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Wednesday 30 April 2008

SEMBANG RABU: PITA POLITIK (13)

AN opposition MP had an unpleasant start in Parliament when his car was towed away by the traffic police for parking outside the Parliament house.

Jelutong MP Jeff Ooi, was shocked when he could not find his car after attending the official opening of Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara by the King.

Ooi said he was upset with the Parliament officials and the police as he was earlier instructed by the police to park outside the premises due to lack of parking space.

He said he was given a VIP parking pass that indicated Section ‘E’ to display on his dashboard but no one knew where section ‘E’ was.

He explained that he did not display his MP crest on the seven-year-old Proton Wira as it was not his official car and he had borrowed the car from his wife.

”However I managed to collect my car later but am not sure if I would have to pay a fine,” Ooi told a press conference at the Parliament lobby.

He added that he would raise the matter in Parliament when debating the Royal Address. (Star Online, 30 April 2008)

Comments:
The problem with us sometime is we seem to ignore the rules and regulations of what we stand for. Or perhaps, since the rules and regulations are being passed by the government not of our own choice so those rules and regulations could be put aside or ignored.

Well! after all, we are also the people's representative (choice) and we are chosen by the rakyat to become a memeber of such a prestigious Parliament. Presumably, we also must treat Parliament House as our own house and could park anywhere of our own choice too. We have the right, haven't we? it's intereting to see how someone who parked indiscriminately on the first in Parliament "would raise the matter in Parliament when debting the Royal Address".

Tuesday 29 April 2008

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (12)

KUALA LUMPUR: Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein explained that he was putting the party first in apologising for waving the keris.

“I took into consideration all aspects before making a decision. It is not as if I only wanted to think about my political position.

“Sincerely, I am willing to sacrifice my political career for the party. We will get nowhere if we continue to have conflicts,” he told reporters after the Umno supreme council meeting yesterday.

He was asked about some Malays who expressed disappointment with his apology and the Muar division which had asked him to resign over the issue

When asked if he was pressured into making the apology, Hishammuddin said there were no pressure whatsoever from anyone.

“I am willing to take the responsibility for anything that can affect the party. I will face the risk.

“The party has to come first before one does something to promote self-interest. Only then the people will see the willingness of Umno to defend Malaysians, especially the Malays,” he added

comments:
Some elderly UMNO poiticians suggested that Dato' Sri Hishamuddin seemed unwise or was unwise or rather too hasty in his decision to apologise in the wake of his "kris" genture during last year's UMNO Youth assembly. They lamented that Hishamuddin's apology was not at all in tune with the Malay aspirations and culture. They said the situation might be different if the Youth wing was now under the leadership of the late Haron Idris. in fact, by apologising Hishamuddin is indeed promoting his self-interest rather than the party's. Remember, party election is just around the corner.

Friday 25 April 2008

SEMBANG JUMAAT: PITA POLITIK (11)

BALASUNGKAWA
RUSTAM A. SANI (1944 – 2008)

Penulis, penterjemah, penyair, kolumnis dan penulis blog. Rustam meninggal dunia pada 23 April 2008 jam 3.30 pagi di kediamannya di 1759, Bt. 6 3/4, Taman Bukit Lela, Gombak, Selangor, akibat sakit jantung. Allahyarham meninggalkan seorang isteri, Rohani Zainal Abidin, mantan Pengarah Penerbitan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka dan dua orang anak (seorang lelaki dan seorang perempuan).

Rustam dilahirkan di Ipoh, Perak, dan anak ahli politik terkenal, Ahmad Boestamam (Haji Abdullah Sani bin Raja Kechil). Berkelulusan ijazah Sarjana dalam Pengajian Asia Tenggara di University of Kent, England, 1975.

Pernah bertugas di Oxford University Press, Kuala Lumpur. Dan sebelum menceburi bidang politik sepenuh masa beliau bertugas sebagai Setiausaha Agung Parti Rakyat Malaysia Rustam menjadi Felo Kanan di Institiut Kajian Strategik dan Antarabangsa (ISIS) Malaysia yang berpejabat di Kuala Lumpur. Beliau pernah menjadi kolumnis di bebarapa akhbar perdana dan tabloid satu ketika. Sebelum meninggal beliau adalah kolumnis tetap dengan akhbar tabloid "Siasah" yang pro-pembangkang.

Sejak meminati puisi tahun 1961 sebuah antologi puisi bersama telah dihasilkan dengan judul "Riak-Riak Kecil" pada 1977. Dalam bidang penterjemahan beliau menghasilkan "Shoji" (1961), "Gaspar Ruis" (1967), "Ikhtisar Sejarah Islam" (1967), "Istana Impian" (1967), "Sastera Baru Indonesia" bersama Asraf (1970), "Pengantar Asas Statistik", bersama Muhammad Hj Yusof (1983) dan "Bagaimana Membaca Buku" (1989).

Beliau adalah salah seorang tokoh Parti Rakyat Malaysia yang memperjuangkan penggbngan dua parti politik alternatif - Parti Keadilan yang diketuai Datin Seri wan Azizah Wan Ismail, isteri Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim (penasihat PKR) dan Parti Rakyat Malaysia yang dipimpin Dr. Syed Husin Ali dengan Rustama dipilih sebagai Setiausaha Agungnya.

Antara rakan dan handai taulan yang menziarahi jenazah beliau Rabu siang termasuklah para pemimpin Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan DAP. Antara yang kelihatan En. Lim Kit Siang, (penasihat DAP), Dato’ Kamarul Baharin Abbas, Ketua PKR Negeri Sembilan, Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim (penasihat PKR), Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, Nurul Izzah Anwar, Dato’ Dr. Hassan Ahmad, Pengerusi Eksekutif Yayasan Karyawan, Dato’ Baharuddin Zainal (Baha Zain) dan Datin,Tan Sri Adam Kadir, Dato’ Dr. Firdaus Abdullah,Ketua Pengarah DBP, Dr. Alias Muhammad, Haji Ayub Yamin, Haji Hamdan Yahaya, Saodah Abdullah, Wahba, Kamaluddin Lela, Rashid Azad Khan dan A.F.Yassin.

Jenazah selamat dikebumikan selepas Zuhur di Tanah Perkuburan Taman Ibukota, Gombak.
Penglibatan saya dengan Allahyarham bermula pada tahun 1974 apabila saya berpeluang bertemua dengan Ahmad Boestaman di pejabat Pustaka Antara di Jalan Raja Muda. Ketika itu saya ditugaskan berjumpa dengan pemilik Pustaka Antara, Abdul Aziz Ahmad. Secara kebetulan tiga tokoh persuratan ada bersama dengan Abd. Aziz, iaitu Ahmad Boestaman dan Arenawati.

Pertama kali saya dan Rustam bertemu ialah ketika sama-sama mengadakan majlis perbincangan di Dewan Bhasa dan Pustaka. Rustam pernah menghadiri majlis perkahwinan anak saya yang tua, Allahyarham Ahmad Faizal di Dewan MPPJ, Petaling Jaya pada tahun 1994. Terakhir saya terserempak dengan Rustam adalah di depan Maybank di Jalan Raja Laut pada tahun 2003. Bliau baru keluar setelah berurusan dengan bank berkenaan.

Kemudian kita hanya bertemu melalui laman blog dan kolom masing-masing, Rustam di akhbar Utusan Malaysia dan saya di Utusan Zaman. Dalam satu tulisannya di Utusan Malaysia Rustam menyatakan kurang senangnya apabila pada majlis perkhwinan anak saya itu, pemidato majlis, Dato’ Prof. Yunus Mohd. Nor, suami Datin Azlina, pengurus OUP Malaysia berckap dalam bahasa rojak (Inggeris dan Melayu). Ulasan terakhir beliau adalah terhadap satu artikel pendek tentang blognya. Beliau kurang senang dengan ulasan saya yang dianggapnya terlalu peribadi sifatnya.

Pemergiannya pada Rabu, 23 April lalu benar-benar satu kehilangan. Beliau pnulis prolifik yang menulis "without fear or favour". Pandangannya tajam lagi kritis. Ideanya bernas dan tersusun. Hal ini dapat dilihat melalui blog dan kolumnya. Baik kawan mahupun lawan pemergiannya amat dirasakan, apatah lagi beliau merupakan seorang intelek yang amat disegani. Semoga Allah mencucuri Rahmat Ke atas Rohnya. Amin!

Tuesday 22 April 2008

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (10)

Tun Mahathir's Comment on Judiciary Reform and His Successor


Former Lord President, Tun Salleh Abbas

"Asked about Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s conciliatory gesture of offering monetary compensation to judges who were suspended during the 1988 judicial crisis, he (Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed) said: “Fine, but it’s a political strategy by a man who is very unpopular at the moment wanting to show that he’s going to do something right.”

“Nobody can say anything against him. Newspapers report about how great he is. His own supporters misled him into believing that if he holds elections before the end of his term, he would win a clean sweep. If you look at the record of his statements, he said he would win with zero opposition.”

On claims that his criticisms against Abdullah over the last few years had brought his successor down, he said: “I don’t see why I should not criticise wrongdoings by him.”

On why he picked Abdullah to replace him as Prime Minister, he said Abdullah was known as “Mr Clean”.

To a question about some of those with Umno blaming Dr Mahathir for tearing down the party, he said that sometimes it might be necessary to do so.

“I’m a doctor; if one leg is becoming gangrenous I remove it,” he said." - excerpt from The Star, 22 April 2008

Comments:
comment made by Deputy Prime Minister, Dato' Seri Najib Tun Razak 2008 as quoted by New Strats Times on 19 April 2008 is self-explanatory. Najib said the government under Prime Ministr Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was aware that judiciary had to have the highest credibility abd reputation. DAP National Chairman, Karpal Singh said, "The ptoposed commission (judiciary) should look into the appointment of judges in the lower courts. We are prepared to support the government in providing the two-thirds majority to ammend the Federal Constitution." (New Straits Times, 19 April 2008.)

Is'nt this a kind of Reformasi of some sort as envisaged by our former Deputy Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim when he was out of the BN government late 1980s?

Friday 18 April 2008

SEMBANG JUMAAT: PITA POLITIK (9)

BRAVE NEW WORLD
By AZMI SHAROM
Since the recent general election, voices have risen up in a shrill warning cry that the Malays are now ‘under threat’. But perhaps the real threat is the threat to Umno hegemony.

AND so it begins. Race-based rhetoric has raised its ugly little head in response to a democratic process. Over 49% of the people of Malaysia have voted for parties that have rejected race-based affirmative action in favour of a needs-based platform.

It did not take very long for voices, both common and royal, to rise up in a shrill warning cry that the Malays are now “under threat”.

“Under threat” from what, may I ask? Let’s take a bit of time to look at this so-called “threat”. Firstly, Malays are given special protection under Article 153 of the Constitution.

Article 153 is titled “Reservation of quotas in respect of services, permits, etc, for Malays and natives of any of the States of Sabah and Sarawak”. Article 152 states that Malay is the National Language. The Supreme Head of the Federation, according to Article 32, is the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, a Malay ruler.

This is the foundation of Malay “special privileges”.

None of the Pakatan Rakyat component parties, including the DAP, have said anything about removing Articles 153, 152 and 32. They remain safe and secure with no sign whatsoever of any sort of threat.

Besides, in order to change it, you would need a two-thirds majority in the lower and upper houses of Parliament plus the support of the Conference of Rulers. The last time I checked, no one has a two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat.

Secondly, due to simple demographics, it is unlikely that a totally non-Malay party is ever going to win absolute control of the government. Of the five state governments in the hands of the Pakatan, four are led by a Malay Mentri Besar.

Penang is an exception, but Penang has been led by non-Malays since the 60s. Why was there was no outcry before this?

Thirdly, the proposed doing-away with the NEP (or whatever it is called nowadays), I suppose, can be seen as a threat to the Malays.

But how it can be a threat is beyond me, because the replacement suggested by the Pakatan is not some sort of laissez-faire capitalist economy. Instead, it is an economic system with affirmative action promised to those in need.

If the Malays are the largest group of people in Malaysia who are in the most need, then they will get the most help. If they are not in the most need, then why on earth do they need help then?

This is the point where I will get angry letters about how the NEP is needed; because in the business world – the real world which I know nothing about because I am just a lowly-academic trapped in my ivory tower – Malays are discriminated against by the Chinese. So we need a policy like the NEP to provide some balance.

I disagree.

If there are racist business policies being conducted against the Malays, then you face it head on with anti-discrimination laws.

If some person feels he is being discriminated against, no matter what his race, then let there be a law to help him, and let us punish the racists with a hefty fine or jail term.

You do not meet racism with racism; you challenge it by destroying all traces of it.

The problem with the NEP, as I see it, is that it breeds a mentality of entitlement based on race and not merit. This mentality seeps into governance, and it creates an atmosphere of mediocrity. One example of this is how the Constitution has been disregarded in relation to employment issues.

The Federal Constitution states that you can set quotas at the entry points of government services, for example, the civil service and public universities. However, this is counter-balanced by Article 136 that says all federal employees must be treated fairly regardless of race.

This means that once inside a service, everyone is to be treated equally based on merit. In such a situation, only the cream will rise to the top.

However, since the introduction of the NEP, the practice in government services has been to promote Malays mainly. This has in turn led to a drop in the number of non-Malay actors in the service of the public.

Taking my profession for example, the closeted unrealistic world of academia, I look down south and I see that 30% of the staff in the National University of Singapore Law School are Malaysians.

How come these clever fellows who are good enough to teach in a university that is among the top 20 in the world are not here in the land of their birth? Why are the blinking Singaporeans enjoying our talent? Is it because that talent is all non-Malay and they feel they have better opportunities there than here?

This is a complete waste, and in the end this loss of talent means a loss for the university, the country and the people of this country, including the Malay students who miss out on the best possible teachers.

Perhaps the real threat is the threat to Umno hegemony, in which case my answer to that is this: clean up your act, live up to your promises and listen to what the people are saying.

Make yourself electable by proving that you can create good government.

That is called democracy.

Dr Azmi Sharom is a law teacher. The views expressed here are entirely his own.The Star Online, 19 April 2008.(Full text).

Comments:
A commendable effort by this law teacher.I hope this law teacher is well-versed in Malaysian political struggle, especially in Pulau Pinang. After 50 years at the helm, it seems that the UMNO-led government has still as advised by Dr. Azmi to "make yourself electable by providing that you can create good government". For Dr. Ammi, "that is called democracy." There are some people who probably might equate "democracy to good government."

Wednesday 16 April 2008

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (8)

Will They Ever Learn?

NST says: Get on with the job
Despite the shock of the result, it was still a mandate that no one could argue with, not even Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in his wildest allegations of electoral fraud. But what has Umno, the leading partner of the coalition and largest party in parliament, been doing since March 8? Bickering, pointing fingers, baying for vengeance and doing everything imaginable except rolling up its sleeves and getting down to the work of governing.
Enough is enough.

People are getting fed up with Umno’s moaning and groaning, the political wayang and sandiwara its cast of characters is playing up and down the country.

The truth is that the people have long been disgusted with the kind of boorish, loutish behaviour that Umno leaders had exemplified because of their grip on power since independence in 1957 - New Straits times, 16 April 2008.

Comments:
Well said! A typical stinking "penyakit Melayu" since the 15th century Malacca Sultanate, more than 500 years ago: blame-game, finger-pointing, bickering, revengeful and arrogant. I mean the majority lot. Will they ever learn?

Tuesday 15 April 2008

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (7)

Tuesday April 15, 2008
Ongkili: Anwar wants to destabilise Govt
By LOH FOON FONG

PETALING JAYA: PKR adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has been criticised by Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) for continuing to talk about MPs crossing over to Pakatan Rakyat.

PBS deputy president Datuk Dr Maximus Ongkili said Anwar's actions were only intended to destabilise the Government.

“Why does he continue to engage in destabilising the Government by enticing members to cross floors? Not only is this unprincipled but downright dangerous.

“Why doesn’t he let the Government do its job just as Barisan Nasional allows the Opposition state governments to do their work? They should cooperate and let the Government run its show,” he said during his visit to the Meteorological Department here Tuesday.

Ongkili, who is also Science, Technology and Innovation Minister, was asked to comment on Anwar’s statement that Pakatan Rakyat was ready to form the Federal Government and was waiting for the right time and numbers.

On Monday night after a rally to celebrate the end of his ban from active politics at the Sultan Sulaiman Club field, Anwar said Pakatan Rakyat had already secured the number of MPs but wanted to form the Government with a strong majority.

He added that none of the MPs had been bought over.The Star Online, 15 April 08

Comments:
Not surprisingly, Anwar has been mapping Sabah's past political history. Having said that, not only Anwar but his former Boss, Tun Dr. Mahathir also want to see changes to the newly-formed BN government led by Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. Anwar has high hopes that the Pakatan Rakyat is now seen as the government-in-waiting, while Mahathir has also high hopes that Abdullah will soon be replaced. The sooner the better. In other wors, both Anwar and Mahathir have one thing in common: To push Abdullah aside into political obscurity.

Saturday 12 April 2008

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (6)

Antara lain, Dato Usman ((Awang) pernah berkata “Saya menentang prejudis terhadap bahasa Melayu ini. Saya hampa kerana pemimpin negara sendiri yang tidak percaya kepada kemampuan bahasa kebangsaan.”

Komen:
Kekecewaan seorang tokoh unggul keusasteraan yang melihat kedudukan bahasa Melayu yang semakin terpinggir. Masih adakah fajar yang menyingsing di ufuk barat? Hati nuraninya seperti berkata: "Sumbangan hampir tiga perempat daripada usia saya sebagai wartawan dan sasterawan di utusan Melayu dan Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka tidak mengundang apa-apa makna."

Thursday 10 April 2008

PITA POLITIK (1): MEMANG SORAK KG. TERGADAI

Tuesday, 18 March 2008
MEMANG SORAK KG. TERGADAI
Bukan tidak mungkin ada sesetengah kalangan Orang politik telah dengan cepat meletakkan situasi pasca Pilihanaya Umum 2008 hari ini sebagai "menang sorak kampung tergadai!" dan dengan demikian biarkanlah "Si Luncai terjun dengan labu-labunya! Biarkan, Biarkan!"

Posted by afyassin at Tuesday, March 18, 2008

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (2)

Thursday, 13 March 2008
KOMEN PILIHANRAYA UMUM 2008
KESAN AWAL KEPUTUSN PILIHANRAYA UMUM 2008 MULA DIRAASAI. SETIDAK-TIDAKNYA OLEH ORANG MELAYU. UTUSAN MALAYSIA HARI INI (12 MAC 2008) MENYIARKAN PANDANGAN SEORANG PEMBACA DENGAN JUDUL"MELAYU MENANG SORAK". KITA SAMA-SAMA FAHAM APA MAKSUDNYA? KELMARIN SEMASA MENGHADIRI MAJLIS PELANCARAN BUKU PUAN AZAH AZIZ DI HOTEL HILTON PETALING JAYA, SEORANG KENALAN DARI UNIVERSII MALAYSIA TERENGGANU MEMBERI KOMEN PENDEK TENTANG KESUDAHAN PILIHANRAYA KE-12 INI. KATANYA MENTALITI ORANG MELAYU JANGAN DIPERKECIL. MEREKA SEKARANG DARIPADA GENERASI BARU YANG BIJAK DAN TAHU MENILAI. BUKANKAH INI PRODUK PERJUANGAN ORANG MELAYU JUGA?

KETIKA MENGHADIRI BEBERAPA KEMPEN PILIHANRAYA DI REMBAU, NEGERI SEMBILAN BARU-BARU INI BEBERAPA PERNYATAAN DARIPADA MAKCIK-MAKCIK DI KAMPUNG BENAR-BENAR MENGINSAFKAN: ANTRA LAIN MEREKA BERKATA. KORIDOR-KORIDOR INI MAKCIK TAK FAHAM. YANG MAKCIK FAHAM IALAH HARGA MINYAK NAIK, HARGA BARANG NAIK. DULU SERINGGIT BOLEH BELI LIMA KEPING KUIH, SEKARANG TIGA KEPING KUIH HARGANYA LEBIH SERINGGIT. DULU MAKCIK LIHAT DUIT LIMA RINGGIT CUKUP MAKAN TIGA EMPAT HARI, SEKARANG NAK BELI IKAN KEMBUNG SEKILO PUN TAK DAPAT. JADI MACAM MANA?

TAK TAHU APA YANG DIPANGKAH MAKCIK-MAKCIK INI SEBELUM MEMASUKKAN KERTAS UNDI KE DALAM KOTAK UNDI. YANG PASTI MENURUT MEREKA SELAMA INI MEREKA PANGKAH PARTI YANG DEKAT DI HATI SEJAK ZAMAN PARTI PAKAI LAMBANG KAPAL LAYAR LAGI. TAPI SEKARANG WALLAHU A'LAM! HARAP-HARAP MEREKA MASIH SETIA KEPADA LAMBAG DACING PULA!

YANG TIDAK SEDAP DIDENGAR IALAH APABILA MAKCIK-MAKCIK INI KATA "KAMI INI BODOH SEMUANYA, ORANG DAH TUA. TULIS PUN MAKCIK TAK TAHU. KALAU TAHU PUN SIKIT-SIKIT TAK MACAM WAKIL-WAKIL RAKYAT KITA. TAPI BODOH-BODOH MAKCIK PUN MASIH LAGI BOLEH GUNAKAN PENSEL UNTUK MELUKIS GAMBAR DARAB DALAM KERTAS UNDI!

PESAN MAKCIK-MAKCIK INI: NAMPAKNYA RTM, IAITU TV KERAJAAN SABAN MALAM KETIKA BERKEMPEN LALU. SIARKAN CERITA TAK ADA LAIN KECUALI CERITA TENTANG EMBANGUNAN DAN DUIT JUTA-JUTA. TAK ADA CACAT CELANYA.

AGAKNYA MAKCIK-MAKCIK INI TELAH MENERIMA SUNTIKAN BERLEBIHAN (OVERDOSE) TENTANG POLITIK PEMBANGUNAN KERAJAAN!

SAMPAI JUMPA LAGI.

Posted by afyassin at Thursday, March 13, 2008 0 comments

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (3)

Monday, 31 March 2008
SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (3)
BILA KATA HENDAK DIKOTA!
Anwar on Government-in-Waiting: Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Monday he had held talks with a number of ruling coalition lawmakers interested in defecting after this month's landmark elections.
Anwar, a former deputy premier who was sacked and jailed a decade ago, helms a three-party alliance that made unprecedented gains in March 8 polls against the Barisan Nasional coalition which has ruled for half a century.
"People have come and approached me," Anwar said, adding that he had spoken with "quite a number" and told them their support would not be bought.
"If you want to surrender at a price, then you have chosen the wrong party," he told reporters, adding that they would be welcomed "if they accept our agenda".
Anwar confirmed he was canvassing support from coalition lawmakers in East Malaysia on Borneo island, which represents a power bloc that could unseat the government if it changed hands.
Barisan Nasional will have 140 lawmakers in the new 222-seat parliament, against 199 in the outgoing 219-seat parliament. The opposition alliance claimed 80 seats from just 19 previously, and four more states. (Extract from MSN News Service).

Malaysia's Anwar says moving toward forming new govt:
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday he is moving towards forming a new government after landmark elections, with the help of defectors from the ruling coalition.
"I don't know how soon we can form the new government but we are moving in that direction," the former deputy premier, who was sacked and jailed a decade ago, told AFP in an interview.
The three-party opposition alliance made unprecedented gains in March 8 polls, seizing more than a third of parliamentary seats and four more states from the dominant Barisan Nasional coalition.
Anwar said that coalition lawmakers from Malaysia's eastern states of Sabah and Sarawak on Borneo island had contacted him to discuss switching sides. The power bloc there could unseat the government if it changed hands.
"The MPs from there have come here to see me," Anwar said, adding that he was in no hurry to become the next prime minister, but that the opposition would already be in power if the polls had been clean and fair.(Agence France-Presse - 3/19/2008 10:57 AM GMT)

Mahathir: Election provision being abused?: KUALA LUMPUR: The nomination quota to contest top posts in Umno should be abolished, as it is being abused to prevent members from nominating candidates, said former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
He pointed out that when he was president, anyone was free to challenge him, and although there was already the quota in place then, “those days it was easy to get 60 divisions (nominations)”.
However, he added, when Gua Musang MP Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah wanted to challenge Umno president and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in 2004, he only managed to get one nomination from his own division.
“(This is) because other divisions were told not to nominate him. There was no freedom. I think it’s about time they revised this provision because of the tendency of the people with the power to stifle any move to criticise or oppose them,” he said yesterday.
Dr Mahathir said there was nothing wrong with having a contest for the presidency in the upcoming December party election, adding that other Umno presidents, including him, were also previously challenged.
After Umno Baru was formed in 1988, Dr Mahathir had proposed the bonus vote system, which was accepted by the party supreme council.
The bonus vote system gives 10 additional votes for every nomination received by a candidate, as well as setting a quota of 30% nominations from divisions to contest the president’s post, 20% nominations for the deputy president’s post, 10% for the vice-presidents' posts and 5% for supreme council posts.
On who was likely to challenge Abdullah, Dr Mahathir said it could be Razaleigh (who had offered himself) or others. He said that Umno was not so poor in talent “that we cannot find even a single one to match the Prime Minister that we have.”
On the call by DAP Ipoh Timur MP Lim Kit Siang for an inquiry into the 1988 judicial crisis, Dr Mahathir was adamant he was not in the wrong.
“I don’t see why there is any crisis. It’s a political game,” he said, adding that DAP chairman Karpal Singh wanted action to be taken against him for the episode “because he hates me so much”.
He reiterated that the tribunal that tried former Lord President Tun Salleh Abas for misconduct had acted according to the law and there was no reason for an inquiry.
“So why should there be any apology by me, the Government or by anybody? It’s no good saying that 'oh yes, although it was according to the law but because of this...'. That is political,” he added. (Extract from MSN/AFP)


Comment:
Anyone buying? Well, the current PM seems to have been whispered probably by people who desperately want him to opt out a.s.a.p. I remember reading a book "Paradox of Mahathirism", written by one PhD student in Singapore and published by Oxford University Press, kuala Lumpur, 1998.

Posted by afyassin at Monday, March 31, 2008 0 comments
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SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (4)

AHMAD SHABERY ON TUN MAHATHIR

Ahmad Shabery said during the former prime minister's leadership, many regulations were imposed, including a resolution that there should be no contest for the president and deputy president's posts.

"There was no contest (for the president's and deputy president's posts) after 1987 but now he is saying it is undemocratic. The Malays have not forgotten all these things but maybe Dr Mahathir has forgotten.

"I am sad to bring up these things but the openness in Pak Lah's era should not be taken advantage of."

At one time, he said, Umno supreme council members couldn't even be challenged in their divisions.

Division chiefs in Kelantan also couldn't be opposed when Dr Mahathir was the state Umno liaison head, he said.
He added that in the 1999 general election, the anger of the grassroots was aimed at Dr Mahathir's leadership. However, he did not step down.

He (also) said more Malay voters rejected Umno and Barisan Nasional in the 1999 general election compared with the March 8 elections.

Ahmad Shabery also said he was disappointed with Dr Mahathir's comments as during his leadership, many Umno leaders were detained under the Internal Security Act as they were seen as threats to national security. In actual fact, they were threats to his leadership. -- Bernama

Comments:
Should I comment or should I leave it to you to judge. Or why bother at all?

SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (5)

Wednesday, 9 April 2008
SEMBANG SELASA: PITA POLITIK (5)
On Sunday, Tronoh assemblyman V. Sivakumar alleged that he had been deluged with offers to switch camps to Barisan since the March 8 general election.
He claimed that the highest offer was RM65mil in cash and a state executive council (exco) member post.
However, state Barisan vice-chairman Datuk Ramly Zahari dismissed Sivakumar’s allegation, saying that it is “impossible”.
Ramly also denied that Perak Umno and the Barisan had extended such offers to DAP, PKR or PAS elected representatives to switch camps. – The Star, 9 April 2008.

Comments:
Irresistable! RM65 million and an EXCO post in return to defect. If only we have more people like V. Sivakumar!!
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FAMILY BLOGS

Special Interview Session with Malaysian Personalities, 2007

Special Interview Session with Malaysian Personalities, 2007
With Tan Sri Dol Ramli, Ex-Director General (RTM) at his residence, Bukit Ampang, KL..

Interview Session with Malaysian Personalities, 2007

Interview Session with Malaysian Personalities, 2007
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RTM MALAY LANGUAGE ACTION COMMITTEE 1983

RTM MALAY LANGUAGE ACTION COMMITTEE 1983
Dato' Dr. Firdaus Abdullah chairing the session, with Dr. Sulaiman Masri (extreme right) and Haji Jajuli Abd. Rahman (second from right).