Hantu Laut
Former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir Mohammad must have the crooked bridge very close to his heart. Even before Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak could warm the seat the issue of its resurrection from the ashes of former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi's bonfire rises faster than the birth of the mythical Phoenix from the ashes of its maternity.
Former Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi and many uninitiated Malaysians and including many too smart for their own good foreign correspondents like this one who wrote for the Telegraph do not understand the benefits such bridge could bring to Malaysia.To them this is just another grandiose project of this crazy old man.
Singapore certainly wouldn't like the idea of such bridge purely to protect its economy particularly its shipping and maritime activities.Singapore is the second busiest port in the world after Shanghai which displaced Rotterdam in 2005.Singapore is also the world's busiest transhipment and bunkering port. Those were the reasons why Singapore is not keen on the crooked bridge because it may steal some of its maritime business if Malaysia could offer more competitive and efficient service. The crooked bridge has its merit, I don't think Mahathir wanted the bridge built for glory.
Mahathir might have forgotten it is now difficult times and a crooked bridge may not be a priority in such economic downturn.Although, he has contributed vastly to the economic growth of the nation, maybe, it's time he tones down a little and leave Najib to conduct his own affairs.
Najib has said that the government has not made any decision to restore the construction of the crooked bridge.
To constantly admonish Najib as he did with Abdullah would have dire effect on UMNO. The situation could be worse with Najib because of the excess baggage he carries.Najib has to do the right things in order to dispel the people negative perception of him.He has to bring about an ethos of good governance.
On the Penanti by-election Najib should not oblige or be obligated to agree with Mahathir.He must show he is a man of his own mind and not succumbs to pressure from anyone, more so, Mahathir.
By-election is Anwar's ball game to keep his shaky coalition alive. There are rumblings in Pakatan because Anwar is not the most democratic politician around and does not believe in consultation as can be seen from his poor handling of the forced resignation of Fairuz Khairuddin as deputy chief minister of Penang and assemblyman for Penanti that left Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng in a huff.
Fairuz claims the MACC has cleared him of any wrongdoing. What is Anwar going to do ? Should an innocent man be punished because of Anwar's political manoeuverings?
Dismantling some of the old regime wilful placards should be Najib's priority if he wishes to regain the trust of the people and to stamp out the three evils ---- corruptions,cronyism and nepotism which have been the reasons of Pak Lah's denigration and eventual loss of office.
Is Najib ready to dance with wolves ?
He has to decide between obligation and obliteration, between Mahathir and the deep blue sea.
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Monday, April 20, 2009
Who Is The Prime Minister ?
Hantu Laut
It's different time and different ball game.Former Premier Tun Mahathir should not equate his time with what is happening now.The political landscape has changed.The people dread the long wearying journey under his autocratic regime and are not looking forward to a rendition of it. It may have worked well with his style of leadership then but things have changed, the people have come out of the coconut shell.The kataks are now smarter and liberated.
During his time the opposition was weak, disorganised and in disarray and he was in full control of the politics of the nation making it difficult for the oppositions to make major breakthrough in general elections, let alone in any by-elections. His government won almost all by-elections. A walk in the park.
After having ravaged Abdullah's reputation and successfully ousted him from office many would have thought this grand old man would stop active involvement in politics and leave Najib alone.It appears that Mahathir is not about to give up politics and Najib may be in for a long rough ride and if he is not careful may be weaken by the very same man.He had already criticise some of Najib's choices in the cabinet and termed them unsavoury characters.
Mahathir insisted Najib must allow the BN to contest the Penanti by-election after the prime minister said the BN may not contest the by-election.Mahathir is prepared to lead the campaign in this Anwar's stronghold. Previous elections had shown that the BN is not exactly popular in the areas.
Below are the results of the last two general elections:
It's different time and different ball game.Former Premier Tun Mahathir should not equate his time with what is happening now.The political landscape has changed.The people dread the long wearying journey under his autocratic regime and are not looking forward to a rendition of it. It may have worked well with his style of leadership then but things have changed, the people have come out of the coconut shell.The kataks are now smarter and liberated.
During his time the opposition was weak, disorganised and in disarray and he was in full control of the politics of the nation making it difficult for the oppositions to make major breakthrough in general elections, let alone in any by-elections. His government won almost all by-elections. A walk in the park.
After having ravaged Abdullah's reputation and successfully ousted him from office many would have thought this grand old man would stop active involvement in politics and leave Najib alone.It appears that Mahathir is not about to give up politics and Najib may be in for a long rough ride and if he is not careful may be weaken by the very same man.He had already criticise some of Najib's choices in the cabinet and termed them unsavoury characters.
Mahathir insisted Najib must allow the BN to contest the Penanti by-election after the prime minister said the BN may not contest the by-election.Mahathir is prepared to lead the campaign in this Anwar's stronghold. Previous elections had shown that the BN is not exactly popular in the areas.
Below are the results of the last two general elections:
PRU - 11
N12: PENANTI: 14,808
1. Anuar Shaari (Keadilan) 5,528
2. Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid (BN-UMNO) 6,195
Majoriti: 667
Jumlah Mengundi: 11,915
Peratus Mengundi: 80.5
Rosak: 192
PRU - 12
N12: PENANTI:15,421
1. MOHAMMAD FAIRUS KHAIRUDDIN 7,346
2. Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid (BN-UMNO) 5,127
Majoriti : 2,219
Jumlah Mengundi :12,657
Peratus Mengundi :82
Rosak :184
Even in 2004, at the height of Abdullah's popularity and a landslide victory for the BN, the BN/UMNO candidate Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid didn't performed that well, getting only majority of 667 votes.
Mahathir might have meant well for Najib and UMNO but the situation have not changed after Abdullah left the scene.The rancor against UMNO and the BN have not subsided in Pakatan controlled areas. It's still in favour of Anwar and Pakatan. Putting an UMNO candidate would be like sending a cow to the abattoir to be slaughtered.
As Prime Minister, Najib should stand by his decision.
Now that Mahathir has made some noises, the whole nation is watching which direction is Najib moving to.
Sunday, April 19, 2009
Protester Killed By Police
Hantu Laut
Police brutality and violent handling of protesters is not only happening in Malaysia.In the US and UK cases of police brutality are on the rise with some resulting in death.The difference is, in Malaysia, it can become a hot political issue taken up by the oppositions to discredit the government.In the West it stays as police case investigation by the police or an independent body if the government deemed so.
Read the story below:
Police brutality and violent handling of protesters is not only happening in Malaysia.In the US and UK cases of police brutality are on the rise with some resulting in death.The difference is, in Malaysia, it can become a hot political issue taken up by the oppositions to discredit the government.In the West it stays as police case investigation by the police or an independent body if the government deemed so.
Read the story below:
From
April 18, 2009
Beaten G20 man Ian Tomlinson ‘died of internal bleeding’
Fairus Pakatan's Sacrifical Lamb ?
Hantu Laut
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was right when he said there was no need for a by-election for the Penanti state seat. Less than a year after the last general elections the nation had seen 5 by-elections.All won by Pakatan except Batang Ai in Sarawak. Maybe, Sabahans and Sarawakians were better campaigners than their counterparts in the Peninsula.
It is not the money spent on these by-elections that matters.It is the diversion that Anwar planned to eventually break down the BN as they will spend more time defending themselves rather than governing the nation.
The resignation of Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin was forced by Anwar Ibrahim to further his psychological war against the BN. Fairus has not been charged for corruption yet Anwar sees it fits to force him to resign.The statute 'that one is innocent until proven guilty' is not in his lexicon because he has other more important political agenda. Fairus was the ultimate sacrificial lamb. Was the letter of resignation signed recently or was it signed before the March 2008 General Elections?
To maintain his popularity with the people Anwar needs to call for by-election every now and than to remind the people that Pakatan Rakyat is a force to be reckoned with and to re-assure himself that the people are still supporting him and PR. His alter ego necessitates him to take this course of action to keep the momentum of Pakatan popularity going and the road to Putrajaya on track.It is also his ways of keeping the coalition cohesive and intact until the next general elections.
Was it a question of integrity or mere hyperbolic rhetoric to capture the imagination of his supporters that PKR and Pakatan are the people's choice of a clean government? Was Anwar squeaky clean when he was in UMNO ? A question not many of PR supporters would want to know or care about. To them Anwar is infallible and of unquestionable integrity and all of BN leaders are corrupted and rotten to the core.A browse through Malaysian blogosphere would show how impressively loyal, to a fault, the majority of Pakatan supporters were to the Anwar's cause.A gullible lot may not be a far off remark and Pakatan will continue to win by-elections in Pakatan stronghold and denigrate the BN to the gutter by the support of this maddening lot.
Cleaning up the mess will not be easy for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak unless he has some magic formula.
For a start, as envisaged by Najib, the BN should not contest the Penanti by-election or for that matter any by-election that came from Pakatan stronghold.It should only concentrate to defend those that came from its own constituency.The loss of Kuala Trengganu should not be repeated elsewhere.
It's high time the BN stop giving undue attention to Pakatan and concentrates in regaining its credibility and tackle the economic crisis.
Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was right when he said there was no need for a by-election for the Penanti state seat. Less than a year after the last general elections the nation had seen 5 by-elections.All won by Pakatan except Batang Ai in Sarawak. Maybe, Sabahans and Sarawakians were better campaigners than their counterparts in the Peninsula.
It is not the money spent on these by-elections that matters.It is the diversion that Anwar planned to eventually break down the BN as they will spend more time defending themselves rather than governing the nation.
The resignation of Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin was forced by Anwar Ibrahim to further his psychological war against the BN. Fairus has not been charged for corruption yet Anwar sees it fits to force him to resign.The statute 'that one is innocent until proven guilty' is not in his lexicon because he has other more important political agenda. Fairus was the ultimate sacrificial lamb. Was the letter of resignation signed recently or was it signed before the March 2008 General Elections?
To maintain his popularity with the people Anwar needs to call for by-election every now and than to remind the people that Pakatan Rakyat is a force to be reckoned with and to re-assure himself that the people are still supporting him and PR. His alter ego necessitates him to take this course of action to keep the momentum of Pakatan popularity going and the road to Putrajaya on track.It is also his ways of keeping the coalition cohesive and intact until the next general elections.
Was it a question of integrity or mere hyperbolic rhetoric to capture the imagination of his supporters that PKR and Pakatan are the people's choice of a clean government? Was Anwar squeaky clean when he was in UMNO ? A question not many of PR supporters would want to know or care about. To them Anwar is infallible and of unquestionable integrity and all of BN leaders are corrupted and rotten to the core.A browse through Malaysian blogosphere would show how impressively loyal, to a fault, the majority of Pakatan supporters were to the Anwar's cause.A gullible lot may not be a far off remark and Pakatan will continue to win by-elections in Pakatan stronghold and denigrate the BN to the gutter by the support of this maddening lot.
Cleaning up the mess will not be easy for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak unless he has some magic formula.
For a start, as envisaged by Najib, the BN should not contest the Penanti by-election or for that matter any by-election that came from Pakatan stronghold.It should only concentrate to defend those that came from its own constituency.The loss of Kuala Trengganu should not be repeated elsewhere.
It's high time the BN stop giving undue attention to Pakatan and concentrates in regaining its credibility and tackle the economic crisis.
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