I wish to clarify a Chinese news report today on my statement yesterday with the heading: “Kit Siang rules out polls before September”.
What I said was that until yesterday, I had completely ruled out the possibility of the next general election being held before August 31 as the hundreds of million of ringgit that will be splurged all over the country to celebrate our half-a-century of nationhood would have been planned with an eye to recreate the “feel good euphoria” which had been so successful in the 2004 general election to give the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi an unprecedented victory mandate of 91% of the parliamentary seats.]
I said there had been two schools of thought among the election strategists in Umno and Barisan Nasional — whether the next general election should be held next year before end of April when Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim regains his civil right enfranchisement to stand for elective office or the latter part of this year.
However, as a result of the Machap and Ijok by-elections, there is a third school of thought in Umno and Barisan Nasional, favouring a general election before the 50th Merdeka Anniversary celebrations on August 31.
It is to be seen as to which of these three schools of thought would win the ear of Abdullah, although there are increasing signs of early polls.
The next general election will be a crucial and critical one for Abdullah. It will also be a crucial and critical one for the DAP and the Opposition.
There had been diametrically opposite reactions to the Ijok by-election result, from the claim on the one hand that the Opposition, in particular Parti Keadilan Rakyat and Anwar Ibrahim are spent forces to the other extreme, that Abdullah and Barisan Nasional (BN) will be in big trouble in the next general election.
BN has no reason to exult over Ijok by-election result but it will be fatal error for anyone to harbour the notion that the next general election is “harvest” time for the Opposition.
The next general election is going to be a very tough and grueling test and challenge not only for the DAP, Opposition and Barisan Nasional, but also for 50-year democratic experiment in Malaysia.
#1 by k1980 on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 10:38 am
…Najib lost the Pekan Parliamentary seat in 1999. But then Dr Mahathir sent a couple of bags of postal votes to Pekan and saved Najib’s skin…
From http://malaysia-today.net/blog2006/corridors.php?itemid=4332
#2 by kowtim on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 10:46 am
Doesn’t matter when election shall be held because BN will sapu as usual. It is the SKT ( Sasaran Kerja Tahunan ) for EC or all of them willl wake up the next morning jobless. Simple as that.
#3 by Godfather on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 11:27 am
Well, Kit, then you had better start planning professionally with the other members of the Opposition to ensure that the Opposition inflicts the greatest possible damage to the gang of thieves.
I think you need a common manifesto, a common strategy, and a desire to move more towards the centre ground. This applies to both DAP and PAS, because one party is unelectable to the Malays and the other is unelectable to the Chinese. Concede territory to PAS e.g. Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan and Trengganu. Let them concentrate their resources on these states. Work with Keadilan on Melaka, Negeri, Selangor, Perak and Penang.
We must be united by a common burning desire to stop the gang of thieves from stealing the country blind – whatever our affiliations. We can govern as well as the gang of thieves can – after all, they have not governed at all. They have abused their positions to enrich themselves, so how difficult is it to beat them at governance ?
#4 by k1980 on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 11:56 am
The Opposition parties must first of all unite with a common manifesto and the setting up of a shadow cabinet. This is the normal practice of political parties worldwide when they plan to eject the ruling party. Without a shadow cabinet, the electorate would be reluctant to vote into power an opposition with no clear-cut personalities filling in the posts of a new administration.
#5 by wsblurtn on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 12:08 pm
I am fedup with the kind of campaigning done by ruling party..pumping in money,resources to bribe “unsuspecting” villagers. I have not felt so keen in making a diff at any election before but this time around I WILL! Mr Lim, go woo the young people, esp those who are yet to register as voters , many are too disillusioned to care about voting! This group, if given the “enlightenment” may just help the opposition deliver the lethal PUNCH in the rightly chosen grounds.
We must not allow hard earned money of tax payers be thrown to the DOGS so to speak!
#6 by k1980 on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 5:30 pm
The ugly result of monopoly:- Astro expects revenue to rise by 15% on an annualised basis, by increasing your monthly subscription fees from June. The rise will be between RM5 to RM10. So finally we know who has to pay for the RM30million yacht.
#7 by goldenscreen on Saturday, 5 May 2007 - 11:57 pm
@k1980: I heard, heard only mind you, that you can fix your astro to watch all channels. Again I don’t know if this is true, just heard it. I also heard you can install your own satellite and watch hundreds more channels from around the world. Again I stress that I only heard of it. Monopoly sucks doesn’t it?
#8 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 6 May 2007 - 1:19 am
No matter when the elections are going to be held, the Opposition including the DAP is in disarray. They will not make any headway looking at things as they stand now.
Maybe win a few seats more and get abit more popular votes thats all at best.
BN will romp in with more than 70% of seats for another “landslide”. Thats a fact.
If you want to win seats, you gotta win hearts. Have you all got won over enough voters in many constituencies? You will all end up with alot of heartaches.
For many of you, it will be your farewell and permanent retirement.
#9 by kurakura on Sunday, 6 May 2007 - 5:05 am
Hey people,
It is true that monopoly is bad. Worse if it is done to feed certain cronies.
That aside, Astro is a luxury. No one force any of us to subsribe.
My family never had Astro. And the shows on the usual channels are adequate.
Cheers.
#10 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 6 May 2007 - 9:10 am
Sound sentiment from a season opposition politician. I don’t believe that come next GE, the opposition will gain ground that easily. The Sarawak election is a better guide of the result. If there is a state where the ills of BN is bad is in Sarawak. The corruption and abuse by Taib and politician is one of the worst and yet, the DAP gain only a few seat and Keadilan did not do well.
Yes, Sabah is the best hope for the opposition right now but if people think that Musa is sitting still and not doing anything, they are underestimating him.
There is no doubt that opposition will gain, after all they can’t go worst than the last election but the gains will not even come close to sending the right message to BN. It will change little.
#11 by lakshy on Sunday, 6 May 2007 - 2:31 pm
Opposition can gain and do well only if we have a thinking rakyat. The rakyat needs to think long term and vote the opposition into power in the state. Let a few more states be run by opposition. Penang, Perak, Selangor, Terengganu, Sabah are states that could potentially fall to a DAP/PKR coalition.
Let them develop skills to administer the states well, and undo many of BN’s misdeeds. We need an alternative government that can rule in every state so that we can send a clear message and a reminder to the ruling party that they are there to serve the rakyat. They need to be reminded of this.
The rakyat’s mistake has been voting in BN each and every time such that they feel they have become invioncible. It;s the rakyat’s duty now to remind the politicians who has the real power.
Rakyat also can decide to vote out certain individuals in their constituencies. Najib, LKY, OKT, SV, HH, JJ, etc should lose their seats so that it makes the PM’s job easier, and will send shivers down the spine of all crooked politicians. But we as the rakyat have not only to cast our vote, but to convince our families, relatives and friends and colleagues to do the same, and to get their friends and families to do the same.
If we really want to we can do it! The power is in our hands. In a democracy, it does not end by just saying that we voted agains the BN. You need to do more, if you really care about the status of the nation.
And yes, it even means voting for PAS by non-malays to get the message across to the BN.
#12 by firehawk on Sunday, 6 May 2007 - 5:55 pm
Elections will not be held this year. Too many tourist around. If BN lingkup, then it will not be a pretty sight.
#13 by accountability on Monday, 7 May 2007 - 1:31 am
vote the BN out people!!
look at how crony-privatisation has caused monopolies where we suffer = all the prices are increasing without justification!!