The new Selangor executive councillor lineup announced today sees PAS' representation slashed following the party's obstructive role in the Selangor MB saga.
With this, PAS' exco members are down from the previous four to three, with PKR taking up the spot to give it four.
However, the deputy speaker post will be given to PAS.
The PKR-DAP-PAS composition of the new lineup, which was approved by the sultan yesterday, was announced by newly-minted MB Mohamed Azmin Ali.
The lineup announced at the press conference this morning is as follows:
Elizabeth Wong (PKR)
Daroyah Alwi (PKR)
Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR) *
Amirudin Shari (PKR) *
Teng Chang Khim (DAP)
Ean Yong Hian Wah (DAP)
V Ganabatirau (DAP)
Iskandar Abdul Samad (PAS)
Ahmad Yunus Hairi (PAS)
Zaidy Abdul Talib (PAS) *
* newcomer
[More to follow]
Source: Malaysiakini
Promoting Thinking Minds Via Rational Rationale
Showing posts with label PKR. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PKR. Show all posts
Friday, 26 September 2014
Thursday, 11 September 2014
The apology that was an insult
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has apologised on behalf of DAP for insulting the Sultan of Selangor. PKR’s de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, too, has apologised in the event the Sultan felt slighted by the insult.However, Anwar insists that he did no wrong in submitting only one name for Menteri Besar instead of three names as commanded by the Sultan since, if we follow convention, this is what Umno also does.
In short, if Umno can do it, why can’t PKR also do it? What gives Umno special privilege to be able to submit only one name while PKR is denied that same privilege?
This is almost like being asked to apologise for calling someone stupid and instead of saying, “I am sorry I called you stupid,” you say, “I am sorry you are stupid.” Is that an apology or a further insult?
The Sultan has been slighted, and the custom is for you to have an audience with him and ask for forgiveness. You do not issue a press statement like Lim and Anwar have done. That is not proper adat and protocol.
Instead of repairing the damage, Lim and Anwar have made it worse. They have just given the Sultan a second slap. Now, even if they request an audience, the Sultan will turn them down.
I am not sure whether Lim and Anwar are really that ignorant of proper protocol or whether they purposely wanted to insult the Sultan a second time. Whatever it may be they seem to not only want to close the door but they want to lock it and throw away the key.
Good luck to DAP and PKR in their effort to replace Khalid Ibrahim as the Menteri Besar of Selangor. If you do not even know how to be civil with the Sultan, how are you going to move forward?
By Roslan Bistamam, Free Malaysia Today
Monday, 28 July 2014
Top Ten Reasons Why Pakatan Rakyat is a Failure
1. A coalition is a group of people/parties/organizations who share common interest in reaching the same goal and work together harmoniously by regularly meeting and resolving issues/differences. Pakatan Rakyat does not do this.
Although PAS, DAP and PKR share the same goal of toppling BN, they do not have common interests, philosophy or methodology in reaching that goal.
2. A coalition draws inspiration and direction from citizens/members/regional population. This does not apply for Pakatan Rakayt.
PAS, DAP and PKR each get direction from THREE DIFFERENT party leaders who do not co-exist for the same goal.
3. A coalition works to build a healthy community. Pakatan Rakyat thrives by sowing the seeds of dissent.
PAS, DAP and PKR work for self-interest. Decisions made by leaders are usually for THEIR PERSONAL interests.
A good example is the Kajang by-election and MB issue in Selangor.
4. A coalition draws up guidelines and work towards achieving their goals by following guidelines. This does not apply to Pakatan Rakyat.
Pakatan Rakyat had differences when drafting their Buku Jingga and even when completed, it remains A BUKU - A MERE BOOK for show. All else is forgotten!
5. A coalition must have members which respect member parties/organizations but not Pakatan Rakyat.
Pakatan Rakyat coalition party leaders have no qualms about asking other parties to leave when their ideology or methodology do NOT match.
Malaysiakini reported that Lim Guan Eng said "the biggest issue after Aidilfitri celebrations is whether the two party system can continue in Malaysia.
The breaking up of Pakatan Rakyat on the refusal of one component party to respect and hold on to views arrived at together, could not be discounted according to his Hari Raya statement today."
6. A coalition must have member parties/organizations that respect and honour the decisions and opinions of other members.
Recently, PAS frustrated PKR and DAP when it said that there was no reason to remove Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim from his post. According to Lim Guan Eng, "if the decisions we have achieved together in the Pakatan highest leadership council is dismissed just like that by one party, the survival and credibility of Pakatan will be continue to be undermined."
What future is left for Pakatan Rakyat, what hope is there for its supporters when Lim Guan Eng himself has PUBLICLY acknowledged that the survival and credibility of Pakatan Rakyat is at stake? Zilch.
7. A coalition makes and keeps promises but not Pakatan Rakyat.
Over the years, Pakatan Rakyat has CLAIMED it can govern if it is given the mandate by the rakyat. They promised to show their shadow cabinet which today has been in the shadows, never ever seeing the light of day! Are they capable of governing Malaysia when they cannot even keep a basic promise?
8. A coalition must show and develop its abilities and competence to foster healthy relationships with member parties/organizations to sustain efforts to reach their mission. Sorry, this does not apply to PR.
Pakatan Rakyat leaders almost always issue individual press statements without consulting/considering or acknowledging the views of other leaders of member parties.
Is this effective cooperation or destructive individualism?
9. To succeed, a coalition must show progressive or interim victories because its members work together in unity. Pakatan Rakyat does not have any such consistent record except only in their wishful fantasies.
Since 2008, we have seen PKR, PAS and DAP fighting over seats, limelight and a host of other issues. Self-interest rules, not party cohesion. We see Anwar Ibrahim trapising all over the world to shame the country in international media whereas other leaders HAVE NO COMMENT about such actions.
Who is in charge? Is there unity?
10. A coalition can only succeed if leaders show consideration for the greater good of the country by pooling resources, ensuring proper communication flow to sustain an alliance that unites members to achieve goals and empowers leaders to share power for long-term social and political change. Pakatan Rakyat has never, will never and can never do that.
It is a marriage of convenience that never worked from Day 1. It is a threesome kind of menage a trois whereby three leaders only see themselves and not the other two leaders nor do they see the Trinity kind of leadership depicted by its name. It is never THREE-IN-ONE leadership but each screaming and fighting to be NUMBER ONE.
So there you go....this is the crux of why Pakatan Rakyat has failed and can never serve the rakyat because its leaders are self-serving giants or dinosaurs in the political sphere of Malaysia!
Friday, 25 July 2014
Hadi Backs Khalid
PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang has delivered a blow to PKR by throwing his weight behind embattled Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
According to Bernama, he said Khalid had not betrayed the trust given by the people.
"That is my stand and I hope all PAS leaders are with me," he said, adding that the decision was made after considering the views of majority of the PAS grassroots.
He said majority of PAS grassroots agreed that Khalid should remain as menteri besar.
However, this would depend on the sultan of Selangor, he told reporters when met at his house in Marang, Terengganu.
PKR had nominated its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace Khalid, a move which is believed to have the backing of DAP as well.
Hadi said Khalid's track record, in helming Selangor, and retaining the state in the 13th general election could not be denied, despite problems in Pakatan Rakyat.
He said he could not accept the grounds given by some quarters in wanting Khalid to step down.
"If he is involved in a scandal, breach of trust, misappropriation of government funds, then we can change, but if it is because of other reasons, it is not by changing the menteri besar.
"Let him complete his term," he was quoted as saying.
Asked on the possibility of PAS inviting Khalid to join the party, Hadi said PAS had no intention of doing so.
"That is not our way and since the beginning, although we have 15 seats, which is more than PKR, we give PKR the menteri besar seat because we already have the (menteri besar) seat in Kelantan.
"That shows the spirit of cooperation in Pakatan Rakyat," he added.
from Malaysiakini
According to Bernama, he said Khalid had not betrayed the trust given by the people.
"That is my stand and I hope all PAS leaders are with me," he said, adding that the decision was made after considering the views of majority of the PAS grassroots.
He said majority of PAS grassroots agreed that Khalid should remain as menteri besar.
However, this would depend on the sultan of Selangor, he told reporters when met at his house in Marang, Terengganu.
PKR had nominated its president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail to replace Khalid, a move which is believed to have the backing of DAP as well.
Hadi said Khalid's track record, in helming Selangor, and retaining the state in the 13th general election could not be denied, despite problems in Pakatan Rakyat.
He said he could not accept the grounds given by some quarters in wanting Khalid to step down.
"If he is involved in a scandal, breach of trust, misappropriation of government funds, then we can change, but if it is because of other reasons, it is not by changing the menteri besar.
"Let him complete his term," he was quoted as saying.
Asked on the possibility of PAS inviting Khalid to join the party, Hadi said PAS had no intention of doing so.
"That is not our way and since the beginning, although we have 15 seats, which is more than PKR, we give PKR the menteri besar seat because we already have the (menteri besar) seat in Kelantan.
"That shows the spirit of cooperation in Pakatan Rakyat," he added.
from Malaysiakini
Thursday, 12 June 2014
Taxpayers’ ringgit may be used to buy stocks and bonds under a proposed change to Malaysia’s tax laws set to be debated next week, according to a federal lawmaker who expressed fears of possible abuse.
KUALA LUMPUR, June 12 — Taxpayers’ ringgit may be used to buy stocks and bonds under a proposed change to Malaysia’s tax laws set to be debated next week, according to a federal lawmaker who expressed fears of possible abuse.
According to PKR MP Wong Chen, the Finance Ministry is seeking to amend the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia Act 1995 to allow the minister to remove all of the IRB’s powers on investment matters and shift these to a new seven-member investment panel.
This would go against “good practices” of managing public finances and could see taxpayers’ monies disappear in a maze of ventures, Wong alleged.
“This action will weaken our already battered democracy as it removes and hides the rakyat’s tax money from Parliamentary scrutiny and accountability,” the Kelana Jaya MP said in a statement today.
With six out of the seven members to be directly appointed by the minister, Wong said this would effectively consolidate all investment powers in the hands of a single person.
This could come at the cost of Malaysian taxpayers who might see their tax money rechanneled for Putrajaya’s use rather than on public amenities and services.
“If the Finance Minister has unlimited powers to utilise and divert our taxes for investments, we will surely see a correlating drop in spending of public services such as health and education,” he said.
Wong also expressed concern over how the panel will decide on which stocks to pursue with the taxpayers’ monies.
“What if the Investment Panel decides to support the opaque and questionable 1MDB listing?”
1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is said to be planning to publicly list its power assets in Malaysia.
Opposition lawmakers have cast a wary eye on the rate at which the sovereign fund has racked up liabilities, which recently saw its total liabilities grew to RM42 billion last year from RM8.4 billion in 2012.
“We are also very concerned about accountability and transparency of the investment panel. No transparency and accountability provisions have been included in the bill,” Wong said.
He argued that the diversion of taxes into investments will effectively allow Putrajaya to “pursue more off-budget spending at will, which are not directly accountable to Parliament”.
In contrast, he said good practices in financial management would dictate that all government revenue and taxes are placed in a consolidated fund that would be subject to scrutiny by Parliament.
The Malay Mail
According to PKR MP Wong Chen, the Finance Ministry is seeking to amend the Inland Revenue Board of Malaysia Act 1995 to allow the minister to remove all of the IRB’s powers on investment matters and shift these to a new seven-member investment panel.
This would go against “good practices” of managing public finances and could see taxpayers’ monies disappear in a maze of ventures, Wong alleged.
“This action will weaken our already battered democracy as it removes and hides the rakyat’s tax money from Parliamentary scrutiny and accountability,” the Kelana Jaya MP said in a statement today.
With six out of the seven members to be directly appointed by the minister, Wong said this would effectively consolidate all investment powers in the hands of a single person.
This could come at the cost of Malaysian taxpayers who might see their tax money rechanneled for Putrajaya’s use rather than on public amenities and services.
“If the Finance Minister has unlimited powers to utilise and divert our taxes for investments, we will surely see a correlating drop in spending of public services such as health and education,” he said.
Wong also expressed concern over how the panel will decide on which stocks to pursue with the taxpayers’ monies.
“What if the Investment Panel decides to support the opaque and questionable 1MDB listing?”
1 Malaysia Development Berhad (1MDB) is said to be planning to publicly list its power assets in Malaysia.
Opposition lawmakers have cast a wary eye on the rate at which the sovereign fund has racked up liabilities, which recently saw its total liabilities grew to RM42 billion last year from RM8.4 billion in 2012.
“We are also very concerned about accountability and transparency of the investment panel. No transparency and accountability provisions have been included in the bill,” Wong said.
He argued that the diversion of taxes into investments will effectively allow Putrajaya to “pursue more off-budget spending at will, which are not directly accountable to Parliament”.
In contrast, he said good practices in financial management would dictate that all government revenue and taxes are placed in a consolidated fund that would be subject to scrutiny by Parliament.
The Malay Mail
PKR man threatens to sue Malaysiakini
KUALA LUMPUR, June 12:
After being slapped with a lawsuit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, online news portal Malaysiakini now faces the probability of another suit from a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) state representative.
Seri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar today said legal action will be taken against the portal if it does not apologise over an article entitled ‘PKR top leaders implicated in bribery claim‘.
In the report Malaysiakini quoted Xavier as saying that the claim was ‘absolutely false’ and that the news portal did not get his response before publishing the said report.
Meanwhile, Xavier also threatened a lawsuit against suspended PKR member Badrul Hisham Shahrin or Chegubard, as well as the Tamil Malar newspaper.
Earlier, Najib and Umno executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh filed a defamation suit against the company operating the Malaysiakini portal and two of its editors over the publication of two articles last month, as reported by Bernama.
The defendants named were Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan and chief editor Fathi Aris Omar.
The suit was over two articles entitled “A case of the PM reaping what he sows” and “How much will Najib spend to keep Terengganu?” via the news portal’s ‘Yoursay’ column which is based on user comments grouped into articles.
The Rakyat Post
After being slapped with a lawsuit by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, online news portal Malaysiakini now faces the probability of another suit from a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) state representative.
Seri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar today said legal action will be taken against the portal if it does not apologise over an article entitled ‘PKR top leaders implicated in bribery claim‘.
In the report Malaysiakini quoted Xavier as saying that the claim was ‘absolutely false’ and that the news portal did not get his response before publishing the said report.
Meanwhile, Xavier also threatened a lawsuit against suspended PKR member Badrul Hisham Shahrin or Chegubard, as well as the Tamil Malar newspaper.
Earlier, Najib and Umno executive secretary Datuk Ab Rauf Yusoh filed a defamation suit against the company operating the Malaysiakini portal and two of its editors over the publication of two articles last month, as reported by Bernama.
The defendants named were Mkini Dotcom Sdn Bhd, Malaysiakini editor-in-chief Steven Gan and chief editor Fathi Aris Omar.
The suit was over two articles entitled “A case of the PM reaping what he sows” and “How much will Najib spend to keep Terengganu?” via the news portal’s ‘Yoursay’ column which is based on user comments grouped into articles.
The Rakyat Post
Saturday, 7 June 2014
Teluk Intan - The Omen for Pakatan Rakyat
KUALA LUMPUR, June 7 — Unresolved issues within Pakatan Rakyat (PR) such as PAS's renewed hudud bid and the mounting discontent in Selangor could leave the pact with just Penang and handful of federal seats in urban areas in the next general election, according to political observers.
PR leaders told The Malay Mail Online that DAP's performance in Teluk Intan — going from a 7,313-majority win in 2013 to a 238-vote loss — is an indication of potential losses in the future if PAS, DAP, and PKR do not settle its conflicts and maintain its common policy framework.
Issues such as growing public anger towards Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's handling of the Kinrara Damansara Expressway (Kidex), the seizure of Malay- and Iban-language bibles by the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) and allegations of voter manipulation and result delays in PKR's on-going party elections are but a few examples of issues facing the PR state government.
Another pressing concern is PAS's unilateral push for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, which critics have pointed out went against PR's Election 2013 manifesto.
“If this goes on, we might see a repeat of what happened to PAS in Kedah in 2013 and Barisan Nasional (BN) in Selangor before 2008.
“If voters decided to punish Pakatan in Selangor for not listening and addressing their concerns, like in the Kidex and bible issue we could very well lose the state come GE14,” former political analyst and DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
He said PAS's insistence on its hudud bid was costing the opposition pact support among non-Malay voters whom he said feel let down by the Islamist party's departure from its previous “PAS for all” agenda during GE13.
“Because PAS has pushed hudud, which is not part of PR's common manifesto, voters feel betrayed because it goes against our election promise — no hudud,” Ong added.
Adding to that concern, Ong said was PKR's leadership crisis and internal strife in its party election.
“The fact that the elections have dragged on longer than it should is distracting the party from addressing its problems with the Selangor administration.
“The other worry is that PKR's election problems may affect Pakatan's agenda for free and fair elections.... how do we promote that when there are serious concerns as to the transparency of elections on a party level,” he said.
PKR’s internal polls have been mired by allegations of corruption and impropriety, forcing the party to conduct fresh balloting for 35 branches and indefinitely postpone the results.
Selangor DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo agreed with his party colleague, stressing that PR had a “moral obligation” to uphold all of its Election 2013 promises.
A vocal opponent of Kidex, Gobind said that MB Khalid's support for the highway as well as PAS's hudud push contravened the opposition pact's common agenda.
Kidex is a proposed 14.9km highway that will cut through densely-populated parts of Petaling Jaya that is meeting with increasing resistance from residents.
“Promises made during elections must be kept, there is no other way around this.
“In the case of hudud, Malaysia is and must always remain a secular state,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
In 1993, the PAS state government passed the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment (II), allowing it to impose the strict Islamic penal code in the state. But the laws have not been implemented.
PAS is now looking for parliamentary approval to implement hudud. It plans to put forward two private members’ bills in Parliament.
“What will happen if these things go unaddressed is that people will be reluctant to come out to vote.
“Because if they support DAP and PKR, it means they support PAS as well,” the Puchong MP added.
Independent political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that PR's inability to honour its common policy agenda showed that the three-party pact was still a “loose coalition” and that not all of its leaders were on the same page.
This, he said would do little to inspire voters to come out and support PR in the next general election in the numbers that gave the pact the popular vote victory in Election 2013.
“What you are going to see is a trend of voters who may be Pakatan supporters but who will not want to go back to their home states to vote,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Low voter turnout was cited as among the factors that saw DAP lose in Teluk Intan.
Khoo added that the issues in Selangor and the hudud push in Kelantan will also affect how voters viewed PR as a whole.
“When you oversell on reform, you have to back it up.
“What is happening in Selangor and Kelantan is not a good example of good governance,” Khoo said.
In Election 2013, PR won 89 of the 222 federal seats, building on the 82 it took five years before and again denied BN its customary supermajority in Parliament.
- Malay Mail -
PR leaders told The Malay Mail Online that DAP's performance in Teluk Intan — going from a 7,313-majority win in 2013 to a 238-vote loss — is an indication of potential losses in the future if PAS, DAP, and PKR do not settle its conflicts and maintain its common policy framework.
Issues such as growing public anger towards Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim's handling of the Kinrara Damansara Expressway (Kidex), the seizure of Malay- and Iban-language bibles by the Selangor Islamic Department (Jais) and allegations of voter manipulation and result delays in PKR's on-going party elections are but a few examples of issues facing the PR state government.
Another pressing concern is PAS's unilateral push for hudud to be implemented in Kelantan, which critics have pointed out went against PR's Election 2013 manifesto.
“If this goes on, we might see a repeat of what happened to PAS in Kedah in 2013 and Barisan Nasional (BN) in Selangor before 2008.
“If voters decided to punish Pakatan in Selangor for not listening and addressing their concerns, like in the Kidex and bible issue we could very well lose the state come GE14,” former political analyst and DAP election strategist Dr Ong Kian Ming told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
He said PAS's insistence on its hudud bid was costing the opposition pact support among non-Malay voters whom he said feel let down by the Islamist party's departure from its previous “PAS for all” agenda during GE13.
“Because PAS has pushed hudud, which is not part of PR's common manifesto, voters feel betrayed because it goes against our election promise — no hudud,” Ong added.
Adding to that concern, Ong said was PKR's leadership crisis and internal strife in its party election.
“The fact that the elections have dragged on longer than it should is distracting the party from addressing its problems with the Selangor administration.
“The other worry is that PKR's election problems may affect Pakatan's agenda for free and fair elections.... how do we promote that when there are serious concerns as to the transparency of elections on a party level,” he said.
PKR’s internal polls have been mired by allegations of corruption and impropriety, forcing the party to conduct fresh balloting for 35 branches and indefinitely postpone the results.
Selangor DAP deputy chairman Gobind Singh Deo agreed with his party colleague, stressing that PR had a “moral obligation” to uphold all of its Election 2013 promises.
A vocal opponent of Kidex, Gobind said that MB Khalid's support for the highway as well as PAS's hudud push contravened the opposition pact's common agenda.
Kidex is a proposed 14.9km highway that will cut through densely-populated parts of Petaling Jaya that is meeting with increasing resistance from residents.
“Promises made during elections must be kept, there is no other way around this.
“In the case of hudud, Malaysia is and must always remain a secular state,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
In 1993, the PAS state government passed the Kelantan Shariah Criminal Code Enactment (II), allowing it to impose the strict Islamic penal code in the state. But the laws have not been implemented.
PAS is now looking for parliamentary approval to implement hudud. It plans to put forward two private members’ bills in Parliament.
“What will happen if these things go unaddressed is that people will be reluctant to come out to vote.
“Because if they support DAP and PKR, it means they support PAS as well,” the Puchong MP added.
Independent political analyst Khoo Kay Peng said that PR's inability to honour its common policy agenda showed that the three-party pact was still a “loose coalition” and that not all of its leaders were on the same page.
This, he said would do little to inspire voters to come out and support PR in the next general election in the numbers that gave the pact the popular vote victory in Election 2013.
“What you are going to see is a trend of voters who may be Pakatan supporters but who will not want to go back to their home states to vote,” he told The Malay Mail Online when contacted.
Low voter turnout was cited as among the factors that saw DAP lose in Teluk Intan.
Khoo added that the issues in Selangor and the hudud push in Kelantan will also affect how voters viewed PR as a whole.
“When you oversell on reform, you have to back it up.
“What is happening in Selangor and Kelantan is not a good example of good governance,” Khoo said.
In Election 2013, PR won 89 of the 222 federal seats, building on the 82 it took five years before and again denied BN its customary supermajority in Parliament.
- Malay Mail -
Wednesday, 4 June 2014
Surendran: Parliament is a waste of public money
Outspoken PKR parliamentarian N Surendran, who is making a comeback to Parliament on June 9 after a six-month suspension, has wasted no time in taking the effectiveness of the August House to task.
Surendran said the Dewan Rakyat is a waste of public money if it continues to act merely as a rubber stamp, to pass only the federal government’s proposed bills and motions.
“Proposals put forward by Pakatan Rakyat MPs do not see the light of day. We are only allowed to ask questions and we have to wait for our chance to ask as there are many MPs around,” the human rights lawyer lamented.
Parliament is in dire need of reforms, Surendran said, to allow the opposition to raise more issues and more time to be allocated for debate.
“The perception that the Dewan Rakyat is a mere rubber stamp has been perpetrated by the government,” Surendran said during his speech at the mock parliament session held at the Penang legislative assembly on Saturday.
“But it is not true that the House is a mere rubber stamp as it is a place to debate important laws. It is a great forensic chamber of the people’s conscience,” he told the young participants who mostly comprised law students and young budding politicians.
Surendran (left) said the situation was different from that of the British Parliament where the House of Commons allocates 20 days for the opposition to table its motions for debate.
These are called “opposition days”, Surendran added, saying that reforms in Parliament were necessary for it to achieve its full and real potential.
Surendran spoke at the event organised by Penang speaker Law Choo Kiang, human rights NGO Suaram and the Penang chapter of Amnesty International, where a two-hour session was held to debate the issue of police reforms and setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to address cases of custodial deaths.
Since the beginning of the year, the country has seen nine custodial deaths in four months, but the federal government is not interested in forming the IPCMC, recommended in 2005 by former chief justice and chairman of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police, Mohammed Dzaiddin Abdullah.
‘SB personnel should be absorbed into the CID’
DAP’s Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, who was also invited to speak at the event, said the police have lost their focus, as their jobs these days are more towards arresting opposition politicians.
He expressed shock to learn that Special Branch (SB) officers sent about 1,000 reports a day to their bosses or 300,000 over reports a year, compared to the 10,000 crime reports sent by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
“SB personnel should be absorbed into the Criminal Investigation Department to focus more on probing crime instead of monitoring and arresting opposition politicians,” Sim (right) said during his speech at the same venue.
“Currently, for every CID officer, there are five administration staff. There is no balance and focus in the police force which is why less time is spent on solving crime,” he added.
Sim said the IPCMC is not proposed to punish the entire police force, a notion wrongly perceived by the latter, but to act only on errant ones.
“The IPCMC is set up also to deliberate on the welfare of police personnel, to propose rewards for members who perform well and to prevent politicians from interfering in police work, including the appointment of the inspector-general of police,” he added.
Malaysiakini
Surendran said the Dewan Rakyat is a waste of public money if it continues to act merely as a rubber stamp, to pass only the federal government’s proposed bills and motions.
“Proposals put forward by Pakatan Rakyat MPs do not see the light of day. We are only allowed to ask questions and we have to wait for our chance to ask as there are many MPs around,” the human rights lawyer lamented.
Parliament is in dire need of reforms, Surendran said, to allow the opposition to raise more issues and more time to be allocated for debate.
“The perception that the Dewan Rakyat is a mere rubber stamp has been perpetrated by the government,” Surendran said during his speech at the mock parliament session held at the Penang legislative assembly on Saturday.
“But it is not true that the House is a mere rubber stamp as it is a place to debate important laws. It is a great forensic chamber of the people’s conscience,” he told the young participants who mostly comprised law students and young budding politicians.
Surendran (left) said the situation was different from that of the British Parliament where the House of Commons allocates 20 days for the opposition to table its motions for debate.
These are called “opposition days”, Surendran added, saying that reforms in Parliament were necessary for it to achieve its full and real potential.
Surendran spoke at the event organised by Penang speaker Law Choo Kiang, human rights NGO Suaram and the Penang chapter of Amnesty International, where a two-hour session was held to debate the issue of police reforms and setting up of the Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission (IPCMC) to address cases of custodial deaths.
Since the beginning of the year, the country has seen nine custodial deaths in four months, but the federal government is not interested in forming the IPCMC, recommended in 2005 by former chief justice and chairman of the Royal Commission to Enhance the Operation and Management of the Royal Malaysia Police, Mohammed Dzaiddin Abdullah.
‘SB personnel should be absorbed into the CID’
DAP’s Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim, who was also invited to speak at the event, said the police have lost their focus, as their jobs these days are more towards arresting opposition politicians.
He expressed shock to learn that Special Branch (SB) officers sent about 1,000 reports a day to their bosses or 300,000 over reports a year, compared to the 10,000 crime reports sent by the Criminal Investigations Department (CID).
“SB personnel should be absorbed into the Criminal Investigation Department to focus more on probing crime instead of monitoring and arresting opposition politicians,” Sim (right) said during his speech at the same venue.
“Currently, for every CID officer, there are five administration staff. There is no balance and focus in the police force which is why less time is spent on solving crime,” he added.
Sim said the IPCMC is not proposed to punish the entire police force, a notion wrongly perceived by the latter, but to act only on errant ones.
“The IPCMC is set up also to deliberate on the welfare of police personnel, to propose rewards for members who perform well and to prevent politicians from interfering in police work, including the appointment of the inspector-general of police,” he added.
Malaysiakini
Wednesday, 28 May 2014
'PKR holds world record in party woes'
PKR is riddled with problems and this is the reason behind the exodus of several leaders, who were once close associates of its founder Anwar Ibrahim, said a Puteri Umno leader.
"From his political secretary, private secretary, secretary-general, personal lawyer to the officer holding Anwar's red diary... All of them decided to leave PKR.
"This is probably a difficult record for any party in the world to break," Kedah Puteri Umno chief Norashimah Md Nowar told Umno Online.
The website also published a collection of photographs of those who had quit PKR over the years. (see below)
In view of this, Norashimah said, it was not surprising there have been bizarre incidents during the PKR leadership elections.
However, she claimed, the complaints from PKR members regarding the election irregularities would be swept under the carpet.
'Small fries made scapegoats'
What is more unfortunate, she said, is that those who complained would be kicked out of the party.
"If we examine again the PKR election in 2010, it also saw similar incidents.
"Chairs being thrown, cheating, additional ballot papers and so forth. But where did all the complaints go?" she asked.
Once again, Norashimah claimed, action would be taken against the "small fry who would be made the scapegoats".
"It is proven that the voices of PKR members are not important. This is why so many have left.
"Those who remain are Anwar's family and grassroots supporters, who are still oblivious to Anwar’s political games," she added.
Malaysiakini
"From his political secretary, private secretary, secretary-general, personal lawyer to the officer holding Anwar's red diary... All of them decided to leave PKR.
"This is probably a difficult record for any party in the world to break," Kedah Puteri Umno chief Norashimah Md Nowar told Umno Online.
The website also published a collection of photographs of those who had quit PKR over the years. (see below)
In view of this, Norashimah said, it was not surprising there have been bizarre incidents during the PKR leadership elections.
However, she claimed, the complaints from PKR members regarding the election irregularities would be swept under the carpet.
'Small fries made scapegoats'
What is more unfortunate, she said, is that those who complained would be kicked out of the party.
"If we examine again the PKR election in 2010, it also saw similar incidents.
"Chairs being thrown, cheating, additional ballot papers and so forth. But where did all the complaints go?" she asked.
Once again, Norashimah claimed, action would be taken against the "small fry who would be made the scapegoats".
"It is proven that the voices of PKR members are not important. This is why so many have left.
"Those who remain are Anwar's family and grassroots supporters, who are still oblivious to Anwar’s political games," she added.
Malaysiakini
Wednesday, 21 May 2014
Penang to probe claims housing applicants must be PKR members first
The Penang government has promised to investigate claims that the coordinator in the Pulau Betong state constituency made it a condition that housing applicants join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) to get the necessary forms.
Urban and Rural Planning and Housing committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Datuk Keramat) said in the state legislative assembly that investigations would be carried out into the claims.
He asked applicants to go straight to his office to get the forms.
The issue was raised by Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) who interjected while Datuk Mahmood Zakaria (BN-Sungai Acheh) was debating the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas’ opening speech.
Muhamad Farid said many villagers had complained to him that they were asked to join PKR when requesting for housing application forms.
“I hope this can be investigated and resolved. I also hope Jagdeep can advise the officer concerned so that this will not recur.”
Jagdeep also promised to scrutinise each application to purchase homes to weed out unqualified applicants.
The Rakyat Post
Urban and Rural Planning and Housing committee chairman Jagdeep Singh Deo (DAP-Datuk Keramat) said in the state legislative assembly that investigations would be carried out into the claims.
He asked applicants to go straight to his office to get the forms.
The issue was raised by Muhamad Farid Saad (BN-Pulau Betong) who interjected while Datuk Mahmood Zakaria (BN-Sungai Acheh) was debating the Yang Dipertua Negeri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas’ opening speech.
Muhamad Farid said many villagers had complained to him that they were asked to join PKR when requesting for housing application forms.
“I hope this can be investigated and resolved. I also hope Jagdeep can advise the officer concerned so that this will not recur.”
Jagdeep also promised to scrutinise each application to purchase homes to weed out unqualified applicants.
The Rakyat Post
Tuesday, 13 May 2014
‘PKR will lose ground if polls issues not solved’
PETALING JAYA: If the irregularities in the PKR polls are not addressed, the party, like Umno, will lose credibility in the eyes of the rakyat, said University of Nottingham political analyst Zaharom Nain today.
Zaharom said PKR would lose their supporters who wanted a clean government to take over from the present one that was perceived to be rotten.
He said the Barisan Nasional’s “we know best and people must blindly trust us” mentality had become so widespread that even opposition parties also felt the same way.
He told FMT it was apparent how political parties did not want to come to terms with the fact that Malaysians today were “more intelligent, more discerning, less feudal, less obliging and less forgiving”.
He was commenting on a tweet by an unknown user who appeared to be a party member to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The tweet had read: “Quite messy PKR elections, first time experience and not so pleasant”. Anwar’s reply: “Focus on Reformasi”.
However, Zaharom said as leader of the party, Anwar had no other way to react.
“But perhaps he could have reassured the supporters and the public that something will be done to overcome these irregularities,” said Zaharom.
As of yesterday, PKR polls in 27 divisions throughout the country had been suspended over alleged irregularities.
Zaharom urged the party’s disciplinary committee to conduct a probe and punish wrongdoers over the irregularities if they were proven to be true.
He said the “disgusting practice” was nothing new or peculiar to PKR.
“Money politics and fraud, have been, and will continue to be a key feature of Umno and BN politics.
“This corrupt behaviour, like a disease, has spread far and wide in so many aspects of Malaysian life,” he added.
Zaharom said it would be naïve for the rakyat to expect PKR to be angels and the party must get its act together.
“It will also be unfair to tar everyone in PKR with the same brush,” he said.
FMT
Zaharom said PKR would lose their supporters who wanted a clean government to take over from the present one that was perceived to be rotten.
He said the Barisan Nasional’s “we know best and people must blindly trust us” mentality had become so widespread that even opposition parties also felt the same way.
He told FMT it was apparent how political parties did not want to come to terms with the fact that Malaysians today were “more intelligent, more discerning, less feudal, less obliging and less forgiving”.
He was commenting on a tweet by an unknown user who appeared to be a party member to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.
The tweet had read: “Quite messy PKR elections, first time experience and not so pleasant”. Anwar’s reply: “Focus on Reformasi”.
However, Zaharom said as leader of the party, Anwar had no other way to react.
“But perhaps he could have reassured the supporters and the public that something will be done to overcome these irregularities,” said Zaharom.
As of yesterday, PKR polls in 27 divisions throughout the country had been suspended over alleged irregularities.
Zaharom urged the party’s disciplinary committee to conduct a probe and punish wrongdoers over the irregularities if they were proven to be true.
He said the “disgusting practice” was nothing new or peculiar to PKR.
“Money politics and fraud, have been, and will continue to be a key feature of Umno and BN politics.
“This corrupt behaviour, like a disease, has spread far and wide in so many aspects of Malaysian life,” he added.
Zaharom said it would be naïve for the rakyat to expect PKR to be angels and the party must get its act together.
“It will also be unfair to tar everyone in PKR with the same brush,” he said.
FMT
PKR = Parti Kelentong Rakyat, says PCM
Parti Cinta Malaysia vice-president Huan Cheng Guan has criticised PKR for labelling his party "Parti Cari Makan".
Huan, who is PCM's candidate for the May 25 Bukit Gelugor by-election, said PKR can be labelled as "Parti Kelentong Rakyat".
‘Kelentong’ is the Malay word for taking the people for a ride or bluffing them.
"I am sure PKR members will be angry too if I call them that," Huan (right) said at his operations centre in Air Itam today.
"If I call PKR ‘Parti Samseng’ or ‘Parti Gangster’, they too will be angry," he added.
"Just look at the PKR elections. There is chaos everyday, they fight everyday, throw chairs here and there... all kinds of problems, everyday."
Huan was responding to incumbent PKR deputy chief Azmin Ali (left), who said BN has appointed PCM, which is ‘Parti Cari Makan’, as its proxy in Bukit Gelugor because MCA is not contesting the seat it has traditionally fought for.
Azmin said this when launching PKR's operations centre at Jalan Bingham, Bukit Gelugor, to help DAP candidate Ramkarpal Singh Deo, 38, in the by-election for the parliamentary seat.
Legal action to be looked into
Huan is facing Ramkarpal and two other Independent candidates, Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Nabi Abdul Sathar and Abu Backer Sidek Mohammad Zan, in a four-cornered fight.
Huan said he will be discussing with his members to see if legal action should be taken against those who label his party as such.
On the accusation that PCM is a proxy of the BN, Huan told his detractors to show proof, saying "that is the best, as anybody can talk".
He further criticised PKR leaders for wanting to "popularise themselves", especially during this season of the PKR party elections.
"They can say what they want, but I suggest PKR first resolves its internal problems that are circulated in the social media daily," he added.
Huan denied that he was angry about the labelling of his party as Parti Cari Makan, saying today is Wesak Day and one should remain calm.
"When I saw the story, I smiled, telling myself, here's another opportunity to sue someone," he quipped, laughing.
"Even yesterday, during the nominations, I heard people calling us Parti Cari Makan. We don't care."
However, Huan (left) is clueless as to why the Pakatan Rakyat attacked a small party like PCM.
The Bukit Gelugor seat fell vacant after Karpal Singh, who won the seat thrice since 2004, died in a car crash in Perak on April 17.
DAP candidate Ramkarpal, who is Karpal's third son, is a lawyer by profession.
Malaysiakini
Huan, who is PCM's candidate for the May 25 Bukit Gelugor by-election, said PKR can be labelled as "Parti Kelentong Rakyat".
‘Kelentong’ is the Malay word for taking the people for a ride or bluffing them.
"I am sure PKR members will be angry too if I call them that," Huan (right) said at his operations centre in Air Itam today.
"If I call PKR ‘Parti Samseng’ or ‘Parti Gangster’, they too will be angry," he added.
"Just look at the PKR elections. There is chaos everyday, they fight everyday, throw chairs here and there... all kinds of problems, everyday."
Huan was responding to incumbent PKR deputy chief Azmin Ali (left), who said BN has appointed PCM, which is ‘Parti Cari Makan’, as its proxy in Bukit Gelugor because MCA is not contesting the seat it has traditionally fought for.
Azmin said this when launching PKR's operations centre at Jalan Bingham, Bukit Gelugor, to help DAP candidate Ramkarpal Singh Deo, 38, in the by-election for the parliamentary seat.
Legal action to be looked into
Huan is facing Ramkarpal and two other Independent candidates, Mohamed Nabi Bux Mohd Nabi Abdul Sathar and Abu Backer Sidek Mohammad Zan, in a four-cornered fight.
Huan said he will be discussing with his members to see if legal action should be taken against those who label his party as such.
On the accusation that PCM is a proxy of the BN, Huan told his detractors to show proof, saying "that is the best, as anybody can talk".
He further criticised PKR leaders for wanting to "popularise themselves", especially during this season of the PKR party elections.
"They can say what they want, but I suggest PKR first resolves its internal problems that are circulated in the social media daily," he added.
Huan denied that he was angry about the labelling of his party as Parti Cari Makan, saying today is Wesak Day and one should remain calm.
"When I saw the story, I smiled, telling myself, here's another opportunity to sue someone," he quipped, laughing.
"Even yesterday, during the nominations, I heard people calling us Parti Cari Makan. We don't care."
However, Huan (left) is clueless as to why the Pakatan Rakyat attacked a small party like PCM.
The Bukit Gelugor seat fell vacant after Karpal Singh, who won the seat thrice since 2004, died in a car crash in Perak on April 17.
DAP candidate Ramkarpal, who is Karpal's third son, is a lawyer by profession.
Malaysiakini
Saturday, 10 May 2014
Pakatan to break up soon?
‘Pakatan split inevitable, says Zahid’ – that was one of the stories carried in one of our local English dailies dated May 6, 2014.
Much has been talked about the health of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition these days especially in regard to the hudud issue.
Although the mainstream media has made a big issue of the so-called impending split, Nizar Jamaluddin, the PAS Changkat Jering state assemblyman, is of the view that as long as PR does not fall into the enemy’s trap, it is PR who will remain strong while the enemy will experience a rift in their working relationship.
The key to the hudud issue is for all of PR’s component parties to stay calm and not react to the instigation or provocations of the enemy.
Khalid Samad, the PAS Shah Alam MP, commented that “Pakatan will not break up if everyone works together in order to handle the hudud issue well.”
Added Khalid, “Moreover DAP opposing hudud is nothing new as DAP has been opposing it since Day 1. We agree to disagree on this issue and we will most definitely be going all out to help DAP win their upcoming parliamentary by-elections in Bukit Gelugor and Teluk Intan.”
Whatever is said up till this point in time, it must be noted that DAP and PKR both knew of PAS Islamic struggle even before PR was formed in April 2008.
Therefore the hudud issue should never act as a catalyst for the breaking up of Pakatan Rakyat and it would be tragic if PR was to go the way of Barisan Alternatif 10 years ago.
Mistakes should never be repeated.
Former Kuala Selangor MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad of PAS, remarked that he is the eternal optimist and what PR is going through now will only serve to strengthen the coalition.
The enemy will surely capitalise on the hudud issue to weaken Pakatan by saying that the late Karpal Singh who held the Bukit Gelugor seat was a strong opponent of hudud, never mind that he was opposing it based on arguments from the Federal Constitution.
Therefore DAP and PAS must work together to counter this point that will surely be raised a thousand and one times during these by-election campaigns.
In actual fact, hudud aside, DAP and PAS have a very good working relationship. Take for instance in the 2008 general election when they worked well together to capture the very tough Changkat Jong state seat which falls under the parliamentary seat of Teluk Intan.
This seat which was won by PAS in 2008 was lost to BN in 2013 when the 30% Indian voters in Changkat Jong who had wanted M Manogaran (the incumbent) to contest in Teluk Intan had protested by not coming out to vote.
(M Manogaran was instead sent to Cameron Highlands late wherein he acquitted himself well, losing only to MIC’s G Palanivel by 462 votes with 877 votes being spoilt.) This shows that the contributions of every race is equally important in PR.
And PR leaders must therefore learn from this and not allow any issue to become a contentious issue in Pakatan.
PR will hold firm
At this point in time, MCA is still pushing DAP to stop PAS from attempting to implement hudud in Kelantan via a tabling of a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament next month.
A PAS insider who spoke on condition of anonymity had informed this columnist thus, “Don’t worry, let PAS go ahead, I cannot say more but I dare to say that PR will hold firm.”
Still, the general public is getting a bad impression of PR as an unstable coalition because no one knows what is really going on behind the scenes.
The best thing for everyone in PR to do would be not issuing statements every now and then because these statements confuse the rakyat or worsen the situation.
The more statements that are issued by PR leaders, the more fodder is given to the enemy to spin about.
From now on, any response from Pakatan on the hudud issue should be a united statement. Otherwise, silence is golden because some of these statements are quite unsettling to the public and the supporters of PR.
PR leaders must strive to control the hudud issue or else they will be controlled by the hudud issue.
Currently PR leaders seem to come across as losing focus and losing direction. The hudud issue has taken up much of their time when they should be working the ground to explain the GST (Goods & Services Tax) to the rakyat as the government will be employing 500 people to do so.
Pakatan leaders must focus their attention on urgent issues at hand. Otherwise they will lose the support of the rakyat.
To-date, PR is the most viable coalition acting as a check and balance against the BN federal government. It would be a great pity if PR is dissolved.
Indeed it would be a very sad day if Pakatan ceases to exist because the people’s hopes for a two-party system would then be gone forever.
FMT
Much has been talked about the health of the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition these days especially in regard to the hudud issue.
Although the mainstream media has made a big issue of the so-called impending split, Nizar Jamaluddin, the PAS Changkat Jering state assemblyman, is of the view that as long as PR does not fall into the enemy’s trap, it is PR who will remain strong while the enemy will experience a rift in their working relationship.
The key to the hudud issue is for all of PR’s component parties to stay calm and not react to the instigation or provocations of the enemy.
Khalid Samad, the PAS Shah Alam MP, commented that “Pakatan will not break up if everyone works together in order to handle the hudud issue well.”
Added Khalid, “Moreover DAP opposing hudud is nothing new as DAP has been opposing it since Day 1. We agree to disagree on this issue and we will most definitely be going all out to help DAP win their upcoming parliamentary by-elections in Bukit Gelugor and Teluk Intan.”
Whatever is said up till this point in time, it must be noted that DAP and PKR both knew of PAS Islamic struggle even before PR was formed in April 2008.
Therefore the hudud issue should never act as a catalyst for the breaking up of Pakatan Rakyat and it would be tragic if PR was to go the way of Barisan Alternatif 10 years ago.
Mistakes should never be repeated.
Former Kuala Selangor MP, Dzulkefly Ahmad of PAS, remarked that he is the eternal optimist and what PR is going through now will only serve to strengthen the coalition.
The enemy will surely capitalise on the hudud issue to weaken Pakatan by saying that the late Karpal Singh who held the Bukit Gelugor seat was a strong opponent of hudud, never mind that he was opposing it based on arguments from the Federal Constitution.
Therefore DAP and PAS must work together to counter this point that will surely be raised a thousand and one times during these by-election campaigns.
In actual fact, hudud aside, DAP and PAS have a very good working relationship. Take for instance in the 2008 general election when they worked well together to capture the very tough Changkat Jong state seat which falls under the parliamentary seat of Teluk Intan.
This seat which was won by PAS in 2008 was lost to BN in 2013 when the 30% Indian voters in Changkat Jong who had wanted M Manogaran (the incumbent) to contest in Teluk Intan had protested by not coming out to vote.
(M Manogaran was instead sent to Cameron Highlands late wherein he acquitted himself well, losing only to MIC’s G Palanivel by 462 votes with 877 votes being spoilt.) This shows that the contributions of every race is equally important in PR.
And PR leaders must therefore learn from this and not allow any issue to become a contentious issue in Pakatan.
PR will hold firm
At this point in time, MCA is still pushing DAP to stop PAS from attempting to implement hudud in Kelantan via a tabling of a Private Member’s Bill in Parliament next month.
A PAS insider who spoke on condition of anonymity had informed this columnist thus, “Don’t worry, let PAS go ahead, I cannot say more but I dare to say that PR will hold firm.”
Still, the general public is getting a bad impression of PR as an unstable coalition because no one knows what is really going on behind the scenes.
The best thing for everyone in PR to do would be not issuing statements every now and then because these statements confuse the rakyat or worsen the situation.
The more statements that are issued by PR leaders, the more fodder is given to the enemy to spin about.
From now on, any response from Pakatan on the hudud issue should be a united statement. Otherwise, silence is golden because some of these statements are quite unsettling to the public and the supporters of PR.
PR leaders must strive to control the hudud issue or else they will be controlled by the hudud issue.
Currently PR leaders seem to come across as losing focus and losing direction. The hudud issue has taken up much of their time when they should be working the ground to explain the GST (Goods & Services Tax) to the rakyat as the government will be employing 500 people to do so.
Pakatan leaders must focus their attention on urgent issues at hand. Otherwise they will lose the support of the rakyat.
To-date, PR is the most viable coalition acting as a check and balance against the BN federal government. It would be a great pity if PR is dissolved.
Indeed it would be a very sad day if Pakatan ceases to exist because the people’s hopes for a two-party system would then be gone forever.
FMT
Monday, 5 May 2014
Azmin fares poorly in PKR polls in Penang
Embattled PKR incumbent deputy president Azmin Ali reportedly fared poorly in the party’s internal polls in Penang yesterday.
On Saturday, during a meeting with party members in Seberang Jaya, Azmin had expressed some concerns over the tough fight he was facing against rivals incumbent secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
He was worried that his allies - Nibong Tebal MP Mansor Othman (left) and Batu Maung assemblyperson Abdul Malik Kassim - had “deserted” him.
His fears were allayed when the duo turned up for his session at Hotel Sunway and openly expressed their support for Azmin.
The party has 13 elected representatives - 10 assemblypersons and three MPs - in Penang, only nine are contesting while Permatang Pauh MP Anwar Ibrahim, Penang exco member Dr Afif Bahardin and Kebun Bunga assemblyperson Cheah Kah Peng did not contest for division chief posts.
Azmin’s allies appeared to also suffer a similar fate when they lost to those aligned to Saifuddin in Penang.
In Tanjong, Abdul Malik, who is also a state executive councillor, lost to former municipal councillor Ng Chek Siang after holding the post for 15 years.
Those aligned to Saifuddin like Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, Machang Bubuk assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon and Bukit Tengah assemblyman Ong Chin Wen won the Bayan Baru, Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan divisions respectively.
Sim even managed to retain his division against his challenger, Deputy Chief Minister and Pantai Jerejak assemblyperson Rashid Hasnon (left in photo), a veteran leader who had been with the party since its formation in 1999.
In Bayan Baru, Azmin scored a measly 32 votes compared to Saifuddin who obtained 459 votes, while Khalid scored only 24.
Even in Permatang Pauh, Azmin lost closely by four votes, garnering 107 to Saifuddin’s 110, while Khalid won only 20.
However, Azmin’s ally, Seberang Perai Municipal councillor Amir Ghazali, won the Permatang Pauh chief’s post while Afif won the deputy chief’s post against Penanti assemblyperson Norlela Ariffin, who contested both posts.
Azmin still leading by 11,000 votes
Overall, it is learnt that Azmin is still leading by 11,000 votes compared to Saifuddin and Khalid, who allegedly have 6,000 votes split between them.
So far, Azmin has reportedly won in Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak, Perlis, Johor and Malacca, while he fared poorly in Kedah and Pahang, other than Penang.
Azmin’s victory comes in the midst of accusations of election fraud, namely in Bukit Sadong, Sarawak.
The division polls were suspended after PKR member Badrul Hisham Shaharin lodged a complaint against Azmin, saying he had proof that the Gombak MP had a hand in the alleged fraud.
Polls in another division, Nibong Tebal, were also suspended at about 9pm last night due to allegations of phantom voters, where Mansor, the state PKR chief, is being challenged by Sungai Bakap assemblyperson Makhtar Shapee and a relatively unknown member, Sanjeeviramah Subramani.
When contacted, Mansor said he has protested against the suspension, which he described as “unfair”.
“I was leading all the way. Those who were losing could not accept the results,” he told Malaysiakini.
“I did my work and registered many members in Nibong Tebal, they are not phantom voters,” he added.
Malaysiakini
On Saturday, during a meeting with party members in Seberang Jaya, Azmin had expressed some concerns over the tough fight he was facing against rivals incumbent secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim.
He was worried that his allies - Nibong Tebal MP Mansor Othman (left) and Batu Maung assemblyperson Abdul Malik Kassim - had “deserted” him.
His fears were allayed when the duo turned up for his session at Hotel Sunway and openly expressed their support for Azmin.
The party has 13 elected representatives - 10 assemblypersons and three MPs - in Penang, only nine are contesting while Permatang Pauh MP Anwar Ibrahim, Penang exco member Dr Afif Bahardin and Kebun Bunga assemblyperson Cheah Kah Peng did not contest for division chief posts.
Azmin’s allies appeared to also suffer a similar fate when they lost to those aligned to Saifuddin in Penang.
In Tanjong, Abdul Malik, who is also a state executive councillor, lost to former municipal councillor Ng Chek Siang after holding the post for 15 years.
Those aligned to Saifuddin like Bayan Baru MP Sim Tze Tzin, Machang Bubuk assemblyperson Lee Khai Loon and Bukit Tengah assemblyman Ong Chin Wen won the Bayan Baru, Bukit Mertajam and Batu Kawan divisions respectively.
Sim even managed to retain his division against his challenger, Deputy Chief Minister and Pantai Jerejak assemblyperson Rashid Hasnon (left in photo), a veteran leader who had been with the party since its formation in 1999.
In Bayan Baru, Azmin scored a measly 32 votes compared to Saifuddin who obtained 459 votes, while Khalid scored only 24.
Even in Permatang Pauh, Azmin lost closely by four votes, garnering 107 to Saifuddin’s 110, while Khalid won only 20.
However, Azmin’s ally, Seberang Perai Municipal councillor Amir Ghazali, won the Permatang Pauh chief’s post while Afif won the deputy chief’s post against Penanti assemblyperson Norlela Ariffin, who contested both posts.
Azmin still leading by 11,000 votes
Overall, it is learnt that Azmin is still leading by 11,000 votes compared to Saifuddin and Khalid, who allegedly have 6,000 votes split between them.
So far, Azmin has reportedly won in Sarawak, Sabah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Perak, Perlis, Johor and Malacca, while he fared poorly in Kedah and Pahang, other than Penang.
Azmin’s victory comes in the midst of accusations of election fraud, namely in Bukit Sadong, Sarawak.
The division polls were suspended after PKR member Badrul Hisham Shaharin lodged a complaint against Azmin, saying he had proof that the Gombak MP had a hand in the alleged fraud.
Polls in another division, Nibong Tebal, were also suspended at about 9pm last night due to allegations of phantom voters, where Mansor, the state PKR chief, is being challenged by Sungai Bakap assemblyperson Makhtar Shapee and a relatively unknown member, Sanjeeviramah Subramani.
When contacted, Mansor said he has protested against the suspension, which he described as “unfair”.
“I was leading all the way. Those who were losing could not accept the results,” he told Malaysiakini.
“I did my work and registered many members in Nibong Tebal, they are not phantom voters,” he added.
Malaysiakini
Saturday, 3 May 2014
Sabah PKR members may decide Azmin’s fate
PETALING JAYA (May 3): The outcome of the PKR polls in Sabah holds the key to the political fate of incumbent deputy president Mohamed Azmin Ali.
Despite the fact that Azmin has a strong lead on his opponents – secretary general Saifuddin Nasution and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim – who are trailing far behind after the first round of the party elections, he cannot sit back and relax just yet.
As of April 27, the poll results show that Azmin has won 5,111 votes, following by Saifuddin who garnered 2,322 and Abdul Khalid 2,228.
Two of the biggest vote banks of the party, Sabah and Selangor, have yet to go to poll, so the number of votes Azmin manages to garner in Sabah would determine his chances of retaining his post.
While the existing election system benefits popular and resourceful leaders, power play between central leaders and local leaders also emerged in this party poll.
For instance, it is understand that Saifuddin did not gain big in Sarawak because he is seen as focused on Kuala Lumpur matters and seldom champions issues concerning the people of Sarawak within the party as compared to Azmin.
Speaking to fz.com, Tan Seng Keat, research manager of Merdeka Center said that in Sabah, the polls battle lies between the supporters former state leader Thamrin Ghafar and newly joined state leader Lajim Ukin, the Beaufort MP who quit Umno to join PKR.
Tan pointed out that the as the party practices a direct election system, a contestant who can lobby more people to go to vote would be the winner.
In the case of Sabah, as many of the polling stations are located in urban areas, those who can bring members from inland areas to vote would stand a good chance to win, he added.
Tan, who has observed Sabah politics for years, opined that Lajim has an advantage in this context as he has a strong and extensive local network, and he is not with Azmin.
He also pointed out that Thamrin, who is aligned with Azmin, is seen as not “grassroots” enough. “If they were able to lobby strong grassroots support in Sabah, PKR wouldn’t have had to wait until after Lajim joined to have a breakthrough.”
PKR finally broke its curse of being unable to win a single seat in Sabah by winning six state seats and a parliamentary seat in the 2013 general election. Lajim and former deputy Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing joined PKR in August 2012.
However, it is not clear if Lajim will lend his full support to Abdul Khalid although it is rumoured that they are on the same boat. Alternatively, he may throw his support to Saifuddin at the last minute as the latter is believed to have the blessings of the party de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Dr Arnold Puyok, who teaches political science at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) said that from the feedback that he has obtained from the rural grassroots, Azmin is leading in Sabah as well.
“His closest challenger I think is Saifuddin whose support is getting stronger in Sabah as he is likeable and considered as a 'new' figure,” he told fz.com in emailed comments.
As Nurul Izzah Anwar, Rafizi Ramli, Tian Chua and Baru Bian are the four leading in the vice presidents’ race, Arnold believed that this will augur well for PKR as they are seen as competent and progressive leaders.
The Saifuddin team, coupled with Nurul Izzah and Rafizi, is seen as representing the aspirations of the young in the party.
Arnold also noted that the rift between Azmin and Khalid is not good for PKR.
“PKR must not depend on Anwar's charisma to win support. It's time for the party to be led by new figures,” he said.
He opined that the upcoming new leadership had “better get their act together because people's expectations of PKR are high.”
Meanwhile in Selangor, which is the party’s biggest vote bank, Tan held that state chairman Azmin and MB Abdul Khalid have the advantage, but Saifuddin could be the dark horse in Selangor as well as in the deputy president’s race.
“It would depend on whether Azmin gains or loses in Sabah, and in the worst case scenario, whether he would get enough votes to offset his loss in Sabah,” Tan said.
However, following the incident in the Batang Sadong division poll on last Saturday, the integrity of the poll process is seen as severely undermined.
It was reported that a power outage occurred during the vote counting process for the votes of the division.
The alleged election irregularity would definitely have impact on the birth of the new leadership, and spark doubts as to whether the elected leaders really have the support of the grassroots in the party.
Source: FZ
Despite the fact that Azmin has a strong lead on his opponents – secretary general Saifuddin Nasution and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim – who are trailing far behind after the first round of the party elections, he cannot sit back and relax just yet.
As of April 27, the poll results show that Azmin has won 5,111 votes, following by Saifuddin who garnered 2,322 and Abdul Khalid 2,228.
Two of the biggest vote banks of the party, Sabah and Selangor, have yet to go to poll, so the number of votes Azmin manages to garner in Sabah would determine his chances of retaining his post.
While the existing election system benefits popular and resourceful leaders, power play between central leaders and local leaders also emerged in this party poll.
For instance, it is understand that Saifuddin did not gain big in Sarawak because he is seen as focused on Kuala Lumpur matters and seldom champions issues concerning the people of Sarawak within the party as compared to Azmin.
Speaking to fz.com, Tan Seng Keat, research manager of Merdeka Center said that in Sabah, the polls battle lies between the supporters former state leader Thamrin Ghafar and newly joined state leader Lajim Ukin, the Beaufort MP who quit Umno to join PKR.
Tan pointed out that the as the party practices a direct election system, a contestant who can lobby more people to go to vote would be the winner.
In the case of Sabah, as many of the polling stations are located in urban areas, those who can bring members from inland areas to vote would stand a good chance to win, he added.
Tan, who has observed Sabah politics for years, opined that Lajim has an advantage in this context as he has a strong and extensive local network, and he is not with Azmin.
He also pointed out that Thamrin, who is aligned with Azmin, is seen as not “grassroots” enough. “If they were able to lobby strong grassroots support in Sabah, PKR wouldn’t have had to wait until after Lajim joined to have a breakthrough.”
PKR finally broke its curse of being unable to win a single seat in Sabah by winning six state seats and a parliamentary seat in the 2013 general election. Lajim and former deputy Chief Minister of Sabah Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing joined PKR in August 2012.
However, it is not clear if Lajim will lend his full support to Abdul Khalid although it is rumoured that they are on the same boat. Alternatively, he may throw his support to Saifuddin at the last minute as the latter is believed to have the blessings of the party de-facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Dr Arnold Puyok, who teaches political science at Universiti Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) said that from the feedback that he has obtained from the rural grassroots, Azmin is leading in Sabah as well.
“His closest challenger I think is Saifuddin whose support is getting stronger in Sabah as he is likeable and considered as a 'new' figure,” he told fz.com in emailed comments.
As Nurul Izzah Anwar, Rafizi Ramli, Tian Chua and Baru Bian are the four leading in the vice presidents’ race, Arnold believed that this will augur well for PKR as they are seen as competent and progressive leaders.
The Saifuddin team, coupled with Nurul Izzah and Rafizi, is seen as representing the aspirations of the young in the party.
Arnold also noted that the rift between Azmin and Khalid is not good for PKR.
“PKR must not depend on Anwar's charisma to win support. It's time for the party to be led by new figures,” he said.
He opined that the upcoming new leadership had “better get their act together because people's expectations of PKR are high.”
Meanwhile in Selangor, which is the party’s biggest vote bank, Tan held that state chairman Azmin and MB Abdul Khalid have the advantage, but Saifuddin could be the dark horse in Selangor as well as in the deputy president’s race.
“It would depend on whether Azmin gains or loses in Sabah, and in the worst case scenario, whether he would get enough votes to offset his loss in Sabah,” Tan said.
However, following the incident in the Batang Sadong division poll on last Saturday, the integrity of the poll process is seen as severely undermined.
It was reported that a power outage occurred during the vote counting process for the votes of the division.
The alleged election irregularity would definitely have impact on the birth of the new leadership, and spark doubts as to whether the elected leaders really have the support of the grassroots in the party.
Source: FZ
Is PKR 2014 becoming PAS 2009?
I have written on a number of occasions about how while voters choose a ruling party, it is essentially political party members that choose the head of state, because by convention, the leader of the winning party becomes the premier.
This is but one reason why the PKR race for deputy president could potentially have long-term repercussions for the millions of Malaysians who are not party members. While the race for some of the other posts are of some interest, they mostly seem to be proxy battles along the same battle lines.
The choice seems to be between feudalism and business as usual on the one hand, versus a breath of fresh air on the other.
In terms of players and camps, it seems we are facing three main camps - the Anwar Ibrahim gang, the Azmin Ali gang, and Khalid Ibrahim. How much of a gang the latter has is not fully clear.
Some may consider Azmin (right) an Anwarista, but it is now clear that whatever he was in a past, Azmin is now an Azminista.
It appears that over the last few years, Azmin has come to see Anwar as a stumbling block who is perpetually frustrating the former’s ambitions. His refusal to back Azmin openly for the post of Selangor menteri besar is probably the latest in such cases.
The Kajang move clearly showed that between Azmin and Khalid for menteri besar, Anwar chose Anwar.
Anwar didn’t stop there. When it became clear that Azmin was considering running for PKR president, Anwar had himself nominated to scare Azmin away - a tactic that worked, and which quite obviously served no other purpose whatsoever.
Kitchen cabinets
For deputy president, Anwar faced the Khalid or Azmin question again, and answered in a similar fashion. He put forth Saifuddin Nasution, a perfectly nice and affable man who has never before displayed such open political ambition, and who established a reputation instead for quite efficiently doing whatever Anwar wanted done.
Saifuddin quickly established an electoral pact with two other Anwar loyalists, Nurul Izzah Anwar, and Rafizi Ramli, the famed architect of the wonderfully effective Kajang Move. A kitchen cabinet trinity, from the looks of it.
A vote for Saifuddin seems to be a vote for running PKR the same way Anwar has always run it - ‘outer circle need not apply’ personality-based politics, with little regard for transparency, and sustainable institutional strength.
A vote for Azmin seems to be a vote for feudalism as well, albeit probably a brand that is steeped even deeper in money politics. It was truly disheartening to see Azmin loyalists with zero ability or tangible achievements (including some of the most non-performing elected representatives ever) float odiously near to the top of the vice-president and central committee voting results.
In either of these cases, apart from a few differences and cosmetic changes, Umno-style feudalism seems alive and well.
It’s rather harder to say what Khalid (left) intends to do. I’ve heard that there’s a focus on setting up cooperatives for the party youth, and better management of the party finances, but I’ve not personally seen a manifesto or anything similar.
As usual, in terms of traditional partisan politics and political communication, Khalid’s rivals appear to travelled further. I can only imagine that at the heart of it, Khalid wants the party to be run in a manner similar to the way Selangor is run - watertight, above board efficiency, and zero tolerance for corruption.
Three-corner spoilers
It seems clear that the deputy president race for PKR in 2014 could well be headed the same way as the deputy president race for PAS in 2009. That year, incumbent Nasharuddin Mat Isa garnered 480 votes against Husam Musa’s 281 and Mat Sabu’s 261.
These numbers are very similar to the voting results from the first leg of PKR elections held last weekend, with the total votes for Khalid (2,228) and Saifuddin (2,322) combined amounting to a similar amount as Azmin’s (5,111).
One challenger would have an excellent fighting chance against Azmin, two make it almost impossible.
If Anwar sent Saifuddin (right) to contest (long after Khalid announced his intention to vie for the post) despite being aware of this fact, then that can only mean that when push came to shove, he still preferred Azmin over Khalid - demonstrating the same type of character judgment that has brought him to exactly where he is today.
If this trend continues and Azmin wins, I suppose Anwar will have given PKR the party it deserves. Things will be done the same way they’ve always been done, resulting in Pakatan Rakyat being just as far away from Putrajaya as they were in the last elections.
Many of us will not have an opportunity to vote in these party elections, and as a result, may lose the opportunity to help some truly honest politicians rise to the top. This unfortunate situation should make us rethink our political system, and our place in it.
By Nathaniel Tan, Malaysiakini
NATHANIEL TAN hopes PKR members will take a brave, long view, and wishes all candidates good luck. He tweets @NatAsasi.
This is but one reason why the PKR race for deputy president could potentially have long-term repercussions for the millions of Malaysians who are not party members. While the race for some of the other posts are of some interest, they mostly seem to be proxy battles along the same battle lines.
The choice seems to be between feudalism and business as usual on the one hand, versus a breath of fresh air on the other.
In terms of players and camps, it seems we are facing three main camps - the Anwar Ibrahim gang, the Azmin Ali gang, and Khalid Ibrahim. How much of a gang the latter has is not fully clear.
Some may consider Azmin (right) an Anwarista, but it is now clear that whatever he was in a past, Azmin is now an Azminista.
It appears that over the last few years, Azmin has come to see Anwar as a stumbling block who is perpetually frustrating the former’s ambitions. His refusal to back Azmin openly for the post of Selangor menteri besar is probably the latest in such cases.
The Kajang move clearly showed that between Azmin and Khalid for menteri besar, Anwar chose Anwar.
Anwar didn’t stop there. When it became clear that Azmin was considering running for PKR president, Anwar had himself nominated to scare Azmin away - a tactic that worked, and which quite obviously served no other purpose whatsoever.
Kitchen cabinets
For deputy president, Anwar faced the Khalid or Azmin question again, and answered in a similar fashion. He put forth Saifuddin Nasution, a perfectly nice and affable man who has never before displayed such open political ambition, and who established a reputation instead for quite efficiently doing whatever Anwar wanted done.
Saifuddin quickly established an electoral pact with two other Anwar loyalists, Nurul Izzah Anwar, and Rafizi Ramli, the famed architect of the wonderfully effective Kajang Move. A kitchen cabinet trinity, from the looks of it.
A vote for Saifuddin seems to be a vote for running PKR the same way Anwar has always run it - ‘outer circle need not apply’ personality-based politics, with little regard for transparency, and sustainable institutional strength.
A vote for Azmin seems to be a vote for feudalism as well, albeit probably a brand that is steeped even deeper in money politics. It was truly disheartening to see Azmin loyalists with zero ability or tangible achievements (including some of the most non-performing elected representatives ever) float odiously near to the top of the vice-president and central committee voting results.
In either of these cases, apart from a few differences and cosmetic changes, Umno-style feudalism seems alive and well.
It’s rather harder to say what Khalid (left) intends to do. I’ve heard that there’s a focus on setting up cooperatives for the party youth, and better management of the party finances, but I’ve not personally seen a manifesto or anything similar.
As usual, in terms of traditional partisan politics and political communication, Khalid’s rivals appear to travelled further. I can only imagine that at the heart of it, Khalid wants the party to be run in a manner similar to the way Selangor is run - watertight, above board efficiency, and zero tolerance for corruption.
Three-corner spoilers
It seems clear that the deputy president race for PKR in 2014 could well be headed the same way as the deputy president race for PAS in 2009. That year, incumbent Nasharuddin Mat Isa garnered 480 votes against Husam Musa’s 281 and Mat Sabu’s 261.
These numbers are very similar to the voting results from the first leg of PKR elections held last weekend, with the total votes for Khalid (2,228) and Saifuddin (2,322) combined amounting to a similar amount as Azmin’s (5,111).
One challenger would have an excellent fighting chance against Azmin, two make it almost impossible.
If Anwar sent Saifuddin (right) to contest (long after Khalid announced his intention to vie for the post) despite being aware of this fact, then that can only mean that when push came to shove, he still preferred Azmin over Khalid - demonstrating the same type of character judgment that has brought him to exactly where he is today.
If this trend continues and Azmin wins, I suppose Anwar will have given PKR the party it deserves. Things will be done the same way they’ve always been done, resulting in Pakatan Rakyat being just as far away from Putrajaya as they were in the last elections.
Many of us will not have an opportunity to vote in these party elections, and as a result, may lose the opportunity to help some truly honest politicians rise to the top. This unfortunate situation should make us rethink our political system, and our place in it.
By Nathaniel Tan, Malaysiakini
NATHANIEL TAN hopes PKR members will take a brave, long view, and wishes all candidates good luck. He tweets @NatAsasi.
Will PKR’s leadership bickering spell its downfall in Selangor?
PETALING JAYA: The seemingly protracted internal bickering among PKR leaders is threatening party unity.
In the ongoing party elections, camps initiated by party leaders have become very apparent, raising concerns of the extent of damage to PKR.
Claims of party election irregularities such as blackouts in Batang Sadong, Sarawak, and also of vote tampering allegedly involving party number two Azmin Ali are serious.
Among other external controversies surrounding PKR is the water crisis in Selangor, possibly undermining the rakyat’s support for Pakatan Rakyat in the next general election.
With the puzzling uncertainties of what is really happening in the state government under the leadership of Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, many have raised doubts and worries whether Pakatan would be able to retain Selangor in GE14.
In an exclusive interview with theantdaily, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin shared some of her opinions over matters concerning the party leadership and issues surrounding the water crisis in Selangor.
On Khalid’s handling of the water crisis in Selangor, Zuraida who is also Ampang MP, reiterated that Khalid should have first and foremost discussed the matter with knowledgeable MPs.
“Even Datuk Seri Anwar was not consulted on the decision and how to be prepared to face the rakyat’s grievances on the issue.
“Our stand was not to give up the water deal. When we did the U-Turn, there would have been a lot of questions. If he (Khalid) had discussed with knowledgeable MPs like Rafizi Ramli, things would have been different, but he made a unilateral decision.”
Khalid
A known Khalid critic, Zuraida said: “The MB is known for not keeping his promises. One day he would say one thing and another thing another day. I would have to monitor whether he keeps his word, as he had said there would be press conferences on the water issue every two days. Let’s wait and see.”
On Khalid bragging about his ability to govern the state due to his experience as a corporate figure, Zuraida said: “He was a man who came from government-linked companies (GLCs). If you look at his career background, he was really just a top government servant. I do not think he was a full corporate figure.”
In a turn of events on April 29, Khalid did not show up at a crucial press conference to address the water issue. However, on April 30, he announced that the water rationing in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya since February will be lifted on May 1 and that state water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Sybas) has been instructed to restore regular water supply.
Water issues have been a long and hard battle the state government has had to deal with especially after it refused to allow the construction of the Langat 2 water treatment plant since 2009.
Khalid had pretty much been blamed for insufficient treated water supply in the state today.
Zuraida, a known Azmin ally, also dismissed allegations of vote rigging by Azmin.
“The hotel room was a designated place to conduct the polling, so once it was over at 5pm, the officers stopped the voting process. I think these were groups who were not happy with the results and decided to come up with such allegations.
“I saw the pictures, but I just saw a few guys and the ballot papers,” said Zuraida.
“The matter is now being investigated by the party,” she said, adding it was uncalled for and the person responsible for making the “wild allegations” should be disciplined.
“How could they relate it to Azmin when he was not even there?” she asked.
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin claimed that he had photo and video evidence of vote tampering allegedly involving Azmin who is also Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman.
On reports that Azmin, who is also Gombak MP, was transforming from an Anwar loyalist to a PKR leader in his own right, Zuraida said: “Azmin has been with PKR for a long time. I do not think he is an Anwar loyalist.
“He has a good track record but some people are not happy with that. Allegations that he is Anwar’s blue-eyed boy are not true. We must not forget his role as the deputy president of PKR and Selangor PKR chairman, yet he has not been made Selangor MB. By rank, he should already be the MB,” Zuraida said.
On speculations that Azmin would be removed from PKR, especially since Khalid and party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution are challenging him for the deputy presidency, Zuraida said Azmin as a party loyalist did not demand to be the MB.
“If he asks for the MB’s post, people will say he is going against PKR. To say he wants to stay out, people will attack him saying that he is not loyal towards Anwar. But if he keeps quiet, he would also be accused. Nothing seems right to his detractors.
“We all know what the Kajang move was about. It was to remove Khalid and replace him with Anwar. Everyone in the party wants Khalid to go, but somehow luck is on his side and he is still MB.”
Zuraida pointed out that not even once did Azmin gun for the post. “He was more concerned with the party’s future.”
Asked if Azmin would return to Umno, as there are so many groups trying to deter him from advancing in the party, Zuraida said: “I don’t think he will do that. If he wanted to, he would have left a long time ago. Or he would have left the party to continue his studies.
“He did not want to do so, because he said, don’t worry, let Umno leaders talk about us, I will continue the struggle.”
So, will Selangor fall back to BN with the continuous leadership strife? Zuraida said: “I don’t think so. There are four years for the party to make improvements and by then, she was hopeful that Selangorians would have forgiven the Pakatan Rakyat state government.
Source: The Ant Daily
In the ongoing party elections, camps initiated by party leaders have become very apparent, raising concerns of the extent of damage to PKR.
Claims of party election irregularities such as blackouts in Batang Sadong, Sarawak, and also of vote tampering allegedly involving party number two Azmin Ali are serious.
Among other external controversies surrounding PKR is the water crisis in Selangor, possibly undermining the rakyat’s support for Pakatan Rakyat in the next general election.
With the puzzling uncertainties of what is really happening in the state government under the leadership of Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, many have raised doubts and worries whether Pakatan would be able to retain Selangor in GE14.
In an exclusive interview with theantdaily, PKR Wanita chief Zuraida Kamaruddin shared some of her opinions over matters concerning the party leadership and issues surrounding the water crisis in Selangor.
On Khalid’s handling of the water crisis in Selangor, Zuraida who is also Ampang MP, reiterated that Khalid should have first and foremost discussed the matter with knowledgeable MPs.
“Even Datuk Seri Anwar was not consulted on the decision and how to be prepared to face the rakyat’s grievances on the issue.
“Our stand was not to give up the water deal. When we did the U-Turn, there would have been a lot of questions. If he (Khalid) had discussed with knowledgeable MPs like Rafizi Ramli, things would have been different, but he made a unilateral decision.”
Khalid
A known Khalid critic, Zuraida said: “The MB is known for not keeping his promises. One day he would say one thing and another thing another day. I would have to monitor whether he keeps his word, as he had said there would be press conferences on the water issue every two days. Let’s wait and see.”
On Khalid bragging about his ability to govern the state due to his experience as a corporate figure, Zuraida said: “He was a man who came from government-linked companies (GLCs). If you look at his career background, he was really just a top government servant. I do not think he was a full corporate figure.”
In a turn of events on April 29, Khalid did not show up at a crucial press conference to address the water issue. However, on April 30, he announced that the water rationing in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya since February will be lifted on May 1 and that state water concessionaire Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Sybas) has been instructed to restore regular water supply.
Water issues have been a long and hard battle the state government has had to deal with especially after it refused to allow the construction of the Langat 2 water treatment plant since 2009.
Khalid had pretty much been blamed for insufficient treated water supply in the state today.
Zuraida, a known Azmin ally, also dismissed allegations of vote rigging by Azmin.
“The hotel room was a designated place to conduct the polling, so once it was over at 5pm, the officers stopped the voting process. I think these were groups who were not happy with the results and decided to come up with such allegations.
“I saw the pictures, but I just saw a few guys and the ballot papers,” said Zuraida.
“The matter is now being investigated by the party,” she said, adding it was uncalled for and the person responsible for making the “wild allegations” should be disciplined.
“How could they relate it to Azmin when he was not even there?” she asked.
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) chief Badrul Hisham Shaharin claimed that he had photo and video evidence of vote tampering allegedly involving Azmin who is also Bukit Antarabangsa assemblyman.
On reports that Azmin, who is also Gombak MP, was transforming from an Anwar loyalist to a PKR leader in his own right, Zuraida said: “Azmin has been with PKR for a long time. I do not think he is an Anwar loyalist.
“He has a good track record but some people are not happy with that. Allegations that he is Anwar’s blue-eyed boy are not true. We must not forget his role as the deputy president of PKR and Selangor PKR chairman, yet he has not been made Selangor MB. By rank, he should already be the MB,” Zuraida said.
On speculations that Azmin would be removed from PKR, especially since Khalid and party secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution are challenging him for the deputy presidency, Zuraida said Azmin as a party loyalist did not demand to be the MB.
“If he asks for the MB’s post, people will say he is going against PKR. To say he wants to stay out, people will attack him saying that he is not loyal towards Anwar. But if he keeps quiet, he would also be accused. Nothing seems right to his detractors.
“We all know what the Kajang move was about. It was to remove Khalid and replace him with Anwar. Everyone in the party wants Khalid to go, but somehow luck is on his side and he is still MB.”
Zuraida pointed out that not even once did Azmin gun for the post. “He was more concerned with the party’s future.”
Asked if Azmin would return to Umno, as there are so many groups trying to deter him from advancing in the party, Zuraida said: “I don’t think he will do that. If he wanted to, he would have left a long time ago. Or he would have left the party to continue his studies.
“He did not want to do so, because he said, don’t worry, let Umno leaders talk about us, I will continue the struggle.”
So, will Selangor fall back to BN with the continuous leadership strife? Zuraida said: “I don’t think so. There are four years for the party to make improvements and by then, she was hopeful that Selangorians would have forgiven the Pakatan Rakyat state government.
Source: The Ant Daily
Monday, 28 April 2014
PKR Polls - Allegations of Irregularities
What goes around comes around and PKR now finds itself under scrutiny by its own members over allegations of electoral irregularities in its ongoing internal polls.
Reports have surfaced of grievances linked to logistical problems, alleged vote tampering in several branches, and even a blackout in a counting centre in Sarawak.
PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had on March 8 last year declared that Pakatan Rakyat would not recognise the legitimacy of the 13th General Election (GE13) results, claiming irregularities.
He also claimed the alleged irregularities had denied Pakatan of its “rightful place” in Putrajaya and instead Barisan Nasional was returned to power as a minority government for the first time in Malaysia’s electoral history.
Among the allegations were blackouts at a few counting centres, for example in Bentong, Pahang, despite a denial by the DAP candidate Wong Tack that such an incident had contributed to his loss against MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The same allegation has now surfaced to haunt PKR in Batang Sadong, Sarawak, in the first week of party elections.
PKR election committee chairman Datuk Joehari Abdul today confirmed that he would be flying to Batang Sadong to investigate a claim of vote tampering allegedly involving a deputy presidential candidate.
“I am not denying that there are hiccups, but it is still manageable,” Joehari told a press conference at the party headquarters.
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) founder Badrul Hisham Shaharin had on April 27 claimed that he had photo and video evidence of vote tampering allegedly involving deputy president Azmin Ali.
Badrul Hisham, or better known as Chegu Bard, had also urged the election committee to disqualify Azmin from the deputy presidential race based on reports lodged by party workers aligned to his rival and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Joehari, who refused to name any individual involved, also vowed “to get to the bottom of these (allegations)”.
According to The Star Online, Joehari said two Central Leadership Council (MPP) candidates who wanted to witness the vote counting process in a budget hotel in Batang Sadong had claimed that there was a delay before the door was opened by party workers in charge.
“Coincidently, there was a blackout in the hotel, but that’s the truth and not done deliberately. That’s why the MPP candidates felt unhappy and accused party workers of vote tampering and vote rigging,” he said.
In a related matter, The Malay Mail Online also quoted Joehari as saying that members in seven branches -- Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Dungun, Kemaman, Bukit Katil, Paya Besar and Jerantut -- will have to vote again on May 10 following “logistical” problems in the polls last weekend.
The PKR polls are spread over three weekends from April 26 to May 11 and six states (Sarawak, Kedah, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Malacca) have so far completed the voting process involving some 500,000 members nationwide.
This is the second successive PKR elections conducted based on the “one member one vote" system.
The last party elections in 2010 were marred by allegations of irregularities, leading to the departure of several top leaders, including maverick politician-cum- lawyer Datuk Seri Zaid Ibrahim.
Apart from electoral irregularities, other concerns monitored by the election committee involved possible breaches of party guidelines during the campaigning period.
Joehari said “some” candidates were issued stern warnings after they came close to breaching party guidelines in their “increasingly heated” campaigns.
It was reported that the committee is investigating Azmin and outgoing secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, who is also a deputy presidential candidate, for their public remarks levelled against rival candidates.
As it stands, PKR will risk losing its credibility if the committee fails to ensure that all concerns raised are transparently dealt with.
Even if it succeeds to convince its own supporters, critics will have a field day running down PKR for failure to walk the talk and ensure that its own elections are “free and fair”.
The Ant Daily
Reports have surfaced of grievances linked to logistical problems, alleged vote tampering in several branches, and even a blackout in a counting centre in Sarawak.
PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had on March 8 last year declared that Pakatan Rakyat would not recognise the legitimacy of the 13th General Election (GE13) results, claiming irregularities.
He also claimed the alleged irregularities had denied Pakatan of its “rightful place” in Putrajaya and instead Barisan Nasional was returned to power as a minority government for the first time in Malaysia’s electoral history.
Among the allegations were blackouts at a few counting centres, for example in Bentong, Pahang, despite a denial by the DAP candidate Wong Tack that such an incident had contributed to his loss against MCA president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai.
The same allegation has now surfaced to haunt PKR in Batang Sadong, Sarawak, in the first week of party elections.
PKR election committee chairman Datuk Joehari Abdul today confirmed that he would be flying to Batang Sadong to investigate a claim of vote tampering allegedly involving a deputy presidential candidate.
“I am not denying that there are hiccups, but it is still manageable,” Joehari told a press conference at the party headquarters.
Solidariti Anak Muda Malaysia (SAMM) founder Badrul Hisham Shaharin had on April 27 claimed that he had photo and video evidence of vote tampering allegedly involving deputy president Azmin Ali.
Badrul Hisham, or better known as Chegu Bard, had also urged the election committee to disqualify Azmin from the deputy presidential race based on reports lodged by party workers aligned to his rival and Selangor Menteri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim.
Joehari, who refused to name any individual involved, also vowed “to get to the bottom of these (allegations)”.
According to The Star Online, Joehari said two Central Leadership Council (MPP) candidates who wanted to witness the vote counting process in a budget hotel in Batang Sadong had claimed that there was a delay before the door was opened by party workers in charge.
“Coincidently, there was a blackout in the hotel, but that’s the truth and not done deliberately. That’s why the MPP candidates felt unhappy and accused party workers of vote tampering and vote rigging,” he said.
In a related matter, The Malay Mail Online also quoted Joehari as saying that members in seven branches -- Setiu, Kuala Nerus, Dungun, Kemaman, Bukit Katil, Paya Besar and Jerantut -- will have to vote again on May 10 following “logistical” problems in the polls last weekend.
The PKR polls are spread over three weekends from April 26 to May 11 and six states (Sarawak, Kedah, Terengganu, Pahang, Johor and Malacca) have so far completed the voting process involving some 500,000 members nationwide.
This is the second successive PKR elections conducted based on the “one member one vote" system.
The last party elections in 2010 were marred by allegations of irregularities, leading to the departure of several top leaders, including maverick politician-cum- lawyer Datuk Seri Zaid Ibrahim.
Apart from electoral irregularities, other concerns monitored by the election committee involved possible breaches of party guidelines during the campaigning period.
Joehari said “some” candidates were issued stern warnings after they came close to breaching party guidelines in their “increasingly heated” campaigns.
It was reported that the committee is investigating Azmin and outgoing secretary-general Datuk Saifuddin Nasution, who is also a deputy presidential candidate, for their public remarks levelled against rival candidates.
As it stands, PKR will risk losing its credibility if the committee fails to ensure that all concerns raised are transparently dealt with.
Even if it succeeds to convince its own supporters, critics will have a field day running down PKR for failure to walk the talk and ensure that its own elections are “free and fair”.
The Ant Daily
Thursday, 3 April 2014
PKR polls infighting unbecoming of promised political reform
They say that there is nothing worse than when siblings fight and when it comes to political power plays, internal infighting in a party can be just as vicious and senseless as national politics, and the upcoming PKR polls are no exception.
Sparks are already flying after nominations on March 29, and smear campaigns already ongoing or continuing against some candidates, even before they can start to campaign on their merit or as PKR once vowed, on principles and policies.
One wonders if the party that calls for open debates with BN will also feature debates between candidates and if it is really going to practise what it preaches in policy-based campaigning.
Deputy president Azmin Ali is on record as loathing open debates between candidates, preferring to keep "internal party matters" under wraps.
"We can settle it internally. This is not about competition but who has something to offer. All candidates offer something," he reportedly said.
"This matter is not for the media to judge but by party members themselves. This is not the general election but party election. We will not allow Utusan Malaysia, TV3 or other media portals to decide," continued Azmin, explaining his reluctance.
This, however, runs counter to PKR's self-declared commitment to transparency and as the party is gunning for national leadership, its top leaders and the ambitious candidates should be transparent to the public in general and not just the party.
This brings about the ugly possibility that the party itself is not really interested in transparency. Either that or it has things to hide.
And apparently, the incumbent deputy president's seeming discretion is not shared by supporters of those throwing their hats into the ring, maybe even some who are in his corner.
In full swing now are smear campaigns, some in what ironically can be seen to be in concert with politically owned tabloid-size print media and its character killing exclusive breaking news articles.
PKR supporters of some candidates have been sighted on Twitterjaya, the blogosphere and other social media engaging in psychological warfare and indirect campaigning with spurious wit and saintly aplomb.
Coincidentally, Azmin's rival for the party number two post Selangor MB and new kid on the PKR block, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, was one of those hit with allegations that he was outwitted by a property developer in a state land deal.
Aspersions were also cast on the nature and timing of the deal, that not only demeans his business savvy but integrity too.
Previously, the same one-two knockout combination of tabloid-size politically owned media character killing article and insinuating tweets have been used to highlight the domestic issues of a party leader.
Some say the attack had effectively knocked the leader out of the deputy president’s race, though the same leader is defending a current post.
Another contender for a top party post was also hit with scandal over allegations of not paying for paintings supposedly bought from a national laureate.
The allegation surfaced soon after her nomination as candidate. While the issue seems to have corroboration, its timing smells complicit.
The conduct of some of those who tendered their candidacy is also in question, for example incumbent vice-president Tian Chua who is not only defending his post but had also thrown his hat into the crowded deputy presidential race.
His post-identity crisis notwithstanding, Tian Chua also seems to be engaged in horse trading holding a press conference to say he might be willing to withdraw from the party’s No 2 race and not denying that he is also not discounting eyeing the secretary-general’s post.
Observers have questioned Tian Chua's actions in running for both posts and seemingly eyeing the secretary-general’s appointment, asking him to focus on what he really wants.
It is possible he is looking for a deal with outgoing secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution who is also running for deputy president to trade off him pulling out from the party No 2 post for the latter's support for his vice-presidential run or secretary-general aspirations.
While it is the democratic right of party members to contest, it should be a serious affair and not one for horse trading and games.
But regardless of the flying sparks, party strategist Rafizi Ramli once remarked that PKR is a party forged in the crucible of street marches and reformasi.
And after the pitched battles for posts in the party polls, they will link arms again in unity despite bashing each other’s heads during the campaigning.
True or not, it is important to note that Rafizi's street party nostalgia aside, a party that has preached that it is the new hope for politics and governance in Malaysia should show better examples than just engaging in what is business as usual in politics.
By Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily
Sparks are already flying after nominations on March 29, and smear campaigns already ongoing or continuing against some candidates, even before they can start to campaign on their merit or as PKR once vowed, on principles and policies.
One wonders if the party that calls for open debates with BN will also feature debates between candidates and if it is really going to practise what it preaches in policy-based campaigning.
Deputy president Azmin Ali is on record as loathing open debates between candidates, preferring to keep "internal party matters" under wraps.
"We can settle it internally. This is not about competition but who has something to offer. All candidates offer something," he reportedly said.
"This matter is not for the media to judge but by party members themselves. This is not the general election but party election. We will not allow Utusan Malaysia, TV3 or other media portals to decide," continued Azmin, explaining his reluctance.
This, however, runs counter to PKR's self-declared commitment to transparency and as the party is gunning for national leadership, its top leaders and the ambitious candidates should be transparent to the public in general and not just the party.
This brings about the ugly possibility that the party itself is not really interested in transparency. Either that or it has things to hide.
And apparently, the incumbent deputy president's seeming discretion is not shared by supporters of those throwing their hats into the ring, maybe even some who are in his corner.
In full swing now are smear campaigns, some in what ironically can be seen to be in concert with politically owned tabloid-size print media and its character killing exclusive breaking news articles.
PKR supporters of some candidates have been sighted on Twitterjaya, the blogosphere and other social media engaging in psychological warfare and indirect campaigning with spurious wit and saintly aplomb.
Coincidentally, Azmin's rival for the party number two post Selangor MB and new kid on the PKR block, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, was one of those hit with allegations that he was outwitted by a property developer in a state land deal.
Aspersions were also cast on the nature and timing of the deal, that not only demeans his business savvy but integrity too.
Previously, the same one-two knockout combination of tabloid-size politically owned media character killing article and insinuating tweets have been used to highlight the domestic issues of a party leader.
Some say the attack had effectively knocked the leader out of the deputy president’s race, though the same leader is defending a current post.
Another contender for a top party post was also hit with scandal over allegations of not paying for paintings supposedly bought from a national laureate.
The allegation surfaced soon after her nomination as candidate. While the issue seems to have corroboration, its timing smells complicit.
The conduct of some of those who tendered their candidacy is also in question, for example incumbent vice-president Tian Chua who is not only defending his post but had also thrown his hat into the crowded deputy presidential race.
His post-identity crisis notwithstanding, Tian Chua also seems to be engaged in horse trading holding a press conference to say he might be willing to withdraw from the party’s No 2 race and not denying that he is also not discounting eyeing the secretary-general’s post.
Observers have questioned Tian Chua's actions in running for both posts and seemingly eyeing the secretary-general’s appointment, asking him to focus on what he really wants.
It is possible he is looking for a deal with outgoing secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution who is also running for deputy president to trade off him pulling out from the party No 2 post for the latter's support for his vice-presidential run or secretary-general aspirations.
While it is the democratic right of party members to contest, it should be a serious affair and not one for horse trading and games.
But regardless of the flying sparks, party strategist Rafizi Ramli once remarked that PKR is a party forged in the crucible of street marches and reformasi.
And after the pitched battles for posts in the party polls, they will link arms again in unity despite bashing each other’s heads during the campaigning.
True or not, it is important to note that Rafizi's street party nostalgia aside, a party that has preached that it is the new hope for politics and governance in Malaysia should show better examples than just engaging in what is business as usual in politics.
By Hazlan Zakaria, The Ant Daily
Wednesday, 2 April 2014
DAP and PKR– Foe or Friend of Malaysia?
DAP and PKR– Foe or Friend of Malaysia?
By Datuk Huan Cheng Guan
President, Centre for Political Awareness
History and literature have given us ample examples of how real friends stand with those in suffering and pain whilst bloodthirsty and unstoppable foes stand by the sidelines mocking and jumping at every single opportunity to disparage their foes. DAP is one classic example of how they masquerade as friends of the rakyat when in fact, they are one of the greatest foes of this country. Their agenda is clear – deride the status quo, do nothing and destroy the moral, social, and political fabric of this country!
DAP adviser has no grounds to disrespectfully order the PM to admit he made a mistake with regards to an announcement he made on March 24 that MH370 had ended in the southern Indian Ocean. Lim Kit Siang and his cohort of naysayers must show their record of work regarding the MH370 problem. Has Lim Kit Siang or any of leaders visited the families of the victims in Kuala Lumpur or Beijing? Did they try to join the SARs team, hire experts, or go to the ground to see the progress of search operations?
While the PM, Acting Transport Minister and various government agencies and departments work round the clock to get to the root of the problem, DAP leaders and members can only throw temper tantrums and hurl malicious criticisms at our leaders. Anything the government does is wrong in their eyes but most disgustingly, DAP does nothing but gripe, moan, scream and complain. When the government organized sessions with BN representatives, Lim Kit Siang complained and arrogantly declared that he would not attend even if invited to one organized specially for PR leaders. Clearly, the ’batu penghasut’ label befits this motley crew of devilish foes of Malaysia for their delight is in stirring feelings of resentment and fanning the flames of hatred against the ruling government locally and in China as well via Weibo – the Chinese equivalent of Twitter.
In sharp contrast, world leaders from China, Singapore, and Australia have praised the Prime Minister and Acting Transport Minister for their efforts and have acknowledged that Malaysia has done her best in working with SARS teams from 26 nations.
Today, the Chinese Ambassador to Malaysia Huang Huikang said, "The Chinese government never said that we were angry with the Malaysian Government. In fact, I am very satisfied and happy over details of operating procedures provided.” He insisted that China-Malaysia ties were still strong and it was a good time to enhance ties by working together to find the missing plane.
According to a news report by The Star, IATA director-general and CEO Tony Tyler praised the Malaysian authorities who have worked very hard to deal with the missing MH370 incident, which is unprecedented. He also acknowledged that the country is also doing its best to be transparent and announce new information when it becomes available.
Last Friday, Singapore Foreign Minister K. Shanmugam came to Malaysia's defense after scathing criticism of Kuala Lumpur's handling of the disappearance of a passenger plane with 239 people on board. He acknowledged that SARS teams from various countries lack the necessary resources for large scale assistance and voiced his concern about unfair criticisms to the Foreign Correspondents Association in Singapore. “I don't think enough account has been taken of the fact that there was very little to go on, very little that the Malaysians or anyone knew about the matter,” he said, describing the plane's disappearance as a “most unusual, bizarre situation.”
Two P8-Poseidons, each costing USD175 million, and 20 aircraft are also scouring the Indian Ocean for the MH370 and they have found nothing. US Navy Lieutenant Commander David Mims said that so far, they have not seen any land mass, shipping traffic and have seen virtually nothing. Commander William J Marks of the United States Seventh Fleet gave our government credit and acknowledged that ‘they are coordinating a huge international effort ‘efficiently and professionally. Chris McLaughlin, the Senior VP of Immarsat said that Malaysia has ‘made an honest attempt to try to run a very complex investigation’.
If international leaders and experts from 26 nations can praise Malaysia after working with our teams, DAP has no right whatsoever to reproach our PM. The record shows how Red Bean Army members and their chorus of grumblers are consistently condemning, berating, and vilifying our government on the home front and internationally via Weibo and Wechat! How can Malaysians display such destructive behaviour with folded arms? Is this a display of patriotism by true patriots or tantrums by traitors?
If truth be told, DAP cannot even keep its own house in order as can be seen by the ROS fiasco. DAP adviser would be better off advising his son how to better govern Penang which is likely to face a third hike in water rates.
To add salt to the wound, PKR leader Azmin Ali hypocritically declared that PKR had wanted to give their support to the government over the tragedy but was disappointed ‘over the numerous discrepancies in information between agencies. In reality, things are falling apart within PKR as seen by how they are willing to orchestrate a by-election and incur unnecessary costs to settle internal disputes within PKR Selangor. As if that was not enough, we have to witness the absurd drama of a husband (Anwar) challenging his wife (Wan Azizah) for the post of PKR President.
Both DAP and PKR are hopeless empty political shells led by dinosaur leaders who cannot control their own members or turf. How can they have the audacity to criticize our PM, Acting Transport Minister and all involved in the MH370 who are cooperating beautifully with teams from 26 nations? DAP and PKR must set their own house in order first before they pass any negative remark about our government. They have not acknowledged at any step the obstacles faced by our government teams but have put in place MORE obstacles by stirring citizens against the government, such as Tian Chua’s recent challenge for citizens to overthrow the government in five months.
Stop castigating and vilifying your country’s leaders and smearing our nation’s prestige with your hatred, lies, and manipulative maneuvers. Tell us finally, DAP and PKR – are you friends or foes of Malaysia? Are you patriots or traitors?
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