Rewarding 'Party Hoppers'- From Opposition: Datukship, US Trips,... BN to Opposition: MPship/ADUNship/Leadership?

What do 'party hoppers' get when they jump ship? In Malaysia, it seems that they are 'rewarded'...Hence, the reason for 'jumping' may not really be for pure principles - but the 'rewards' that they can get. That is why, we should have a 'cooling off' period of maybe 5 years, whereby these 'party hoppers' are not given MP/ADUN seats to contest...or appointed into the leadership positions at National/State levels of parties/coalitions.

For those who hop out of Opposition parties, they get "Datukship", US Trips, etc...

Jelapang state representative Hee Yit Foong, whose defection from DAP triggered BN's takeover of Perak, will today receive the Darjah Datuk Paduka Mahkota Perak (DPMP).

She is among 919 who will be conferred with awards and medals in conjunction with Sultan of Perak Sultan Azlan Shah's 82nd birthday. - Malaysiakini, 19/4/2010, She's now 'Datuk' Hee Yit Fong 

Minister in the Prime Minister Department Nazri Abdul Aziz confirmed that the Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will be accompanied by two independent MPs for a visit to the US Congress.

The duo are Bayan Baru MP Zahrain Hashim (left) and Kulim Bandar Baru parliamentarian Zulkifli Noordin, who were both former PKR members.

Nazri explained that as the opposition practises bloc voting, BN had to make sure that it has sufficient members in the parliament.

"Therefore I have decided not to send (any) BN MPs to follow the prime minister (to Washington DC). During a parliamentary sitting, we will not allow any BN MPs to leave the country."

Nazri said that the BN MPs are aware that that the party will be at a disadvantage if its majority is reduced and are not disgruntled with his decision.

"That is why, from BN, only the Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, Rais Yatim, will be going with the prime minister." - Malaysiakini, 8/4/2010, Zul, Zahrain to 'tag along with PM' on US trip

And for those who jump from the BN parties to the Opposition parties (even without any MPship or ADUNship...) - they are rewarded by being made opposition leaders, and the chance to get elected as Opposition MPs/ADUNs...

Given the fact that most seem to be jumping over to PKR, rather than the DAP or PAS, it must be because PKR's 'rewards' are better and maybe the other Opposition parties like PAS and DAP is not at all keen to reward these 'party hoppers'...[Also should be noted that save for 1 State Assembly person from the DAP, all the other MPs and ADUNs that have left the Opposition are from PKR..]

BN confident of 3,000 majority win in Hulu Selangor

BUKIT BERUNTONG, April 19 —  Pasir Mas independent MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali expects Barisan Nasional (BN) to win the Hulu Selangor by-election by a majority of up to 3,000 votes, in an assessment which dovetails with ground reports on voter sentiment.
Initial reports also show that Hulu Selangor voters are likely to back BN because of support for the reform policies of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and as a reaction to problems being faced by Pakatan Rakyat (PR) party PKR.
Ibrahim, who is campaigning for BN in Hulu Selangor, is certain of candidate P.Kamalanathan’s victory.
Hulu Selangor has since the first general election in 1959 been a BN stronghold, except for the blip in 2008 when it ceded the seat to PKR’s Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
“What do you think? I say, the Barisan Nasional will win by approximately 3,000 votes,” Ibrahim said.
The Perkasa president, who was speaking in a ceramah in Batang Kali yesterday, said his prognosis stems from the change in sentiment among Hulu Selangor voters with regards to Najib’s leadership.
“Besides the introduction of the New Economic Model, the economy has started to recover, plus PKR is facing internal strife.  I am confident that the BN candidate’s vote count will increase to around a 3,000 majority,” said Ibrahim.
He was also sure about the BN keeping the votes it earned in 2008.
“About 95 per cent of the votes gained by Datuk  G.Palanivel who contested for the fifth time two years ago will stay with the BN.
“The BN will move from that point and gain even more votes,” he said.
He estimated that BN can achieve his projected majority if the candidate gets 65 per cent of the Indian votes, 55 per cent of the Malay votes and 45 per cent of the Chinese votes.
He felt the likely votes for PR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim will drop, more so since PAS has been lukewarm in their campaigning.
Zaid has been the characterised as a “social person” by his opponents which is becoming a concern in winning over the Malay vote. The Malaysian Insider understands that there will be a low voter-turnout due to the prevailing perception about the BN and PR candidates.
However Ibrahim believes the turnout will be higher than the 72 per cent in 2008.
“If people don’t come out to vote as much, this will benefit BN,” he said.
About 15,000 voters here live outside the constituency.
Also contesting are MIC Hulu Selangor’s deputy chairman V.S. Chandran, 56, and businessman Johan Mohd. Diah, 31.
The by-election was called after the unfortunate death of Zainal Abidin last month, who beat Palanivel by 198 votes in 2008.
There are 64,500 registered voters.

Hulu Selangor's Dr Halili Rahmat quits PKR

By Adib Zalkapli - The Malaysian Insider
PETALING JAYA, April 19 — Datuk Dr Halili Rahmat, who was previously speculated to be picked as PKR’s candidate for the Hulu Selangor by-election, quit the party today.
The party instead picked Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to contest the April 25 by election.
Dr Halili, who was division treasurer, said he would apply to join Umno as he claimed PKR has deviated from its original struggle.
Also present at the announcement was former PKR secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim who chaired the press conference.
A neurosurgeon, Dr Halili was one of the founding leaders of the then National Justice Party and contested in the 1999 and 2004 general election in Hulu Selangor and in Batang Kali.
A close friend of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, Dr Halili was listed by the party as one of 12 the potential candidates for the federal seat left vacant by the death of PKR MP Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad.
“Today’s PKR is under the control of a small group of leftists who are not acceptable to the Malays and Malaysians,” said Dr Halili who was reading from a prepared statement.
“At the same time I can see that the government under the leadership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak has been working very hard and sincere in bringing political change,” he said.
Dr Halili told the media that he chose to make the announcement during the Hulu Selangor campaign period as he does not want his name to be used by his former party.
“I am aware that some will accuse me of being disappointed for not selected as candidate, but I have never offered myself to be the Hulu Selangor candidate,” said Dr Halili who is from Hulu Yam, a neighbourhood within the Hulu Selangor constituency.
When asked whether he will help in the Barisan Nasional (BN) campaign, Dr Halili replied he may be unable to do so as he has to attend his son’s convocation in Australia.
He also said he attended the PKR candidate announcement rally out of curiosity.
“Maybe my name would be announced, I just wanted to know,” said Dr Halili when asked about his presence at the rally in Serendah last week.
On his relationship with Anwar, Dr Halili said he only served Anwar in his professional capacity.
“I am a professional, if I’m needed I have to give treatment, it’s a private matter,” he said adding that he has been Anwar’s personal surgeon since 1994.

Chandran to pull out of Hulu Selangor vote

By G. Manimaran - The Malaysian Insider
Bahasa Malaysia Editor
HULU SELANGOR, April 19 — The Hulu Selangor by-election will be reduced to a three-cornered fight today when candidate V.S. Chandran as expected announces his withdrawal from the contest.
The former Hulu Selangor MIC deputy chief is due to inform the Election Commission (EC) of his decision this morning, before the withdrawal deadline ends midnight today. Polling is on April 25.
Chandran is due to meet reporters after going to the EC, according to a text message received by The Malaysian Insider.
But efforts to get Chandran to confirm the news failed as he is not picking up his phone despite his camp confirming his withdrawal.
“Yes, Chandran has decided to withdraw from contesting due to certain reasons,” a source told The Malaysian Insider late last night.
It is understood Chandran took the step to prevent the Indian vote, especially from MIC members, from splitting and affecting the chances of Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate, party information chief P. Kamalanathan.
Others contesting the federal seat are PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and another independent, Johan Md Diah who still faces the possibility of the sack from his party, Umno for joining the fray.
Chandran, who faces a similar scenario from MIC, is said to command support from the party’s local division. The Indians form 19.3 per cent of the 64,500 voters in Hulu Selangor.
“He (Chandran) is just angry at MIC, but his heart still loves Barisan Nasional. He has himself said he strongly supports Barisan and it’s because of that love, he will pull out,” the source said.
A straw poll by The Malaysian Insider showed a section of MIC members are still disappointed with BN’s decision to drop party deputy president Datuk G. Palanivel from contesting the seat he had held for four terms until Election 2008.
They have said they will not vote for the BN choice, making it difficult for the ruling coalition to overturn the 198-vote loss by Palanivel to PKR MP Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin Ahmad whose death triggered the by-election.
The main fight remains between the 44-year-old Kamalanathan, who is seen as a compromise candidate, and Zaid, who was sacked from Umno after he quit as a minister in the Abdullah administration in 2008.

Neuro-surgeon quits 'power-crazy' PKR, to join Umno

FMT ALERT KUALA LUMPUR: Hulu Selangor PKR treasurer Dr Halili Rahmat has announced that he is quitting the party to join Umno.
Halili, who had contested the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat previously, was initially speculated to be the candidate this time around as well.

However, the party opted for its supreme council member and former law minister Zaid Ibrahim instead.

Speaking at a press conference this morning, the 58-year-old neuro-surgeon said PKR is led by “narrow-minded little Napoleons”.

“PKR is power crazy to the point that it has overlooked the people's mandate whereas Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak wants to meet the needs of the people,” he added.

Halili, who claims to be PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim's private physician, said he was not disappointed that the party did not name him as the candidate for the upcoming by-election.

The doctor said he has yet to inform the PKR leadership regarding his decision, adding that it was not an overnight decision to leave.

Halili claimed that the locals have told him that PKR has failed to deliver despite being in power for two years.

He explained that he made the announcement now because he did not want PKR to use his name to fish for votes.

The Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat fell vacant following the death of PKR incumbent Zainal Abidin Ahmad on March 25.

In the 2008 general election, Zainal had defeated MIC deputy president, G Palanivel, the seat's four-term MP, by 198 votes.

The by-election is on April 25, and Zaid will be facing MIC information chief P Kamalanathan and two other independent candidates.

However, one of the independent candidates, V S Chandran, is expected to withdraw from the race.

More embarrassment as PKR division chief quits

By Athi Shankar - Free Malaysia Today

GEORGE TOWN: A group of Bayan Baru division members, including its permanent chairman and a committee member, have quit PKR.
They are following the footsteps of their political master Bayan Baru parliamentarian Zahrain Mohd Hashim, who quit the party in February to become an independent MP.
The outgoing division permanent chairperson Ismail Mohd Ali announced this during a brief press conference in Bayan Baru MP Zahrain service centre in Penang yesterday.
Ismail was accompanied by a handful of out-going PKR members from Bayan Baru, including division committee member S Dhinabalan.
Ismail claimed that some 200 Bayan Baru members were following him out of the party, including the 100 yesterday.
“Effective today I am resigning as Bayan Baru division permanent chairman and PKR member,” he said, before cutting his PKR membership with a pair of scissors to effect his quit notice.
The defection has dealt another blow to the crisis-plagued party, which faces a crucial by-election in Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat on April 25.
Inevitably Ismail cited lack of confidence on PKR leadership as the main reason for his departure.
“The leaders have moved away from their original goals, principles and struggles,” he said.
Ismail ironically is the special officer to Zahrain while Dhinabalan is the MP’s special assistant.
Ismail said he was particularly disappointed with ‘lack of reaction’ from PKR top leadership against a Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarian for recently calling for an end to Bumiputeras special privileges by repealing Article 153 of Federal Constitution.
Although he did not name the MP, it was apparent that Ismail was referring to Bukit Gelugor MP and DAP national chairman Karpal Singh.
He called on Hulu Selangor voters to reject PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim and choose any of the three other candidates in the parliamentary by-election.
'Frustrated politician'
He also conveyed a statement from Zahrain, who called on PKR state leaders and youth movement to abort their campaign to force him to step down as Bayan Baru MP.
“I would like to advice them not to waste their time, energy and money to ask me to resign.
“I am not going to quit as a MP.
“I am going to work and help my constituents,” Ismail quoted Zahrain.
Meanwhile, when contacted, PKR’s Pantai Jerejak assemblyman Sim Tze Tzin dismissed Ismail as a merely another frustrated PKR politician who was expected to defect for a long time.
He said the state disciplinary committee was already initiating disciplinary action on Ismail for conducting himself in a manner detrimental to the party interests.
“Firstly, he became Zahrain’s special officer after the MP had quit party.
“Secondly, he was seen rubbing shoulders with local Umno leaders in many functions.
“His behaviour and actions were unbecoming of a PKR division permanent chairman,” Sim told FMT.
Sim, who is a Bayan Baru division committee member, described Ismail as a person “who can’t work or deliver” for the people.

HRP’s advise to the Indian voters in Hulu Selangor – vote only for the candidate that delivers. Do not vote for the candidate that does not deliver

It is that very promising time of the year – election time in Hulu Selangor. Promises and possible lies are what the people of Hulu Selangor are going to get, if they do not play hardball with the politicians from both sides of the divide, now .

Indian voters must vote only for the candidate that delivers.
N. Ganesan, National Advisor, Hindraf/Human Rights Party Malaysia

Zaid Ibrahim please take note.

The PR Selangor Mentri Besar came out in the news after their weekly Exco meeting recently and said that they will be giving out land titles for 100,000 squatter families and TOL license holders who have been living on that land for 15 years. He further added that the PR government was soon going to resolve reserve land issues relating to temples of worship, schools and roads.

The promise of land is the PR Chief Minister’s promise.

Delivery here to the Indian poor will mean:

1) They actually receive land titles in their names in their hands,

2) The gazettement process begun of Tamil schools land ownership in a way consistent with the way National schools own the land and

3) Land titles in the hands of the Temple Administrators for the Temples on the land on which the Temples sit.

This has to happen before the 25th of April.

HRP’s demands are much more – we feel the PR Government should for a start give land to all from the 97 Tamil Schools in Selangor that do not own the land on which they sit, but we know that it will have to wait.

Kamalanathan please take note.

The MIC/UMNO combined for their part have promised a return of the shareholder’s investments into MAIKA Holdings. Here again this is only a pre-election promise and if the deal is not sealed before the elections, they will come up with any number of reasons why they cannot keep that promise. They can say, “Oh, but we did not know MAIKA had so much baggage” or they could say ”we overestimated the value of MAIKA, we can only pay 25 sen for every Ringgit, because the businesses all have been negatively impacted by the bad publicity“ and so on, any number of reasons for them not to keep their promises.

Delivery here will mean:

All the poor Indians who are shareholders in the company should have the reimbursement cheques in their names in their hands.

This has to happen before the 25th of April .



From HRP’s standpoint of necessary justice, MIC/UMNO must reimburse the RM1 of 1984 not the RM1 of 2010.They promised a complete reimbursement. Complete reimbursement going by standard accounting principles and an average discount rate of about 6 % means a reimbursement RM4 of 2010 Ringgit value for every RM1 of 1984 Ringgit invested. Ask any accountant worth his salt.

MIC/BN by offering to give back RM1 of 2010 RM are actually only offerring to give back 25% of the value of the initial investment.

The total sum to be reimbursed of around RM 450 million Ringgit is nothing when compared to the billions of Ringgit in colossal bailouts in the history of the country. To name a few, the Multipurpose Holdings Bailout, the MCA company, the Konsortium Perkapalan Berhad bailout, shipping company controlled by Mahathir’s son, Malaysian Airlines bailout controlled by UMNO cronies, the Renong Berhad bailout- the UMNO company, the National Sewage company, Kuala Lumpur's two public transport systems.

Time magazine quoted Daniel Lian, a Southeast Asia economist at Morgan Stanley in Singapore, saying that the country might have lost “as much as US$100 billion since the early 1980s. RM 450 million is small change when compared to all these huge bailouts. Do not give excuses that this is asking for a yard when an inch has been offered. We do not talk charity, we talk equity - if you can understand it.

This should not be the time for promises by the politicians to the people, rather it is the time for performance appraisal, by the people of the politicians.

Neither PR or MIC/UMNO has performed well for the Indian poor during their period of opportunity.

Zaid Ibrahim or Kamalanathan – just vote for whoever delivers now.

Do not vote for whoever does not deliver by the 24th of April.

Let us keep it simple.

A Reply to Naragan, Penang People, HRP on HINDRAF - THE SUPREMO UNO FOR MALAYSIAN INDIANS

It is not only the Indians who are People, all Malaysians are People.

By Babulal, A Malaysian



I find the entire to and fro emails and the conception of fighting the rights of Indians is the only way to uplift the Indians’ way of life currently which is in a state of despair is illogical and stone-aged. You are just creating another splinter party for Indians and I find it further weakening the Indian votes.

http://malaysia-today.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=31251:some-questions-from-our-penang-friends-and-hindrafhrps-responses&catid=18:letterssurat&Itemid=100129

Try fighting for all discriminated and sidelined Malaysians – you’ll garner more support. Or do you find it a rather a difficult thing to do or imagine - an Indian fighting for the rights of poor Malays or Ibans or etc ....

Why so much of race? Why have this feeling of inferiority complex? What about those successful Indians, how did they make it? Dear Uthaya & Naragan, we have to come out of the race based political agenda and fight for a cause – a cause to uplift the lives of People – then you get People Power – which is the true meaning of Makkal Shakthi.

It is not only the Indians who are People, all Malaysians are People. MIC was formed with the same purpose as HRP. And over the years, they too squandered. HRP under you might be like MIC during Tun Sambanthan’s time, fighting for the cause. But what will happen to HRP beyond you – someone like Samy comes along or someone like Kamalanathan comes along who have shown support to Perkasa. Of course, if your 15/38 becomes a reality, you would have more bargaining power – which means you could demand for more. The question is, will it be for you and your cronies or the People of Malaysia? When I say cronies, I mean who you consider "your own people".

Dear Uthaya, you have answered the very question you were asking the Taiping OCPD during the cremation procession of the two killed brothers in Taiping recently. You were asking or were shouting at him why Indians are being killed and of those shot down 80% (or was it 90% - can't remember and not bothered to see that video again) were Indians. And yet you have indirectly answered this question in one of your articles (HRP website), that the Chinese were the majority who were involved in criminal activities in the 60's and 70's and now they have moved up economically. The majority of Indians have chosen this criminal path and I can only see that the choice made lies on that individual - it is not that there is no other way of making a living.

You are fighting for Tamil schools. What about the other non-Tamil speaking Indians? Based on this hypocrisy, it is rather obvious that you are not fighting for the majority of Indians in Malaysia - only the Tamil speaking Indians - isn't this a hypocrisy, that you fight for the majority of your own within the enclave of Indians?

If you open your eyes a little wider you could see that your initial struggle of a noble cause has turned into a shallow race-centered and further swallowed by religion-centered (Indians of Hindu religion) and further by dialect centered (Indians of Tamil origin).

You have have one step to go, through which MIC has embarked for sometime now, which is caste-centered (Tamils of a certain caste). Only God knows where this would stop. What we have here is a failure of communication, a failure to listen, a failure to act as one.

Shall all the non-Tamil speaking People start fighting for a Telugu school, Malayalee school, Gujurati school, Sikh school, etc ....? The current system has failed, and yet you are starting a new one along the same line. This is mockery of any well-educated Indian.

You could go on and twist and turn the no-brainers. An Indian like me, who was born and bred from the estates, an estate with no electricity and no proper water supply, finds it silly to start all over again with a system that has squandered monies from the poor and made the rich richer. Even coming from the estates, I did not choose the criminal way of life and later blame the system - I fought a good fight of the system to prevail.

The change should start from each individual's heart - that all are one in the eyes of GOD, not measured by race, religion or creed. You start changing your mentality and start working with others of similar fate. Start educating those Indian parents who are so into drinking liquor and producing offpsrings and later on cannot afford to educate their children. Look in the mirror and make that change first and others would too.

Babulal, a Malaysian

Hulu Selangor’s significance

thenutgraph.com

BN candidate P Kamalanathan (left) and PKR candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim

HULU Selangor, the 10th by-election since national polls in March 2008, is a fight neither the Barisan Nasional (BN) nor Pakatan Rakyat (PR) can afford to lose. The BN needs to prove its sincerity about its rhetorically inclusive 1Malaysia in a seat where Chinese and Indian Malaysian voters are a sizeable 26% and 18%, respectively.
The component party which its candidate comes from, the MIC, is still struggling under the personality cult of its long-time president. On the PR side, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) lost four Members of Parliament (MPs) in recent months and an assemblyperson just last week.
As such, the more substantive campaign factors will be:
 1  The personality of PKR candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim;

 2  The appeal of the MIC under president Datuk Seri S Samy Vellu to voters; and

 3  The Selangor PR government's performance in the last two years and the federal government after one year under Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
So we can now discard the red herrings in this parliamentary by-election. It doesn't matter if candidates for are local-born or not — many other seats are held by "outsider" MPs from both the BN and PR.
The ceramah rhetoric is also going have little relevance to the outcome of the by-election. Indeed, whether by the BN or PR, they will likely be a predictable mix of caricaturing the opposing candidates, and allegations of hypocrisy and wrongdoings. Politically charged as they are, ceramah are largely where the public go to feel the by-election vibe, see politicians in the flesh, be entertained, and have their biases confirmed.

G Palanivel (Wiki commons) And speculations of sabotage remain speculations, whether within the PR by those supposedly threatened by Zaid's rise in PKR, or within the BN by disgruntled MIC supporters who preferred Datuk G Palanivel's candidacy instead of P Kamalanathan. Political rivalry among comrades certainly exists, but will likely be suppressed for such a crucial election.
Even the candidacies of two independents — one with a grudge against MIC and the other against Umno — appear more like a subplot, and are unlikely to be relevant to how the bulk of voters will choose.
The Zaid factor
Zaid may be a new face to Hulu Selangor, but is arguably well known for quitting the cabinet on principle to protest the government's arbitrary use of the Internal Security Act. Subsequently getting sacked from Umno earned him a martyr's badge of sorts. Then becoming PKR's ideologue and crafter of the PR's common policy sealed his reputation as a democrat and champion of equality. Before politics, there was his sterling law career and active philanthropy.
The PKR political bureau and supreme council member is thus a "believable" candidate because "he's proven himself principled", says political observer Khoo Kay Peng.
"He'll have a strong chance among fence-sitters who may dislike Pakatan but also dislike the BN. His resignation from government and getting sacked from Umno jives with the sentiments of those who dislike the BN. With him, people might be willing to overlook the flaws in Pakatan," Khoo says in a phone interview.
It means that when the PR talks about justice and equity, the message can ring true for voters because they've seen Zaid sacrifice position for those principles. Zaid has a good chance, provided what Hulu Selangor voters want is a stronger opposition in Parliament.
[Updated] If Zaid loses, it might have more to do with the PR campaign than with his own credentials. However, it remains to be seen how he can withstand Umno's attacks on his character for his admission to having consumed alcohol. A potentially interesting sideshow is how anti-alcohol, anti-"deviant" crusader, Selangor PAS commissioner Datuk Dr Hasan Ali, will lead the PAS campaign for a liberal like Zaid.

Zaid arriving at the nomination centre on 17 April, accompanied by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim,
Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Nasharuddin Mat Isa (far right)

MIC's compromise
Can Kamalanathan match Zaid's stature? Despite being a rank outsider, the MIC information chief is an articulate communicator and blogger in tune with national issues and concerns of the Indian Malaysian community.
The Australian-educated Kamalanathan is young at 44, and better represents the generational change needed in Hulu Selangor compared with the elder Palanivel. Kamalanathan has also been active in the party since young, while his father was a party branch leader.
But choosing him as a last-minute candidate after a very public rift between the MIC and Umno shows the weakness in the BN.

Ibrahim Suffian (Courtesy of
Merdeka Center)

"The choice of a compromise candidate shows how hard the BN has to balance political priorities," says Merdeka Center for Opinion Research director Ibrahim Suffian. He notes that this is due to the BN's long-standing practice of letting component parties stake claims on seats according to race. Hulu Selangor traditionally "belonged" to the MIC for four terms until PKR took it with a slim 198 majority in 2008.
While Kamalanathan may indeed be the best candidate for the BN, it puts the MIC in a dicey position.
"Pakatan will question the relevancy of the MIC when its original preferred candidate was rejected after Umno objected," says Khoo.
The MIC, in this weakened position, will have to convince Indian Malaysian voters that it is strong enough, under Umno's thumb, to deliver results for the community. Issues like whether the MIC did enough during its four terms, and unmet expectations for Samy Vellu to hand over the party reigns, will likely be raised, adds Khoo.
Power of the state
Though unequal in resources compared with the BN, the PR, as the state government, is now in the position to take the same approach in wooing voters: by dishing out by-election goodies. The federal government announced million-ringgit projects for the constituency even before nomination day. However, PKR's elections director Fuziah Salleh has promised that the PR will not use the same tactic and will observe a strict separation between state and party machinery.
But unless full accounting of campaign funding and spending is disclosed, separating state and party is a matter of perception. Likely, the state's recent promise to give land titles to some 100,000 families and farmers could influence voters. Recall how the BN nearly wrested the PAS stronghold of Manik Urai by promising a new bridge.

The bridge in Manik Urai

The ruling party, however, still has the upper hand in promising and delivering large-scale development. PKR will have to convince voters that it can continue to perform, particularly when there seems to have been little change in the daily economy of Hulu Selangor folk since the PR took over.
The constituency, which houses the "Selangor automotive belt", includes the Perodua and Tan Chong Motor factories and numerous vendors. It recorded investments in the manufacturing sector worth RM571 million from April 2008 to December 2009, according to Teresa Kok, Selangor executive councillor for trade, industry and investment. Of this, 54% were foreign investments, she informs The Nut Graph via e-mail.
But what really needs to happen is a multiplier effect that creates more jobs and diversifies industries in the area. The bought, yet still unoccupied, homes in the Lembah Beringin and Bukit Beruntung townships actually suggest a stagnant economy.
Both need happy ending
The question facing voters will be who can deliver better. Zaid with his close ties to the PR Selangor government? Or the BN, with the entire civil service machinery and corporate ties at its disposal?
"The by-election is a kind of mid-term review for the Selangor government's performance, while for Barisan and the PM, a test as to how far his proposals for reform are accepted," says Ibrahim.
But all this could still escape the voters, who in the end might vote just for the new road they've always wanted, or the streetlights they were promised before.

Hulu Selangor by-election is no sure-winner for Zaid – winnable provided PAS, PKR and DAP fully mobilise to get out every single Malay, Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli vote on April 25

We are launching this SuperSunday18 walkabouts by DAP Members of Parliament, State Assembly members and leaders from all over the country even from Sabah (we have MP for Kota Kinabalu Hiew King Cheu and DAP Kadazan leaders with us) in 18 Chinese new villages, Malay kampongs and Indian settlements in the Hulu Selangor constituency in the only available Sunday in this eight-day by-election.

Hulu Selangor by-election is no sure winner for the Pakatan Rakyat and our candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim.

In the March 2008 general election, PKR candidate Datuk Zainal Abidin defeated Barisan Nasional candidate G. Palanivel with a slim majority of 198 votes.

However, in the three constituent state assembly seats, all won by BN, the three majorities secured by BN totalled 6,176 votes, comprising 3,548 majority in Hulu Bernam (contested by PAS), 2,179 majority in Batang Kali (contested by PKR) and 448 majority (contested by DAP).

What is the reason for the reversal of the total BN majorities of 6,167 votes from the three constituent state assembly seats into a 198-vote majority for the PKR?

Was it because 6,167 votes for BN at the state assembly level turned around to vote for PKR at the parliamentary level?

Clearly not, as the parliamentary vote for PKR (23,388) is only 54 votes more than the total votes polled by the PR candidates in the three state assembly seats (23,334).

Could this be explained by the spoilt votes, as there was a big chunk of 1,466 spoilt votes for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat.

The answer is again no, as the total number of spoilt votes for the three state assembly seats were quite sizable, accounting for 1,271 votes.

Palanivel secured 23,190 votes for the Hulu Selangor parliamentary seat, which is 6,320 votes less than the total of 29,510 votes cast for the three BN state assembly seats.
Clearly over 6,200 voters in the last general election who voted for the Barisan Nasional at the State Assembly level did not vote for Palanivel. What is significant is that these more than 6,200 votes also did not vote for Datuk Dr Zainal Abidin.

Where did these more than 6,200 votes disappear to? There should be an inquiry as to where these over 6,200 votes went to, as every voter is issued a parliamentary and a state assembly ballot at the polling station – and the total for parliamentary and state assembly votes issued should tally for the same constituency.

For our purpose however, it should be a salutary reminder that over 6,200 voters in the last general election who refused to repeat their vote for the BN at the parliamentary level as they had voted at the State Assembly elections also did not vote for PKR candidate, and if 2,000 or 3,000 of these voters come out to vote for BN on April 25, BN candidate would win.

All PKR, PAS and DAP leaders and campaigners should realise therefore that Hulu Selangor by-election is not a sure winner.

I still believe that Datuk Zaid can be elected the new MP for Hulu Selangor but very hard work is called for, as every vote counts.

Things have changed in the past two years – the sterling performance of the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor State Government and the hopes for far-reaching changes in the 13th General Elections following the March 8 political tsunami of the 2008 general elections.

However, we cannot be complacent. In fact, we should all be under a sense of great test and crisis.

This is why DAP has launched this SuperSunday18 – and the message is Pakatan Rakyat must get every Malay, Chinese, Indian and Orang Asli voter to vote for Zaid and national change in the country if Zaid is to win and become the new MP for Hulu Selangor.

[Speech (2) at launching the DAP SuperSunday 18 walkabouts by DAP MPs, State Assembly members and leaders in 18 Chinese new villages, Malay kampongs and Indian settlements in Hulu Selangor constituency at the DAP Kuala Kubu Baru by-election centre on Sunday, 18th April 2010 at 9 am]

Radio Interview on the Internal Security Act 1960

Radio Interview on the Internal Security Act 1960

On 20 March 2010 © BFM


“People are starting to come out, people are starting to talk. There’s a lot of discourse going on the internet even though with the ISA looming large. People still think, “You know, there’s always this fear that I might be caught under the ISA but these are my rights which are enshrined under the Federal Constitution”,” -Syahredzan Johan

Hear Syahredzan Johan, Co-Deputy Chairperson of Constitutional Law Committee; Mr. Alfian, a Singapore playwright, and activist against the ISA in Singapore; and Mr. Hardesh Singh, one of the main personalities behind PopIn, in an interview by BFM radio station on the Internal Security Act 1960 and the relevancy of the MyConstitution Campaign pertaining to the issue.

Follow the rest of the interview by clicking here.

Hulu Selangor: Citizens' 'intelligence' reports - Anil netto

Here’s your chance to file in your citizens’ ‘intelligence’ reports from Hulu Selangor.
If you have been to Hulu Selangor to witness the by-election campaign – or if you have heard from others who have been there – share with us in the ‘comments’ section what is happening on the ground and what voter sentiment is like.
Please comment here only if you have heard what is happening on the ground.

Zaid strikes back at BN's character attack

Pakatan Hulu Selangor grand dinner

Selangor dikuasai DAP, bukan Khalid

Selangor dikuasai DAP, bukan Khalid

Karpal: Slap in the face for Samy

66 died in police custody in the last 5 years, we estimate 95% are Indians

This is the written reply by Home Minister Hishamuddin Hussien in Parliament (The Star 14/4/2010 at page N13). But we estimate that 95% of these 66 who had died in police custody at the average rate of one person every month to be Indians, under this 53 year old UMNO regime, and who were marginalised. And the PKR, DAP and PAS leaders would not bother speaking up against these injustices because the victims are merely the Indians.
The aforesaid newsreport that 46 out of the 66 were due to diseases while 19 were due to infighting or suicide has been UMNOs’ traditional lie in Parliament.
How come they neatly die within 14 days of detention in police lock ups? Suddenly when they are put in police lock ups they end up hanging themselves. A few years back the police even had the cheek to explain than an Indian boy had hanged himself with a saree. How did the police send the Indian boy into their lock up with a saree in his hands?
But the UMNO police literally gets away with cold blooded murder right in their police lock ups, which incidentally are supposed to be about the safest places in this country.
But then UMNO’s police also explains that they die because of infighting.
And supposedly all the 66 cases have been reported to the police and a coroners’s Inquest was conducted.
And in all of these UMNO controlled Coroners Courts or the High Courts there has been zero finding of murder, manslaughter, willful criminal neglect, criminal negligence etc.
An Independent Malaysian Judiciary?
P. Uthayakumar
HRP Secretary General

Why does Kamalanathan defend Perkasa – By Helen Ang of the Center for Policy Initiatives.

Why MIC Hulu S’gor candidate defends Perkasa
Helen Ang
P. Kamalanathan is the BN candidate standing in the Hulu Selangor by-election. In his interview with Malaysiakini, he was quoted as saying: “Perkasa has its own role. It is strengthening its (Malay) race, its language and its religion, and we (MIC) are also doing the same by strengthening our race, religion and language.”
Kamalanathan – known as Kamal – was also quoted as saying that Perkasa’s role is about “empowering” the Malay race and it does not trample on the rights of other races.
It is pertinent that his statement should be viewed in juxtaposition with what Perkasa patron Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Friday at the commemoration of Mara’s 44th anniversary.
Responding to reporters’ questions after his keynote address, Mahathir said he sees no time frame for putting a stop to the NEP and that the other communities did not lose much when the policy was introduced in the 1970s.
Mahathir is saying that all the assistance and opportunities being given to Malays under NEP is not robbing Peter to pay Paul. His view is not much different in its syllogism from Kamal’s that Perkasa does not seek to impinge on the rights of others.
Doing well elsewhere and at home
Despite what Kamal may say, the truth is that MIC has miserably failed the Indians. When the Tamil underclass is so poor, in what way can that be construed as the race having been enfranchised?
Indians are strong men and women; it is Malaysia’s apartheid that has weakened them over decades of discrimination. Comparatively, those of the diaspora in the advanced countries have done well for themselves.
Given the Ketuanan Melayu agenda of denial, it is not surprising that Najib Razak’s erstwhile aide Nasir Safar should comment that the Indian forefathers come here as “beggars”, and that Perkasa should rally to his defence and urge that Nasir be given a chance to explain the context of his remarks.
Contrary to the opinion “pergilah kau tertindas”/“what rubbish to say that you’re oppressed” by former Perlis mufti Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin (see Youtube here, 4:42-4:48) when commenting on the Hindraf demonstration – the truth is, Indians are.
Asri’s views (3:57 onwards) are quite typical of Malay prejudice: “Sangat hina kehidupan mereka di dalam negeri mereka. Kasta pariah ini telah dibawa oleh Inggeris ke dalam negara kita … kehidupan yang mereka nikmati di sini seribu kali ganda lebih baik daripada … negara merempat, naik bas, tak pakai baju, tak pakai seluar.”
Translation: “They led an abject life in their country (India). This pariah caste were brought to our country by the English … the life they enjoy here is a thousand times better than in … that suffering country where (people) board the bus not wearing shirt, not wearing pants.”
This truth is that today, Tamil Nadu – where our Indians originated from – possesses the third largest economy (year 2007-2008) among the states in India, and experienced a double-digit GDP growth rate of 12.1% during this period. It is the most industrialized state in India and ranked third for attracting FDI.
Chennai (formerly known as Madras and the capital of Tamil Nadu) houses India’s largest IT park; this IT hub was ranked “the top metropolitan city to invest in Asia Pacific”. Tamil Nadu was ranked 9th region to invest in 2008, and is India’s leading software exporter.
Malaysian Indians would likely be better off if their ancestors had not emigrated here.
Mara shuts out others
As part of the BN election goodie bag, Kamal said “the prime minister and the deputy prime minister have made a decision to build a UiTM” in Hulu Selangor.
Although the establishment of Mara in 1966 predates the NEP which began in 1970, the federal agency is nonetheless a major provider of Malay privileges. Mara administers the Mara Junior Science Colleges, Mara Colleges, Giatmara, Mara Skills Training Institutes, Mara Higher Skills Training Institutes, Mara Infotech Institutes, Mara Professional Colleges and Mara scholarships including for students abroad and post-grad studies.
The reality is that these Mara entities are all over the country and allocated ample funding each year.
Compared to Mara’s largesse, Kamal’s rhetoric – “Is it wrong for me to want to memperkasakan Tamil schools?” – rings hollow. He misses the irony of dangling the UiTM carrot when Mara has an almost single-race enrolment.
How many Muslim converts?
As to Kamal’s ingenuous contention that the pursuit of Malay supremacy does not trample on the religious rights of other races, I would argue otherwise. Not only does it trample, after stomping there’s spitting too for good measure as the Shah Alam cow-head episode discerned.
MIC’s claim that it has strengthened Indians in their religion should be put to the test with a challenge to reveal the number of Indians who have converted to Islam.
From anecdotal evidence, they have been converted in droves and the side-effects coming to public attention in the form of the bodysnatching and child custody cases teetering between jurisdictions of the syariah and civil courts.
Among the fresh converts, you see plentifully women in their badly tied tudung whose hair has barely shed the scent of jasmine.
Ponder on this: An apple doesn’t call itself a ‘non-orange’. One of reasons why the non-Malays convert (then at least they wouldn’t be non-Muslims) could be to eliminate one half of the two-pronged negation occasioned by diminishment when one is officially a ‘non’.
Mandores to Umno
Kamal, who is MIC information chief, has a professional background in public relations. Judging from the scorn poured on Indian ethnicity, it’s evident that the Indian image problem has not been rectified. Kamal has done a poor job as MIC info chief.
The lowly position of the Indian is even reflected in differentiated word use. A search through Utusan’s archives reveals a pattern on the word ‘jenazah’ to refer to Muslim, and ‘mayat’ for non-Muslim corpses, e.g. “menuntut mayat Prema a/p Elenchelian” but “menuntut jenazah Abdul Muiz Mokhtar”.
Language when referring to bereaved families is also different: “mengucapkan takziah kepada keluarga Allahyarham Edi Rizal Ramli” but “seorang ahli keluarga si mati Kugan Ananthan”.
And only last week, on April 8, brothers si mati R Satchithantham and R Logeswaran were killed by police in Taiping. Their mayat were riddled with bullets.
Indians are clearly the object of police profiling when they make up 95% of victims shot dead by Polis Diraja Malaysia (Indians form only 8% of the Malaysian population), according to the Human Rights Party estimate for year 2009 to present.
Yet Perkasa president Ibrahim Ali infamously refutes the contention that ethnic minorities are second class citizens. “Don’t talk shit, you see don’t talk shit. I, I, I repeat don’t talk shit,” he said in his much-viewed Al-Jazeera interview.
Perkasa is playing a zero sum game. Its approach to strengthening Malays is in direct proportion to the suppression of non-Malays.
Kamal’s defence of this ultra movement is untenable but not surprising as after all, this is a candidate who said that he would “take back the federal seat and deliver it to Prime Minister Najib Razak as gift for his first year in office.”

State of the Indians – stroke of the pen? (Malaysiakini)

malaysiakini — April 10, 2010 — It’s been just over two years since the March 08 general election that saw the opposition capturing the states of Kedah, Penang, Selangor and retaining Kelantan.
The opposition loose coalition calling themselves Pakatan Rakyat which comprises of PKR, DAP and PAS also swept to victory in the state of Perak, but leter defections by three of their state representatives saw them lose the state to the Barisan Nasional.
In our attempts to look into the state of Indian affairs two years after the Pakatan victories we talk to community leaders for their assessment of the PR performance because it was on the back of Indian anti-BN sentiments and votes that resulted in the opposition victories.
In this segment we talk to K Arumugam who is MPSJ counsillor and human rights activist and P Uthayakumar who, with his brother Waythamoorthy led the November 25 2007 Hindraf rally that saw 30,000 (some say) ethnic Indians gather at the KLCC to demand their rights as citizens of the country.

UMNO retrenches 20 Indian rubber tappers without alternative arrangements

The Star on 25/3/10 at page N 55 reported that these rubber tappers are to be moved some 65km away by the now presumably UMNO linked Plantation company. By this treatment the net effect of all these is that the Indians are now colonised by UMNO for 53 years.
P. Uthayakumar

UMNO: No Indian national primary and secondary school headmasters. But a Malay teacher-to-headmaster in four years and a Dean in 12 years

Our condolences to the family of the Hulu Selangor M.P. With no disrespect may we append as follows:-
At age 22, this gentle-man because a teacher. Within four years he rose to become a headmaster of the Kuala Kubu Baru Secondary School. And within the next two years he was appointed a lecturer at Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia (UKM).
He got his doctorate in political science from University of California presumably on a full UMNO government scholarship. And within the next six years he became the Dean of UKM’s education faculty. And finally became the Deputy Menteri Besar of Selangor (NST 26/3/2010 at page 6).
It took him just four year to rise from a teacher to a secondary school headmaster. But an Indian however qualified he may be can wait for even forty years but will never get to become a headmaster of a secondary. In fact there are zero Indians that we know who have become a headmaster of a primary or a secondary school.
In the USA since 1965 the blacks were allowed to vote and within a span of 45 years the white majority Americans were even prepared to elect a black “muslim” as their President. But here in Malaysia an Indian cannot even become a Post Master let alone a low level administrator, i.e., a District Officer.
This level of UMNOs’ racism, religious extremism and supremacy does not exist in any other part of the world, the last having ended in Apartheid South Africa some 20 years ago.
P. Uthayakumar

UMNOs’ High yielding goat rearing but Indians excluded

It was reported in 2009 that Malay-sia imports 75% of its beef, 90% of its mutton and 95% of its milk. But in almost all of UMNO’s projects for the poor (Malays) with cow and goat farming, the poor Indians have been excluded.
In this latest example contract farming by Felda, Tekun, Veterinary Services Department, etc, loans and training ranging from RM20,000 and up to RM100,000 are given out by UMNO to eradicate poverty among the poor Malays.
But what about thousands of poor, illiterate and unskilled Indians? Why are they excluded from this poverty eradication schemes? Why also the pin drop silence by PKR, DAP and PAS leaders and their 78 MPs?
Because they are soft targets with no or very little political power.
Our only way forward is the Indian political empowerment strategy- the way forward.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate justice

UMNOs’ high yielding fresh water fish industry for poor Malays, but poor Indians excluded

This is yet again the tip of the iceberg where the poor and unskilled Indians are excluded from the UMNO led governments’ eradication plans for the Malay poverty.
Of course UMNO very quickly get their MIC mandores to as usual say that the Indians are not interested.
But we know of Indians particularly from Ipoh and Taiping in the former mining pools who never got Mardi and the Fisheries Department help but were told to vacate by UMNOs’ Local Authorities enforcement officers.
We are yet to hear of a single Indian who could put up fish cages and embark on fresh water breeding or aquaculture in any of the natural lakes and rivers in Malaysia. The only Indian aquaculturist in the UPM had his contract terminated and was replaced by a malay.
And the supposedly multi-racial PKR, DAP and PAS will never question this UMNOs’ racism by commission and PKR, DAP and PAS’ racism by omission, but we in turn are accused by Anwar Ibrahim of embarking on a racist agenda for merely speaking up against racism.
J. Lalitha

Hulu Selangor: PKR Indian Exco mandore’s dog and pony show curtains drawn

In our posting yesterday (30/3/10) we had predicted that there would be an accelerated wayang kulit by this PKR Indian Exco Mandore’s MIC style, in view of the upcoming Hulu Selangor by elections.
True to expectations this PKR Indian Exco Mandore has caused to be published in the front pages of today’s Malaysia Nanban ( 31/3/10) and also in Makkal Osai ( 31/3/10) at page 10 that the Bukit Beruntung Tamil School and Hindu cemetery would be given (an additional) four acres of land and six acres of land respectively. Why not land for all Tamil schools, cemeteries and Hindu temples in Selangor all in one go as a permanent solution .
But this Indian PKR mandore did not give in a black and white letter by the Selangor state government to both this school and the cemetery. What the MIC mandores had been doing in the previous 50 years for his “Tuan”, this PKR Indian Exco mandore is doing for his “Tuan” Anwar Ibrahim.
And Anwar Ibrahim in his 2008 general election campaign promised to bring change. Yes Anwar brought about change. He replaced one MIC Exco mandore with a PKR Indian Exco mandore. Watch the dog and pony show from now onwards until at least the Hulu Selangor by elections are over.
Karunai Nithi @ Compassionate Justice.

‘Give Tamil schools land first’ Report from www.FreeMalaysiaToday.com

By B Nantha Kumar and Luke Rintod

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindraf will only campaign for Pakatan Rakyat in the Hulu Selangor by-election if the state government commits itself to giving land to all Tamil schools.
Its information chief S Jayathas said the the Selangor government must “not just make promises but must allocate” land for all 98 Tamil schools in the state.
“We don’t want verbal guarantees anymore from the Selangor menteri besar. Give us the commitment in black and white… or give it to the media in black and white,” he told FMT today when asked if Hindraf will support PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim in the upcoming by-election.
Nomination is tomorrow, while polling will be held on April 25. Some 19 percent of Hulu Selangor’s voters are Indians.
Yesterday, BN announced MIC information chief P Kamalanathan as its candidate.
Hindraf has been openly critical of the Pakatan state government, alleging that it had failed to take affirmative action to improve the lives of the marginalised Indian community.
Hindraf strongman P Uthayakumar, who met Sabah PKR chief Jeffrey Kitingan yesterday, said while Hindraf had long since given up hope that the BN would address the plight of Indians in Malaysia, it was also not satisfied with Pakatan because an "Umno mindset or culture” has crept into PKR.
Uthayakumar, who is also the pro-tem secretary-general of the yet-to-be-registered Human Rights Party Malaysia, had indicated the group’s stand to Jeffrey and members of the Common Interest Group Malaysia (CigMa) comprising Daniel John Jambun, Dr Nicholas Bawin and several other PKR supporters.
The delegation is here to support Zaid’s campaign to retain the PKR seat, previously held by Zainal Abidin Ahmad, who died on March 25. Before the election, BN candidate G Palanivel held the seat. He lost to Zainal by a slim 198 majority.
A member of the CigMa delegation, when asked to comment on the meeting with Uthaya, said: "Hindraf was adamant that it would only support Zaid if the Selangor government could satisfy at least one of its 100 requests to Pakatan”
"Uthayakumar wants the Selangor government to allocate land to Tamil schools in Selangor.
"If Zaid or Menteri Besar (Khalid Ibrahim) can give them an assurance, then they will come out to support Zaid.”

Ibrahim Ali, 2 ex-PKR MPs to campaign for BN

By G. Manimaran - The Malaysian Insider
HULU SELANGOR, April 18 — Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali and two ex-PKR MPs, Datuk Seri Zahrain Hashim and Zulkifli Noordin, will join the Barisan Nasional (BN) Hulu Selangor by-election campaign this Friday.
Ibrahim, the independent Pasir Mas MP, has already launched his own campaign a few days ago. He told reporters that he will go on the stump in Batang Kali tonight.
The Malaysian Insider understands both Zahrain and Zulkifli will campaign upon their return late this week from the United States, where they joined Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak in launching a Malaysia-US caucus.
Zahrain walked out of PKR in February while Zulkifli was sacked last month. Two other MPs have also quit PKR this year.
Ibrahim (picture) said he will campaign until the eve of the April 25 polling day and has arranged several programmes to help the BN candidate P. Kamalanathan.
Kamalanathan, who is MIC information chief, had controversially told an online news portal that Ibrahim’s Malay rights group Perkasa did not impinge on the rights of others.
A number of Malaysians have debated his statement online, ridiculing him for his stance and for endorsing Perkasa.
Ibrahim’s aide pointed out the lawmaker was campaigning as an independent MP and not as Perkasa chief.
“Datuk Ibrahim is with the BN campaign as an independent MP, not as Perkasa president,” the aide said.
The ex-Umno Pasir Mas division chief has previously campaigned for BN in the Manek Urai and Bagan Pinang by-elections.

DPM hints at yet another PKR defection tomorrow

By Clara Chooi - The Malaysian Insider
BATANG KALI, April 18 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin hinted tonight that a top leader of PKR will quit the party tomorrow.
He made the announcement during a ceramah at Kampung Sungai Masin to a Malay-majority crowd here tonight.

Another PKR defection is likely to take place tomorrow, according to Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. - Picture by Choo Choy May

“Today, the chief of the Shah Alam PKR Youth quit the party... He is from PKR. “Tomorrow, I heard, a big shot will quit the party,” he said in his speech.
Muhyiddin however did not elaborate but added that the resignation would cause a “big explosion” in the party.
“You just wait... Wait, my friends,” he said, smiling.

Muhyiddin did not continue further but speculation is rife that the "big shot" is likely Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong.
Following the resignations of three PKR lawmakers and the sacking of another one earlier this year, Wee was touted to leave after having joined some of his former colleagues in their criticism against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.
Attempts to contact Wee tonight proved futile but several PKR lawmakers told The Malaysian Insider that he was the most likeliest of the remaining number to leave.
If another MP defects, it would reduce PKR's seat count in Parliament from 27 to 26, two seats less than the DAP and five short of its original number seats after Election 2008.
He said that as the days progressed, PKR is slowly disintegrating and is on the verge of destruction.
During the critical period of the upcoming Hulu Selangor by-election, the PKR was dealt with yet another blow when Shah Alam PKR Youth chief Nor’isham Manap, along with his deputy Muhamad Ali Mukhtar quit from the branch.
They were joined by a branch committee member Mohd Nazri Mukhtar and four other members of the Padang Jawa PKR Youth branch.
The group had quit due to PKR leadership’s choice of selecting former Umno man Datuk Zaid Ibrahim to contest in the by-election.
“So far, a total of nine lawmakers from PKR quit the party because they had lost confidence in their own leaders,” said Muhyiddin.

He notedd that the lawmakers had been swayed by Pakatan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's supposed charm.
“He is a very good speaker... a very fiery speaker. Some people say he is very charismatic but in truth, he is just good at twisting things.
“Many of these followers just sit quietly, entranced by him, they support him blindly and even when he speaks a lie, it becomes a truth.
“But then... after a while, they realise they were cheated by him and then they want to run away, run away quickly,” he said.
Muhyiddin also spoke on the issue of Zaid's supposedly “un-Islamic” past but was careful not to make any accusations.
“I know bad stories about Zaid but I do not want to speak about it. I am a son of Tok Iman, Tok Guru, I will not speak ill of others,” he said.
Zaid had admitted on Saturday night that he used to consume alcohol in the past but quickly added that he had repented and had since made peace with God.
Muhyiddin pointed out that it was the media who had asked him on the accusation against Zaid.
“They asked me, it was not me. Ah, those from the media here... correct yourselves... especially from Malaysiakini and Malaysian Insider who sometimes like to twist my words,” he said.
Muhyiddin said that he would not speak on the allegation that Zaid consumed alcohol although he knew he had the information.
“I can speak but I told the media I would not speak,” he said, smiling.
Muhyiddin also claimed that the PR was now getting increasingly worried of the BN's growing popularity with the people.
“Everyone knows 1 Malaysia and the people have begun to accept it and embrace it. This is why the PR is worried and scared... because they know that this 1 Malaysia is a unity tool that is very strong,” he said, referring to the concept adopted by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.
He noted that this was why the PR was presently raising numerous issues to try and demonise the BN, in hopes of wresting the people's support in their favour.
“They accuse us of having links to Israel's Zionist regime... they said 1 Malaysia is One Israel,” he said.
Muhyiddin said however that this would not work in PR's favour.
“They claim we are tyrannical. But if we really are, then why, even after 50 over years of our rule, are we still in government?” he asked.

PKR man bounces back from dismal start

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

KERLING: “Give me one term and if I don't perform you can get rid of me.” That was PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim's daring promise to the people of Ladang Sungai Jernih here this evening.
About 100 people, most of them Indians from the area, congregated in the village's makeshift cinema for a glimpse of the man they had only heard about thus far.

A relaxed-looking Zaid went straight to the point when he said that an Indian MP could not take care of the Indian community because MIC remains under Umno's thumb.

“BN held this seat for so long and your lives didn't change,” he told them. “Give the seat back to BN and the vicious cycle continues.”

“I was once poor too,” he said. “In my childhood village there were many poor Indians and Malays. So I understand the life you lead and I can look after you.”

Zaid also gently rebuffed an earlier call by the local organiser of the event for people to return any goodies or money given to them by BN.

“Take the money,” he said. “It's not BN's money, it's the rakyat's money. It belongs to you.”

He wound up his 10-minute speech by telling the people not to be afraid to cast the right vote next Sunday because fear will not give them a better future.

Zaid appeared to have bounced back from a somewhat dismal start to his campaign. Where he was previously whisked off immediately after his speeches, he now lingered to exchange words with the people and be interviewed by the media.

'BN has been useless'
A quick survey conducted by FMT after the event indicated that PKR had the unwavering support of the Indians in Kerling. One resident, Murugan, 40, was vocal in both his backing of PKR and distaste for BN.

“BN has been useless,” he said. “Things only changed when Pakatan won the seat. Even though (the late) Zainal (Abidin Ahmad) wasn't in the public eye, he still made sure he delivered on his promises.”

Murugan rattled off a list of Pakatan contributions, including the building of temples, bus fare for schoolchildren and RM2,500 to any family who lost a loved one.

Muthusamy, 49, and his wife Letchumy, 45, echoed Murugan's sentiments. They said the Indian who was supposed to help them had not, so they had decided to place their faith elsewhere.

“(G) Palanivel used to come around here,” Letchumy said. “But only to listen to our problems. Whenever we pressed him to do take action, he would say that he was too busy.”

“I heard a lot about how Zaid has helped poor people,” Muthusamy added. “So I am confident that he will do the same for us.”
Zaid will face BN's P Kamalanathan and two independent in the by-election. Voting is on April 25.

Pakatan cries foul over EC's transfer of voters

By Stephanie Sta Maria - Free Malaysia Today

HULU SELANGOR: At least 230 voters in Kampung Tanjong have discovered that they have been mysteriously relocated from voting in Hulu Selangor to nearby Rawang constituency.
This transfer of votes has left PKR fuming as it sees this as an attempt by the Election Commission to undermine its chances of winning the by-election on April 25.

“There are stringent procedures regarding the transfer of voters,” Selangor PKR election director Abdullah Sani told FMT.

“Applications must be submitted to Parliament and the EC cannot act on its own accord.

“There is absolutely no basis for the transfer as some voters live less than 100 meters away from their 'unit peti undi'.

“These voters were on the list in 2008. Something is not right here. I was with the voters yesterday and I can tell you that they are very upset,” he added.

He will be submitting a formal complaint to Parliament tomorrow to demand an explanation for the missing Hulu Selangor voters from the district's voter list.

He warned that if the relevant government minister does not respond to his complain by the end of tomorrow, he will then lodge a police report and highlight the issue to 'the rest of the world.'

Voters assigned different stations

According to PKR's election director Fuziah Salleh, the EC's rationale for the transfer was because Kampung Tanjong falls under the Rawang municipality.

The EC's rationale was that moving the voters to the Rawang locality would enable them to be better served, added Fuziah. Rawang falls under the Selayang constituency whose MP is PKR's William Leong.

“They may have an explanation but what we are concerned about is that the transfer has not been gazetted,” the Kuantan MP pointed out.

On a separate matter, she said that a whopping 13,488 registered voters in Hulu Selangor have been assigned different polling stations than the ones they had voted in March 2008. This number makes up 20 percent of the total registered voters in Hulu Selangor.

“These voters have not been told of this transfer yet and may be going to the wrong polling stations on April 25,” she said.

“This could be the EC's way of causing havoc on election day in the hope of toppling Pakatan. It will be a repeat of what happened in Selangor in the 2004 general election,” she said. 

The April 25 by-election will see a four-cornered fight involving PKR's Zaid Ibrahim, BN's P Kamalanathan and independents Johan Mohd Diah and VS Chandran.

Zaid unfazed by 'alcohol' exposé

By Rahmah Ghazali - Free Malaysia Today

KERLING: The Barisan Nasional has launched personal attacks on PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim but his friends in the Cabinet need not fear retaliation.
“I won't name those leaders in Umno who had done the same... (drinking alcohol). I'm not like Umno. I'm a human (being), so I think it is better for me (not to retaliate). I know that some of my friends there were womanisers, went to casino and other stuff that other rich people would do.
"But I won't name any of them because I have more pedigree than them and my friends in the Cabinet won't have to worry about that," he told reporters after meeting constituents here.

Although the attacks seemed to have gone overboard, Zaid said he is not "worried or scared".

"Let's just wait for more exposé  ... of what I had done in the past. I don't remember what I did as I am already old. So let's just wait. I have nothing to fear.

"In my life, I never regretted what I did but if I did wrong, then I admit my mistake," he said.

Zaid also dared his accusers to divulge more of his blemished past so he would be "free of baggage" come polling day.

'Up to voters to decide'
The former Umno minister also appeared unfazed by the latest character assassination against him, saying that it is up to the voters to decide.

"My difference with Umno leaders is that I am outspoken. If I did something wrong, I would apologise and repent. The question about winning or losing is up to the people.

"If I did not admit it, that would be considered lying. So it is better for me to admit and be open about it. But if I am honest and I still lose, then that is my fate," said the 59-year-old politician.

Zaid also challenged Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who started the smear campaign, to reveal his (Zaid's) past "because I do not even remember what I did wrong.

"So I hope Muhyiddin could expose a lot of other things about me beginning today until Sunday (the polling day)...

"I have told my family and friends that whatever happens, happens. If they want to embarrass or insult me throughout the campaign week, let it be," he said.

The BN opened fire on Zaid by putting up banners around Hulu Selangor, alleging that he consumes alcohol, which is forbidden in Islam.

This comes in the wake of Muhyiddin's promise to expose Zaid's chequered track record compared to BN's candidate P Kamalanathan's clean slate.

The Hulu Selangor by-election on April 25 is a four-cornered fight between the Kamalanathan, who is the MIC information chief; Zaid, former minister in the prime minister's department when he was in Umno, and two independent candidates.

Let’s talk about mission and vision

Umno, MCA and MIC ran Selangor for 51 years. Over the last two years Selangor was run by Pakatan Rakyat. Can we compare 51 years of Barisan Nasional rule to two years of Pakatan Rakyat rule? Have we seen a better-run Selangor over the last two years with Pakatan Rakyat at the helm compared to 51 years of Barisan Nasional?

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Zaid may drown in liquor allegations

When announcing BN's candidacy in the Hulu Selangor by-election, coalition deputy chairperson Muhyiddin Yasin said that their candidate, P Kamalanathan, is a man without baggage. He added that this was unlike PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim who has a chequered track record, and skeletons in the closet, which Muhyiddin promised to expose.

Top of the list of attacks are allegations that Zaid consumes alcohol, which is forbidden in Islam and undermines his identity as a Muslim and a 'man of principle'. As evidence, moments before the nomination process began Kuala Kubu Baru was hit with posters of a doctored image of Zaid with what appeared to be an alcoholic drink. -- Malaysiakini

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The dirty tricks and slandering has started. Doctored pictures of Zaid ‘drinking’ are being circulated and published in the pro-Umno Blogs to ‘prove’ that the Pakatan Rakyat candidate has ‘baggage’ while the pro-opposition Blogs are carrying stories about the MIC candidate Kamalanathan being gay.

So what if Kamalanathan is gay? This should not be an issue that is used against him. Ahmad Ismail of Penang is gay as well but I have never used this as an issue against him. I whack him for calling Chinese and Indians pendatang and for tearing up the Gerakan ex-Penang Chief Minister’s photograph. But I never whacked him for being gay.

A person may be gay. Well, that is not his or her fault. Most people who are gay can’t help themselves. They were born that way. But this does not mean they are immoral. Most gay people are faithful to their partners and do not sleep around whilst non-gay people can be very promiscuous and change sex partners ever so often. In that sense gay people are not sexually immoral.

Anyway, who cares what you do in the privacy of your bedroom? The pro-opposition Blogs should not raise the issue of the MIC candidate being gay as the ammunition to attack him. Does he sleep around? That is what should be more important than the issue of him being gay.

Zaid, in turn, is being whacked for his alleged ‘drinking habit’. Okay, let us say he does. So he drinks. So what? Does he buy his drinks using the taxpayers’ money? Does he rob the rakyat to support his drinking habit? Is his liquor being bought using our money? Or does he indulge with his own money and not the money he stole from us?

So you see, even if he does drink, and I am not saying he does, does he hurt any of us or only himself?

The Barisan Nasional people may claim they do not drink. Actually, many do, even Umno people. And they also rob the rakyat, steal from the nation, take bribes, misuse the taxpayers’ money, etc. So they are drinking with our money, not with their own money.

Actually, I don’t care a damn if a person drinks (or indulges in same sex relationships) as long as they do all this with their own money. But when you steal my money to indulge (even if you do not drink but just use the money to take your wife to London and Paris to shop) then I will make an issue out of it.

Let us be very clear as to what constitutes a ‘crime’. What you do in your own time and with your own money is your concern. What you do with my money is my concern. And the Barisan Nasional people use our money to do what they do even if they don’t drink.

I know they are raising the issue of liquor to shock the Malay voters, who represent more than half the voters in Hulu Selangor. If that is the only ‘baggage’ they can find to use against Zaid then this means they have very little to use against him. First of all, they have been caught using doctored photographs to support this allegation. This means they are not able to find evidence to support this allegation and are desperately fabricating the evidence.

Let us get way from the personal attacks and so-called baggage. Both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat need to talk about the mission and vision. We want to know how they plan to run the country. We want to know how they have run the country thus far.

Umno, MCA and MIC ran Selangor for 51 years. Over the last two years Selangor was run by Pakatan Rakyat. Can we compare 51 years of Barisan Nasional rule to two years of Pakatan Rakyat rule? Have we seen a better-run Selangor over the last two years with Pakatan Rakyat at the helm compared to 51 years of Barisan Nasional?

What more is Pakatan Rakyat going to do for Selangor in general and Hulu Selangor in particular? Would the people get a better deal with Pakatan Rakyat at the helm?

The Orang Asli in Selangor are unhappy and there are many Orang Asli in Hulu Selangor. Are they now happier since Pakatan Rakyat has been in charge the last two years? Is there more that they hope to see, which Pakatan Rakyat has not done yet and which needs to be done?

The same goes for the Chinese and Indians. In 51 years of Barisan Nasional rule there was much that they had hoped for but their appeals fell on deaf ears. Has all this changed over the last two years since March 2008 or has Pakatan Rakyat proved to be the same as Barisan Nasional? Has the change of government brought no changes to the state and has Pakatan Rakyat been as deaf as Barisan Nasional? Or have things changed drastically the last two years since Pakatan Rakyat took over?

No, who drinks and who is gay is not the issue. We are more concerned with the mission and vision of these leaders. Even if they don’t drink and are not gay, but if they rob our state, they abuse their positions, they misuse our money, they short-change the voters, they steal from the taxpayers, they line their own pockets, and whatnot, then they need to be rejected.

It is futile to argue about a person’s choice of beverage and sex partners. One side will accuse and the other side will deny. One side must certainly be lying. But let us not waste time arguing about who is telling the truth. We have only a few days to decide whom we want in government. And our choice must be made based on who can best serve the people.

That is how matured voters make their decision and decide on their choice.