Implement Anti-party hopping law now

Let us echo the call of Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang, to implement an Anti-party hopping now together with the abolishment of the requirement of any MP who resign to wait 5 years before he/she can stand for election again. Previously, the Barisan Nasional has tempted MPs from the opposition to hop over to the BN with promises of rewards and positions. That was how they ended up ruling Sabah after it fell to the opposition. Now that they are facing this threat of BN MPs hoping over to Pakatan Rakyat, they are making calls for BN MPs who hop over to Pakatan Rakyat to resign.

Good, I support that, but change the rule that forces such MP who want to hop to wait 5 years for re-election to the rule that make it a requirement for MPs who want to hop to resign and immediately stand for a by-election. I am sure all Malaysians are looking forward to more free and fair by-elections.

Ahmad Ismail to be arrest under ISA for his protection?

Malaysia Insider reported Ahmad Ismail to face sedition charge? because of the allegedly seditious words Ahmad Ismail uttered at an election campaign for the Permatang Pauh by-election. He allegedly said that Chinese were immigrants and squatters and therefore could not expect to have equal rights as the Malays. His comments were reported by Sin Chew Daily and led to the arrest under ISA of the reporter Tan Hoon Cheng "for her protection" (Syed Hamid Albar, Home Minister's most ridiculous statement). I just wonder if Ahmad Ismail would be arrested under ISA for his protection?

UMNO Assemblyman Nasarudin Hashim defect to PKR

Datuk Nasarudin Hashim, Umno Perak’s assemblyman for Bota, has quit the party with immediate effect and crossed over to PKR. Let this be the beginning of a flood of defections to Pakatan Rakyat and the formation of a new Federal Government.

A. Kugan police custodial death

Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail: "After studying the photos and investigation papers, I suggested to the Deputy IGP to classify the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code. If investigations reveal that he died from being assaulted, then those responsible will be charged with murder."

What? What happens if torture is not the direct cause of death? Can police get away with torture?

TheStar dare not report relationship between Musa Safri and Najib Abdul Razak

Today, the hopeless case TheStar again showed self censorship when it refused to tell of the relationship - Najib Abdul Razak's aide-de-camp Musa Safri in the Altantuya Shaariibuu's murder case:

However, C/Insp Azilah admitted that he had communicated with Razak and his friend DSP Musa Mohd Safri, who was a minister’s aide-de-camp, between Oct 20 and Oct 22.

Police stopped KT victory celebration at Civic Center

Tonight starting from 8pm the Barisan Rakyat were supposed to hold a peaceful victory celebration of the Kuala Terengganu by-election victory at the PJ Civic Center (more accurately at the tarmac in from of MBPJ or Majlis Bandaran Petaling Jaya. Mats were laid on the floor and food were placed on top. The Barisan Rakyat team in the blue Mercedes van arrived and the food from Kuala Terengganu were added to those already laid there. It was then the police arrived and surrounded us. Just imagine, they sent not only very many police against this peaceful gathering, they even brought the FRU or the Malaysian riot squad. The one in charge didn't heed the pleading and gave the order to dispersed a few times. So we had no choice but carried the food over to the Lotus Restaurant opposite the road where we had our peaceful celebration.

Don't the police have better things to do than to harass peaceful gathering which pose no threat to the nation's security?

Just Change - DAP election campaign song

Video of the election campaign song Just Change of the DAP (Democratic Action Party) for the historical Malaysia



Lyrics for the DAP election campaign song Just Change:

Just change for Malaysia
Just change for Malaysia
Just change we will overcome
Just change we will see the sun

Together all races stand as one
Together we will never run
Together it is like never before
Together what we are fighting for

Just change for Malaysia
Just change for Malaysia
Just change we will overcome
Just change we will see the sun

Corruption we will stop the drain
Senseless crime we will end the pain
Inflation we will also tame
Together we will rise again

Just change for Malaysia
Just change for Malaysia
Just change we will overcome
Just change we will see the sun

We will fight for our rights to be free
For equality
Justice we will defend
Leaders must have integrity

Forever Malaysians must come firs
And never will we be coerced
Remember if we vote wisely
We will make history

Everyone of us must change

Just change for Malaysia
Just change for Malaysia
Just change we will overcome
Just change we will never run

Just change for Malaysia
Just change for Malaysia
Just change we will overcome
Just change we will see the sun

Just change

Acknowledgement: The DAP campaign song Just Change is adapted from the song Go West by the Pet Shop Boys

Dato Abdul Azeez caught disguising as voting agent

Translation from Malay from Malaysia Today: PENGERUSI PUTERA UMNO 'DITAHAN' KERANA MENYAMAR, LAPORAN POLIS AKAN DIBUAT

The Chairman of the UMNO Putera Bureau Dato Abdul Azeez Abdul Rahim was "arrested" by a PAS pemantau squad from Kedah because he is believed to disguise himself as a voting agent.

The incident happened at about 10.44am this morning when the PAS pemantau squad headed by Syed Fadil Husin and Ahmad Rizal became aware Abdul Azeez exited from the "voting place" in Sekolah Kebangsaan Pusat Cahbang Tiga near here.

Azeez was found to be wearing Barisan Nasional pass card belonging to Ibrahim Omar Identity Card Number 660404-11-5335 and him of representing a local while he is a BN candidate who contested in the Parliamentary Constituency of Baling, Kedah against Dato Taib Azzamuddin from PAS,

A police report was made because of the offence that Azeez who is accused of disguising as a voting agent.

KT by-election vote buying at Hotel YT Midtown

Is the Barisan Nasional desparate and resorting to vote buying in the Kuala Terengannu by-election? Here is what Tian Chua of PKR (Parti Keadilan Rakyat) has to say:

This election is tainted lah. With eh very, a lot of irregularitise, including money politics, including intimidations, government using government facilities to campaign. So we express our regrets this. And ah, and very unfortunate eh the government will as if like they will at all cost wants to win this election. Depends on how you look at it, but the is money being distributing, being distributed almost everyday. Ah they go to different places, giving 300, 500 and that sort of cash, handing it out with eh with the intention of persuading people to support eh Barisan Nasional. Eh this is unethical. I am not too sure what happened just now, but it looks like they are copying eh IC Identity card numbers of all the people and promising that eh if Barisan Nasional wins, tomorrow they will get the cash. So this is eh, this is eh in a way is a form of illegal vote buying. You cannot eh use money to influence or tempting for their voting persuasion. So this is happening here.

Source: Malaysiakini

Is UMNO or PAS more Islamic and dangerous?

Who is more Islamic and dangerous? Here are 2 person's view:

Raja Petra Kamarudin: Umno is more Islamic & dangerous than PAS. Who breaks ur temples? Who put 5 in ISA? Who declare M'sia Islamic country? Who snatch dead bodies? Who kill in police custody? Who create bumiputra? Who break family using syariah law?...Who use khalwat to spy on people? Who implement Islamic policy in schools? It is BN. For 50 yrs they brainwashed us to think that they are moderate. They are the extremists."

Jacqueline Ann Surin: "To that list, I might add that it is also under the current administration that Muslims are denied the religious freedom to choose another faith. Under this same administration, the Catholic Herald and all other non-Muslim groups are banned from using the word "Allah".

Malaysians signing a petition against the Islamic Family Law amendment, January 2006 (Pic courtesy of Ezrena)

Additionally, it was the BN government that, in late 2005, passed amendments to the Islamic Family Law that were not only grossly unjust to Muslim women but were also un-Islamic. And today, it is the BN government that is making it mandatory for Muslims to undergo flawed pre-marital HIV testing, which may even be extended to non-Muslims.

So, yes, PAS needs to be taken to task for not giving up its Islamic state agenda for a nation that was founded as a secular democracy. But, so should Umno, which, perhaps more cleverly, is less transparent about its attempts to infuse certain kinds of Islamic laws and teachings into public policy. And when these laws and teachings are contested, what's worse is that public discussion is curtailed through silencing and fear. Or sometimes, by telling concerned non-Muslims not to worry because it doesn't affect them. We should bear in mind that this is an oft-used argument both BN leaders and Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim are guilty of.

Umno may not be promoting hudud. For now. But more importantly, what is clear is that they haven't publicly opposed it, either. And, from the examples above, the Umno-led BN clearly has aspirations for an Islamic state of sorts. And I mean in a prejudiced way that perverts the more inclusive and just interpretations of all discourses "Islamic". Because I believe that Islam promotes justice, fairness and compassion as exhorted by notable Muslim organisations such as Sisters in Islam, and Muslim scholars such imam Feisal Abdul Rauf."

Razak Baginda Azilah Hadri lied

Did Razak Baginda lied when he made a sworn affidavit that Azilah Hadri told him that he (Azilah) had killed six men, or did Azilah Hadri lied (committed perjury) when he testified under oath that he never told Razak Baginda that he had killed six men? Both of them cannot be telling the truth. One lied. Who?

Election Commission says bad ethics is OK

Most Malaysians have the opinions that the Malaysian Election Commission is biased towards Barisan Nasional and the recent case of the Election Officer Datuk Mat Razali Kassim forced to resign because he campaigned for BN and threatened government staff with lay offs if they dare to vote for the opposition just confirmed on most Malaysian, no not mere suspicions, it is more than suspicions. This is just one case which has blown up in public. Worst, the newly appointed Election Officer said bad ethics is OK as long as bad ethics is illegal. I think this is the motto of Barisan Nasional, it is OK to do wrong as long as you don't get caught.

"As an RO, he has ethics. He cannot be biased towards any party. He must remain neutral and impartial," noted Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar. It's just ethics. Ethics is not law."

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah admitted failure

Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah Umno member of parliament for Gua Musang castigated the current Barisan Nasional government's management of the economy in a stinging speech at today's 11th annual Malaysia Strategic Outlook Conference 2009.

He talked about how the government had failed to respond to the needs of the poor. He talked about how the education system crippled the youth of the nation, allowing them to grow up without the necessary skills needed to be competitive.

Of the socio-economic strategies he said: “We cannot comfort ourselves that we have sacrificed growth for social equity. If there is a trade off between growth and equity, we have not made it. We are failing on both counts.”

“Even if we manage to coast through this downturn, we will emerge with an economy that has failed to gear itself up to the demands of the global economy, fallen yet further behind the developmental path and locked ourselves tighter into a pattern of low growth.”

Asked by the audience what can be done to change the present political leadership to one better suited to guide Malaysia through the rocky times ahead, Razaleigh replied: “I tried but I failed.”

Read Lee Wei Lian's full report at Malaysia Insider's Has Ku Li gone rogue?

Azilah testimony confirmed Balasubramanian Statutory Declaration

Here is statement number 5 of Private Investigator's first Statutory Declaration:

5. I was however re-employed by Abdul Razak Baginda on the 05-10-2006 as he had apparently received a harassing phone call from a Chinese man calling himself ASP Tan who had threatened him to pay his debts. I later found out this gentleman was in fact a private investigator called Ang who was employed by a Mongolian woman called Altantuya Shaaribuu.

Here is the testimony of Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri:

After contacting him through a phone number given to him by Musa, Azilah and Abdul Razak met the next day in the latter’s office.

During the meeting, Azilah testified, Abdul Razak told him that he was being blackmailed by a Chinese man and a Chinese woman.

Azilah said he was not told why Abdul Razak was being blackmailed and neither was he told the amount being demanded.

But Abdul Razak let Azilah listen to a voice message, allegedly from the “Chinese man.” In the message, the “Chinese man” said in Malay that “kasi pecah you punya muka,” which can be loosely translated as “I will smash your face.”

KT Election Officer resigned abrubtly

English translation of a report in Malaysiakini:

Kuala Terengannu Election Officer resigned abruptly
Jan 15, 09 8:40pm

With only 1 day left to the Kuala Terengganu by-election, the Election Officer Datuk Mat Razali Kassim resigned after being accused (heavily) by PAS.

He who is also the Mayor of Kuala Terengganu resigned abruptly today after PAS accused him of asking the Kuala Terengganu City Council (MBKT) to support the BN candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

In a statement by the Election Commission (SPR) early tonight, Mat Razali is replaced by the Assistant Election Officer Wan Mustafa Wan Hassan, who is also the secretary of MBKT.

"SPR agree to receive Mat Razali resignation as Election Officer of P036 Kuala Terengganu by-election with immediate effect." said the SPR Secretary Datuk Ngah Senik.

In addition, in compliance with the provision of Section 3(c) and 5(1)(a) of the General Election Act appoint the assistant of Mat Razali as the new General Election Officer with immediate effect.

Other than PAS accusation, a police report was made by the Head of PKR Youth Mohd Fariz Musa accusing Mat Razali threaten about 590 staff of MBKT in a meeting di the Tunku Abdul Rahman Hall yesterday morning.

From Malaysiakini:

Pegawai p'raya KT tarik diri mengejut
Jan 15, 09 8:40pm
Tinggal satu hari lagi pengundian pilihanraya kecil Kuala Terengganu, pegawai pengurusnya Datuk Mat Razali Kassim menarik diri selepas didakwa berat sebelah oleh PAS.

Beliau, yang juga datuk bandar Kuala Terengganu, meletakkan jawatan mendadak hari ini selepas PAS menuduhnya meminta kakitangan Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu (MBKT) menyokong calon BN Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

Dalam kenyataan Suruhanjaya Plihan Raya (SPR) awal malam ini, Mat Razali digantikan oleh penolong pegawai pengurus pilihanraya parlimen ini Wan Mustafa Wan Hassan, yang juga setiausaha MBKT.

"SPR bersetuju menerima penarikan diri Mat Razali sebagai pegawai pengurus pilihanraya kecil P036 Kuala Terengganu berkuatkuasa serta-merta," kata Setiausaha SPR Datuk Ngah Senik.

Tambahnya, selaras dengan peruntukan Seksyen 3(c) dan 5(1)(a) Akta Pilihan Raya 1958, suruhanjaya itu melantik penolong Mat Razali sebagai pegawai pilihanraya baru berkuatkuasa serta-merta.

Selain dakwaan PAS, satu laporan polis dibuat oleh ketua Angkatan Muda PKR Mohd Fariz Musa dengan mendakwa Mat Razali mengugut kira-kira 590 kakitangan MBKT dalam satu pertemuan di Dewan Tunku Abdul Rahman pagi semalam.

Kuala Terengannu by-election vote buying antidote

Sim Kwang Yang of Malaysiakini wrote of vote buying in the Kuala Trengannu buy-election in which voters are paid RM400 to vote for BN (Barisan Nasional) and the voter have to use a mobile phone (with digital camera) to take a photo of their ballot paper to prove that they actually voted for BN. I hope the KT voters would not succumb to this temptation and reject the offer. Otherwise if they want to take the money, what they can do is to first mark the ballot paper for BN, take a photo, then spoil the vote by marking for PAS as well. Any ballot paper with markings for more than 1 candidate will be considered as spoilt vote:

A vote for RM400

I read an account on the Internet by a Chinese youth in KT who is too young to vote. He has an uncle who is a longstanding member of the local MCA. Having been saturated with political education by DAP ceramah speakers, the uncle went to BN meetings and asked questions raised in the campaign. He was hushed down immediately.

So now the uncle has decided to vote for PAS, though he was offered RM400 by the BN for his vote. The wise nephew advised him to take the money and vote for PAS. The older man told him that he must photograph his vote inside the polling booth on his mobile phone, and send the picture of his actual vote to the paymaster, or else he would not be paid. If he does not have an expensive mobile phone, one would be provided for him. If he is found to have voted for PAS, all kinds of punishment will descend upon him after the by-election.

Having been at the receiving end of many campaigns of money politics, I find this story believable. This device of using the mobile phone to monitor voter's actual vote violates the secrecy of the vote, and is obviously against the election laws. But in a small town where everybody knows everybody, the uncle is unlikely to lodge a police report over it.

The obvious thing for the Election Commission to do is to ban all voters from bringing their mobile phones into the polling centre. The opposition election agents must also object vehemently to the use of the mobile phone inside the voting booth.

Altantuya Shaariibuu murder - who is Musa Safri?

Look at the difference in reporting between MSM (main stream media) The Star's report of the trial of Altantuya Shaariibuu murder and that of online news portal Malaysia Insider and Malaysiakini:

The Star:

Chief Inspector Azilah Hadri told the High Court that a higher ranking police officer DSP Musa Safri had asked him to help political analyst Abdul Razak Abdullah Baginda.

Note: no mention of the position of Musa Safri and his relation with Najib Abdul Razak, just a high ranking police officer.

Malaysia Insider

Tantalising details emerged about how the two accused policemen got involved in the case on the instruction of Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s aide-de-camp Musa Safri, including the emergence of a new character, identified as a “Chinese man,” in the saga which has gripped the nation.



Malaysiakini

Azilah, 32, who is taking the witness stand for the first time, told Shah Alam High Court that the Deputy Prime Minister's aide-de-camp Musa Safri had given Abdul Razak's handphone number to him to help resolve the political analyst's problem.

Prime Minister and the 3 pillars of democracy

Mohd Ezam the turncoat has made public a letter purported to be from Anwar Ibrahim to Dr. Mahathir offering a message of love and gratitude to Dr. Mahathir a few days after Anwar Ibrahim was sacked as Deputy Prime Minister of Malaysia by Dr. Ibrahim.

Anwar Ibrahim and responded with "So? What's the problem? Saya tak berdamai dengan siapa (Who am I not at peace with)? What is the problem? What is the problem in making peace with anyone?"

Source: Malaysiakini

I still have some lingering suspicions of Anwar Ibrahim. However, between BN (Barisan Nasional) and PR (Pakatan Rakyat or the People's Coalition comprising DAP, PKR and PAS), I would take PR anytime. My choice is based on this:

As long as PR can put in place a system of checks and balance between the 3 pillars of democracy - Executive (Prime Minister and the Cabinet), Parliament and Judiciary (the courts and the judges), the person acting as Prime Minister will become less important as currently as all his actions and decisions will be subject to checks and balance by the other 2 pillars of democracy - the Parliament comprising all the elected Members of Parliament and the Judiciary.

What I am looking forward to is a change of Federal Government and the new Federal Government put in this crucial check and balance and we need worry less on who the Prime Minister is as power will become less concentrated in the PM unlike the situation now even after the recent cosmetic reforms put in place by the current lame duck Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi.

Karpal Singh hopes Council of Rulers will review Zaki Azmi's position as Chief Justice

Photo of Chief Justice Zaki Azmi courtesy of Malaysiakini

On November 18, 2008, Karpal Singh, in his capacity as the chairperson of the newly-formed parliamentary caucus on judiciary independence and integrity, challenged Zaki Azmi to resign as Chief Justice of Malaysia within 7 days. "In the event Zaki does not step down as CJ within seven days from today, I will have no alternative but to move a motion against him under Article 127 of the federal constitution for having misled the country with his so-called clarification," said Karpal further. "There is an audio recording (to prove that he lied), I think you can take my word for it what has been quoted in Kuching. There is no doubt about it."

The above was related to a report in the New Straits Times which quoted Zaki Azmi as having committed corruption. Zaki delivered a speech at a convention in Kuching on Nov 7 which he recalled an incident in 1987 and allegedly said the following:

"It took me six months to be nice, to bribe each and every individual to get back into their good books before our files were attended to. That was my personal experience, and I am telling this to all the clerks and all the registries to stop this nonsense".

Zaki however issued a clarification later, saying the reporter has misinterpreted him. Karpal Singh claimed to have an audio recording of Zaki Azmi's speech and now challenged the Chief Justice to sue him for defamation. Karpal Singh had moved a motion in the Parliament to debate the matter but was turned down twice by the Speaker. Now Karpal Singh has resorted to appealing to the Agong and the Council of Rulers to remove Zaki Azmi as Chief Justice of Malaysia.

Source: Malaysiakini

Hudud Muslims only Abdul Wahid Endut

Here is one more quotation from PAS candidate for the Trengganu Parliamentary by-election, Abdul Wahid Endut:

"And I have been telling the Chinese that Hudud does not affect them, and they are not afraid, so it is not an issue here. We have explained it well to the people of Terengganu."

HUDUD to apply to Muslims only

I am putting this on record so that hopefully, PAS will be bound by what they said:

PAS national integration chairperson Mujahid Yusof Rawa was reported to have said: "I would like to emphasise that if hudud law is implemented, it would be only on Muslims. Non-Muslims will not be affected. In Islam, we are taught to respect the rights of not only Muslims but also non-Muslims."

PAS Supporters’ Club chairperson Hu Pang Chaw was also reported to have said: "Unlike Chinese in other parts of the country, those in Kelantan and Terengganu understand Islam better. We know hudud only applies to Muslims."

HUDUD, if ever implemented in Malaysia, will only apply to Muslim and not non-Muslim.

Based on this, I call on all the voters in Kuala Trengganu to vote for the PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid. Send a strong message to BN and Najib that we no longer wants BN to "misrule" us any longer.

Source: Malaysiakini