DAP Apologises.....

Perak DAP leaders have defied the directive by the party's central executive committee to boycott the swearing-in of PAS' Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Menteri Besar.

State DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming said the party's elected representatives will be attending the ceremony scheduled at 4pm at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar.

Read the Star story here.

Meanwhile, party advisor Lim Kit Siang has apologised for his statement yesterday that the party's CEC was protesting the appointment of Perak PAS liaison secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin as Menteri Besar.

Lim said his three-paragraph statement at 7 last night that the DAP CEC emergency meeting on March 9 had not given approval for a PAS Menteri Besar to head a Perak coalition state government was not made out of disrespect to the Perak Regent whom he had always held in the highest regard.

"I apologise for any offence caused," he said in a statement today.

He said the statement issued yesterday was made based on the DAP's position at the time.

"There have been further discussions and developments on the matter in the hours after the statement.

"Announcements of the latest position will be made," he added.

Last night, Lim, who is MP for Ipoh Timur said that the party was shocked over the decision.

He said the party's central executive committee had given approval for the formation of a Perak coalition government headed by DAP or PKR but not by PAS.

As a result of this decision, Lim instructed all its 18 state assemblymen to boycott the swearing-in ceremony today.

DAP To Boycott PAS MB Swearing-in

....because it is unhappy over the appointment of Mohamad Nizar as Perak Mentri Besar.
DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang said this was because PAS represents the third and smallest political party in the proposed coalition.

As Nizar's appointment has not received the mandate of the CEC, DAP Perak assemblymen will stay away from the swearing-in ceremony for Perak Mentri Besar scheduled Thursday, he said in a statement.

“The DAP CEC has given approval for the formation of a Perak coalition government headed by DAP or PKR but not by PAS."

Lim said DAP leaders, members and supporters are shocked at the decision to appoint a PAS assemblyman as Perak MB.
“DAP is prepared to accept DAP chairman and assemblyman for Sitiawan Ngeh Koo Ham or PKR Behrang assemblyman Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi as Perak Mentri Besar," he said.

Sigh sigh sigh.
Why-lah?

Because the DAP is still playing race politics?
Let me remind the DAP and the rest of the Opposition parties that not all who voted for you guys love you. The angry votes out there were of those who simply rejected the Barisan Nasional.
The Ali's and the Minah's voted for DAP's candidates, most of whom are Chinese. And yes, the Wongs and the Lims voted for PAS candidates.
Malaysians did not care about race or what colour their candidates were -- they voted for a better Malaysia. At least they thought they did.
They wanted to give a chance to the devil that they do not know to better run the country. I mean, the state.

So, now, Mr Lim Kit Siang. What in heaven's name do you think you're doing? What were you thinking?

Give the whole deal a chance, man!

A New Cabinet By Monday..

PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will be revamping his old Cabinet, filling vacancies left by members who lost in the general election.

(Bernama story here.)

These were the casualties in the elections:

S Samy Vellu (works ministry)
Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (women, family and community development ministry)
Zainuddin Maidin ( information ministry)
Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (rural and territory development ministry)

Deputy ministers:
Chia Kwang Chye (information ministry)
G Palanivel (women, family and community development)
Tan Chai Ho (home ministry)S Sothinathan (natural resources and environment ministry)Donald Lim (tourism ministry)
Fu Ah Kiow (internal security ministry)
M Kayveas (Prime Minister’s Department)

Parliamentary secretaries:
Chew Mei Fun (women, family and community development ministry)
P Komala Devi (education ministry)
Lee Kah Choon (health ministry)
Ng Lip Yong (plantation industries and commodities ministry)
S Vigneswaran (youth and sports ministry)Rahman Ibrahim (home ministry)
Dr Mohd Ruddin Ab Ghani (science, technology and innovation ministry)
Yew Teong Look (federal territories ministry)

Also, MCA chief and former Housing and Local Government Minister Ong Ka Ting had said that he would not be offering himself for a Cabinet post, preferring instead to devote his time and energy to rebuild and reform the party.
Read here.

There's a whole lot of thinking to be done to fill the vacancies. Who will be put where?
Good luck, Pak Lah.
Let's hope it'll be a good Cabinet.
You know what I mean.

Let Bygones Be Bygones --

...so MIC president Samy Vellu and his old-time rival S Subramaniam have decided to chart a new beginning. Forgive and forget for the sake of solidarity of the community.
It took an excruciating hard knock on the party -- an unprecedented defeat in the just-concluded general election, for this to happen.
The party won only three of the nine parliamentary seats it contested.
Samy, his deputy Palanivel, vice-presidents S Sothinathan, S Veerasingam, Youth chief S.A Vigneswaran and wanita head Komala Krishnamoorthy were were swept by the political tsunami of March 8.
The survivors were MIC sec-gen S Subramaniam, information chief M Saravan and CWC member S.K Devamany.

Much soul searching, I'm sure.

And for many MIC members -- indeed a hope for a new beginning.

Here's the Bernama story.

Tuesdays With Bapak

In Opposition "Country" -- Tuesday, March 11 2008

I had been covering the country's general election since 1982 as a journalist with the NST. This GE was the first I was observing and monitoring as "an outsider".

My first GE (in 1982), I was sent to Kedah where Dr Mahathir Mohamad was campaigning for the first time after becoming Prime Minister.
He was promoting the Barisan Nasional's "bersih, cekap, amanah" slogan.

Of course, I was a little nervous. And Kedah was pretty foreign to me. I'd been to the US, Europe and back but had never been to Kedah.

Those days, I'd often turn to Bapak for tips on what to look for in a political story. And he'd offer me his analyses of the situation and his "prediction" of the outcome.
In every general election, until this year's, of course.

On Sunday -- the morning after, Nina told Bapak that Parti Keadilan Rakyat had taken over Selangor.

Here's her report:

Nina: Bapak, the Opposition now rules Selangor.

Bapak: Yah kah? Siapa?

Nina: Yang banyak seats PKR.

Bapak: PKR?

Nina: Parti Anwar...it was called Keadilan dulu.

Bapak: Yah-kah? Barisan? Aaah...Well, you cannot be arrogant....

Nina: Mmm...I suppose.

Bapak: What about Kelantan?

Nina: Still with Pas.

Bapak: (Smile and grin).. They (BN) can't win Kelantan unless they think like the Kelantanese......

When Bapak was a journalist covering elections in the 60s and 70s, he'd be away from home for days.
I learnt later that he was travelling across the country, going down to the ground, meeting his contacts, and talking to constituents in the kampungs and towns to write his analyses and articles.

This time, I did not want to trouble him with "election talk". I did not ask him for his "prediction".
I suppose I did not have to.

Syabas, Dr Koh!

I think we all agree that former Penang Chief Minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon is a gentleman. A man who is honourable in defeat.

Today, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail praised Koh's leadership, saying that he had governed the state well.

Dr Wan Azizah, who defended her Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat by a bigger majority (than that obtained in 2004) against Umno's Pirdaus Ismail, said that under Koh's leadership,
Penang became the best example of corporatisation, especially in water supply management.

Koh contested the Batu Kawan parliamentary seat and lost to DAP's Dr P Ramasamy.

Here's the Bernama story.

Al Fatihah - Zakaria Md Deros

From The Star

KLANG, Tues: Former Port Klang assemblyman Zakaria Md Deros died after suffering a heart attack early this morning.

The controversial 62-year-old politician was dropped from the Selangor Barisan Nasional line-up for the general election.

He was replaced by his daughter-in-law Roselinda Abdul Jamil as the candidate for the seat, which she did not win.

Also a former Klang municipal councillor, Zakaria hogged headlines last year when he had a run-in with the law for not submitting building plans for a mansion that was described as a virtual “istana” (palace) by his critics.

He was also found to have not paid the assessment for another property for 12 years, while his family was caught operating an illegal satay restaurant on government reserve land.

Due to these controversies, Zakaria gave in to mounting pressure and withdrew from being a municipal councillor.

His mansion has 21 bathrooms and 16 bedrooms, including 11 that occupied by each of his children, as well as a VIP room, three living rooms, a dining hall and a prayer room.

The house also has a swimming pool, several gazebos, an orchard, a two-hole golf lawn, an office, a storeroom, two rooms for maids as well as a wet kitchen and a dry kitchen.

He is expected to be buried in Malacca.

Take Heed of Election Results: Mukhriz

In StarOnline:

PENANG: Voters in the recent general election have sent a clear message to the country's leaders, Umno Youth exco member Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir said at a press conference in Seberang Jaya here on Monday.

The Jerlun MP said the leadership should take heed of the election results, but he stopped short of calling for party president Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to step down.

On Sunday, Mukhriz told foreign wire agency AFP that "I hope he (Abdullah) takes heed of that message and does the right thing."

Are you alone in this, Mukhriz?
You're one brave boy!

Pak Lah Chairs Umno Supreme Council Meeting

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who was sworn in as the prime minister earlier Monday, chaired a meeting of the Umno Supreme Council here this afternoon.

The Umno president arrived at the party headquarters at 1.05pm for the meeting, the first following the general election on Saturday.

Abdullah, clad in a black traditional Malay attire, was welcomed by Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and greeted with shouts of "Kami Sayang Pak Lah" (We Love Pak Lah) by a group of party supporters who had gathered at the vicinity of the Umno headquarters at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC).

The supreme council meeting is expected to discuss the outcome of the general election. The Barisan Nasional (BN) garnered 140 of the total 222 parliamentary seats to garner a simple majority and form the government.

This evening, Abdullah, who is the BN chairman, is scheduled to chair a meeting of the coalition's supreme council at which the appointment of Cabinet ministers is likely to be discussed.-- BERNAMA

Let Umno Decide

It is not for the people to decide the position of the Prime Minister.

It is now up to Umno,
The people have gone to the ballot box to be heard.

You can make all the noise you want to urge him to step down as PM because of the Barisan Nasional's very dismal performance, but, really, if he refuses to budge, there's nothing you can do -- except make more noise.

As the rakyat, you have exercised your democratic right to vote the people you want to represent you.
See how powerful the ballot box is.
But you cannot force the PM out. Ok, you can tell him to but he does not have to listen to you.

Abdullah is PM by virtue of being Umno president. He is the chairman of the coalition.
As long as he is Umno president, he will remain as PM unless, of course, he steps down. He did not.

So, here's the truth....it is up to Umno now. So, let the party decide whether he should continue to be president.

Najib Says....

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Following is the statement in full issued by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak pertaining to the outcome of Saturday's general election.

"The 12th general election was conducted in a smooth and transparent manner in accordance with the democratic practice of the country.

"The people of Malaysia have expressed their stand and made their choice, and we are grateful that the Barisan Nasional (BN) has been given the mandate to administer the country.

"Although the BN is disappointed over its failure to retain power in five states as well as its failure to obtain a two-third majority (in Parliament), we accept the people's decision with an open heart.

"We will continue to strive to regain the confidence of the people.

"We ask Umno members to close ranks in facing this challenge.

"As the Deputy President, I will assist the YAB President in facing this big challenge."-- BERNAMA

Malaysia's New Government Formed

KUALA LUMPUR, March 10 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was sworn in Monday as the prime minister before the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin, following the victory of the Barisan Nasional (BN) in Saturday's general election.

Abdullah took the oath of office and oath of secrecy at the ceremony which was held at the Balairong Seri of the Istana Negara here at 11.10am after he was presented the instrument of appointment.

Abdullah, 68, assumes the office of prime minister for a second term.

The Raja Permaisuri Agong, Tuanku Nur Zahirah, was also present at the ceremony.

Abdullah arrived at the Balairong Seri at 11am, accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Jeanne Abdullah.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor as well as other VIPs were present at the event, which was carried live by Radio Television Malaysia over the RTM1 channel.

Among the VIPs were former MCA president Tun Dr Ling Liong Sik, Umno secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad and several new members of parliament (MPs).

At the ceremony, which took about 20 minutes, Abdullah signed the instrument of appointment before Chief Justice Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad, which was witnessed by the Chief Secretary to the Government, Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan.

The BN won 140 of the 222 parliamentary seats in Saturday's general election, enabling it to garner a simple majority and form the government.

Abdullah retained his Kepala Batas seat in Penang by defeating Subri Md Arshad of PAS with a majority of 11,246 votes.

Pak Lah's Pledge......

To resolve to strengthen Umno and the Barisan Nasional.

And to not resign as Prime Minister.

Here's the Bernama story:

PUTRAJAYA, March 9 -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has promised Umno supporters that he will continue to fortify and strengthen the party and Barisan Nasional (BN).

Speaking to about 1,000 party supporters at Seri Perdana, his official residence here, he also pledged to implement the coalition's election manifesto to make the country safe, peaceful and prosperous.

The Umno president said the presence of party supporters from various Umno branches in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor at Seri Perdana tonight had given him the strength to continue with the struggle for the people.

"We want to continue with our agenda for development to make sure that the people continue to enjoy the fruit of the nation's progress.

"I know it's not only you who supported me... there are many others out there who want to convey their support and I thank all of you for that," he said in his brief speech in front of his supporters here.

Earlier, when he arrived at Seri Perdana, Abdullah was greeted with thunderous claps and the shouts of "Hidup Pak Lah" (Long Live Pak Lah).

While stressing that he would not resigned as the prime minister, Abdullah said, on the contrary he would seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin tomorrow to take his oath of office as the prime minister.

Abdullah admitted that he had received a number of text messages from people who wanted to know if he would resign.

Abdullah said: "I don't know why the need for me to resign; our party won... although not with a two-third majority, we won (the election)."

He said he was not afraid of anyone, let alone those who call for his resignation, because he only feared Allah SWT.

Now, I'd say that the 1,000 Umno members don't represent the rest of the country.
BN lost heavy -- FIVE states in the hands of the Opposition and a simple majority in Parliament.

TDM : Pak Lah Should Take Full Responsibiliy

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should accept full responsibillity for the BN's defeat and losses in the general election, said former Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
Just as Abdullah had, in the 2004 general election, accepted 100 per cent the BN's huge victory credited to him.

Dr Mahathir said (in such a situation) the Japanese would have committed harakiri.

"But I think Malays are not up to this yet. I think he should consider stepping down," he said.

Asked whether he would step down if he were in Abdullah's shoes, Dr Mahathir said he would because it was the wishes of the people.

Dr Mahathir said Abdullah had destroyed Umno.
"He has destroyed BN, and he should be responsible for this massive defeat," he told a news conference held at his residence at The Mines in Seri Kembangan late this morning.
Present, besides reporters from the mainstream and foreign media, were bloggers from the new media.

Dr Mahathir said it was shocking that the BN lost in five states and the Federal Territory, indicating that all the Malays, Chinese and Indians rejected the coalition.

To a question of whether he thought Abdullah would step down anytime soon, he said he doubted that seeing that Abdullah remained detached from the real situation and from the fact that the people do not support his leadership.

This was because those who should have told him the truth were not doing so.

Dr Mahathir said that it should also be noted that the vote against the BN could not be literally translated as support for the opposition per se.

"There was no other alternative for the people but to vote for the opposition."

To another question, Dr Mahathir said it was up to Umno to decide on Abdullah' successor should he step down.

He also noted the "amazing victory" of Umno deputy president Najib Razak who obtained an increased majority in Pekan.

"His majority increased while Abdullah's decreased quite significantly," he remarked.

On whether the simple majority obtained by the BNwould affect investors' confidence, Dr Mahathir said it would as such a government was a weak government, especially in a multi-racial country and this could cause instability.

Dr Mahathir remarked that he himself had not expected BN's huge losses.

New State Governments Formed

The opposition have formed coalition governments in Perak, Penang, Kedah ad Selangor.

PAS, DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), which are set to form a coalition government in Perak, have agreed to nominate Perak PAS Liaison Secretary Ir Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin as Menteri Besar.
Mohammad Nizar, who won the Pasir Panjang state seat, told Bernama that the decision was made by leaders of the three parties early today.
"The agreement was based on the spirit of cooperation among the three parties, which want to set up a coalition government in Perak,” he said when contacted by Bernama regarding the choice of Perak Menteri Besar.

In Penang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is expected to take over the Chief Minister's post.
DAP won 19 of the 40 seats in Penang.

Lim said he would be sworn in after the party and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) which won nine state seats, making a total of 28, form the state government with more than a two-thirds majority. Pas retained Permatang Pauh but lost four others.

In Kedah, state Pas commissioner Azizan Abdul Razak, 64, is expected to be sworn in as the new Kedah Menteri Besar at Wisma Darul Aman today.

Pas has the majority in the State Legislative Assembly in the 12th general election with 16 seats while Parti Keadilan Rakyat won four and DAP and an independent won one each while the Barisan Nasional won 14, of the 36 seats.

In Selangor, PKR has named Khalid Ibrahim as Menteri Besar.

BN's Worst Ever Performance...

This is one massive wake-up call to Barisan Nasional and I think, in particular, Umno.

And someone should be made accountable.

"But it will not be me," said BN chief and Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi whose own state of Penang was lost to the opposition.
Well, not in those words but he told a media conference that he will not be resigning.

The coalition, despite its mighty and powerful election machinery, also lost Kedah, Selangor and Perak, and its siege on Kelantan, failed to retain the State.

And for the first time in history, it lost its two-thirds majority.
(It attained a simple majority, winning 137 of 222 parliamentary seats. The Opposition won an unprecedented 82 seats)

Abdullah who gave a brief Press conference with his wife, Jean and Najib by his side
at 2.20am, said that he was not resigning. He was asked whether he would step down as Prime Minister after the BN's defeat in four states and its failure to wrest Kelantan from Pas.

"I don't know who is being pressured to (step down). I'm not resigning", he said.

He also said this did not show that the people had lost confidence in his leadership.

"This is the people's stand not to give us a two-thirds majority", he remarked.

Abdullah assumed the premiership when Dr Mahathir Mohamed stepped down in 2003 after 22 years as Prime Minister.

When asked about BN's defeat in the five states, Abdullah replied: "We've lost, we've lost."
("Dah kalah, kalah.")

He had throughout the 2008 general election campaign expressed confidence of the BN's sweeping victory.

I think many people expected the BN to "lose some seats" but did not quite expect this "political tsunami", as someone was quoted to have said.

This will change the course of Malaysian politics.

The Malays are angry, the Chinese are angry, and of course, the Indians are angry. Malaysians are angry.

We see some of BN's big wigs being trounced -- MIC's Samy Vellu in Sungai Siput, PPP's Kayveas in Taiping, Gerakan's Koh Tsu Koon in Batu Kawan and Wanita Umno deputy chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil who failed to defend Lembah Pantai against Parti Keadilan Rakyat's Nurul Izzah Anwar.
Zainuddin Maidin lost to a PKR candidate in Sungai Siput.

Except for Koh, the others were Cabinet ministers.

Wanita Umno chief Rafidah Aziz won, but with a very reduced majority. Other BN top guns won, but badly.

All component parties took a beating.

Abdullah himself retained his Kepala Batas seat with a reduced majority.

But his deputy, Najib Abdul Razak, defended his Pekan seat with a huge margin. And Pahang did well. So did Johor, Sabah and Sarawak.

Well, wasn't it really Najib's day?

And, we will see a mother-daughter team of PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Ismail (who defended Permatang Pauh with a bigger majority) and Nurul Izzah in the Dewan Rakyat.

PKR advisor and former Deputy PM Anwar Ibrahim was at the fore of the Opposition's election campaign.
Now who said Anwar and PKR no longer had relevance in Malaysian politics?

There are not very many ways of reading the BN's dismal performance. I think many good BN leaders were made to suffer and had to take the fall just to give that very strong message that the people had had about enough with the BN and its arrogance, excesses, abuses, the father-in-law/son-in-law way of running the country.

I think it was a strong vote against Abdullah and his coterie of cronies.

According to Bernama, Abdullah would seek an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Mizan Zainal Abidin tomorrow (Monday) to form the new fedderal government.
But according to NST, he'd be doing that later today.

Today at 11am, Dr Mahathir will be holding a Press conference at his residence in The Mines.

Unprecedented!

That's all that I can say about the election results.

As of 1.11am -- the Opposition have taken Penang, Kedah and Selangor while Pas has retained Kelantan.
And according to unofficial results, Perak may go to the Opposition.

Indeed. The people have spoken.

Major casualties : Samy Vellu in Sungai Siput (he'd been incumbent since 1974), Shahrizat Jalil in Lembah Pantai (she was 3-term MP) against newbie Nurul Izzah Anwar, Zainudin Maidin in Sungai Petani, M. Kayveas lost in Taiping and Koh Tsu Koon in Batu Kawan.

Also Samy's deputy (in MIC) Palanivel lost his Hulu Selangor seat.

That means MIC's top two are down.

A vote against the BN Indian leaders.

In Rembau, Khairy Jamaluddin won against CikguBard. (Can't confirm the majority -- some said 114, then after recount 800, and now 5,000+).

And Mukhriz Mahathir won by a majority of 2,200 in Jerlun.

Well. What can I say.... overall, there were many ANGRY votes out there!
And that your vote did count. You better believe it! Because I know mine did.

Early Election Results

The Election Commission expects the results of the 12th general election to be announced as early as 8.30pm tonight.

I felt so good after I cast my vote today.
I smiled as I walked out of "bilik no 2" at the Sekolah Menengah Sultan Abdul Samad in Section 12, Petaling Jaya.

Perhaps, a sense of relief.

But really -- just a very good feeling! And a renewed sense of hope....

Remembering Kak Eda..

March 8.

A year ago today, my elder sister, Noraida Samad, left us -- "pulang ke Rahmatullah".

We miss you dearly, Kak Eda.

Al-Fatihah....

D DAY!

Selamat Mengundi!

Happy International Women's Day!

Today is "the global day connecting all women around the world and inspiring them to achieve their full potential. "

It is celebrating the collective power of women past, present and future.

Go, my sisters!

Have You Asked Yourself...

...what you REALLY want?

I'm not going to be original here. I mean, with just a little over 24 hours to go before voting centres open on Saturday, how original can I get?

I'll borrow from the Barisan Nasional who asked us over TV whether we want a better future for our children, a better life for our family, peace and security and a better Malaysia.
If your answer is yes, yes, yes and yes, then vote for the BN.

And from the Opposition (not on TV) they urge us to take that first step to make a change in this country, for a new dawn. Deny the BN a two-third majority. So vote for a strong opposition, they say. We'll also be voting against corruption and abuse.

Well, whoever you'll be rooting for, vote wisely and vote with your conscience.

Meanwhile, BN chief Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is confident that the coalition will "win big" Saturday (March 8), including in Kelantan and Penang.

(The rest of the Bernama story here.)

Others are not so optimistic (about Kelantan). Read this.

And The EC Chief said...

it's (also) a constitutional concern, said Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman, so the Election Commission decided that it's not a good idea to use indelible ink on polling day.

NOW YOU TELL US?

I'm wondering. Was the EC ever serious at all in enforcing that plan to use the indelible ink?
Was it announced just to please certain quarters?
Did they purchase the supply of indelible ink, at all?
Hmmm, my suspicions are very sneaky...

And you know why..

The constitutional interest which legal experts had advised on, should have been considered before a decision to announce the use of indelible ink was made.

Did they ever discuss the matter?

Doesn't it make you wonder?

And now everyone is angry. Well when I heard about the decision yesterday, I was not angry. I think I felt nothing. Perhaps so resigned was I that I was devoid of any emotion.
But when I heard the EC chief's statement, I know I laughed. Now I want to cry....

Aaah....but do they care?

Here's the story.

KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 (Bernama) -- The decision to cancel the use of indelible ink during the voting process in Saturday's election was not done solely on the advice of the police but was also based on the constitution, said Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman.

Abdul Rashid said the police only gave their views in terms of the security aspects, but the overriding factor in making the decision was constitutional considerations.

"If we were to proceed (with the use of the ink), it could be deemed we are violating the rights of voters as we would be forcing them to undergo the ink marking," he said when interviewed on a special election talkshow aired by private television station TV3 Wednesday night.

He added that he very much wanted to have it used during this election but the legal experts warned against it on the grounds of voters' right.

Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan, who also appeared on the show, said police investigations showed there were certain quarters who planned to misuse the ink to create chaos.

The EC announced that it was withdrawing usage of the indelible ink Tuesday.

Why the BN Has Survived This Long...

...because it has been fair and worked for the interest of all races, said Umno president and BN chairman Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

He was speaking at a meet-the-people gathering at Padang Tembak in Penang yesterday.

According to Bernama, Abdullah said the BN held fast to the principle of consensus-building as proven in the 1990 general election when Gerakan won only seven state seats while MCA and MIC did not win any, whereas Umnoi won 12 seats.

The rest of the story follows. And I know what you're thinking....


"Umno wanted to take over the chief minister's (CM) post (in Penang) but I said 'No'... because, going by our previous consensus in Penang, and as the majority (on the island) were Chinese, it was only logical that the CM came from the Chinese community.

"Based on the BN's consensus principle, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon was chosen to be the CM," Abdullah said at a meet-the-people function in Padang Tembak here Wednesday.

Also present were Gerakan adviser Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting and acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

The prime minister said only the BN had a true alliance of the people of Malaysia.

He denied allegations that Umno was greedy and wanted to dominate the other parties in the BN coalition.

Abdullah said that BN was always prepared to discuss any issue and seek solutions to any problems that might rise.

"We do not say one thing and do another... we are not chameleons," he said.

He said the BN placed a lot of importance on unity as its strength depended on it.

The prime minister also chided Penangites for demanding that the new chief minister to replace Dr Koh, be someone from the island itself.

But, when DAP members, for example Lim Guan Eng left his home state to come and contest here, there are people who are willing to support him.

"This should not be the case," he added.

Media Coverage of Election Campaign

Everyone is biased and loyal to their owner. To each his own. This is the general election and that's how the media game is played, folks. And the way the cookie crumbles.

Bernama chairman Mohd Annuar Zaini said that there is media freedom in covering the country's 12th general election.

He said loyalty to media owners was not the monopoly of the mainstream media which have been accused of being overly-biased to the ruling party.

The media belonging to the opposition had also demonstrated their bias.

Here's the rest of the Bernama story.

Annuar said each media organisation in their wisdom would show loyalty to their owners and if there were accusations of unfairness, it should also be seen in the light of media published by owners who are closely connected to opposition parties.

"The accusers should also read materials published by the opposition parties, their publishers too are very loyal to them. This is the nature of media practice in the country," he said when interviewed as a pannelist on a special current affairs talkshow titled "Media dan Pilihan Raya" (The Election and the Media) on Radio Television Malaysia's TV1 channel Wednesday night.

Touching on certain groups said to be unhappy about the election coverage by the MSM, he said it was caused by their own lack of objectivity as they had already taken sides and refused to accept the facts presented to them.

Annuar said the problem with such people was that they "only saw what they wanted to see".

To a caller to the show who claimed that an English newspaper did not give a chance for the opposition to air their views, he quoted a survey which showed the daily mentioned gave about 25.8 per cent of its news coverage to news about the opposition.

He said 45 more per cent of space in the newspaper constituted neutral news which added up to 70.8 per cent leaving only a paltry sum for government parties.

"As such it is incorrect to say mainstream media are biased and don't give room for news on the opposition although we do not deny there are some who don't (give any room for the opposition)," he said, adding that any accusations made should be backed up with facts.

He also wanted the media when making criticisms to do so in a fair manner, saying Bernama TV, which was launched on Feb 29, had also been told the same, to broadcast news that was factual and not slight people.

Why The People of Kelantan Should Vote For the BN

Because the BN can propel the State to greater heights which is in line with the coalition's campaign theme "New Kelantan, Progressive Kelantan".
Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said this in Kota Baharu today.

And projects worth RM10 billion.

Here's the Bernama story.

KOTA BAHARU, March 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Barisan Nasional (BN) fielded candidates with leadership qualities who could propel Kelantan to greater heights in line with the theme "New Kelantan, Progressive Kelantan".

As the state lagged behind in terms of development as a result of the 18-year PAS rule, the prime minister said BN considered it as a challenge to carry out projects worth RM10 billion in Kelantan as spelled out in its manifesto.

"I urge the people of Kelantan to vote for BN. After being under PAS rule for 18 years, do you still want to continue living under the same condition?" he said when addressing a crowd of about 5,000 people in Melor here Tuesday.

Abdullah wants Kelantan BN to continue to develop the state by engaging the locals and find jobs for the youths.

He said the federal government would provide adequate funds for the development of Kelantan as long as it was governed by BN. "For instance, in Terengganu, the fast pace development has enabled the contractors to thrive as there are plenty of jobs."

He said small contractors in Kelantan would benefit from the spill-over of development projects planned for the state while more jobs would be created.

"It is up to the people to choose the state government which is sincere in developing Kelantan.

"Ask yourself what you want for your satisfaction come Saturday. If you were to ask Pak Lah, he'll say, 'vote for BN, New Kelantan, Progressive Kelantan'. God willing, you are not making a wrong choice," he said.

Meanwhile, speaking to reporters after meeting the Kelantan Umno liaison committee Tuesday night, Abdullah said Deputy Finance Minister and Bachok MP Datuk Dr Awang Adek would be the new Menteri Besar if BN captures Kelantan.

To ensure victory, he said he had asked the state Umno election machinery to double up its efforts to ensure that BN wins in Kelantan.

He said there were signs that the people wanted change based on his recent visits to Kelantan.

Later, Abdullah visited Awang Adek's mother who passed away at the Darul Naim Medical Centre here, before leaving for Penang.

Mek Wok Nor, 81, who was diabetic and had a heart ailment, died at 10.35pm Tuesday.- BERNAMA

And Over to Najib on the Indelible Ink..

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 5 (bernama) -- Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak described the move by the Election Commission (EC) to reverse its earlier decision to use indelible ink on the nails or fingers of voters as most appropriate.

The Deputy Prime Minister said the decision was felt necessary to avoid the possibility of chaos or tension during the polling day on Saturday.

He said if the proposal were to be adopted, there was a possibility that certain parties would sabotage the election, thereby denying the rights of voters to discharge their responsibility to vote.

"The reversal was made because of the two possibilities, namely the act of sabotage...meaning there are people who can influence some voters to use almost similar ink on various grounds.

"In such cases, they are not eligible to vote. If they are not eligible to vote, we are denying their rights under the national constitution and this will lead to chaos and tension on polling day," he said.

He said this to reporters after a gathering with Felda settlers here today. Najib, who was accompanied by his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, is on a one-day visit to Terengganu.

Also present at the function were Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Idris Jusoh and Felda Chairman Tan Sri Dr Mohd Yusof Noor.

Yesterday, the EC reversed its earlier decision to use indelible ink on the nails of voters on the polling day.

EC Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said the security report received by the EC revealed that there were certain groups in Malaysia who were planning to buy the ink from abroad.

These groups were said to be planning to swipe the ink of the nails of voters in the rural areas to create confusion and suspicion on these voters.

The PM Explains EC's Decision on Indelible Ink

KOTA BAHARU, March 5 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi says that the move by the Election Commission (EC) to call off its earlier decision to use indelible ink on the nails or fingers of voters on Saturday is to avoid registered voters from being victimised.

The Prime Minister said it was felt that such a decision by the EC was necessary to prevent certain parties from thwarting the electoral process by preventing voters to exercise their democratic right to vote.

"There is a possibility of certain actions by certain quarters that could give rise to chaos and there is a likelihood that those who want to vote could not do so as their fingers were already stained with ink.

"As such, this sort of victimisation should not be allowed," he told reporters after meeting leaders of the Kelantan Umno Liaison Body Tuesday night.

Among those who attended were the head of the body, Datuk Seri Annuar Musa, and his deputy, Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, as well as a number of Kelantan BN candidates for the general election.

The Prime Minister said he had also read a report prepared by various authorities in connection with the possibility of some groups wanting to thwart or sabotage the general election, especially in Kelantan, by bringing in the indelible ink.

Abdullah, who is also the Internal Security, said that in facing that possibility, it was therefore appropriate for the EC to protect its integrity.

"What is more important is that the rights of the people who had registered to vote must be upheld.

"That must be the guarantee from the EC to all citizens and voters on March 8," he said.

Abdullah denied that the EC's move was as a result of instructions from him or Barisan Nasional (BN).

"This was not our (BN's) work. This was a decision by the EC," he said.

Abdullah said the EC should now invite representatives from all political parties and explain to them in detail why it called off the use of indelible ink in the general election.

"I have informed Datuk Radzi (BN Secretary-General Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad) to get detailed explanations from the EC," he said.

In Putrajaya today, EC Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman announced the cancellation of its earlier decision to use indelible ink on voters in the general election following advice from the legal point of view and public safety.

Abdul Rashid said investigations following a report to the police had confirmed that irresponsible groups had bought the ink from abroad to persuade and bribe those who were not so sure about the use of the ink by smearing ink on their fingers even before they voted.

"The EC is extremely disappointed over the decision. But we need to make a firm and final decision to ensure our obligation and responsibility towards a smooth election process as well as public safety," he said.

Tuesdays With Bapak

All About Love -- Tuesday March 4 2008

One Sunday afternoon, Adel asked me a question about -- love.

I blushed. My tongue got numb as though someone injected a heavy dose of anesthesia into it.
I could not speak.

Adel had never asked me about love, falling in love or about girlfriends. Or anything remotely related to any of these subjects.

But he had, after all turned 18, and had teased me about being eligible "to go to a strip club and ordering a martini".
I'll be honest. I'm not a prude neither am I overly liberal.
But I almost freaked out when he said that.
But cleverly, Adel did not wait for my response. He quickly quipped "joking, mummy, joking".
To which I replied: "Must be that James Bond movie you watched on dvd. Martini?"
(Not beer, not wine...but martini. So James Bond. Shaken and not stirred, I bet!)

I remember discussing the subject of love with Bapak. Not when I was 18. But after I had got married.

For several years before I got married, the subject of "love and marriage" was hardly one that I relished discussing with Bapak because, during that time I was in a very complicated relationship.
I found it so uncomfortable everytime the subject cropped up -- like when a relative or someone close to us, was going through a bad patch in her marriage.

That day, Adel actually asked me a very simple question.

"What is the right age to fall in love?"

After I got myself composed and collected, I attempted to answer him with something like, "there's no right age to fall in love." Which was not quite the answer I wanted to give.

"I can fall in love now?", he asked.

"Yes....I mean no, I mean yes....you're still studying, Adel", I replied, a little panicky.

"I am 18, mummy. How old were you when you fell in love?", he asked, kind of challenging me to tell the truth.

"Twenty-three, after I graduated and a year after I started working", I said. Technically that was the truth.

It was a rather difficult conversation because I did not like probing questions from my son so there was a lot of evasiveness and elusiveness on my part. I gave him very generalised and vague answers.
It was easier when he asked me about girls.
I thought he'd done okay since he was "on the right track".

Sometime in 2006 when he was in form 4, Adel began jogging and swimming frequently and played soccer, basketball and tennis regularly and seriously. He continued doing all this through form 5 although that was his (major) exam year.

I never asked him why and thought nothing of it. I was, for one, very happy that he was keeping fit.

During one family gathering at Bapak's or Kak Olin's, I overheard his conversation with an older male cousin (or was it an uncle?).
The conversation touched on games and sports and about Adel's interest and participation in them. It was an animated discussion.
At one point I heard Adel say, rather casually , "that's how you get the girls in college".
"Girls like guys who play games and sports", Adel had remarked.

I was stumped. He was keeping fit and playing all those games to get the girls in college?
Where did he get that idea?
He's not really wrong. Not entirely right, either. But that's so American teen movies. So superficial.

I remember butting in and said: "Adel, brawn is not everything. It's what's inside that counts!"

I don't know whether that escaped him. He seemed to have been taken aback by his mummy 's interruption and said nothing.

Well, he seems to be on the right track. Who am I to argue that attraction is physical first. When everything else is mutual, the rest will fall in place, fits snugly and nicely.

That Sunday, he asked me whether his Datuk or Andung had ever given me advice on falling in love.
I said yes. But I did not say whether I had ever listened to their advice.

"What was the best advice Datuk had ever given you?".
Ok.. there's no such thing as best advice.

"Not about love. I suppose on marriage and I suppose it applies to relationships," I said.
On one occasion, when Bapak was discussing someone's marital problem, he advised us that whenever we "gaduh dengan suami", to "never push him to the wall."
"Leave him room to act and react." Something to that effect.

I don't think Adel could relate to this just yet.

What about Andung, Adel asked.

"Mmmmm. Not to love your husband more than he loves you."

Adel's eyes blinked.

Never mind, Adel. That one is seriously for the girls. But, I'll remember to dish out to you some good (haha) advice when you are in a serious relationship. And that's nowhere in the foreseeable future.

Besides....I think Andung's advice is easier said than done.

Kelantan Or Bust

Well, that's generally the whole idea as far as the Barisan Nasional is concerned.
If it does not recapture Kelantan now, it might as well wrap it all up and ciao.
After all, there is no reason to feel demoralised since the 2004 general election.
There is every reason to be hopeful.
Did the BN not win 21 of the 45 state seats, and later, one more following a by-election.
So, BN leaders, and specifically Umno's, are naturally encouraged by the coalition's "small" defeat in the state.
"It is a one-seat majority. That's good", said an Umno supporter in Kelantan.
Some describe BN's defeat in Kelantan as a handsome one. Figuratively.
BN lost the battle but not the war. It was, by any measure, a moral victory for Kelantan Umno.
The prospects to recapture the state (it lost to PAS in 1990) should be good.
Umno's "Win Kelantan" masterplan or blueprint or strategy had been taking shape and perfected for quite some time.
"Kelantan is under siege," said a voter, referring to the presence of Umno's big guns in the state -- from the partry presiednt, deputy president right down the line.
The mighty BN seems unstoppable, buoyed and encourage by what is perceived to be Umno's growing popularity in the state and Pas' long-term lacklustre administration.
Even Najib Abdul Razak from day one cheered on about "Tahun Merawat Kelantan" (The Year To Cure Kelantan).
And we know about the "Padeh Doh" slogan which has got some mixed reviews.
Some like it. Some don't.
But it was also Najib who reminded Kelantan Umno not to slack, slip and slide.
PAS would win back Kelantan by default, he said.
Najib was referring to the infamous Umno infighting in Kelantan.
Get your act together, he warned.
The message was intended for the camps of Kelantan Umno chief Annuar Musa, Menteri Besar-designate Awang Adek and Mustapa Mohamed.
Political observers said that on paper, the prognosis seems to be bright for Umno.
"They've got the money and the machinery to make things happen. But, sometimes other factors interfere to derail plans," said one, referring to the infighting.

Other than that, what could possibly go wrong?
Well, just about anything.

"This is Kelantan. You can never really tell. In 2004, everyone thought Umno would win. It did not. And many things can happen in 3 years. Many things have," said a PAS supporter.

For PAS, its unimpressive win in 2004 certainly had to do with the wind of change -- the transition of power from Dr Mahathir to Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"By the skin of their teeth," said an Umno insider.

Still, there is PAS spiritual advisor, the one and only Nik Aziz. No kidding.
Umno is not about to trivialise his role and influence in Kelantan.

The old man is no pushover, as many Umno captains will attest.

I, like many others, am waiting with bated breath to see which way the wind is blowing this time? And how strongly.
Is Umno's "we will bring you development" hard sell convincing?
Because there are many who are not amused by what they see as the BN government denying Kelantan its due development.
Is the BN kind of development what Kelantanese really want in the bigger scheme of things?

Have Kelantanese finally given up on Pas?
And has the BN managed to turn over the Pas faithfuls?

For either side, it is indeed a case of "Kelantan or bust".

Getting Closer

just about 5 days to go before polling.

The last election, to be honest, I voted for "party". The only candidate I knew then was Keadilan's Sivarasa. I didn't know the other candidates.

But, it was a feel-good time. So I voted "party".

Although I live in Taman Tun Dr Ismail, I am not voting in this area because I registered using the address in my ID which is in Section 16, PJ (under Bukit Gasing state and PJ Selatan parliamentary seats).

This election, the BN is represented by MCA's Donald Lim (in PJS) and Gerakan's Dr Lim Thuan Seng (Bukit Gasing) while the opposition is represented by PKR's Hee Loy Sian and DAP's Edward Lee Poh Lin respectively.

I know (of) Donald Lim only because I used to work for a newspaper and, so I am familiar with political leaders and members.

Here's the thing, as a PJ resident, I know who Dr Lim is but I do not know Hee and Lee from Adam.
However, as a literate and educated citizen of this country, I searched for Hee and Lee in cyberspace and, of course, found stuff about them.

Like this.

I was not there at the "debate". But I sure can feel the vibes already.

True, I know of Donald Lim and Dr Lim but, frankly I have never met them. I have neither met Hee nor Lee.
So, actually, I do not know any of the candidates at all.

Be that as it may, the situation has not left me uncertain because I have asked myself several crucial questions and to which I found easy answers.

Piece of cake.

Makes it easy for me to decide who I'll be voting for.

I am so ready to "pangkah" the ballot paper.

Hope you are too!

And For The Record

Azalina Othman Said did not pay off Norazan Abdullah (Parti keadilan Rakyat) to not challenge her for the Pengerang parliamentary seat.

Claims that Norazan was bought for RM1 million are lies and slanderous, she said in Kota Tinggi (March 1).

Azalina won Pengerang uncontested when Norazan pulled out of the race.

Here's the Bernama report.

Let My Record Speak For Itself : Shahrizat

Barisan Nasional candidate for the Lembah Pantai parliamentary seat Shahrizat Abdul Jalil has asked voters in the constituency to choose the person who will work for them and the government.

She told Bernama in an interview that it was about choosing the candidate who had the backing of the government to collectively work for the well-being of voters.

Shahrizat called on voters to ensure the practicality of their choice, adding that the BN had been tried and tested for the last 50 years.

She said her record speaks for itself.

Shahrizat is defending the seat for the fourth time. She is in a three-cornered fight this time. One of her challengers is female and young -- 27 year-old Nurul Izzah Anwar, eldest child of former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim who is Parti Keadilan Rakyat advisor. The other is independent candidate Periasamy Nagarathnam, a former MIC member.

In her debut in Lembah Pantai in 1995, she faced Semangat 46 candidate Tun Salleh Abas (former Lord President) and won. In 1999, she beat Keadilan's Zainur Zakaria, a lawyer and in 2004 she beat Dr Sanusi Osman (Keadilan).

Read the rest of the story here.

You know what. I am glad I am not voting in this constituency.
The contest in Lembah Pantai is really between Shahrizat and Nurul Izzah.
Therefore, I'd have a problem marking an "X" on the ballot paper because I honestly like them both..
(Oh...why did Keadilan field Nurul Izzah in Lembah Pantai!)

I know Shahrizat is hardworking and she "turun padang" regularly to look into the problems of her constituents. She is a good wakil rakyat and one of the better Cabinet Ministers. She is.

Nurul Izzah? I've known her since she was a toddler when her parents used to visit Bapak on the first day of Eid.
She is not tested but I'd give her a chance because I think she deserves to be given that chance.

So you see why I am so happy I'm not voting in Lembah Pantai.

I know Shahrizat is the incumbent and strong in Lembah Pantai, backed by the party machinery.
I also know that she is not taking any chances and regards Nurul Izzah to be a pretty formidable opponent.

I think that Nurul Izzah will get a lot of sympathy and protest votes.

Aaah...so much easier in my Bukit Gasing constituency.

Four Generous Malaysians

The Star Story:

FOUR IN FORBES ASIA LIST

PETALING JAYA: Four Malaysians made it to the Forbes Asia list of the region’s most generous and interesting philanthropists.

Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Albukhary, Hishamudin Ubaidulla, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and Datuk Amar Leonard Linggi Tun Jugah were featured in the inaugural Forbes Asia Heroes of Philanthropy list in its March 10 issue.

Syed Mokhtar, 56, is founder and sole donor of a Muslim charity, Albukhary Foundation that assists the needy.

Established in 1996, the foundation funds remedial classes in English, science and math for 20,000 underachieving students each year and runs a college scholarship programme for 300 students from more than 40 countries.

Syed Mokhtar controls Malaysia Mining Corp and holds big stakes in Johor Port and other businesses.

Hishamudin, 52, oversees Yayasan Ubaidi, a foundation funded entirely with profits from commercial buildings and the sale of land bought by his father years ago.

The foundation helps families who cannot make ends meet, pays medical expenses, helps single mothers pay for tertiary education, assists hospitals that cannot afford equipment.

Hishamudin, who helps run the family travel agency, is also chairman of Deir Yassin Remembered Malaysia, a movement committed to ending the war between Israel and Palestine.

Former MP for Kota Baru, Zaid, 57, who owns the country’s largest law firm, Zaid Ibrahim & Co, set up the Kelantan Foundation for the Disabled in 1998.

The foundation serves 2,400 people suffering from Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy and other disabilities.

Linggi, 67, a prominent Iban businessman has varied dealings, including real estate, plantation, shipping, hotel and other companies.

Tun Jugah Foundation gets virtually all of its contributions from him. It focuses on preserving the culture of the Ibans in Sarawak. In 2003, it began compiling the first Iban dictionary.

This year Forbes put together a list of 48 philanthropists.

Others featured on the list included Chinese billionaire Shi Zhengrong; China’s richest woman Yang Huiyan; film star Jet Li; Hong Kong tycoon Li Ka-shing; Azim Premji from India; Taiwan’s richest man Terry Gou; Kyocera founder Kazuo Inamori from Japan; Jaime Augusto Zobel De Ayala II from the Philippine; Singaporean Mavis Khoo; Thailand’s Charoen Sirivadhanabhakdi and Indonesia’s Putera Sampoerna.

Also read Rocky's Bru here.

Nurul Izzah Anwar

Reuters has an article "Anwar's daughter steps into political wilderness", on Nurul Izzah, the 27 year-old daughter of our former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

I don't think it is political wilderness for her. Neither do I think that her electoral debut will break her family's political future. Make it, yes!
Nothing can stop her now.
I haven't got to interview her but when I do, I'll give my own assessment.

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - The eldest daughter of Malaysia's opposition leader is making her electoral debut in next month's election that could make or break her family's political future.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, a 27-year-old who has just given birth, has joined her mother to fight the government in the March 8 poll many say could be Anwar Ibrahim's last hurrah if his party loses badly.

Anwar, once regarded as a future prime minister, is now hemmed in by his opponents and is battling to stay relevant to voters. His Keadilan political party is officially headed by his wife, who is its only member of parliament.

U.S.-educated Nurul, trying to make her own mark in politics, was quick to deny suggestions that she was contesting as a hedge for her 60-year-old father.

"I'm offering myself for the people of Lembah Pantai," she said, referring to the economically mixed urban constituency in the heart of Kuala Lumpur where she is contesting.

"If they are voting, they are voting for me. I want to win this election for myself and for my party," she told Reuters.

Anwar is barred from standing as a candidate until this April because of the conviction for corruption, a charge he said had been contrived to wrongly imprison him for six years until his release in 2004.

He hopes to eventually return to parliament via a by-election. One way is to take over Nurul's seat, if she wins.

Her opponent in the race is Women's Minister Shahrizat Abdul Jalil, a favourite to win the seat.

RACE-BASED POLITICS

Some ordinary voters think Nurul, still breast-feeding her baby, could make it in politics.

"She is promising. She is well-educated and religious. She can win if the election is held fairly," said Faridah Mat Jais, a 44-year-old woman selling snacks under a highway bridge.

Others have some reservations. "I think the prospect is not too bright because she is contesting against a formidable woman figure," said political analyst Shamsul Amri Baharuddin.

In the interview, Nurul said the multiracial Keadilan would fight to end Malaysia's deep-rooted racial politics.

"If we are going toward this (racial) road, we are doomed," she said. "We need a future devoid of racial politics, that's why it's very important for young Malaysians -- Indians, Chinese, Malays -- to stand up and work together."

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's multiracial coalition is widely tipped to retain power but with a reduced majority.

The coalition comprises 14 parties, each representing an ethnic group. Malays account for just over half of the population, with Chinese and Indians forming sizeable minorities.

Hadhari Vs Hadi

Oooh, Sir. Don't do what you tell others not to do!

KEPALA BATAS, 28 Feb 28 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today criticised PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang for issuing various fatwa which are contradictory to the teachings of Islam and called on Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders not to sing to the tune of the opposition.

The Prime Minister said that Abdul Hadi, as the leader of an Islamic party, should not tell his followers to do things which were improper.

"I'm puzzled that the president of an Islamic party could come up with such a fatwa. This is prohibited by our religion, I'm sure he understands this. Why must he do it (issue the fatwa).

"He's the leader of an Islamic party, but he leads and teaches people to do things which are improper. In the past, he had also issued all kinds of fatwa. He actually likes to issue fatwa," he told reporters after attending a gathering with educators in the Kepala Batas constituency, here.

He said this when asked to comment on the latest `fatwa' issued by Abdul Hadi in the run up to the polls, allowing all PAS candidates to indulge in character assassination and to expose all the weaknesses of their opponents.

MIC and MCA Fight Back

According to Bernama today, the MCA and MIC, the two largest Barisan Naional (BN) component parties representing the Chinese and Indians, have stepped up their defence as well as attacks on claims that they have let down their communities.
"While the opposition put on a show, MCA worked," said an MCA advertisement in an Englih daily today while MIC's stressed that voting for the opposition is equivalent to a "vote for sweet talk".
Transparency International (Malaysia) (TI-Malaysia) said the media ads to woo voters had increase in the past few days, and the Barisan Nasional (BN) was estimated to have spent over RM1.049 million.
MCA has taken out ads in newspapers and televisions in the run-up to the March 8 general election, emphasising its "behind-the-scene" efforts to help the Chinese community.
The party said 2,300 non-Bumiputera students obtained full Public Service Department (JPA) scholarships to study overseas between 2000 and 2007, a marked increase compared with only 100 students before 2000.
"An increase of 2,200 percent in JPA scholarship funds amounting to more than RM1 billion," the party said, stressing its motto of "Working quietly, effectively for results".
In the ad, MCA said it was just one of the many areas the party has been working hard and would continue to do so for the future of all Malaysians in business, education, socio-cultural areas and women's welfare.
The opposition, in the election campaigning, accused both MCA and MIC of not fighting for the rights of the non-bumiputeras.
MCA's move was emulated by the MIC which has been besieged lately by supporters of the unregistered Hindraf who claimed that the party has not done much to help the Indian community.
"Every Indian who has benefited directly or indirectly from MIC is a silent majority and a silent supporter who has assisted MIC to rise and evolve to where it is today. Can anyone come up and say that MIC is irrelevant or redundant," said the ad.
The ad said if the Indian community did not vote for MIC, they would deprive their children the right to preserve and uphold Tamil, Hinduism and the right to seek education.
"Vote for PAS and see where Kelantan is today. That's how your constituency will be for the next five years, If you think that you are not progressing under MIC, then you can now imagine getting disintegrated under PAS," the ad said.
Besides monitoring political parties' print media ad expenditures in 18 newspapers daily, TI-Malaysia said in a statement today that it has started to monitor the television ads today.
It said under the Election Offences Act 1954 parliamentary candidates were allowed to spend up to RM200,000 and state seat contenders RM100,000. BN candidates can collectively spend up to only RM94.8 million, it said.
Of this, 1.11 percent had been spent on print media ads thus far, TI-Malaysia said, adding that candidates from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, DAP and PAS had not taken up any ads so far. "This is the first time that campaign expenses are being monitored. This is a new addition to election process and media monitoring that was started from previous elections and is being performed now," it said.

I'll tell you one thing -- RTM channels are effective platforms and vehicles in the BN's election campaign.
All you liberals and hip Malaysians out there who have been laughing and mocking at RTM for being so fuddy-duddy and old-fashioned and archaic etc etc...well, eat your heart out now.
RTM is the BN's most powerful weapon in where it matters -- the rural heartland.

By the way, the BN's tagline in its ubiquitous media ad is " Vote for Malaysia. Vote for Barisan Nasional".

I hear it all the time in the radio while I'm driving my car. It's also on TV.

However....these MIC and MCA ads...a bit over the top, maybe?

Power To the People!

You better believe it!

On March 8, when you are in that cubicle at the polling station, you are in a very powerful position.
Because the fate of the election candidates is in your hands.

You decide to whom the ballot should go. You decide the fate of the country.

You can choose to give your vote to the Barisan Nasional for all that it has promised to do in its manifesto or you can choose to vote the DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) or PAS for CHANGE.

Some people don't look at political parties but at the individual candidates.

So, in the Lembah Pantai parliamentary constituency, it's interesting to see how many votes will go to Nurul Izzah who is challenging Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.
I know Shahrizat - a two-term MP - is a popular figure in the constituency.
Nurul Izzah, 27 is the eldest child of former Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim. She is PKR's candidate.

Shahrizat is confident of winning the Malay-majority constituency but I know that she is not taking her challenger lightly.

Nobody ever does. And nobody should.

So, will it be a vote for party or candidate?

Come March 8, the choice is yours. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise. And the candidate you choose is beholden to you for giving him/her YOUR vote.

Read the manifesto of each political party -- BN, DAP, PKR or PAS.

If you want change, then you know which party is advocating change.

For instance, DAP is going on the "Just Change It" or "Jom Ubah" slogan in its eight-point "Malaysian First" manifesto.

The PKR is promising "a new dawn for Malaysia" while PAS ...well, it is not propogating an Islamic State but one that is trustworthy, clean, just and "berkebajikan".

So, take your pick.

For me, I will look at how the country has been in the last five years after Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi took over.
I know how the country has been before his tenure and I can pretty much size up how the country will be in th next five years.

And, I have my own report card, thank you very much.

Of course, you and I know that you cannot vote the Barisan Nasional out of power.
(To you die-hard anti-BN...you can still try.)

But I have always believed that a good democracy (because democracy can be bad?) is when there is a strong check-and-balance ...simply to prevent abuse of power on the part of the government in power.
And in order for that check-and-balance to be in place, the ruling party cannot be made to be all-powerful.
A strong opposition is needed.

So many people tell me that "we don't have a strong or credible" opposition so how to vote for the opposition?
I can understand why they think so, although I think that more often than not, the opposition has been made to look weak, messed-up and untrustworthy.

Some people also say that voting for the BN is voting for political stability and therefore, economic stability.

I'm neither a supporter of the BN nor of the opposition.
That's not to say that I don't have a stand. I do because I see some good things in both. And bad. The right things each stand for. And the wrong.

Essentially, I do believe that the opposition should get their act together. This does not mean that I think they're a bunch of clowns and should be dismissed. Far from that.
I think there are leaders in the opposition far far smarter and cleverer than some idiots in the BN.

I also do not subscribe to the belief that voting for the opposition means you're voting for political instability.
I know this propaganda works among rural folk.
It doesn't work for me.

I do not believe that any of our opposition leaders wants to send the country to turmoil and chaos.

(By the way, peaceful protests do not equal chaos and peaceful protests turn ugly only when protesters get that bad deal from the police or FRU....oh you know what I mean)

That said, there are still a few good men and women in the BN.

So....happy voting, folks!

A PC called Mak-Cik

I'm not sure what the PC is like.
But it's called Mak-Cik PC. As the name suggests, even your Mak Cik can use it. And accessing the internet using this PC will be a picnic for her, and possibly your Pak Cik too.
According to Bernama, Mimos Bhd is designing this low-cost tablet personal computer which is possibly the thinnest in the world, weighing just 800 grammes and priced around RM500.

It is not available yet.
It will be marketed sometime this year. After the elections, of course.

Wouldn't it be great if it is available NOW?

I'm not too sure about the specs.
Will it block the blogs?

Click here for the Bernama story.

Tuesdays With Bapak

Oh, For A Bicycle - Tuesday, February 26 2008

When I was a little girl, I knew that Bapak worked in a newspaper, wrote books and had many friends over for "makan" where they'd talk till late into the night.

These friends of his we knew as (Pak Cik) Tongkat, Melan, Kamal, Samad, Asraf, Syed, Alias and (Uncle) Leslie, Swee, Samani and Firdaus. There were others, of course.

Some of them, I later realised, were very much younger than Bapak.

They were very familiar figures over the years. Most of them were friends from Bapak's Singapore days.
Just like Bapak, they moved to Malaya around the same time we did.

And over the years the older ones among them -- Bapak's contemporaries - passed away.

In fact, the only one among Bapak's closest friends who is still around is Pak Cik Mazlan (Mazlan Nordin).
When I was older, I realised that these friends of Bapak were literary figures, journalists and academics. Some later became politicians.

When I was little, I didn't know that. I also never knew of Bapak's political past in Singapore.

Had I known I would've wondered why such a man who'd been through so much and more would not allow any of his kids to have a bicycle.
But, oh, I was just a kid.

I know this sounds so irrelevant to the points I have raised but surely someone like Bapak would have no reservations about getting us a bicycle. Just one bicycle for all his kids would've been so okay. We'd all have been so thrilled.

But he was firm in never entertaining any requests from us for a bicycle.
We never understood why then.

I mean, everyone else had bicycles. Isn't it something most kids would like to have.
That was a real deprivation for us -- well, at least for me.

The "best" thing we ever got was a big tricycle. But, after you're about 12 years old, cycling one is so, infantile.

At that time, I never stopped dreaming about having a bicycle. I used to just "drool" over pictures of minibikes and choppers.
I tell you, I'd be transported into another world.
I'm not so sure if my other siblings had similar fantasies.

My (maternal) grandfather whom I called Ompong was privy to this fantasy of mine.

Ompong who lived in Singapore enjoyed entering little itsy bitsy contests run by newspapers. At that time, Berita Harian, for the longest time, ran "Teka Bola" in its sports pages.
In those days, there was only a single issue of Berita Harian/Berita Minggu for Singapore and Malaysia.

I can't remember now whether the prizes offered for winners of "Teka Bola" were cash or minibikes/choppers.
But I do remember entering the contest so that I could get a minibike/chopper.

In "Teka Bola", there'd be a picture of a goalkeeper in action near the goal post. You had to mark an "X" at a spot (in the photo) where the ball was supposed to be.
Then, you had to cut out the picture with your "X" on it, plus the section with your name and other details, put it in an envelope and mail it to the address given.

It was Ompong who asked me to take part in the contest. In fact, he sent in multiple entries, thinking that, surely one entry would strike it big.
I would send in as many as I could in the hope that one would be a winner.

I never did win, Neither did Ompong.
In time, and as my near obsession for minibikes and choppers waned to be suitably replaced by other interests, I stopped sending in entries. Ompong continued until, I think, Berita Harian ceased running the contest.

I also found out why Bapak never allowed us to have a bicycle.
It was simple -- he feared that we would be tempted to go cycling around the neighbourhood and would be knocked down by a car.
He was not around to keep an eye on us so the simplest thing was not to let us have a bicycle.

It was the same as far as motorcycles were concerned.
He forbade us to ride one or ride pillion on one. He made that very clear.

I remember he told me that there was no telling the kind of injuries a motorcyclist would suffer even in the most minor accident.
He said he knew of motorcyclists and pillion-riders who were severely injured - even killed - in what were very minor accidents.
"You are unprotected when you ride a motorcycle," he said.
Those days, it was not compulsory for motorcyclists to wear crash helmets.

I think we understood Bapak's fear.

When Kamal, my youngest brother was about nine or 10, Kak Ton got him a minibike. But it was kept at her house (then in Section 14, Petaling Jaya).
Yes, it was definitely "breaching" Bapak's rule but Kak Ton must have felt that there was really nothing so wrong in getting a little boy a bicycle.
After all, as long as she made sure to keep an eye on Kamal, it'd be ok.
So, Mak (who was an accessory to all this) would send Kamal to Kak Ton's everytime he wanted to go cycling around the neighbourhood.

One day, Bapak was driving to Jaya Supermarket and spotted "budak, betul macam Kamal, naik basikal".
I think all of us, feeling so conspiratorial and guilty, said nothing for fear that we would say the wrong thing and get caught.
I'm not sure if Bapak ever knew of Kamal's tryst with his bicycle. Kak Ton thinks he did.

When Adel was about 4, I got him a bicycle -- the type with two extra (small) rear wheels to keep it balanced.
We got him used to it and took off the extra wheels when he was ready to cycle without them.
We'd take him to the playground regularly.
(My sisters and I never got to learn to cycle at playgrounds or any public place. Our cycling lessons were at the compound of our cousin's place in Kampung Melayu, Singapore -- every holiday.)

When, he was 12, we got him a real bicycle.
I allowed him to cycle to his friend's house nearby. Not that I was so okay with that but I felt that he needed to do that, to be exposed to that part of growing up.
Besides, most of his friends were cycling around the neighbourhood.
He only needed to be careful. So before I allowed him, I taught him about road safety and how to "cycle safe".
I had never cycled on public roads before but I was his mother and was supposed to know these things.
The first time he went on open road, I followed him in a car, just to observe.
I confess, I had the jitters. Probably more nervous than he was.

Even then, I'd only allow him to go cycling no further than around the neighbourhood.

But, motorcycles are something else.

Adel asked me whether he could ever own a motorbike.

I gave him a simple reply : "No."
I told him why.

I think Adel understands.
Because he does not allow me to ride a bicycle on the road.

I was taken by surprise one day when his face turned white.
I had told him that I'd like to ride a bicycle "just to exercise".

"No, mummy. It's dangerous."

Yeah... the very same "fear".

The Battle Begins...

...in the 215 (of 222) parliamentary and 503 (of 505) state constituencies.

Yesterday, after nomination closed, Barisan Nasional won 7 parliamentary and 2 state seats unopposed.

Among them was the Pengerang parliamentary seat in Johor which is in the hand of Youth and Sports Minister Azalina Othman Said.
Signed, sealed and delivered.
It was second-time lucky for her. In 2004, she also won uncontested.

Elsewhere, bloggers are contesting in this general election.

They are Badrul Hisham Shaharin (P131 Rembau), Jeff Ooi (P50 Jelutong), Tony Pua (P106 Petaling Jaya Utara), Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (N32 Seri Setia) and Elizabeth Wong (N37 Bukit Lanjan).

And I wish you all the best!
Also read Rocky's Bru on helping Badrul Hisham in his campaign. He faces Khairy Jamaluddin.

Today is Nomination Day..

A busy Sunday for election candidates as they submit their nomination papers in 222 centres across the country.
They will be vying for 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats in the March 8 general election.
They will be accompanied by their supporters.

So, don't screw up, you hear!

Make sure you spell your N A M E and write your date of birth correctly.

Opposition Promises "One-To-One" Contests

Opposition parties have agreed on only straight fights in all seats to be contested across the country.

The assurance was given by DAP's Ronnie Liu.
He said this was consistent with the "hasrat rakyat".
Candidates engaged in three or four-cornered fights will be doing so without the support or endorsment of their party leaders.

Liu said this at the launching of the PEOPLE'S DECLARATION or DEKLARASI RAKYAT at Blog House in Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

Present were representatives of six political parties who have endorsed the declaration .

Besides Liu, present were Dr Siti Mariah (Pas), lawyer Wee Chee Keong (Malaysian Democratic Party) and Badrul Hisham Shaharin or better known as Cikgubard (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) .

Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and Sabah-based Pasok were not able to send representatives but expressed full support of thePeople's Declaration.

Liu will be contesting in Pandamaran, Wee in Wangsa Maju, Dr Siti in Kota Raja and Cikgubard in Rembau (against the KHAIRY).

The People's Declaration is the initiative of Barisan Rakyat which is a civil society initiative.

Lawyer activist Haris Ibrahim who is the Barisan Rakyat man, told the gathering that "things must change" and "it is in our hands" to effect changes.
He said that civil society will no longer be a passive component in the political electoral process.

Haris asserted that the Barisan Rakyat is not founded on any assumption of race but on justice and equality for all.

He described the parties that civil society hadembraced as Barisan Harapan Rakyat.

"We want quality candidates to take their place in the electoral process.

"We are worthy of our choice, we ask that you no longer take our votes for granted, we will work with parties that accept and appreciate that under the Constitution the rakyat is the Boss. and when you come out for the vote, you offer to serve us in Parliament, you have to move from yang berhormat to yang berkhidmat."

Read Haris' Hidup Barisan Rakyat in his blog The People's Parliament.

And what the People's Declaration is.