The DAP Malays
Ariff Sabri | 16 December 2012
sakmongkol.blogspot.com
UMNO and its supporters are making cannon fodder of the unsuccessful attempts by 8 Malay DAP members to get placement in the 20-person CEC. I wrote this article before the appointment of 2 Malays into the CEC.
Lt Colonel Rosli a former serviceman who is now practising as a lawyer in Seremban said it best. The next person sitting to me asked for my name, told him and he didn’t even know I was contesting. I wasn’t going to campaign to him there and then.
Which means, the unsuccessful bid for places in DAP’s CEC is more a case for being relative unknowns. Malay DAP leaders if they wish to get into the CEC must catch the attention and imagination of DAP delegates. Which means the Malays in DAP must earn their keep and keep their peace. Don’t go doing a Tunku Aziz stunt.
The worse thing any Malay DAP member or leader can do is to read what has just happened at the 16th DAP National Congress with an UMNO mindset. Yes, we shall continue to talk about UMNO- because UMNO stands in our way to form the next federal government. We must continue to expose the rotten system that UMNO leaders have built up and that has caused misery to this country, especially to Malays.
The UMNO mindset is that you deserve to get something just because you are UMNO. UMNO is built on the idea, which says you can get ahead by cutting corners, leveraging on politics, exploiting inherited status and so forth. The world does not operate on the terms of a world by which UMNO operates. The world moves on, driven by people’s abilities and on the basis on what they can contribute. That is NOT the UMNO mindset.
Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan Rakyat: berbeza tetapi bersatu
Posted by Kit in Pakatan Rakyat on Wednesday, 19 December 2012, 4:31 pm
Aspan Alias | 16 Disember 2012
aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com
Saya mendapat banyak pertanyaan tentang perbezaan di antara Karpal Singh dan PAS terutamanya setelah mendengar ucapan Karpal dalam kongress tahunan DAP yang sedang berlansung di Pulau Pinag sekarang ini.. Dalam ucapan beliau semalam, Karpal telah berlembut serta mengakui yang PAS merupakan rakan yang terkuat DAP dalam Pakatan Rakyat walaupun ada beberapa perkara yang berbeza di antara kedua-dua parti itu terutamanya tentang isu yang berkaitan dengan agama Islam dan hukum-hukumnya.
Mereka bertanyakan perkara ini kerana saya telah menyertai parti itu di dalam kongress yang sebelum ini pada 8hb Januari yang lalu. Oleh kerana pertanyaan itu datangnya bertalu-talu akhir-akhir ini maka saya merasakan saya perlu memberikan jawapan walaupun ia merupakan jawapan yang pendek sahaja.
Seperti MCA dan UMNO juga, maka DAP dan PAS tentulah mempunyai perbezaan di antara kedua-duanya. Kalau tidak ada perbezaan maka tidak mungkin wujud dua parti PAS dan DAP. Perbezaan itu memang satu hakikat dan tidak mungkin kedua-dua parti itu sama. Itulah sebabnya ada elemen permuafakatan di antara kedua-dua parti itu bersama PKR dalam apa yang di sebut sebagai Pakatan Rakyat.
Oleh kerana wujudnya perbezaan-perbezaan inilah maka timbul usaha permuafakatan yang kuat dengan matlamat yang kedua-duanya anggap sebagai matlamat yang baik. Jika tidak ada elemen perbezaan maka tidak mungkin ada permuafakatan. Begitu jugalah dalam BN atau pun Perikatan sebelumnya. MCA dan UMNO itu jauh perbezaannya. MCA hanya untuk bangsa Cina dan UMNO merupakan satu parti pada asalnya sebagai parti nasionalis Melayu yang sekarang sudah menjadi parti untuk tawkay-tawkay dan kroni pemimpin Melayu yang berkuasa.
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Sesiapa pun boleh kata apa tentang DAP, BN wajar di jauhi
Aspan Alias | 17 Disember 2012
aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com
Media perdana sekarang memainkan isu DAP parti chauvinis dan sebagainya. Media arus perdana memainkan isu DAP sebagai parti Cina kerana tidak ada seorang pun calon Melayu yang bertanding memenangi walau satu kerusi pun. Hanya yang perlu kita ketahui yang DAP tidak seperti UMNO yang telah membentuk mentaliti ‘quota’ dalam mana Melayu mesti di berikan segala keistimewaan dalam semua hal kerana Melayu yang mempunyai negara ini.
Bangsa lain kononnya hanyalah bangsa yang menumpang sahaja sedangkan sekarang ini seorang kaum cina itu merupakan generasi ke empat berada di dalam negara ini. Bangsa Cina yang lahir sekarang ini tidak tahu pun yang mereka itu bukan bangsa Malaysia (seperti yang di katakan oleh pemimpin UMNO) kerana mereka lahir di sini. Mereka (kaum Cina) tidak ada negeri lain seperti juga orang Melayu yang tidak ada negeri lain selain dari Malaysia ini.
Itu sebabnya kita rakyat semua kaum ingin melakukan perubahan kerana jika tidak dilakukan perubahan itu satu-satunya negara yang kita ada ini akan hanyut di telan masa kerana tidak berkemampuan untuk wujud mngikut kehendak masa dan zamannya. Kita tidak ada negara lain dari negara ini. Bagi mereka yang telah mengaut kekayaan melalui kuasa yang ada kepada mereka boleh duduk dan mendiami negeri lain kerana mereka adalah kaum yang mewah dan boleh hidup dimana-mana sahaja hasil dari rompakan harta rakyat yang telah berlaku sebegitu lama tanpa had itu.
Baik DAP mahu pun PAS dan PKR, mereka mewakili semua kaum yang menuntut perubahan ini. Dalam usaha menuntut perubahan sememangnya satu usaha yang sangat susah tetapi apa pilihan yang ada kepada rakyat ini. Jika tidak di ubah rakyat negara kita sendiri akan berubah menjadi rakyat yang hina di sisi rakyat dan masyarakat antarabangsa yang sedang berubah mengikut kehendak zamannya.
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Quo Vadis Malaysian education system?
Posted by Kit in Education, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 19 December 2012, 4:12 pm
For the past week, Malaysians have been waiting for comments from the Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on the poor results of Malaysian students in the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) 2011 but he has disappointed Malaysians.
Since the world-wide publication of the TIMSS 2011 results on December 11, Muhyiddin had commented on everything under the sun except on TIMSS 2011 results showing unchecked plunge in the standards of mathematics and science for Malaysian students as compared to other countries – powerful testimony that Muhyiddin is neither committed nor interested in his first duty as Education Minister.
Only eight months ago, Muhyiddin shocked Malaysians claiming that the Malaysian education system is better than advanced nations on the ground that Malaysian youngsters are receiving better education than children in the United States, Britain and Germany.
But Muhyiddin’s claim has been debunked by TIMSS 2011, as in the test for eighth-grade students for mathematics, Malaysia is ranked No. 26 with a score of 440 out of 1,000, as compared to United States which is ranked No. 9 with a score of 509 while England is ranked No. 10 with a score of 507. For science, Malaysia is ranked even lower at No. 32 with a score of 426 as compared to England’s ranking of No. 9 with a score of 533 and United States’ 10th ranking with a score of 525.
Malaysia’s scores for both maths and science are below the international average, while the scores in both subjects for United States and England are above the international average. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP polls a bitter pill for rivals
By Stanley Koh | December 18, 2012
Free Malaysia Today
In 1995, when DAP suffered the worst electoral defeat in its history, pundits and other soothsayers lost no time in predicting the demise of the then 30-year-old social-democratic party.
Even Lim Kit Siang could not hide the tinge of despair in his heart. “Reform or die,” he told his party.
As it turned out, the supremo’s call rang out clear and loud among the party faithful. A year later, at their national congress, delegates endorsed a thorough review of the party’s political strategies. This resulted, among other things, in the recruitment of some 800 young professionals to help carry out the political renewal.
Read the rest of this entry »
I do not know whether to laugh or to cry – the standard of English in Malaysia has really fallen to disgraceful and abysmal low after four decades of Umno/BN rule.
I really do not know whether to laugh or to cry – the standard of English in Malaysia has really fallen to a disgraceful and abysmal low after four decades of Umno/BN rule.
Last week, Malaysia suffered national and international humiliation when the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study ( TIMSS) 2011 reports were released, as the nation’s ranking in eighth-grade Maths fell from 20th in 2007 to 26th in 2011 while its ranking in Science fell by an even greater margin, from 21st in 2007 to 32nd in 2011. Our average Maths score fell from 474 in 2007 to 440 and our average Science score fell by an even greater degree from 471 in 2007 to 426 in 2011, both far below the international average for both subjects in TIMSS 2011.
What is even worse, Malaysia also suffered the shame of being only one out of 6 countries out of 42 countries participating in the Maths study and 45 countries participating in the Science study to see falls in both our Maths and Science scores and ranking! Most of the other countries either improved their scores and rankings or stayed at their previous levels.
But the poor attainments of our students in maths and science when compared to international student achievements is not the only bane of the Malaysian education system.
Another equally critical area where the Malaysian education system has failed miserably is the English subject, which was poignantly illustrated in the past 24 hours, placing me in the position of not knowing whether to laugh or to cry. Read the rest of this entry »
Congress marks the coming of age of the DAP
Ong Kian Ming
Malaysiakini
Dec 17, 2012
COMMENT
The recently concluded 16th DAP Congress held at the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) was my first as a DAP member. It was also my first time seeing a DAP national election up close. The following are some of my observations which may not have received the necessary attention in the media, whether mainstream or online.
DAP as a national party
With 2,576 delegates (an increase from 948 in 2008), 150,000 members (from 84,000) and 1,128 branches (from 311) and with representatives from all 13 states in Malaysia, this congress represented the coming of age of the DAP by firmly cementing its status as a national party and a significant political player on the national stage.
The 29 parliamentarians and 82 state representatives from 10 states and the Federal Territories makes DAP the 2nd largest political party in the country in terms of elected representatives. The capacity crowd at the congress venue, which included 700 observers, was the largest in party history.
With greater political influence comes greater scrutiny, which is probably why this congress was covered by approximately 100 members of the press core. And with this scrutiny, also came more discussion and headlines, including critiques against the DAP’s election system and the subsequent results.
In a sense, this kind of spotlight and scrutiny should be welcomed since it means that the party matters in the public’s eye and is an important part of the larger political landscape. Read the rest of this entry »
Apology to Najib and UMNO/BN leaders for being elected into DAP CEC at the 16th DAP National Congress and with highest votes
Posted by Kit in DAP, Najib Razak on Monday, 17 December 2012, 3:56 pm
I wish to apologise to the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and the UMNO/BN leaders that I was elected into the DAP Central Executive Committee (CEC) at the 16th DAP National Congress – and with the highest votes.
UMNO leaders, including Najib, had been going round the country castigating the DAP for being undemocratic, alleging that I was in the DAP national leadership although I was not an elected DAP leader.
At the recent 66th UMNO General Assembly at the end of last month, Najib returned to the same theme in his UMNO Presidential Address when he flayed the Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP.
This is what he said about me: “Although only holding the position of member of parliament despite not being an elected leader, Lim Kit Siang is evidently quite a powerful individual in the opposition party”.
It had always amused me when Najib made these attacks against me in his political tours up and down the country, wondering whether he had been misled by his cohorts of political advisers and aides or whether he had deliberately lied although he knew the truth. Read the rest of this entry »
UMNO/BN must renounce the tactics and ideology of extremist politics including Ketuanan Melayu and the four hate politics of race, religion, lies and fear if they want to compete for the support of Middle Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, DAP, Elections, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat, UMNO on Monday, 17 December 2012, 2:34 pm
The unity, solidarity and commitment of DAP and reaffirmation of the Middle Malaysia concept by the just-concluded 16th DAP National Congress in Penang have struck fear in UMNO/BN and reverberated throughout the country, ringing alarm bells in UMNO/Barisan Nasional, as they realize that the agenda has been set for the crucial and critical battle in the 13th General Elections in the next 100 days to decide for the first time in the nation’s 55-year history whether there shoud be a change of federal government in Putrajay.
It jolted UMNO leaders including the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak into quick reaction, claiming that it was the Barisan Nasional and not the DAP that represents “Middle Malaysia”.
If Najib is confident that it is UMNO/BN which represents Middle Malaysia, and has overwhelming support of the four million middle ground voters in the 13 General Elections – the three million new voters and the one million swing voters from the 12GE in 2008 – Najib would have dissolved Parliament and the 13GE would have been held already.
Furthermore, Najib would not have to suffer the “To Be or Not To Be” agony in the past two years to decide on the dissolution of Parliament (an agony which he is still undergoing despite Parliament having only some four months’ tenure before it is automatically dissolved under the Constitution on April 28, 2013) and the ignominy of being the longest unelected Prime Minister in Malaysia without his own mandate from the people.
The former Prime Minister, Tun Abdullah was also awakened to describe the 16th DAP National Congress as an unhealthy phenomenon on the ground that it showed that DAP is monopolised by a particular race.
But the most laughable comment must go to the Gerakan President and former Penang Chief Minister, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon who described the non-election of any Malays in the DAP central executive committee as against the 1Malaysia spirit. Read the rest of this entry »
How Our Democracy is Damaged
Posted by Kit in Elections, Kee Thuan Chye on Monday, 17 December 2012, 11:58 am
By Kee Thuan Chye
Penang Monthly
December 2012
We often hear of electoral fraud and unfair election practices but what do they really mean? What forms does electoral fraud usually take? What constitute unfair practices and how have they surfaced?
Beyond that, what are the measures that need to be taken to ensure that Malaysian elections are free and fair so that this vital aspect of our democracy is truly well-served and our vote for the candidate or party we support is not made a mockery of?
A new book called Democracy at Stake?: Examining 16 By-elections in Malaysia, 2008-2011, published by Strategic Information and Research Development Centre, answers our questions and collates our concerns into a handy and comprehensive compact.
Edited by Wong Chin Huat and Soon Li Tsin, it analyses the 16 by-elections that have been held since the 12th general election according to such relevant categories as how free, fair and clean they were; the freedom and quality of the campaigning; the political parties’ access to media; corrupt practices that were perpetrated; how impartial or otherwise the public institutions were; the amount of campaign money spent; the electoral roll; and the polling process. Read the rest of this entry »
Umno and the burning down of 1Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Lim Teck Ghee, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Monday, 17 December 2012, 7:38 am
Dr Lim Teck Ghee
CPI
14 December 2012
The Prime Minister, Najib Razak, has stated that his vision of 1Malaysia is intended to counter the growing national divide between Malaysians on race, religion and other sensitive socio-cultural issues. He has also argued that the aim of the vision is to strengthen national unity on the basis of inclusiveness – “this policy means that we’ll try to be as inclusive as possible, in a sense that we should have a government that is able to reach out to all communities”. (Interview with CNN, Talkasia, 1 Nov 2010)
Not only was this vision of 1Malaysia markedly absent from the recent Umno general assembly but the real driving force of the party – one completely at odds with 1Malaysia – emerged from the shadows during the singing of a song by Tokyo Umno Club representative Arif Yassir Zulkafli.
The lyrics of the song ‘Lagu Warisan’ can be seen to encapsulate the ideological leifmotif of Umno. It provided the emotional and psychological high point of the meeting and explains why the song left delegates in tears and in spontaneous rendition.
It also explains why the Umno mind and mentality has remained unchanged during the last 66 years of the party’s existence – insecure, envious, delusional, un-accepting of other Malaysians, and propagating a bankrupt doctrine of ‘Blood and Soil’ nationalism akin to that of the Nazis and fascists.
Blood and soil nationalism refers to an ideology that focuses on ethnicity based on two factors – descent and homeland. Readers interested in learning more about blood and soil nationalism can read the Wikipedia. Read the rest of this entry »
DAP adds non-Chinese, East M’sians to CEC
Posted by Kit in DAP, Lim Guan Eng on Sunday, 16 December 2012, 2:53 pm
by Leven Woon | December 16, 2012
Free Malaysia Today
Of the 10 members co-opted into the CEC this morning, seven of them are non-Chinese and East Malaysians.
GEORGE TOWN: The newly-minted DAP central leadership today appointed seven non-Chinese and East Malaysian leaders into the centre executive committee (CEC) in a bid to sharpen its multiracial appeal.
DAP first-term senator Ariffin M Omar was made a vice chairman to replace Tengku Abdul Aziz who quit the party in May.
Besides him, Zairil Khir Johari, Sabah party chairman Jimmy Wong, Sarawak member John Brian Anthony, Sabah member Edwin Bosi, former Perak speaker V Sivakumar were also the new faces in the CEC.
Both Tan Seng Giaw and P Ramasamy, who were bitterly voted out by party members yesterday, made their way back to the CEC through appointments. Read the rest of this entry »
16th DAP national congress crucial for party: Lim
The Sun
14th December 2012
GEORGE TOWN (Dec 14, 2012): DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has described tomorrow’s 16th DAP National Congress as crucial, “both internally and externally”, to select a new party leadership line-up, as well as begin the 100-day countdown before the 13th General Election.
He said, this time around, the selection of the leadership line-up was a record by itself, as 2,576 delegates were eligible to vote in the party’s election.
“This DAP party congress will select the new leadership for the next three years. As such, the congress is important both internally and externally. Read the rest of this entry »
Why can’t MACC re-open investigations into the scandal of the RM40 million “political donation to Sabah Umno” in the light of new evidence instead of asking the AG to review his decision on the case?
Posted by Kit in Corruption, Sabah on Friday, 14 December 2012, 3:49 pm
The PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli returned from his second trip to Hong Kong and meeting with its Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) with the news that the possibility is high that Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman could be charged with money laundering by the Hong Kong authorities following the submission of “new evidence” related to Musa’s alleged logging commissions.
Last week, it was disclosed that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission’s (MACC) Operations Review Panel had requested the Attorney-General to review its decision on the RM40 million allegedly channeled from timber trader Michael Chia to Musa.
The question is why the MACC could not act independently and professionally, and on its own re-open investigations into the scandal of the RM40 million “political donation to Sabah Umno” in the light of “new evidence”, especially with many questions left answered, including:
Whether the RM40 million cash in Singapore currency, which Sabah timber trader Michael Chia had in his luggage before boarding a flight to Kuala Lumpur at the Hong Kong International Airport on August 14, 2008 and was impounded by the Hong Kong for three years but which had to be released when the Malaysian authorities refused to co-operate with ICAC on the case, was “dirty money” derived from corruption and/or illegal logging activities in Sabah which had to be smuggled or laundered back into Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
16th DAPNC – sound the call to arms for a PR government in Putrajaya with 125 PR seats in Parliament with distribution of 45:40:40 seats respectively for PKR, PAS and DAP
The 16th DAP National Congress the next two days is the focus of national attention for more reasons than one, viz:
• It is the last national conference this year for any political party in Malaysia;
• In fact, it is the last national conference for any political party before the 13th General Elections which would be held in the next 100 days;
• DAP is the only political party in the country which dares to hold party elections on the eve of impending general elections, as all other political parties have postponed their party elections until after the elections;
• Will the DAP emerge stronger or weaker after the 16th DAP National Congress;
• Will Pakatan Rakyat and the cause for “UBAH” to effect political change in Malaysia all the way to Putrajaya be strengthened or weakened?
In the past month, Pakatan Rakyat suffered a serious setback when the four million middle-ground voters who will be the arbiter as to whether it is the Pakatan Rakyat or the Barisan Nasional which will appoint the Prime Minister and form the government in Putrajaya after the 13GE developed doubts and hesitations as to whether Pakatan Rakyat parties of PKR, PAS and DAP are fully committed to the PR Common Policy Framework and Buku Jingga common platforms.
This is a salutary lesson to all the component Pakatan Rakyat parties that in the “hot-house atmosphere” which will further intensify with the approach of the long-awaited 13th General Elections, that they must always be conscious that every statement and action not only of the national leaders but of the other echeleons can have an impact many times larger than ordinary times when exploited and distorted by unscrupulous and unprincipled political propagandists with their biased mainstream media.
The Kelantan gender-segregation ruling affecting non-Muslim hair salons is a case in point where on the one and same issue, DAP is accused of being “subservient” to PAS while PAS is accused of compromising to “appease” the DAP. Read the rest of this entry »
Spamming Malaysia
— The Malaysian Insider
Dec 13, 2012
DEC 13 — In the past 24 hours, some of you and definitely The Malaysian Insider have been inundated with emails from a number of names like Imran Sulaiman, Ranesa Jegatheesa and Malaysian Indian over the PKR protest for Indians who are purportedly stateless in Malaysia.
These emails are spam.
They are a waste of time and definitely a waste of money if someone is being paid to churn them out and send them to all and sundry.
It shows how much political parties and even governments go to great lengths to get their views across to each and every one of us Malaysians ahead of the general election.
But it is a pain. Read the rest of this entry »
Just teach them in English!
by Azly Rahman
Malaysiakini
Dec 13, 2012
The refusal to teach Mathematics and Science in English is not just an ideological position but an idiotic one as well.
It is an attempt to self-fulfil a prophecy that the rural children, especially the Malays, cannot be challenged and must continue to be given easy passes through social promotion.
The refusal to acknowledge that English is currently a language of scientific progress, more than Bahasa Melayu, is an example of hypocrisy in dealing with success on the part of our policymakers and Malay language nationalists.
Based on spurious research findings headed by a teacher training university, sanctioned by other public universities, the government has erred in its decision that will not only impact the future of Malaysian children in a continually globalised world, where English is the lingua franca.
And this will open up avenues for the establishment of classes of schools, increasing the demand for the setting up of private schools that will emphasise the English language as a language of instruction and a rigorous curriculum that will prepare students for a competitive world. Read the rest of this entry »
1st task of “100 Days to Putrajaya” Campaign – prove UMNO/BN prophets of doom wrong with ringing/powerful endorsement by 16th DAP NC for Karpal-Guan Eng leadership to lead DAP in the PR battle for Putrajaya in 13GE
Posted by Kit in DAP, Elections, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 13 December 2012, 2:46 pm
The UMNO/Barisan Nasional propagandists have been working overtime to forecast various doomsday scenarios for DAP, Pakatan Rakyat and the country in the run-up to the 13th general elections, as for instance, warning of a repetition of May 13 racial clashes, chaos and even Malaysia becoming bankrupt and be like Greece in three years if UMNO/Barisan Nasional is replaced by Pakatan Rakyat in Putrajaya.
It is almost five years since the Pakatan Rakyat formed the state governments in Penang, Selangor and Kedah and over 22 years since PAS captured the Kelantan state government. Have there been May 13 racial clashes in the Pakatan Rakyat states or have they gone bankrupt?
If Pakatan Rakyat rule is such a disaster, Datuk Seri Najib Razak would not have to undergo the two-year agony of repeatedly postponing the date for the 13th general elections because of his lack of confidence that UMNO/BN would get a renewed mandate to continue to govern Malaysia.
There would also have been no need for Najib to resort to undemocratic and unconstitutional means to mount an illegal coup d’etat to grab power from the duly-elected Pakatan Rakyat state government in Perak in February 2009, a result which the people of Perak are determined to reverse by restoring Perak state to Pakatan Rakyat in the 13th general elections.
The UMNO/BN leaders and propagandists must be told in no uncertain terms to stop their various false doomsday scenarios for the people and the country if they truly love Malaysia.
Just as Kelantan had not gone bankrupt after more than 22 years of PAS rule and Penang, Selangor and Kedah have not gone bankrupt after nearly five years of Pakatan Rakyat state governments, but in fact chalking up a better record than Barisan Nasional both in good governance and promoting the people’s welfare, Malaysia will not become bankrupt after three years.
On the contrary, under PR governance, Malaysia will be set on a new growth path to lead to greater prosperity and justice for all Malaysians for the country, not only because of an end to corruption, cronyism and abuses of power but because Malaysia will be governed by leaders whose first priority is the best interests of all Malaysians and the country rather than of themselves and their cronies. Read the rest of this entry »
Rethinking poverty in Sabah
— Elizabeth Gimbad
The Malaysian Insider
Dec 13, 2012
DEC 13 — One of my first field trips as a researcher was to a small kampung in Sabah. I was new to the job and after a day of shadowing more experienced colleagues, they decided that I was ready strike out on my own and dropped me off in front of a rickety house on the edge of the village.
As I stood at the bottom of the stairs, a 14-year-old boy with a toddler in his arms came out to greet me, followed by a bevy of younger children. When I asked him for his parents, he hesitated: “They are not around. Shall I get my aunt for you?”
Sabah has the highest incidence of poverty in Malaysia. According to the latest statistics, the poverty rate has dropped from 23 per cent in 2004 to 19.2 per cent in 2009. However, this means that one out of five people in Sabah is still living below the poverty line. The national average for poverty in Malaysia is 3.8 per cent.
In Sabah, households with a combined monthly income below RM1,050 are identified as poor; while the absolute poor have a monthly income of less than RM630. This is higher than the poverty line set for Peninsular Malaysia which is below RM760 a month — it has to be remembered though that the high cost of living is much higher in Sabah compared to Peninsular Malaysia. Read the rest of this entry »
Pakatan Rakyat must avoid repeating the mistakes of the Republicans who lost the US presidency twice because they lost sight of the Middle Ground
Posted by Kit in Elections, Najib Razak, Pakatan Rakyat on Thursday, 13 December 2012, 10:50 am
At the end of the recently concluded UMNO General Assembly, Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Najib Razak rightly warned his UMNO base not to repeat Republic presidential candidate, Mitt Romeny’s mistake, to over rely on older, white voters to win the elections. Similarly, UMNO should not be overly dependent on the rural Malays to win the upcoming Malaysian general election at the expense of ignoring the growing urban multiracial middle class.
Najib is right in pointing out Romney’s mistake. Romney won a majority of the white vote against Obama – 59% to 39% – but he failed to even break 30% of any of the minority groups. Predictably, he lost the African American vote – 6% to 93% – but he also lost the Latino vote – 27% to 71% – and the Asian American vote – 26% to 73% – by significant margins.
Romney won a majority of the votes of those aged 65 and above – 56% to 44% – but lost in the 30-44 age group – 45% to 52% – as well as in the 18-29 age group – 37% to 60%. Among the ideological moderates, Obama defeated Romney by 56% to 41%.
Romney was treading old ground here. The same results, more or less, were achieved by McCain in the 2008 presidential elections. McCain won a majority of the white vote against Obama – 55% to 43% but lost the African American vote – 4% to 95% – , the Latino vote – 31% to 67% – and the Asian America vote – 35% to 63%. He won 53% of the voters aged above 65 (against Obama’s 45%) but lost in the 30-44 age group – 52% to 46% – and lost the 18 to 29 age group by a landslide – 32% to 66%. Among the ideological moderates, Obama defeated McCain 60% to 39%.
Both Republican candidates had to appeal to their ‘base’ of conservative, mostly white and old voters in order to win their respective primary elections. As a result both could not broaden their appeal to reach out to a sufficient number of moderate voters including many minorities in order to win the American Presidency.
Sadly, Najib’s advice is likely to fall on deaf ears within his own party. Read the rest of this entry »
