Archive for category Elections
Chinese in Teluk Intan appear unmoved by DAP’s progressive bid with Dyana
by Boo Su-Lyn,
The Malay Mail Online
May 17, 2014
TELUK INTAN, May 17 ― DAP’s choice of a fresh-faced ethnic Malay candidate for the Teluk Intan by-election is leaving some in the predominantly Chinese town unimpressed.
In a move hailed as progressive and aimed at breaking down race-based voting patterns, DAP today named 26-year-old Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud as its candidate for the parliamentary seat, snubbing more experienced ethnic Chinese candidates.
Several Chinese voters at the small town told The Malay Mail Online they were not convinced by DAP’s lofty attempt to eradicate race politics. Read the rest of this entry »
Dyana for Teluk Intan ‘to break racial barriers’
Ram Anand
Malaysiakini
May 17, 2014
TELUK INTAN Twenty-seven-year-old lawyer and UiTM graduate Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud was today unveiled as DAP’s candidate for the Teluk Intan parliamentary by-election.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng announced the decision at the DAP by-election operations centre in Bandar Baru Teluk Intan today, saying the decision was made as proof of DAP’s ethnic diversity as a party.
In her speech, Dyana, who has served as DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang’s political secretary for the past year, spoke about breaking racial and religious barriers, and finding the perfect formula for a Malaysian “teh tarik, which is loved by all.”
She explained all Malaysians love teh tarik regardless of race or religion and similarly, Malaysians need to find a common identity that would appeal as much across the board as the tea drink does.
At a press conference later, Dyana said she is unfazed by the rounds of attempts to tarnish her reputation that has already begun among some bloggers.
“They thought since I am a woman, I will quit politics (after the attacks).
“But sorry, I am here to stay,” said Dyana, who had fake pictures of her in a bikini published in some blogs even before today’s announcement. Read the rest of this entry »
Will Liow advise Muhyiddin not to be “held to ransom” by the Terengganu trio who have resigned as UMNO Assemblymen, plunging the state into a constitutional crisis?
I could not have agreed more with the MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai who had advised UMNO Terengganu Assemblymen that they must “put people first, instead of their personal interests”.
It is very clear what Liow was trying to say when commenting on the former Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Ahmad Said and two UMNO Assemblymen quitting the party to become independents after attending a Wesak celebration at Wisma Buddhist in Kuala Lumpur today.
Liow said: “The state government cannot be held at ransom. The purpose of us running for elections is to serve the people and we must ensure that the state government continues to do so.”
He hoped that the Barisan Nasional government would take immediate action to stabilise the situation in Terengganu.
The question is whether Liow would “walk the talk”. Read the rest of this entry »
New state general elections is best way to resolve the constitutional impasse in Terengganu caused by the resignation of three UMNO Assemblymen from UMNO, with no political party with working majority
With the resignation of the former Terengganu Mentri Besar, Ahmad Said and two other UMNO Terengganu State Assemblymen, Ghazali Taib and Roslee Daud, from UMNO, new state general elections is the best way to resolve the constitutional impasse that has arisen in Terengganu as there is no political party with a working majority.
The composition of the Terengganu State Assembly is now BN 14; Pakatan Rakyat 15 and Independents 3.
The various scenarios that could arise from the constitutional crisis in Terengganu are: Read the rest of this entry »
10 Questions for MCA President Liow Tiong Lai on whether MCA will compromise on the consensus principle of Barisan Nasional where UMNO cannot unilaterally decide in the name of the other 12 component parties
MCA and Barisan Nasional’s decision not to contest in the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election must rank as the worst political cowardice in the 57-year electoral history of Malaysia.
This worst political cowardice of MCA and Barisan Nasional because of their fear of suffering another ignominious defeat one year after the 13GE results last May, however, camouflages a hidden and unworthy agenda for the by-election – hoping to lull the DAP/Pakatan Rakyat leaders, members, supporters and the voters of Bukit Gelugor into complacency so as to cause the lowest voter turnout in the constituency, and consequently to reduce the humongous majority of 41,778 votes won by Karpal Singh last May. Last year, the voter turnout for Bukit Gelugor was the historic high of 85.35 per cent!
Although MCA and Barisan Naisonal have “chickened” out of contesting in the Bukit Gelugor by-election, the nearly 82,000 voters of Bukit Gelugor should not succumb to the opiate of MCA and BN that the Bukit Gelugor by-election is unexciting and irrelevant when in fact, it and the Teluk Intan by-election are two important milestones in the post-13GE political struggle to restore justice, freedom, democracy and good governance in Malaysia.
I will be developing the case about the great importance of the two by-elections, Bukit Gelugor and Teluk Intan, in the coming weeks.
For today, I want to ask the MCA President Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai ten questions: Read the rest of this entry »
DAP and PAS have not changed their respective stands on hudud, but it is UMNO, MCA and Gerakan which have changed their stand!
Nobody would have thought that MCA go could lower than what it suffered in the 13th General Elections last May, when MCA surrendered three parliamentary seats to UMNO, namely Gelang Patah, Kuantan and Wangsa Maju and received the worst clobbering in Malaysian electoral history when it was reduced to a mosquito “7-11” party.
But everyone was wrong, for MCA has plumbed to a lower depth, when it announced that it was not contesting the Bukit Glugor parliamentary by-election, with the MCA Secretary-General Ong Ka Chuan insulting the intelligence of Malaysians by giving the most nonsensical of reasons: viz:
“MCA will not participate in the poll as the party wants to fully focus on the hudud issue to protect the federal constitution.
“If we contest, some issues might crop up and divert us from our focus, which is to stop the PAS Private Member’s Bill from being tabled in Parliament on June 9.”
The press has reported that the PAS Central Committee at its meeting in Kuala Lumour this morning decided that it will not present a private member’s bill on the implementation of hudud in Parliament in June, referring the matter to the technical committee formed jointly by the Federal Govenment and the Kelantan State governments.
Now that PAS will not be tabling a private member’s bill on hudud implementation in the June meeting of Parliament, will MCA contest in Bukit Gelugor as the very reason for not participating in the by-election has been completely demolished by the PAS Central Committee today.
Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia blighted by two “missing” disasters threatening to plunge the country into a failed state – the missing MH 370, after 64 days with no clues or end in sight and the “missing Prime Minister” tragedy
Posted by Kit in Elections, MH 370, Najib Razak on Saturday, 10 May 2014
We gather for the announcement of the DAP/Pakatan Rakyat candidate for the Bukit Gelugor parliamentary by-election with mixed feelings – great sadness that this occurred because of the untimely death of Karpal Singh, an irreplaceable people’s champion; and enormous sense of responsibility and challenge, as the by-election is taking place at a very critical stage of the nation’s development.
At the DAP Gelang Patah 13GE Anniversary Dinner last night, I called for a people’s awakening to launch a national movement of moderates against racial and religious extremists to save Malaysia from descending to become a failed state.
Let the Bukit Gelugor and Teluk Intan parliamentary by-elections, to be held respectively on May 25 and May 31, be the first two test cases of a Malaysian people’s awakening for a national movement against racial and religious extremists in the country.
In the past 12 months since the 13GE last May, Malaysia had been blighted by two “missing” disasters threatening to plunge the country into a failed state – firstly, the missing MH 370, after 64 days with no clues or end in sight and secondly, the “missing Prime Minister” tragedy.
Both these two “missing” disasters had seriously highlighted the grave weaknesses and faultlines of the Malaysian nation and governance. Read the rest of this entry »
Election 2013 broke every rule in the book, Bersih panel finds
By Pathma Subramaniam
The Malay Mail Online
March 25, 2014
SUBANG JAYA, MARCH 25 — Every single principle governing the running of a free and fair election was breached during last year’s May 5 federal polls, Bersih’s People’s Tribunal concluded in its findings released today.
Panel member former United Nations Special Representative and constitutional law expert Yash Pal Ghai said Election 2013 had fallen short of every aspect of democracy and violated the standard of free and fair elections.
He agreed that the election had been free to some extent because those who were registered voters were not blocked from casting their ballots but said this freedom was more in a “narrow sense” of the word.
During Election 2013, the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) retained federal power with 133 seats to Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) 89 seats despite losing the popular vote contest to the federal opposition, garnering just 49 per cent of the total votes cast.
“We have found ourselves compelled to reach a conclusion that there were multiple failings in the way GE13 was conducted and that virtually every tenet of free election was violated at some place and at some time,” said Yash Pal, who headed the tribunal. Read the rest of this entry »
Sodomy 2 Ruling Creates New Excitement
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Judiciary, Kajang by-election on Saturday, 8 March 2014
By Kee Thuan Chye
Yahoo! News
8th March 2014
The buzz is all over town. And most probably outside of the country too. Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim has been found guilty by the Court of Appeal of sodomising Saiful Bukhari Azlan in 2008.
The High Court acquitted him of the charge in January 2012, but the Attorney-General appealed. Now it looks like Anwar’s luck has run out. The famous Sodomy 2 case has caught up with him this time.
The judge has sentenced him to five years’ imprisonment. Although Anwar’s lawyers have straight away filed notice of appeal to the Federal Court, his conviction should disqualify him from standing in the upcoming Kajang by-election, which had come about when the incumbent state assemblyman, Lee Chin Cheh, stepped down to actually pave the way for Anwar to contest – as part of the so-called Kajang Move engineered by PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli with the long-term view of possibly making Anwar menteri besar in order to prepare Selangor as the launchpad for Pakatan Rakyat to take Putrajaya.
What happens to that now? Read the rest of this entry »
Let us pay tribute to three unsung heroes who dare to stand up for inter-religious harmony, clean elections and a better education system – Azrul Mohd Khalib, Major Zaidi Ahmad and Mohd Nor Izzah
Posted by Kit in Education, Elections, nation building, Religion on Saturday, 1 March 2014
Let us pay tribute to ordinary Malaysians who are the country’s unsung heroes who dare to stand up for a better Malaysia whether in terms of a better education system, clean elections or inter-religious harmony, for they are the salt of the earth who will ensure that Malaysia will achieve her greatness instead of becoming a failed state.
Mohd Nor Izzat Mohd Johari, the head of Suara Guru Masyarakat Malaysia (SGMM), who is facing mean, petty and punitive persecution from the “Little Napoleons” in the Education Ministry with the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin too “busy” to intervene, is one such unsung hero in Malaysia.
What is Nor Izzat’s crime? None, instead he had rendered great national service in spearheading the protest against the woes of the badly-planned and poorly-conceived student-based assessment (SBA) system. He should be rewarded for his positive contribution in forcing the Education Ministry to suspend the SBA instead of being subject to mean and petty punitive actions.
Another unsung Malaysian hero is Royal Malaysian Air Force pilot Major Zaidi Ahmad who should be rewarded instead of being penalised for speaking up about the indelible ink fiasco in the recent 13th General Elections and is now awaiting court-martial for his great service as a patriot to the country.
Nor Izzat wants to have a better education system for our teachers and children. Major Zaidi wants the country to have a clean election system which Malaysians can stand tall in the world.
A third unsung hero Malaysians should pay tribute to is social activist Azrul Mohd Khalib who led a Malaysians for Malaysia group to spearhead a “Walk for Peace” movement among ordinary Malaysians who care about the country to push for national healing in the face of the worst racial and religious polarization in the nation’s 56-year history. Read the rest of this entry »
Election 2013 lacked integrity, study finds
by Boo Su-Lyn
The Malay Mail Online
February 28, 2014
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 28 — A study on the integrity of elections across the globe has rated Malaysia near the bottom of the pile, with the country’s general election last year coming in 66th out of 73 elections surveyed, just above Zimbabwe.
The findings of the Electoral Integrity Project (EIP), based at the University of Sydney and Harvard University, released this month shows that Malaysia’s 13th general election was perceived as having low levels of integrity, due to problematic electoral boundaries and election laws.
Cambodia ranked below Malaysia at 69th, while the only other Southeast Asian country on the list, the Philippines, ranked 47th, signalling moderate levels of electoral integrity. Read the rest of this entry »
Kajang and the Anwar-Mahathir showdown
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Kajang by-election, Mahathir, UMNO on Wednesday, 26 February 2014
– Sakmongkol AK47
The Malaysian Insider
February 25, 2014
When Anwar Ibrahim announces he wants to contest in Kajang, the whole country erupted into a fit. Most affected is the BN side. They don’t know what to do and say. So they shoot at each other.
Ahmad Maslan, the 3.85 CGPA-man, announced that Umno will use Anwar’s sex issue as the main issue. I am sure at the very moment, Kajang inhabitants wake up in the morning to find packages containing various CDs on Anwar’s sexual encounters enclosed. That’s how Umno educate Malays.
Even Dr Mahathir has entered the fray; first by saying that Anwar is only fit to become the menteri besar. As usual his initial response developed into the typical Mahathir vitriol on his onetime protégé turned nemesis.
The whole political saga involving Anwar which sets the country into political turmoil was created in the first place by Mahathir. That is why Mahathir is attacking Anwar. Mahathir knows Anwar will eventually win. So he tries to delay the inevitable. Read the rest of this entry »
The Election Commission Chairman and members should convene special meeting to consider collective resignation as they have lost the most important ingredient of their appointment , i.e. “enjoy public confidence”
The Election Commission (EC) should have a proper sense of priorities instead of being led by the nose according to the dictates and wishes of the powers-that-be.
The latest example of the Election Commission failing to have a proper sense of its constitutional proprieties is the statement by the Election Commission Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Yusuf that the EC is mulling to introduce harsher penalties against elected representatives who abuse the electoral process through unjustified resignations.
He said: “We need to curb the abuse of the electoral process…they (elected reps) should not resign at their whims and fancies.
“One must be aware of the hefty costs involved in holding a by-election”.
In 1997, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Mahathir Mohamad created not one but two by-elections, when he handpicked the then Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk (now Tan Sri) Abu Hassan Omar to be the Selangor Mentri Besar after the then Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib was forced to resign following two charges in the Australian court over his failure to declare cash equivalent of RM2.4 million while leaving Brisbane International Airport in December 1996. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib and Hihammuddin should intervene and drop all charges against RMAF pilot Major Zaidi Ahmad who should be rewarded and not penalised for speaking up about the indelible ink fiasco in 13GE
Posted by Kit in Constitution, Defence, Elections on Saturday, 15 February 2014
I call on the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein to intervene and drop all charges against Royal Malaysian Air Force pilot Major Zaidi Ahmad who should be rewarded and not penalised for speaking up about the indelible ink fiasco in the recent 13th General Elections.
If Pakaktan Rakyat is running the Federal Government in Putrajaya, I would have recommended that Major Zaidi should be promoted for showing utmost patriotism going beyond the ordinary call of duty instead of indulging in the mean and petty vindictiveness of clipping his pilot’ wings and reassigning him to a desk job, followed by charges before a court martial which could land him in jail for two years.
Why is the Najib government so unreasonable and even perverse as to want destroy Malaysia’s fragile international image with the latest scandal of sending a patriotic air force pilot to jail for two years not because of any heinous crime or moral turpitude but because of the basic honesty of a decent human being in speaking the truth about the “indelible ink” used in the last general elections which was in fact quickly washabke and deletable?
In contrast, the really corrupt and heinous characters in Malaysia, particularly the “big sharks” of corruption who steal tens and hundreds of millions of ringgit of public properties and wealth, enjoy total immunity and impunity,. Read the rest of this entry »
Perspectives on national unity: heritage, home and hope
Posted by Kit in Elections, Impian Malaysia, Sabah, Sarawak on Friday, 14 February 2014
– Ramon Navaratnam
The Malaysian Insider
February 14, 2014
My perspectives from my generation.
A. Our heritage – past
Merdeka proclamation – I was there at the Merdeka Stadium.
We felt as “One Malaya” even then in 1957.
Tunku Abdul Rahman and later Tun Abdul Razak and Tun Hussein Onn treated all Malayans and Malaysians equally.
There was no name–calling like “pendatang”.
Political leaders were far more honest, polite and civil, and served the rakyat more faithfully on the ground.
Institutions like the judiciary, police, civil service, parliament and politicians were generally much more efficient and of higher quality.
We were much more united and a national happy family. Read the rest of this entry »
11th Sarawak state general elections may be held any time after the present state assembly has completed three years on April 16, 2014
The Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud is set to step down by the end of this month, after almost 33 years at the helm of the state.
I will expect the new Sarawak Chief Minister, whether the PBB deputy president Abang Johari Openg, PBB senior vice president Awang Tengah Ali Hassan or PBB information chief Adenan Satem to opt for early state general elections to seek a new mandate from the Sarawak voters instead of heading the Sarawak state government for 12 to 18 months before holding new polls.
Opting for early state polls will give the new Sarawak Chief Minister the advantage of starting on a comparatively new slate, promising to heed the calls for change and improvements after almost 33 years of Taib Mahmud rule, which would not be available if the new Sarawak Chief Minister goes to polls after 12 or 18 months in office when he will have to campaign on his own record.
For this reason, the Sarawak DAP and Pakatan Rakyat must gird itself to be ready to face the 11th Sarawak state general elections any time after the present state assembly has completed three years after April 16, 2014. Read the rest of this entry »
Will Kajang by-election be the dirtiest or cleanest by-election in Malaysian history?
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Police on Thursday, 6 February 2014
Will the forthcoming Kajang by-election in Selangor be the dirtiest or cleanest by-election in Malaysian history?
It has the capacity of being either depending on the role of the contending candidates, the two political coalitions of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, and the supervising bodies like the Election Commission, the police, etc.
The Kajang by-election promises to be a by-election of many surprises.
The very holding of the Kajang by-election is itself a surprise – the first surprise. Read the rest of this entry »
From the Kajang by-election to the bigger picture, Anwar tells all
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Pakatan Rakyat, Selangor on Tuesday, 4 February 2014
by Sheridan Mahavera and Mohd Farhan Darwis
The Malaysian Insider
February 04, 2014
PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim is no stranger to controversy. This time, it concerns his party’s attempts to get him elected as a state lawmaker in Selangor by triggering a by-election in the Kajang state seat. Anwar sat down with The Malaysian Insider to reply to criticisms the plan has generated and to tell the public why PKR feels it is justified, despite spending public funds on another electoral exercise.
Q: Let’s start with the background on the Kajang by-election. What was the motif behind this? It was a big surprise to your allies in Pakatan, even people in PKR did not know about it. Is it worth all this negative publicity?
A: It has been brewing for some time and we have to take into consideration the importance of Selangor, despite the fact that it was well managed and it was given a good and impressive mandate in the last general election.
As a major strategic consideration, we see that Selangor is under tremendous pressure and incessant attack by Umno and BN, including exploiting race and religious sentiments. We therefore feel, together with economic management, that there needs to be political leadership that is effective enough to mobilise and stop these excesses on behalf of the Malays and non-Malays in the state. Enough is enough.
This requires additional force and political clout, and a very strong message. To us it’s consistent with our statement on the national consensus that we cannot allow a small minority to hijack the national agenda and carry out threats to any citizen or group in the name of religion and race.
They are not nationalists; they don’t protect the interest of poor Malays, who are the vast majority of Malays, just the rich cronies. Or portray Islamic ethics well. Look at the manner it is played up and the character of those who profess to have religious leanings. No consideration of basic ethics or morality in the manner they display their arrogance and high handedness in dealing with issues.
We have a major problem in Selangor. This issue of race and religion shows the abdication of the Prime Minister and the government. They are either ignoring this or dismissing this or passing the buck to the state.
Second, economic problems. Inflation and spiralling prices are having a major impact and ramification to the state. It is close to Kuala Lumpur. Folks face hardship.
I think it is time we move to make Selangor a model and convey this strong message of how you govern politically and economically, and this will play when we wrest control of Putrajaya. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar Ibrahim in Kajang state seat is good for Malaysia
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Augustine Anthony, Elections, Pakatan Rakyat on Tuesday, 4 February 2014
By Augustine Anthony
4.1.2014
When Dato’ Sri Anwar Ibrahim’s decision to run for the now vacant Kajang state seat in Selangor was announced by Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, the current Mentri Besar of Selangor, the extent of criticism against Anwar Ibrahim, PKR and Pakatan Rakyat as a whole ranged from thumbs down and negative to downright hostility.
The looks on the ordinary and mostly educated middle class people whenever this issue was raised was one of disgust.
You cannot defend the indefensible and, in this case Anwar Ibrahim’s candidacy for the Kajang state seat, is the general feeling. A betrayal of voters’ hopes, aspirations and confidence is no small matter and such an act must bear the full brunt of the nation’s backlash.
But there was an unusual landscape during the announcement by Khalid Ibrahim. Not as picturesque as anyone would have expected and not quite like the time during the 13th General Elections and the accompanying euphoria whenever opposition candidates names were announced.
Amidst the gloom, there sits “THE” towering figure in the Malaysian politics. His appearance cleverly hides the depth of his experience, knowledge and understanding of the Malaysian political, social, as well as matters of national policies. The honourable Lim Kit Siang sits on the right side of Anwar Ibrahim while Khalid Ibrahim sits on the left side of the Opposition Leader. That caught my attention.
From the time of my childhood days I have admired Lim Kit Siang. He is a Malaysian success story and richly deserving too. A success story imagined, engineered and achieved not by sheer luck but by unrelenting pursuit and single mindedness of the goal ahead. Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar’s bumpy road to Kajang a reminder of Umno’s shenanigans
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Elections, Pakatan Rakyat on Sunday, 2 February 2014
NEWS ANALYSIS BY THE MALAYSIAN INSIDER
February 02, 2014
In the throes of Malaysians debating the correctness of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim contesting the Kajang state seat, comes a stark reminder that evil resides in Umno.
Umno and its so-called non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have started their campaign to block Anwar from reaching out to voters – the sure sign of how worried they remain of a politician they themselves have tagged as a has-been.
From Perlis down to Johor, every trick in the book has been employed against the opposition. At times, the royal households are used, sometimes the religious authorities are co-opted.
Often, laws are bent to suit the whims and fancies of Umno.
So it seems to be the case in Kajang where Anwar was barred from giving the tazkirah (a short speech before the Friday sermon) at the Impian Saujana mosque in Kajang on orders from the Selangor Islamic Affairs Council (Mais). Read the rest of this entry »
-
You are currently browsing the archives for the Elections category.
