Of Penanti forced by-election-what`s cooking in it?

Penanti by-election on May 31 will see a four-cornered fight with PKR's Mansor Othman taking on three independents.

Mansor, 59, Aminah Abdullah, 56, Nai Khan Ari, 41, and Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42,

Penanti is a must-win seat for the party's morale because even with a victory gain will not change the equation in the state legislative assembly.

BN is staying out of the by-election, calling it an abuse of the electoral process and a political ploy. PKR have forced two other by-elections previously- the first was when Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail vacated her Permatang Pauh seat to enable her husband, Anwar, to return to Parliament.

Then came the Bukit Selambau by-election where PKR representative and Kedah state exco member V. Arumugam abandoned his seat amid allegations of bigamy.

The Penanti by-election was precipitated by the resignation of former Penang deputy chief minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin following a graft probe. He was later cleared by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

While PKR may supposedly be guaranteed of its `base support`, party insiders are keen to see which way some 2,000 fence-sitters will go.

Penanti voters comprise of 72.6 % Malays, 24.2 % Chinese, 2.4 % Indians and 0.7 % others.





A section of the crowd attending a ceramah in Kampung Guar Jering on Wednesday night
(NST, 27.5.09).


Addressing a large and mostly Muslim audience at a football field in Guar Jering on Wednesday night, Pas spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat repeated his famous "reward from God" campaign line: "I have said this before in Kelantan, vote and you will get pahala (rewards)," declared the revered Tok Guru.

Leaflets were distributed at the ceramah bearing messages from Nik Aziz, Hadi and Penang Pas chief Saleh Man directing Penanti Pas members to come out full force to support PKR candidate Dr Mansor Othman.

Earlier there were threats from some to boycott the by-election.

Local Pas leaders are said to be unhappy with the "forced" by-election, and had even suggested that Pas should field its own candidate.

Another storm stirring is the independent candidate Aminah Abdullah's allegations that PKR had offered inducements for her either to withdraw from the by-election or rejoin the party if she won. The so called `Kak Min` CD scandal is a growing concern for Pakatan leaders.

She has been labelled as a woman of loose character and given names like "Minah Ronggeng" (cabaret woman) in the nightly ceramah that are held in Penanti.

PKR has denied the claims, which the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission is investigating.
The question that begs to be answered is why is Pakatan bashing Aminah for the dirty deeds committed by its own leaders?

After all, PKR supreme council member Cheah Kah Peng and state executive council member Law Choo Kiang's special assistant Lim Eng Nam had admitted that they indeed did meet Aminah.

Both have admitted that the conversation took place at Aminah's house on May 13.

However, they remained evasive when asked about the allegations against them.

PKR leaders may want to `shut up` her claims, opting not to respond to them and letting their lawyers deal with the matter, but internal squabbles turning into public spats could be damaging to PKR.

The young party, plagued by a host of leadership problems at various levels, cannot afford to look "small" in the eyes of its allies Pas and DAP in the Pakatan.

Aminah Abdullah has exposed the kind of intense backstabbing and power struggle that is going on in Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) and in the Penang state administration.

But more importantly, she has laid bare the hypocrisy of Pakatan leaders, in the manner they are dealing with the whole affair.

Instead of living up to their competency, accountability and transparency motto, they have resorted to scathing attacks on their former colleague.

It is also interesting to note the deafening silence from Level 28 of Komtar on this scandalous affair which has implicated a state exco member.

After all, Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng was among the ones to call for Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam after the latter was barred from contesting the Umno elections, to take responsibility for the actions of his agent who was cited for money politics and to resign as Malacca Chief Minister.

It was a similar scenario. So it now remains to be seen if Lim would initiate any action against his own exco member for the action of the latter's special assistant.

Its clear PKR is just a noisy party that is chasing clouds in the air only? How much more have we to buy into their `holier-than thou` attitude ? We have wasted too much time in damaging our country`s economic and political stability.

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Fairus Khairuddin QUIT--- by-election ploy looms, rakyat already fatigued with costly polls

Fairus Khairuddin finaly quited as Deputy Chief Minister I of Penang and also as the state assemblyman for Penanti, following allegations that he covered up illegal quarrying activities.

In an interview with Nanyang Siang Pau recently, the PKR leader threatened to expose potentially damaging information about Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) state government, claiming that he had been framed by party insiders. He also claimed that he was a victim of internal politics

It is understood that internal bickering is the main reason why Anwar has been unable to fill the DCM post vacancy. The squabbling has put Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in a fix. It is also a by-election that the CM would not want.

The by-election for the seat, which falls under Anwar’s parliamentary constituency, will be the sixth after the March 8 general election last year. And it is the 3rd by –election called for by PKR as the result of the resignation of PKR leaders due to personal reasons or `tainted –representative` issue.

This is a costly affair for taxpayer and a waste of time. The five by-elections which have been held following the 2008 general election have already cost Malaysian taxpayers RM 33.4 million.

Amount Spent:-
P44 Permatang Pauh (26.08.08)-- RM 409,000.00 (EC) -- RM 2.5 mil.(Police)
P36 Kuala Trengganu (24.01.09)--RM 580,000.00 (EC)---RM 11.5 mil.(Police)
N29 Batang Ai (07.04.09 )---RM 400,000.00 (EC)-- - RM 5 mil.(Police)
N25 Bukit Selambau (07.04.09) --- RM 400,000.00 (EC)--- RM 5 mil.(Police)
P29 Bukit Gantang (07.04.09) ----RM 600,000.00 (EC) ----RM 7 mil.(Police)
Total spending ---- RM 2.4mil.(EC) ----RM 31 mil.(Police) =RM33.4mil.
Where did the money go?:-
Election commission(EC)-for paying election workers, staff allowances, printing costs, transportation including helicopters and accommodation.

Police- for temporary bases and tents, logistics and transportation, accommodation, rental, electricity and outstation allowances.

Political parties- millions on printing billboards, banners, posters, newsletters, logistic, transportation, accommodation and food for volunteers.

Deputy Election commission chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar said the potential Penanti by-election could cost Election Commission another RM 300,000.00 depending on the number of registered voters and the remoteness of the area.

Phew!! What costly polls alright ?

PM: Too much being spent on unnecessary by-elections

Speaking at a recent press conference, after opening the Associated Chinese Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Malaysias (ACCCIM) 63rd annual general meeting, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said,
" National Resources are being wasted on calling for by-elections when the nation should be concentrating on strengthening its economy,”

“It is different if an elected representative has passed away, then he has to be replaced but resignations are political decisions which can also be regarded as a political ploy for specific reasons,” he added.

“Malaysians did not like by-elections that were held deliberately.”

Good news is that BN may not contest Penanti by-election, if it obtains the consensus of all component parties, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak in another event in Pekan today.

Najib said he did not rule out such a possibility as the latest by-election in Penang was clearly a "political ploy" by the Opposition.

"No, we are not afraid of losing to them but it is a sheer waste of public funds.”

"Whatever decision we make, we will take into consideration whether it benefits the people.”

Anwar - who is believed to have "forced" the by-election to prevent the graft allegations against Fairus from blowing up and to avert any possibility of him defecting to the United Malays National Organisation - has come under fire for the decision, but kept silent about the issue over the last week.

HOW Anwar handles the controversy surrounding the resignations of Penang Deputy Chief Minister and assemblyman Fairus Khairuddin will be one of the main issues in the upcoming by-election in Penanti, said Penang’s Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.

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TUN MAHATHIR IN BUKIT GANTANG

Tun Mahathir arrived at Dataran PPP in Simpang, Taiping this morning on his election campaign trail. Tun was mobbed by more than 5,000 people who surged to shake hands with him.

At the rally, Tun smashed Bukit Gantang PAS's candidate, Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin for giving out permanent land title to villagers in the state.

"He (Nizar) is doing everything to be popular. He is not sincere," he said to thunderous applause from the floor.

Tun also smashed Nizar for defying Sultan Azlan Shah`s order to resign and renewed his attacks on Anwar who was too impatient to be rise in rank and irresponsible.

“That man only knows how to create uncertainty. He promised something big would happen on Sept 16 (last year) but nothing happened. Then he promised something special for the people, and nothing materialised,” he said to loud cheers.

Tun said even though we are a liberalised country but it was not easy to run a multi-racial country.

"If we do something for a certain group of people, the other groups will be upset. I kena marah (scolded) for 22 years but never mind, I sudah biasa (used to it)," he said.

Saying that now he has officially rejoined UMNO, Tun fully supported Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak,UMNO ,BN and Ismail Saffian , a local boy, as the most appropriate Bukit Gantang candidate.

Tun called those who had left the party to return back to the party like him.

“Times have changed. The government today is truly for the people. So I am urging those who had left Umno, please come back,” he said.

Tun said he was confident that with the new present administration , steps would be taken to address people’s unhappiness.

"What do we get by demonstrating on the streets, except causing damage?

"Street demonstrations are not part of Malaysian culture and are a waste of time. Dialogue is the best way to resolve unhappiness and differences."

Tun called on the people to work together with the government for the nation and rakyat.

And as he completed his speech, Tun was given a standing ovation.

Tun`s presence in Bukit Gantang is like the return of an old warrior to the political areana after about 4 years of absence. Tun is garnering votes in this last leg of election campaign trail.

Many look towards Tun rejoining UMNO as the unifying factor in UMNO and spark for the renewal of BN towards the Vision of attaining One Malaysia under the leadership of the Datuk Seri Najib Razak,the 6th Prime Minister.

Since merdeka, the rakyat of Malaysia has grown,work and built this One Malaysia to this level for all. There is no or U-turn back now. Let not race, language ,culture or party issue put us apart again.

USE YOUR VOTE WISELY.

THE FUTURE OF BUKIT GANTANG IS IN YOUR VOTE.

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Unveiling Altantunya-Anwar-Nizar masks in Bukit Gantang?

Today in our walk-about in the town of Bukit Gantang, we were surprised to see Altantunya-Anwar-Nizar masks been distributed like pancake.

Are the locals here having a Altantunya-Anwar-Nizar Halloween party or a by –election? If not careful, one can see these masks resembling those sacrificial paper offerings used in the on-going Cheng Beng rituals in Bukit Gantang.

Why Altantunya ?

IGP Tan Sri Musa had already clarified that campaign gag covered all pending court cases.

“We have put the condition that criminal matters before the courts cannot be discussed in the open. It is sub judice,” he said, adding that other conditions included barring speakers from touching on seditious matters, using slander or giving out misinformation.

The locals here are taking a risk to challenge the police and a contempt of court charges? People of Bukit Gantang let the court take its course .

By wearing these Altantunya- Anwar -Nizar masks to protest against Barisan Nasional is no show of intelliegent solidarity but victims of manipulation by Anwar and Nizar to gain their political mileage.They are portraying themselves as man with many faces.

In short Anwar and Nizar are `political chameleon` with deceiving character behind those masks.

Quote and unquote- `Nizar claims that he is an impressive man of immense grace and character who represents Perak's future, not its past. The former Perak Menteri Besar is feted by Anwar Ibrahim as the best thing in years to have happened to Malaysia's democratic transition. His record in power is mixed: full of rhetoric, covert intentions to uphold the political free speech, but lacking many practical achievements.`

Now my question is how much do we know Anwar-Nizar behind those halloween masks?

ANWAR, an Islam by faith, still has impending sodomy case to settle. Carrying that baggage along , he supossedly champion for equality for all race and helping the poor but often than not incite racial sentiments that cause rakyat to resort to street demos against each other and the government. Is this called democracy or demos cracy?

He has suposedly slacked while in TPM office and now dreams of becoming PM with his promise of 16 September New Government shattered.

Nizar, with his confused identity of a chinese or malay, makes a mockery of the Perak state government with his TREEmendous dream .

His ` puppeted-administration` by Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and state DAP sceretary Nga Kor Ming incites political chaos in Perak. His uncalled giving of 999 years land titles to the new and planned villages in Perak is much dictated by DAP and created many dissatisfactions among the poor and needy group.

NIZAR never understood the Land Code that govern state land matters.

His refusal to return his Toyota Camry shows his `gangster- greedy` character, as a man who does not respect laws or rules and regulations.

His swearing`Derhaka` at Perak Sultan shows his lack of understanding and respect for the Constitution and his dissatisfaction of being dismissed.Is this a man of grace and character that we can entrust the future of Perak to his hands?

Unveiling Altantunya-Anwar-Nizar masks got us to see the manifested faces of Anwar-Nizar.

To the Bukit Gantang voters, do not be stressed out by the deceptions of these 2 politcal chameleons.

THINK RIGHT for the good of Bukit Gantang. You do not have to be frightened or live behind their masks too?

BE THE CHANGE YOU WANT.

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ENTER NAJIB WITH WAVE OF REFORMATION-another PKR plot blown !!!!

Many who used to attend the many night ceramahs will have heard of a PKR intended surprise announcemnt that have something to do with the swearing-in of Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak as the country’s sixth Prime Minister.


Unfortunately the announcement never came or understood but the swearing –in of 6th Prime Minister went on smoothly as scheduled on 3 April 2009.


In his maiden speech calling for the rakyat to work together to renew Malaysia through ONE MALAYSIA, putting PEOPLE FIRST and PERFORMANCE NOW, Datuk Seri Najib has shown his commitment to change and reform.


He has announced the freeing of the 13 from ISA detention, and to retract the suspension order on two papers - Harakah and Suara Keadilan with immediate effect.

In spite of the fact Anwar himself and PAS welcome the move , PKR de facto leader still protests against this draconian law and also played down the significance of the move, no doubt conscious of the effect it could have on the three by-elections on Tuesday.

Much as many people know, opposition tried hard to discredit Najib since Ijok by-election in 2007.

On the eve of Najib`s formal confirmation to the Presidency of UMNO, the foreign press and major newspapers came out with conspiracy stories on the Altantunya murder and military deals.

As we heard too that Anwar was trying hard to get an appointment with the Agong in the last 10 days but to no avail. Suposedly it seemed Anwar used Federal court judge and legal advisor to Agong to seek Agong not to accept Abdullah's resignation.

PKR promise of September 16 Governmnet was also another blown plot if one may recall.

My question is- Can the people of the 3 by –election still trust such PAKATAN promises that PAKATAN is the reliable party to be voted in as the government ?

The release of the 13 ISA detainees is a timely decision as we move to enhance the confidence of our rakyat in those entrusted with maintaining peace, law and order, while recognising the need to remain vigilant of the very real security threats we continue to face as a young nation.

It is not a sign of bowing down to the demands of PKR nor a PKR victory.

THINK HARD AGAIN before you use the power of your vote.

WE say NO more to instability in the country.We need reforms to ride the economic recession.In this we have to give our supportive mandate to the New Prime Minister for him to show his change .

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Anwar Ibrahim - Another Chaos?

Is it just me or all the Malaysian feel the same way as I do? In the recent 2 years we've been logged with lots of 'hot issues' regarding politics and not forgetting, the arising of living cost. For me, the chaos started with the HINDRAF tragedy, followed by the on-the-street demonstrations formed by the lawyers, NGOs and others, Pulau Batu Putih sovereignty issue, the 12th General Election, oil prices (the list goes on..) and now, Anwar Ibrahim.

Again, this man has been accused with sodomy. The aide - Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan,23 has lodged a police report saying he has been sodomised in a luxury condominium in Damansara. However, according to BBC London reports on 28 June 2008, the ex-Deputy Prime Minister denied the claim, saying it is designed to block his political resurgence after success at the polls.

In a written statement he said: "I believe we are witnessing a repeat of the methods used against me in 1998 when false allegations were made under duress." One of his senior aides told the BBC: "This is a photocopy of the script from 10 years ago."

But, the problem now is, is it true?

In the meantime, his wife - Wan Azizah has also aroused the public interest with her fear for his husband's safety. On 29 June 2008, she told Radio Australia they received warnings four months ago that Mr. Anwar must watch out for his personal safety.

Wan Azizah : "We have been taking precautions. So based on what's happened to him in the past, (where) he was detained and he was beaten to a pulp, we are not taking this lightly. Now we have to think about his personal safety and there may be an attempt on his life, even." Wan Azizah says this latest accusation is groundless, just as past allegations against Anwar have been proven to be false.

It is also reported later on that Anwar has sought refuge in the Turkish embassy in Kuala Lumpur. It is said that he has been invited to seek refuge within the embassy. It is reported by the Radio Corporation of Singapore, about 100 of Anwar's supporters have gathered outside the Turkish ambassy, watched by a handful of riot police. They chanted the word 'REFORMASI', the movement's battle cry and 'down with the oppressive government'. But interestingly, Mr Anwar left the embassy after a meeting between Malaysia's Foreign Minister, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim, and Turkish ambassador Barlas Ozener. Mr Rais has also claimed that' "the ambassador is of the view that he would like Anwar to be out of the premises as soon as possible." (Earlier, the ambassador claimed that Anwar had come on “his own accord for a visit” and at the end of the visit asked if he could be there for some time)

But Anwar denied he had been forced out, telling the Associated Press news agency he had made the decision to leave after the government had made 'all the undertakings to assure his personal safety.'

Outside the Turkish embassy he told reporters he had been due to announce his candidacy in a by-election and unveil four government MPs who were defecting to his coalition. As answers to all the accusations against the government (to be precise Barisan Nasional) on the 'fabrication', Malaysian Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi denied that the government has fabricated a case against him. There was no conspiracy "to cause [Anwar] trouble or harass him or raise such issues to undermine him", he said. In a meeting with Azizah, he has also guaranteed that there is nothing to be worry about Anwar's safety.

Meanwhile, the police has also ensure that they will handle the case in a fair manner purely from the legal perspective and not from political angles. On the 1 July 2008, it is reported that he plans to stage a public rally on Tuesday night to fight back over allegations of sodomy. There are also report he had lodged a defamation suit against the 23 year old aide, Saiful Bukhari Azlan.

However, above all the facts mentioned before and lots of others that stated in the media, the questions are, is there really 'a case' or is it just another chaos created by others for individual gain? As a Malaysian, whatever it is, I just want Malaysia to be back to normal, where everyone can live peacefully everafter. As for this case, just let the police do their job, investigate and all without any interference.. the truth will be reveal.. isn't it?

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