Monday, March 10, 2008
2008 polls - interesting facts
Barisan Nasional only gained about 51 percent of the popular vote from the 7.9 million ballots cast on Saturday.
However, it took 63 percent of the seats contested - or 140 of 222 seats in Parliament.
Interestingly, its peninsula-wide popular vote was only 49.79 percent, which effectively means that the opposition received the majority vote in this part of the country.
However, when converted to parliamentary seats, BN has 85 of the constituencies in the peninsula, while the opposition bagged 80.
Almost 40 percent of the BN's seats are in Sabah and Sarawak - 55 out of 140.
In 2004, BN won about 64 percent of the popular vote nationwide and 92 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats on offer then.
As the dust settles on the 12th general election, we highlight a number of quirky facts and figures.
Election trivia
The youngest candidate was PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is 26. He defeated Seri Setia incumbent Seripa Noli Syed Hussin.
The oldest candidate was grandma Maimun Yusuf, 89, who contested in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat. She lost her deposit.
56 also-rans from opposition parties and independent candidates lost their deposits after failing to secure one-eighth of the votes cast.
The largest majority was won by DAP’s Teresa Kok against BN’s Carol Chew, by 36,492 votes in the Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.
The smallest majority was just 14 votes for BN’s Hamdi Abu Bakar who beat Abu Bakar Haji Hussain of PAS in the Pengkalan Baharu state seat in Perak.
Four pivotal players in the Lingam tape scandal also won: Loh Gwo Burne (who recorded the footage), Wee Choo Keong (lawyer who represented VK Lingam’s brother during the inquiry) and R Sivarasa and Sim Tze Tzin (listed as witnesses but eventually not called). All four are from PKR.
There will be two ‘lone rangers’ in Parliament: Zulhasnan Rafique, the sole BN survivor in Kuala Lumpur’s 11 parliamentary seats - he took Setiawangsa; and DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen who won Bandar Kuching in Sarawak - the remaining 30 parliamentary seats went to BN.
The biggest number of candidates was in the Sukau state seat, Sabah, where eight candidates ran, including five Independents.
Debutant politicians
Prominent blogger Jeff Ooi - whose campaign was done online and funds were raised through his website - won the Jelutong parliamentary seat in Penang for DAP.
Other bloggers are Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat), Elizabeth Wong (PKR, Bukit Lanjan state seat) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR, Seri Setia state seat).
Civil society activists who succeeded were Charles Santiago (DAP, water-privatisation issues), Edward Lee (DAP, local community), Elizabeth Wong and R Sivarasa (PKR, human rights).
Biggest blows
The losses in BN component parties will result in vacancies in various ministries, forcing a cabinet reshuffle.
Ministers
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)
V Veerasingam (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs 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)
The full team from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry all lost in the polls.
All top MIC leaders were wiped out - president, deputy presidents, two vice-presidents, women's chief and youth chief (one of the three vice-presidents, KS Nijar, did not contest).
However, it took 63 percent of the seats contested - or 140 of 222 seats in Parliament.
Interestingly, its peninsula-wide popular vote was only 49.79 percent, which effectively means that the opposition received the majority vote in this part of the country.
However, when converted to parliamentary seats, BN has 85 of the constituencies in the peninsula, while the opposition bagged 80.
Almost 40 percent of the BN's seats are in Sabah and Sarawak - 55 out of 140.
In 2004, BN won about 64 percent of the popular vote nationwide and 92 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats on offer then.
As the dust settles on the 12th general election, we highlight a number of quirky facts and figures.
Election trivia
The youngest candidate was PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is 26. He defeated Seri Setia incumbent Seripa Noli Syed Hussin.
The oldest candidate was grandma Maimun Yusuf, 89, who contested in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat. She lost her deposit.
56 also-rans from opposition parties and independent candidates lost their deposits after failing to secure one-eighth of the votes cast.
The largest majority was won by DAP’s Teresa Kok against BN’s Carol Chew, by 36,492 votes in the Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.
The smallest majority was just 14 votes for BN’s Hamdi Abu Bakar who beat Abu Bakar Haji Hussain of PAS in the Pengkalan Baharu state seat in Perak.
Four pivotal players in the Lingam tape scandal also won: Loh Gwo Burne (who recorded the footage), Wee Choo Keong (lawyer who represented VK Lingam’s brother during the inquiry) and R Sivarasa and Sim Tze Tzin (listed as witnesses but eventually not called). All four are from PKR.
There will be two ‘lone rangers’ in Parliament: Zulhasnan Rafique, the sole BN survivor in Kuala Lumpur’s 11 parliamentary seats - he took Setiawangsa; and DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen who won Bandar Kuching in Sarawak - the remaining 30 parliamentary seats went to BN.
The biggest number of candidates was in the Sukau state seat, Sabah, where eight candidates ran, including five Independents.
Debutant politicians
Prominent blogger Jeff Ooi - whose campaign was done online and funds were raised through his website - won the Jelutong parliamentary seat in Penang for DAP.
Other bloggers are Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat), Elizabeth Wong (PKR, Bukit Lanjan state seat) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR, Seri Setia state seat).
Civil society activists who succeeded were Charles Santiago (DAP, water-privatisation issues), Edward Lee (DAP, local community), Elizabeth Wong and R Sivarasa (PKR, human rights).
Biggest blows
The losses in BN component parties will result in vacancies in various ministries, forcing a cabinet reshuffle.
Ministers
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)
V Veerasingam (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs 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)
The full team from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry all lost in the polls.
All top MIC leaders were wiped out - president, deputy presidents, two vice-presidents, women's chief and youth chief (one of the three vice-presidents, KS Nijar, did not contest).
Controversial politician Zakaria Deros dies
Former Port Klang assemblyman Datuk Zakaria Md Deros died after suffering a heart attack early Tuesday 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 are 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
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 are 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
PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN
Q. Who is a GURU of Franchise Sales?
A. Manish Adhiya
Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard (hp) ?
A. Rajiv Gupta
Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the today's computers run on it)?
A. Vinod Dahm
Q. Who is the third richest man on the world?
A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Azim Premji, who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6 th position now.
Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program)?
A. Sabeer Bhatia
Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?
A. Arun Netravalli
Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems?
A. Sanjay Tejwrika
Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?
A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.
We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3..22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET,
38% of doctors in USA are Indians.
12% scientists in USA are Indians.
36% of NASA scientists are Indians.
34% of Microsoft employees are Indians.
28% of IBM employees are Indians.
17% of INTEL scientists are Indians.
13% of XEROX employees are! Indians.
Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.
1. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.
2. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
3. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4 th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.
5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.
6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.
7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.
8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now k! nown as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6 th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.
9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India . Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11 th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 10 53.
10. According to the Gemmological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.
11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.
12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
13. Chess was invented in India
14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India .
15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley ( Indus Valley Civilisation).
16. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
Quotes about India
We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made
- Albert Einstein.
India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition.
- Mark Twain.
If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India
- French scholar Romain Rolland.
India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.
- Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA )
A. Manish Adhiya
Q. Who is the GM of Hewlett Packard (hp) ?
A. Rajiv Gupta
Q. Who is the creator of Pentium chip (needs no introduction as 90% of the today's computers run on it)?
A. Vinod Dahm
Q. Who is the third richest man on the world?
A. According to the latest report on Fortune Magazine, it is Azim Premji, who is the CEO of Wipro Industries. The Sultan of Brunei is at 6 th position now.
Q. Who is the founder and creator of Hotmail (Hotmail is world's No.1 web based email program)?
A. Sabeer Bhatia
Q. Who is the president of AT & T-Bell Labs (AT & T-Bell Labs is the creator of program languages such as C, C++, Unix to name a few)?
A. Arun Netravalli
Q. Who is the new MTD (Microsoft Testing Director) of Windows 2000, responsible to iron out all initial problems?
A. Sanjay Tejwrika
Q. Who are the Chief Executives of CitiBank, Mckensey & Stanchart?
A. Victor Menezes, Rajat Gupta, and Rana Talwar.
We Indians are the wealthiest among all ethnic groups in America, even faring better than the whites and the natives. There are 3..22 millions of Indians in USA (1.5% of population). YET,
38% of doctors in USA are Indians.
12% scientists in USA are Indians.
36% of NASA scientists are Indians.
34% of Microsoft employees are Indians.
28% of IBM employees are Indians.
17% of INTEL scientists are Indians.
13% of XEROX employees are! Indians.
Some of the following facts may be known to you. These facts were recently published in a German magazine, which deals with WORLD HISTORY FACTS ABOUT INDIA.
1. India never invaded any country in her last 1000 years of history.
2. India invented the Number system. Zero was invented by Aryabhatta.
3. The world's first University was established in Takshila in 700BC. More than 10,500 students from all over the world studied more than 60 subjects. The University of Nalanda built in the 4 th century BC was one of the greatest achievements of ancient India in the field of education.
4. According to the Forbes magazine, Sanskrit is the most suitable language for computer software.
5. Ayurveda is the earliest school of medicine known to humans.
6. Although western media portray modern images of India as poverty striken and underdeveloped through political corruption, India was once the richest empire on earth.
7. The art of navigation was born in the river Sindh 5000 years ago. The very word 'Navigation' is derived from the Sanskrit word NAVGATIH.
8. The value of pi was first calculated by Budhayana, and he explained the concept of what is now k! nown as the Pythagorean Theorem. British scholars have last year (1999) officially published that Budhayan's works dates to the 6 th Century which is long before the European mathematicians.
9. Algebra, trigonometry and calculus came from India . Quadratic equations were by Sridharacharya in the 11 th Century; the largest numbers the Greeks and the Romans used were 106 whereas Indians used numbers as big as 10 53.
10. According to the Gemmological Institute of America, up until 1896, India was the only source of diamonds to the world.
11. USA based IEEE has proved what has been a century-old suspicion amongst academics that the pioneer of wireless communication was Professor Jagdeesh Bose and not Marconi.
12. The earliest reservoir and dam for irrigation was built in Saurashtra.
13. Chess was invented in India
14. Sushruta is the father of surgery. 2600 years ago he and health scientists of his time conducted surgeries like cesareans, cataract, fractures and urinary stones. Usage of anaesthesia was well known in ancient India .
15. When many cultures in the world were only nomadic forest dwellers over 5000 years ago, Indians established Harappan culture in Sindhu Valley ( Indus Valley Civilisation).
16. The place value system, the decimal system was developed in India in 100 BC.
Quotes about India
We owe a lot to the Indians, who taught us how to count, without which no worthwhile scientific discovery could have been made
- Albert Einstein.
India is the cradle of the human race, the birthplace of human speech, the mother of history, the grandmother of legend and the great grandmother of tradition.
- Mark Twain.
If there is one place on the face of earth where all dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India
- French scholar Romain Rolland.
India conquered and dominated China culturally for 20 centuries without ever having to send a single soldier across her border.
- Hu Shih (former Chinese ambassador to USA )
Hindraf: Make ISA detainee S'gor deputy MB
The Hindu Rights Action Force wants its legal advisor M Manoharan to be appointed as a deputy menteri besar in Selangor under the new state government to be formed by the opposition.
The opposition yesterday toppled the BN government by winning 36 seats out of 56 in the state. BN won the remaining 20 to be in the opposition in the state legislative assembly.
PKR’s secretary general Khalid Ibrahim, who won the Ijok state seat, is expected to be named as the new Menteri Besar to replace BN-Umno Mohd Khir Toyo.
Hindraf’s chairperson P Waythamoorthy said that it was time for the opposition to repay the Indian community for their huge support in turning the wave in favour of the opposition in yesterday’s general election.
“Nationwide, the Indian community has shown its dissatisfaction towards the BN government and had voted them out.
“The opposition has been riding on the wave of makkal sakhti (people’s power) in the run up of the general election.
“And it is no secret that the Indian voters have delivered their votes for the opposition,” said Waythamoorthy who spoke to Malaysiakini from New Delhi, India.
He added that now it was time for the opposition to repay the trust placed on them by the Indian community and not to betray that trust.
“As such we hope that Manoharan will be appointed as a deputy menteri besar in Selangor. Likewise, we hope the opposition parties will appoint an Indian representative as a deputy menteri besar or deputy chief minister in the other states that they have won,” he added.
The Hindraf factor
Apart from Selangor, the opposition has also taken control in Perak, Kedah and Selangor - all states which have a large number of Indian voters.
Waythamoorthy said that Hindraf had played a vital role in awakening the silent angst in the Indian community over their socio-economic sidelining.
Last week Waythamoorthy urged all Hindraf supporters to vote for the opposition to ensure that the plights of the Indian community are addressed.
Hindraf also organised a mass rally o Nov 25 last year in Kuala Lumpur, attracting some 30,000 ethnic Indians, to express their discontent with the government.
As a result five Hindraf leaders - including Manoharan -have been detained for two-years under the Internal Security Act, for allegedly being involved in terrorism activities.
Manoharan contested for the Kota Alam Shah state seat in Klang and managed to wrest the seat from BN with a 7,184 majority. In his forced absence, his wife S Pushpaneela undertook the task of campaigning for him.
Apart from Manoharan, many other Indian candidates representing the opposition nationwide were elected in an unprecedented manner.
And in a total reversal, the Indian votes rejected almost all MIC candidates, resulting in heavy defeats for MIC president S Samy Vellu and his entire party top leadership.
The opposition yesterday toppled the BN government by winning 36 seats out of 56 in the state. BN won the remaining 20 to be in the opposition in the state legislative assembly.
PKR’s secretary general Khalid Ibrahim, who won the Ijok state seat, is expected to be named as the new Menteri Besar to replace BN-Umno Mohd Khir Toyo.
Hindraf’s chairperson P Waythamoorthy said that it was time for the opposition to repay the Indian community for their huge support in turning the wave in favour of the opposition in yesterday’s general election.
“Nationwide, the Indian community has shown its dissatisfaction towards the BN government and had voted them out.
“The opposition has been riding on the wave of makkal sakhti (people’s power) in the run up of the general election.
“And it is no secret that the Indian voters have delivered their votes for the opposition,” said Waythamoorthy who spoke to Malaysiakini from New Delhi, India.
He added that now it was time for the opposition to repay the trust placed on them by the Indian community and not to betray that trust.
“As such we hope that Manoharan will be appointed as a deputy menteri besar in Selangor. Likewise, we hope the opposition parties will appoint an Indian representative as a deputy menteri besar or deputy chief minister in the other states that they have won,” he added.
The Hindraf factor
Apart from Selangor, the opposition has also taken control in Perak, Kedah and Selangor - all states which have a large number of Indian voters.
Waythamoorthy said that Hindraf had played a vital role in awakening the silent angst in the Indian community over their socio-economic sidelining.
Last week Waythamoorthy urged all Hindraf supporters to vote for the opposition to ensure that the plights of the Indian community are addressed.
Hindraf also organised a mass rally o Nov 25 last year in Kuala Lumpur, attracting some 30,000 ethnic Indians, to express their discontent with the government.
As a result five Hindraf leaders - including Manoharan -have been detained for two-years under the Internal Security Act, for allegedly being involved in terrorism activities.
Manoharan contested for the Kota Alam Shah state seat in Klang and managed to wrest the seat from BN with a 7,184 majority. In his forced absence, his wife S Pushpaneela undertook the task of campaigning for him.
Apart from Manoharan, many other Indian candidates representing the opposition nationwide were elected in an unprecedented manner.
And in a total reversal, the Indian votes rejected almost all MIC candidates, resulting in heavy defeats for MIC president S Samy Vellu and his entire party top leadership.
Dr M calls for Pak Lah to resign
Former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today his successor Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has "destroyed" the ruling coalition after disastrous weekend elections.
Mahathir, who led the ruling Umno which helms the Barisan Nasional coalition for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, lashed out after its worst performance in history.
"My view is he has destroyed Umno, destroyed the BN and he has been responsible for this," Mahathir told reporters.
He suggested Abdullah should resign, and said he had made a mistake in selecting him as prime minister.
"I think he should accept responsibility for this. He should accept 100 percent responsibility," he said.
"I am sorry but I apparently made the wrong choice."
Mahathir has previously said he never intended for Abdullah to serve more than one term, and that he should have opted instead for influential Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak who is now leader-in-waiting.
Worst ever result
BN suffered its worst ever result in Saturday's polls, losing its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time since 1969 and conceding four more states to a resurgent opposition.
Abdullah was punished over rising crime and inflation in an election also tinged by rising racial tensions between majority Muslim Malays and minority ethnic Chinese and Indians.
"I think the people must have been very angry, all the races, Chinese, Malays and Indians," Mahathir said.
"The problem is we (the government) have become so arrogant. We suppress any opinion that we do not like and they begin to believe in their own reports which are not actually consistent with what is happening in the country."
Abdullah was Mahathir's hand-picked successor when he stepped down, but after the new leader dumped several of his pet projects he began launching accusations of economic mismanagement, nepotism and corruption.
Mahathir, who led the ruling Umno which helms the Barisan Nasional coalition for 22 years before stepping down in 2003, lashed out after its worst performance in history.
"My view is he has destroyed Umno, destroyed the BN and he has been responsible for this," Mahathir told reporters.
He suggested Abdullah should resign, and said he had made a mistake in selecting him as prime minister.
"I think he should accept responsibility for this. He should accept 100 percent responsibility," he said.
"I am sorry but I apparently made the wrong choice."
Mahathir has previously said he never intended for Abdullah to serve more than one term, and that he should have opted instead for influential Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak who is now leader-in-waiting.
Worst ever result
BN suffered its worst ever result in Saturday's polls, losing its two-thirds majority in parliament for the first time since 1969 and conceding four more states to a resurgent opposition.
Abdullah was punished over rising crime and inflation in an election also tinged by rising racial tensions between majority Muslim Malays and minority ethnic Chinese and Indians.
"I think the people must have been very angry, all the races, Chinese, Malays and Indians," Mahathir said.
"The problem is we (the government) have become so arrogant. We suppress any opinion that we do not like and they begin to believe in their own reports which are not actually consistent with what is happening in the country."
Abdullah was Mahathir's hand-picked successor when he stepped down, but after the new leader dumped several of his pet projects he began launching accusations of economic mismanagement, nepotism and corruption.
KLSE Index Down 10%
Malaysian stocks tumbled the most in a decade today with government-linked companies hardest hit after the weekend’s political upsets. At 2:58pm, trading was stopped for an hour as the Kuala Lumpur Composite Index (KLCI) fell by 10 percent or 130.01 points to 1,166.32, from the previous day’s closing level. This was the biggest one-day percentage loss in recent years. The turnover was valued at RM2.47 billion.State-owned banks like Bumiputra-Commerce Holdings Bhd and government-linked companies such as Malaysian Resources Corp, UEM World Bhd and Sime Darby were among counters that registered falling prices.According to a statement from Bursa Malaysia Securities Bhd, the decision to halt trading is to maintain market stability and allow traders to consider new information before making investment decisions. When the KLCI registers a 10 percent drop from the previous day’s closing level, the circuit breaker is automatically triggered. Trading resumed at 3:58pm. However, as investors unloaded local stocks, credit rating agencies Fitch and Moody’s maintained their sovereign ratings on Malaysia. Despite acknowledging that the level of political uncertainty in the country had increased, the agencies said the economy is still on solid ground.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
2008 Malaysia Election Result
Opposition party took over Kelantan, Penang , Kedah, Selangor , Perak and Federal Territory state.
Opposition has apparently denied the ruling Barisan Nasional its crucial two-thirds majority by winning up to 82 parliament seats (PKR - 31, DAP - 28, PAS - 23). To deny the government two-thirds majority, the opposition must win 75 seats. On the other hand, BN has won 140 seats. (Total 222)
DAP confirmed that its secretary general Lim Guan Eng will be the next Penang Chief Minister. He said that DAP would form the state government with PKR. “It will be a government for all Malaysians.
PKR secretary-general Khalid Ibrahim said they will meet with the Selangor Sultan "soon" regarding the formation of the new state government.However, he told that he did not wish to jump the gun when asked whether he would be the new mentri besar. The deputy mentri besar is likely to be DAP’s Teng Chang Khim, who is former state opposition leader.
Parliament Seat
===============
Barisan Nasional - 140
PAS - 23
DAP - 28
PKR - 31
Bebas - 0
State Seat
==========
Barisan Nasional - 304
PAS - 83
DAP - 73
PKR - 40
Bebas - 2
Opposition has apparently denied the ruling Barisan Nasional its crucial two-thirds majority by winning up to 82 parliament seats (PKR - 31, DAP - 28, PAS - 23). To deny the government two-thirds majority, the opposition must win 75 seats. On the other hand, BN has won 140 seats. (Total 222)
DAP confirmed that its secretary general Lim Guan Eng will be the next Penang Chief Minister. He said that DAP would form the state government with PKR. “It will be a government for all Malaysians.
PKR secretary-general Khalid Ibrahim said they will meet with the Selangor Sultan "soon" regarding the formation of the new state government.However, he told that he did not wish to jump the gun when asked whether he would be the new mentri besar. The deputy mentri besar is likely to be DAP’s Teng Chang Khim, who is former state opposition leader.
Parliament Seat
===============
Barisan Nasional - 140
PAS - 23
DAP - 28
PKR - 31
Bebas - 0
State Seat
==========
Barisan Nasional - 304
PAS - 83
DAP - 73
PKR - 40
Bebas - 2
MIC Voted Out !!!!!!!!!
MIC president S Samy Vellu has suffered a shock defeat at the hands of PSM’s Dr D Jeyakumar for the Sungai Siput parliamentary seat which he has held for nine terms.In the previous polls four years ago, Samy Vellu defeated the latter with a majority of 10,349 votes. This time around, Jeyakumar, who stood on PKR ticket, garnered 16,874 votes to Samy Vellu's 14,408.
Another BN big gun, PPP’s M Kayveas, who is a deputy minister, has lost his Taiping parliament seat.
Hindraf leader and ISA-detainee M Manoharan, on a DAP ticket, obtained 12,699 votes to win with a 7,184-vote majority
Parliament Seat
----------------
1. P140 SEGAMAT (Johor)
Subramaniam K.V. Sathasivam (BN - MIC) - 15921
Pang Hok Liong (DAP) - 12930
Maj: 2991
2. P132 - TELOK KEMANG (N.Sembilan)
Sothinathan Sinna Gounder (BN - MIC) - 20544
Kamarul Bahrin Abbas (OPP - PKR) - 23348
Mohd Rashid Arshad (IND - IND) 601
Maj: 2804
3. P78 - CAMERON HIGHLANDS (Pahang)
Apalasamy Jataliah (OPP - DAP) - 6047
Devamany S. Krishnasamy (BN - MIC) - 9164
Maj: 3117
4. P62 - SUNGAI SIPUT (Perak)
Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj (OPP - PKR) - 16458
S. Samy Vellu Sangalimuthu (BN - MIC) - 14637
Maj: 1821
5. P72 - TAPAH (Perak)
M. Saravanan (BN - MIC) - 14084
Tan Seng Toh (OPP - PKR) - 11064
Maj: 3020
6. P107 - SUBANG (Selangor)
Murugesan Sinnandavar (BN - MIC) - 28315
Sivarasa K. Rasiah (OPP - PKR) - 35024
Maj: 6709
7. P109 - KAPAR (Selangor)
Komala Devi M Perumal (BN - MIC) - 35899
Manikavasagam Sundaram (OPP - PKR) - 48196
Maj: 12297
8. P111 - KOTA RAJA (Selangor)
S. Vigneswaran M. Sanasee (BN - MIC) - 17879
Siti Mariah Mahmud (OPP - PAS) - 38630
Maj: 20751
9. P94 - HULU SELANGOR (Selangor)
Palanivel Govindasamy (BN - MIC) - 22979
Zainal Abidin Ahmad (OPP - PKR) - 23177
Maj: 198
State Seat
------------
1. N9 - GAMBIR (Johor)
Asojan Muniyandy (BN - MIC) - 8190
Kasim Ibrahim (OPP - PAS) - 5727
Maj: 2463
2. N31 - KAHANG (Johor)
Abdul Halim Mohamad Dawam (OPP - PKR) - 3948
Vidyananthan Ramanadhan (BN - MIC) - 9272
Maj: 5324
3. N33 - TENGGAROH (Johor)
Murukasvary Thanarajan (BN - MIC) - 11789
Shahar Abdullah (OPP - PAS) - 3556
Maj: 8233
4. N43 - PERMAS (Johor)
Munusamy Mareemuthu (BN - MIC) - 13878
Syed Othman Syed Abdullah (OPP - PAS) - 11860
Maj: 2018
5. N25 - BUKIT SELAMBAU (Kedah)
Arumugam Vengatapakoo (IND - IND) - 13225
Krishnan Subramaniam (BN - MIC) - 10863
Maj: 2362
6. N34 - LUNAS (Kedah)
Mohd Razhi Salleh (OPP - PKR) - 17836
Ananthan Somasundram (BN - MIC) 7513
Maj: 10323
7. N10 - ASAHAN (Malacca)
R. Perumal (BN - MIC) - 5950
Amdan Sudin (OPP - PAS) - 3772
Maj: 2178
8. N7 - JERAM PADANG (N.Sembilan)
Manoharan Kannan (OPP - PKR) - 2377
Mogan Velayatham (BN - MIC) - 4185
Maj: 1808
9. N33 - PORT DICKSON (N.Sembilan)
Ravy Munusamy (OPP - PKR) - 4475
Rajagopalu Thamotharapillay (BN - MIC) - 3742
Maj: 733
10. N35 - SABAI (Pahang)
Kamache Doray Rajoo (OPP - DAP) - 3159
Davendran Murthy (BN - MIC) - 3304
Maj: 145
11. N16 - PERAI (Penang)
Ramasamy Palanisamy (OPP - DAP) - 7668
Krishnan Letchumanan (BN - MIC) - 2492
Maj: 5176
12. N54 - HUTAN MELINTANG (Perak)
Kesavan Subramaniam (OPP - PKR) - 7804
S. Thangasvari (BN - MIC) - 6083
Maj: 1721
13. N57 - SUNGKAI (Perak)
Sivanesan Achalingam (OPP - DAP) - 6323
S. Veerasingam (BN - MIC) - 4869
Maj: 1454
14. N59 - BEHRANG (Perak)
M. Ramasamy (BN - MIC) - 5744
Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi (OPP - PKR) - 6771
Maj: 1027
15. N51 - PASIR PANJANG (Selangor)
S. Vasan (BN - MIC) - 7520
Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin (OPP - PAS) - 11994
Maj: 4474
16. N10 - BUKIT MELAWATI (Selangor)
K. Parthiban (BN - MIC) - 4444
Muthiah Maria Pillay (OPP - PKR) - 4741
Maj: 297
17. N16 - BATU CAVES (Selangor)
Mohan Thangarasu (BN - MIC) - 7376
Amirudin Shari (OPP - PKR) - 11015
Maj: 3639
18. N49 - SERI ANDALAS (Selangor)
Kamalam Annasamy (BN - MIC) - 10055
Xavier Jayakumar Arulanandam (OPP - PKR) - 20258
Maj: 10203
19. N9 - BAGAN DALAM (Penang)
Subbaiyah Palaniappan (BN - MIC) - 4546
A. Tanasekharan (OPP - DAP) - 7599
Maj: 3053
In total MIC had lost 6 out of 9 Parliament seat and 12 out of 19 state seat it contested.
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
What a Shame.....MIC & Tamil schools...!!!!
Photo taken 2nd March 2008.
Is this what Sothinathan , MIC candidate for this area can do for the
Tamils in Lukut?????
He is seeking reelection, after having brought the local Tamil school to a
shoplot!!!!!
In fact, his bilik gerakan is just beside the Tamil "School" shoplot......3
shops to the left.... perhaps he is showcasing his proud achievment to
everyone....
Please vote MIC OUT...... This is the only way we can teach these scumbags
that they cannot cheat the Indians anymore....
We all know how Sothinathan helped Semi-Value hijack 9 million Telekon
shares...... 3 million went to a company registered under Sothinathan's
name.... With that RM120 million, we could have built 20 world-class Tamil
Schools and could have sponsored 450 poor Indian students to complete their
medical degree anywhere in the world!!!
Mahathir: Samy Vellu stifled Indian voices
by Malaysiakini
The problems plaguing the Indian community could be resolved by removing MIC president S Samy Vellu who stifled Indian voices, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.
In the second part of an exclusive interview with the Malaysian statesman, Mahathir said removing the MIC leader would allow more Indian voices to be heard.
"I know their main grouse is not with me, their main grouse is with Samy Vellu because with him there, another Indian has been deprived of the chance to come up," he said.
Speaking to Malaysiakini at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya, Mahathir deflected allegations that the root cause of the Indian community’s strife was due to his pro-Malay focus during his tenure as PM.
"So they want to blame me? It is not that. Samy Vellu did not ask for assistance. The problem is that he is preventing other Indians from having a say.
"(Indian Progressive Front president MG) Pandithan was got rid of, (former MIC deputy president S) Subramaniam was got rid of, K Pathmanaban died but of course before that, he was (former MIC vice president).
"That is his (Samy Vellu) way of doing things and of course the other voices cannot reach me. And of course, he doesn’t say there is this battling among the Indians," he explained.
Pandithan, who was formerly with MIC, started IPF in 1990 after falling out with Samy. The two parties have been at odds with each other despite being in the BN coalition.
Both Subramaniam and Pathmanaban have a history of bad blood with Samy in their failed attempts to challenge for the party presidency.
Mahathir also said in jest: "You know Indians are very political. Tunku Abdul Rahman used to say if there is one Indian, there is one political party. If there are two Indians, there are two political parties."
‘Don’t stay too long’
In the interview that lasted almost an hour, Mahathir also alluded that people should not stay in power for too long and chances should be given to others.
"It is up to him to decide (to step down). A lot of people will say "if you step down, we will step down" and they will cry and all that. But when I step down, nobody stepped down," he mused.
Samy Vellu who is the works minister and the longest serving Cabinet minister has been the MIC president since 1979 for 10 consecutive terms.
Mahathir also criticised Samy for creating excuses about bringing up Indian issues at the Cabinet level.
"That is his excuse. I know how much he talks in the Cabinet. Don’t (say) something that others cannot prove because nobody heard him in Cabinet except us.
"He talks, but these things were not the issues that he raised - like the recovery of money for the Indian community who were brought here by force and all that.
"He never mentioned that, I’ve never heard him. He never said that the Malays were committing genocide and ethnic cleansing. He never said that. Why didn’t he say that?" he asked.
Asked to comment on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the former PM said their demands were unreasonable.
"Quite a lot of their demands were quite unreasonable - practically denying the position of the Malays as the indigenous race on this country. You know this is something very sensitive to the Malays.
"If the government tell the Malays ‘sorry you’ve got the same status is the Indians’ I think there will be a dig drop of support for the government from the Malays", Mahathir added he added.
The problems plaguing the Indian community could be resolved by removing MIC president S Samy Vellu who stifled Indian voices, said former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad yesterday.
In the second part of an exclusive interview with the Malaysian statesman, Mahathir said removing the MIC leader would allow more Indian voices to be heard.
"I know their main grouse is not with me, their main grouse is with Samy Vellu because with him there, another Indian has been deprived of the chance to come up," he said.
Speaking to Malaysiakini at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya, Mahathir deflected allegations that the root cause of the Indian community’s strife was due to his pro-Malay focus during his tenure as PM.
"So they want to blame me? It is not that. Samy Vellu did not ask for assistance. The problem is that he is preventing other Indians from having a say.
"(Indian Progressive Front president MG) Pandithan was got rid of, (former MIC deputy president S) Subramaniam was got rid of, K Pathmanaban died but of course before that, he was (former MIC vice president).
"That is his (Samy Vellu) way of doing things and of course the other voices cannot reach me. And of course, he doesn’t say there is this battling among the Indians," he explained.
Pandithan, who was formerly with MIC, started IPF in 1990 after falling out with Samy. The two parties have been at odds with each other despite being in the BN coalition.
Both Subramaniam and Pathmanaban have a history of bad blood with Samy in their failed attempts to challenge for the party presidency.
Mahathir also said in jest: "You know Indians are very political. Tunku Abdul Rahman used to say if there is one Indian, there is one political party. If there are two Indians, there are two political parties."
‘Don’t stay too long’
In the interview that lasted almost an hour, Mahathir also alluded that people should not stay in power for too long and chances should be given to others.
"It is up to him to decide (to step down). A lot of people will say "if you step down, we will step down" and they will cry and all that. But when I step down, nobody stepped down," he mused.
Samy Vellu who is the works minister and the longest serving Cabinet minister has been the MIC president since 1979 for 10 consecutive terms.
Mahathir also criticised Samy for creating excuses about bringing up Indian issues at the Cabinet level.
"That is his excuse. I know how much he talks in the Cabinet. Don’t (say) something that others cannot prove because nobody heard him in Cabinet except us.
"He talks, but these things were not the issues that he raised - like the recovery of money for the Indian community who were brought here by force and all that.
"He never mentioned that, I’ve never heard him. He never said that the Malays were committing genocide and ethnic cleansing. He never said that. Why didn’t he say that?" he asked.
Asked to comment on the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), the former PM said their demands were unreasonable.
"Quite a lot of their demands were quite unreasonable - practically denying the position of the Malays as the indigenous race on this country. You know this is something very sensitive to the Malays.
"If the government tell the Malays ‘sorry you’ve got the same status is the Indians’ I think there will be a dig drop of support for the government from the Malays", Mahathir added he added.
Friday, February 29, 2008
Riddle of 'pure Hindu' candidate for Parti Islam
by Malaysia-Today
The story of Kumutha Rahman begins with a misspelling on a birth certificate 29 years ago.
And then – for those of us who still believe in fairytales – her destiny would be reinforced when she sat for her exams, went to the doctor's, took her driving licence, enrolled for college – and joined Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
Well, not quite joined.
Technically the daughter of Mr Raman, she is a “pure Hindu” – not the first or last time she'd confuse racial and religious terminology – and as such, is constitutionally not allowed to be a member of PAS.
Yet the pan-Malaysian Islamic Party has entered her in the Tiram state seat in her own backyard of Tebrau, Johor. How, is perhaps just as interesting as why.
“I came upon this opportunity via the PAS Supporters Club for Indians. The president is my brother and I'm the Wanita president,” she explained.
However, she is unable still to contest under a PAS ticket and under some kind of election pact, has been permitted to submit her candidacy under PKR. It would be prudent to take note, at this point, that this non-Muslim fanclub has been around for only a month.
Certainly when you put two and two together, the opinion that Kumutha is the poster child for PAS' newfound moderation would be a valid if cynical one.
First, there is the replacement of the word “Islamic” with “welfare” every time it appears before “state” in the party manifesto for the coming elections.
Featuring her – at age 29 and running alongside 13 other women in the coming elections – one could certainly say that the party is responding to one the main criticisms of their policies so far.
Then there is the obvious influence of Indian dissatisfaction which correlates with the Hindraf movement. The fact that the club was only recently established and that the Chinese arm is as yet, a minute body, certainly lends weight to this particular factor.
But perhaps the most gleefully noted by said cynic is the fact that Tiram, like much of the rest of Johor, is a BN stronghold.
Meaning, there is little chance that PAS will have to worry about dealing with the conundrum of Kumutha actually becoming an elected representative. For now, this remains an excellent PR exercise, no matter the motive.
Should she achieve the miraculous though, Kumutha the law graduate has no doubt that she will be given equitable rights in the party hierarchy.
“When the party has a meeting, both Muslims and non-Muslims come together. Everybody is treated equally. Club members can vote on issues and have a say. It's all democratic,” she insists.
Johor PAS commissioner Mahfodz Mohamed concurs and says that by breaking a 61-year-old Muslim-only policy, the party is practising what it preaches about tolerance towards other religions and races.
Yet if there is no practical distinction, why has the door not opened for non-Muslims to join the party proper? Surely this only lends weight to the common presumption that PAS' recent compromise in their hardline conservative stance is a front and they will take any encouragement to Islamise the country.
After all, it appears that they still would like to introduce Hudud law nationwide and also the death penalty for apostates, as stated under Syariah law.
“We have a slogan which goes ‘PAS for All’. The emphasis is that all races are equal,” she answered, proceeding to exhibit another example of muddling issues of race and religion: “We want to cooperate with all and everyone will benefit economically. Just because you're Hindu doesn't mean you have to convert. The goal is that everyone understands each other's religious customs – what are Malay customs, Chinese customs and Indian customs to create silaturahim.”
Well then, she's already started to learn the language of PAS. But there is an obvious question which hasn't been answered in any news article anywhere.
PAS' two main brethren in the Opposition also preach such gospels of understanding and unity. So why does a Hindu decide to go with PAS instead of the other partners? Again, there are possible cynical answers but we'll resist indulging in this exercise this time.
“You can say that the other parties say the same thing. But PAS has a proven track record. In Kelantan, there is no demolishing of Hindu or Chinese temples. But this happens elsewhere like in Klang. They've shown that when they run a state, they can be fair to everyone.”
In contrast to her faith in PAS, there was uncertainty in the party when her candidacy was announced. Too new, too young, too much burden.
Within the Indian party, MIC, they're obviously unimpressed, and the local division chief believes that PAS is destroying her political career by turning her into a publicity sideshow.
For sure, she's collected her clichéd 15 minutes of fame. Whether that extends to a happily ever after, well, we're still too early in this fairytale.
The story of Kumutha Rahman begins with a misspelling on a birth certificate 29 years ago.
And then – for those of us who still believe in fairytales – her destiny would be reinforced when she sat for her exams, went to the doctor's, took her driving licence, enrolled for college – and joined Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS).
Well, not quite joined.
Technically the daughter of Mr Raman, she is a “pure Hindu” – not the first or last time she'd confuse racial and religious terminology – and as such, is constitutionally not allowed to be a member of PAS.
Yet the pan-Malaysian Islamic Party has entered her in the Tiram state seat in her own backyard of Tebrau, Johor. How, is perhaps just as interesting as why.
“I came upon this opportunity via the PAS Supporters Club for Indians. The president is my brother and I'm the Wanita president,” she explained.
However, she is unable still to contest under a PAS ticket and under some kind of election pact, has been permitted to submit her candidacy under PKR. It would be prudent to take note, at this point, that this non-Muslim fanclub has been around for only a month.
Certainly when you put two and two together, the opinion that Kumutha is the poster child for PAS' newfound moderation would be a valid if cynical one.
First, there is the replacement of the word “Islamic” with “welfare” every time it appears before “state” in the party manifesto for the coming elections.
Featuring her – at age 29 and running alongside 13 other women in the coming elections – one could certainly say that the party is responding to one the main criticisms of their policies so far.
Then there is the obvious influence of Indian dissatisfaction which correlates with the Hindraf movement. The fact that the club was only recently established and that the Chinese arm is as yet, a minute body, certainly lends weight to this particular factor.
But perhaps the most gleefully noted by said cynic is the fact that Tiram, like much of the rest of Johor, is a BN stronghold.
Meaning, there is little chance that PAS will have to worry about dealing with the conundrum of Kumutha actually becoming an elected representative. For now, this remains an excellent PR exercise, no matter the motive.
Should she achieve the miraculous though, Kumutha the law graduate has no doubt that she will be given equitable rights in the party hierarchy.
“When the party has a meeting, both Muslims and non-Muslims come together. Everybody is treated equally. Club members can vote on issues and have a say. It's all democratic,” she insists.
Johor PAS commissioner Mahfodz Mohamed concurs and says that by breaking a 61-year-old Muslim-only policy, the party is practising what it preaches about tolerance towards other religions and races.
Yet if there is no practical distinction, why has the door not opened for non-Muslims to join the party proper? Surely this only lends weight to the common presumption that PAS' recent compromise in their hardline conservative stance is a front and they will take any encouragement to Islamise the country.
After all, it appears that they still would like to introduce Hudud law nationwide and also the death penalty for apostates, as stated under Syariah law.
“We have a slogan which goes ‘PAS for All’. The emphasis is that all races are equal,” she answered, proceeding to exhibit another example of muddling issues of race and religion: “We want to cooperate with all and everyone will benefit economically. Just because you're Hindu doesn't mean you have to convert. The goal is that everyone understands each other's religious customs – what are Malay customs, Chinese customs and Indian customs to create silaturahim.”
Well then, she's already started to learn the language of PAS. But there is an obvious question which hasn't been answered in any news article anywhere.
PAS' two main brethren in the Opposition also preach such gospels of understanding and unity. So why does a Hindu decide to go with PAS instead of the other partners? Again, there are possible cynical answers but we'll resist indulging in this exercise this time.
“You can say that the other parties say the same thing. But PAS has a proven track record. In Kelantan, there is no demolishing of Hindu or Chinese temples. But this happens elsewhere like in Klang. They've shown that when they run a state, they can be fair to everyone.”
In contrast to her faith in PAS, there was uncertainty in the party when her candidacy was announced. Too new, too young, too much burden.
Within the Indian party, MIC, they're obviously unimpressed, and the local division chief believes that PAS is destroying her political career by turning her into a publicity sideshow.
For sure, she's collected her clichéd 15 minutes of fame. Whether that extends to a happily ever after, well, we're still too early in this fairytale.
Thursday, February 28, 2008
RM1m spent in poll ads first 3 days
The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition has spent RM1 million in print media advertising in the first three days of the election campaign, said corruption watchdog Transparency International-Malaysia.
“In the first three days of the period under monitor - Feb 25 to 27 - BN was projected to have spent a cumulative total of RM1.049 million,” said TI president Ramon V Navaratnam.
The amount does not include TV advertisements in which TI conceded were where the “lion's share of election advertising monies are believed to go”.
However, the organisation will begin monitoring political parties' expenses for TV election advertisements beginning today.
According to Ramon, the TI study was part of a regional project to promote transparency in political financing.
Over the 13-day campaigning period, TI is monitoring election advertisements in six English dailies, five Malay newspapers, four Chinese titles and three Tamil dailies.
Ramon said that TI’s estimated advertisement cost is based on normal advertisement rates quoted by the various publications surveyed.
If the cost of advertisements was to be divided proportionally among BN candidates, TI said that each parliamentary contestant would have spent RM2,220, while each state candidate, RM1,103 on print advertising alone.
Scrutinise candidates expenses, EC told
Ramon argued that this cost should be reflected in the candidates’ expenses where under the law a parliamentary candidate can spend only up to RM200,000 while a state candidate RM100,000, in election campaign expenditure.
This means that BN candidates have only RM197,780 (for parliament seat) and RM98,897 (state) left to spend for the remaining 10 days of the campaign period.
“TI urges all (political) parties to declare all their advertisement expenses and to require their candidates to report their respective share of such expenses,” said Ramon.
“TI also urges the Election Commission to closely scrutinise the candidates' expenses report and be prepared to lodge police reports for any under-reporting found.”
According to TI, there was no election advertising by opposition parties - PAS, DAP and PKR - over the first three days of the electoral campaign in the 18 monitored newspapers.
“This is the first time that campaign expense monitoring is being monitored,” said Ramon, who is a former top civil servant.
“This is a new addition to election process monitoring and media content monitoring that had started from previous elections and is being performed in this election as well.”
“In the first three days of the period under monitor - Feb 25 to 27 - BN was projected to have spent a cumulative total of RM1.049 million,” said TI president Ramon V Navaratnam.
The amount does not include TV advertisements in which TI conceded were where the “lion's share of election advertising monies are believed to go”.
However, the organisation will begin monitoring political parties' expenses for TV election advertisements beginning today.
According to Ramon, the TI study was part of a regional project to promote transparency in political financing.
Over the 13-day campaigning period, TI is monitoring election advertisements in six English dailies, five Malay newspapers, four Chinese titles and three Tamil dailies.
Ramon said that TI’s estimated advertisement cost is based on normal advertisement rates quoted by the various publications surveyed.
If the cost of advertisements was to be divided proportionally among BN candidates, TI said that each parliamentary contestant would have spent RM2,220, while each state candidate, RM1,103 on print advertising alone.
Scrutinise candidates expenses, EC told
Ramon argued that this cost should be reflected in the candidates’ expenses where under the law a parliamentary candidate can spend only up to RM200,000 while a state candidate RM100,000, in election campaign expenditure.
This means that BN candidates have only RM197,780 (for parliament seat) and RM98,897 (state) left to spend for the remaining 10 days of the campaign period.
“TI urges all (political) parties to declare all their advertisement expenses and to require their candidates to report their respective share of such expenses,” said Ramon.
“TI also urges the Election Commission to closely scrutinise the candidates' expenses report and be prepared to lodge police reports for any under-reporting found.”
According to TI, there was no election advertising by opposition parties - PAS, DAP and PKR - over the first three days of the electoral campaign in the 18 monitored newspapers.
“This is the first time that campaign expense monitoring is being monitored,” said Ramon, who is a former top civil servant.
“This is a new addition to election process monitoring and media content monitoring that had started from previous elections and is being performed in this election as well.”
If you don't vote MIC, 'prepare to pay price'
The Barisan Nasional ruling coalition today warned the disenchanted minority Indian community that they would "pay the price" if they vote for the opposition in March 8 elections.
MIC, part of the BN coalition, took out full-page newspaper ads which said Indians' prospects would "disintegrate" if they deserted the government.
The message is aimed at winning back the support of the community, which accuses the government dominated by Muslim Malays of insensitivity and discrimination.
"If you don't vote for MIC, then be prepared to pay the price," it said in bold red letters, urging Indians not to cast a protest vote for PAS, which rules impoverished Kelantan.
"Vote for PAS and see where Kelantan is today. If you think that you are not progressing under MIC, then you can now imagine getting disintegrated under PAS," it said.
Ethnic Indians have become a political force for the first time in the March elections, after an anti-discrimination rally last year that led to the detention without trial of five activists from rights group Hindraf.
Samy's act of desperation
Hindraf coordinator R Thanenthiran said the ads were a sign of desperation from MIC chief S Samy Vellu, who has been heckled and jeered for supporting the government and condemning the protesters.
"Samy Vellu is definitely threatening Indians," he said. "This shows that he has lost all of his avenues to woo votes and is flexing his iron muscles to win."
"But the Indians are educated. They are not cowards. They will be not be intimidated by the threats. Indians want their rights that has been denied for 50 years," he added.
Ethnic Indians complain that they are disadvantaged by policies aimed at boosting majority Muslim Malays, and the community has also been angered by the destruction of hundreds of Hindu temples in recent years.
Pollsters say they expect the multi-racial coalition, which has ruled for half a century, to be victorious on March 8, but with a smaller majority as it loses the support of ethnic Indian and Chinese voters
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Devotees mull legal action over unlawful detention
by Malaysiakini,
Hindu devotees from Penang are mulling legal action against the police for allegedly detaining them for almost eight hours at the Kuala Lumpur police training centre (Pulapol) last Saturday.
Their lawyer SN Rayer said the unlawful detention - which took place when the KL police were taking steps to prohibit people from taking part in the Hindraf’s rose protest - was a violation of basic human rights and blatant abuse of power.
“We demand immediate investigation and action by the police. Otherwise, we would file a legal suit for criminal damages,” he told Malaysiakini after accompanying his clients to lodge police report on the unlawful detention in Jalan Patani police station in Georgetown on Tuesday.
A complainant, SK Jothi, 33, from Bayan Baru said she and 35 other passengers, all Hindu devotes, were travelling in a tour bus during an overnight trip from Penang to visit a temple in Kuala Lumpur when the police stopped the coach in Selayang, just outside the Kuala Lumpur city centre.
The police then seized their identity cards and re-directed them to Pulapol in Kuala Lumpur.
“We were detained together with about 300 people between 8.30am and 4.30pm at Pulapol for questioning and our luggage was searched.
“We were disallowed to have legal representation and were forced to undergo urine test.
“Men and women were forced to share the same unhygienic toilet facilities at the place,” she told Malaysiakini.
Another complainant, K Palanitharan, 32, said several elderly women fainted while being forced to wait under the hot sun during their eight-hour ordeal.
Sharing unhygienic toilets
Policemen even refused to supply drinking water to the detainees when requested, he added.
”We were not told the reasons for our unlawful detention and were told to go back to Penang immediately after eight hours,” he said.
It is learnt the police have detained these devotees together with hundred others passengers and questioned on their participation in the “Rose Campaign” organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) last Saturday morning.
Rayer said the police owe a public explanation on the reasons behind the unlawful detention of his clients and others as well.
“No drugs or weapons were found, they were disallowed to have their lawyers present.
“They were forced to share unhygienic toilets and undergo urine tests.
“Surely the police need to probe and reveal its findings,” he said.
When contacted, Georgetown deputy OCPD Supt Mohd Soaihami Rahim said the city police would refer the case to relevant police departments to probe.
“It happened in Selayang and Pulapol, therefore the case would be referred to police departments there,” he said.
Hindu devotees from Penang are mulling legal action against the police for allegedly detaining them for almost eight hours at the Kuala Lumpur police training centre (Pulapol) last Saturday.
Their lawyer SN Rayer said the unlawful detention - which took place when the KL police were taking steps to prohibit people from taking part in the Hindraf’s rose protest - was a violation of basic human rights and blatant abuse of power.
“We demand immediate investigation and action by the police. Otherwise, we would file a legal suit for criminal damages,” he told Malaysiakini after accompanying his clients to lodge police report on the unlawful detention in Jalan Patani police station in Georgetown on Tuesday.
A complainant, SK Jothi, 33, from Bayan Baru said she and 35 other passengers, all Hindu devotes, were travelling in a tour bus during an overnight trip from Penang to visit a temple in Kuala Lumpur when the police stopped the coach in Selayang, just outside the Kuala Lumpur city centre.
The police then seized their identity cards and re-directed them to Pulapol in Kuala Lumpur.
“We were detained together with about 300 people between 8.30am and 4.30pm at Pulapol for questioning and our luggage was searched.
“We were disallowed to have legal representation and were forced to undergo urine test.
“Men and women were forced to share the same unhygienic toilet facilities at the place,” she told Malaysiakini.
Another complainant, K Palanitharan, 32, said several elderly women fainted while being forced to wait under the hot sun during their eight-hour ordeal.
Sharing unhygienic toilets
Policemen even refused to supply drinking water to the detainees when requested, he added.
”We were not told the reasons for our unlawful detention and were told to go back to Penang immediately after eight hours,” he said.
It is learnt the police have detained these devotees together with hundred others passengers and questioned on their participation in the “Rose Campaign” organized by the Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) last Saturday morning.
Rayer said the police owe a public explanation on the reasons behind the unlawful detention of his clients and others as well.
“No drugs or weapons were found, they were disallowed to have their lawyers present.
“They were forced to share unhygienic toilets and undergo urine tests.
“Surely the police need to probe and reveal its findings,” he said.
When contacted, Georgetown deputy OCPD Supt Mohd Soaihami Rahim said the city police would refer the case to relevant police departments to probe.
“It happened in Selayang and Pulapol, therefore the case would be referred to police departments there,” he said.
Uthayakumar: Not my signature
by Malaysiakini,
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P Uthayakumar, currently detained under the Internal Security Act, has denied signing a document seeking the removal of the movement’s national coordinator.
“On Feb 14, I did not sign any document saying that Thanendran is not a coordinator of Hindraf as stated in media reports,” he said in a statement dated Feb 17 and which was released to Malaysiakini through his fiancé.
He also affirmed that Thanendran is still the coordinator of the movement.
On Feb 14, a document was circulated bearing the signatures of Uthayakumar and four other Hindraf leaders under ISA detention, stating that they had not appointed Thanendran to take over the reins in their absence. (The five are being detained at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak.)
The two-page statement cited Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, V Ganabatirau, R Kenghadharan and T Vasantha Kumar as saying that they had not put Thanendran in charge.
Denying his involvement, however, Uthayakumar said his signature could have been forged by someone.
“A few (visitors for) Ganabatirau and Vasantha told me to sign an A4 paper containing the other signatures, but I refused to sign it. They later said it is just (for an) autograph,” he said.
“I believe my signature is forged and it is not my signature.”
Uthayakumar also provided a sample of his signature in his statement, which he believes is not the same as that in the Feb 14 statement.
His brother and Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoothy also rejected the contents of the Feb 14 document.
He said he has appointed a 10-member interim committee to run the day-to-day affairs of Hindraf and confirmed that Thanendran is the movement’s national coordinator.
"I believe this is a ploy by irresponsible individuals to tarnish Thanendran’s image," he said, expressing surprise that Uthayakumar would sign the document.
Thanendran also told Malaysiakini that the document was a move by the other four to destabilise Hindraf and isolate Uthayakumar.
Hindraf’s election appeal
In his statement Uthayakumar also stressed that opposition parties should not field non-Indian candidates in MIC-contested seats, or “Umno would be seen to be fairer to the Indians in terms of allocation of seats”.
Waythamoorthy, meanwhile, urged all opposition parties to state clearly in their manifesto that they will take up the predicament of the Indian Malaysian community.
“We also urge the opposition to allocate an equitable number of seats to ensure fair representation of Indians in both parliamentary and state seats,” he said.
He said that Hindraf will be able to channel the support it has received from the community to the opposition, if the parties are sincere in their commitment on achieving equal rights for all Malaysians.
Hindraf rose to national prominence after organising a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, amassing a crowd of 30,000 ethnic Indians to protest against ‘150 years of discrimination and marginalisation’ since colonial times.
The five Hindraf leaders were arrested under the ISA on Dec 13 on grounds that they are a threat to the national security.
Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) legal adviser P Uthayakumar, currently detained under the Internal Security Act, has denied signing a document seeking the removal of the movement’s national coordinator.
“On Feb 14, I did not sign any document saying that Thanendran is not a coordinator of Hindraf as stated in media reports,” he said in a statement dated Feb 17 and which was released to Malaysiakini through his fiancé.
He also affirmed that Thanendran is still the coordinator of the movement.
On Feb 14, a document was circulated bearing the signatures of Uthayakumar and four other Hindraf leaders under ISA detention, stating that they had not appointed Thanendran to take over the reins in their absence. (The five are being detained at the Kamunting detention camp in Perak.)
The two-page statement cited Uthayakumar, M Manoharan, V Ganabatirau, R Kenghadharan and T Vasantha Kumar as saying that they had not put Thanendran in charge.
Denying his involvement, however, Uthayakumar said his signature could have been forged by someone.
“A few (visitors for) Ganabatirau and Vasantha told me to sign an A4 paper containing the other signatures, but I refused to sign it. They later said it is just (for an) autograph,” he said.
“I believe my signature is forged and it is not my signature.”
Uthayakumar also provided a sample of his signature in his statement, which he believes is not the same as that in the Feb 14 statement.
His brother and Hindraf chairperson P Waythamoothy also rejected the contents of the Feb 14 document.
He said he has appointed a 10-member interim committee to run the day-to-day affairs of Hindraf and confirmed that Thanendran is the movement’s national coordinator.
"I believe this is a ploy by irresponsible individuals to tarnish Thanendran’s image," he said, expressing surprise that Uthayakumar would sign the document.
Thanendran also told Malaysiakini that the document was a move by the other four to destabilise Hindraf and isolate Uthayakumar.
Hindraf’s election appeal
In his statement Uthayakumar also stressed that opposition parties should not field non-Indian candidates in MIC-contested seats, or “Umno would be seen to be fairer to the Indians in terms of allocation of seats”.
Waythamoorthy, meanwhile, urged all opposition parties to state clearly in their manifesto that they will take up the predicament of the Indian Malaysian community.
“We also urge the opposition to allocate an equitable number of seats to ensure fair representation of Indians in both parliamentary and state seats,” he said.
He said that Hindraf will be able to channel the support it has received from the community to the opposition, if the parties are sincere in their commitment on achieving equal rights for all Malaysians.
Hindraf rose to national prominence after organising a rally in Kuala Lumpur on Nov 25, amassing a crowd of 30,000 ethnic Indians to protest against ‘150 years of discrimination and marginalisation’ since colonial times.
The five Hindraf leaders were arrested under the ISA on Dec 13 on grounds that they are a threat to the national security.
Tuesday, February 19, 2008
'Phantoms' rock electoral rolls in Penang
by Malaysiakini,
For several years now, the Army Div 2 Base in Georgetown, Penang, has been deserted apart for the presence of a single security guard.
Based on the electoral rolls, however, there are 500 voters registered to the address in Jalan Sultan Ahmad - now just a collection of derelict buildings and overgrown vegetation.
The division has long moved to the new base in Bukit Gendung in the Balik Pulau parliamentary constituency, about 20km away. Even while it was in use, there were no residents - only offices, halls and a mess.
Polls watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) - accredited as official observers for the first time by the Election Commission (EC) - exposed the discrepancy.
The shocking discovery comes just days before Sunday when the 12th general election kicks off with the nomination process - and after several assurances by the EC that its documentation is in order.
Northern region coordinator BK Ong, who described it a mockery of democracy, has lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency.
"It’s a blow to the EC’s integrity and its (claims that) the electoral roll (is not ambiguous). This is scandalous and compromises the principles of free and fair elections," he said.
"Many parties have told Mafrel that unfair electoral practices are rampant in Penang. This is clear proof."
Ong also called for the elimination of the names registered to the army camp, in the interests of sustaining the integrity of the electoral rolls and accountability of the EC.
He urged the public to come forward to expose all such problems, saying Mafrel has received numerous complaints that Penang, a predominantly anti-establishment state, has a large number of ‘phantom’ voters in several opposition-held areas.
The army base, for example, is in the Tanjung parliamentary seat held by Penang DAP chairperson Chow Kon Yeow since 1999 and Padang Kota state constituency held by Gerakan’s three-term incumbent Teng Chang Yeow.
Significantly, the Padang Kota seat has been a stronghold of the Gerakan since it stormed into power in 1969.
Its stranglehold was breached only once when then DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang defeated Lim Chong Eu in 1990, subsequently sending the latter into political retirement.
According to the electoral roll as at last December, the Tanjung seat has 53,188 voters, including 1,437 postal votes, while Padang Kota has 577 postal votes.
The other two state seats are Komtar, with 16,976 registered voters (860 postal voters) and Pengkalan Kota with 19,508 voters.
The Election Commission has explained earlier that cases of voters providing the same addresses are because when they don't have a home address and a common address was used for convenience
For several years now, the Army Div 2 Base in Georgetown, Penang, has been deserted apart for the presence of a single security guard.
Based on the electoral rolls, however, there are 500 voters registered to the address in Jalan Sultan Ahmad - now just a collection of derelict buildings and overgrown vegetation.
The division has long moved to the new base in Bukit Gendung in the Balik Pulau parliamentary constituency, about 20km away. Even while it was in use, there were no residents - only offices, halls and a mess.
Polls watchdog Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections (Mafrel) - accredited as official observers for the first time by the Election Commission (EC) - exposed the discrepancy.
The shocking discovery comes just days before Sunday when the 12th general election kicks off with the nomination process - and after several assurances by the EC that its documentation is in order.
Northern region coordinator BK Ong, who described it a mockery of democracy, has lodged a report with the Anti-Corruption Agency.
"It’s a blow to the EC’s integrity and its (claims that) the electoral roll (is not ambiguous). This is scandalous and compromises the principles of free and fair elections," he said.
"Many parties have told Mafrel that unfair electoral practices are rampant in Penang. This is clear proof."
Ong also called for the elimination of the names registered to the army camp, in the interests of sustaining the integrity of the electoral rolls and accountability of the EC.
He urged the public to come forward to expose all such problems, saying Mafrel has received numerous complaints that Penang, a predominantly anti-establishment state, has a large number of ‘phantom’ voters in several opposition-held areas.
The army base, for example, is in the Tanjung parliamentary seat held by Penang DAP chairperson Chow Kon Yeow since 1999 and Padang Kota state constituency held by Gerakan’s three-term incumbent Teng Chang Yeow.
Significantly, the Padang Kota seat has been a stronghold of the Gerakan since it stormed into power in 1969.
Its stranglehold was breached only once when then DAP secretary-general Lim Kit Siang defeated Lim Chong Eu in 1990, subsequently sending the latter into political retirement.
According to the electoral roll as at last December, the Tanjung seat has 53,188 voters, including 1,437 postal votes, while Padang Kota has 577 postal votes.
The other two state seats are Komtar, with 16,976 registered voters (860 postal voters) and Pengkalan Kota with 19,508 voters.
The Election Commission has explained earlier that cases of voters providing the same addresses are because when they don't have a home address and a common address was used for convenience
Makkal Sakti GE 2008
50 years of marginalisation of MALAYSIAN INDIANs. The Truth Revealed.
More Makkal Sakti GE 2008 VIDEOS (Click Here)
Monday, February 18, 2008
In Pictures - HINDRAF Rose Rally
Malaysian police have broken up a demonstration against alleged government discrimination by about 2,000 ethnic Indians in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.
Demonstrators carried the portrait of Malaysian King Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin and carried roses to symbolise what they said was a peaceful demand for justice.
Police used tear gas and water cannon to disperse Saturday's protesters, who had gathered despite a government ban.
Chemical-laced water was sprayed on some protesters. They argue the government systematically favours the Malay majority in jobs and education.
More than 120 people were detained, although most have now been released.
The demonstration was organised by the Hindu Rights Action Force, which is demanding the release from jail of five of its leaders.
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