Sarawak assembly should be the last big one before national snap polls later in the year
Sarawak Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud Friday is expected to call for the dissolution of the East Malaysian state's assembly, according to local media.
The polls, which must be held in prior to the expiry of the state assembly's term in July, have long been regarded as a precursor to national elections, which must be held before the end of 2013 but are expected sooner to give Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak another five-year term in office. Much depends on the prevailing atmosphere once the Sarawak elections are held, along with a continuing series of by-elections brought on by heart attacks, scandals, defections and other political problems.
By rights the 74-year-old Taib, who has ruled Sarawak for 30 years, should face the strongest challenge of his career, if not the threat of criminal investigation, although the political wisdom is that his Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak can be expected to pull out a victory over the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party, with or without him.
Over several months last summer, a Sarawak-based NGO called the Sarawak Report issued a series of exhaustively detailed reports documenting through officials records in the United States. Canada and the United Kingdom Taib's vast personal holdings, including a Seattle, Washington home for which he appeared to have paid US$1 to a company to which he granted lucrative timber concessions. The stories, reprinted by Asia Sentinel, can be found here, here, here, and here.
News reports over the past several months have quoted sources within the Barisan Nasional as hoping Taib would step down because of the scandals attached to his name and that of his family. The Sarawak Ngo's reports included repeated requests to Malaysian authorities to investigate what appeared to be 30 years of looting the state for its timber and other natural resources. However, nobody ever answered the NGO's requests for a probe of Taib's immense overseas assets. It is clear that the national government values the political security it gets out of Taib's Sarawak political apparatus over any questions of integrity.
Although some observers expect early national elections as well, sources within the United Malays National Organisation, the country's biggest ethnically-based political party, told Asia Sentinel that Najib would prefer to hold off national elections until later in the year to allow the economic stimulus from a panoply of economic projects to kick in, including the beginning of construction of highways, a mass rapid transit system for Kuala Lumpur, a 100-storey office building and other projects.
Malaysia's politics have been tumultuous for almost three years, since the opposition Pakatan Rakyat troika of parties broke the 50-year two-thirds stranglehold on the Dewan Rakyat, or national parliament, by the Barisan Nasional, the national ruling coalition. The heart attack death on Feb. 10 of Zaharuddin Abu Kasim, a Pahang state assemblyman representing UMNO, clears the way for the 16th by-election since national elections stunned the Barisan Nasional in 2008 national elections.
The opposition continues its precarious hold on more than a third of the Dewan Rakyat. But how long that will continue is not known. While the most recent by-elections have mostly gone to the parties that held them previously, the percentage of votes going to the Barisan have steadily gone up.
Certainly Najib has a tailwind from a strengthening economy and a perception that he is an activist, compared to his predecessor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. His personal approval rating remains extremely strong at 69 percent according to a Merdeka Center poll which was released on Christmas Eve, despite long-running allegations of massive kickbacks paid on defense purchases when he was defense minister, not to mention widespread continuing questions over complicity in the 2006 murder of a Mongolian translator, Altantuya Shaariibuu, the jilted lover of his best friend, Abdul Razak Baginda. Even among ethnic Chinese, Najib's approval rating remains a strong 54 percent.
UMNO, however, enjoys no such cushion. Polls show approval of the political party at just 22 percent after a vast number of scandals demonstrating the lips-and-teeth relationship of successful Bumi businessmen to the party. Only 6 percent of Chinese place any trust in the party. It is thus questionable at the moment whether UMNO could win back the Barisan's two-thirds majority. The two other main parties in the Barisan coalition, the Malaysian Chinese Association and the Malaysian Indian Congress, may be in even worse shape, given huge scandals in both.
To prime the economic pump, Najib has allocated nearly RM100 billion (US$32.8 billion) to a series of ambitious projects under his 10-year Economic Transformation Program. The total ETP, as it has become known, is estimated to cost a whopping RM443 billion. But there are deep concerns about the ETP from a lot of different angles, including whether the spate of enormous projects might drive up the economy initially, but could result in overinvestment followed by prolonged periods of low investment and low growth.
For instance, there is apprehension among analysts whether Kuala Lumpur needs another skyscraper, especially one that will be 100 storeys high and built by the government. The iconic twin towers have been largely filled by Petronas and other government offices. Former Prime Minister Mahathir, who built them, has expressed concern in his blog, Che Det, whether the proposed one is viable. Real estate analysts fear a coming property glut.
The other concerns revolve around who will get the contracts to build the projects. Far too often, government contracts have provided a cornucopia of goodies for what has become known universally as the UMNOcrats. At least 23 of Malaysia's biggest companies have been vehicles for UMNO to siphon off vast amounts of money as Mahathir's plans to industrialize the country went awry. Read more
Monday, February 14, 2011
Valentine:No Skin Off My Nose
Hantu Laut
Happy Valentine!
Do not join the rank of the ignorant louts.
Yes, Valentine has its root in Christianity but it is no more a Christian celebration, nor does it encourage vices or sexual liaison.
Her knowledge of history, if anything to go by, is pathetic.Her fallacy of composition is reprehensible.
Vices are not just the domain of Christianity, vices have large following in every religion including Islam.
It is fine for her to tell Muslims not to celebrate Valentine Day but to mislead her followers by making up her own version of history is absolutely disgraceful.
She portrayed Christians as being licentious and immoral.
Below, is a video of a sermon by Ustazah Siti Nor Bahyah urging Muslims not to celebrate Valentine Day as it is considered haram in Islam.
I will not disagree with her on this but why desecrate another religion to prove a point?
First she mentioned about the Romans worshipping the Goddess of Love and related that to Christianity.The religion was not yet born at that time.
Pre-Christian Rome practised polytheism.Christians are monotheists and worship only one God.Than she went on to say Saint Valentine helped in the invasion and downfall of Cordoba.Wonder which history book she read?
Saint Valentine existed around AD 269 and Islamic Spain or Cordoba was between AD 711-1492.There was a gap of almost 500 years between the two.The last Islamic rule of Cordoba was the Almoravid Era between 1030-1130 and then, thereafter, a period of decline ending in 1492.
Not likely that the dead Saint Valentine rose from his grave and helped the Christians to capture Cordoba.
In spite of her pitiful knowledge of history this lady has huge following on facebook.
She has more followers than Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan Azizah put together.
Also read:
Happy Valentine!
Do not join the rank of the ignorant louts.
Yes, Valentine has its root in Christianity but it is no more a Christian celebration, nor does it encourage vices or sexual liaison.
Her knowledge of history, if anything to go by, is pathetic.Her fallacy of composition is reprehensible.
Vices are not just the domain of Christianity, vices have large following in every religion including Islam.
It is fine for her to tell Muslims not to celebrate Valentine Day but to mislead her followers by making up her own version of history is absolutely disgraceful.
She portrayed Christians as being licentious and immoral.
Below, is a video of a sermon by Ustazah Siti Nor Bahyah urging Muslims not to celebrate Valentine Day as it is considered haram in Islam.
I will not disagree with her on this but why desecrate another religion to prove a point?
First she mentioned about the Romans worshipping the Goddess of Love and related that to Christianity.The religion was not yet born at that time.
Pre-Christian Rome practised polytheism.Christians are monotheists and worship only one God.Than she went on to say Saint Valentine helped in the invasion and downfall of Cordoba.Wonder which history book she read?
Saint Valentine existed around AD 269 and Islamic Spain or Cordoba was between AD 711-1492.There was a gap of almost 500 years between the two.The last Islamic rule of Cordoba was the Almoravid Era between 1030-1130 and then, thereafter, a period of decline ending in 1492.
Not likely that the dead Saint Valentine rose from his grave and helped the Christians to capture Cordoba.
In spite of her pitiful knowledge of history this lady has huge following on facebook.
She has more followers than Anwar Ibrahim and his wife Wan Azizah put together.
Also read:
Malaysian Muslims warned against Valentine's Day
Sunday, February 13, 2011
Malaysia's Unhealthy Lawmakers Dropping Like Flies
Hantu Laut
Another lawmaker bit the dust triggering the 16th by-election.My deepest condolence to the family.
Malaysia will soon go down in the "Guinness Book Of World Records" as the country with the most lawmakers dropping like flies.
Eating unhealthy food and unhealthy lifestyle are major causes of heart problem.
Beware of the nasi lemak (I like them too but my wife a health freak, so no nasi lemak in the house) and food cooked in santan, they are killers, if taken frequently, very popular in the Peninsula.
Another lawmaker bit the dust triggering the 16th by-election.My deepest condolence to the family.
Malaysia will soon go down in the "Guinness Book Of World Records" as the country with the most lawmakers dropping like flies.
Eating unhealthy food and unhealthy lifestyle are major causes of heart problem.
Beware of the nasi lemak (I like them too but my wife a health freak, so no nasi lemak in the house) and food cooked in santan, they are killers, if taken frequently, very popular in the Peninsula.
Saturday, February 12, 2011
The Egyptian Lesson: Malaysia Beware!
Hantu Laut
Power of the Internet which have either been largely ignored or curtailed by tyrannical governments had been instrumental for the Egyptian uprising.
Social media do not topple nasty regimes but activists can use it to mass mobilise people on to the ground by harnessing the power of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs.The main stream media do not have the speed and reach as effective as these social media.
The Egyptian uprising was started online by Google 30-year old executive Wael Ghonim who used Facebook as his platform.
Wael was arrested and detained for over a week but later released. He is now considered a hero in Egypt.He could have been killed if the Army had been brutal in supporting Mubarak.The Army eventually came to their senses that they can't kill millions of Egyption on the streets and demanded Mubarak's resignation.
The White House is now in a quandary, they have supported this tyrant for too long, the next leader may not be as friendly.
As news of the protest spread it triggered off a wild fire harnessing all available social media primarily Facebook,Twitter and YouTube. Facebook was the biggest contributor among the three.
The Egyptian government eventually shut down the Internet hoping that the trouble would go away which by then was too late as the news had travelled the length and breadth of the nation.It had no choice but to restore the Internet or lose favour with its Western allies particularly the U.S.
The Malaysian March 2008 General Elections where the BN was almost routed losing 5 states and its two-thirds majority was a stark reminder of the power of the Internet.In the Malaysian case the media support was mostly by bloggers and to lesser extent YouTube.Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are just as potent, fast and effective but was not as popular then.
The BN government is still living in a state of denial that the alternative media had played an effective role in diminishing their grip on political power. They still depend on the MSM which have seen most circulation declining as more and more people used the Internet to source their news.
During the untenable tenure of Pak Lah the most damaging to the ruling party was Malaysia Today, a blog with huge following run by the politically incorrigible Raja Petra Kamaruddin.He provided the most effective arsenal in the opposition's war chest.The government credibility was so low at that time even the untruths became the truths to his followers.He was a kind of Julian Assange on a smaller scale publishing sensitive documents on his blog on government's wrongdoings. He is still a wanted man in Malaysia.
The BN won the recent 3 by-elections which has put them back in the comfort zone and a state of complacency.Instead of embracing the Internet and use it as an effective weapon to their advantage they are now busy trying to pass a law to curtail the free flow of information.It would be the greatest folly if such law is passed and is likely to backfire on them.
There will not be massive protest on the Egyptian scale in Malaysia but there will be substantial cyber war during the 13th General Elections.
There will be hundred of thousands of blogs, Facebook and Tweeters they have to deal with in the event of a showdown.
It's about time the government embrace the Internet instead of looking at it as its enemy.
Power of the Internet which have either been largely ignored or curtailed by tyrannical governments had been instrumental for the Egyptian uprising.
Social media do not topple nasty regimes but activists can use it to mass mobilise people on to the ground by harnessing the power of social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and blogs.The main stream media do not have the speed and reach as effective as these social media.
The Egyptian uprising was started online by Google 30-year old executive Wael Ghonim who used Facebook as his platform.
Wael was arrested and detained for over a week but later released. He is now considered a hero in Egypt.He could have been killed if the Army had been brutal in supporting Mubarak.The Army eventually came to their senses that they can't kill millions of Egyption on the streets and demanded Mubarak's resignation.
The White House is now in a quandary, they have supported this tyrant for too long, the next leader may not be as friendly.
As news of the protest spread it triggered off a wild fire harnessing all available social media primarily Facebook,Twitter and YouTube. Facebook was the biggest contributor among the three.
The Egyptian government eventually shut down the Internet hoping that the trouble would go away which by then was too late as the news had travelled the length and breadth of the nation.It had no choice but to restore the Internet or lose favour with its Western allies particularly the U.S.
The Malaysian March 2008 General Elections where the BN was almost routed losing 5 states and its two-thirds majority was a stark reminder of the power of the Internet.In the Malaysian case the media support was mostly by bloggers and to lesser extent YouTube.Social media such as Facebook and Twitter are just as potent, fast and effective but was not as popular then.
The BN government is still living in a state of denial that the alternative media had played an effective role in diminishing their grip on political power. They still depend on the MSM which have seen most circulation declining as more and more people used the Internet to source their news.
During the untenable tenure of Pak Lah the most damaging to the ruling party was Malaysia Today, a blog with huge following run by the politically incorrigible Raja Petra Kamaruddin.He provided the most effective arsenal in the opposition's war chest.The government credibility was so low at that time even the untruths became the truths to his followers.He was a kind of Julian Assange on a smaller scale publishing sensitive documents on his blog on government's wrongdoings. He is still a wanted man in Malaysia.
The BN won the recent 3 by-elections which has put them back in the comfort zone and a state of complacency.Instead of embracing the Internet and use it as an effective weapon to their advantage they are now busy trying to pass a law to curtail the free flow of information.It would be the greatest folly if such law is passed and is likely to backfire on them.
There will not be massive protest on the Egyptian scale in Malaysia but there will be substantial cyber war during the 13th General Elections.
There will be hundred of thousands of blogs, Facebook and Tweeters they have to deal with in the event of a showdown.
It's about time the government embrace the Internet instead of looking at it as its enemy.
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