33 PM
Continue reading “On Ubah campaign trail (5)”

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Malaysiakini down, hit by cyber attacks

via Malaysiakini Facebook

A cyber attack beginning at 11am today shut down Malaysiakiniservers simultaneously, making the website inaccessible to readers.

The Malaysiakini technical team has determined it to be a denial-of-service attack, where an attacker uses computers in different parts of the world to swarm Malaysiakini servers to the point that they are unable to cope with the massive traffic.

Both our servers, which are hosted at two data centres – TM Brickfields and Jaring – have been affected by the attack.

Malaysiakini has posted all of today’s reports in Facebook. Readers can access Malaysiakini in full via Facebook Notes.

We will soon be making our reports, especially those on the Sarawak election, available on WordPress, Blogspot and other publishing platforms.

Malaysiakini is also working to bring up a new set of servers.

We apologise for the technical problem and we will keep readers informed of developments via Facebook and Twitter.

Malaysiakini alternative sites :

  1. Malaysiakini Facebook Notes

  2. Malaysiakini blogspot

  3. Malaysiakini wordpress

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A Sarawak Spring?

By Bridget Welsh

When change rocked the Middle East from Tunisia to Yemen, many were quick to point out that it could not happen in Malaysia. The BN government has a stronger record of governance and, for all of the unevenness of the playing field, holds competitive elections.

Yet, as the Sarawak campaign has unfolded, it is increasingly becoming apparent that change is afoot. The 30-year tenure of Abdul Taib Mahmud – closely paralleling the length of Hosni Mubarak’s own tenure – has inspired an unprecedented response on the ground.

With record attendance at rallies across the state, the floodgates of change have opened, with Prime Minister Najib Razak calling on all of his cabinet to campaign in what has become a defining national litmus test.

The 10th Sarawak election is perhaps the first real test since March 2008 of whether Malaysia will experience a similar spring, or whether it will stave off change.
Continue reading “A Sarawak Spring?”

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On Ubah campaign trail (5)

Tweets @limkitsiang :

Miri pc – Najib’s 1Malaysia reduced into farce by Muhyiddin “I am Malay 1st Msian 2nd” stmt. Now transformed in2 1TShirt 1Tupperware circus
Monday, April 11, 2011 2:23 PM

Latest in Swak elections – GeorgeChan n SUPP leaders waiting 2b saved by MCA’s ChuaSoiLek n Gerakan’s KohTsuKoon!
Monday, April 11, 2011 2:43 PM

Sabah Air helicopter pilot “severely injured”. http://bit.ly/fgN8vj Chopper crashes in Sibu after ferrying DPM’s entourage(TMI)
Monday, April 11, 2011 3:30 PM

PM DPM Ministers staff flying around Swak in election campaign grave threat to safety of helicopter pilots n crew. Suspend all such flights
Monday, April 11, 2011 3:33 PM
Continue reading “On Ubah campaign trail (5)”

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Taib says to only quit in a few years

By Clara Chooi
The Malaysian InsiderApr 11, 2011

Taib is facing tremendous pressure to resign.KUCHING, April 11 — Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud repeated his intention tonight to step down “in a few years’ time” despite the opposition calling for a quicker end to the Sarawak chief minister’s 30-year-rule.

The embattled leader, who has taken on the task of delivering Sarawak for another term to the Barisan Nasional, made the pledge before Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a short speech at a 1 Malaysia concert held at the Padang Merdeka in the capital city here. Continue reading “Taib says to only quit in a few years”

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Najib’s 1Malaysia campaign has been “transformed” into a 1T-Shirt 1-Tupperware Circus in two years

Since last night, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has not only abandoned his duties as Prime Minister of Malaysia for a consecutive period of six days, he has also instructed his whole Cabinet of Ministers to do the same and to camp in Sarawak for the state general elections until polling day on Saturday.

Clearly Najib has lost confidence in the ability of the Sarawak Chief Minister, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud to secure the election results desired by the Prime Minister.

But this has another far-reaching national implication – transforming the Sarawak state general election from a state into a national contest, putting on the line the Barisan Nasional’s national policies and record as well as the Prime Minister’s programme, personal popularity and political reputation.

The two issues voters of Sarawak are being asked to decide on Saturday are: firstly, at the Sarawak level whether “Peh Moh” should go, not in two, three or five years’ time but on Saturday, April 16, 2011 itself; and at the national level, whether to end UMNO’s political hegemony in Malaysian politics to give way to the new politics of freedom, justice, accountability, transparency and good governance spearheaded by Pakatan Rakyat. Continue reading “Najib’s 1Malaysia campaign has been “transformed” into a 1T-Shirt 1-Tupperware Circus in two years”

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Mad scramble for Tupperware mars PM’s do

By Andrew Ong

Chaos erupted at the MBKS indoor stadium last night immediately after Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak left the rally venue as people jostled to get hold of goodie bags containing Tupperware brand containers.

As some 2,000 participants at the rally were streaming out of the stadium, hundreds crowded around part of the entrance, grabbing goodie bags that were being distributed.

The bags contained a poster of Najib and either a water tumbler or a small food container of Tupperware fame.

As the rush for goodies grew out of hand, workers were forced to relocate some of the boxes of goodies away from the entrance.

As soon as the boxes touched the floor, dozens of people, many of them elderly and children, ripped opened the boxes and carried with them whatever they could.
Continue reading “Mad scramble for Tupperware mars PM’s do”

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BN troubled as Pakatan rally draws more support

By Clara Chooi

KUCHING, April 11 — Barisan Nasional (BN) was left red-faced last night when two separate rallies across the city featuring Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his arch-nemesis Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim drew vastly different crowd numbers.

The usually conservative Sarawak folk arrived in droves at Anwar’s rally in the Batu Kawah constituency just 30 minutes outside of the city, all clambering to listen to the opposition leader and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) bigwigs like DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng and PAS spiritual leader Datuk Seri Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

According to observers at least 8,000 were in attendance, causing a major two-hour traffic congestion on the roads leading to the ceramah venue.

Held at the same time in the same city, Najib’s 1 Malaysia meet-the-leaders session paled in comparison.
Continue reading “BN troubled as Pakatan rally draws more support”

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On Ubah campaign trail (4)

Tweets @limkitsiang :-

For first time in 48-year history, Miri leads in forefront for political change in Sarawak’s 10th general elections http://bit.ly/gAYbww
Sunday, April 10, 2011 3:31 PM

Challenge 2 Najib – set up 5 RCIs on pressing issues of public importance http://bit.ly/icSvtQ
Sunday, April 10, 2011 7:09 PM

Who expects him 2admit he’s desperate? Or 2Swak loaded w goodies? http://bit.ly/gnpQ55 6 days in Swak not desperate move, Najib says (TMI)
Sunday, April 10, 2011 7:26 PM

Of course. Najib, Taib, BN in great danger! http://bit.ly/i3sEqO PM on 6-day S’wak blitz: BN in danger? (Mkini)
Sunday, April 10, 2011 7:29 PM
Continue reading “On Ubah campaign trail (4)”

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Warning to Najib not to discredit RCI by setting one to serve dishonourable and selfish political objectives and challenge to set up 5 RCIs on pressing issues of public importance

The Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak must be warned that he should not discredit the concept of a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI), which is an important device to establish government transparency, integrity and good governance, as by setting one to serve dishonourable and selfish political objectives as into the Carcosa sex video tape scandal.

Under the Barisan Nasional, public confidence in more and more key national institutions and concepts have plunged to unprecedented lows, whether it be the judiciary, the elections commission, the police, the anti-corruption agency.

All efforts by Najib under his 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) in the past two years had failed to check the rot as things have got worse instead of better.

For instance, in a matter of two years, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has proved to be an even greater failure than its predecessor, the Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) in securing public confidence in its efficiency, independence and professionalism in combating corruption, particular the “grand corruption” of political “sharks” and their cronies despite getting more powers, funds and staffing from Parliament.

Now, Malaysians don’t even trust the MACC with their personal safety after the scandalous tragedies of Teoh Beng Hock who fell to his death from the 14th floor of MACC headquarters in Shah Alam on July 16,2009 and Ahmad Sarbani Mohamad who fell to his death from the third floor of MACC office in Jalan Cochrane, Kuala Lumpur on Wednesday.

It will a real national tragedy if the RCI concept is discredited because it is abused to serve dishonourable political objectives to attack opponents in the political arena, as in the Carcosa sex video tape scandal, instead of serving national or public purpose. Continue reading “Warning to Najib not to discredit RCI by setting one to serve dishonourable and selfish political objectives and challenge to set up 5 RCIs on pressing issues of public importance”