A MAN FOR EVERY FAT,OLD AND UGLY LADY

Hantu Laut

Is Malaysia short of writers who can present uncomplicated and condensed manifestos that the man in the street can enjoy reading and understand.

Have any of you read the BN Manifesto? If you have, and you have read the full text to the minute details, than you are a rare specie and ought to have your head examined. A voracious reader would have eaten the whole piece of paper it was written on and try to digest it through the stomach rather than the brain. All I can say it was most uninspiring and makes dismal reading.

If it comes from the 4th floor, the den of the Oxbridge nerds, than I would rather send my children to Nanyang in Singapore or Beijing University in China where academic excellence not only prevailed on the scroll but are translated into reality.

Somebody should come up with an abridged version for less intellectually challenged mortals.

To be honest, I have no desire to read the 'Excellence, glory, distinction' and the 'not so honest to God' manifesto. Aren't excellence and distinction the same (in the form it is used in the manifesto) and carry the same meaning. A 'work of distinction' could also be called 'an excellent work'. Maybe, the 4th floor geeks should have consulted the Oxford lexicon before they decide to use it as the buzz words.

Almost all the major political parties have come up with strange sounding manifesto.

PKR, in sheer desperation for supports has promised a minimum wage of RM1500 per month. The ex-Minister of Finance (de facto leader of PKR), Anwar Ibrahim has lost touch with the economic viability of such promises. Many SMIs and small businesses with high labour content would be in serious trouble if such high minimum wage were to be imposed. A figure of RM800/Rm1000 would make the proposal more feasible, economically viable and without having to kill the goose that lay the golden eggs.

Anwar may have forgotten that the biggest chunk of employees in that income bracket would be immigrant workers and most of the money would be repatriated to the home countries, unless he has no intention to include them in the scheme.

Anyway, since PKR is not going to form the next government why bother making true promises.

The strangest of the strange is PAS manifesto. Completely out of this world and very very Islamic.

PAS promised to deliver a man to every fat, ugly and old women. Women who are afflicted with a combination of all those handicaps or any one of those handicaps and those who found it hard to find a mate would get matchmaking assistance.

Unless she is Han Andersen's ugly duckling, I wonder what kind of a man would want a fat, old and ugly woman.

The following report by AFP appeared on Tuesday, 26th Feb:

Match-making manifesto woos Malaysian voters

AFP - Tuesday, February 26

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 26, 2008 (AFP) - Malaysia's conservative Islamic party pledged Tuesday to provide match-making services for older women and cut the cost of dowries in an election manifesto for its stronghold of Kelantan state.

The fundamentalist Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), which is hoping to retain control of Kelantan in March 8 polls against fierce competition from the government, also promised to boost development in the impoverished state.

"We are providing benefits like match-making and reduced dowry for women, but we have also come up with a plan to address the needs of all people in Kelantan," PAS deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa told AFP.

"It's about reassuring voters in Kelantan that we are the best choice for the people," he said.

A party leader caused controversy in the past by saying that ugly women should be given priority in public service jobs because pretty women can find rich husbands to provide for them.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's coalition government is trying to regain Kelantan -- the only state it does not rule -- with plans for a slew of new projects and investment funds if it wins.

At its peak, PAS controlled Kelantan and neighbouring Terengganu state which it won in 1999 elections.

However its fundamentalist line, including a campaign to turn Malaysia into a religious state, and prohibitions on nightclubs, skimpy clothes and alcohol, saw it lose Terengganu in 2004.

It now holds a wafer thin majority in Kelantan, a state considered a key battleground in the polls.

Well, many old ladies in this country will soon be happy to find their mating mates courtesy of PAS.

LAND OF THE FROGS

Hantu Laut

When Agnes Keith wrote the book "Land Below The Wind" in 1939, she won $5000 award for winning the Atlantic Non-Fiction Prize Book.

Agnes Rothery of the New York Herald Tribune, in her book review said " For every one who reads "Land Below The Wind" (Borneo) will never again be a mere name in a nursery rhyme --
whose climate where 'the warm humid air seems to promote longevity in germs'......

It was Sabah (British North Borneo then) that she referred to in her book, where she and her husband worked and stayed for almost twenty years.

Now Sabah would be better known as the 'Land Of The Frogs'. The 'Politicians For Sale' campaign has started.The three days cooling off period will surely see some candidates dropping out and giving undivided support to the BN and money in their pockets.

PKR suffered a hiccup yesterday when the political secretary to PKR Vice President Datuk Dr Jeffery Kitingan resigned from the party with immediate effect.He said he has lost trust in the party's Federal and State leadership adding that more leaders and members would follow suit.He accused the leadership as untrustworthy. He further said the BN is the best choice and the only one that can bring development to the state.

Frogs abound every time there is general election in Sabah.Some will join as independents hoping to be bought by the ruling party. The price ranges from as low as RM20,000. for the 'kucing kurap' to a few hundred thousands for potential 'giant killer'. Those sure of winning will wait until after the election and offer themselves for sale if the ruling party gets less than two-third majority.

It does make economic sense for the ruling party to buy off opponents.It would worked out to be much cheaper than having to fight them and spend millions on the campaign trail.

During the Mustapha's era it was not money that stopped opposition candidates from contesting in an election, it was gangsterism. A gang of people would waylaid the candidate on his way to the nomination centre, beat him up and detained him until the nomination centre closed. It was even cheaper and most of the candidates would be unchallenged.That's why during USNO time almost all seats were uncontested.

The state seat of Pensiangan that go uncontested has now created a furor. PKR claimed there was a conspiracy involving the EC and the Returning Officer of the Nomination Centre.A police report was lodged and PKR has filed an election petition to declare the result null and void.

The Election Commission's cooling off period is the most viable project for the buying and selling of politicians. It was probably put in place for that purpose.

ARE THE KADAZANS BACK TO THEIR OLD ELEMENTS ?

Hantu Laut

Sabah will see one of the biggest tussle between BN, PKR and DAP.The biggest headache for BN is not the Mazu issue or the Chinese voters, it is the KDM (Kadazan Dusun Murut) electorates.

The three Kadazan based parties are not expected to do well in the coming polls due to widespread dissatifactions with their leaders for failure to address crucial issues. The loss of customary rights to their land, the perennial issue of illegal immigrants and the issuance of citizenship papers to illegal immigrants.

These contentious issues of illegal immigrants have made the local populace uncomfortable and suspicious of the motives of the Federal government for its refusal to find a permanent solution to resolve the problems. The state government had little power over the matters and the thorn have been in the flesh since the days of the USNO government.All subsequent governments including PBS, the Kadazan dominated government previously, had been unable to address the problem. The natives in Sabah consider the inaction of the Federal government as an exercise to further Malay hegemonic control over the state.

The issues of large tract of land given out to big companies is not a new issue but are problems created by the Kadazan leaders when they were in power. Thousands of acres of land earmarked to be given to smallholders by the then BERJAYA government were sold to Peninsula Malaysia based companies with financial benefits taken by those in power. Economic generators started by the BERJAYA government like SFI Paper Mill, Sponge Iron Plant and many others were sold to private companies from the Peninsula.

Yet the very man who destroyed Sabah's future together with his big brother when they were running the state and reputedly stole billions is now seen as a saviour of the KDM people through PKR, a Peninsula based party.

Sabah is now the biggest producer of palm oil and most big plantations are owned by Peninsula based companies giving the state very little left in term of cash revenue and investment resources. All financial transactions relating to this trade are done in Kuala Lumpur. Most Sabahans felt left out and deprived of the chance to enjoy the economic boom of the oil palm industry.

Most of the Kadazan leaders have little integrity and principle, with aptitude for kampong cunningness, rather than political shrewdness. History would repeat itself and the KDM will return to their old element of abandoning the BN through stealthy manipulations. The October 1990 state election was reminiscent of the brand of politics inherent in this community. PKR may win some seats in Sabah but are likely to lose all of it later to katak lumpat (party-hopping) if they can't form the next state government, which is an almost impossible task given the gerrymandered electoral boundaries.

The case of Jornah Mozihim, the assembly woman for Matunggong was an example of lack of integrity and principle of its President, Datuk Seri Pairin Kitingan who has written to her and confirmed in writing her candidacy.She was kicked out the last minute without her being given prior knowledge of the last minute change. The same goes with Tan Sri Bernard Dompok who shifted his party stalwart Donald Mojuntin, the incumbent for Penampang to Moyog and kicked out Philip Lasimbang from Moyog to ensure a safe seat for himself in Penampang.

The President of PBRS, Tan Sri Joseph Kurup must be the luckiest candidate.He went unopposed due to disqualification of the other two candidates. Kurup abandoned his constituency of Sook where he won by a slim majority of 395 in 2004 to escape from being slaughtered by Jeffery Kitingan in the forthcoming polls.He kicked out Bernard Maraat and took his seat. He was expected to lose if the seat was contested.

SUPP President Yong Tet Lee may have shot himself in the foot when he said he will retain all the incumbents of his party as they have done a good job and expected to get the Api-Api seat for himself which he failed to secure. He could have forced anyone of his boys to vacate a seat for him.He has shown chivairous principle by not doing what Dompok and Kurup did.

The political soothsayers predicted almost all the Kadazan leaders from the BN component parties including Joseph Pairin will have an uphill battle to retain their seats.

The KDM are back to their old elements. PKR is expected to capture significant number of seats from the Kadazan heartland but they are also predicted to abandon PKR for greener pasture.

NOMINATION DAY UPDATE

Hantu Laut

The BN is currently leading with some uncontested seats.

Parliamentary seat candidates who won uncontested
1. Datuk Azalina Othman Said - P157 Pengerang, Johor (Umno) 2. Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh - P191 Kalabakan, Sabah (Umno)
3. Norah Abdul Rahman - P206 Tanjung Manis, Sarawak (PBB)
4. Aaron Ago Dagang - P210 Kanowit, Sarawak (PRS)
5. Joseph Entulu Belaun - P214 Selangau, Sarawak (PRS)
6. Alexander Nanta Linggi - P215 Kapit, Sarawak (PBB)

State seat candidates who won uncontested
Sabah
Datuk Ramlee Marbahan - N54 Bugaya (Umno)

Selangor
Datuk Abdul Rahman Palil – N43 Sementa (Umno)

PAS got 1 seat unoppossed in Kijang, Kelantan.

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman challenged by 3 others in Sibuga, PKR, Bersekutu and 1 independent candidate.

Rafidah Aziz disqualified(yet to be confirmed).

Merotai, Sabah 7 cornered fight.

PM Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi straight fight with PAS candidate Subri Mat Arshad

Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Aziz straight fight with BN/UMNO candidate Datuk Dr Nik Zain Omar in Chempaka, Kelantan.

PKR Wan Azizah against BN/UMNO Datuk Pirdaus Ismail in Permatang Pauh, Pinang.

DPM Datuk Seri Mohd Najib against PKR Khairul Anuar Ahmad Zainudin in Pekan, Pahang.

Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Mohd Yassin (BN-Umno) against Mohd Rozali Jamli Al-Hafiz (PAS) in Pagoh, Johor.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein (BN-Umno) against Lee Sang (PKR) in Semrong, Johor.

Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Khir Toyo (BN-Umno) against Mohd Fadzin Taslimin(PAS) in Sungei Panjang, Selangor.

Melaka Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Mohd Rustam (BN-Umno) against Bakrin Sidek (Pas) in Buki Baru, Melaka.

Perlis Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim (BN-Umno) against Che Nordin Che Ahmad (Pas) in Tambun Tulang,Perlis.

Sarawak CM's son, Datuk Seri Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Abdul Taib (BN-PBB) in 3 cornered fight
against Hussain Abg Apok (PKR) and Abu Bakar Awang Dawos (Ind) in Kota Samarahan, Sarawak.

Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim (BN-Umno) against Norman Ipin(Pas) in Jelebu, Negri Sembilan.

PM son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar (BN-Umno) against Badrul Hisham Shaharin (PKR) in Rembau, Negri Sembilan.

Minister Datuk Seri Samy Vellu in 3-cornered fight against PKR Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj and IND Nor Rizan Oon.

KEADILAN CONTESTING 58 SEATS IN SABAH

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup uncontested in Pensiangan, Sabah.

BN now has 7 MP and 2 State seats uncontested.

Datuk Seri Pairin Kitingan(BN/PBS) against his brother Datuk Dr Jeffery Kitingan(PKR) in Keningau, Sabah and against PKR Mozes M Iking in Tambunan state seat.

BN has obtained 2 more seats making a total of 9 parliamentary and 2 state seats captured uncontested.

Scary moment for Rafidah due to unsigned nomination form.She wasn't disqualified as reported earlier.

Most seats in Sabah heavily contested between BN and PKR. The opposition pact between PKR and DAP are not in place here. A number of seats are contested by both DAP and PKR against BN.

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup won the Pensiangan parliamentary seat uncontested after two other candidates were disqualified for submitting their papers late.A man supposedly PKR supporter tried to punch him but missed. PKR and 1 independent candidate were disqualified.

In Tenom BN supporters burnt BN flags to show their dissatisfaction over the choice of candidates.BN fielded incumbents for (Tenom Parliament) Tamie Unggi, (Kemabong) Datuk Rubin Balang and (Melalap) Datuk Radin Malleh.

Tanjong Kapur saw 8-cornered fight.BN,PKR,BERSEKUTU and 5 independents.

Visit this site for update on campaining in Sabah.