Vote Chew Mei Fun for More Representation

Dear voters

There are 56 seats in the Selangor state assembly. Before the resignation of Lee Chin Shih, Pakatan has 44 seats. While BN has 12 seats which is only from UMNO.

The result of this by-election neither change the current state government and PR's more than 2/3 majority nor enable PR to capture Putrajaya.

However, the Chinese community should have a representive in the opposition to provide check and balance  and be the voice of the Chinese.

The local community also need someone who can dedicate themselves to the Kajang people and not someone too busy as party President, attending rallies and demo, and husband matters.

Do ponder over this before you vote.

Survey: BN to slash PKR's majority

PKR's winning majority will dip by about 2,000 votes tomorrow with a turnout of 85 percent, a UCSI university poll found.

UCSI Poll Research Centre founder Ngerng Miang Hong said that out of the 400 voters polled via phone and face-to-face interviews, only 54.25 percent said they will vote for PKR's Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail.

Whereas 34.5 percent said they will vote for BN's Chew Mei Fun and 11.25 percent were undecided when surveyed on March 18-20 during the campaign period.

"If you split the undecided votes (with the same proportions of those supporting PKR and BN) we can see that BN has raised their support compared to 2013," he told reporters today.

He said that the bulk of those who said they will vote for Chew are Malays, at 54 percent.

However, the survey does not state why they are backing the BN.

In the 13th general election, 37 percent of Malay voters in Kajang voted for PKR, but the party now claims it has raised its support to 45 percent over the campaigning period.

PKR took 58 percent of the votes, BN 38 percent while Independent candidates garnered the rest in GE13.

Kajang has 48 percent Malay voters, 41 percent Chinese voters while the rest are Indians or other races.

PKR won the seat in 2013 with a 6,824-majority vote.

Campaign ends tonight

The private university found that up to 60 percent of those polled in Malay-majority areas of Sg Sekamat, Sg Kantan, Taman Delkma, Batu 10 Cheras and Kantan Permai back the BN.

Those polled in the majority Malay upper middle class in Saujana Impian were split between PKR and BN, as were those in Bandar Kajang, Taman Kota Cheras, Taman Mesra and Taman Kajang Baharu.

In Chinese-majority voting districts of Sungai Chua 1 to 5, over 70 percent of respondents back PKR.

Ngerng said support for PKR from Chinese majority areas remain the same despite Chew's candidacy as voters decide on party lines.

"The respondents say that she is a good person but one or two good people in a party does not help so the decision (to vote) goes to the other side," he said.

However, he said, 23 percent viewed that the new MCA leadership can win back Chinese support - a signal that the party can pull itself up from the doldrums if it digs its heels in for the long haul.

Only 36 percent of respondents said PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim's sodomy conviction which rendered him ineligible to contest will affect their vote.

Similarly, a minuscule three percent said their vote is affected by the handling of the MH370 crisis.

Both issues have featured prominently in PKR's Kajang campaign, raising questions on whether the polls will be the referendum on alleged injustice PKR has called for.

According to Ngerng, this also shows that incidental issues or recent developments have "marginal" impact on voters compared with long-term partisan ties and support.

The 12-day Kajang by-election campaign ends midnight tonight.

Rafizi Loses His Cool

The police were given an earful by PKR director of strategy Rafizi Ramli for erecting a barricade of Dannert (razor) wire to keep BN and PKR supporters at bay, during the Kajang by-election nomination process this morning.

As supporters started to disperse following the announcement of a straight fight between PKR and BN, Rafizi gave an emotive speech addressed to police accusing them of apeing "Israel's oppression of Palestine".

"You are treating the rakyat as enemies, simply because you need to protect (Prime Minister) Najib (Abdul Razak) and (wife) Rosmah (Mansor) ...,” he said via a loudspeaker and facing the anti-riot squad.

"Razor wire is a symbol of Israeli oppression of Palestine, so tell your superiors never to use it again."

Although the police personnel continued to stand at attention, some had puzzled looks on their faces.

Rafizi's speech, however, received rousing cheers from PKR supporters including a man who joked that he will put on "iron underwear" (seluar dalam besi) on polling day.

Barbed wire - in this case Dannert wire - has been used to stop supporters of opposing parties from clashing in several previous election campaigns.

This time, warning signs were also put up, presumably to prevent supporters from injuring themselves.

‘No let-up by BN’

In another development, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin said the BN will not soften its offensive although PKR's candidate is president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and not de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim as planned.

"We will still do what is necessary," he said.

Muhyiddin said the loud chanting of BN supporters at today’s event shows that the coalition's spirits are high, to ensure the victory of coalition candidate Chew Mei Fun in the straight fight.

He said the BN will exploit the Selangor government’s failings as well as friction within PKR.

However, Wan Azizah expressed her belief that she can repeat the party's victory and match the majority of close to 7,000 votes won by Lee Chin Cheh in the 13th general election last May.

"This is a referendum on the injustice that has happened," she said, referring to Anwar's conviction for sodomy last Friday, which rendered him ineligible to run for the Kajang state seat.

She did not elaborate, as she had to rush to the Kuala Lumpur High Court to support DAP chairperson Karpal Singh, who is due to be sentenced today for sedition.

Souce: Malaysiakini

Bye Bye Zaid!

Former minister Zaid Ibrahim has announced that he is dropping out from contesting in the Kajang by-election.

Zaid said he is withdrawing from the race as PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim is no longer a potential candidate after the latter's disqualification following his five-year jail sentence for sodomy.

"With Anwar’s conviction last Friday... he no longer qualifies to be a candidate in the by-election.

"Abdul Khalid Ibrahim’s position as Selangor menteri besar is therefore secure and the Selangor state government will be stable, at least in the foreseeable future.

"Given these changes, Anwar’s reasons for having the by-election are no longer applicable.

"I therefore feel it is unnecessary to engage myself further on these issues and hereby withdraw my candidacy for the Kajang by-election," he said in a statement today.

Zaid last month announced his candidacy saying he wanted to prevent PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim (left) from replacing Khalid as Selangor MB.

Following prolonged disagreements between PKR and Khalid, the party instructed that the Kajang state seat to be vacated in a manoeuver dubbed the 'Kajang Move' to allow Anwar to contest and possibly take over as MB.

As the sodomy verdict has scuttled the plan, PKR president Wan Azizah Wan Ismail today announced she will run for Kajang instead.

She will be facing off with BN's candidate Chew Mei Fun, who is MCA vice president.

'Judgment was right'

Zaid had accused Anwar of wanting to use Selangor's resources for political purposes.

The former de facto law minister also defended the courts which have come under attack for Anwar's conviction on Friday.

"We must not, however, impugn the integrity and credibility of the judges who ruled unanimously to uphold the government’s appeal, or the judiciary as a whole, solely on how the verdict on Anwar’s case was decided.

"It is most unreasonable to accuse the court of bias and of having its own political agenda when the verdict does not suit some people, when Anwar’s earlier acquittal by the same justice system was embraced," he said.

The Court of Appeal on Friday overturned a High Court ruling made in Jan 2012 which acquitted Anwar of sodomising his aide Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan (left).

Anwar temporarily is a free man as the same court had granted him a stay of execution and bail of RM10,000 pending appeal at the Federal Court.

However, Zaid said he sympathised with Anwar's family as he thought the sentence of five years was too harsh and "unjustified"

"Homosexual activities may be deemed to be criminal under the law, but the judges should have exercised their discretion in light of the changing mores over such sexual activities all over the world.

"An archaic law such as Section 377A of the Penal Code which follows the definition of 'unnatural offences' enacted some 165 years ago in England perhaps needs to be reviewed," he said.

'Rush to sentence'

Zaid said the Court of Appeal did not err in its judgment against Anwar but its rush to mete sentencing did not look good to the public.

"The haste to disqualify Anwar from contesting in Kajang is clear for everyone to see, and this unfortunately blots out the real merit of the case. The substance of the Appeal Court’s decision will now be treated with distrust.

"This is a shame, given the clear evidence against Anwar brought up by the prosecution. The court is no place to decide political contests.

"Anwar should have been given the chance to either stand or fall by the decision of the people at the ballot box, not by the court of law," he said.

Several other individuals including senator S Nallakaruppan and the New Gen Party have expressed interest to contest in the by-election.

Nomination day for the Kajang by-election is fixed on March 11 and polling day on March 23.

Malaysiakini

Wrong Choice?

PKR has chosen Menteri Besar and Port Klang state assemblyman Khalid Ibrahim as the election director for the Kajang by-election which has its nomination day fixed for March 11 and polling day on March 23.
However a few of this columnist’s PAS friends have some reservations about Khalid’s ability to run the show.

And here’s why: it is due to his sloppy running of the Hulu Selangor by-election four years ago in April 2010 when he was the election director.

In that by-election, Zaid Ibrahim was contesting for PKR against MIC’s P Kamalanathan. The MIC man won by over 1,700 votes. Previously the seat was won by a PKR man in the March 8, 2008 general election. He passed away due to cancer.

In the Hulu Selangor polls, Khalid lacked organisational skills.

This columnist’s PAS friends mentioned that members of Gombak PAS and Selayang PAS had to be roped in to put up PKR flags!

Many of these PAS members were out of pocket due to travelling expenses. The organisation of ceramahs was also messy. There was no proper scheduling, only last minute planning.

In one instance, only Azmin Ali (Gombak MP), Nurul Izzah Anwar (Lembah Pantai MP) and a group of Pakatan Rakyat supporters turned up. Eventually the ceramah had to be cancelled due to lack of audience. It was embarrassing indeed.

This happened because there was no publicity done to promote the ceramah. No one came because no one knew about it.
This was in contrast to the Sibu by-election held in May 2010 which was won by DAP.

It is not a boast but a fact that DAP’s ceramahs in Sibu were well-organised and well-attended because DAP’s Tony Pua (Petaling Jaya Utara MP) had given good publicity to the DAP ceramahs.

Word-of-mouth, flyers and social media were utilised to inform the public one day in advance on the time, date and location of the ceramahs.
In the ceramah itself, announcements would also be made to inform the rakyat about the next ceramah programmes. The planning and organisation was good.
Back to Khalid. He was inefficient in Hulu Selangor. Not many programmes were arranged for the PKR candidate to promote himself.

Khalid must stay focused

Groundwork was faulty and chaotic. Pakatan grassroots members were running around calling for assistance and reinforcements due to lack of organisation and manpower.

One of this columnist’s PKR friends who worked for their party newsletter ‘Suara Keadilan’ had mentioned that Khalid will never be selected as election director again but lo and behold, now he is!

His party leaders must have forgotten about the fiasco in Hulu Selangor wherein Khalid was totally inept as the election director.

The Selangor Menteri Besar must thus redeem himself by being an organiser par excellence this time around. He can be said to be fortunate because Kajang is not as large as Hulu Selangor as it is only a state seat whereas Hulu Selangor is a parliamentary seat.

Khalid must now strive harder to plan properly. Bigger and better publicity must be given in advance for the ceramahs that are to be held.

Organisation must be precise and efficient. Ceramahs must start on time, failing which a 15 minute wait is not too bad, 30 minutes is already stretching people’s patience. Voters must not be kept waiting for too long. It is a test of one’s organisational skills.

It is also a good thing that PAS Unit Amal can be counted upon to help out in traffic control and security.
In Hulu Selangor four years ago it was chaotic for PKR. There was no proper theme focus and tagline for the by-election campaign and therefore the content of the ceramahs was ‘rojak’. There must be a focus theme in the message to be given to the voters.

In Kajang this time around, PKR must impress upon the voters that their vote is not only for Kajang but that their decision on the ballot paper is also representing the voice of all Malaysians.

The voters must be made to understand that the outcome of the Kajang by-election is not confined to Kajang only but has implications for the whole country’s political landscape.

Menteri Besar Khalid had better be up to the mark as the election director.

He definitely has got his work cut out for him. Granted that it is not an easy job but people will be watching him closely.

He has to be focused, clear-minded and be able to multi-task at all times. He has to be like an army commander. Will he be able to pass the test this time around?

By Selena Tay, FMT

A By-election like a General Election

THE KAJANG by election is simply getting bigger. And the biggest question is will Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim be allowed to submit his nomination papers come Tuesday March 11?

Simply put – will Anwar be eligible to stand for election? All will depend on the decision of the Court of Appeal with regards to the prosecution’s appeal against his acquittal of Sodomy II.

Or “Fitnah II” as supporters of the opposition leader calls it.

The court can be expected to make the all important decision by Monday – a day before the Kajang nomination day. It’s not far fetched to say the world awaits that decision.

So that aside, what are the issues of the Kajang by-election thus far?

Obviously the “big picture” en route to capturing Putrajaya. As we know that’s what PR are saying.

"Save Selangor from Anwar" – that’s the BN line. We know that also.

Along similar lines as the BN but with a slight twist – “ Retain Khalid Ibrahim as MB.” That’s what independent candidate Datuk Zaid Ibrahim is trumpeting.

Then you have the Khalid-Azmin spat, the water MOU and all the side shows which come with it.

And of course there’s the high costs of living issue.

By the look of things the people of Kajang are looking at all those issues. Well most of them anyway. Come to think of it, how could they not as such issues have been served upon them ever since the seat fell vacant.

And the way it became vacant was “national debate” by itself.  No elaboration needed as we know the story already.

Kajang is “urban” with a touch of “rural.” Not cosmopolitan yet close to Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya. And a big number of residents work in the big city commuting daily. Hence the populace, especially the young are “into national politics”.

But what about “local” issues?  Don’t issues like drainage, garbage collection, and housing matter? And the traffic jams. Other than satay, Kajang town is also famous for its gridlock.

Well they do. To an extent. There are residents who have brought it up to the attention of  Anwar. Some people, many of them young are using twitter to get their message across to him. Why bring it up to Anwar ? Perhaps because he’s Pakatan and PR are government in Selangor.

But those with local issues are not many though. Judging from the tweets to Anwar that is. And according to the tweets, many are seen to be interested in anti corruption efforts, good governance and justice. Big stuff like that.

However, voters of Kajang are also served with issues played outside the constituency. Religious issues like the “Allah” controversy and the Bahasa Melayu bible as well as allegations of Islam and Malays being “under threat”.

DAP’s Lm Kit Siang has from the beginning asked if the Kajang by election will be “the dirtiest or the cleanest by election in Malaysian history." To the veteran politician it can be either "depending on the role of the contending candidates, the two political coalitions – BN and PR – and the supervising bodies like the EC and police etc".

To him the Kajang by election promises to be a by-election of many surprises with the holding of the poll itself being the first surprise.

Surprise No.2 said Lim was the prompt “reflex action” of Umno information chief  Datuk Ahmad Maslan who said the BN  would “remind” the people of the sexual allegations against Anwar in the past one and the half decades. To Lim its more of “character assassination”.

And the third surprise said Lim was the EC’s decision to “create history by having the longest delay for holding the by election  – a 55 day vacancy for Kajang which many see "is to give time for differences within PR and PKR or outside to be fully exploited to the detriment of Anwar’s candidacy".

Even the timing of the nomination day on March 11 said Lim “cannot be unrelated to the opening of the of the second session of the 13th Parliament on March 10 and the beginning of the debate on the Royal Address on March 11.”

Said Lim: "Isn’t the timing aimed at sabotaging Anwar’s participation as the lead Pakatan spokesman in the parliamentary debate which would start on March  11 itself? Or is this a coincidence?"

And of course the prosecution appeal against Anwar’s Sodomy II acquittal.

Anyway the BN a couple of days ago, has promised a clean and “no personal attack” campaign. The pledge was made by Tan Sri  Muhyiddin Yassin despite Ahmad Maslan’s earlier remarks.

That should “write off” the (mis?)information chief’s plan.

But to PKR leaders, the “embarrassment and humiliation” against Anwar “have been taken care” of by Datuk Shafee Abdullah acting as chief prosecutor in the appeal’s case, “to be played up by for TV3 and Utusan Malaysia". Both are strong pro BN media.

And prior to that, former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad launched an attack on Anwar with regards to the sodomy charges.

No matter how one look at it, the Kajang by-election is no “ordinary” by-election. Looking all the more like a general election of sorts as the March 23 polling day approaches.

It’s more than just about choosing a state assemblyman or a wakil rakyat.

The people of Kajang are asked to propel Anwar to Putrajaya or end his political career.

But before they can have their say, the Court of Appeal will have its say first.


Source: FZ

A House Divided

Several days ago, DAP's parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang quoted Abraham Lincoln's "A house divided against itself cannot stand" to warn Pakatan Rakyat, admitting that Anwar's biggest enemy is not the independent candidate nor MCA or even Umno, but PKR itself.

There are good reasons why Lim, a seasoned political fighter, has said so.

The three candidates in the Kajang race have all shown themselves by now, as Anwar, Chew Mei Fun and Zaid Ibrahim are pitched against one another in full swing. But so far the election heat has yet to peak. In its stead, a water MoU has exposed the intricacies within PKR, setting alight the war flame within the party itself.

Khalid Ibrahim and Azmin Ali have pointed fingers at each other, attracting not only the attention of the media but also the eyeballs of people in the street.

Anwar has long anticipated a landslide victory in Kajang, but with the election war yet to warm up, controversies over a "manipulated by-election" and "intra-party conflicts" have brewed into potential abstentions which could thin off Anwar's majority votes, and this is definitely not going to augur well for either Pakatan or its de facto leader.

Backlash over the "manipulated election" could die off soon, hopefully, as feelings get diluted after the election, along with all sorts of frustration and conflicts. But if the infightings are allowed to live through, the aftermath could be irreparable, and "a house divided against itself cannot stand" will thus become self-explanatory.

After the 13th general elections last May, political parties in the country have seen their chaotic moments, be it MCA, Gerakan Rakyat, DAP or PKR, albeit at different levels of chaos. But to the ordinary citizens, the impression etched on their minds is the same for people feel they have been let down.

Conflicts and factional struggles are an innate trait of politicking, occasionally punctuated with some hypocritical compromises that have made a clear demarcation between a friend and a foe at times obscured. All this serves to illustrate the point that politics is indeed a highly complicated thing. So are its players.

That said, majority of the voters are very simplistic, and just because they are so, many have placed their favorite parties or leaders high on the pedestal. The moment they discover that their exalted heroes do not live up to their expectations, they will find it hard to accept and believe, and will get utterly disappointed and dejected. Of course they have also picked up some valuable lessons along the way and will cast their ballots with more sober minds come the next GE.

I have come across many voters in this category. They keep grumbling why their elected reps are nowhere in sight or making only momentary appearances as if their constituencies are nothing better than brief transit stops.

There are also friends who have complained that their reps were so approachable just before the elections but not after the race was won.

They are even people who lash out mercilessly that politicians change after they have been elected, not to be outdone by their predecessors.

But none of these frustrations towards politicians come more unbearable than disappointments towards infightings in their parties.

Indeed, such infightings have utterly crushed the voters' hopes, as they have harbored unrealistically high expectations for these politicians and their parties that they now find themselves thrown into the valley of despair.

If politicians and their parties fail to visualize such a reversal of voter emotions and think rationally, fantasizing that voter support is unbreakable, then I'm, sorry to say, "Well, let's see if the saying 'a house divided against itself cannot stand' will be brought to fruition."

By LIM MUN FAH
Translated by DOMINIC LOH
Sin Chew Daily

Shouting is no solution to solving national woes

PETALING JAYA: Amid the protracted religious and racial row drummed up by Perkasa bigots linked to Umno, MCA vice-president Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun said “we cannot keep shouting our way through”.

She said although the relevant parties were expected to state their stand, “we are here to solve problems, not shout or create more controversies”.

Chew, who is slated to be Barisan Nasional’s (BN) candidate for the March 23 Kajang by-election, agreed that “there should be more dialogues between the ruling component parties to solve public interest issues, especially those that are sensitive”.

“Maybe we need more BN meetings … we need to improve on the way we handle such national problems and come up with solutions based on consensus. This will then not cause us to differ in opinions and public statements.

“We may then be able to improve public perception on BN,” she told theantdaily in an interview.

She said racial and religious tension started to rear its ugly head due to the lack of dialogue and communication between all stakeholders.

“I believe we should create more avenues for the stakeholders and the people to let them have their say in interfaith dialogues,” Chew said.

She said MCA should always keep communication channels between component parties open and refrain from antagonising one another in the BN coalition.

“In short, we are leaving room for discussions,” she added.

On the public perception that MCA is an Umno stooge, Chew said: “The MCA has been playing a key role in the BN government. We are not subservient to Umno but we don’t shout about it.

“We are in the business of administration, not a contest to shout the loudest.”

Asked whether the Perkasa links to Umno would be a liability to her election campaign, Chew said: “No. When a BN candidate is fielded, all the component parties will be roped in to help in campaigning.”

“Just because Umno is helping MCA in an election campaign, it does not mean that we are subservient to them. We have been doing this for 57 years.”

Deputy Prime Minister and BN deputy chairman Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had on Feb 21 announced Chew as the BN candidate to face PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the by-election. To date, Muhyiddin, Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin and Umno vice-president and Home Minister Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi are the key leaders who have gone to the ground to help in Chew’s campaign.

From the MCA, so far, only president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai and his deputy Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong have stepped into Kajang to help in BN’s campaign.

However, various MCA leaders have been actively issuing statements to the media to help Chew’s campaign.

On Pakatan Rakyat labelling her as a “sacrificial lamb”, Chew retorted: “BN should not stay out of this forced by-election.”

“The former Kajang assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh had to step down to make way for Anwar to contest. They keep on saying we should stay away from the by-election as it is a waste of public funds and a clear abuse of power.

“But I think we should contest because they have created a vacancy to serve their own purpose; we must use this chance to replace them.

“If we stay out of the election, it is as good as acknowledging and condoning that they have the right to abuse their powers. We should be competing on the premise of clean and healthy democracy.”

Chew urged the public not to view BN’s entry into the by-election as a “losing battle”.

“We must do whatever is right, even if it is risky, so that we can lead by example. For example, the late Tun Dr Tan Cheng Lock took a risky political decision in urging the Chinese to register themselves as Malayans before Independence, even though they were hesitant to do so.

“If we keep worrying about the other possibilities like rejection from the voters or the inability to gain public confidence, we end up being indecisive instead,” she added.

Source: The Ant Daily

Kajang: The Watery Grave

PETALING JAYA (Feb 28): A game of chess – that best describes the way the current water situation and upcoming Kajang by-election are being played.

In a nation already reeling from price hikes and an uncertain economy, the game being played by politicians from Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) only further exacerbates the anxieties of the people.

While many Malaysians may feel the Kajang by-election is a futile exercise that will not change their lives, questions are arising whether it indeed will, now as the water restructuring exercise is being linked to the by-election.

Out of the blue, Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Federal Government on Wednesday paving the way for the construction of the contentious Langat 2 water treatment plant and related projects.

This took the PR parties by surprise as most were embarrassingly caught unaware of the development.

The question now is why the sudden urgency and secrecy by the Selangor government to ink the deal after six years of impasse?

Has it got anything to do with the impending removal of Khalid, if PKR de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim wins in Kajang?

Is that scenario making Khalid and the BN break out in cold sweat and have sleepless nights?

To answer these questions, one has to relook the issues preceding the MoU signing.

On Jan 8, much to the surprise of PR parties, Khalid made an unilateral announcement that Selangor and the Federal government have reached an understanding on the water issue.

That same day, then PKNS general manager Othman Omar sent a letter to PKR deputy president and Selangor chief Azmin Ali that he had been dropped as a director in the state subsidiary, claiming it was on the instruction of the state executive council.

Power play then began in Selangor and the tide slowly turned against Khalid and it culminated with calls for his ouster.

Although Khalid later managed to state his case that he had never sacked Azmin, it was too late for him.

Then came the Kajang gambit played by Anwar.

On Jan 27, Khalid was taken by surprise when he said he only knew from media reports that Kajang assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh had resigned.

A by-election was called and Anwar had since been announced as the candidate and should he win, is strongly touted to replace Khalid as the new Menteri Besar.

Khalid then went on to say that he was not resigning and this raised the spectre of a confrontation with Anwar.

On Feb 13, amid claims of overtures from BN, Khalid’s long-standing court dispute with Bank Islam suddenly ended with an out of court settlement.

Against this backdrop, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced the MoU on Wednesday.

This has set tongues wagging since most Selangor PR law makers and those involved in the water negotiations over the years were left out of the loop.

Is Khalid using the water issue in his power play with Anwar and his nemesis Azmin?

It looks like Khalid has well used his Ace, which is the water issue.

It must have also been a huge relief to Najib and company as dealing with Anwar as the MB must have sent jitters to those who are only too well-versed with him when he was the Deputy Prime Minister.

With Khalid under pressure from within PKR, has BN found a safe haven for him?

It is believed that the water deal was brokered by a very high ranking “Tan Sri” while Najib had asked his officers from the Prime Minister’s Department to speak to the concession holders, which include Splash, Puncak Niaga and Syabas.

With the water issue out of the picture for now, Anwar will have few bargaining chips left, when and if he takes over as the MB.

Anwar must have relished the spectre of dictating terms to the BN but Khalid may have robbed him of that pleasure.

Kept in the dark by Khalid

PKR leader Dr Xavier Jayakumar voiced the party’s strategic director Rafizi Ramli’s lament that the party was left in the dark over Khalid’s water dealings with Federal Government.

“We have no idea what it is all about and we are only reading the details in the media.

“We had our political bureau meeting on Tuesday and Khalid’s representative did not utter a word about it. This is not the way we should learn about it.”

Meanwhile Klang MP Charles Santiago of the DAP said Khalid seemed to think that he knew everything and failed to deliberate with others involved in the water negotiations.

“I was involved in the talks but now I don’t even know why an understanding was reached. There are so many unanswered issues like the non-revenue water issue and how will be the RM2 billion from Putrajaya be used?”

He added that the water issue had left a bad taste among many PR politicians in the state.    

Meanwhile PAS research centre director and former Kuala Selangor MP Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad said that until last Monday, Khalid had maintained to the state water review panel that the meeting with the Federal government had yet to materialise.

“We were totally unaware of things and suddenly we received a call asking us to attend the signing of the MoU.

“Personally, we are happy as it is for the benefit of the people, but the question here is at what price. What was the trade-off between Khalid and Najib? RM9.65 billion was what we had been asking for from day one of the negotiations.”

He said the party believed there was some form of intervention and plenty of arm-twisting for the MoU to materialise.

“They have refused to sign the deal all along and suddenly they do … why? It does not take a genius to figure that it has something to do with Kajang.

He said it was okay if RM9.65billion was all that was involved.

“But if there is some form of compensation we do not know about, then it may eventually come back to us. There should not be any hidden cost or agenda.

“We have objected to the Langat 2 project all along and suddenly everything is agreed upon. None of the panel members were consulted at all.

“The timing of this MoU is too telling, taking into consideration the Bank Islam out of court settlement and the Kajang by-election. These issues have been long standing and suddenly they are resolved.

“From what we heard, Najib is worried about the post-election scenario which may make Anwar much stronger if he is made MB.”

With so much play in progress, the coming weeks should see many more daring and vicious moves taking shape.

Written by Shanker Ganesh and Patrick Sennyah of FZ

Akan Datang: The Kajang Cat Fight!!!!

Report No 1: 

PETALING JAYA: PKR strategist Rafizi Ramli has promised to disclose information about Zaid Ibrahim that he says will damage the latter’s reputation.

Commenting on Zaid’s call for a debate with Anwar Ibrahim, Rafizi told FMT today that he would wait till this Wednesday to reveal the “dirt” he had unearthed that would put his boss’s challenger on the defensive.

Zaid announced last week that he would challenge Anwar in the Kajang by-election and has sought a debate which the PKR leader has declined.

“I know that Zaid has been attacking Anwar, projecting himself as having better credibility,” Rafizi said. “His campaign theme is about attacking Anwar on his credibility. “I will answer Zaid’s criticisms on Wednesday.

I’ve been meaning to answer earlier, but I haven’t had the chance. So if he can be a bit patient, things will be a bit more fun. “I’ve got some things to throw at Zaid. He’ll have to explain a few things about his own credibility.”

More here.

Report No 2 

PETALING JAYA: Anwar Ibrahim’s refusal to debate Zaid Ibrahim has left the latter accusing the Opposition leader of being too afraid to face him.

“I don’t think he’s afraid of me, but he is afraid of the people. He has built his image, so he doesn’t want that image to be dispelled. Maybe a debate with me would probably impact his image a bit,” Zaid told FMT.

Last week, the former Cabinet minister and independent candidate for the March 23 Kajang by-election had issued a challenge to debate with Anwar on issues ranging from personality to policies.

Such a debate would allow the Kajang voters to decide who is a more credible individual, Zaid had told FMT in an exclusive interview today.

But when met by reporters yesterday, Anwar unexpectedly backed off from the invitation, saying it was “not in [his] programme.”

Anwar’s refusal to debate Zaid runs contrary to his own habit of issuing challenges to Najib Tun Razak for a debate.

Despite this, Zaid today stopped short of calling Anwar a hypocrite, saying instead it was up to the people to decide what Anwar’s actions spoke of him.

But Zaid did express disappointment at this turn of events, saying it would deprive Kajang voters of the “real reason” the Permatang Pauh MP was contesting the state seat.

“It will be a loss of opportunity for Kajang voters to know all the issues – the conflict between Pakatan Rakyat, why he wants to remove Khalid Ibrahim.

 More here.

Report No 3

PETALING JAYA: “Let’s debate!” said Zaid Ibrahim, with a scathing glitter in his eyes.

It is a challenge often enunciated by his rival Anwar Ibrahim, and now thrown back at the PKR de facto chief.
“I want to debate in Kajang on why he wants to be Menteri Besar. Why is he better than Khalid? How is he a credible leader?” he asked, his every word punctuated with a thump of his fist on his desk.

“His supporters say I’m not credible. His supporters say Zaid is an Umno plant. Zaid is whatever. So I want to debate with him, let’s see who’s more credible,” said Zaid.

Zaid, a former Cabinet minister, former PKR member, and former Anwar ally has no doubts in his mind on who would triumph in both the proposed war of words and the looming battle for the ballots.

It was only two days ago that the veteran politician announced his intention to run in the PKR-engineered polls, a by-election that most political observers and analysts say is Anwar’s to win.

But Zaid is undaunted. In an exclusive interview at his mansion in Tropicana yesterday, the former law minister said he was better than Anwar on many levels, and laid down his cards one by one. “I’m better (than Anwar) because I’m honest, I’m truthful, I don’t play around in politics like he does. I didn’t have sex problems. I wasn’t sacked.

“I quit (the Cabinet) because of principles, very important principles – using preventive detention laws against people. So I quit.

Did Anwar quit? He didn’t. He was sacked. So that’s a difference.

“He’s very divisive, he wants to topple Khalid. I don’t want to topple Khalid,” said Zaid, the former de facto law minister with an air of finality, akin to a declaration of ‘checkmate’.

For that is Zaid’s trump card, one which he intends to play to the hilt – that he is the go-to man for voters happy with the Selangor Menteri Besar’s performance.

He said voters are fed up with PKR for orchestrating a by-election so soon after the general election and are hungry for a third, independent force to balance out a two-party system.

More HERE.

Conclusion??

VIVA LA Chew Mei Fun! Vote for Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun!

Kajang - Safe for PKR?

Here's a commendable analysis by Lim Soa Goan.

I formatted the fonts for emphasis.

Is Kajang A Safe Bet for PKR?

Nomination for the Kajang by-election has yet to open, but it has already brought out a whole lot of political feuds to warm up for the intensive election war to come.

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said Anwar Ibrahim should take responsibility for the 1987 Ops Lalang while MCA president Liow Tiong Lai accused Anwar of suppressing Chinese education during his tenure as education minister, citing the record of a RM10 symbolic allocation for a Chinese school.

The ill-feeling between Mahathir and Anwar lives on, and there is no way the former would want to see his ex-deputy win his way to the office of menteri besar. The election war will surely be an eye-catcher if Mahathir goes down to Kajang to campaign for BN's candidate in a heads-on clash with the PKR advisor.

Former minister in the Prime Minister's Department Zaid Ibrahim has joined in the race, citing the need to keep Khalid in his MB's office. But lying behind this outward excuse is his love-hate relationship with Anwar, as well as PKR's deputy president Azmin Ali.

When Zaid declared he was out of the PKR deputy presidency race in 2010, he made it clear that the party's de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and his election rival Azmin were the "root of the problem," and had urged both to step down so as to remove the last hindrance for Pakatan and PKR to keep growing.

Given his hard stance back then, it is no doubt Zaid is now back to stand in Anwar's way. If Anwar were to become the Selangor MB, Azmin would have a hand in the state's political resources, and Zaid is determined to teach both a lesson by diluting the ballots.

Zaid was able to garner so many votes in Ulu Selangor by-election not because he had the guts to break ranks with Umno but because the voters were unhappy with BN and had responded to the calls of Pakatan Rakyat. If he were to plant his feet in Kajang this time, he will surrender whatever residual support he still has now.

BN goes specifically for Anwar because it knows Kajang is not a place it can capture easily. Moreover, the ruling coalition's lackadaisical performance in running the country over the past one year is not going to be convincing to many a Kajang voter.

According to a recent survey by the UM Centre of Democracy and Elections (Umcedel), 59% of Kajang voters say the by-election should be held so that Anwar could become Selangor MB. The UM study comes close to that of PKR's, which shows that 47% of voters are positive about the by-election. Majority of them believe the by-election has been created by PKR out of political and strategic needs.

69% of UM's respondents say they will support Pakatan because of the rising prices while 65% will vote for Pakatan because of BN's power abuse.

Meanwhile, PKR's survey shows that 42% of Kajang voters feel that crime and safety are priority issues while 38% and 30% are more concerned about traffic jams and garbage disposal problems, respectively. Only 11% care about the municipality council's services.

Inflation, corruption, public safety and traffic all fall within the jurisdiction of the federal administration. BN can turn the tide around if it is able to come up with solutions to address these issues.

But, these problems remain very much apparent during the past one year due to BN leader's incompetency. They have nothing to show to the Kajang residents what they have done since the last general election.

The Ops Cantas by the police on August 17 last year indeed produced some early results in battling serious crimes, especially shooting incidents, but it appears that such cases have made a comeback of late.

As for traffic congestion, the federal government has failed to put in an effective strategy to tackle the problem despite the fact several highways skirt the town. These additional highways will not solve the people's problems, thanks to a poor public transportation system that makes driving.a necessity.

Even the Malay votes that Umno is quite comfortable with will not be a sure bet on the back of rising goods prices. According to UM's study, 62% of Malay voters may lean towards Pakatan just because of this.

Another unfavourable factor for BN is the untimely resignation of Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy as deputy minister in the PM's department, citing BN's failure to honour the promises it made to Hindraf.

Although Malays and Chinese make up the majority of the voters in Kajang, the 10.29% of Indian voters there do play a pivotal role. If Hindraf still has its influence in the Indian society, Waytha can always bank on the by-election to hammer Najib. Najib will have a hard time facing the conservatives in his party if Chinese votes do not go back to BN and more Indian votes are drained away.

While Chew Mei Fun can look to voters who give her the thumbs-up for fulfilling her electoral promises, that does not give her an upper hand in the race under the weight of a multitude of national issues and widespread frustration.

Unless BN can tip the balance over the next one month, Anwar is expected to sail past his first hurdle towards the MB's office easily. As for how he is going to pick up the pieces for the state PKR, that is another question altogether. – Sin Chew Daily, February 23, 2014.

By Lim Sue Goan, MySinChew 

Anwar - the Freeloader

Anwar Ibrahim has now admitted that not only is he running for the Kajang state assembly seat but he is also in talks to replace the current Menteri Besar of Selangor, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim. “There is that possibility being considered now,” he told foreign media on 7 February. “We do not discount the possibility of a change of guard.”

In coming clean, Anwar has exposed his opportunistic and scheming ways to the Rakyat in what is an affront to Malaysian democracy.

After not even 9 months on the job, PKR assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh quit his mandate without providing his constituents or those who voted for him an adequate reason. The reason is now crystal clear. Anwar wanted Lee’s job so as to steal Khalid’s job. And all for the sole purpose of using Selangor to showcase himself for another run at Putrajaya.

“This is our launch pad,” Anwar said. “This is the richest state, the most effective state, the most popular state and we will showcase how we run through good governance and transparent governance.” It is Putrajaya that Anwar cares about. Not democracy, not the Rakyat and not even his own party allies.

The choice of Selangor is outrageous. Choosing one of the richest states will exposes Anwar as an opportunistic freeloader. If he really wanted to showcase his pedigree, why not choose Kelantan, where he would face tougher challenges of poverty reduction and development?

Proving himself the old fashioned way, by helping the Rakyat rather than furthering his own dying political career, would do a lot more for his stated goal of obtaining the keys to Putrajaya. Instead, Anwar is intent on bolstering his CV by swooping into Selangor and taking the credit for the work of Khalid and numerous others. One has to ask whether there is another motive.

Anwar promised to step down from politics if his coalition lost the general election. He is now wildly justifying his run in Kajang based on economic and racial problems that have forced him to change his mind. But what economic problems is he referring to? The Malaysian economy is expected to grow at over 5% in 2014. Moodys rating agency said on 6 February that, “Good governance in Malaysia will support the economic outlook for the next 18 months”. And surely he cannot possibly be arrogant enough to think he and he alone can solve racial problems.

It is an unquenchable thirst for power that is the driving force behind Anwar’s decision. The Kajang fiasco is setting off alarm bells all over Malaysia. A leader should possess integrity and concern for the Rakyat. Kajang is highlighting once again that Anwar has neither.

By
Datuk Huan Cheng Guan
President
Center For Political Awareness Malaysia

The Superman of Malaysian Politics

The MP of Permatang Pauh, PKR leader, Pakatan Rakyat leader, the candidate for Kajang by-election, and possibly the next Menteri Besar of Selangor – Anwar Ibrahim, regards himself as the Superman of Malaysian politics.

However ‘Awtar Man’ (*awtar is a colloquial expression for baloney) is a more appropriate moniker for this once-upon-a-time over-glorified political icon who has broken all barriers in a super human act to save himself by pretending to save Selangor or Pakatan or whatever, whoever he can pretend to save.

While he preens his own feathers and gathers his many broken crowns of glory before a dwindling number of supporters, the rest of the world gasps shock for just the day before, DSAI had denied speculations that he is to replace the current Selangor Menteri Besar, Abdul Khalid Ibrahim.

As early as 1993, Anwar had already flipped-flopped when he wanted to dethrone Ghafar Baba. Anwar denied he wanted contest the deputy presidency of Umno but flipped-flopped soon after citing ‘a tremendous feedback from grassroots’.

Anwar even dared to betray Mahathir during the 1998 financial crisis by turning Umno against Mahathir with the aim of toppling him with accusations of nepotism and cronyism only to be outwitted and the rest is a bitter pill of failure, which Anwar still refuses to swallow until today!

That is Anwar for you, the Awtar Man of the Malaysian political sphere – the only politician who has been consistently inconsistent:

1 Nothing happened with his so-called declaration that 31 BN MPs would cross over to PR on September 16th 2008.

2 His claim that 40,000 illegals were brought in to vote was followed by an innocent denial of ‘No, I did not say that’ publicised months later despite the earlier statement reported worldwide.

3 After the infamous run-in at Narita Airport where he had to leave Japan for not following procedures, he accused the Malaysian Foreign Ministry for having a hand in it and later denied making the accusation.

4 In 1999, he claimed he was poisoned which some believe was a political ploy ahead of upcoming general elections then.

5 Then there is his infamous back pain claim where the German specialist from Munich, Dr Thomas Hoogland was called as witness in his sodomy II trial to ‘confirm’ that Anwar could not have sodomised his aide, Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan, as he had back pains.

6 Who can forget Anwar’s claims that people are out to kill him?

Today, we see a fatigued, disillusioned Anwar, fallen, bruised, hurt, indignantly believing his quest to Putrajaya is unstoppable. We see an ailing and aged Anwar who has shown his lack of scruples through decades. We see Anwar in a frenzy powered by sheer desperation and power-crazed mania, grabbing every available opportunity as long as it matches his covert motives.

This faux pas of contesting in the Kajang by-election will be his undoing for now, all and sundry can see his scheming, manipulative, opportunistic cum hypocritical chess moves in a game of charades by once again, masquerading as a saviour, simultaneously stirring dissenting and divisive sentiments to disastrous levels of disunity.

Beyond that repulsive notion of Anwar, clutching at any straw through which he can barely breathe would be the silent outraged cries of Kajang voters who went to the polls and elected Lee Chin Cheh, believing he would keep to his promises to serve them.

Alas, they have been betrayed and played out by the chameleon. To Anwar, they are but mere worthless pawns in a chessboard where he is the Queen of the chessboard, with the irrevocable entitlement to do whatever his heart desires whenever and wherever…till eternity.

Malaysians are about to have this superman hijack democracy just so he can have his own selfish way in Selangor. Think about it, Malaysians. Are you really willing and ready to put your trust in this man who has never failed to disappoint you repeatedly with his incredulous inconsistencies?

Kajang voters must stand together and bantah Lee Chin Cheh’s resignation and demand explanations. Are you willing to put your trust in DSAI after his record of accomplishment shows how it is Anwar’s second nature to play to the gallery to make Statement A to one group and then Statement B to another group without batting an eyelid?

Now, Anwar is downgrading himself to MB since he cannot be PM. Besides, he is already wearing so many hats, do you think he can take on another position when he cannot even handle what he has on his plate?

Clearly, Anwar wants to take control of Selangor and from there, malevolently stir the cauldron of hatred until he can realise his dream of becoming PM of Malaysia. Do not be deceived, Malaysians! He is the last person on this planet who should be Selangor MB. 

Kajang voters, vote Anwar at your own peril. Make a better choice! 

Anyone (capable and responsible) but Anwar!

Written by:
Datuk Huan Cheng Guan
President, 
Centre for Political Awareness

PKR Limbo Rocks

How low can PKR get in its feeble attempt to make right the Selangor plot that went awry? In a limbo rock move, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today that he would contest the coming Kajang following a collective decision made by Pakatan to ensure a strong victory. When in Malaysia has there ever been a sudden resignation by an assemblyman who states he was stepping down for the common good of Pakatan followed by an announcement of the candidate for the by-election the next day? Never. Dodgy? You bet!

PR and PKR supporters who cannot see through subtly orchestrated shadow play drama that began with the sudden resignation of Kajang assemblyman Lee Chin Cheh are living in denial or selective blindness. The whole scenario smacks of manipulation of voters’ choice in the GE to suit PKR’s game plan in a last-ditch desperate effort to restore normalcy in turbulent PKR.

At a time when Pakatan Rakyat is stirring Malaysians to protest against rising prices, removal of subsidies via Turun protests and other avenues, we see a situation where there will be massive wastage of public funds simply because PKR is allegedly unhappy with MB Khalid in:

· ending Azmin’s term as member of the board of the Selangor Development Corporation.

· the JAIS seizure of bibles

· the row over non-Muslim’s use of the term “Allah”

· the huge pay hike for Selangor elected representatives etc.



For all the reasons mentioned above, surely just a plain uncomplicated resignation by MB Khalid due to personal/medical reasons should suffice instead resorting to a forced resignation and then unnecessary expenditure for a by-election. It is definitely not only unjustified and untimely but smacks of the trademark double standards practiced by Anwar, PKR, and Pakatan Rakyat. When it suits them, it is okay to have a by-election or to use public funds for their agenda but when it does no gel with their motives; they will go on a targeted missile attack to raise public awareness of what is wrong. This time, Anwar and his motley crew have blundered big time for Malaysians are not as ignorant or stupid as they think.

Clearly, Anwar had no other choice but to make the rakyat pay for the shaky situation he faces in Selangor. If he does not offer himself as a candidate for MB, Khalid will not step aside for he would not want Azmin Ali to replace him. In addition, if Anwar is not the candidate, Azmin will want to stand for election. If that happens, Wan Azizah will be most unhappy and create a ruckus. Standing in middle ground, Anwar has no choice but to be the sacrificial lamb – at the rakyat’s expense, especially Kajang voters.

Besides, the current brouhaha over Nurul Izzah’s marital state is likely to have weakened support for PKR and PR so Anwar had to throw in a red herring and control a state that is gradually slipping out of the grips of Pakatan Rakyat.

Who suffers? Who pays? Who gains? That is the PKR Limbo-Rock antidote for Selangor!Fair? Justified?


You judge for yourself!