Archive for category Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Second Abdullah Cabinet – no signs of “Point made and point taken”
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Thursday, 27 March 2008
The second Abdullah Cabinet is a disappointment all round with no signs from its first meeting yesterday that it will be reformist and get cracking to make up for the past four years of broken pledges of reform.
Even the promise of judicial reform which was the rationale for the surprise appointment of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim as the de facto Law Minister to undertake judicial and legal reforms to restore national and international confidence in the independence, integrity and quality of the judiciary after two decades of ravages of the cardinal principles of a truly independent judiciary and just rule of law has come up against a stonewall.
Zaid’s proposal that the government should apologise to the victims of the 1988 judicial crisis, which many have regarded as grossly inadequate to address the series of judicial crisis of confidence in the past two decades, could not find support in the Cabinet yesterday, with Zaid making the revealing comment after saying that he had presented his view that the government should apologise to Tun Salleh Abas, Datuk George Seah and the late Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh:
“Well, I am afraid the view has yet to be considered.
“There are many people who are more experienced and who are wiser than me. So we have to wait.”
What Zaid meant is clear and simple – he has not received any support in the Cabinet to take the first step for meaningful judicial reforms, to rectify the wrongs and injustices which had caused the plunge of Malaysia’s judicial system from internationally-acknowledged as world-class two decades ago to its parlous state today. Read the rest of this entry »
“Pace of reforms”? – Abdullah has yet to come to terms with March 8 political tsunami
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Wednesday, 26 March 2008
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has yet to fully come to terms with the March 8 political tsunami which swept away the Barisan Nasional’s hitherto unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority and power in five states.
He said yesterday:
“I thank the Malaysian people for this message. Point made and point taken,”
Abdullah’s admission is not assuring enough, as he seems to have missed the whole point of the March 8 electoral verdict – not that he had “not moved fast enough” in reforms he pledged more than four years ago, but that he had hardly moved at all apart from periodically paying lip-service to them.
This is why there can be no political honeymoon for the second Abdullah Cabinet to implement what had been pledged four years ago as Malaysians are entitled to demand that these pledges going back to 2003 and 2004 are implemented without any further delay or hitches.
This is the reason why I had sent an urgent letter to the Prime Minister yesterday on the eight reforms which the new Cabinet should immediately embrace at its meeting today to show that the second Abdullah Cabinet is prepared to respond to the March 8 political tsunami and be on top of the changes demanded by Malaysians, in particular: Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia: Change is Long Overdue
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election, Farish Noor on Wednesday, 26 March 2008
By Farish A. Noor
For as long as they can remember, Malaysians have been told time and again that there can only be political stability in the country as long as the status quo is defended. This rather uninspiring message was, of course, delivered by none other than those who were already in power and who had every reason to wish to remain in power for as long as humanly possible. Since it became independent in 1957 Malaysia has been ruled by the same coterie of right-of-centre Conservative-nationalist parties led by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and its allies in the former Alliance coalition and now the National Front. For more than half a century Malaysians were told that this was the natural order of things and that to even entertain the idea of there being a different government was tantamount to political heresy of sorts.
Yet a quick survey of the political landscape of many a post-colonial nation-state today would show clearly that almost every post-colonial country in the world has experienced a change of government, and in many cases this transition has come about without leading to chaos and tumult in the streets. The nationalists of Algeria were eventually kicked out of office after it became patently clear that their brand of conservative nationalism served only to disguise what was really a corrupt mode of patronage politics. In India the Congress party that had for so long rested on its laurels and prided itself with the claim that it was the party that won India’s independence has been soundly beaten at both the national and state level; again for the same reason. Why even Indonesia that suffered under three decades of military rule has made the slow but sure transition to a fledgling democracy of sorts, and the mainstream media in Indonesia today remains the most open and courageous in all of Southeast Asia. So why not Malaysia?
The election results of March 2008 have shown the world that in Malaysia at least race and communal-based voting may soon become a thing of the past. This may have been a protest vote against the lackadaisical performance of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, but it did nonetheless send a very clear message to the government and all the parties in the country. It signalled that the Malaysian public was tired of empty promises and having sweet nothings whispered in their ears, while the government continues along its inebriated pace of mismanaging the country. It also reminded all politicians from all parties that the Malaysian voters will no longer vote along racial or religious-communitarian lines, and that henceforth they will vote for the best candidate who can do her or his job better than the other bloke. Read the rest of this entry »
March 8 political tsunami – 8 matters for first Cabinet working meeting tomorrow
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Tuesday, 25 March 2008
I have sent an urgent fax to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on the eight matters which the new Cabinet can do tomorrow to show that he is prepared to respond to the March 8 political tsunami and be on top of the changes demanded by Malaysians.
The March 8 general election results have wrought far-reaching political changes and it is beholden on all political players to heed the demand for change which the Malaysian voters have spoken loud and clear on polling day 17 days ago.
The first working Cabinet meeting tomorrow is being watched closely as to whether the new Government is prepared to respond and be on top of the changes demanded by the people.
The eight matters which the Cabinet can do tomorrow to signal that Abdullah and the new Government are ready and willing to hear the voices and aspirations of the people and begin the process of healing the divisions in the country are:
1. Immediate and unconditional release of the five Hindraf leaders, P. Uthayakumar, newly-elected DAP Selangor State Assemblyman for Kota Alam Shah M. Manoharan, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kenghadharan and T. Vasantha Kumar from Internal Security Act (ISA) detention as their only “offence” is to voice out the legitimate grievances of the long-standing marginalization of the Malaysian Indians and which have been vindicated by the March 8 general election results.
2. Restoration of national and international confidence in the independence, integrity and quality of the judiciary with the establishment of a Judicial Appointments Commission and a Royal Commission into the two decades of judicial crises starting with the arbitrary and unconstitutional sacking of Tun Salleh Abas as Lord President and Datuk George Seah and the late Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh as Supreme Court judges in 1988.
3. First-World Parliament – full commitment to comprehensive parliamentary reform and modernization including live telecast of parliamentary proceedings, an Opposition Deputy Speaker, an Opposition MP to head the Public Accounts Committee, ministerial status for Parliamentary Opposition Leader and a full Select Committee system headed by Parliamentarians where every Ministry is shadowed by a Select Committee.
4. All-out drive to eradicate corruption with the elevation of the Anti-Corruption Agency as an autonomous agency answerable only to Parliament. Read the rest of this entry »
Good Team, Bad Captain
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Bakri Musa, Election on Monday, 24 March 2008
by M. Bakri Musa
Among other things, in this election Malaysians have asserted in no uncertain terms that they do not approve of Abdullah’s inept administration and his tolerance if not encouragement of corruption and shady practices among those closest to him. With his new cabinet however, Abdullah once again demonstrated that he has learned nothing from the election debacle, his frequent declarations to the contrary notwithstanding.
While the addition of fresh talent in the persons of Amirsham Aziz and Zaid Ibrahim makes this a good cabinet, the retention of the same old tired faces as Syed Hamid, together with the inclusion of tainted characters like the “double Muhammad” Taib, smudges what otherwise would be an excellent team. It was, as the Economist noted, Abdullah’s shuffling deckchairs on a personal Titanic.
This election did what Abdullah could not, that is, get rid of deadwoods like Samy Vellu and incompetents like Zainuddin Maidin. Voters showed the way but Abdullah did not carry it further with his choice of a new cabinet. This good new team is cursed with the same old bad captain.
A team no matter how talented could not turn an incompetent captain into a good one. Neither would a prolonged “warm up” time accomplish much; a bad captain will still remain so. As one blogger cheekily noted, today even Abdullah’s “sign dah tak laku” (signature is worthless, as on a bounced check), in reference to the Raja of Perlis ignoring Abdullah’s choice for a Mentri Besar. As of my writing, the Sultan of Trengganu too is set to do likewise.
Abdullah’s cabinet remains bloated with 33 ministers, including five in his own department. His “reform” consists of nothing more than changing faces. He fails to address more fundamental issues like whether any of those ministries are needed at all.
For example, what is glaringly obvious from this election is that the Ministry of Information has no credibility with Malaysians or foreign observers. It is nothing more than the propaganda arm of the ruling party, and an inept one at that. Replacing its minister would not alter that reality. In the Age of the Internet, this is one ministry Malaysia can do without. Abolishing it, together with other unneeded ministries like Sports, Tourism, and Federal Territory, among others, would shrink the cabinet and streamline the administration.
This huge cabinet is unwieldy. No meaningful or robust discussions could take place. Even if each minister were to speak for only a few minutes, cabinet meetings would stretch for hours. Read the rest of this entry »
Release Hindraf 5 from ISA – start healing after political tsunami
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Hindraf on Friday, 21 March 2008
Two days after the political tsunami of the March 8 general election, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in an op-ed article in Asian Wall Street Journal (March 11, 2008), entitled “Malaysia will heal her divisions”, pledged:
“As there has been much speculation about the implications of our election results, I wish to offer clarity on three critically important points:
“First, we have heard the voice of our citizens, and I will dedicate myself, in this second term, to healing the divisions which became evident during the campaign. That will mean developing new and concrete initiatives, not just rhetoric, that bring our people together and ensure that no one is left behind as Malaysia prospers, whether they are ethnic Malays, Chinese or Indians.”
Abdullah is right. The Prime Minister’s fatal mistake in his first administration was that his many sweet-sounding pledges which created the feel-good euphoria resulting in his unprecedented landslide victory of over 91 per cent parliamentary seats in the 2004 general election were pure rhetoric but not backed up with any significant or meaningful action.
Is it going to be rhetoric and more rhetoric in his second premiership or is Abdullah going to start implementing his many pledges of reform of the past four years?
One immediate test faced by Abdullah as to whether he is starting to genuinely listen to the people to start the process of “national healing” after the political tsunami of the March 8 general election is the continued unjust, arbitrary and undemocratic detention of the DAP Selangor State Assemblyman for Kota Alam Shah M. Manoharan and the other four Hindraf leaders P. Uthayakumar, V. Ganabatirau, R. Kenghadharan and T. Vasantha Kumar under the Internal Security Act (ISA) for spearheading a national campaign against the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians causing them to become a new underclass in Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Five tests – “Reform Cabinet” or pseudo Reform Cabinet
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election, Good Governance on Wednesday, 19 March 2008
New Stratis Times hailed the second Abdullah Cabinet unveiled yesterday as “REFORM Cabinet”, describing it as “the Cabinet and government the Barisan Nasional should have had four years ago”.
I would have been the first to welcome a “Reform Cabinet” although it is four years and two months late. Although there are signs that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi seems prepared to begin to “hear the truth from the people” although more than four years late on the pledges he first made when became Prime Minister in October 2003, like the surprise appointment of Zaid Ibrahim as Minister in charge of legal and judicial reforms, there are also signs to the contrary.
It is no exaggeration to say that the appointment of Umno Information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib as Minister for Rural and Regional Development has stained the second Abdullah Cabinet right from the start and raised questions about Abdullah’s commitment and political will to the new politics of accountability, transparency, integrity and good governance. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah’s new Cabinet – mixed signals with no luxury of political honeymoon
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election, Parliament on Tuesday, 18 March 2008
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s new Cabinet announced today sends out mixed signals – that he is starting to “hear the truth from the people” after failure to honour his pledge for 42 months and which was the cause of the Barisan Nasional’s devastating electoral defeat in the March 8 general election as well as the return to the old politics of patronage.
The surprise appointment of Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, who was dropped as an Umno candidate in the recent general election, as Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department with the portfolio of legal affairs will be most significant if it reflects a belated commitment to institute far-reaching judicial reforms to restore confidence in the independence, integrity and quality of the judiciary to internationally-acclaimed world-class standards which it enjoyed until two decades ago when it suffered repeated assaults and rocked from one judicial scandal to another.
The appointment of Umno Information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib as Minister for Rural and Regional Development however signifies a return to the old politics of patronage, completely at variance with Abdullah’s pledge 42 months ago to lead a clean, incorruptible and trustworthy government.
The relinquishment of one of the two key portfolios by Abdullah, who held both Internal Security and Finance under the previous administration, is a development in the right direction as it was clear that Abdullah was unable to do justice to the treble responsibilities of Prime Minister, Internal Security Minister and Finance Minister and was setting a bad example not only to other Cabinet Ministers but also to the entire government.
I hope the appointment of new Ministers in charge of key ministries, like Syed Hamid Albar as Home Affairs and Internal Security Minister, Ahmad Shabery Cheek as Information Minister, Abdul Shahrir Samad as Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister, Khaled Nordin as Higher Education Minister, Rais Yatim as Foreign Minister and Azalina Othman Said as Tourism Minister is because of an equal commitment to “hear the truth from the people” and initiate reforms in their respective jurisdictions. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah got it wrong again in his polling-eve TV message
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Saturday, 8 March 2008
Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his 9 pm TV polling-eve message said:
“You have to vote for our future. You have to vote for our children…
“What will happen if there is chaos and there is instability?”
Abdullah got only the first part right, that Malaysian voters must vote for their future and their children.
He got the second part completely wrong – as the choice before the Malaysian voters is not between Barisan Nasional on the one hand and chaos and instability on the other.
This is a false choice.
The real choice in the ballot box today is whether to choose a Malaysia of excellence , glory and distinction or a Malaysia of mediocrity, indignity and shame; a Malaysia where every Malaysian regardless of race or religion has a equal place under the Malaysian sun instead of a Malaysia where the best and brightest are driven to foreign lands in one exodus after another to bestow excellence, glory and distinction to other countries instead of to their homeland. Read the rest of this entry »
Putrajaya 4th-storey boys rushed in Penang – BN panics at wind of change in polls
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, DAP, Election on Friday, 7 March 2008
Marking growing panic in the Barisan Nasional at the strong winds of change rising up in the land, highlighted by last night’s 60,000-strong DAP ceramah crowd at Han Chiang Chinese School grounds in Penang which collected over RM130,000 in public donations, the Putrajaya Fourth-Storey Boys have rushed up to Penang with their final bag of dirty tricks to check, counter and reverse the tide of change embracing Penang and the whole nation in the 12th general election.
The twin DAP objectives in the March 8, 2008 general election – to deny Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in Parliament and the Penang State Assembly – seem to be increasingly feasible and within reach, and this is causing panic in Barisan Nasional circles.
Can the Putrajaya 4th-Storey Boys block and reverse the rising wind of change in Penang and Malaysia?
One brain-child of the Putrajaya 4th-storey Boys is the unprecedented live telecast of the Prime Minister to the nation as the final election campaign message of the Barisan chairman, which will be telecast live to the nation over the television channels.
This will be in the form of an interview with the Prime Minister by The Star Group Editor Datuk Wong Chun Wai and TV3’s Fuad Abdul Rahman in the Bual Pilihanraya programme at 9 pm.
This final election campaign message, to be telecast live over the television channels, will also be the final election abuse by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who is completely indifferent to ethics, morality and integrity of government leaders, especially during the period of the election campaign after dissolution of Parliament until the election of a new Parliament and government, when he is only caretaker Prime Minister and all Ministers mere caretaker Ministers.
A caretaker Prime Minister has no business to give his final election campaign message as Barisan Chairman unless similar live-telecast time is offered to leaders of political parties in the Opposition to similarly deliver their “final election campaign” messages. Read the rest of this entry »
No Chinese representationn in govt – then Pak Lah must step down as PM as he had promised to be PM for all races
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Friday, 7 March 2008
(Media Conference Statement by DAP Parliamentary Candidate for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang at the DAP Ipoh Timur Ops Centre, Ipoh on Friday, 7th March 2008 at 12 noon)
I am utterly shocked and stunned – that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has done what even Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad in his most undemocratic excesses had never done in 22 years as Prime Minister, trying to force the Chinese voters to vote for MCA and Gerakan with the irresponsible threat that they could end up without any Chinese Ministers or representation in Government.
It is a grave sign of political desperation and bankruptcy – that Abdullah himself should go down into the gutter to indulge in the politics of scare, intimidation and blackmail to force the Chinese voters to vote for MCA and Gerakan candidates.
The MCA leadership has been adopting a “Jekyll-and-Hyde” attitude – playing both the role of human being and the devil at the same time – with the MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy boldly declaring only yesterday that MCA is confident it will be able to capture the majority of the 40 parliamentary and 60 state assembly seats it is contesting, while on the other hand, egging Abdullah to warn that the Chinese will end up not having any representation in the Government if the Chinese give the DAP their votes. Read the rest of this entry »
Election debates – just do it!
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Azly Rahman on Thursday, 6 March 2008
BY Azly Rahman
During presidential elections in the United States, it has become customary for the main candidates (almost always the candidates of the two main parties, currently the Democratic Party and the Republican Party) to engage in a debate. The topics discussed in the debate are often the most controversial issues of the time, and some have said that elections can be won or lost based on these debates…. Presidential debates are held late in the election cycle, after the political parties have nominated their candidates. The candidates meet in a large hall, often at a university, before an audience of citizens. The formats of the debates have varied, with questions sometimes posed from one or more journalist moderators and in other cases members of the audience – from Wikipedia Read the rest of this entry »
Barisan Nasional 2008 Manifesto of Lies and Falsehoods?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, DAP, Economics, Election on Thursday, 28 February 2008
(Media Conference Statement at DAP Ipoh Timur Ops Centre on Thursday 28th February 2008 at 1 pm)
I greatly regret that the caretaker Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has resorted to intemperate language in accusing the DAP of spreading lies in the 2008 general election campaign, as illustrated by today’s Sun front-page headline: “BN leaders on offensive – PM: Opposition Spreading lies to Undermine Barisan Unity” and Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline “Pembangkang iri hati – Tabur tohmahan, fitnah kerana kejayaan BN tadbir Negara – PM”.
I do not want to respond in kind to reciprocate Abdullah’s intemperate language, or I will describe the 2008 Barisan Nasional (BN) Election Manifesto as a Manifesto of Lies and Falsehoods – with a very great difference, I will be able to prove my charge that the 2008 Barisan Nasional Election Manifesto is a Manifesto of Lies and Falsehoods while Abdullah will not be able to substantiate his ridiculous charge that the DAP is guilty of spreading lies to undermine BN unity. Read the rest of this entry »
Pak Lah – “Who is Anwar”?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Friday, 15 February 2008
BELIEVE IT OR NOT series (1)
2008 General Election
Let us start a new series – “2008 General Election – Believe it or not?” starting with the following:
M’sian PM has ‘forgotten’ about Anwar
Thu, Feb 14, 2008 AFPKUALA LUMPUR, Feb 14, 2008 (AFP) – Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Thursday insisted dissident politician Anwar Ibrahim was not a factor in upcoming elections, saying he had “forgotten” about him.
Anwar has objected to the timing of the polls on March 8, just a month before he is eligible to run for office after a ban expires, saying it was designed to keep him out of the race.
“Nothing to do with that,” Abdullah said after a meeting with top leaders of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO).
“We have forgotten about Anwar. I don’t remember about Anwar,” he told reporters.
Your contributions are welcome.
‘He looks like PM, sounds like PM, is he PM?’
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Thursday, 14 February 2008
(Media Conference Statement at DAP PJ Hqrs on Thursday, 14th February 2008 at 12 noon)
Abdullah ends his first term as PM with his credibility, reputation and reform pledges in tatters with his 12-hour somersault of “no” and then “yes” to dissolution of Parliament yesterday
Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has ended his first term as Prime Minister with his credibility, reputation and reform pledges in tatters with his 12-hour somersault of “no” and then “yes” to dissolution of Parliament yesterday.
It has given powerful illustration of Lingam-speak – “He looks like the Prime Minister, he sounds like the Prime Minister, but no one can say 100% that he is the Prime Minister”!
In his press conference yesterday announcing the dissolution of Parliament. Abdullah tried to explain why he had ended his first term as Prime Minister with a lie on Tuesday night categorically denying that Parliament would be dissolved yesterday and yet doing precisely the opposite 12 hours later in seeking an audience with the Yang di Pertuan Agong to dissolve Parliament.
Abdullah explained he could not give any clue to the date as he needed to get the consent of the Yang di Pertuan Agong first before he could make the announcement.
Agreed. But has Abdullah to tell a lie, declaring: “The Cabinet meeting will go on, go on and go on” after dismissing suggestion that yesterday’s Cabinet meeting will be the last for the llth parliamentary term?
Need Abdullah be reminded that what he had done is totally against the Islam Hadhari which he had propounded as Prime Minister and Chairman of the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC)? Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysian PM dissolves parliament
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Wednesday, 13 February 2008
AFP
February 13, 2008
MALAYSIAN Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today dissolved parliament, paving the way for snap elections which are expected to see the ruling coalition’s majority eroded.
Abdullah’s popularity has plummeted as the nation is beset by mounting racial tensions, unprecedented street protests, anger over rising fuel and food prices, and high crime rates.
Announcing that the king had consented to dissolve parliament, Abdullah indicated he did not expect a repeat of the 2004 landslide when the Barisan Nasional coalition seized some 90 per cent of parliamentary seats.
“2004 was a special election and it was extraordinary. I pray that BN will get at least two-thirds of the votes in the upcoming election,” he told a press conference. Read the rest of this entry »
Abdullah to ask King to dissolve Parliament tomorrow?
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election, Parliament on Tuesday, 12 February 2008
This may be the last day that I am speaking as Parliamentary Opposition Leader for the 11th Parliament if the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in his audience with the Yang di Pertuan Agong tomorrow before the weekly Cabinet meeting asks for the dissolution of Parliament – which would also mean the last Cabinet meeting tomorrow.
This will be most unfortunate for the Prime Minister would be showing scant respect and sensitivity to Pai Tiang Gong on the ninth day and Chap Goh Mei on the 15th day of the Chinese New Year – another offense and insensitivity to the diverse cultures and religions in Malaysia in a matter of three months after the holding of the Umno general assembly on Deepavali last November.
Last Monday, I received a notice from Parliament calling for oral and written questions for the first meeting of the fourth session of the 11th Parliament, which will be declared open by the Yang di Pertuan Agong on 17th March 2008, giving MPs the deadline of February 22 to submit their written and oral questions for the 22-day sitting of Parliament till April 24, 2008.
It is a waste of public funds, resources and time for Parliament to rush out parliamentary notice for the March 17-April 24, 2008 to all MPs by pos laju when it is clear the 11th Parliament will not sit again in March. Read the rest of this entry »
Final reminder to Abdullah – don’t dissolve Parliament before Pai Tian Gong/Chap Goh Mei
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Monday, 11 February 2008
I have this morning sent an urgent email to the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi giving him a final reminder that dissolving Parliament and kicking off the 12th general election campaign on 13th February or before Chap Goh Mei on 21st February would be the worst example of insensitivity for the diverse cultures and religions in Malaysia after the offense and insensitivity in holding the Umno General Assembly during Deepavali last November.
According the Star online report last night, the Prime Minister said in Butteworth that the dissolution of Parliament on Feb. 13 is a possibility.
I also wish to give a final reminder to the MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, the Acting Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and the SUPP President Tan Sri Dr. George Chan that the onus is on them to impress on the onAbdullah to be sensitive and respect the 15-day Chinese New Year festivities and that the insensitivity shown by the Umno national leadership to the Deepavali public holiday last November should not be repeated again.
I am most shocked that Abdullah has not publicly ruled out the possibility of dissolving Parliament on Feb. 13, the seventh day of the Chinese New Year. As a Penangite, Abdullah should know that the dissolution of Parliament on the seventh day of the Chinese New Year would be doubly offensive and insensitive – as it will not only be a disrespect to the Chinese New Year celebrations but also to Pai Tian Gong which falls on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year, the birthday of the Jade Emperor and a major event for the Hokkiens in Penang. Read the rest of this entry »
Pak Lah’s 5 famous sayings/pledges first 10 days as PM – all broken/dishonoured
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Sunday, 10 February 2008
The front-page headline of the mainstream media yesterday was on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s speech at the Gerakan-MCA joint Chinese New Year open house in Penang on the first day of the Chinese New Year of the Rat, viz:
“LISTEN – Heed what the people say and correct your mistakes” – New Straits Times;
“Listen …Hear out the people and correct mistakes, PM tell leaders” – The Star; and
“Dengar masalah rakyat – Arahan Perdana Menteri kepada pemimpin BN supaya terus dapat sokongan” – Utusan Malaysia.
Which Gerakan or MCA national leader present at the Gerakan-MCA joint Chinese New Year open house would have dared tell or just whispered to Abdullah that it was the Prime Minister himself who needed such advice most!
Let me here tell the Prime Minister what Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and no Gerakan or MCA leader dare to say – Pak Lah, you are the one who need most to heed the advice to listen to the people, which you promised to do when you first became Prime Minister more than 51 months ago but have failed to honour!
This was one of the five famous sayings of Abdullah in his first 10 days as the fifth Prime Minister of Malaysia in November 2003 which completely swept Malaysians off their feet and gave him the unprecedented landslide general election victory in March 2004, achieving what no other Prime Minister had ever done – crushing the Opposition and winning over 91 per cent of the parliamentary seats! Read the rest of this entry »
Parliament dissolution – respect CNY, Pai Tian Gong and international best practices
Posted by Kit in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Election on Saturday, 9 February 2008
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has not categorically ruled out the possibility of dissolving Parliament and kicking off the 12th general election campaign during the Chinese New Year festivities.
All that he said yesterday was that it was a rumour, with the cryptic remark “A rumour is a rumour. Any time can be appropriate when I decide.”
The onus is not only on Abdullah but on the MCA, Gerakan and SUPP leaders and Ministers to impress on the Prime Minister to be sensitive and respect the 15-day Chinese New Year festivities and that the insensitivity shown by the Umno national leadership to the Deepavali public holiday last November should not be repeated again.
One hot speculation for the 12th general election is dissolution of Parliament on 13th February, Nomination on 21st February and Polling on 1st March 2008.
As 13th February is the 7th day of the Chinese Year, Abdullah as a Penangite should be reminded that this would be doubly offensive and insensitive – as it will not only be a disrespect to the Chinese New Year celebrations but also to Pai Tian Gong which falls on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year, the birthday of the Jade Emperor and a major event for the Hokkiens in Penang.
Why is Abdullah so reluctant or shy in giving a public assurance that the dissolution of Parliament would definitely be after Chap Goh Mei on 21st February 2008, if he is conscious of the need to set an example of respect and sensitivity for the diverse religions, cultures and customs to all government leaders and Malaysians?
If the dissolution of Parliament is after Chap Goh Mei, a hot set of dates being speculated are dissolution on 22nd February, Nomination on 27th February or March 1s with Polling on 8th March, 2008.
It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to decide on the date for the dissolution of Parliament, subject to two caveats: Read the rest of this entry »
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