Archive for January, 2009



21
Jan

Now everyone can fly … with Selangor Exco

The Malaysian Insider | Jan 21, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 19 – Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his exco members took frugality to new heights by flying to and from Alor Setar with Air Asia.

The Selangor delegation had flown to Kedah to attend the conference of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) chief ministers and leaders on Sunday and were spotted by The Malaysian Insider at the Sultan Abdul Halim Airport waiting to board the return flight this morning.

With the Selangor Menteri Besar were exco members Datuk Dr Hassan Ali, Teresa Kok, Elizabeth Wong, Yaakob Sapari, Khalid’s political secretary Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad and Subang Member of Parliament Sivarasa Rasiah.

The group was seated at the boarding lounge, with other passengers waiting to board Air Asia flight Ak6347 to Kuala Lumpur, with no fanfare or fuss.

So unassuming was Khalid, dressed casually in a black-and-red chequered shirt and blue slacks, that most passengers did not realise he was the Selangor MB.

Nik Nazmi said although they were flying with the low-cost carrier, the state government had at least paid for express boarding for them.

Continue reading ‘Now everyone can fly … with Selangor Exco’

21
Jan

Perhimpunan bantah PPSMI 7 Mac

Malaysiakini | Jan 21, 2009

Perhimpunan anjuran Gerakan Mansuhkan PPSMI (GMP) membantah pelaksanaan dasar pengajaran dan pembelajaran sains dan matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris (PPSMI) akan diadakan pada 7 Mac depan.

Sempena perhimpunan tersebut, GMP juga akan menyerahkan memorandum kepada Yang di-Pertuan Agong untuk memohon campur tangan baginda dalam menyelesai isu tersebut.

Pengerusi jawatankuasa induknya, Datuk Dr Hassan Ahmad berkata, perkara itu diputuskan dalam mesyuarat gabungan itu malam tadi di bangunan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri (SUK) Selangor di Shah Alam.

Bagaimanapun, kata beliau yang juga bekas pengarah Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka (DBP), butiran terperinci mengenai perhimpunan belum diputuskan.

Menurutnya, keputusan itu dibuat setelah mesyuarat malam tadi menimbang cadangannya supaya mengkaji baik-buruk rancangan mengadakan perhimpunan tersebut.

Ketika membentangkan cadangan itu malam tadi, Dr Hassan difaham memaklum kepada mesyuarat bahawa ramai yang belum memahami sepenuhnya tujuan bantahan itu hendak diadakan.

Beliau juga difahamkan mencadangkan supaya diadakan kempen penerangan bagi membolehkan semua pihak benar-benar memahami isu tersebut, sebelum perhimpunan besar itu diadakan.

Bukan anti-kerajaan

Ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini hari ini, Dr Hassan berkata, setelah cadangannya itu diusulkan dan diperbincangkan, mesyuarat sepakat untuk meneruskan perhimpunan itu pada 7 Mac depan.

Bagaimanpun, katanya, mereka menghadiri mesyuarat tersebut sepakat untuk meneruskan perhimpunan itu mengikut garis panduan yang dipersetujui.

Antaranya, tambah beliau, ialah perhimpunan itu tidak boleh dilihat bercirikan kegasanan dan perkauman.

“Kalau bentuknya macam Hindraf (Barisan Bertindak Hak Hindu), saya tak nak (terlibat),” katanya sekali lagi mengulangi pendirian yang ditegaskannya semalam.

Menjawab soalan, beliau menegaskan perjuangan GMP bukan berasaskan perkauman – untuk bangsa Melayu sahaja.

Sebaliknya, tegas Dr Hassan perjuangan mereka adalah perjuangan kebangsaan dan untuk kebaikan semua kaum.

Beliau juga berharap gabungan itu tidak dilihat sebagai anti-kerajaan dan pro-pembangkang hanya kerana ia turut dianggotai ahli politik pembangkang manakala mesyuarat malam tadi diadakan di bangunan SUK Selangor yang diteraju Pakatan Rakyat.

“Di awal mesyuarat, saya beritahu semua, termasuk, (Timbalan Presiden PAS) Nasaruddin (Mat Isa) sendiri bahawa mereka bukan mewakili mana-mana parti politik tetapi atas dasar sebagai pejuang bahasa,” katanya.

20
Jan

Malaysia: Opposition Gains Momentum

Stratfor | Jan 19, 2009

Summary

Malaysia’s opposition movement scored a victory on Jan. 17 when Mohammad Abdul Wahid Endut won a by-election in Kuala Terengganu. The opposition continues to gain momentum in its bid to defeat the coalition that has dominated Malaysian politics for five decades.

Analysis

Malaysia’s opposition movement made gains Jan. 17 when Parti Islam Se-Malaysia (PAS) candidate Mohammad Abdul Wahid Endut won a by-election in Kuala Terengganu, the capital city of Terengganu state in the peninsular northeast. The region is part of the Malay heartland, and the election was seen as a litmus test for the opposition’s progress since making massive gains in general elections in March 2008.

The opposition is challenging the status quo that has been in place since Malaysia earned its independence from the United Kingdom in 1957. The country’s politics have been ruled for the past 50 years by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the largest political party, and the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition it founded to dominate parliament. The PAS, the Islamist party, has contended with the secular Malaysian leadership before, but lost support after being branded as having connections to terrorism. Recently, however, the PAS has joined up with the movement led by Anwar Ibrahim, once a high-ranking figure in the UMNO. Anwar has formed a shaky alliance, called Pakatan Rakyat, with Islamist voters and with ethnic Chinese. He has pledged to eliminate policies that enforce the deeply embedded privilege of the Malay majority.

When the opposition made great strides in elections in March 2008, it rattled the ruling coalition. Anwar, in exile at the time, made a dramatic return to the political scene and claimed that, by September 2008, he would form his own government and topple the ruling parties. Yet his self-imposed deadline came and went without seeing a swell of support for him among middle-of-the-road parliamentarians. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi then volunteered to step down to placate some of the rising criticism of the government, stealing Anwar’s thunder. Anwar was seen as having overextended himself.

But fractures in Malaysian politics continue to weaken the ruling party, and Anwar and his allies are exploiting the growing dissatisfaction among the public, which has been exacerbated by the global economic slowdown. The Kuala Terengganu by-election was seen as crucial because the region is part of the Malay heartland on the peninsula, and was once a BN stronghold. The BN held onto power there in the previous election, but by a mere 628 votes out of 65,809 votes. On Jan. 17 — just 10 months after that election — voters gave the PAS a 2,631-vote lead out of 63,967 votes. The poll results show that support for the ruling coalition is lukewarm, as voter turnout was two percentage points lower than that in March 2008. Also, the results show that Anwar’s alliance of Islamist, Chinese and secular Malays is holding together (despite many differences), and that Anwar has switched from hare to tortoise, adopting a slow and steady strategy of attempting to overtake the ruling coalition.

Now the BN will attempt to counter the opposition’s win. The coalition is scheduled to hold a major gathering in March to name Najib Razak as its new leader and as the country’s new prime minister after Abdullah steps down. The event will give the BN occasion to present itself as rejuvenated. There is plenty of time for the politicking to play out until the next general elections in 2013, though a snap election could be called this year if the government thinks it can benefit from doing so. But the Kuala Terengganu by-election, though small, is an unmistakable sign that the opposition is gaining momentum — and this will mean increasing political instability as the government attempts to fend off its opponents.

20
Jan

Siakap Senohong Gelama Ikan Duri. Bercakap Bohong Lama-lama Mencuri

Saya sehari di Permatang Pauh; memenuhi jemputan kenduri di Permatang Rawa, mengacau bubur di Sungai Semambu dan singgah di mesjid Kubang Semang. Mesjid tersebut tersohor kerana giat dalam program penghayatan.

Tetapi kini kian terkenal manakala terpapar dimuka depan Suara Keadilan kisah janji kosong Dato’ Najib menjelang pilihanraya Permatang Pauh Ogos lalu. Kata penduduk, “100 ribu? Habuk pun tak dak!”

Jawab Najib sehari sebelum pilihanraya Kuala Terengganu “minggu depan”. Saya menambah:”inshaallah”.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

19
Jan

“It’s time the voters show Taib Mahmud the final curtain”

Malaysiakini | Jan 19, 2009

“It looks like there is now hope for Sarawak,” read a text message from a KL-based senior bank manager, a Lun Bawang, following PAS’ victory in the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

This was the second by-election victory for Pakatan Rakyat after the March 2008 general elections, confirming waning support for the ruling coalition.

The Orang Ulu bank manager was referring to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim-led Pakatan Rakyat’s campaign to wrest control of Sarawak from BN in the next state elections due at the latest by 2011.

He said: “The KT results confirmed for the second time, after Permatang Pauh, that the wind of change that swept the country on March, 2008 is real and here to stay.”

“In fact it is gathering strength instead of dying out as BN would hope!”

He added: “To the Sarawakians it says the moment of truth is now. It’s time the voters show (Chief Minister Abdul) Taib Mahmud the final curtain.”

Continue reading ‘“It’s time the voters show Taib Mahmud the final curtain”’

19
Jan

‘Opposition can take over in next polls’

Malaysiakini | Jan 18, 2009

Siva Murugan Pandian, a political analyst at Universiti Sains Malaysia, said the result gave the Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance a tremendous boost as it looks ahead to the next general elections.

“If Anwar is able to ensure there are no cracks in Pakatan Rakyat, the opposition can take over in the next polls. But it can only happen if the sway in Malay votes continues,” he said.

Analysts said the result spelt trouble for Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak as he prepares to replace Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was forced to agree to stand down in March over the general election debacle.

“This is going to call into question Najib’s rise to the prime minister’s position,” said Bridget Welsh, a Southeast Asian expert at Johns Hopkins University who observed the election.

Continue reading ‘‘Opposition can take over in next polls’’

19
Jan

Sumbangan Para Bloggers Amat Dihargai

Ketambatu menulis:

Tahniah kepada Calun Parlimen K. Terengganu, Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut, yang menang bergaya mengalahkan Calun UMNO, Wan Farid yang juga merupakan calun favourite Pak Lah di Terengganu.

Memang dari awal, sudah di jangka bahawa PAS akan memenangi pilihanraya ini. Namun sesungguhnya yang membimbangkan adalah penyelewengan yang mampu di buat oleh agen agen UMNO, polis dan SPR.

Saya percaya bahawa memang terdapat penipuan, cuma biar lah mereka pendam. Yang penting, kita dah menang dan pemantauan akan terus di buat untuk masa masa yang akan datang.

Apa yang saya tekankan disini adalah, betapa parti PAS sesungguhnya pandai mengambil hati para pengundi, rakyat dan blogger.

Terdahulu, TG Haji Hadi membuat kenyataan bahawa beliau akan merujuk kepada bloggers sebelum membuat keputusan siapa yang akan menjadi calun. Dan selepas menang, Husam Musa mengucapkan terima kaseh kepada blogger menerusi Sya Reformis, ahli Bloggernetwork.

Jika di imbau kembali rentetan kemenangan yang berlaku sejak pilihanraya umum ke 12 tahun lepas, saya masih tidak mendengar sebarang ucapan terima kasih dari Pemimpin PKR. Dari Syed Ali, YB YB mahupun Anwar dan juga Wan Azizah sendiri.

Selepas kemenangan PAS pada PRU12 lepas, ramai blogger yang datang ke KL untuk hadiri majlis makan malam dan kesyukuran. Ketika itu Menteri Besar Perak, DS Ir Nizar pun hadir.

Mungkin aku terlepas pandang, tapi rasanya tidak silap.

Adakah PKR rasa mereka menang kerana mereka itu hebat, atau mereka menang kerana faktor Anwar?

Saya rasa kemenangan yang tercapai adalah kerana orang terlalu benci pada UMNO. Dan kerana itu lah maka ramai YB YB di kalangan PKR yang kita tidak kenal tapi masih mampu menang. Akhirnya bila menjalankan tugas, sesungguhnya mereka tidak berkalibar. Lebih cakap dari buat dan ada yang sedang mengumpul projek untuk kaya dalam semusim pemerintahan.

Kerana itu, saya berharap agar, pemimpin PKR kena nilaikan diri anda, cermin dulu wajah dan berterima kaseh lah pada pengundi dan para blogger yang terus berusaha tanpa di bayar gaji.

Saya mungkin terkebelakang di dalam hal ini, tapi blogger yang senior nampaknya, ada yang hidup ala kadar dan kekadang miss soru. Siapa yang membela mereka? Tambah tambah lagi di dalam negeri yang bermenteri Besarkan pemimpin dari PKR.

Kalau lupa, ucap sekarang. Kalau tidak, tak mustahil diorang akan belasah mereka mereka ini di masa akan datang. Pesan saya, biar sombong tapi jangan bodoh. Biar bodoh tapi jangan sombong.

——

Arakian, sekonyong-konyong ada yang kononnya menulis mewakili bloggers mengemis perhatian malah mengugut! Malangnya fakta meleset sekali.

Biasa saja kita dengan leteran, atau membebel. Tetapi sekadar maklumat agar tidak ada yang turut tersasul nanti. Dalam ucapan dan kenyataan saya salepas pilihanraya, ucapan Azizah selaku Presiden di Kongres yang lalu, kenyataan berkait penahanan Raja Petra dan sebagainya, dinyatakan sumbangan positif para blogger.

Alahai…

ANWAR IBRAHIM

18
Jan

Warisan Politik Pak Lah, Beban Buat Najib

Dari The Malaysian Insider
Oleh Wan Hamidi

JAN 18 – Dua hari sebelum pengundian, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi begitu yakin Barisan Nasional akan menang dalam pilihan raya kecil Kuala Terengganu. Keyakinan beliau dizahirkan setelah dua kali lawatan ke kawasan PRK itu.

Kini Perdana Menteri pasti kecewa dengan keputusan rakyat Malaysia di Kuala Terengganu menolak Umno dan BN.

Walaupun sepanjang kempen, calon BN Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh yang dihebohkan sebagai proksi beliau dan akan menjejaskan peluang parti pemerintah, Abdullah tetap menolak tuduhan itu.

“Saya kenal Wan Ahmad Farid kerana kebetulannya dia telah menjadi Setiausaha Politik kepada saya dan kemudian dilantik sebagai timbalan menteri dan itu adalah atas keyakinan saya yang dia mampu buat kerja dan buat kerja dengan baik.”

Continue reading ‘Warisan Politik Pak Lah, Beban Buat Najib’

18
Jan

P’raya kecil KT cermin ‘mood’ politik negara

Dari Malaysiakini

Cita-cita pembangkang untuk mengambil alih kuasa mendapat anjakan yang memberangsangkan ekoran kemenangan calonnya dalam pilihanraya kecil Parlimen Kuala Terengganu semalam, yang mengikut para pemerhati, turut menjejaskan kedudukan Barisan Nasional (BN).

Kemenangan calon PAS, Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut dari PAS – salah sebuah anggota Pakatan Rakyat – dalam pilihanraya kecil tersebut, dilihat sebagai mencerminkan ‘mood’ politik negara sekarang.

Kemenangan itu juga – walaupun tidak menjejaskan kedudukan kerajaan BN – tetapi ia menunjukkan kerajaan gagal menarik semula sokongan rakyat selepas kalah teruk dalam pilihanraya umum Mac 2008, sekaligus telah mencetuskan desakan supaya dilakukan perubahan dalam BN.

Continue reading ‘P’raya kecil KT cermin ‘mood’ politik negara’

18
Jan

An Awful Day For Najib and Bn

From The Malaysian Insider
By Wan Hamidi

JAN 17 — It was a horrible blow for Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The prime minister-in-waiting has now lost two by-elections in less than five months.

Both the by-election results saw higher majority votes for the federal opposition.

Najib did his best for his beloved Barisan Nasional in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election. Yet the voters in the BN stronghold decided to vote for Umno’s arch enemy Pas.

He made many promises, granted many projects and offered a lot of goodies, and yet the voters rejected BN.

Continue reading ‘An Awful Day For Najib and Bn’

18
Jan

Malaysian Election Defeat May Signal Waning Support for Najib

From Bloomberg
By Ranjeetha Pakiam

Jan. 18 — Malaysia’s National Front lost a regional election, signaling waning support for incoming Prime Minister Najib Razak after the ruling coalition suffered its worst-ever election result last year.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, part of an opposition alliance, took 51 percent of votes cast yesterday in the coastal town of Kuala Terengganu, taking the seat back from Najib’s National Front coalition, the state news service Bernama said.

“The National Front is on a continuous slide down a dangerous slope,” said Khoo Kay Peng, who runs his own political consulting firm outside Kuala Lumpur. “This will not reflect well on the new leadership.”

Continue reading ‘Malaysian Election Defeat May Signal Waning Support for Najib’

18
Jan

Malaysia govt loses key by-election

From Reuters
By David Chance

KUALA TERENGGANU, Malaysia (Reuters) – Malaysia’s government lost a key by-election on Saturday by a bigger-than-expected margin, casting doubt over whether incoming prime minister Najib Razak will be able to assert control over his party and the ruling coalition.

NAJIB WILL STILL GET THE TOP JOB, BUT FACE OPPOSITION

Najib, the country’s deputy prime minister, is set to take the helm of the United Malays National Organisation, the leading party in the National Front coalition that has ruled the country for 51 years.

That accession at a party congress in March to replace lacklustre Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is not in doubt as Najib is standing unopposed.

However, this is the second successive by-election that Najib has run and lost, the first being the return of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to parliament in August.

Continue reading ‘Malaysia govt loses key by-election’