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Call on Bukit Gelugor voters tomorrow and Teluk Intan voters next Saturday to punish the political hooligans and cast every available vote to defend democracy and reject mobocracy advocated by political hooligans in UMNO who stormed the Penang State Assembly, the DAP Hqrs in KL and DAP Kuantan branch yesterday

(Media Statement in Penang on Saturday, May 24, 2014)

The voters of Bukit Gelugor tomorrow and the voters of Teluk Intan next Saturday should cast every available vote to defend democracy and reject in unmistakable and unequivocal terms the mobocracy advocated by political hooligans in UMNO who stormed the Penang State Assembly, the DAP Hqrs in Kuala Lumpur and the DAP Kuantan branch yesterday.

The various incidents of political hooliganism in the past few days, on the back of the rise racial and religious extremism in the past year since the 13GE last May, with unchecked increase in the volume and intensity of hate-speech and growing intolerance of a moderate approach and a plural society must be stopped immediately and powerfully before they destroy the very fabric of Malaysia’s multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-lingual and multi-cultural nation.

What all right-thinking Malaysians, whether in Barisan Nasional or Pakatan Rakyat, whether in government, private sector or civil society, must unite and deplore in the strongest terms is the rise of political hooliganism and breakdown of civility in the political arena.

Clearly, Barisan Nasional leaders have lost the art of the founding generation of of Umno, MCA and MIC leaders like Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Tan Cheng Lock, Tun Tan Siew Sin and Tun V.T. Sambanthan “to agree to disagree agreeably” – practise “gentleman politics” without resort to lies, falsehood and calumny or the most corruptive influence of the politics of money.

What is most deplorable is that there is official encouragement and even patronage of such political hooliganism, and the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassim has emerged as one of the patrons of political hooliganism when he said that it was “natural reaction” by UMNO Youth members to storm the DAP Hqrs in Kuala Lumpur when their party had been challenged. Continue reading “Call on Bukit Gelugor voters tomorrow and Teluk Intan voters next Saturday to punish the political hooligans and cast every available vote to defend democracy and reject mobocracy advocated by political hooligans in UMNO who stormed the Penang State Assembly, the DAP Hqrs in KL and DAP Kuantan branch yesterday”

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Let’s do away with sexism and build a respectful nation

By Dr Sharifah Halimah Jaafar | TMI
MAY 21, 2014

The blatant act of disrespect on women and sexist messages by various groups to demean them during the Teluk Intan by-election campaign are unacceptable in a society which aims to become a developed nation.

The hoots and wolf whistles that drown out Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud, the DAP’s Teluk Intan candidate, by the predominantly male crowd at the nomination centre a few days ago for the gift of her physical appearance, are very regrettable. Our society at large is still unable to recognise and respect women for their calibre, strength and capability, to become leaders just as men.

It is also shameful that certain parties tried to humiliate Dyana by spreading the photos of a bikini-clad actress resembling her on the internet, purportedly portray her as a “bad” Muslim.

No doubt Dyana Sofya is young and beautiful, but what stands out about her is her intelligence, professionalism, confidence, courage, determination and passion to fight what she believes is right, despite the odds and the storms that come her way.

In a nutshell, this young lady has all the essence of a good leader with integrity and commitment for the rakyat, but it is a pity that narrow minded men see her as a sex object. Continue reading “Let’s do away with sexism and build a respectful nation”

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UMNO/BN leadership supremely confident that DAP made a ‘fatal error’ in fielding Dyana as candidate – call on Teluk Intan voters of all races to prove UMNO/BN wrong

(Media Conference Statement in Teluk Intan on Monday, 19th May 2014)

Unlike the Bukit Gelugor by-election nomination a week ago, when the entire Barisan Nasional leadership and not just the MCA leaders, ran for cover for fear of getting a “drubbing” in the Bukit Gelugor by-election on May 25, there has been a show of force of the UMNO/Barisan Nasional leadership in the Teluk Intan by-election today with the Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin leading the team.

Why the stark difference?

The reason is very obvious. The UMNO/BN leadership is supremely confident that DAP has made a “fatal error” in fielding Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud and that the BN candidate, Datuk Mah Siew Keong, Gerakan President, is set to win the Teluk Intan by-election on May 31 – reasons why the Umno/BN leaders dare to show their faces as compared to the Bukit Gelugor by-election nomination last Monday.

In fact, the UMNO/BN leadership believes that they can deliver the DAP/Pakatan Rakyat a major blow in the Teluk Intan by-election, as they will be able to attack what they regard as the DAP’s “Achilles heel” among the Malays, Indian and Chinese voters in Teluk Intan.

In the 13GE last May, DAP secured the support of 25 per cent of the Malay electorate, who comprise 38% of the electorate. Continue reading “UMNO/BN leadership supremely confident that DAP made a ‘fatal error’ in fielding Dyana as candidate – call on Teluk Intan voters of all races to prove UMNO/BN wrong”