APCO’s Client & Paymaster: Is it Malaysian government or is it Najib?

Also was 1 Malaysia originally Najib’s sole creation and idea? Hazlan Zakaria pointed out many things about APCO’s public relation exercise and some public relations for Najib and spouse Rosmah Mansur.

Isreal had its 1 Isreal so too Indonesia has its 1 Indonesia. Indonesia too had APCO as its PR consultant in 2003 simultaneous with employment of APCO. This makes Najib’s claim doubtful.

Hazlan also pointed out some PR exercises polishing up Najib’s image so it is legitimate to question whether these were paid for by the Malaysian government or Najib himself. Hope some MP will ask this in the Parliament.

Article below courtesy of Malaysiakini: ‘Rescuing Najib’:

'Rescuing' Najib

Hazlan Zakaria
Feb 4, 11
5:06pm

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COMMENT One week after Valentine's Day 1996, an American named Richard Dresner stepped off an Aeroflot flight into what was formerly the Communist heartland of Soviet Russia.
A political consultant who worked on various US politicians' campaigns, including that of former president Bill Clinton, he was a man on a mission.
Together with fellow political consultants Joe Shumate and George Gorton, his mandate was to “rescue” then incumbent Russian president Boris Yeltsin from political disaster.
As related by a Time magazine article on the matter, Dresner's recruitment can be traced back to Russian emigre Felix Braynin, then a 48-year old native of Belarus who had settled in the US in 1979.
Braynin was a self-made, wealthy management consultant who advised Americans about investing in Russia, but maintained his ties with confidants of Yeltsin.
Perturbed by Yeltsin's plummeting ratings and dismal chance at re-election, Braynin contacted First Deputy Prime Minister Oleg Soskovets, in charge of the Russian leader's campaign.
He persuaded Soskovets to hire political consultants from the US to rescue their president from being a one-term wonder.
Events surrounding this was romanticised in the 2003 movie “Spinning Boris” starring Jeff Goldblum, Anthony La Paglia and Liev Schreiber.
From the halls of Russian Czars
The facts of these events were documented in the aptly titled Time article “Rescuing Boris” - on which the movie was based - by the magazine's Moscow correspondent Michael Kramer.
Officials from Russia while admitting that they indeed hired Dresner and his team, downplayed the American's role in the president's campaign.
Historian Andrew Wilson in his essay “Virtual Politics in the ex-Soviet bloc” also rubbished that “spin-doctors or K-Street consultants”, like Dresner, have done much to affect Russian politics.
A major thoroughfare in Washington DC, K Street is where numerous think tanks, lobbyists, and advocacy groups, oft referred to as 'Beltway Bandits' accused of public funds wastage in high-priced government consultancy contracts, are addressed.
Wilson gave credit to “forms of political manipulation more radical, pervasive and corrosive of real democracy than anything attempted by in the west” still practised by post-Soviet states.
Dresner refuted such views, instead proposing that it was he and his team that breathed new life into Yeltsin's flagging campaign, thus changing the landscape of post-Soviet Russian politics.
Denials and aspersions aside, Kramer summed it all up when he concluded: “Democracy triumphed--and along with it came the tools of modern campaigns, including the trickery and slickery Americans know so well.”
To the shores of Malaysia
Just as in the wintry halls of Russian czars a wheezing Boris was rescued 15 years ago, the 'marines' of American politics assailed the tropical shores of Malaysia to rescue a sweating Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak.
But instead of Dresner and his pals, the 'trickery and slickery' of American politics arrived here in the guise of Paul Geoffrey Stadlen and his team from consultancy firm Apco Worldwide.
Their beachhead, a RM2 company called Mind Teams Sdn Bhd, was contracted into helping the BN-led Malaysian government to 'wag the dog' or influence the electorate - not to mention fashion new 'emperor's robes' for the Najib regime to dress itself in more US-friendly clothing.
Mind Teams later became Apco World Wide Sdn Bhd after signing a lucrative RM77 million contract with the government, curiously signed by Najib's press secretary, not a minister of rank.
The identity of the signatory on behalf of the Malaysian government, while played down by some, is quite important, for reasons that will be touched on later.
An 'unelected' premier
Whoever signed the deal, Najib's desperation and need for political help was perhaps understandable.
The 'unelected' premier was eager to improve his international standing that was paling before that of his rival, Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, and to help deal with some pesky domestic issues.
Anwar is still the darling of international media and held considerable sway in international politics and economic circles. His personal friendship with world leaders can only serve as a boost as well.
Najib is less well-known than Anwar internationally and has other 'perception' problems.
One major problem for this 1Malaysia prime minister, is his alleged links to the grisly murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu.
On the domestic front, Najib, while an elected member of parliament, only became prime minister after he successfully schemed with Umno warlords to 'revolt' against his boss, then premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, mid-term.
Current Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, thought of as an Abdullah loyalist, in an 'Et-tu, Brute?' moment led conspirators to 'sheathe their daggers' into the then premier's political career.
The former prime minister's political career thus died - long live the prime minister!

A saintly, smiling Najib looked on and happily took over the reins of power.
But Najib must now deal with the aftermath of internecine Umno warfare. And engage in a public relations exercise with the rest of the world that does not read Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia nor watch government-proxy controlled TV3.
Strategic communications
Apco then took charge of 'strategic communications' for the Malaysian government, helping it diplomatically with the US and the rest of the world and to communicate programs and messages to the public.
Apco's services perhaps helped the BN-led government to suddenly gain standing in parts of the world that Apco, by no accident, maintained offices with and proudly boasts of close ties with host governments.
Not to mention the appearance of glowing editorials, articles and reports from city newspapers and obscure NGOs in said regions. Curiously, these have also gone hand-in-hand with character attacks against Anwar.
In seeming quid-pro-quo moment, the government rushed through a strategic materials control law, announced to curtail flow of weaponry to terrorists in seeming support of the US war on terror.
US president Barack Obama himself eager perhaps to prove that US policy is being supported by worldwide partners, promptly patted the Najib regime on the back and favoured it with a handshake and an out-of-the-blue phone call, shoring up the Malaysian premier's credibility.
Coincidentally, Indonesia also hired Apco in 2003 in time with similar anti-terror moves by our close neighbour that garnered it several pats in the back from the US.
Najib's 1Malaysia?
Domestically Najib also embarked on an ambitious 1Malaysia campaign, a concept he claimed he envisioned.
But the existence of a One Israel, 1Indonesia and Satu Indonesia campaign throws doubt that continue to dog his claim.
But since Najib is an honourable man with dishonourable conduct yet unproven, we must for now accept his claim that 1Malaysia is his baby.
After all, such honourable men as he would not lie dishonourably to advance political agendas, would he?
But the fact remains that Apco has contracts, existing or previous, with all three governments, Malaysia, Indonesia and Israel.
Similarities between their separate campaigns can perhaps be explained by the six bullet points of politics that all political consultants know by heart. The holy grail of keeping the electorate happy: healthcare, crime, economy, governance, corruption and food.
Make sure there's food on the table, reduce crime, stamp out corruption and improve healthcare, economy and good governance.
Some, if not all of there were similarly targeted in all three campaigns, but one cannot discount coincidence and similar ploys in the standard political consultancy play book.
Beltway Bandits, Malaysian-style
But whether or not Apco originates any of the 'One' campaigns, it is without doubt that they did provide the governments with expertise and help, perhaps instrumental in those programs.
These included the formation of various think-tank agencies and labs, public funds sinkholes for 'consultancy projects' in the tradition of the 'Beltway Bandits'.
In the same vein, expensive ivy-league analysts and high-brow communications are employed, often led by high-profile corporate figures who have changed hats from turn-around king to spin-king.
Most of these expensive 'labs' were formed to look into how to improve governance instead of actually implementing the improvement.
A case in point is one GLC, set up just to 'look into' implementation of nuclear power despite studies already done by other agencies.
What begs the question relates to the surfacing of events and incidents which smacks of public relations stunts whose beneficiary is not the government or the country, but the PM and his spouse.
From boxes found aboard yachts shared with Saudi princes to the sudden visits of Hollywood actors.
The journey then swayed to include overly-flowery PM speeches and rent-a-cats to Twitter and video messages.
This brings to the table the earlier mentioned issue of the contract between Apco and Malaysia being signed by the PM's press secretary instead of a minister of rank.
Who is client, who is paymaster?
The question to ask is: Who is Apco's client? Is it the government, or the PM personally?
This a serious concern, as Apco's contract is paid for by the taxpayers. It is kosher to pay Apco for government PR work, but a no-no to pay it to handle Najib's dirty laundry.
For that he needs to pay for himself or get Umno to pay for him.
Even in the US, consultancy firms are paid to do government public relations, but political consultants for individual politicians must be paid for out of the politician's pocket's or his party's.
This, out of the many issues pointed out by Anwar's tirade over Apco's hiring, is one that has some grounds to it.
It should not matter that they are Israelis amongst Apco staff, as Anwar often complained, because even he consorted with others of the 'chosen race'.
The irony is, it was Anwar's own globe-trotting antics and constant bad-mouthing of Malaysia in the international press that forced Najib to seek Apco's services.
But whatever the case, in the end it is the Malaysian public that will foot the final bill for the government think-tanks, labs, and the alleged PR campaigns of a premier and his spouse.
Apco's rescue of Najib brought with it the 'smoke and mirrors' of American politics, birthing a whole new breed of cronies to plaque us and create more 'leakages' in government spending.
Well-heeled 'consultants' as opposed to rough-edged 'contractors' of the Mahathir era.
May Allah save us all.

Rosmah Mansur: First Lady of Malaysia?

'Don't cry for me, oh Malaysia'

Hazlan Zakaria
Feb 3, 11
4:52pm

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COMMENT Did Rosmah Mansor, wife to our Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak sing "Don't Cry For Me, Malaysia!' when, overnight, the special department said to have been set up to serve herdisappeared from the online listings of the Prime Minister's Office.
In the US government there is a position in the White House called First Lady of The United States - or Flotus for short - that serves as the better half of POTUS - the President of The United States.
While there is such an office dedicated to the woman behind the most powerful man in America, it is merely an adjunct to the office of president and is without any real standing in the government.
The Flotus doesn't execute policies nor dictate diplomatic direction. Unless you discount Jackie O Kennedy and her insistence on deciding on the wardrobe for dignitaries on the day of her husband JF Kennedy's, funeral.
Protocol officers dread the installation of a female US president. The term Fgotus or First Gentleman of The United States and Fhotus or First Husband of The United States have been floated as replacement. But let's leave that to the protocol experts to figure out.
The honour is reserved for the wife of the head of state, in our case it is the Permaisuri Agung, not for the wife of a chief executive of the government, as the term has been abused as improper and in terms of practice.
Considering the US-based firm assisting Najib with 'strategic communications', recent revelations of a FLOM division smacks of a Flotus-style addendum to the Prime Minister's Office.
In truth, even true First Ladies don't have direct access to power, as they are unelected adjuncts to a democratically elected post.
Regardless of personal capabilities or lack there of, Rosmah is not empowered to act in ministerial capacity nor to dictate public policies, government programs or diplomatic direction.
Regulations allow her to represent her spouse only in ceremonial functions.
But Rosmah seems to be flouting all of the above, while public funds continue to pay for her trips abroad, her personal 'Permata' programmes, and her gallivanting 'diplomatic' dos.
Public relations stunt?
This is not the first time the 'first lady' was involved in what smacks of a 'public relations stunt' as one of the 'strategic communications services' being afforded to Najib and Rosmah by a 'certain' consultancy firm famous for serving dictators.
There was that moment when Rosmah (right, with Martha Stewart) found and returned a 'valuable' box to a Saudi prince that she had found on a yacht rented for holiday. We hope neither the yacht nor the public relations stunt was paid for by the rakyat's taxes.
Then there was the sudden 'visit' by Rober de Niro.
That, in turn, followed an award for 'international peace and harmony' by an obscure non-governmental organisation and a 'state visit' arranged for her to the United States.
Nor can we discount the off-colour 'Saya mahu main' joke made at the expense of national badminton shuttler Lee Chong Wei, tastelessly planted by Najib and ministers in his cabinet during an event in Parliament House, no less.
A scripted 'joke' scripted by political consultants to endear a certain personality to the public, perhaps?
One wonders how many tasteless jokes and Cheshire cats can make an aloof leader and his spouse 'closer' to the public.
Such 'personal' services paid for by public funds, however, is just downright improper.
Of course, unless one wanted to be dragged before Parliament's rights and privileges committee and suspended like Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, one must not dispute that any of this, like 1Malaysia, is but the brain child of the PM himself.
Despite Najib's protestation and assertions of the non-existence of dedicated staff and funding for Rosmah in his parliamentary reply to Bukit Bendera MP Liew Chin Tong, the FLOM revelations raise more questions.
Is there another YB who should follow Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim into suspension for "misleading the House"?
After all, in the much vaunted traditions of Westminster Parliament, one as wise as the wise and honourable Speaker would know that Standing Order 36(12) was instituted to protect Parliament and the country from ministers who mislead.
If the Parliament and the Speaker were truly independent and the rights and privileges committee was truly concerned about 'who is misleading the House', perhaps it is the leader of the ruling coalition who should be censured.
Backdoor to power
But this is the coalition that deals with the inconvenience of having its ministers democratically elected by anointing them senators, thereby using the back door to allow a politician favoured by Najib who lost the people's mandate to serve the people - or even their masters who elevated them.
This is a clear violation of the requirements for senatorship, positions reserved for those with expertise and wisdom and those with years of service in the country under their belt, not asrewards for political turncoats or 'lifeline' for rejected politicians.
I wonder how many years of actual service to the country a particular former PKR Youth leader amassed to be considered one who has 'served' the nation? Unless one was a sleeper agent for the powers that be all along, 'serving' them all this while?
What if the person picked to represent 'service' to women in Malaysia were a former minister who had been shown the exit by voters in her own constituency? Or are they suggesting that there is a dearth of true women activists in our country?
How can one forget the well-dressed Oxford-educated young man who, like Arnold Schwarzenegger, also married into what was once the Kennedys of Malaysia? Or should I say the family of Pak Lah.
He too 'married' his way into power, though like the 'Terminator' star himself, he is now out of favour with scant hope of us hearing him say "I'll be back".
Considering all the above, maybe one really can come into power - not only vis-a-vis back door senatorships - but via front pew marriages to ministers or, perhaps, the prime minister, instead? Dare I say it... Malaysia Boleh!
Evita, Imelda or Leila?
But back door or not, there are precedents of genuine first ladies who gained political weight and power via marriage. The more benign of such was the one and only Eva Peron, more well known in Argentina as Evita.
Second wife to Argentine President Juan Peron, she was not only the first lady, but rose to be the de-facto head of a government ministry and led foundations that worked to uplift the people.
While claims of abuses abounds, she is still revered as a true heroine of the Argentine people today, which should speak for something. None will argue that Evita was indeed close to the people.
And she used the power she wrested to work for and with them.
Despite her flamboyant fashion taste and expensive 'rainbow tours', she did hold a torch to the people's rights and aspirations.
But when it comes to Rosmah, one has to ask: is she an Evita?
Or does she more closely resemble a certain Imelda Marcos.
Or to use a more recent example, Leila Ben Ali, the spouse of Tunisia's former 'president-for-life'?
Both gained 'power' via marriage much like Evita. but neither were as popular nor people-friendly with their bounty.
Should we cry, 'Oh, Malaysia?

Article courtesy of Malaysiakini: Don’t Cry for me Malaysia

Irresponsible Election Commission: Change government to change EC Chairman

The actions of the Malaysia Election Commission in the recent Tenang by-election again not only demonstrated the lack of impartiality of the EC, the police and other civil services involved in helping ferry voter in flooded constituencies, they have also demonstrated irresponsibility in not calling a halt and postponement of the by-election thus putting voters who braved the floods to vote. It is time to change the irresponsible Chairman by first changing the Federal Government so that we can have at least fair if not free elections.

Article below courtesy of Malaysiakini: Muddy waters: Post-Tenang Reflections:

Muddy waters: Post-Tenang reflections

Bridget Welsh
Jan 31, 11
4:58pm

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COMMENT Malaysia's 14th by-election since March 2008 scored another victory in the BN column, as they held onto their seat. This was expected, as it was home ground for Umno and the contest was purely about the winning majority.
Even with the lower voter turnout, Umno did well with a comfortable and higher majority of 3,707. Rather than provide a numerical assessment of the voting results, let me share some broader observations and tensions that arise from the Tenang campaign.
Despite the centrality of machinery and money, this election highlights the increasing challenges of engaging the diverse electorate in Malaysia. Arguably, the dynamics of the by-election in Johor muddy the waters, making the decisions about national electoral strategies and tactics even more complex.

Decision to proceed irresponsible
The most defining feature of this election was the weather. It was dreadful, and it negatively affected the polling. Watching voters drench themselves to vote, despite umbrellas, and wade in up to knee-high water to the polling station, made me question whether the by-election was worth the risks involved.
I remain deeply puzzled why this by-election was not postponed. I woke up the morning of the poll thinking that it might already be time for Noah's Ark as the overnight downpour had already affected roads and submerged parts of the constituency.
The fact that four polling stations (30 percent of the stations) were inaccessible by early afternoon made this question even more salient. It is fortunate that no one was seriously hurt and some voters were able to navigate the slick hazardous conditions, as the decision to continue with the polls appeared irresponsible.
Voters, however, braved on. They believed strongly in their civic responsibility to vote, to have their opinion recorded despite the inconveniences involved in casting it. This speaks to an important feature of Malaysian politics, that even despite lackluster campaigns on both sides, when asked to act responsibly, to fulfill their roles as citizens, they do so.
It was not only a matter of reward or partisanship, but a deep-seated desire both to be heard and be part of the national political landscape. Johoreans, in particular, feel left out of the excitement, and don't like to be ignored.
What was striking is that the weather highlighted perhaps the biggest governance problem locally – flooding. While it is easy to think that climate change and heavy rain were responsible, the fact remains that flooding is also man-made.
The land development practices of clearing land and failure to adequately monitor deforestation have contributed to the high siltation of the streams and river and created increased vulnerability to flooding. The low-lying areas are well-known, but the problem has clearly been inadequately addressed.
Part of the problem is that flooding lies in the multiple jurisdictions of state and federal authorities, but this should not have been an excuse in Johor. The infrastructure is not up to par, and regular flooding is now the norm. Just a few years ago, areas in Johor were completely submerged.
This by-election is a wake-up call to the BN government to act responsibly. The Tenang by-election showcased the problem of flooding that is now frequent in semi-rural areas throughout the country. It is a national problem that needs attention. Many of the voters who opted for the BN did so with the hope that conditions would improve in the future, that their civic responsibility would yield a more responsible government response.
Chinese not spooked by Islamic state
The reasons people voted as they did are not so easy to capture. Three interesting features stand out.
First, the focus among voters was on the party rather than the candidate. For BN voters, the dominant thread was loyalty to Umno. For the majority of opposition voters, the focus was primarily on Pakatan Rakyat.
Chinese voters were not as scared off with the Islamic state tactics, while those loyal to PAS continued to feel both a connection to the Islamic party and its cooperation with other component partners. In other by-elections, the candidate chosen was decisive. Here, given the credentials of both candidates, party emerged as more central.
This suggests that while the choice of candidate may be increasingly important in urban areas, the image and identity of the party remains central in more semi-rural communities. Both of the main parties concerned – Umno and PAS – have challenges in improving their images and profiles in parts of the country, especially those where they have limited machinery or tainted images.
Another feature of Tenang was the lack of political awareness or interest. Many, especially in the more rural areas, had never even heard of Pakatan and many were just not interested in politics.
The intense politicking followed closely byMalaysiakini readers does not permeate the lives of Tenang voters, and they like it that way. Unlike Sibu, there was not a major political awakening in Tenang and voters did not relate to many of the opposition concerns about corruption and justice.
This is a challenge politically, as many outside of urban centres have limited sources of political information and do not connect with issues touted by the urban-based political leaders the same way. Take 'Interlok', for example. This book was seen as distant from the life experience of voters. Meshing political issues with local outlooks remains a challenge across the political spectrum.
Finally, given the dominance of Umno and its close relationship to government officials, one of the most difficult issues involves the blurred lines between government and party. The nasty weather conditions brought this to the fore, as police, fire officials, rural development authorities and election officials faced real challenges in managing their jobs neutrally.
The scarce resources of boats and equipment added to the perception – deeply held in the Chinese-majority areas where assistance was less forthcoming – that civil servants did not respond fairly. It was exacerbated by the perception and reality that voting cut along ethnic lines and added to the view that the response was ethnically biased.
Further investigation is needed to assess this, but the perception remains and is a product of the government's failure to draw sharp lines between what is for the party work and what belongs to the citizens at large.
Given the multiple jurisdictions of governance and increased competitiveness, the need for civil servant neutrality is even more pressing. Any election should ultimately not rest on the selective use of government resources for the interest of any party. It makes the victory hollow, and raises ethical concerns and feeds unnecessarily into the increasingly racialised political lens.

Soul searching for PAS and MCA
As the waters subside, there are two political parties that have the most soul-searching to do. First is PAS. They are losing Malay ground in semi-rural areas. While in fairness, they had little support in the first place in Tenang, this election taken with the totality of results in the past few elections, including Galas in Kelantan, suggest some serious rethinking.
The challenge for PAS is how to gain support in semi-rural areas that are multi-ethnic constituencies, e.g. Galas, Tenang and Merlimau, especially those in western and southern parts of Peninsular Malaysia.
The Islamic state agenda polarise the electorate creating a zero-sum dynamic. Finding an identity that is inclusive, across races, and does not put pressure on Pakatan partners is not easy. The recent by-elections point to PAS' Malay deficit, one that is focused in some areas more than others.
PAS is not able to effectively engage Felda settlers and break into traditional Umno ground. Despite the strong candidate, PAS appeared less connected to voters in Tenang than it did elsewhere.
For the BN, Tenang was MCA's test in its strongest base. They did not deliver. The money, the promises, the Islamic state bogey, the personal presence and the month-long campaigning tied to the Chinese New Year did not win additional votes.
There was no major swing back to MCA in its core political ground. This spells trouble for the party as it relies heavily on Umno for its seats and is unable to be seen as a strong representative of the Chinese community. The fact that very few young Chinese voters came back from Singapore to vote (many from Kuala Lumpur did however) is even more telling for MCA. The results could have been worse.
Like PAS, the MCA faces the challenge of redefining its political identity and engagement. It can see first-hand how MIC and Gerakan have weakened, and MCA – along with perhaps PBB (Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu Sarawak) – remains the last party standing that has some autonomy besides Umno.
The choices ahead for MCA are as difficult as those of PAS as it balances its subservient role in the BN with the need for its own survival.
Beyond Tenang
It is fitting that the next by-election is in a similar mixed-race constituency in a semi-rural area. Pakatan will face an uphill battle there as well. Campaigning has started already.
One hopes that the all the parties go beyond the shallow and negative messages and “goodies” that have dominated Tenang. It is the last round pre-Sarawak contest before the next general election. Both sides are weary and the fatigue is showing.
Yet if yesterday's polls are illustrative, the parties have to step up their game and give more responsible and positive options to voters to deserve the level of national commitment to Malaysia's future that the Tenang voters showed by voting despite having to wade through very muddy waters.

DR BRIDGET WELSH is associate professor of political science at Singapore Management University. She is in Tenang to observe the by-elections. Welsh can be reached at bwelsh@smu.edu.sg.

Comments 1 to 8 of 8

JUSTICE KINI EC annouse that election cannot be cancell or postpone.EC name the clause in the election rule under such circumtances where Human life may lose.Water level was as high as chest level.Is it not the EC concern for Human life then just to finish off a by election. Here the people was last not first and perform Now was also questionable.Proform means not taking human life as stake.ForMCA islamic issue.Answer this Was Malaysia claims as Islamic Nation and can you descript Hudud laws.Its fair and just.In one word justice to all.What is against the non muslim.This cannot be impose on them. Punishment.Hudud had seek Allah to invervent in punishment.If you murder someone will the common laws set you free.CSL come out of narrow minded way and educate yourself about Islamic laws then harp on PAS if any change their impose unjust laws.Govt macharinary.EC rule under emergency cannot cancell election.By virture can BN use Govt machinery.Under flood the Govt agencies should had allow even asisstance

8 minutes ago · Report

docs My inference from this election is that MCA has joined the likes of PPP, MIC & Gerakan - Irrelevant BN component parties and can't deliver votes for nuts.

19 minutes ago · Report

ong taik kheng If the chances of winning had favored PR, I am absolutely certain the Tenang by-election would have been postponed.

30 minutes ago · Report

Onyourtoes Continue…Nincompoop citizens need to be told that flood is also caused by disorderly and haphazard development, corruption and other neglects. But as I said, let them rot; it is ok, I think life is not too bad at this stage. I am sorry TBH have to suffer a thankless death. I hope we shall have no more TBH. It is not worth it. Let the people rot.

31 minutes ago · Report

Onyourtoes Continue…Malaysians can live through injustices and unnecessary custody death without any qualm. Malaysians can tolerate the most blatant abuse of power and corruption so long as they are not personally affected (they actually can’t see it, not that they are not affected in any way). Malaysians can drive through a three hours jam or flooded roads so long as the cars they are driving are either Mercedes or BMW. We are greedy people devoid of any sense of justice, good governance and fair play. You know what – why bother to fight for them in the first play. Let them rot. The flood in Tenang should last a little longer and may be a little more severe. We shall see who are going to provide them with boats, umbrella, food and shelter now. Of course nincompoop citizens can only relate flood to heavy rain and act of god. continue..

32 minutes ago · Report

Onyourtoes ///Yet if yesterday's polls are illustrative, the parties have to step up their game and give more responsible and positive options to voters to deserve the level of national commitment to Malaysia's future that the Tenang voters showed by voting despite having to wade through very muddy waters///. I really don’t quite understand your last paragraph. What other more responsible and positive options Malaysians deserve? What national commitment to Malaysia’s future are you talking about? As far as I can see, there is only one simple option to gain votes – cans of Milo, cheap biscuits and RM50 angpow. Did we not see these are the most effective weapons? Malaysians have no feeling and conviction on anything worthwhile. I am not a politician or going to stand for election, so let me say my piece. Continue…

32 minutes ago · Report

Observer of Johor Majority of Tenang voters voted for flood. So, they deserve it.

an hour ago · Report

sincere citizen To BN Tenang voters you all have asked for it.

an hour ago · Report

SOS Malaysian Voters please help bring change

The events unfolding in Tenang by-election in Johore again illustrated the huge odds those striving for positive change in Malaysia are up against. Not only were the police, Fire Departments, etc, that were mobilized to help ferry voters to the polling stations discriminating against those perceived to be opposition supporters and not deploying or deploying minimal help to perceived opposition strongholds, the wastepapers (terms I now use to refer to the MSM newspapers) and even the online news site the Malaysian Insiders failed to report this discrimination that was only reported by Malaysiakini (they deserve our support for true journalism) as you can see in the article reproduced below courtesy of Malaysiakini: Pakatan decries selective assistance to voters.

Reforms (positive changes) will not be easily achieved in Malaysia and those struggling against such odds really need the support of Malaysians and this is a SOS call to them to mobilize and help in whatever way they can to speed up this uphill battle:

 

Pakatan decries selective assistance to voters

Kuek Ser Kuang Keng
Jan 30, 11
4:50pm

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The day-long downpour in Tenang had caused flooding in many areas across this rural constituency in Johor, rendering several of the 12 polling stations inaccessible to voters.
Pakatan Rakyat complained that this had significantly reduced the turnout of Chinese voters, considered the 'vote bank' for the opposition.
Although police, army, the Civil Defence Department and various government agencies had been deployed to assist the voters to get to the polling stations, Pakatan leaders are upset that the assistance were not provided equally to all.
According to them, more transportation facilities were deployed in Felda areas, which are BN strongholds.
"Why are there no boats to ferry the voters in Labis town, which is also flooded, but Felda gets all the police and fire department boats?" asked DAP publicity chief Tony Pua in a tweet message.
BN secured 80 percent of votes in the three Felda settlements in Tenang in the 2008 general election.
“The failure to provide sufficient boats and trucks, and distribute them evenly across all polling districts will severely tilt the outcome of this by-election.
"The police and army should not just provide their assistance to selective areas because the flood is everywhere in the constituency." he added when contacted by Malaysiakini.

'Opposition voters discriminated'
At least two polling stations - SMK Kamarul Ariffin and Kampung Paya Merah multi-purpose hall in Labis town - were inaccessible due to high water level.
The former is the polling station for Bandar Labis Tengah polling district while the other is polling station for Bandar Labis Timur polling district - both predominantly Chinese areas which were won by PAS in the last general election.
Out of 12 polling districts, PAS won in three - all of which are Chinese-majority areas - in the last general election.
In addition, Johor DAP Youth chief Tan Hong Pin claimed that the army trucks that went into Chinese residential areas had refused to fetch voters whom they suspect were opposition supporters.
"It happened at Kampung Paya Merah," claimed Tan when contacted.
Johor DAP Wanita chief Chew Peck Choo also alleged that army trucks had selectively picked up voters based on their ethnicity.
"PAS supporters complained to me that the army trucks refused to pick up opposition supporters or were slow in picking them up," she told Malaysiakini.
According to Selangor DAP Youth publicity chief Lim Swee Kuan, as of 3pm, the voters turnout at Tenang Station polling district was 47.72 percent and 54.69 percent for Bandar Labis Timur - way below the average turnout rate of 65.19 percent.
Tenang Station is another Chinese-majority polling station, but this area was won by BN in 2004.
DAP Serdang MP Teo Nie Ching had openly decried that the turnout rate in Chinese areas reached only 20 percent at 1pm compared with 50 percent in the Malay-majority Felda settlements. The overall turnout rate at 1pm was 55.36 percent.
In her micro-blogging website Twitter, Teo posted several mobile numbers of DAP helpers and called on Chinese voters to contact them for transportation to get to their polling station.
"Urgent! Chinese voters turnout rate is very low. Pakatan candidate needs your vote, please called on your friends, relatives and neighbours to go and vote as soon as possible," she posted.

No suspension of polls, says EC

According to reports, Election Commission (EC) chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof said there will be extension of the polling period.
Although some roads leading to the polling stations had been cut off by floods, government agencies are helping to fetch the voters with their heavy vehicles and boats, said Abdul Aziz.
He said that no polling stations will be closed.
Extension of polling time is not allowed under the current election law, added EC deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar.
Meanwhile, Johor PAS deputy commissioner and Tenang election director Dzulkefly Ahmad toldMalaysiakini that PAS is trying their best to mobilise their supporters to vote before polling comes to a close at 5pm.
"I have contacted EC and they said they will stick to their original plan."
PAS has yet to decide whether the polling should be called off, he said.
Asked whether the low turnout would jeopardise PAS' support, Dzulkefly said a low turnout of Chinese voters would benefit BN, but if Malay voters were affected than it would be an advantage to PAS.
"However, the Chinese voters turnout so far has been low. We are mobilising our machinery to get them to vote."
"We are also working hand-in-hand with the EC to help get the voters to the polling stations."
Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau too was worried.
"We are worry about the low turnout of Chinese voters because they are our vote bank. We are doing our best to send four-wheel drive vehicles to fetch them.
"We also asked EC to inform the marine police and Civil Defence Department to send their boats and heavy trucks to fetch the voters," he said when contacted.
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin had said earlier today that the floods might affect the coalition's chances of winning big.

Comments 1 to 15 of 15

dood Only Felda settlers and not Chinese townfolk get assistance to go to the polling station because everyone knows that all Felda settlers are poor and need government aid while all Chinese people are filthy rich, nevermind that the Felda settlers are living in bungalows in their own big plot of land and the Chinese are living in shoplots.

an hour ago · Report

tailek Pakatan, no point crying over spilt milk. Everybody knows the Govt machinery is selective when it comes to assisting their own supporters in Felda areas which is their fixed deposit. Felda settlers has been seduced by all the freebies especially during by-election time and even got more flood assistnace to get to the polling station. That is a given, so just accept the result and move on. Don't lose heart. The weather was kind to BN yesterday but it will not always be that way. BN may have won a battle in Tenang but they have not won the war yet. Better for Pakatan to prepare for the main GE coming up.

1 hours ago · Report

ahmike i feel like the "act of god" is already telling the voters becareful on who you vote. Every action has a equal reaction.

11 hours ago · Report

Anonymous_40f4 Every year billions of ringgit are pumped into DID for flood mitigation.Where does all the money go because the floods are always there?The Client @ agent and contractor become very rich,thats all.

13 hours ago · Report

Anonymous317_bd Anonymous, who owns the boats is not important. PK has also shown that if it does not favor them they will not do it. So don't pretend like BN is not fair. Clear point is calling all BN supporters names and vote selling and so on. Is this the way to win the rakyat ? The Opposition is no better than the BN, so let things be. In Selangor they wanted to ban the 1Malaysia slogan, they took down Najib's banner welcoming him, the did not allow use of a hall, and you still they are impartial ?

16 hours ago · Report

Black Mamba A responsible EC shoould have call off the election seeing the water level have risen to the height of a four wheel drive engine. Either BN is bloody sure of victory that it don't warrant an emergency. If this by election win for BN is an indicator of a larger snap poll, BN better hold on to thier horses as the Malaysian public has seen that they are using the govt machinery for their optimum advantage disregarding the non Malay electorates and it will certainly back fire when the state election is held again during GE13.

16 hours ago · Report

Onyourtoes Why no suspension of poll? Because it favours BN? Look, if PR is expected to win, I am sure the EC will suspend the poll and fight another day.

16 hours ago · Report

Kit Carson Aiyoho Mahyudin, looks like you can't get your 5000 majority...now you will say 'act of God' so you don't have to resign or perform hara kiri...

17 hours ago · Report

Anonymous Anonymous317_bd before you say anything in your post make sure you are certain who own those boats. Are those boats Government properties or BN properties? If BN own those boats what's credit is it to BN when everybody knows BN has more resources?So how is PR to provide boats to voters when it's neither the Government nor resource rich? corruption?If those boats are Government boats(which I think they are) then you have to ask what makes one area more Malaysia then another?"As though if you all had boats you will ferry BN supporters to the polls." Is it customary for you to accuse people for something that have not happened yet and may not happen at all?

17 hours ago · Report

pity him !!!!! To beat the bastards you need to be really prepared but alas you don't have the resources. So it's no use to bemoan nature's call to tilt the bastardly ways. Swallow the 'bullet' and prepare for GE.

17 hours ago · Report

penangmari I think the writer should ask the Pakatan fellows why PAS is not providing transport for its so called supporters? This is the normal trend in elections.

17 hours ago · Report

Anonymous317_bd ghkok, floods are a acts of God. Kindly don't tell the rakyat in your stupid post that PKR can solve floods like they have a direct line with the lord. You are a stupid person with a opposition mentality, make excuses for why your opponent is usless, but not why you are better. Pua , Going to lose go quietly la. After all if you cannot prepare to have boats run your voters to the polls , how can you help the rakyat if you win. So next best thing which the opposition have been doing all along is before losing start giving excuses why . As though if you all had boats you will ferry BN supporters to the polls.

17 hours ago · Report

penangmari I think the writer should ask Pakatan fellows why Pas is not providing transport to their so called supporters?

17 hours ago · Report

Thisia what is there to be so surprised of? as usual the "DOGS" just doing their jobs, so that they will get their "BONES" + "SHIT" once everything is over. So they will make sure that their masters can win in anyway.

17 hours ago · Report

ghkok Ok, 2 comments : 1. the pictures show flooding .. quite bad. After 53 years of BN rule, the residents of Tenang is still putting up with these floods. I know some people will say even US and australia floods. But US and Australia is experiencing unprecedented amounts of rainfall, never before encountered. Whereas in Msia, we are perpetually inundated with rain. It's nothing new. It has been raining like this since 53 years ago. AND YET, places like Tenang continues to flood. AND YET, people continue to vote BN (or so they say). AND YET, things remain the same ... irrigation and drainage never improved, no dredging of river, just like Sibu. 2. if the flood is as bad as what it shows in the photos, surely the RIGHT thing to do is to SUSPEND the by-election so as not to risk the lifes of voters, EC personnel, volunteers and rescuers, and everyone concerned. SURELY, LIFE is more important.

17 hours ago · Report

AB Sulaiman calls Markom a liar (or a Malay on the Malay Disease)

Here is another Malaysian who called the Johor Education Department director Markom Giran a bare face liar. Not only did AB Sulaiman called Markom a liar for denying he was campaigning for UMNO/BN, he also described what he sees of the Malay Mind.

Article below courtesy of Malayisakini: Markom and the Malay disease:

 

Markom and the Malay disease

AB Sulaiman
Jan 24, 11
11:32am

COMMENT One of the saddest things to witness is when government servants perform their public duties in direct conflict with their terms and reference. The recent case of Markom Giran, the Johor Education Department director caught on videocanvassing his teachers to vote for the Barisan Nasional (more pointedly, Umno) in the next election has been one such thing.

To me this is a blatant abuse of authority and power. A responsible public servant should be apolitical, or neutral to any political party. He should instead focus his professionalism, performance of duty and dedication to his career as an educator, and his loyalty to the people at large.

To make this matter worse, Markom has basically resorted to thedenial mode (i.e. lies) when contacted byMalaysiakini. “I did not campaign. I was speaking to my subordinates. It is our right to identify which (political parties) our teachers are supporting,” he reportedly said.

“If they are found to be against the government, we will call them up and send them for courses to let them understand that a government servant should not be against government policy,” he stated further, hinting that it's compulsory and mandatory for teachers to support the government.

His blind and unquestioning loyalty to the ruling Barisan Nasional party coalition (and specifically Umno) is his way of showing his understanding of the country's democratic laws and constitution.

So does his willingness and readiness to lie. So in all likelihood he must have felt satisfied with this denial (and lie), folded his arms in defiance and said to himself 'Now I have done my bit in support of 'agama, bangsa, dan negara'.

Features of ethnocentrism

Markom's fanatical loyalty to Umno reminds me again of the features of the Malay mind, specifically ethnocentrism, that I have articulated in an earlier article 'the Malay problem is the root of the nation's problem'. At the risk of inviting duplication and boredom, I'd mention it again, to wit, that typical Malay mind is ethnocentric. It is a closed mind.

This closed mind has many features and tendencies and I shall mention just four:

One, it tends to be hyperbolic with its own characters and features.

To illustrate, Markom will be the first to say (i) that the Malay 'race' is the best in the world; and (ii) Islam is the best religion also in the world.

Secondly, this mindset is overly protective of the status quo. His show of active support of the ruling party is a perfect example.

Thirdly, it is very uncomfortable with any movement from the status quo, otherwise known as change. It is afraid of new things. When such new things do come (like in this case, the right of teachers to choose their representative in the political arena) they are rejected.
Fourthly, this mentality tends to have an exclusive idea about things. What this means is that an idea, thing or situation comes in two, either black, or white; right or wrong; either you are for me or you are against me. To this mind there is nothing between black or white.

There are other features and characteristics of ethnocentrism of course and I would not list all of them. But from what has been exposed above it is persuasive to state that it is a mental deficiency. And since it is pervasive in the ketuanan Melayu polity, it can justifiably be termed as the 'Malay disease'.

Indeed columnist Dean Johns in his writing 'Hypocrisy and poxy proxies' has also given this mental condition a label, 'pox populi,' with the possible exception that my label relates to the Malay polity while pox populi refers to impact of the Malay disease to the national polity.

People suffering from the Malay disease to me are pitiful. They have this monistic mind. To them reality consists of one basic substance or element and Markom shows it when he appears to lump many elements (e.g. in his case the government with Umno) into one.

They are incapable of intellectualising. Meaning, they do not have the mental venue and ability to look for alternatives, for the myriad of colours between black and white. To them whatever have been handed down by their elders are right and must be revered and preserved. They inherited Malay culture, so this must be the best culture in the world and must be preserved. Islam is the best religion, so its sanctity must be preserved and protected.

Mainly, they are ever ready and willing to abuse power, and do all sorts to unethical behaviour to preserve the status quo all in the name of the higher ideals of race, religion and the country.

Can there be any cure for this disease? Of course, though a large part of it must come from within the Malay polity itself. There must first be awareness from among the Malay entity of its existence.

Then there must be the awareness that his collective culture is suffering from it. Thirdly, there is the willingness for the collective Malay to go for therapy.

But judging by the attitudes and posture of public servants like Markom the way ahead is not going to be easy and well-meaning Malaysians will have to suffer a bit more from pox populi.

AB SULAIMAN is an observer of human traits and foibles, especially within the context of religion and culture. As a liberal, he marvels at the way orthodoxy fights to maintain its credibility in a devilishly fast-changing world. He hopes to provide some understanding to the issues at hand and wherever possible, suggest some solutions. He holds a Bachelor in Social Sciences (Leicester, UK) and a Diploma in Public Administration, Universiti Malaya.

An opportunity lost or action worthy of praise?

This article in Malaysiakini: A BN vote bank aided by Pakatan helps reinforce belief that while evil politicians still abounds, there are still honest many great politicians especially those from the opposite side of the now evil (they may have been good before) UMNO/BN (meaning Pakatan Rakyat) who are not in the political arena mainly because of personal interest and I hope that if ever another person come to me saying “Ah all the politicians are the same lah), this will be a reinforcement of my rejoinder to them that not all people (in this case politicians) do the same thing with the same motive.

Perhaps Dr Kumar (wonder if he is Christian) and the others including PAS members are knowing or unknowingly doing what Jesus asked his followers to do, perform your charitable work in the dark.

But if you happen to chance onto this post, hope you would leave your comment anonymously or otherwise whether you agree with Terence Netto that it is an opportunity lost especially now that those who are struggling to bring badly needed reforms to Malaysia while facing such a formidable foe with huge financial resources cum aid of compliant civil servants cum important institutions that Pakatan Rakyat has lost a golden opportunity by being so humble and not wanting to take advantage of good deed done:

A BN vote bank is aided by Pakatan

Terence Netto
Jan 22, 11
10:59am

The Temiar of Sungai Siput have long been a reliable vote bank for the BN, something like 9,000 of them domiciled on the banks of tributaries of the Sungai Perak that crisscross the constituency, giving the ruling coalition 99 percent of the vote in the general election of 1999, 96 percent in 2004, and 90 percent in 2008.
In all that time, the recipient of this largesse, MIC's S Samy Vellu, confined reciprocation to the giving out of presents to headmen while the Orang Asli Department (JHEOA) periodically supplemented the trickle with handouts.
Apparently, from whom a lot is given little is required.
A rather bleak situation, one might say, to a prospective MP trying to break the cycle of servitude in which the Temiar are immured.
But Dr Jeyakumar Devaraj of the Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM), since 1999 a rival claimant to S Samy Vellu for the allegiance of Sungai Siput's voters, decided that even if naught is to be had for service to the Temiar by an opposition politician, service must still be rendered.
Thus when the 400 Temiar of some 50 households in Kampong Perje in Pos Legap needed money in 2009 to buy new cables to secure a rickety bridge over the Sungai Pelus, used by them to ferry the latex they tapped from rubber trees off the banks, they approached their newly elected MP.
“We decided that because their conditions were wretched, their needs overrode other considerations such as their solid support for the BN,” said Jeyakumar, who was elected in March 2008 on a wave for the opposition that year.
“Also, representatives of Kampong Perje continued to attend meetings we held to discuss Orang Asli needs even after the fall of the Pakatan state government in February 2009,” he said. “Reps from other Orang Asli villages kept away out of fear,” he added.
Popularly known as 'Dr Kumar', the PSM activist had made forays into Orang Asli villages deep in the interior of Sungai Siput even when he was not their elected MP prior to 2008, to see what could done for them.
“They are a terribly marginalised group and they needed all the help they can get,” he rationalized.
So when Pos Legap's Temiar wanted new cables for a dilapidated bridge, Dr Kumar and his crew of PSM stalwarts in Sungai Siput decided that it would be better to build a new bridge a kilometer away from the site of the old one.
“The old one was too rickety,” he said. “There was little point in shoring it up with new cables.”
But where to get the money for the new bridge, given that opposition MPs are deprived by the federal government of constituency allocations rendered to the tune of RM2 million a year to BN legislators?
PAS leader steps in to help
Dr Kumar, who was elected on a PKR ticket because PSM was not yet a registered political party in March 2008, asked help from his Pakatan Rakyat cohort in Sungai Siput.
The PAS leader in the constituency, Ahmad Mazlan Othman, a retired army engineer who had been a candidate for the Lintang state seat in the 1999 and 2004 elections, was instrumental in getting his party to contribute RM5,000 to the overall cost of the new bridge which was estimated at RM70,000.
The rest of the budget was raised from the MP allowances for Dr Kumar (RM35,000), from sundry friends of his (RM20,000) and from two Catholic groups (RM10,000).
In short, the money for the new bridge came out of a Pakatan-like collaborative effort by assorted groups. From whom much is deprived, not a little can be got.
Construction of the bridge, which was supervised at every stage by Ahmad Mazlan, began in August 2009.
A squad of PAS volunteers helped out at every stage of the construction. PSM activists M Sukumaran, M Augustine, S Nagentiran and Alexis Paulraj did turns helping out with the technical and other inputs.
Jointly and severally, this motley crew pooled their slender resources which Ahmad, with his professional expertise, ably marshaled to bring the bridge to near completion.
“There is only a little more work left to be finished,” said Dr Kumar, “which Ahmad says would be completed this weekend or over the next.”
There will be no opening ceremony for this bridge that a Pakatan-like 'gotong royong' has almost brought to pass for the Temiar of Pos Legap and no plaques to honour the selfless band involved in its conception and construction.
Whether the bridge would shift the Temiar's voting allegiance is a question of some irrelevance to Dr Kumar.
“The wretched must inherit the earth,” said Dr Kumar in typically socialistic, Franz Fanon-like, style.