Sunday, April 13, 2008
ALERT!!!!!
Targeting The Biggest Ass
Many PKR MPs are successful, young and honest professionals; their “elevation” to the “Yang Berhormat” (Your Honorable) status cuts deeply into their income and career prospects.
M. Bakri Musa
If UMNO members and leaders were serious, they would focus on getting this harsh and unadulterated message straight to Abdullah: He is unfit to lead the party and country. He has clearly demonstrated this through his deeds (or lack of them) and words. The man is a habitual liar; he cannot separate fact from fiction and distinguish reality from fantasy.
Abdullah’s idea of taking responsibility for his party’s electoral debacle is merely to utter that statement. He has no inkling of what it means to accept responsibility.
Abdullah’s pleading that he is needed to “revive” the party is laughable and self-serving. If he could not pilot his ship of state competently when it was calm, there is no hope that he would be any more capable when it is now stormy, and threatening to get even more so every day. Abdullah is the problem, and a very huge one at that. Consequently his moving out would be a big part of the solution. It would not solve everything of course, but it would remove a major impediment.
His “leadership” has been nothing more than endless sloganeering (Work with me, not for me!”), like the leader caricatured in Shahnon Ahmad’s short story, “Ungkapan” (Sloganeering).
Having grown accustomed to the perks and trappings of his office, Abdullah will not leave voluntarily, much less gracefully. He has to be literally dragged out. Subtleties and hints will not work on this man. He is too dumb to read the signals. He is also insulated, surrounded by courtiers ever willing to spin bad news.
Only Three Exit Strategies
There are only three ways to get rid of Abdullah. One is for him to be successfully challenged as party leader in the upcoming UMNO General Assembly in December. Two, would be for a sufficient number of the ruling coalition members to vote with the opposition in a “no confidence” motion in Parliament. And three of course, would be through divine intervention, not inappropriate for a man who is never shy in parading his piety and religiosity.
Knowing the onerous obstacles placed in UMNO towards challengers, the first option is unlikely. Granted, Tengku Razaleigh – the only one to have come out publicly to challenge Abdullah – is a formidable challenger. More daunting however, is the cultural inertia of Malays, especially those in UMNO. They have yet to learn the essential lesson that challenges and competitions are healthy, not acts of treason or betrayal.
The second path is more realistic. The political resurgence of Anwar is real. Far from being the “Anwar who?” of a few years ago, he is now increasingly viewed not only as the de facto leader of the opposition (even though he is not yet in Parliament) but rightly as Prime Minister-in-waiting.
Anwar will be able to contest a parliamentary seat once his statutory prohibition ends on April 14, 2008. A vacant seat will surely come up soon as Malaysia has a good track record of MPs dying in office or getting caught in some scandalous acts and thus having to resign. More likely though would be for one of the current PKR MPs to resign, not to pave the way for Anwar (though that would be the convenient and acceptable excuse) but because the job is not as glamorous or challenging as it is made out to be. Many PKR MPs are successful, young and honest professionals; their “elevation” to the “Yang Berhormat” (Your Honorable) status cuts deeply into their income and career prospects.
As for divine intervention, that is beyond my purview. However many a leader had used “medical” reasons as a convenient face-saving cover for resigning. Abdullah could always blame his hemorrhoids or narcolepsy (a pathologic tendency to doze off).
Abdullah Is The Problem
When Abdullah assumed office nearly five years ago, I was one of the few who were not enthused about his leadership potential. My conclusion was based on reviewing his performance as a minister. I predicted then that by the time Abdullah leaves office, Malaysians would be counting their blessings if he had not screwed up the country too much, and that the best we could hope for was for him to maintain the status quo.
Alas, I was wrong. I had not counted on the maturity and resilience of Malaysians in overcoming Abdullah’s gross incompetence. Malaysians are also incredibly generous as demonstrated by their giving him a rousing endorsement in the 2004 election in the hope that it would give him the necessary boost and confidence to lead. Unfortunately that too could not override his basic ineptness.
In their collective wisdom, in this recent election Malaysians decided that it was not necessary to deal a crippling blow, only enough punch that would leave Abdullah and UMNO reeling, and in the process trigger an implosion in an already corrupt and dysfunctional organization.
Equally remarkable, Malaysians also demonstrated that they are capable of executing peaceful political change. There was not even a hint of civil disorder following Barisan’s loss of five states. Compare that to 1969 and the horror that followed when the ruling coalition lost only one state.
To be sure, had the election been conducted free and fair, with no stuffed postal ballots and with the use of indelible ink to prevent fraudulent voting, the ultimate message would have been delivered, and Abdullah and his ilk would have been kicked out.
Perhaps it was better this way. For had the Barisan Nasional been voted out, there would have been a dangerous political vacuum as none of the opposition parties could form a government. Their loose coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat (Citizens’ Alliance) had yet to be ratified. Now having sensed that power is within their grasp, the opposition parties are ready and willing to sink their differences for a common cause.
Meanwhile UMNO and its coalition partners are galloping fast towards their collective demise. Their course is irreversible.
Thankfully my earlier dire prediction on Abdullah was misplaced. Abdullah has not destroyed Malaysia, only UMNO and Barisan Nasional. Malaysians can all count their blessings for his legacy not being any worse.
Change in the air after Malaysia polls
Those who want to get rich, those who want to exploit the government's resources use the NEP as a shield for what we consider corrupt practices.
By Robin Brant , BBC NEWS
For almost 40 years businessmen like Rizal Faris Mohideen have had the Malaysian government on their side.
 Elections in March put the opposition in a much stronger position |
He is a developer, and a controversial policy has guaranteed him a slice of government business - because of his race.
It is called the New Economic Policy (NEP) and it has made him a wealthy man.
The NEP has also helped provide hundreds of thousands of new homes for Malaysia's new urbanites. But its days are numbered.
There is a new wave of people in power in parts of Malaysia and they want to abandon most of the NEP.
'Gravy train'
The opposition emerged from last month's general election with unprecedented support; more MPs in parliament than ever before and control of five of Malaysia's 13 states.
In Penang the victory was overwhelming and the new government is pushing ahead with immediate, radical change.
 |  When you have privileges and tendering where you want to give it only to some people then you breed cronyism  - Ramon Navaratnam |
The state dubbed Malaysia's "silicon valley", where high tech manufacturers like Intel and Motorola have plants, is scrapping the idea at the heart of the NEP.
"The NEP was established with noble intentions," said Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, "but many years down the road it has changed and it has been perverted to be a big gravy train."
"Those who want to get rich, those who want to exploit the government's resources use the NEP as a shield for what we consider corrupt practices."
The New Economic Policy is not new - it has been around since 1970. For decades it has been the backbone of the government's economic agenda.
It was created after race riots between two of Malaysia's main ethnic groups, the Malays and Chinese.
The Malays are the majority but they make up the bulk of the poor. The Chinese dominate business. The NEP was supposed to change that.
 Malaysian Indians held a series of street protests recently |
For almost 40 years under the plan the bulk of government building contracts have gone to Malay business. But there has been widespread abuse.
The Penang Malay Chamber of Commerce estimates that almost RM 1 trillion ($330,000m, £165,000m) has been invested by the government since the period when the NEP was established.
But some of that has not gone where it was intended to go.
"If you were to look at areas of corruption... I think it is a known fact that it is an area where we need to look at how do you put in controls where corruption can be eradicated in the system," said developer Rizal Faris Mohideen.
Ramon Navaratnam was one of the civil servants who helped draw up the NEP in 1969.
"When you have privileges and tendering where you want to give it only to some people then you breed cronyism and that's what actually happened," he said.
Mr Rizal and the Chamber of Commerce have supported the new reforms. They have little choice really.
But he thinks the playing field is far from level.
"There is a vast gap for example between the Chinese race and the Malay race. This gap if it persists to go on will create a very unhealthy environment among the races," he said.
His prediction is exactly the same as the future some were predicting before the NEP was established; "It's basically a social time bomb waiting to just blow up."
Revitalised opposition
The change has been quick and not just in Penang, the scene of the most overwhelming opposition victory.
There has been talk of restrictions on alcohol or entertainment in states won by the opposition.
 PM Abdullah Badawi rejected calls to resign and promised reform |
"There should be a shift here in the manner we run these governments, not some of these more popular simplistic issues that could be termed or deemed more Islamic or less Islamic," said Anwar Ibrahim.
He was once Malaysia's deputy prime minister, and then he was sacked and subsequently jailed for corruption and sexual assault.
Now he is back, at the head of the newly named People's Alliance - although he is not yet its official leader as he is banned from standing for public office until 15 April.
Reforming the NEP is the type of over-arching change which he wants to focus on. The opposition strategy is to concentrate on governing in the states it controls, to show voters that it can be a viable alternative government.
Malaysia now has a coherent and invigorated opposition, a first. It is early days, though.
Maintaining discipline will be crucial if the People's Alliance is to build on its success at the election. The three main component parties all made significant compromise before the election so that a united front could be agreed. That is likely to come under pressure.
On the government side there is bitter in-fighting as an in-depth post-mortem continues.
At the top there is an ambivalent prime minister. In the days after the election Abdullah Badawi conceded that "a message" had been sent by the people. He signalled that his own version of change was on the way.
He made a major cabinet reshuffle. His new judiciary minister hinted at long-awaited reforms of the courts. At the same time the prime minister announced several new economic reforms, and signalled further liberalisation would follow.
Then he seemed to change tack. He has blamed "saboteurs" in his own party for the drubbing it received.
It seems that the battle for survival has come out on top of the need to push ahead with significant change after that "message" from the people.
Abdullah Badawi is fighting for his political life. He has resisted calls for his resignation and he has also managed to delay internal elections in his own party, providing some breathing space. But there are almost daily reports of a growing rebellion in the ranks.
Change is in the air in Malaysia. Some are pushing ahead with it, others are resisting.
Anwar crafting a comeback in Malaysia
The opposition's gains have thrown the United Malays National Organization, which has governed Malaysia since its independence in 1957, into disarray.
When he emerged from prison four years ago, Anwar Ibrahim was a weakened and gaunt figure all but written off by the Malaysian political elite.
On Monday, Anwar, resurgent and confident after leading opposition parties to their strongest gains in a half-century, will celebrate his political rehabilitation in front of an expected crowd of thousands of supporters at a soccer stadium in Kuala Lumpur.
During his nearly four decades in politics, Anwar, 60, has gone from being a radical Islamic student leader to deputy prime minister and then Malaysia's dissident-in-chief, imprisoned after a highly politicized trial. A ban on holding political office, imposed by the judge who in 1999 sentenced him to six years in prison for abuse of power, expires Monday, allowing Anwar to pursue the job he has coveted: prime minister.
"There's no rush," Anwar said in an interview at his office. "I don't need to be prime minister tomorrow."
Yet he and his allies have done anything but dawdle since capturing five of Malaysia's 13 states in the March 8 elections. The governing coalition won an uncomfortably slim 51 percent of the vote in that election, and Anwar says he is wooing defectors - he needs only 30 members of Parliament to cross over to bring down the federal government. He also recently forged a pact among the three main opposition groups called the People's Alliance to jointly govern the states they control.
The opposition's gains have thrown the United Malays National Organization, which has governed Malaysia since its independence in 1957, into disarray.
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the prime minister, is fighting for his political life. UMNO delegates from his home state of Penang, which the opposition captured in the March election, have called for him to step down, as have other influential figures inside the party, including Mahathir bin Mohamad, the long-serving former prime minister.
Abdullah is being challenged from within the party by Razaleigh Hamzah, a prince from the northern state of Kelantan and a former finance minister.
The differences between Razaleigh's and Anwar's quests for the premiership are striking: For the first time in decades, voters in multiethnic Malaysia are faced with a fundamental ideological choice of whether to continue with an authoritarian system largely segregated by race or to experiment with a more liberal democracy that treats ethnicity as secondary.
Razaleigh, 71, couches his bid in the traditional language of Malay nationalism, appealing to the largest of the country's three main ethnic groups.
"We successfully vanquished the scheming colonizer and continued our struggle to claim independence armed only with a devoted spirit towards our race, religion, culture and homeland," Razaleigh said in his speech announcing his challenge to Abdullah.
Anwar, by contrast, promises profound changes to the country's authoritarian laws and political system of ethnic segregation, in which each main ethnic group - Malay, Chinese and Indian - has traditionally had its own political party. His multiethnic partners have vowed to abolish an affirmative action system that gives ethnic Malays discounts on houses, scholarships and a quota of 30 percent of shares in companies listed on the stock market.
Since his release from prison, Anwar has rarely missed an opportunity to call for "accountability and good governance" in Malaysia, where dissidents are regularly jailed without trial, students are banned from politics and government contracts are handed out to friends and allies of those in power.
He says his goal now is to put this rhetoric into action.
The People's Alliance has declared that government contracts in the states it controls are subject to open bidding. Government officers in Selangor, the wealthy state next to Kuala Lumpur, have been ordered to declare their assets.
In Perak, a large multiracial state, the government is handing out permanent land titles to members of the ethnic Chinese minority who were previously given only fixed-term leases. In Penang, the People's Alliance government is setting up interfaith councils that would review and debate the demolition of Hindu temples to make way for roads, as well as disputed religious conversions, a source of tension in recent years.
The People's Alliance is breaking religious and ethnic taboos, redefining the relationship between Muslims, who form the majority of Malaysia's 26 million people, and Buddhists, Christians, Sikhs and other groups.
Although Anwar is a Malay Muslim and his coalition includes a conservative Islamic party, one of the first major initiatives of the People's Alliance was the approval of a giant, modern pig farm for the Chinese community.
Muslims consider pigs unclean, and the decision has been enthusiastically attacked by the governing coalition. Anwar says he and his allies are trying to prove that they can reach decisions on the country's thorniest issues.
"We will defend that," Anwar said of the pig farm. "Even relatively contentious issues of the Muslims we are able to deal with."
Anwar still needs to win over detractors from all three major ethnic groups, who call him a chameleon and say that his transformation from Islamic radical to champion of ethnic minorities smacks of expediency.
Anwar has long cultivated a diverse group of friends and allies, including Paul Wolfowitz, the former World Bank president; Al Gore, the former U.S. vice president; Recep Tayyip Erdogan, the Turkish prime minister; and leaders from across the Muslim world.
"To the Jews he is a Jew, to the Arabs he is an Arab Muslim and to the Americans he is a neocon," said Mahathir, who dismissed Anwar from government in 1998 after a power struggle. "He is able to give a good impression to all communities separately. But in front of a multiracial gathering he will find difficulty." Mahathir concluded that "a person who is not trusted by anyone would make a very bad prime minister."
Ibrahim Suffian, director of the Merdeka Center, an independent polling agency here, said that Malaysians had refrained from voting for the opposition in the past because of a fear of the unknown. But he detected less fear in this election and almost no regret by voters afterward.
A survey conducted a week after the election by the Merdeka Center found that although 72 percent of voters had not expected the sweeping gains made by Anwar and his allies, 81 percent said they were satisfied with the outcome. Three-quarters of the 1,024 voters polled said they wanted the government to "loosen the control on the media and the opposition movement."
Anwar is ready to capitalize on the sentiment. "Malaysia after 50 years of independence must have a mature political system," he said.
Anwar denies push for PM as political ban ends
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim celebrates his official return to the political stage tomorrow, when a ban from public office expires a decade after he was sacked as deputy prime minister.
The lifting of the ban marks the end of a saga that saw Mr Anwar convicted on sex and corruption charges and spend six years in jail, before storming back in last month's elections.
A reinvigorated opposition seized one-third of parliamentary seats and five states in the worst showing for the Barisan Nasional coalition, which has ruled for half a century.
Mr Anwar, 60, is once again being touted as a future prime minister, but this time for his Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance. He had been expected to re-enter parliament quickly through a by-election in one of the seats held by his Keadilan party, and to challenge Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in a symbolic no-confidence vote soon after. Although he is eligible to run for office from tomorrow, he said he was in no hurry.
"Certainly not in the next few months," he was quoted as saying in the The Star newspaper over the weekend. "Building up an effective, creditable Pakatan Rakyat is to my mind far more important for now."
Mr Anwar said the ban's expiry "has no significance in my mind" because he refused to recognise the decision of thecourt that convicted him of corruption.
But Keadilan will hold a rally tonight, with thousands of supporters of Mr Anwar's push for "Reformasi" (reform) expected to hear him speak.
"It will be a huge gathering of all our supporters, of what we call the Reformasi crowd, people who have been struggling for the past10 years," said Keadilan's information chief, Tian Chua.
Mr Abdullah has refused to stand down despite the electoral debacle, insisting he has a mandate to rule and promising to introduce reforms he promised years ago but was punished for failing to deliver.
But the opposition and many commentators predict the coalition led by Mr Abdullah's United Malays National Organisation will continue to flounder. - AFP
Memerintah Tapi Masih Tidak Bertanggungjawab?
Justeru kita ingin menyarankan kepada wakil-wakil rakyat Pas, DAP dan PKR, jika ada kesalahan rasuah, salah guna kedudukan dan penyelewengan di Selangor, Kedah, Pulau Pinang dan Perak, mereka hendaklah menyiasat bukannya membuat tuduhan dalam ceramah semacam pembangkang.
Beliau (jika benar apa yang tertera di laman web milik Pemuda Pas Dungun itu) mendakwa Kerajaan Negeri Selangor di bawah pimpinan Khir Toyo telah membuat pinjaman RM 100 juta untuk Universiti Industri Selangor (Unisel).
Saifuddin antara lain mempersoalkan ke mana perginya RM 85 juta dari pinjaman tersebut. Ini kerana menurut beliau, hanya RM 15 juta disalurkan kepada Unisel.
Pada hemat penulis, jika mahu memperbodohkan penyokong Pas pun janganlah sampai ke tahap dungu sangat. Jika yang meminjam itu ialah kerajaan negeri, tentulah wang tersebut dalam akaun kerajaan negeri.
Semak sahajalah dengan Menteri Besar Selangor dan Pegawai Kewangan Negeri. Duit dalam akaun kerajaan bukan macam dalam akaun Guthrie yang mudah dimanipulasi. Setiap perbelanjaan dan pengeluaran ada prosedur dan pertanggungjawaban.
Sebab itu lebih mudah jadi pembangkang dari kerajaan. Kerana pembangkang hanya pandai menuduh tanpa perlu buktinya. Sekarang sudah menjadi kerajaan kenalah buktikan sebelum bercakap.
The Najib-Muhyiddin Showdown
Muhyiddin, for all his love and loyalty for Abdullah will have to be in the "anti Abdullah' camp. Hence the setting will be Abdullah-Najib versus Ku Li-Muhyiddin.
By MOHSIN ABDULLAH, Editor in Chief for News and Current Affairs of Ntv7 and 8TV/ MySinchew
In late 1987, rumours had it that then Johor Menteri Besar Muhyiddin Yassin would challenge Najib Razak for the UMNO Youth chief post. The wing's election had been scheduled the following year. Najib was then acting Youth Chief. The "fight" never took place. Perhaps it was due to the events in UMNO that culminated with the court ruling the party illegal in February 1988. Perhaps it was because of a string of other reasons. Perhaps there was never an intention in the first place.
Twenty one years on Muhyiddin (now Tan Sri with a senior minister post under his belt and UMNO vice president) is again seen set to mount a challenge on Najib. This time for the UMNO Deputy presidency.
Of course he will have to fight under the very same rules which UMNO put in place more than 20 years ago to "prevent" the party from "splitting " which many in UMNO are now clamouring for it to be dismantle.
Meaning, Muhyiddin will have to garner a substantial number of nominations from the hundred odd UMNO divisions nation wide. Will he get it? Hard to tell but already he has got the open "support" of former party president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. It'll be interesting to see if Mahathir's "endorsement" will be translated into divisional nominations .
| "In a nutshell, Mahathir wants Najib to topple Abdullah. Pronto." |
Mahathir's change of heart (he had voiced his support for Najib many times before and for the nation's number one post at that) was due to Najib's "persistence" of being a "Yes Man" to Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. At least that's how Mahathir perceive it. In a nutshell, Mahathir wants Najib to topple Abdullah. Pronto.
Still Najib's repeated pledges of loyalty has moved Abdullah to say his number two "understands me" and with the same breath say Najib will "take over from me when the time come". Just when will that be? Not anytime soon definitely. Abdullah has said he can't leave the party in the present state of affairs. Post 8 March UMNO, for that matter BN, is in a mess which Abdullah has vowed to clean up. Could it be a time frame has been whispered to Najib?
As it is Najib will have to defend his post .Against Muhyiddin? In politics the question of right timing is of utmost importance. Many say the time is now for Muhyiddin to move up. Wait longer and it will be too late, they say. Many believe, Muhyiddin was Abdullah's first choice for the deputy prime minister's post when he took over from Mahathir in 2003.Abdullah's "delay' in naming his deputy fuelled that belief. But he finally picked Najib (some say at the "insistence" of Mahathir). But a number two spot in UMNO now will set in nicely for Muhyiddin. But then there's the recent "Najib is my successor" announcement mentioned earlier.
Yet Muhyiddin like Najib has been and still is, loyal to Abdullah. Both continue to prove to be able "generals" in the Abdullah administration. Knowing Abdullah (pardon the expression) he will want Najib and Muhyiddn to work together.
To be fair there's no bad blood among the two of them and even with Abdullah for that matter But in UMNO there are camps. That has always been the case.
And at present there are two camps. Forget the "subsidiaries". The A Team (A for Abdullah?) and the other led by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah who has made no qualms in saying he's ready to take on Abdullah in the December party polls. Mahathir still commands support and therefore has got his "army". He will throw his weight behind one time nemesis Ku Li. Ooh…! the beauty of politics.
Muhyiddin, for all his love and loyalty for Abdullah will have to be in the "anti Abdullah' camp. Hence the setting will be Abdullah-Najib versus Ku Li-Muhyiddin. It's not that I love Caesar less, bla bla bla, ,you know the line. Will it all come to that?
Word have it that with the current mood in UMNO,the challengers will get the necessary nominations to be eligible for contests. Like in 1987, when Ku Li's team B (which incidentally had in its ranks among others Abdullah) took on Mahathir's team A, the situation now in UMNO is hot. And it will get hotter. Make no mistakes about that.
But in 1987 the Muhyiddin – Najib show down did not materialise. Will it be different this time?
And finally I must apologise for going against my promise to write on the political climate of the BN components following the election setback. Somehow recent events in UMNO made me break my promise which I made last week. God willing the weeks ahead will give me the chance to make good the promise.‘PSM will consider joining Pakatan Rakyat’
MSTAR ONLINE - Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) will consider joining Pakatan Rakyat if offered a place in the opposition alliance, central committee member Dr D. Jeyakumar said.
The Sungai Siput MP, who won the constituency on a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ticket, said PSM could work alongside the PKR-DAP-PAS coalition because of similarities in their ideologies.
"Whether we are part of the alliance formally or informally, we will work with them," he said when thanking party supporters in Jelapang on Saturday night.
However, Jeyakumar pointed out that they would need to get PSM registered first.
"We have already taken the matter to court and we will see how it works out," he said.
The party's application to be a registered party had been rejected in 1999 and 2003.
Dr Jeyakumar said it would be less complicated if the PSM were to have its own party, adding that candidates fielded in the general election in future would not have to "borrow" party symbols for the contest.
On his constituency, Dr Jeyakumar said long-standing problems like housing schemes for estate workers, squatters and land titles faced by the people could be resolved with help from the new Perak Government.
"It is a golden opportunity for me to help my constituents," he said.
Umno akan hanyut jika tidak dilakukan perubahan segera: Muhyiddin
Umno akan hanyut dan tidak boleh bangkit lagi sekiranya tidak dilakukan perubahan segera terhadap pucuk pimpinan parti, kata Naib Presiden Umno, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
Beliau berkata sekiranya perubahan itu tidak dilakukan segera, Umno juga akan hilang kuasa dan tidak akan bangkit selama-lamanya.Muhyiddin berkata pilihan raya umum ke12 jelas memperlihatkan perasaan tidak senang hati rakyat terhadap kepimpinan parti dan kini pelbagai pihak dari dalam dan luar parti memperkatakan soal kepimpinan Umno yang dikaitkan dengan masalah keluarga dan sistem yang diamalkan.
"Justeru, saya bimbang jika tidak ada satu perubahan berlaku sepertimana yang dituntut oleh bukan sahaja anggota Umno, malahan oleh orang luar Umno, rakyat akan terus tolak Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Umno.
"Saya fikir ada perasaan membuak-buak di peringkat bawah, iaitu perasaan tidak puas hati yang ketara. Oleh itu kalau tidak berlaku perubahan dalam Umno maka banyak perkara tidak baik akan terjadi.
"Justeru saya takut jika saya tidak bercakap dengan benar ia akhirnya boleh membawa bencana kepada orang Melayu dan Umno," katanya dalam wawancara yang disiarkan oleh akhbar Mingguan Malaysia, Ahad.
Muhyiddin berkata pilihan raya umum ke-12 juga memperlihatkan dominasi politik Melayu menerusi Umno yang dulunya agak sukar ditandingi dan dianggap sudah berlaku sekian lama sejak merdeka seolah-olah sudah menjadi mitos.
"Oleh itu kita fikir tidak boleh kalah, tetapi hari ini ramai pemimpin Umno yang berada di lima negeri yang dikuasai pembangkang tidak menyangka akan kehilangan kuasa.
"Sebab itu bagi saya ini adalah pengajaran yang amat getir dan tidak boleh dipandang ringan," katanya.
Muhyiddin berkata persoalannya sekarang sejauh mana Umno boleh bertahan dalam menghadapi gelombang pemikiran politik baru di Malaysia dan lebih penting sejauh mana kuasa politik Melayu boleh bertahan dalam tempoh yang mendatang.
"Dalam tempoh sepenggal sebelum pilihan raya umum ke13, bolehkah Umno 'survive' dan mampukah ia menebus semula kekalahan dalam kita menentang arus gelombang pemikiran politik baru ini atau kita akan terus terjunam ke dalam gaung politik yang tidak boleh kita bangkit lagi," katanya.
Muhyiddin berkata mungkin ramai yang tidak sedar perkara ini dan masih ada dalam kalangan orang Umno yang menganggap ini hanya "set back" biasa dan mereka tidak fikir ini sebenarnya satu fenomena yang berkekalan.
"Kini bukan sahaja BN kurang majoriti malahan tidak boleh mempertahankan majoriti dua pertiga dan kalah banyak di negeri. Ini fenomena yang harus menyedarkan orang Melayu khususnya tentang apa yang boleh berlaku dan apakah trend politik seperti ini akan kekal atau ia menjadi lebih teruk atau bertambah baik.
"Bagi tujuan mengkondisikan pemikiran kita, elok kita ambil pendekatan senario yang terburuk. Maknanya kalau kita tidak mengambil satu langkah dengan segera kita boleh hanyut.
"Saya pernah sebutkan bahawa kuasa politik akan hilang daripada tangan kita, dan Umno mungkin tidak akan bangkit selama-lamanya," kata Muhyiddin. - BERNAMA
Apakah Harapan PR menumbangkan BN Di Parlimen?
Itulah soalan yang bermain di fikiran banyak orang sejak pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu apabila BN gagal mempertahankan majoriti dua pertiga di Dewan Rakyat buat kali pertama sejak tahun 1969.
BN telah pun kalah di lima wilayah dalam pilihan raya umum (PRU) Ke-12 iaitu Kedah, Pulau Pinang, Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan Kuala Lumpur. Dicampurkan Kelantan, BN gagal memerintah enam wilayah.
Soalnya, adakah kedudukan BN juga tergugat di Dewan Rakyat di mana ia mendahului Pakatan Rakyat (PR) – gabungan PKR, DAP dan Pas – dengan sebanyak 29 kerusi? BN memang 140 dan PR 82.
Untuk “merampas kuasa,” PR perlu memujuk tidak kurang daripada 30 Ahli Dewan Rakyat (ADR) BN supaya berpaling tadah.
Kalau ditanya kepada para pembesar BN, mereka tentulah berkata pembangkang bermimpi di siang hari. Tetapi itulah juga sindiran mereka terhadap pembangkang pada PRU baru lalu. (“Syok-syok saja,” kata Perdana Menteri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.)
Tetapi menjelang tengah malam 8 Mac dan awal pagi 9 Mac pembangkang bukan sekadar bermimpi di siang hari malahan mimpi mereka indah sekali. Sebaliknya bagi BN, impian menang besar bertukar menjadi igauan yang amat ngeri.
Kalau ditanya kepada para peneraju PR pula, mereka tentulah berkata tiada apa yang mustahil. Seperti didakwa oleh naib presiden PKR, Mohd Azmin Ali, baru-baru ini, lebih daripada 30 ADR BN “sudah pun di dalam kantung PR.”
Atau seperti kata Ketua Pemuda Pas Salahuddin Ayub yang juga Ahli Parlimen Kubang Kerian, peneraju PR perlu mengubah acuan minda daripada pembangkang kepada pemerintah.
Katanya kemungkinan PR mengambil alih pucuk pimpinan negara semakin nyata.
Apa asas ramalan beliau yang begitu berani dan radikal?
“Kerana parti-parti komponen BN kini berpecah-belah akibat masalah dalaman dan terlalu terpesong untuk menumpukan perhatian kepada urusan mentadbir negara,” kata Salahuddin.
Lantas dia mengemukakan teori domino. Dia mendakwa sekurang-kurangnya 10 ADR BN akan menyeberang ke pihak PR “dalam masa beberapa minggu akan datang” dan ini akan mencetuskan kesan domino ke atas ADR BN yang lain.
Katanya ADR PR berpeluang dan wajib mengisi rongga (void) yang diwujudkan oleh wakil-wakil BN yang sedang bersengketa itu.
“Kita tidak berangan-angan. Ia (menubuhkan Kerajaan Pusat) boleh menjadi kenyataan pada bila-bila masa,” katanya di Sidang Akhbar di Kuala Lumpur pada 12 April.
Sebesar manakah harapan PR berjaya memujuk ADR BN berpaling tadah? Pada pandangan saya ia agak sukar dan tidak bermoral tetapi tidak pula mustahil. Ia pernah berlaku sebelum ini. Isu moral bukan utama dalam politik kerana matlamat menghalalkan cara.
Yang paling besar ialah apabila Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) berpaling tadah beberapa hari sebelum pembuangan undi pilihan raya umum 1990 menyebabkan BN kehilangan lebih kurang 20 kerusi di Sabah. Pada tahun 1994, giliran Ahli Dewan Undangan PBS pula berpaling tadah kepada BN.
Sabah masih berupa lubuk harapan bagi PR menangguk. Ketua de facto PR, Anwar Ibrahim, mempunyai pengaruh kuat terhadap politik Sabah ketika dia menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan masih mengekalkan hubungan yang rapat dengan negeri itu.
Kebetulan hari ini (14 April) adalah hari Anwar bebas daripada sekatan memegang jawatan politik yang dikenakan ke atasnya berikutan sabit kes rasuah 10 tahun lalu.
Tetapi untuk memperoleh 30 ADR BN, dia perlu menebarkan jalanya lebih luas. Sarawak berpotensi tetapi negeri-negeri semenanjung agak sukar. Pada masa yang sama, PR tidak boleh terlalu yakin bahawa wakil-wakilnya sendiri tidak akan belot.
Keyakinan PR yang tinggi ini tercetus daripada tiga perkembangan positif iaitu kejayaan membentuk pakatan pilihan raya, kejayaan menubuhkan kerajaan-kerajaan negeri tanpa masalah besar dan kejayaan membentuk Pakatan Rakyat selepas pilihan raya.
Tidak dapat disangkal yang kerajaan-kerajaan negeri PR ditubuhkan lebih awal dan tanpa masalah besar, kecuali di Perak, sedangkan BN mengalami krisis teruk di Terengganu dan Perlis apabila calon-calon Menteri Besar yang ditauliahkan oleh Abdullah ditolak Istana.
Selain melompat parti, ada satu lagi kemungkinan yang mungkin lebih mudah berlaku iaitu ADR BN memihak kepada PR dalam hal-hal tertentu. Misalnya mereka tidak menyokong rang undang-undang yang dibentangkan (oleh kerajaan) atau usul yang dikemukakan oleh BN. Sebaliknya mereka mungkin mengundi menyokong usul PR.
Kemungkinan PR mengemukakan usul tidak percaya kepada Perdana Menteri juga tidak boleh ditolak bulat-bulat. Namun ini mungkin tidak berlaku kerana adalah menguntungkan PR jika Umno, BN dan kerajaan terus bergolak dan lemah di bawah kepemimpinan Abdullah.
Sebab itulah kita lihat bagaimana peneraju PR seperti Karpal Singh lebih gigih menyerang pihak-pihak yang menentang Abdullah dan kurang menyerang atau mengkritik Abdullah.
Rentetan PRU ke-12 belum selesai. Dalam jangka masa terdekat, dua soalan yang bermain di fikiran adalah apa kesudahan nasib Abdullah dan bilakah Anwar akan kembali ke Parlimen.
Mufti Perlis nasihat pemimpin bertaubat, mohon maaf pada rakyat
(Harakah) - Pilihan raya lalu membuktikan bahawa rakyat mengundi untuk kebaikan negara malah mahukan perubahan ke arah yang lebih positif, adil dan telus.
Mufti Perlis, Dato' Dr Asri Zainul Abidin berkata usaha-usaha ke arah hasrat tersebut kelihatannya sedang giat dilakukan di mana kerajaan pusat juga telah merangka berbagai cadangan dan gagasan agar ketelusan dan keadilan dapat dilaksanakan.
"Begitu juga sesetengah kerajaan negeri yang baru dan yang lama. Sokonglah usaha-usaha yang baik serta berikanlah kritikan yang membina," katanya dalam rencana Pena Mufti yang disiarkan Mingguan Malaysia.
"Politik bukan untuk membalas dendam atau ruang mencurahkan emosi yang tidak sudah-sudah. Sebaliknya, berpolitiklah untuk keadilan dan kebahagiaan kehidupan manusia di dunia dan akhirat," katanya.
Dalam pada itu beliau turut mengingatkan peristiwa pilihanraya yang lepas, perkara pertama yang mesti dilakukan oleh pihak pemerintah bagi mengeluarkan diri dari krisis dan kegawatan politik yang saban hari mengganggu rakyat adalah dengan cara bertaubat kepada Allah dengan taubat nasuha.
"Segala kesalahan, ketidakadilan, ketidaktelusan, kecuaian atas tanggunjawab yang Allah amanahkan selama ini hendaklah benar-benar insaf dan memohon ampun daripada Allah.
Kata Dr Asri, pasca politik kini adalah ujian untuk kepimpinan negara dan bukan masa untuk menunjukkan ego, atau mencari-cari kesilapan pihak lain sebaliknya melupai dosa-dosa politik yang pernah dilakukan.
"Kita ingin mendengar kepimpinan memohon kemaafan kepada rakyat di atas segala kesilapan yang pernah berlaku sepanjang pentadbiran yang lalu. Inilah yang akan mendatangkan keberkatan dan menimbulkan rasa hormat rakyat.
Dalam laman web drmaza.com beliau juga menjelaskan bahawa para pemimpin adalah contoh untuk sekelian rakyat dan diperhatikan malah kemewahan yang tidak betul cara akan menimbulkan tanda tanya.Ini termasuklah sikap dan perwatakan para pemimpin yang dipersoalkan, kata Dr Asri.
"Demikian jugalah anak isteri mereka. Gaya yang berlebih-lebihan membuat rakyat merasa jelak. Ada yang sehingga ketika artis hindustan datang ke Malaysia yang terlebih Bollywood dari Bollywood. Sedangkan dia isteri orang besar," katanya dalam laman web terbabit.
Ramai pemimpin seketika dulu merasakan mereka manusia kebal yang tidak mungkin ditumbangkan sedangkan mereka lupa bahawa rakyat sedang merasa mual,katanya.
Malah jika pemimpin bercakap soal Islam, hendaklah dibuktikan menerusi percakapan, pendekatan, sikap dan juga pakaian anak isteri.
Sementara itu beliau mengakui banyak perkara yang patut diberi komen berhubung konsep Islam Hadhari namun menangguhnya terlebih dahulu dan akan menjelaskan dalam buku yang bakal di tulisnya.
"Banyak perkara yang patut saya komen tentang Islam Hadhari. Sejak dahulu saya selalu mengelakkan dari menyebut jenama yang mengundang 'seribu kekeliruan itu'.
"Saya akan menulis tajuk khas mengenainya, insya-Allah. Apa yang penting banyak perkara perlu dibetulkan. Bertaubat!," katanya.Umno tidak sabar lihat PM berundur
Malaysiakini - Selepas badan perhubungan Umno Johor mencadangkan "pelan peralihan" kuasa presiden dan perdana menteri, parti itu kelihatan tidak sabar-sabar lagi melihat Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berundur.
Sejak pertemuan Abdullah dengan Umno negeri itu Jumaat lalu, kenyataan-kenyataan agar penggantian dijalankan segera semakin lantang berkumandang - walaupun berlapik.Ia dimulakan dengan kenyataan naib presiden Umno Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin di akhbar milik parti itu, Mingguan Malaysia hari ini.
Berpandukan kenyataan Muhyiddin di akhbar itu, agensi berita Bernama hari ini melaporkan "Umno akan hanyut dan tidak boleh bangkit lagi sekiranya tidak dilakukan perubahan segera terhadap pucuk pimpinan parti."
Beliau dilaporkan berkata "sekiranya perubahan itu tidak dilakukan segera, Umno juga akan hilang kuasa dan tidak akan bangkit selama-lamanya."Tokoh Umno itu juga berkata pilihanraya umum lalu menunjukkan perasaan tidak senang hati rakyat terhadap kepimpinan parti - secara tidak langsung bermaksud gaya kepemimpinan Abdullah yang dilihat mentadbir negara dengan bantuan ahli keluarga dekatnya.
Kini pelbagai pihak dari dalam dan luar parti, lapor agensi itu lagi, memperkatakan soal kepimpinan Umno yang dikaitkan dengan "masalah keluarga" dan sistem yang diamalkan.
Dalam wawancara itu, Muhyiddin berkata:
"Saya bimbang jika tidak ada satu perubahan berlaku seperti mana yang bukan sahaja dituntut oleh Umno tetapi orang luar Umno, rakyat akan terus tolak BN dan Umno.
"Oleh itu, ahli parti harus fikir secara matang, perdana menteri sudah buat kenyataan. Pertama, beliau akan pergi bila sampai waktunya.
"Kedua, beliau menyebut Datuk Seri Najib bakal penggantinya. Ketiga, beliau kata 'beri saya sedikit masa untuk perbetulkan parti sebelum saya menyerahkan parti kepada pengganti saya.'
"Ramai berkata, itu bagus dan jelas dari segi pelan peralihan kuasa tetapi mereka juga bertanya, bila?"
Beliau menambah, "saya fikir ada satu perasaan membuak-buak di peringkat bawah iaitu perasaan tidak puas hati yang ketara. Oleh itu saya berpendapat, kalau tidak berlaku perubahan dalam Umno maka banyak perkara tidak baik akan terjadi."
Dalam wawancara yang sama, naib presiden Umno itu menyentuh soal tanggapan umum terhadap Abdullah dan menantunya Khairy Jamaluddin.
"Kita hendak tahu, apakah sebenarnya yang menyebabkan kita kalah teruk walaupun di peringkat awal orang sudah membuat andaian-andaian.
"Pertama, mereka sebut soal kepimpinan (Abdullah), mereka menyalahkan perdana menteri yang juga presiden parti dan pengerusi BN.
"Mereka juga mengaitkan dengan apa yang sering disebut 'fakta KJ' (faktor Khairy Jamaluddin). Mungkin ia tidak betul atau persepsi tetapi dalam pilihan raya dan politik, persepsi itu penting.
"Ada rakyat yang mengatakan kepimpinan BN tidak menyerlah, lemah dan tidak berupaya menangani keadaan semasa," katanya.
Sementara itu, Bernama hari ini juga menghubungi ketua penerangan Umno Johor Dr Mohd Puad Zarkashi bagi mengulas isu pelan penggantian kuasa.Dr Mohd Puad - dilaporkan seorang daripada beberapa ketua bahagian di Johor yang paling lantang meminta Abdullah berundur dalam mesyuarat minggu lepas - mengulangi gesaannya supaya proses peralihan itu disegerakan "agar tidak menimbulkan tanda tanya di kalangan rakyat".
Ketua bahagian Batu Pahat itu berkata, pelan peralihan kuasa telah menjadi tradisi Umno dan BN seperti penggantian almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra al-Haj kepada allahyarham Tun Abdul Razak dan ketika zaman pemerintahan Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad kepada Abdullah.
"Umno Johor pada perjumpaan dengan Abdullah Jumaat lepas meminta perdana menteri menyediakan pelan peralihan kuasa.
"Ia merupakan sesuatu yang perlu dilaksanakan. Ada juga ketua bahagian yang mahukan pelan itu dilaksanakan dengan segera," beliau dipetik sebagai berkata.
Selain itu Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo juga menyuarakan nada yang sama dalam satu artikel di blognya semalam.
"Bagi pemimpin Umno, seperti saya dan rakan-rakan ketua bahagian, yang telah dilatih untuk menghormati pemimpin, untuk meminta Pak Lah meletakkan jawatan secara terbuka adalah perbuatan terakhir yang terpaksa dilakukan.
"Selalunya kami tunjukkan secara kiasan atau tidak langsung dengan harapan hasrat itu difahami," katanya.
Beliau juga bersetuju dengan Umno Johor yang mencadangkan Abdullah menyediakan pelan peralihan untuk berundur dan mencari penggantinya.
"Peralihan ini boleh dilakukan dalam waktu terdekat atau jangka masa yang lebih panjang. Namun ia tidak seharus terlalu lama yang boleh menjejaskan pentadbiran negara mahu pun persiapan parti menjelang pilihanraya umum akan datang," katanya.
Perhimpunan Anwar tiada permit
Malaysiakini - Ketua polis Kuala Lumpur Datuk Muhammad Sabtu Osman berkata PKR tidak memohon permit untuk perhimpunan 'Black 14' di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman esok malam.
Parti itu, tambahnya, hanya menghantar surat pemberitahuan kepada polis mengenai majlis makan malam pemimpin PKR bersama rakyat.
Beliau berkata polis menerima surat mengenai majlis makan malam itu bertarikh 8 April lalu yang ditandatangani Yahya Shahri, iaitu pegawai khas kepada menteri besar Selangor Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim."Surat itu menyatakan hasrat PKR untuk mengadakan jamuan makan malam bersama wakil rakyat di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman, Kampung Baru pada pukul 8 malam esok dan akan dihadiri oleh penasihat parti itu, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim," katanya kepada pemberita hari ini, lapor Bernama.
Muhammad Sabtu berkata walaupun majlis makan malam itu di buat di tempat persendirian, polis tetap akan mengambil langkah berjaga-jaga dengan mengadakan rondaan dan kawalan lalu lintas di sekitar kawasan itu.
"Sekiranya mereka hanya menggunakan dewan itu dan tidak mengganggu kawasan sekeliling serta tidak menarik perhatian umum (dengan menggunakan pembesar suara), kami tidak akan menghalang tapi jika sebaliknya kami akan ambil tindakan sewajarnya," katanya.
Perhimpunan sempena 'Black 14' dan pidato perdana Anwar itu dijangka disertai lebih 10,000 penyokongnya.
'Black 14, atau pernah disebut 'Gelita 14', disambut setiap tahun sebelum ini bersempena tarikh Anwar dijatuhkan hukuman bagi kes pertama pada 1999.Sambutan ini pada tahun-tahun awal 2000-an biasanya bersifat demonstrasi besar-besaran di Kuala Lumpur anjuran aktivis Gerakan Reformasi dan penyokong PKR.
Perhimpunan esok diberikan tema "Menghitung Masa dari Black 14 ke Arah Kemenangan Rakyat" dianjurkan dalam situasi berbeza, khususnya selepas kejayaan besar PKR dan Pakatan Rakyat pada pilihanraya umum 8 Mac.
Ia disambut bagi menandakan berakhirnya larangan aktif berpolitik selama lima tahun yang dikenakan terhadap Anwar - dan kemungkinan Pakatan Rakyat menubuhkan kerajaan Persekutuan jika mendapat 30 wakil rakyat BN yang berminat melompat parti.
Larangan itu dikenakan selepas beliau disabitkan hukuman terhadap tuduhan salah guna kuasa sewaktu menjadi timbalan perdana menteri pada tanggal itu tahun 1999.
Melayu tidak, Umno yang tercabar
Malaysiakini - Ketua umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata isu ketuanan Melayu semakin dimainkan oleh Umno bagi mengalih perhatian umum daripada masalah dalaman ekoran prestasi buruknya dalam pilihanraya umum lalu.
Beliau, yang juga mantan timbalan presiden Umno, menegaskan demikian ketika ditanya mengenai berita muka depan Mingguan Malaysia bertajuk 'Ketuanan Melayu tercabar' hari ini.Ketika bertitah dalam Perhimpunan Perpaduan Melayu semalam, Tengku Mahkota Kelantan, Tengku Mohammad Faris Petra Ibni Sultan Ismail berkata, tidak wajar bagi kaum bukan Melayu yang mendapat kerakyatan, menuntut persamaan hak dan keistimewaan yang sama dengan orang Melayu.
"Kita tidak mendengar mengenai isu (hak Melayu) ini bulan lalu atau sebelum pilihanraya umum. Saya percaya niat mereka adalah untuk mengalih pandangan umum," kata Anwar.
Katanya, apa yang lebih penting ialah memperjuangkan 'ketuanan rakyat'.
"Dan apabila kita sebut 'rakyat', ia termasuklah orang Melayu... terutama yang yang tertindas dan bukannya yang kaya," kata Anwar, yang juga bekas menteri kewangan.
"Pendekatan kita seharusnya untuk membantu rakyat yang dipinggirkan, yang dinafikan peluang dan hak mereka. Oleh itu, ia termasuklah orang Melayu, Cina, India dan rakyat Malaysia yang lain," katanya.
Anwar berkata, beliau yakin bahawa Pakatan Rakyat akan terbukti lebih berkesan dalam membantu rakyat, berbanding dengan Umno ataupun BN sebelum ini.
Jawab kritikan Dr M
Mengulas mengenai kritikan mantan perdana menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yang mengaitkan beliau dengan Yahudi, Anwar menolak dakwaan itu sebagai "tidak masuk akal".
Bercakap kepada pemberita pada forum kepimpinan Melayu di Kajang semalam, Dr Mahathir berkata hanya orang Israel yang akan mengundi Anwar jika beliau mahukan jawatan Perdana Menteri."Beliau (Dr Mahathir) nampaknya semakin letih dan keliru. Saya tidak pernah bertemu mana-mana pemimpin Israel, tetapi beliau ada berjumpa... secara diam-diam, ketika beliau menjadi perdana menteri," katanya.
Anwar berkata, Dr Mahathir berurusan dengan pihak Yahudi, membabitkan AS$1.2 juta yang didakwa telah dibayar kepada pelobi Amerika Syarikat, Abramoff untuk mengatur pertemuan beliau (Dr Mahathir) dengan presiden negara kuasa besar itu George W Bush pada 2002.
Anwar menasihati Dr Mahathir supaya memberikan tumpuan menjaga kesihatan dirinya dan memohon maaf kepada rakyat atas kezaliman yang telah dilakukannya.
Dr Mahathir juga, tambah Anwar, perlu menjelaskan tentang bagaimana beliau telah memusnahkan badan kehakiman, mengawal media, bagaimana beliau menahan beratus-ratus orang bawah Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA), termasuk ketika Operasi Lalang 1987.
Di samping itu, katanya, Dr Mahathir juga perlu menjelaskan pembabitannya dalam pelbagai amalan rasuah, salah urus, mencuri dana kerajaan melalui banyak syarikat milik kerajaan yang mengalami kerugian seperti Perwaja Steel.
"Saya fikir lebih baik beliau menjawab isu-isu berkenaan," tegas Anwar.
Hadiri perhimpunan esok
Mengenai desakan Dr Mahathir supaya Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berundur, Anwar berkata:
"Sejak dulu lagi saya tidak pernah mengambil serius pandangan Dr Mahathir."
"Sudah tentulah perdana menteri tidak boleh mengelak daripada bertanggungjawab terhadap kekalahan BN, tetapi beliau mengetuai kempen pilihanraya bersama dengan (Datuk Seri) Najib (Tun Razak)," kata Anwar.
"Najib yang menerajui kempen dan Abdullah adalah perdana menteri, jadi kedua-dua mereka perlu bertanggungjawab terhadap kekalahan teruk mereka," katanya.
Mengenai rancangannya untuk bertanding kerusi parlimen, Anwar sekali lagi berkata, ia tidak penting sekarang kerana beliau mahu menumpukan kepada usaha memperkukuhkan Pakatan Rakyat.
"Kerjaya (politik) peribadi saya bukan satu keutamaan kerana saya masih ada masa," tambahnya.
Ditanya mengenai pelan peralihan kuasa Abdullah kepada timbalannya, Anwar berkata:
"Umno dan parti-parti komponen utama (BN) dalam keadaan huru-hara sekarang. Pilihan terbaik untuk mereka ialah menyertai Pakatan Rakyat."
Anwar dijadual menghadiri satu perhimpunan di Kelab Sultan Sulaiman di Kampung Baru esok untuk menandakan tamat larangan ke atas beliau aktif dalam politik.
Larangan selama lima tahun itu berakhir pada Selasa depan.
Warning of threat to Malay supremacy an Umno ploy, says Anwar
MALAYSIAN de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said the 'ketuanan Melayu' (Malay supremacy) card increasingly played up by Umno is to divert attention from the party's internal problems following its unprecedented setback in last month's general election.
Speaking at a press conference in Shah Alam yesterday, he was asked to comment on Mingguan Malaysia's 'Ketuanan Melayu tercabar' (Malay supremacy threatened) front-page headline.
The Umno-owned newspaper was referring to Kelantan Crown Prince Tengku Faris Petra's speech on Saturday, in which he said that it was not appropriate for other ethnic groups to seek equality and the privileges accorded to Malays.
Datuk Seri Anwar said that instead of the 'ketuanan Melayu' concept, a more important cause was 'ketuanan rakyat' (citizens' supremacy), reported news portal malaysiakini.com.
'And when we say 'rakyat', it includes the Malays...especially the downtrodden ones and not the rich ones,' he pointed out.
Responding to former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad's comment that the Israelis would vote for Datuk Seri Anwar as prime minister, the opposition leader dismissed the suggestion as 'ludicrous'.
'This is defamatory,' he said. 'I have never met any Israeli leader, and neither have I paid for the services of any Jewish lobbyist.'
At a forum on Saturday, Tun Dr Mahathir had said: 'Well, the Haaretz (Israeli newspaper) thinks that he is going to be the prime minister. It is the only paper in the world which thinks he is going to be the prime minister, and I think he is the prime minister that the Israelis will vote for.'
Datuk Seri Anwar will attend a rally at the Sultan Sulaiman Club in Kampung Baru today to mark his return from political exile.
His five-year ban from active politics ends tomorrow. - THE STRAITS TIMES
Umno V-P calls for Abdullah to step down immediately
Muhyiddin is most senior leader to do so, saying delay could cause rift in party
By Chow Kum Hor, THE STRAITS TIMES
UMNO vice-president Muhyiddin Yassin has become the most senior party leader yet to ask the Prime Minister to hand over his post to a successor, following the party's massive electoral losses last month.The Johor Umno strongman said he is prepared to run for a higher post during the party polls in December.
The International Trade and Industry Minister said a transfer of power would help Umno to quickly regain lost ground.
On Saturday, former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad said that the succession should take place immediately. A delay could cause a deep rift in Umno.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin has now echoed Tun Dr Mahathir's views. 'Now is the time,' he said, adding that he knew saying so was 'risky' as he could invite a backlash.
'There is a lot of unhappiness on the ground. I feel that if Umno does not change, a lot of bad things will happen. If I do not speak the truth, the Malays and Umno will be destroyed,' he said in an interview with Utusan Malaysia, a popular Malay-language broadsheet that often reflects the views of the Umno grassroots.
His comments appeared three days after he revealed that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi was working out a succession plan with his deputy Najib Razak.
Datuk Seri Abdullah has come under immense pressure to quit after the party's top leadership met local Umno chieftains in three states.
The grassroots leaders wanted him to take the blame for the ruling coalition Barisan Nasional's (BN) dismal performance at last month's general election.
'If the changes are not made immediately, Umno will also lose power and can never make a comeback,' Tan Sri Muhyiddin said.
And for the first time, the three-term party vice-president said that he was prepared to seek a higher post.
'If there are members who think that Muhyiddin can play a role in the party in whatever role, I am prepared to accept (nominations),' the former Johor menteri besar said.
He said the March 8 election results show that the Malays could no longer dominate Malaysian politics through Umno.
'In the past, the Chinese said that they are the minority and cannot do much even if they cooperate with the Indians. But now, things have changed.
'The non-Malays can now chart the future of Malaysian politics. This has never happened before,' he said.
He conceded that many had blamed Datuk Seri Abdullah and his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin for BN losing its two-thirds majority in Parliament. The opposition also wrested five states.
BN also needed to review its policies, which were too Umno and Malay-centric, resulting in non-Malay voters abandoning other component parties, he said.
Meanwhile, Johor Umno information chief Mohd Puad Zarkashi wanted the transition of power to be expedited.
Gelang Patah Umno division chief Abdul Aziz Sapian said the transition would enable the party and the government to regain Malay support.
He also said Johor Umno would only support the Prime Minister if the transfer of power was carried out.
Umno in paralysis, faces daunting task to regain broad support
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Can Abdullah Ahmad Badawi or Najib Tun Razak or Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah reform Umno and help it recapture the support it once had with Malaysians?
Going by what has been said and done since March 8 by party leaders and the rank-and-file, the answer seems to be no. For that matter, there is little to suggest that any leader wearing Umno colours today will make much headway in changing how Umno members behave, how they view other Malaysians or the patronage culture that courses through the veins of most members.
The rot took root years ago and it could be years before humility unseats arrogance, and persuades them that there is a growing disconnect between themselves and the country they governed and developed for the past 50 years.
During the post-election session in Kedah and Penang this week, there was little evidence of remorse or reflection on the part of Umno division leaders on why Chinese and Indians or even urban Malays deserted Barisan Nasional.
Most of the blame was shovelled on Abdullah and his family. Because he did not deliver on his promises, the coalition was punished. Therefore, he has to do the right thing and step aside for Najib. A neat solution by party members unwilling to examine themselves more thoroughly, warts and all.
Abdullah has to shoulder the lion’s share by virtue of being the head of Umno and BN. But his inability to make the hard decisions on race and religion over the past few years can be traced back to his preoccupation with finding a solution that was acceptable to the Umno ground.
More often than not, the party’s position was an ocean away from what the rest of the country wanted. This was the case whether it involved appointment of judges or a policy decision to invite Volkswagen to take a stake in Proton.
For example, when he came to power in October 2003, he announced that he would encourage the open tender system. Within six months, he realised that it would have been political suicide to introduce widespread use the open tender system.
The Umno ground – fed on a steady diet of contracts for the past two decades – was revolting.
They also grew restless when non-Muslims questioned why their religious rights were being eroded and places of worship were being demolished.
In Penang this week, this intolerance towards other Malaysians was on display. One division said that the Federal government should stop all the mega projects in the state to teach those who did not vote for BN. He did not mention about re-inventing the party or how Umno needs to shed its arrogant skin and start working for the small man again.
Only heard throughout the post-election sessions were the concern that Indians and Chinese were flexing their political muscles and the challenge that presented to the Malay agenda.
Said a party official from Penang: “There is a growing sense in Umno that Chinese and Indian voters have been ungrateful. They have shared in the economic development of the country and then they supported the Opposition."
And yet, there is growing evidence that Election 2008 is not a one-off, an aberration. It is evidence of a gap between what Umno wants and what many Malaysians want. Surveys and focus group studies in the past week have shown that the New Economic Policy does not have much traction with younger, urban Malays.
They believe in the special rights of the Malays as enshrined in Article 153 of the Constitution but clearly not the NEP, which is viewed as a bank for only a small group. Another survey by the Merdeka Centre showed that an increasing number of Malays were quite prepared to vote across religious lines. Meaning they did not believe that they were traitors simply because they marked a cross next to the DAP rocket.
But in coffee shops and more formal post-election sessions, there is little acceptance that the new political landscape calls for the party to undergo a paradigm shift and become more attractive to all Malaysians. Not just its party members.
The Insider understands that even in Cabinet, the older Umno ministers are still clinging to the old ways, complaining about the leeway being given to the mainstream media after March 8, and griping about being given less time on television. Others are trying to block efforts to reform the judiciary.
In this climate of denial, can Umno reform? Even if Abdullah is forced to step down and Najib takes over, he will face a tough task of getting his party men to change. Why? Because many of them do not think that Malaysia has changed after March 8.
Anwar goes toe-to-toe with Mahathir
(The Malaysian Insider) KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 — Anwar Ibrahim today unleashed his strongest attack against Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad yet, accusing him of corruption and theft of government funds. In the run-up to the elections and since, the former prime minister has only sparred with his former mentor, discounting him as a relic of the past.
But Dr Mahathir's constant attacks on his character and description of him as a friend of the Jews seem to have struck a raw nerve. The former PM used that same approach to demonise Anwar after he was sacked, painting him as a lackey of the West and a friend of the Jews. Within the Malay community, the Jews and Israel are viewed with disdain because of the long-standing Palestinian conflict.
Anwar noted that it was the Mahathir administration which paid US$1.2 million to a Jew, Jack Abramoff, to set up a meeting between Dr Mahathir and US President George W. Bush in 2001.
Instead of being side tracked, he suggested that Mahathir apologise for the many “atrocities" he had committed.
“He also has to explain on how he destroyed the judiciary, how he controlled the media, how he put hundreds of people under ISA.
"He should also explain his involvement in various corrupt practices, serious mismanagement, stealing government funds through the destruction of many government-controlled companies. I think it is better for him to deal with these issues," said Anwar at a press conference after officiating at a seminar for PKR elected representatives.
The defacto leader of Pakatan Rakyat said Dr Mahathir was “very scared about this new phenomenon of people speaking up and wanting to see change."
Anwar said it was clear why Dr Mahathir was agitating for change – he wanted to ensure that his nominees take over power and protect his and his family's interest.
Time not on Anwar’s side
WHEN Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim turned 60 last year some thought he was entering the sunset of his political career.
But the milestone year has instead been a major turning point for him.
His party PKR now has the most seats among the Opposition in Parliament, his wife is set to become the next Opposition Leader and his eldest daughter is now an MP.
And he is, by most accounts, planning to join them in Parliament soon.
Azmin Ali, his long-time loyalist and now Gombak MP, prefers to take it a step further: “Anwar will be the next Prime Minister.”
A year ago, most people would have laughed in Azmin’s face, but after what happened on March 8, it is best to keep a straight face.
Today is the last day of the five-year ban prohibiting Anwar from electoral politics and the PKR is planning a gathering in Kampung Baru tonight to mark the occasion. Anwar is expected to deliver a strong speech about his future role in the country’s politics.
Morale among the party rank-and-file is sky-high and the most-asked question is whether Anwar can really become the next Prime Minister.
Logically, Anwar has to find his way into Parliament before it can happen. Some had suggested that he take up one of the senatorships available to the states now held by the Pakatan Rakyat.
But a senator is only a member of the Dewan Negara or Senate which has, over the years, become an easy route for some politicians to join the Cabinet.
Anwar’s aim is set much higher. To be Prime Minister, he has to be the leader of the Dewan Rakyat or Parliament. Hence, he would have to force a by-election; and contrary to some reports, a by-election can take place anytime after the general election.
Some think he will contest in Kelana Jaya now held by newbie Loh Gwo Burne, arguably Malaysia’s most famous amateur video maker. But the money is still on Bandar Tun Razak because incumbent Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has more than enough on his plate now that he is Selangor Mentri Besar.
Besides, as DAP strategist and Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong pointed out, Bandar Tun Razak best reflects the Malaysian profile with a voter make-up of 53% Malays, 40% Chinese and 7% Indians and other races.
“Bandar Tun Razak will be easy for him because the Chinese there are the ‘Cheras type’ – very anti-establishment,” said Liew.
Winning a by-election will be the easy part for Anwar. The challenge is getting enough MPs to form the majority in Parliament.
Ethics is not a very popular word in politics, but there are some who are not very comfortable with the idea of forming the federal government through crossovers from the Barisan Nasional side.
PAS politicians, in particular, have been ambivalent about it because their Kelantan Government would have collapsed if any one of their assemblymen had crossed over to Umno after the 2004 election.
“It’s unethical. We have always been against the practice,” said a top national PAS leader.
If it were the Barisan that was doing the enticing, there would have been howls of bribery and money politics emanating from the other side.
Some even think it is equivalent to a political coup d'etat. People who joined PKR because they think it stood for justice, truth and principle, have been silent on the issue or are even compliant with the idea.
“We cannot stop them if they believe in the leadership of Datuk Seri Anwar,” said PKR Youth chief Shamsul Iskander.
The argument is that those crossing over are doing it voluntarily and not out of pecuniary gain but, for goodness sake, who really believes that?
“I have only one word for them – opportunists. Anwar would be cheating voters who had chosen the Barisan Nasional,” said Johor Baru MP Datuk Shahrir Samad.
Opportunities like these do not come very often and the notion of power is probably too seductive to resist for PKR politicians. It is possible that some of them are already fantasising about the Cabinet posts they will be holding.
Anwar is said to have contacted many MPs, and to have a list of potential crossovers. Some have pointed out that he should just do it and not merely talk about it. He is probably waiting till he is sitting in Parliament, or he would only be handing over the top post to PAS.
But time is not on his side. He cannot wait too long because of the anti-hopping law that the Barisan is planning to table. Once the law comes into effect, Anwar will be, at most, the Opposition Leader.
“It is now or never. If he doesn’t get there soon, there won’t be another time for him,” said Liew.
Muhyiddin: Polls showed misgivings on Umno leadership
“If changes are not made immediately, Umno will also lose power and can never make a comeback,' said the International Trade and Industry Minister.
He said the general election results clearly showed the people's misgivings on the party leadership and now people in and outside Umno questioned its leadership on family links and the system practised.
“I worry if there are no changes made, as demanded not only by Umno members but also by people from outside the party, the people will reject Barisan Nasional and Umno.
“I think the sentiments are boiling at the grassroots. Therefore, if change does not happen in Umno, many adverse things will surface.
“I'm afraid if I don't speak the truth, it can eventually lead to disaster for the Malays and Umno,” he said in an interview with Mingguan Malaysia published yesterday.
Muhyiddin said the election results showed the domination of Malay politics through Umno which was long regarded as beyond challenge had become a myth.
“As such, we thought we could not lose. But today, many Umno leaders in the five states now under Opposition rule never expected to lose power. That's why, to me, it is a very bitter lesson and cannot be taken lightly.”
“Can Umno survive this one term to the 13th (next) general election and will it be able to redeem its loss while we face the wave of new political thinking or will we collapse into the political chasm for good?” he said.
He said it was better to adopt the worst-case scenario approach.
“If we do not take any immediate steps, we will fade way. I've said earlier that political power can slip away from our hands and Umno may never rise again, ever,” he said.
Umno vice-president Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam called on party members to remain calm and to wait for the outcome of the post mortem and not make calls for transition of leadership.
Ranau Umno chief Datuk Masidi Manjum said calling for Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's resignation was not the best approach for Umno’s resurgence and to win back the hearts of the Malays.
He said Abdullah’s quitting would not resolve the problems being faced by the party and Barisan.
“Pressuring the Prime Minister to leave is not the way. We in Umno should acknowledge weaknesses within the party and overcome them. Heaping the blame on one individual is not the way to go about it,” said Masidi, the Sabah Umno assistant secretary.
Cops issue warning on pro-Anwar gathering
City police chief Deputy Comm Muhammad Sabtu Osman said police would not hesitate to exercise whatever measures required, to ensure peace and order.
“Through the Internet, Anwar’s supporters have been urged to go to Padang Sultan Sulaiman near Sultan Sulaiman Club at 8pm to show support.
“We have not issued a permit for the gathering and neither was a permit requested, so I advise all those planning a gathering not to do so as they will be severely dealt with,” DCP Muhammad Sabtu said.
He was speaking after attending a gotong-royong event held at the Darul Falah Orphanage in conjunction with the 201st Police Day celebrations in Bukit Persekutuan here yesterday.
Others who attended the event were new city deputy city police chief Senior Asst Comm (I) Datuk Abu Samah Mat and senior officers from the city police headquarters.
DCP Muhammad Sabtu said police received a letter from the Selangor Mentri Besar’s office informing them that a dinner would be held at the club attended by Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim and PKR vice-president Mohamed Azmin Ali.
“We learnt that the Selangor MB and Mohamed Azmin will be giving speeches at the dinner, which Anwar and his wife Datin Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, who is PKR president, will be also attending.
“We have spoken to the organising committee of the dinner and advised them to abide by the law.
“We will cordon off the area and will deploy Federal Reserve Unit personnel there if necessary,” he said.
Anwar, who is PKR advisor, was sentenced to jail by the High Court on April 14, 1999.
Penang to make auditor’s findings public, says Lim
(STAR) BUTTERWORTH: The findings of the private auditor into the financial status of Seberang Prai Municipal Council (MPSP), whose reserves fell from RM229mil in 2000 to just RM25.6mil at the end of 2007, will be made public.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said the public had the right to know how the council’s reserves had come down.
“If the municipal council had built a lapangan terbang (airport) here, perhaps we can understand.
“But, there is no lapangan terbang and yet the money could terbang (fly),” he said.
Lim said those who were not involved in any mishandling of funds need not fear as the auditing process was merely aimed at improving the council’s performance.
“But the guilty ones who took public money and became very rich will be investigated,” he said when opening Bagan Dalam assemblyman A. Tanasekharan’s service centre in Jalan Bagan Luar here yesterday.
He said the new state government was worried the council would be broke by the end of the year.
Lim said many expected the new state government to continue helping the people with big projects, but that would not be possible when there were no more reserves.
“If there are disasters, we will definitely help the people. But to come up with projects, we must look at our financial situation first,” he said.
On April 1, state Local Government Committee chairman Chow Kon Yeow said the council, with an accumulated deficit of RM226mil over the last eight years, had been scraping the bottom of the barrel.
On April 4, former councillor Datuk Dr Loga Bala Mohan said large portions of the council’s reserves were spent on the State Stadium in Batu Kawan (RM110mil), the council’s headquarters (RM83mil), Dewan Milenium (RM24mil) and the Central Seberang Prai district sports complex (RM12.8mil).
Penang Consumer Protection Association president K. Koris said the council could have retained high reserves if it had asked for federal funds to build its headquarters and a district sports complex.
Sungai Dua assemblyman Datuk Jasmin Mohamed called for the council to tutup kedai (close shop) and hand over its duties to the state government if it was incapable of handling its finances.
He said the council’s land administrative duties should also be surrendered to the three district offices in Seberang Prai.
Meanwhile, Lim has invited former deputy chief minister Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah to discuss matters pertaining to alleged land discrepancies.
Abdul Rashid, who is also the former chairman for state Land Affairs and Land Development Committees, had last week denied knowledge of allegations made by the present state government.
Lim also said he was still waiting for former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon to meet him to discuss matters pertaining to the previous state administration.
Lim Waiting For Response From Koh To Meet
(Bernama) BUTTERWORTH, April 13 -- Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is still waiting for a response from the state's former chief minister, Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, for a meeting to discuss the state's development.
Lim said he had requested for an appointment to meet Koh several times, but was still unable to meet him."The reason given is he (Koh) is still busy. I want to meet him to get his views and ideas to continue with the state's development," he told reporters after opening the Bagan Dalam DAP service centre here today.
Lim said he had met former chief minister Tun Lim Chong Eu on the matter.
In another development, Lim announced the appointment of Bagan Dalam Assemblyman A. Tanasekharan as the State Hindu Endowment Land Board chairman.
Tanasekharan takes over the post from P. K Subbaiyah, who resigned on April 4.
Islamic NGOs Disagree To Having Non-muslims Inform Family Before Embracing Islam
(Bernama) KUALA LUMPUR, April 13 -- The Allied Coordinating Committee of Islamic NGOs (ACCIN) does not agree to having non-Muslims inform their family before converting to Islam.
"It should be left to the individuals to decide whether to inform their family or otherwise because it would be difficult for the family to accept the fact and would cause problems to the convert as well as his family," she told a press conference.
Sabariah said the major problems the convert would face were rejection by the family members, threats to commit suicide or inflict self-injury and fear of isolation by the family.
ACCIN has 16 member organisations, including the Malaysian Muslim Youth Movement (Abim), the Malaysian Chinese Muslim Association (Macma), the All-Malaysia Indian Converts Welfare and Missionary Association (Al-Hidayah) and the Malaysian Muslim Welfare Organisation (Perkim).
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, in announcing the proposed rule, had said it was meant to avoid problems, especially when the converts died and their family disputed the status of the deceased's religion.
Abdullah had said those who wanted to convert to Islam must inform their family through a form or letter declaring that their family had been told. He said the idea behind the rule was to recognise the rights of the affected families, especially the spouses.
