Archive for category Perak
In Ipoh, a lingering loyalty for Pakatan among the Chinese
Posted by Kit in Elections, Pakatan Rakyat, Perak on Thursday, 11 April 2013
By Emily Ding | April 11, 2013
The Malaysian Insider
IPOH, April 11 — The city’s traditionally pro-opposition Chinese appear unlikely to budge this May 5 when they face the ballot box again, many still strong in their conviction that a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) government will care for their rights better than Barisan Nasional (BN).
Last weekend’s luncheon with Perak’s Chinese guilds and associations and Datuk Seri Najib Razak seemed to reflect this trend as even though the crowd appeared in droves at the Tow Boo Keong Taoist temple here, many still expressed disdain at the ruling pact.
When approached by The Malaysian Insider, some were very generous with their criticisms and even openly admitted that they were only there because they were invited and wanted the free food.
“We are just here to eat,” a 36-year-old civil engineer who prefers to be known only as Kevin told The Malaysian Insider.
He glanced over at his friend, a 42-year-old civil contractor who prefers to go by the name Tiger, and an elderly retiree they had just met, who both nodded and laughed.
Read the rest of this entry »
Defeating the people’s will
by Aliran on 7 April 2013
Tota urges the people of Perak to teach the BN a lesson at the polls for subverting the will of the people expressed in the last general election.
In the GE12 held in 2008, the people of Perak voted for a Pakatan Rakyat state government. The Umno-dominated BN decided to use dirty politics to subvert the people’s choice.
Many evil forces – BN, led by Najib, the state secretary, the police, parasites with power, and immoral and unscrupulous political frogs – conspired, connived and colluded to steal the rightfully elected government allegedly through bribery and corruption.
GE13 will be held soon. As a patriotic Malaysian, I see the people of Perak placed in a unique position to ensure once and for all no politician or party would again dare to defeat the people’s will through crooked means. Such an opportunity does not come often to a state to make history. Vote every BN candidate out. Better still ensure everyone of them loses his/her deposit!
Read the rest of this entry »
Is Malaysia’s monarchy “above politics”?
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Mahathir, Najib Razak, Perak on Sunday, 3 February 2013
by Pak Sako
CPI
01 February 2013
Speaking at the launch of a book on the Malaysian monarchy, Malaysian prime minister Najib bin Razak said that the Malay Rulers “are above politics” (see ‘Najib: Constitutional monarchy fosters stability, prosperity’, The Malaysian Insider, 30 Jan 2013).
He said that the Malaysian monarchy “provides a solid foundation” for turning Malaysia into a high-income nation.
To be above politics means to not interfere in the political workings of the country and to take no sides in party politics.
To act as a foundation to the economy so that Malaysian citizens enjoy high incomes means abstaining from and disapproving the undemocratic use of the public’s wealth and resources.
So is the prime minister’s statement about the Malaysian monarchy true?
The evidence paints a different story. Read the rest of this entry »
Reminder of Perak constitutional crisis
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Perak on Wednesday, 3 October 2012
— Koon Yew Yin
The Malaysian Insider
Oct 02, 2012
OCT 2 — As the next general election is fast approaching, almost every day the newspapers publish stories of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and other Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders giving away goodies to win votes. Unfortunately Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders cannot afford to give away any goodies. Since the general election is near, we must not forget how PR lost control of Perak to BN.
You will remember that when the High Court on May 11, 2009 recognised Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin as the rightful mentri besar of Perak, the Court of Appeal lost no time in granting Zambry Abdul Kadir a stay of execution on the High Court decision. It did so within a few hours, in fact.
On May 22, the appellate court overturned the High Court judgment favouring Nizar, and instead ruled that Zambry was the legitimate mentri besar.
Malaysian courts have created a record with their supersonic speed in disposing of cases.
The BN is so unfair and unjust to depend on three defectors to govern the state, especially when two of the three defectors were under investigation for corruption. Read the rest of this entry »
Perilous in Perak
By Sakmongkol AK47 | July 31, 2012
The Malaysian Insider
JULY 31 — Perak has 24 parliamentary seats. In 2008, BN won 13 of those seats. Most of them were won on the slimmest of margins. So the argument goes, the opposition also won on slim margins. The counter argument is, the victory by the opposition was won on the courage of convictions while the victory of BN was won as a result of the erosion of confidence. These are two different things. One won as a result of convictions is hard to slip back while the one won as a result of erosion of convictions is extremely difficult to sustain.
Will the people of Perak forget that during the reign of Zamri, he has given out more land than Nizar did when the latter was MB? Many landless people who were without land titles and who have worked the land got it during Nizar’s stint as MB. What wasn’t told was that more Malays got their titles too during Nizar’s time.
During Umno’s time the grant of land was the hijacked prerogative of Umno divisional heads, Umno reps and merciless pengerusi JKKK. During Zamri’s time, more land was given to companies and cronies rather than people.
Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia The Unready
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Elections, Human Rights, Parliament, Perak, university on Thursday, 19 July 2012
— Tota
The Malaysian Insider
Jul 19, 2012
JULY 19 — In English history there is King Æthelred The Unready. He earned this nickname because he was never ready for anything good or wise. Bolehland displays many similar characteristics to qualify to be called “Malaysia The Unready”.
The Umno-dominated BN government has shown a stubborn refusal to make Malaysia a truly democratic state where the rule of law, civil rights and liberties, equality and justice are respected and practised. The Umno-dominated BN government’s mantra is that Malaysia is not ready for so many things that are basic in all truly democratic and progressive countries.
Malaysia The Unready is not ready to:
● make Malaysia a truly democratic, secular state as enshrined in the Constitution.
● make Parliament democratically functional with an elected Speaker.
● have an elected Senate. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib should apologise for his own mistakes first before apologizing for past BN mistakes resulting in the political tsunami four years ago
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Corruption, Najib Razak, Perak, Sabah, Teoh Beng Hock, UMNO on Wednesday, 7 March 2012
Four days after the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak extended an apology for past Barisan Nasional (BN) mistakes resulting in its loss of several states and electoral seats in the last general elections, it remains a mystery and state secret what were the mistakes Najib was apologizing for.
Nobody knew what past BN mistakes Najib was confessing and apologizing, allowing the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin to immediately dismiss the need to find out what these “mistakes” were arguing that “the crucial thing now was to look ahead” and the UMNO Information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan to make nonsense of Najib’s “apology” by declaring that “UMNO needs mandate to fix its mistakes”!
Does Najib himself know what past BN mistakes he was confessing and apologising for in Kedah last Saturday or was it a meaningless political rhetoric just to win votes?
While Najib mull over and decide what were the past BN mistakes which he is prepared to confess and apologise, let him apologise for his own mistakes first, especially those committed during his 35-month premiership.
Najib’s mistakes alone run into scores. Off-hand, just to mention ten, as follows: Read the rest of this entry »
Has Najib issued a “blank cheque” apology, signifying nothing as to enable all the past BN mistakes of abuses of power, corruption and lack of accountability to be repeated in even worse magnitude?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Elections, Judiciary, Najib Razak, Perak on Sunday, 4 March 2012
Yesterday, the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak extended an apology to the people on behalf of the Barisan Nasional for the coalition’s mistakes in the last general election, which cost it several electoral seats and states including Kedah.
Najib said:
“I apologise for our mistakes prior to the 2008 general election. If we made mistakes in the past and the voters rejected us, we accept it.
“On behalf of BN, I apologise. We have learnt from our mistakes, and we aim and promise the people that we will make amends and bring them to greater heights.”
I was immediately asked on the twitter: “accept or not” and my reply was: “Yes, should accept if Najib’s apology for BN’s past mistakes genuine. Is it genuine or just election gimmicry?”
I scoured the news reports to be able to say that Najib’s apology should be accepted in good faith as he has identified and owned up to the BN’s past mistakes for which he and the present BN would make amends, but unfortunately, there is nothing whatsoever to come to such a conclusion.
In fact, one should ask whether Najib has issued a “blank cheque” apology, signifying nothing as to enable all the past BN mistakes of abuses of power, corruption and lack of accountability to be repeated in even worse magnitude? Read the rest of this entry »
Polls dry run shows BN can lose Perak, Negri Sembilan
Posted by Kit in Elections, Johore, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, Perak on Monday, 1 August 2011
By Jahabar Sadiq
Editor
The Malaysian Insider
Aug 01, 2011
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 1 — The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) could lose Perak and Negri Sembilan in the next general elections, according to results of a recent dry run. Unless component parties put popular faces and ensure the grassroots machinery garner support from voters.
The Malaysian Insider understands that the Umno election dry run also showed that the BN fortress of Johor could see up to 15 out of the 56 state seats go to their political opponents Pakatan Rakyat (PR), something unheard before Election 2008 when the ruling coalition lost six seats. Read the rest of this entry »
Court says Hee attacked Yew with pepper spray
The Malaysian Insider
June 14, 2011
IPOH, June 14 – Aulong assemblyman Yew Tian Hoe won today a court ruling against his state lawmaker colleague Datuk Hee Yit Foong for attacking him with a pepper spray in the infamous May 7, 2009 Perak legislative assembly.
He also won a restraining order preventing her from future assaults against him.
Jelapang assemblyman Hee gained infamy after she quit the DAP and pledged loyalty to the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition leading to the fall of the then ruling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government.
Read the rest of this entry »
Can PAS help bring about change in M’sia?
by Koon Yew Yin
Centre folr Public Initiatives
A few days ago, someone sent me an anonymous e-mail appeal addressed to voters. According to the appeal, the coming elections, more so than others, is a vital election because we are at a crossroad. If we get it right we will prosper; if we get it wrong, we will suffer as we have seen in our neighbouring countries. I cannot agree more with these sentiments. In the last three years, I have written about the socioeconomic and political crossroad that the country is at, but that has been to a general audience.
I am glad that I now have the opportunity to share my thoughts on this subject with a PAS audience. This is the first time that I am addressing PAS supporters and this is also probably the first opportunity PAS has had to interact with someone like me.
Let me begin by posing a question. The question that I and many other Malaysians want to ask PAS is how will PAS help the country and ordinary Malaysians take the right road to a brighter and harmonious future? Which is the road that PAS and its leaders want Malaysians to follow? Read the rest of this entry »
Saluting a True Malaysian Son
by Koon Yew Yin
(Speech on the occasion of Perak DAP celebration of Lim Kit Siang’s 70th birthday in Ipoh at Tropicana Grand Ballroom on 25th Feb. 2011 after presenting a RM100,000 donation to Perak DAP to restore a legitimate and popularly elected government in the state )
Let me begin by thanking the DAP for its invitation to me to celebrate the occasion of Saudara Lim Kit Siang’s 70th birthday, and for this honour to say a few words to this distinguished audience.
Firstly, it is only right that we are gathered here to pay tribute to a giant of a politician, Saudara Lim Kit Siang. In my mind, there are two key people who have been responsible for this turning point that we have reached in our country’s politics.
One is of course Saudara Anwar Ibrahim who has been the glue in bringing the DAP, PAS and PKR together in Pakatan Rakyat to challenge the political hegemony of BN and UMNO and in galvanizing the electoral vote for the opposition. The Government has launched a ridiculous campaign to harass and destroy him by a fictitious charge but I am sure Anwar will prevail and will continue his struggle for a better Malaysia.
The second hero in Malaysian politics – someone who has put his heart and soul into transforming Malaysia, and who has paid the price for standing up for the ideals of parliamentary democracy – is Saudara Lim. This is a truly towering Malaysian who has stood unwavering on behalf of justice, truth and equality for over 40 years in the public arena. Many young Malaysians may not be aware that for standing up for our basic freedoms, Saudara Lim was put in detention on two occasions under the ISA, the first time for 17 months in 1969 and the second time under Operation Lallang in 1987, when Kit Siang and his son Guan Eng were detained for another 18 months, together with five other DAP leaders. Read the rest of this entry »
The LoyarBurok Book Review: “Perak – A State Of Crisis” – An Unabashed Self-Indictment By The BN Government Of Its Undemocratic Takeover Of Perak
Posted by Kit in Constitution, NH Chan, Perak on Monday, 27 December 2010
By NH Chan
27 December, 2010
[LoyarBaca’s first publication Perak: A State of Crisis (PASOC) has been a runaway hit and will soon be in Malaysia’s major bookstores through leading indie, activist distributor, Pak Chong’s GerakBudaya. We have sold out copies at hand for the moment (2nd impressions are on the way), but you may purchase them directly from GerakBudaya here. Here, after a brief hiatus, NH Chan re-appears to pen his thoughts on PASOC. ]
On the cover of Perak: A State Of Crisis, 2010 – the book is described as “Rants, reviews and reflections on the overthrow of democracy and the rule of law in Malaysia”.
On the back cover is this apt but accurate assessment by Marina Mahathir: “The people of Perak voted in March 2008 for a new government, then woke up one day to find that they had an entirely different one in place. A must read.”
Why is this book a must read? It is so because the book is a chronicle and commentary of the events that led to the unceremonious overthrow of the PR Government in Perak. The direct involvement of the BN protagonists who engineered the treacherous takeover – whose actions in that sordid episode spoke louder than words – has demonstrated unequivocally to the people of this country and to the world that they are the unquestionable “bad guys”.
With such unyielding and nefarious mindset in the BN camp, it looks like the choice for the voters in the next elections is between “good and bad”, “right and wrong”, “democracy and oligarchy” etc. The choice is obvious for no one wants to be governed by a group of self-serving people for this is the meaning of “oligarchy”; such an attitude in the psyche of the BN mindset would inevitably lead to “resource-draining corruption and rampant inequity” – to borrow a phrase from Audrey Quay in her “Editor’s Preface & Introduction” (page v) – as the Perak debacle has brought to light. Read the rest of this entry »
A plea for sanity over Perak DAP crisis
Posted by Kit in DAP, Perak, Tunku Abdul Aziz on Sunday, 10 October 2010
Perak DAP leaders must try, if they possibly can, to subordinate their personal ambitions and put the interests of the party above all else. The unseemly internal squabbling over local leadership is already causing considerable damage to the reputation of the DAP which has earned for itself, over the years in the face of great odds, enormous goodwill and credibility. Do you think it fair to put all the hard work and personal sacrifices of thousands of party members at risk to satisfy your craving for personal glory and power?
What has happened to the declaration of high-minded devotion to duty in the public interest? DAP does not exist in isolation. It is a vital part of the nation’s social, political and economic mosaic in a vibrant tangle of races, cultures and religions. We have as a party derived legitimacy from our consistency of purpose for the greatest good of the people of Malaysia. It is the height of lunacy to jeopardise what we have achieved so far and the party’s future prospects by greed-driven, irresponsible, behaviour.
Read the rest of this entry »
Proposed Advisory Board Will Create More Bureaucracy
By Jerry Francis
Ipoh Echo
The Perak Government’s proposal to establish advisory boards in every district to hear public views from a broad spectrum in determining the state‘s direction, appears to be a good idea.
However, why is it necessary now? Is the state government admitting that what had been done in the past was not according to “public opinion and feedback” and therefore it needs to form the advisory board comprising NGOs and media representatives? Or, it is merely to satisfy those aspiring to hold official post?
This is the impression I got when state chairman for local government, Dato’ Dr. Mah Hang Soon, recently explained that the advisory board is merely to channel public opinion and feedback on issues and problems faced by the people. “Its role is only to give opinions and advice from their respective field of interest,” he stressed.
Read the rest of this entry »
Double standards on ‘illegal’ DVD charge
Perak: MB, BN Adun open to similar illegal DVD charge
By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider
IPOH, Sept 7 — With a Perak DAP assemblyman facing the possibility of being charged in court for his unapproved DVD production, the authorities seem to have found themselves caught in a Catch-22 situation.
Questions now center on whether they would eventually be forced to slap similar charges on Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and MCA’s Datuk Dr Mah Hang Soon for allegedly committing a similar crime.
If so, this would mean the duo would also face the possibility of losing their state seats should the courts find them guilty.
The Malaysian Insider understands that it is likely that they too had failed to obtain approval from the Film Censorship Board prior to their DVD production of the tumultuous May 7 assembly sitting.
Read the rest of this entry »
Datuk Hee? So ‘Hee-larious’!
Posted by Kit in Martin Jalleh, Perak on Wednesday, 21 April 2010
By Martin Jalleh
It was an historic occasion for Hee Yit Foong. She was bestowed the honorary title “Datuk” by his Highness the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, on the occasion of his 82nd birthday.
Hee must have been “hee-elated”. It was the high point of her life after having gone through the depths of great public humiliation and to contend with the hate heaped on her especially by Perakians.
Indeed, she has been hounded and abuses have been hurled on her when she did the hop-step-and-jump political dance. She hopped out of her party, stepped on the people’s will and jumped into the waiting arms of the BN as an “independent”.
During a State Assembly meeting, several DAP lawmakers gave her hell, threw RM1 notes at her and told her to resign as they said she had no honour left for selling her soul and State away!
Read the rest of this entry »
Five myopic judges in Federal Court
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Judiciary, Perak on Monday, 22 February 2010
By NH Chan
On Feb 9, the five-member Federal Court panel handed down a unanimous decision on Nizar Jamaluddin versus Zambry Abd Kadir. The judgment of the court was read by Chief Judge of Malaya Arifin Zakaria.
The judgment is 40-pages long and if you have the stamina to persevere to the end of the judgment you would have realised that these judges of the highest court in the land have, under the pretext of interpretation, decided that the Perak sultan has the power to dismiss the incumbent Menteri Besar Nizar when the Laws of the Constitution of Perak does not confer any executive power on the sultan for so doing.
If the sultan has no power to dismiss Nizar then, we should ask, how could the Federal Court commit such a devastating error to their reputation as judges of the highest court in the land?
That is why the ability to pick out the one real point that matters is so important. That is why young advocates learnt how to spot it very early in their career if they are not to bore the judge, whom they are addressing, to tears.
Read the rest of this entry »
No action on Lim, Nizar
Police find no element of sedition in their comments on Federal Court ruling
G. PRAKASH | Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 Malay Mail
PUTRAJAYA: Police will not take any action against DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin for criticising the Federal Court’s decision on the legitimacy of the dismissal of the Pakatan Rakyat State government in February last year and the installation of the Barisan
Nasional government.
A police report lodged against the two on Feb 11 by a retired Royal Malay Regiment officer in Kuala Muda, Kedah, had been transferred to Putrajaya for further action.
Putrajaya district police chief Supt Abdul Razak Abd Majid told The Malay Mail the decision was made after going through the report.
“No further action will be taken as we found no element of sedition as alleged in the report,” he said.
He said only one police report was lodged against the two Opposition leaders for their alleged statements reported in a Malay daily and several online news portals.
Read the rest of this entry »
Justice is done in by the Federal Court
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Court, Judiciary, Martin Jalleh, Perak on Wednesday, 10 February 2010
By Martin Jalleh
Once again justice is shamelessly sacrificed on the altar of political expediency by judicial shenanigans of the highest court in Bolehland. It is a sad day indeed to see how five “blind” men of supposed legal stature strove so hard not to see and sense what was staring at them in the Federal and Perak constitutions.
The judiciary – the very portal of justice continues to be reduced to a convenient playground for the ruling elite to legitimize their power grab, persecute their opponents and promote their political agenda, through the perversion of the rule of law by certain court jesters.
The Federal and Perak Constitutions are dead, done in by those who decided to disregard, desecrate and discard constitutional provisions to treat the doctrine of separation of powers with deference. They are rigorously and rightly interpreted only when it best suits Umno.
In stark comparison to the courageous, cogent and convincing judgment of High Court judge Abdul Aziz Abdul Rahim, the cowed five-member bench caved in and conveniently decided to take the cue from the powers that be.
It comes as no surprise that their “collective written judgement is apparently riddled with contradictions”.The five judges surely qualify for retired Justice N H Chan’s classic category of “recalcitrant” and “Humpty Dumpty” judges in the Perak conundrum.
Read the rest of this entry »
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