Malaysia's opposition has shrugged-off a rash of defections to the ruling party.
A former senior member of opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party, Ezam Mohamad Nor, is the most prominent of the six who are being welcomed back into the United Malays National Organisation - a key member of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
But Tian Chua, Keadilan's official spokesman, told Radio Australia's Connect Asia program that the number of government figures defecting to the opposition would more than compensate for the loss of a few members.
"So we have high profile members, we have massive members coming from Barisan Nasional joining the opposition, so we are not to troubled by a few members, a few ex-members, defect to Barisan Nasional."
Friday, May 30, 2008
Saturday, March 22, 2008
Pak Lah faces challenge to leadership in Malaysia
Emerging victorious but weak from this month’s general elections, Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi is facing his first challenge from within the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO). The challenger is a former finance minister, who had had made an unsuccessful attempt in 1987 to take on Badawi’s predecessor Mahathir Mohamad.
UMNO needs “healing”, Hamzah was quoted as saying by The New Straits Times Friday.
He has offered himself to lead UMNO to “heal the party”, which he described to be “in a bad way”.
While acknowledging that his advancing age might be used against him, the 71-year-old former finance minister expressed willingness to take up the challenge if he was given the opportunity.
Hamzah said he was “young” when he challenged Mahathir and ever ready to challenge anyone with his ideas.
“Even though I am old but I am still strong. If there are enough nominations for me to contest in the UMNO election, I will give my service if I am needed.”
Hamzah described UMNO’s showing in the recent general election as the most painful and horrible moment in his political career.
Badawi, who won a second term as prime minister amid demands that he step down, is currently the UMNO chief and heads the Barisan Nasional
UMNO needs “healing”, Hamzah was quoted as saying by The New Straits Times Friday.
He has offered himself to lead UMNO to “heal the party”, which he described to be “in a bad way”.
While acknowledging that his advancing age might be used against him, the 71-year-old former finance minister expressed willingness to take up the challenge if he was given the opportunity.
Hamzah said he was “young” when he challenged Mahathir and ever ready to challenge anyone with his ideas.
“Even though I am old but I am still strong. If there are enough nominations for me to contest in the UMNO election, I will give my service if I am needed.”
Hamzah described UMNO’s showing in the recent general election as the most painful and horrible moment in his political career.
Badawi, who won a second term as prime minister amid demands that he step down, is currently the UMNO chief and heads the Barisan Nasional
Saturday, March 8, 2008
12th Malaysia's Election (PRU12) - The Shocking Election Result:
KEPUTUSAN PILIHAN RAYA UMUM KE-12 (PRU12) - The Shocking Election
All about 12th Malaysia's Election Result
Details you can browse here:
http://pru12.spr.gov.my/spr/
The Oppositions retained Kelantan and swiped Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor. PAS won a comfortable 38 seats in Kelantan and their counterpart PKR got 1 while BN got only 5. In Kedah, PAS won 16 seats, PKR got 4, DAP managed to secure 1 seat while BN won 14 seats from the total of 36. DAP won an extravagant 19 seats out of 40, while PKR got 9 and PAS secured 1, throwing mocks towards BN, winning only 11 seats in Penang. The oppositions also won Perak and Selangor, but i am too lazy to wait for the updated information from the SPR's website. Shocked!
New PAS chief ministers for both Kelantan and Kedah i suppose while DAP will take Penang and Perak whereas PKR will be taking Selangor. Hopefully they can work something out. Shocked!
The first message i got was about the fall of Mr.Samy Veloo and Mrs. Shahrizat. Its about time that somebody kicks Samy's ass out of the Parliament. Izzah Anwar winning against a giant in the form of Mrs. Shahrizat was a breath taking revelation too. A giant killer indeed. Shocked!
What a relief to know that PAS retained Kelantan. Phew! No thanks to me. But it is sad to know that BN retained Terengganu. But at least PAS also got Kedah. Truth revealed. I am a PAS supporter. Shocked!
And if i heard the news right, BN's 2/3 majority have been denied! Fair enough. Shocked! Khairy jamaluddin got Rembau. Damn it! Shocked!
Malaysians, get ready for a new Malaysia tomorrow.
Details you can browse here:
http://pru12.spr.gov.my/spr/
This website are generating official result from SPR.
Following are views of political analysts and officials on Malaysia's watershed general elections.
TIM CONDON, HEAD OF ASIA RESEARCH, ING
"This is probably not good news for the equity market or the ringgit. I think the consensus was that the BN coalition would soldier on and have a sufficient majority to push through their spending programmes and the development of their corridors (economic development zones) ... but this puts in doubt that they will even be able to implement their spending programmes. There really was no feel-good factor before (the election) and this really reduces the likelihood that there will be one in the near future."
BRIDGET WELSH, POLITICAL ANALYST, JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY:
"It was a phenomenal shift. They lost up to potentially four state governments. I think the PM will potentially have to resign. This is unprecedented. The only other time this happened was in 1969 and that's why everybody is very nervous now because of the uncertainty."
DAVID COHEN, ECONOMIST, ACCESS ECONOMICS
"I guess the question now is, 'Is it going to be peaceful?' If they are able to control it, then that would at least avoid one potentially negative reaction ... Maybe it's an encouraging sign that real contested elections can be held without violence. If they had won overwhelmingly, I think there would have been suspicions that there was fraud, so the fact that they did allow the opposition to make these gains is encouraging."
Cohen doubted that rising prices alone would account for a heavy backlash against the ruling coalition.
"Frankly, I don't think that that's what would have been to blame for the opposition doing so well. People are certainly nervous about the economic outlook for the world economy right now, but I think that's more a function of what's going on in the U.S."
IBRAHIM SUFFIAN, OF MARKET-RESEARCH FIRM THE MERDEKA CENTER
"I think the opposition is 20 to 30 seats away from forming government and that's what the unofficial count is revealing. I think it's a combination of many factors. I think, number one, is the economy -- the economy is doing well, but it's not translating into a better standard of living for ordinary Malaysians."
The opposition had also waged an extraordinarily well-organised campaign, he said.
"The level of campaigning that's being done by the opposition is phenomenal, much, much better than previous elections. It's not just the result of being better organised and better prepared, it's also the support of the people who are a bit fed up. There's also infighting within (main ruling party) UMNO..."
SAM ZARIFI, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, WASHINGTON First of all, we saw several attempts by the coalition to try and not have these elections free and fair. Clearly, they were worried about the possibility of losing, more than any other time. At the same time, it was clear that there has been some discontent with the state of affairs in Malaysia and that the people of Malaysia really wanted an end to what has essentially been a state in which they don't have freedom of press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
There is no excuse or reason any more for Malaysia not to have that freedom. For a country that has made so much of economic progress, it is time to catch up politically. Obviously we have to wait for the full result of the election, but what we hope to see is that parliament will begin dismantling some of the authoritarian laws and systems that have been in place for too long, starting with the Internal Security arrangements. Basically, opening up of Malaysian society to allow it to flourish.
YAP SWEE SENG, ACTIVIST WITH HUMAN RIGHTS BODY SUARAM "This is a victory of people who were fed up with Barisan Nasional's mismanagement and abuse of power. People have sent a very clear message that they are fed up with racial politics. Going forward, I think it is very critical for the country to start a new period of policies that are more democratic."
All about 12th Malaysia's Election Result
Details you can browse here:
http://pru12.spr.gov.my/spr/
The Oppositions retained Kelantan and swiped Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor. PAS won a comfortable 38 seats in Kelantan and their counterpart PKR got 1 while BN got only 5. In Kedah, PAS won 16 seats, PKR got 4, DAP managed to secure 1 seat while BN won 14 seats from the total of 36. DAP won an extravagant 19 seats out of 40, while PKR got 9 and PAS secured 1, throwing mocks towards BN, winning only 11 seats in Penang. The oppositions also won Perak and Selangor, but i am too lazy to wait for the updated information from the SPR's website. Shocked!
New PAS chief ministers for both Kelantan and Kedah i suppose while DAP will take Penang and Perak whereas PKR will be taking Selangor. Hopefully they can work something out. Shocked!
The first message i got was about the fall of Mr.Samy Veloo and Mrs. Shahrizat. Its about time that somebody kicks Samy's ass out of the Parliament. Izzah Anwar winning against a giant in the form of Mrs. Shahrizat was a breath taking revelation too. A giant killer indeed. Shocked!
What a relief to know that PAS retained Kelantan. Phew! No thanks to me. But it is sad to know that BN retained Terengganu. But at least PAS also got Kedah. Truth revealed. I am a PAS supporter. Shocked!
And if i heard the news right, BN's 2/3 majority have been denied! Fair enough. Shocked! Khairy jamaluddin got Rembau. Damn it! Shocked!
Malaysians, get ready for a new Malaysia tomorrow.
Details you can browse here:
http://pru12.spr.gov.my/spr/
This website are generating official result from SPR.
Following are views of political analysts and officials on Malaysia's watershed general elections.
TIM CONDON, HEAD OF ASIA RESEARCH, ING
"This is probably not good news for the equity market or the ringgit. I think the consensus was that the BN coalition would soldier on and have a sufficient majority to push through their spending programmes and the development of their corridors (economic development zones) ... but this puts in doubt that they will even be able to implement their spending programmes. There really was no feel-good factor before (the election) and this really reduces the likelihood that there will be one in the near future."
BRIDGET WELSH, POLITICAL ANALYST, JOHN HOPKINS UNIVERSITY:
"It was a phenomenal shift. They lost up to potentially four state governments. I think the PM will potentially have to resign. This is unprecedented. The only other time this happened was in 1969 and that's why everybody is very nervous now because of the uncertainty."
DAVID COHEN, ECONOMIST, ACCESS ECONOMICS
"I guess the question now is, 'Is it going to be peaceful?' If they are able to control it, then that would at least avoid one potentially negative reaction ... Maybe it's an encouraging sign that real contested elections can be held without violence. If they had won overwhelmingly, I think there would have been suspicions that there was fraud, so the fact that they did allow the opposition to make these gains is encouraging."
Cohen doubted that rising prices alone would account for a heavy backlash against the ruling coalition.
"Frankly, I don't think that that's what would have been to blame for the opposition doing so well. People are certainly nervous about the economic outlook for the world economy right now, but I think that's more a function of what's going on in the U.S."
IBRAHIM SUFFIAN, OF MARKET-RESEARCH FIRM THE MERDEKA CENTER
"I think the opposition is 20 to 30 seats away from forming government and that's what the unofficial count is revealing. I think it's a combination of many factors. I think, number one, is the economy -- the economy is doing well, but it's not translating into a better standard of living for ordinary Malaysians."
The opposition had also waged an extraordinarily well-organised campaign, he said.
"The level of campaigning that's being done by the opposition is phenomenal, much, much better than previous elections. It's not just the result of being better organised and better prepared, it's also the support of the people who are a bit fed up. There's also infighting within (main ruling party) UMNO..."
SAM ZARIFI, HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH, WASHINGTON First of all, we saw several attempts by the coalition to try and not have these elections free and fair. Clearly, they were worried about the possibility of losing, more than any other time. At the same time, it was clear that there has been some discontent with the state of affairs in Malaysia and that the people of Malaysia really wanted an end to what has essentially been a state in which they don't have freedom of press, freedom of speech and freedom of assembly.
There is no excuse or reason any more for Malaysia not to have that freedom. For a country that has made so much of economic progress, it is time to catch up politically. Obviously we have to wait for the full result of the election, but what we hope to see is that parliament will begin dismantling some of the authoritarian laws and systems that have been in place for too long, starting with the Internal Security arrangements. Basically, opening up of Malaysian society to allow it to flourish.
YAP SWEE SENG, ACTIVIST WITH HUMAN RIGHTS BODY SUARAM "This is a victory of people who were fed up with Barisan Nasional's mismanagement and abuse of power. People have sent a very clear message that they are fed up with racial politics. Going forward, I think it is very critical for the country to start a new period of policies that are more democratic."
Sunday, February 24, 2008
Malaysia begins election campaign
Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi kicked off his election campaign Sunday with a warning that his cabinet ministers are not assured of jobs in a new administration.
Abdullah formally submitted his nomination for the March 8 polls in the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat on the island state of Penang, surrounded by a sea of supporters from the governing National Front.
There was heavy security at the nomination center, with police separating a thousand government supporters from some 500 activists from the Islamic party PAS, who shouted the opposition battle cry of 'Reformasi', or 'Reform.'
Veteran politicians who were expected to be ousted in the run-up to the polls have so far retained their positions, but Abdullah hinted in an interview with the New Straits Times that there might be a clean-out after the polls.
Political candidates on Sunday kicked off their campaigns for Malaysian's 12th general elections scheduled for March 8.
Hundreds of candidates submitted their nomination papers to contest 222 parliamentary constituencies and 505 state legislature seats.
The National Front coalition, consisting of 14 political parties, has won every general election since the country gained independence from the British in 1957.
In the 2004 elections, the coalition won a landslide victory by taking 199 of 219 parliamentary seats.
Political analysts predict that the National Front is likely to win a new majority, but the declining popularity of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government is expected to cost the ruling coalition several of its seats to opposition parties.
Abdullah formally submitted his nomination for the March 8 polls in the Kepala Batas parliamentary seat on the island state of Penang, surrounded by a sea of supporters from the governing National Front.
There was heavy security at the nomination center, with police separating a thousand government supporters from some 500 activists from the Islamic party PAS, who shouted the opposition battle cry of 'Reformasi', or 'Reform.'
Veteran politicians who were expected to be ousted in the run-up to the polls have so far retained their positions, but Abdullah hinted in an interview with the New Straits Times that there might be a clean-out after the polls.
Political candidates on Sunday kicked off their campaigns for Malaysian's 12th general elections scheduled for March 8.
Hundreds of candidates submitted their nomination papers to contest 222 parliamentary constituencies and 505 state legislature seats.
The National Front coalition, consisting of 14 political parties, has won every general election since the country gained independence from the British in 1957.
In the 2004 elections, the coalition won a landslide victory by taking 199 of 219 parliamentary seats.
Political analysts predict that the National Front is likely to win a new majority, but the declining popularity of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's government is expected to cost the ruling coalition several of its seats to opposition parties.
Saturday, February 23, 2008
Indian ink for Malaysian polls
Indelible Indian ink will be used to mark the fingers of voters during the March 8 general election in Malaysia. Malaysia is the latest nation to use indelible ink from India. Afghanistan used the Indian ink for its presidential and parliamentary elections.
Consignments of 47,000 bottles of the indelible ink purchased by the Election Commission have arrived here and will be distributed across the country next week, The Star newspaper said Saturday.
Election Commission Secretary Kamaruzaman Mohamad Noor said each state would receive ink bottles according to the voter population in each parliamentary and state constituency.
The indelible ink, costing over RM 2 million ($100,000), will make its first appearance in elections here. It will be applied on the left forefinger just before a person casts the ballot and is said to stay on the finger for at least two weeks.
Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin has dismissed opposition parties' claim of one-sided media reports and says that they too use the media as a channel to promote themselves.
This scenario proved that they had confidence in the media although at the same time they alleged that the media did not give equal opportunities and do justice to them, he said.
"What we can expect is that after the opposition lose, they will say the election was run not according to democratic practices and was unfair.
"The government, meanwhile, will accept whatever decisions except those contrary to the law," he told reporters after filling up a candidate nomination form at the official residence of the Kedah Menteri Besar here today.
In other news, Zainuddin who is incumbent Member of Parliament for Merbok, will stand for the Sungai Petani seat in the March 8 general election where he is expected to face Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Johari Abdul.
Consignments of 47,000 bottles of the indelible ink purchased by the Election Commission have arrived here and will be distributed across the country next week, The Star newspaper said Saturday.
Election Commission Secretary Kamaruzaman Mohamad Noor said each state would receive ink bottles according to the voter population in each parliamentary and state constituency.
The indelible ink, costing over RM 2 million ($100,000), will make its first appearance in elections here. It will be applied on the left forefinger just before a person casts the ballot and is said to stay on the finger for at least two weeks.
Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin has dismissed opposition parties' claim of one-sided media reports and says that they too use the media as a channel to promote themselves.
This scenario proved that they had confidence in the media although at the same time they alleged that the media did not give equal opportunities and do justice to them, he said.
"What we can expect is that after the opposition lose, they will say the election was run not according to democratic practices and was unfair.
"The government, meanwhile, will accept whatever decisions except those contrary to the law," he told reporters after filling up a candidate nomination form at the official residence of the Kedah Menteri Besar here today.
In other news, Zainuddin who is incumbent Member of Parliament for Merbok, will stand for the Sungai Petani seat in the March 8 general election where he is expected to face Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate Johari Abdul.
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