Cabinet didn't approve of indelible ink - Rashid

Update:

No Instruction For EC To Scrap Ink Plan, Says Abdullah

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi has denied that it was the government who had instructed the Election Commission (EC) to scrap its plan of using indelible ink in the last general election.

Abdullah said, although in principle the government made the decision, it was delivered in the form of an opinion and not instruction.

But EC which handles elections in Malaysia has the final say, he said

He was commenting on a statement by EC Chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman that the Cabinet did not approve the use of indelible ink although the EC had initially agreed to use it.

"The election ran smoothly, the results have been announced and everybody has accepted it so, why should it be made an issue," he said. Read the Bernama report here

(So who's telling the truth? Obviously one of them is lying.)


Earlier report:

Remember the announcement made by the Election Commission three days before the March 8 polls that the indeilible ink was not going to be used on polling day citing public order and security reasons?

Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said then the EC was obliged to make a firm and final decision to ensure the smooth conduct of the 12th general election.

Of course, we didnt buy the reasons given and the only conclusion we could make from the announcement was that the Barisan was losing big time on the ground and resorting to using another dirty trick, (read here and here)

Today Rashid dsiclosed that it was the Cabinet's decision not to approve the use of use of indelible ink during the March 8 election and he was told to take responsibility for agreeing to it.

"The Cabinet gave two very strong reasons why they did not agree to it – security and the law - Article 119, concerning the basic right for everyone to vote, and I agreed with them," he said.

It’s not easy being EC chairperson. I took the rap over the years,” Abdul Rashid said, adding that the commission wanted a review of election regulations.

He said that the commission should have a bigger control over the electoral process under Article 113 to Article 120 of the Federal Constitution. To continue, read here

Pak Lah & his twisted logic

I am the cause of BN's poor performance, therefore I'm staying to rebuild the party.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi admitted today that he is "the reason for the spoilt votes for the Barisan Nasional" in the recent March 8 general election but is staying on to rehabilitate the coalition and Umno.

He said this after attending a meeting with the Johor Umno Liaison Body headed by Datuk Abdul Ghani Othman, who is also the Johor Menteri Besar.

"I feel I am the reason for the spoilt votes for the Barisan Nasional. And I feel responsible to do what's best to rehabilitate the BN and Umno," he told reporters here Friday.

Abdullah who is Umno President said he understood that many changes promised to the people earlier had not been fulfilled by the government until now.

However, the changes implemented by the government needed time before it could show positive results, he said.

"As such, I will continue to give emphasis to bring the changes promised to the people. In fact, they had already been included in the pledges of the BN government in the (election) manifesto in 2004," he said.

Ghani said that Johor Umno will give its support to Abdullah if he wishes to defend his post in the December party elections.

Bernama has the story here , the NST online here and bigdog's here

(He's not letting go, this shameless, dimwit, desperado of a PM still trying hard to cling on to power. What the ...is he saying? You're responsible for the poor performance but staying on? Wei tak malu muka ke?)

Fresh faces set to dominate Abdullah's smaller Cabinet

Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi who has held meetings the past few days with all Barisan Nasional (BN) component party is expected to appoint new faces who won in the just-concluded general election in his new cabinet line-up.

The line-up may consist of between 26 and 28 ministries from the previous 31, with some ministries to be merged, according to Bernama.

There has been much speculation over the last few days as to who are the ministers to be retained by Abdullah. However, he had said in an earlier interview that he had no intention of re appointing those who have lost.

The casualties among the ministers were Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu in Sungai Siput, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abd Jalil in Lembah Pantai, Datuk Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin in Shah Alam and Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin in Sungai Petani.

Umno and MCA deputy ministers in the former Cabinet are set to move up as ministers.

MCA is likely to have four new representatives and MIC will feature a new minister for the first time since 1979.

MIC secretary-general and Segamat Member of Parliament Datuk Dr S. Subramanian is likely to be the sole representative of the party in the cabinet.

The party is likely to be given two deputy ministers and two parliamentary secretaries.

There is also a possibility of one more deputy minister's post reserved for the Indian community.

Former Deputy Minister of International Trade and Industry Datuk Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah, Deputy Information Minister Datuk Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, Deputy Works Minister Datuk Mohd Zin Mohamad and Deputy Energy, Water and Communications Minister Datuk Shahziman Abu Mansor are expected to be made full ministers.

MCA has submitted four names for ministerial positions, comprising party secretary-general Datuk Ong Ka Chuan, vice-president Datuk Ong Tee Keat, Youth chief Datuk Liow Tiong Lai and Wanita chief Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen.

Gerakan, which managed to retain only two parliamentary seats, is likely to lose its place in the Cabinet, as acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon had said the party was not asking for any ministerial position.

Full report: here .

Nik Aziz & Guan Eng sworn in...

Latest:
Pasir Panjang assemblyman from PAS, Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, has been appointed as Perak Mentri Besar. Mohammad Nizar is the state PAS secretary.

Perak DAP chief Ngeh Koo Ham, who is the assemblyman for Setiawan, will be one of two Deputy Mentris Besar for the state. The second Deputy Mentri Besar has yet to be named.

PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat received his letter of appointment as the Menteri Besar from the Sultan of Kelantan, Sultan Ismail Petra at Istana Neger, Kota Bahru Kelantani.

Nik Aziz, 77, will serve a fifth term as the Kelantan Menteri Besar having first assumed the post when PAS led the state government in 1990.

In the general election on March 8, PAS retained power in Kelantan for the fifth consecutive term after the party, together with Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) won 39 of the 45 State Legislative Assembly seats. Click here to continue.

In Penang, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was sworn as Chief Minister of the state.

Guan Eng, who won in the Air Putih state and Bagan parliamentary seats, took his oath of office and oath of secrecy before Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas in Sri Mutiara at 10.05am.

Present was Guan Eng’s wife Betty Chew and his Opposition-icon father Kit Siang and wife Leong Yok Chee.

Displaying a high level of gentleman was outgoing CM Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and wife Puan Sri Chui Kah Peng who were present to witness the ceremony. Click here to continue.

Read Transparent Penang: here

Pix 1 courtesy of the Star: Datuk Nik Aziz taking his oath as Menteri Besar of Kelantan
Pix 2 courtesy of the Sun: Penang Former Penang Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon congratulating Lim Guan Eng (left) as new Penang Chief Minister after he was sworn in at Seri Mutiara.

Are you ready...?

In less than 24 hours Malaysian voters will go to the polls in the country’s 12th General Election.

The Barisan Nasional Government has called for the election to seek a fresh mandate to rule the country for another term. In 2004, the Barisan Nasional (BN) led by Datuk Abdullah Badawi received an overwhelming mandate from the rakyat who gave him a chance to carry out the much-needed reforms in the country. Unfortunately, his administration has made many serious blunders. (read here and here)

Now the BN is offering Malaysians Security, Peace and Prosperity. The Opposition on the other hand are calling for change, offering a New Dawn for Malaysia, and a caring society.

I haven’t been to many ceramahs – only the ones in my constituency of Kelana Jaya. But I have already made up my mind which candidates and party to vote for. Listening to the ceramahs and meeting the candidates contesting only reinforced my decision to go for them and the party.

The turn-out at the last two Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR ) ceramahs at Dataran Glomac was awesome to say the least. Whether the number attending the various ceramahs by the Opposition will be translated into votes is left to be seen. But the mood (here) is certainly for change.

I hope voters will ask what it is that they want. If you are happy and contented with the state of affairs in the country, then you know who to vote for. But we do know that something is not right in this country. And that has a great deal to do with who were running the country and are now begging for your vote.

The choice is yours. The fate of the country lies with you. The power to make the difference is in your hand. So my fellow Malaysians, vote wisely. Vote with your conscience!

We never cheat...we did well and we worked hard - Pak Lah

The Prime Minister said this in response to allegations by the Opposition that the Election Commission's (EC) decision not to use indelible ink on polling day Saturday was a ploy by the Barisan Nasional(BN) to cheat.

"There is no such thing, we never cheat. We have been successful not because we cheated, we did well and we worked hard," he said. (Right! Who're you kidding Pak Lah!. Please read here , here , here and here.

Here's the report.

Abdullah: Retracting Ink Use Not A Ploy, Opposition Using It As Excuse

KOTA KINABALU, March 5 (Bernama) -- Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi today lambasted the opposition which claimed that the decision not to use indelible ink on polling day Saturday was a ploy by the Barisan Nasional (BN) to cheat.

"There is no such thing, we never cheat. We have been successful not because we cheated, we did well and we worked hard," he said.

He said that the opposition would now use the Election Commission's (EC) decision yesterday as the "best excuse" if they lose in the election.

"Now the opposition is happy because now they have an excuse to tell the whole world why they cannot succeed in the election. It's the best excuse for them," he told reporters after a meet-the- people session at Kian Kok secondary school here, today.

EC chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman yesterday announced the decision to scrap the indelible ink plan for the election following legal advice, and to ensure security and public order.

He said that investigations following a report to the police had confirmed that irresponsible groups had bought the ink from abroad to persuade and bribe those who were not so sure about the use of the ink by smearing ink on their fingers even before they voted.

Asked if BN was unhappy that the indelible ink ruling was not implemented, Abdullah, who is also Barisan Nasional chairman, said:

"Well, we would have certainly welcomed such a move, but if it cannot be done we cannot just forget our election... election is election and we go ahead."

"We (BN) have won many elections before, this is not the first time, it's not even a second or third time, it's the twelfth time... the election has been conducted very well, it's the same, and the person who is the Election Commission chairman is very experienced man, who has done well before.

"But these people (the opposition) have a lot of excuses, now they accuse that they are being cheated," he said.

To another question on promises made by the opposition to win votes, such as promising a second Deputy Prime Minister from Sabah if they won the polls, he said the opposition was fond of making promises because they knew they could not win.

"They promise all sorts of things, if they don't get it (win), then they would say sorry we can't do it because the BN cheated us.

"In the first place, they don't have a chance of winning because they are not contesting all the seats to form the government. They just want to deprive us (the BN) of the two-third majority, and with that kind of objective, they were talking about electing the second Deputy Prime Minister.

"The opposition make all sorts of promises, but they are all false. Promises that cannot be kept and made only to make the rakyat happy," Abdullah added.

The Prime Minister said that the BN government did not have to make false promises as it already had the Ninth Malaysia Plan and evidence of success from other projects and programmes.

Asked on the level of cooperation among BN component parties in Sabah, Abdullah said that although the level of cooperation was good, there was still room for improvement.

"They (Sabah BN component parties) have improved. They have to work together because the most important is only when the party wins, can we form the government.

"We want to form the government because we would like to carry on what we started, money allocated and machinery set up," he said.

Abdullah also expressed confidence that the people of Sabah would make the right decision to support the BN come Saturday.-- BERNAMA

So Anwar is irrelevent? Read this...

I have taken the liberty to post this article from here . "Anwar rocks Perak, Pak Lah no-show. "

By Andrew Ong
March 5, 2008

As campaigning entered the crucial final lap, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim blazed through Perak yesterday to rally voters.

At every stop, large crowds waited for hours to greet the former deputy premier, who started his tour in Tanjung Malim in the morning before making his way up north through Bota, Bidor, Tapah, Gopeng, Sungai Siput and finally Bagan Serai.

The crowds were wooed by his populist messages which included reducing fuel prices, providing free education and the release of the five Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) leaders detained under the Internal Security Act (ISA).

By about 7pm, Anwar had arrived at Simpang Pulai, Gopeng, where he was greeted with a hero’s welcome and rapturous chants of reformasi from a racially mixed crowd of more than 2,000.

Despite spending the entire day on the road, Anwar showed no signs of fatigue and rallied Gopeng voters to back PKR candidates Lee Boon Chye (Gopeng), Chan Ming Kai (Simpang Pulai), Chang Lih Kang (Teja) and PAS candidate Radzi Zainon (Sungai Rapat).

He also launched a scathing attack on the Election Commission for aborting the use of indelible ink at the eleventh hour. He lamented that “phantoms” would now roam on polling day.

“Barisan Nasional (BN) is scared of losing. That’s why they aborted the use of indelible ink,” said Anwar to loud cries of “betul (correct)!” from the crowd.

What’s wrong with helping Indians?

An hour later, Anwar arrived at a small Malay village in Batang Kulim near Kuala Kangsar where he urged supporters to step up efforts to dethrone Sungai Siput incumbent S Samy Vellu.

“This is the focal point for Malaysians because the Indian community wants to see Samy out. The only ones supporting Samy is Umno Sungai Siput (division),” he told the crowd of more than 1,000.

Anwar even addressed the Hindraf issue and explained to the Malay majority crowd that Hindraf was not anti-Malay but merely fighting for better economic conditions and education.

“What wrong with helping the Indians? They are opposing government oppression and the demolition of their temples. Shouldn’t we help them?” he asked to which the more than 1,000 people replied with a resounding ‘Yes’.

The crowd also welcomed Anwar’s call for the five Hindraf leaders to be released from ISA.

Pak Lah not coming?

Unlike Anwar, Umno president Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Najib Abdul Razak have not set foot in Perak since nomination day.

However, rumours have been circulating among journalists that the duo would be visiting the area to rally support for BN candidates in various “dangerous” seats.

The seats include Taiping, Beruas, Gopeng, Sungai Siput, Tapah, Ipoh Barat and Bagan Serai. In the Kinta Valley, it was also observed that posters featuring Abdullah, which normally accompanied the posters of BN candidates in the last general election, were hard to come by in
the Chinese-majority area this time around.Such posters are more visible in areas which have a substantial Malay voter base such as Sungai Siput.

Asked about the absence of posters featuring Abdullah in the Kinta Valley, MCA’s Ipoh Timor candidate Liew Mun Hon did not provide a direct answer.

“The posters were provided by the national party headquarters. I’m sure they have their reasons. As a BN candidate, we work as a team. We have a manisfesto that is drawn up by the prime minister,” he said.

Opposition parties in the Kinta Valley have been attacking Abdullah’s credibility as a leader and his alleged inability to keep corruption and inflation in check.

06 March 2008

Read Pak Lah's anxiety coz by Anwar's phenomenon... here

Malaysia needs a strong Opposition - Dr M

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad gave an inteview to Malaysiakini. In the first of a two-part interview with journalist Li Tsin Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad says Malaysia needs a strong Opposition "that can hold up a mirror to the government." He also gives his assessement on how Pas, DAP and PKR would do in Kelantan, Penang and elsewhere, criticises Pak Lah and slams the son-in-law.

Here's excerpt of the interview:

“I believe in an opposition. I have always maintained that this country needs an opposition and they should be critical of the government without which we don’t have a mirror to look at our faces. We think that we are very beautiful but it is the opposition that keeps telling us (that may not be true).

“You know the government member (of parliament), sometimes they are ‘ahli bodek’ (apple polishers). They are always saying ‘you’re right’, and you have no means of assessing whether you are going in the right direction or not.”

He told Malaysiakini in an exclusive interview today that it would be a “disaster” if the country “loses its opposition” as in Singapore.

Looking a little frail in his trademark bush jacket since his second heart bypass in September last year, Mahathir gave his prognosis on this Saturday’s general elections.He said the government would be able to retain its two-thirds majority but could lost a few seats in Terengganu and Kedah.Mahathir also predicted that the government would win between 70 to 75 percent of Parliament seats on March 8.

In the 2004 general elections, BN won 90 percent of the seats. If Mahathir is correct, then the opposition could win between 55 to 65 seats, which will be a sizable increase from its current tally of 21.Mahathir also did not think the Barisan Nasional coalition would be able to wrest Kelantan state government from Islamic party PAS.

“Kelantan would be a very difficult because although the margin is very small, Kelantanese have got a mind of their own, so to speak. If they are living in KL, they are very supportive of the government but if they are living in Kelantan, the peer pressure is very strong.”

Mahathir also believed that the opposition would do well in Penang, but not enough to win government, or deny BN its two-thirds majority.

Two clarifications

Mahathir also took the opportunity at the interview held at his Perdana Leadership Foundation office in Putrajaya to clarify that there was no prior agreement in which his handpicked successor would serve only one term as prime minister.

“I want to say this, there was no gentleman’s agreement on this but my thinking was that he (Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) should serve for one term and give Najib (Razak) who by then would be much older to succeed him,” he said.

The former BN leader who spearheaded BN’s victory in five consecutive elections also ticked off the opposition for seeking to capitalise on something which he had said in jest.

Full interview here

Another dirty trick by the EC - use of indelible ink cancelled...

...and 47,000 bottles of ink costing over RM2mil of the taxpayers' money have been wasted - gone down the drain.

The question is: why has the use of the ink suddenly withdrawn? Why the about-turn decision at the eleventh hour with polling just a few days away? What has national security and public order issue got to do with the use of the ink?

Here's the full Star report.

The Election Commission has cancelled the use of indelible ink in polling this Saturday, citing public order and security reasons.

Its chairman Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said following a meeting held Tuesday, the EC was obliged to make a firm and final decision to ensure the smooth conduct of the 12th general election.

He said provisions to the law needed if the ink was to be used still could not affect the constitutional right of a voter to cast his vote, even a person whose fingernail had been marked with indelible ink or one who refuses to have his or her fingernail marked this way.

"From a practical point of view, the issuance of a ballot paper to such a voter would render the EC's proposal meaningless and will not bring about a positive result, whilst having the potential to create misunderstanding as well as ltercations and arguments at polling stations," he said.

The Federal Constitution gives you the right to vote, and a black mark on your fingernail should not bar you from exercising this right, he said.

Abdul Rashid said there were also reports made to the police confirming that certain irresponsible quarters had purchased indelible ink from abroad with the intention of creating confusion and suspicion as to the status of voters.

"The EC views these issues seriously as the election process and public order and security cannot be compromised," he said.

The use of indelible ink was first proposed last June to safeguard against multiple or phantom voting. Abdul Rashid then said that the system would be subject to amendments to the Election (Conduct of Election) Regulation 1981.

He said indelible ink had been chosen over other measures, such as a biometric system working off the MyKad (chip-based identity card carried by all Malaysians above the age of 12) because such such smartcard readers would have cost about RM60,000 each, and every voting stream would have to be equipped with one. Using such a system would have cost in excess of RM30mil.

The commission bought about 47,000 bottles of the indelible ink, manufactured in India, for RM2mil.

Pak Lah replies, read here and Najib, here .

Read Activists Warn Malaysian Elections Will Be 'Dirtiest Ever' here

I went to a ceramah to meet Nik Nazmi...

...and had the good fortune of meeting Tony Pua who was there to lend support to Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the PKR candidate for Seri Setia, at the Barisan Rakyat's ceramah last night.

The ceramah was held at Dataran Glomac. It was drizzling. Some were seated along the five-foot way.

and some are seen standing...

and listening attentively to the ceramah...

I have been wanting to meet him, 26-year-old Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate who will be contesting the Seri Setia state seat (SN32) in the Kelana Jaya Parliamentary constituency, where I reside.

Then someone told me of a PKR ceramah to be held at the Dataran Glomac, along the Public Bank in Kelana Jaya, on Sunday at 9.30pm. That's not too far away. It's easy to find because I pass the place almost daily on my way to send Adam, my grandson, to school.

So off we went, my husband (at the wheel) and I, with Adam tagging along and headed for Dataran Glomac at around 9.30pm. Within five minutes we were there. There was already a crowd when we arrived. Some among them were standing while others had found shelter and sitting on floor along the five-foot way because it was drizzling. They were watching a video of the candidate - articulating his agenda for his constituency - on a screen which had been put up.

The function didn’t start until around 10pm. The organizers, I suppose, were waiting for the crowd to build up. It had rained cats and dogs earlier. But by 10.45pm the crowd had grown slightly in size despite the drizzle and two PKR members had already given their speeches (the first speaker touched on the party's manifesto) and poet Dinsman recited a poem.

I was waiting to hear what Nik Nazmi has to say. I have heard a lot about him - a former student activist who is committed to his cause to make this country a better place for all and has promised to let the people's voice be heard if he was elected as their representative.

Unfortunately I did not get to hear him speak. By about 11.00pm Adam was already getting restless and sleepy. I had, however, met Nik Nazmi earlier on after asking around for the candidate. Before leaving I managed to snap a picture of Nik Nazmi with Tony Pua, who had come to lend his support.

I have a copy of Nik Nazmi's letter to the voters of Seri Setia in Bahasa Malaysia. But I shall paste what he says of the same in English from his website:

Dear fellow residents of Seri Setia,

I write to you as a young Malaysian. As with many of you, I deeply care for our country.

Lately, I could not help but notice important challenges which require urgent attention.

Our community in Seri Setia is riddled with increasing crime rate, insufficient housing facility for the less fortunate, inadequate schooling infrastructure for our children, higher cost of living for all of us and corruption within our government.

We can surely do better than that and we can begin by taking the first step toward a brighter future on March 8. Seri Setia requires a vocal representative whom is willing to serve the community without fear or favor.

Seri Setia needs a new hope.

Seri Setia needs a representative whom will be the catalyst of betterment and I am willing to be that catalyst. As an old adage goes, we do not inherit the earth from our ancestors; we borrow it from our children. Let us leave this world a better place for our children.

From the bottom of my heart, I offer you my service. With your trust, I will be your voice and together, we will create a better Malaysia.

Thank you.

Sincerely,

Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad

Candidate for N32 Seri Setia state seat

Nik Nazmi, a law graduate from King's College, Universty of London, will face incumbent Datin Paduka Seripah Noli Syed Hussin (BN-Umno).

He received his early education at La Salle Primary School in Petaling Jaya before entering the Malay Boys' College (MCKK).

Nik Nazmi joined Permodalan Nasional Berhad (PNB) as a legal officer upon graduation but left the organisation in June 2006 to join Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as his private secretary.

Tony Pua from DAP will be contesting in P 106 Petaling Jaya Utara against Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (BN-MCA)

Go for the tried & tested - says Shahrizat

Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil who will be defending her Lembah Pantai Parliamentary seat for the fourth time has asked voters to let her record speak for herself and urged them to go for the tried and tested.

Shahrizat is being challenged by newcomer Nurul Izzah Anwar, the 27-year-old eldest daughter of Keadilan’s adviser, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, and Periasamy Nagarathnam, a independent candidate who broke ranks from the MIC in 2000

She told the voters they must ensure the practicality of their choice and BN (including the Alliance) had been tried and tested for the last 50 years.

"The challenge for me and my workers in my Lembah Pantai service centre is to ensure the further development of the area but in a balanced manner," she said in an interview with Bernama.

Her message is simple: Choose a party that had been tested the last 50 years and ensure that your choice will be able to work for you and with the government.

Lembah Pantai has an estimated 170,000 residents but only 57,000 are registered voters. Malays comprise 54.5 per cent of the voters, Chinese 27.6 per cent, Indians 18.2 per cent and others one per cent.

Full interview: here

This is one difficult choice if I were a voter in Lembah Pantai. Thank God, I'm not. I think Shahrizat has been a hardworking MP. My sister and I like them both (Sharizal & Nurul), though I dont know them personally. I am all for a strong Opposition ...to check the all-powerful BN. Still it'd be like the Malay proverb ditelan mati emak, dibuang mati bapak. Luckily I am in Kelana Jaya. Easier choice to be made. And I will stay focussed.

Dr M: Najib understands problems better

FORMER Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad has a reputation of being a feisty statesman. Today got the rare chance to meet him at his office in Putrajaya — the city that he personally designed — yesterday. He was all smiles and subtlety as he talked about the general election and his nation's political future, but his views are razor-sharp as ever, as Nazry Bahrawi (nazry@mediacorp.com.sg) found out. - TODAY online

On THE RULING COALITION

The Barisan Nasional has just released its report card. What are your opinions on its achievements since 2004, when Mr Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's first term as Prime Minister began?

DR M: There are of course a lot of negative things that are not in the report card. For example, lots of money is being lost, the prestige of the nation has gone down and the fact is a lot of people cannot find work or business in the country. They have to go elsewhere.

Which achievements would you take issue with?

Islam Hadhari has caused a lot of confusion. There is only one Islam and now they are told that they are followers of Islam Hadhari or modern Islam as if it is a new religion. With regards to the new development corridors, they are just announcements. Nothing has happened on the ground. The amount of money involved is fantastic. It goes into trillions of ringgit and it will happen over a period of maybe 10 to 20 years. So, these are promises. Anybody can make a promise.

What do you think of the Barisan Nasional (BN) election strategy?

I think it is a good strategy and they will gain a lot of support from the people.

On SUCCESSION IN UMNO

How do you see leadership succession panning out in Umno (the United Malays National Organisation) and Malaysia as a whole?

We have certain traditions. Unfortunately, some traditions have partly been broken. For example, no one is allowed to contest leadership position. The Prime Minister determines who the leader will be and any challenge towards the leadership is not permitted. However, some people are actually called up and told not to stand. This is not Umno tradition at all.

In an earlier interview, you suggested that Mr Abdullah should make way for Deputy Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak. Why did you say that?

I said that I thought he should be PM for one term and that he should be succeeded by Datuk Seri Najib because Datuk Seri Najib is senior to him. From the speeches that he (Najib) makes, he understands problems much better. He does not seem to be concerned about making sure that any support for the previous government was wrong.

But you had personally chosen Mr Abdullah over Mr Najib ...

Well, at that time, he (Abdullah) was a good choice because he was known as Mr Clean. And he was also older. So, I thought he should get a chance to become Prime Minister at least for one term.

What do you think of the possibility of Mr Hishamuddin Hussein or Mr Khairy Jamaluddin playing a bigger role in Umno after the elections?

I think if you follow them, it will be disastrous for the party.

On THE OPPOSITION

What do you think of the opposition, including former DPM Anwar Ibrahim?

The opposition, as usual, has no very strong platform and they cannot work together. So, Anwar Ibrahim is no longer the great hero that he was thought to be ... Even if he were to win a by-election, he would just be a Member of Parliament and nothing more than that.

Do you believe he has successfully united the opposition?

He has not played a bridging role between the DAP (Democratic Action Party) and PAS (Parti Islam SeMalaysia). It is not easy to get DAP and PAS together — they have very different philosophies.

What is your prediction of the outcome of this general election?

I think the National Front will still win but maybe with a reduced majority ... I'm quite sure the unrest on the streets since last November will have some impact on the number of votes cast for the government. There will be a reduced number of votes.

The opposition believes it can deny the government a two-thirds parliamentary majority. Do you think this will happen?

I am not so sure they can deny the BN that. Of course, anything can happen in an election. My guess is that the BN will still get two-thirds of the majority — but not the kind of majority it had in 2004.

To continue, click here

PKR Promises "A New Dawn for Malaysia" and DAP says "Just Change it"

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has unveiled a five-point manifesto that promises, among others a vibrant economy, safer streets, a more affordable living and better education for all.

The manifesto, A New Dawn for Malaysia, pledges to:

* Make Malaysia a truly constitutional state for all, guaranteeing basic human rights, rule of law and an independent judiciary.

* Create a vibrant economy for all, eliminating discriminatory policies, corruption and wastage.

* Make the streets and neighbourhoods of Malaysia safer for all, through creating a professional and neutral police force.

* Make Malaysia more affordable for all, by lowering petrol prices, ensuring tolls and tariffs will never be raised unreasonably and by other policies.

* Increase the standard of Malaysian education for all, including higher salaries for educators.

PKR also promised to implement a minimum wage of RM1,500 in the manifesto launched by its de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim yesterday.

Perhaps the boldest proclamation was the PKR’s desire to implement affirmative action based on poverty line and not race.

"Just Change It" or Jom Ubah is the slogan of DAP's eight- point manifesto launched yesterday in Penang by the party's secretary-general Lim Guan Eng.

Safer streets, better living standards, quality education, healthy environment, cleaner water and transparent government - these are some of DAP's promises should it be elected government

The manifesto also promises democracy and freedom and a “Malaysian First” economic policy.

Denying that its plan was similar to PAS’s welfare state proposal, Lim said it was a serampang dua mata (two-pronged approach) solution.

It will set up an Independent Police Complaints and Misconduct Commission and also set up an independent anti-corruption agency to fight graft and an independent judicial commission to ensure integrity in the judiciary.

Lim said the election is not about the candidates. It is about the voters.

"Help us deny Barisan Nasional a two-third majority and we will take care of you.”

He is contesting the Bagan parliamentary seat in Seberang Prai and the Air Puteh state seat on the island.

The choice is yours, people. The future of the country is in your hands. So vote wisely, come March 8!

Read Nuraina's Power to the People, here.

BN Manifesto: Keselamatan, Keamanan, Kemakmuran

It is now "Keselamatan, Keamanan, Kemakmuran". The Three Ks. Sound kinda familiar, dont you think?

Well, that's the slogan of the Barisan Nasional (BN) manifesto for the 2008 general election unveiled by the Prime Minister, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, at the Putra Trade Centre today.

There are a lot of promises and pledges made in the 13-page manifesto - what the BN will do in the next five years should it is re-elected - in the area of economy, development, education, religion, law and order. They include:

* Cushioning the effects of rising prices
* Eradicating hardcore poverty.

* Bringing poverty rate down to 2.8 percent by 2010
* Bringing down the country’s criime index
* Tackling drug abuse and other social ills
* Adding 60,000 Police personnel by 2011
* Reducing Corruption and Improving Government

So read it for yourself, people. Just don't be fooled again and get carried away into believing he can change things.

Here's the NST report:

ELECTION 2008: PM unveils BN manifesto of security, peace and prosperity

By V. Vasudevan

KUALA LUMPUR, Mon: Security, Peace and Prosperity. That is what the Barisan Nasional is offering Malaysians in the next five years as outlined by BN chairman Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi in a 24-page manifesto launched today at the Putra World Trade Centre.

The manifesto emphasised the Barisan Nasional plan in eight areas over the next five years: economy, balanced development, education, law and order, public services, reducing corruption and improving governance, religion and unity; and foreign policy.

The manifesto not only underlines what the BN hoped to achieve but also what it had accomplished under Abdullah’s leadership since the 2004 polls.

In the manifesto preface, Abdullah said strong economic management and a commitment to ensure no one will be left behind have put Malaysia on a solid footing.

Our economy grew by 6.3 percent in 2007 the best it had performed since 2004, our fiscal deficit was brought down to 3.2 percent of gross domestic product, international trade crossed the RM1 trillion mark, some 1.3 million job pportunities were created, our stock market hit historic highs and five strategic corridor developments were launched,” he said.

If you want to continue, click here

Read Manifesto: The Manifested-illusion here

Also Selamat, Aman, Marmur? here and here .

Pix: Courtesy of Malaysiakini

Fellow bloggers contesting...

Badrul Hisham Shaharin or Che gu Bard. He will be contesting in P131 Rembau where he will face the Son-in-Law, Khairy Jamaluddin

Jeff Ooi will be standing for the P 50 Jelutong seat in Penang. Jeff will be facing Gerakan's Dr Thor Teong Gee and independent candidate Badrul Zaman.


Tony Pua will be contesting in P 106 Petaling Jaya Utara against Datin Paduka Chew Mei Fun (BN-MCA)




Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad will stand for the SN32 Seri Setia State seat . He will face incumbent Datin Paduka Seripah Noli Syed Hussin (BN-Umno)

Elizabeth Wong will stand for N37 Bukit Lanjan seat against incumbent Datin Yong Dai Ying of Gerakan.

Wishing you guys all the best!

Read Mat Salo's Hats in The Ring here
Rocky's A Ringgit for Che, an advice for Khairy here
and Malaysia Votes A tempered view here

It's ' Nomination Day today...

...candidates contesting in the March 8 general election will be trooping to the 222 nomination centres throughout the country accompanied by their respective supporters this morning to submit their papers.

They will be vying for 222 parliamentary seats and 505 state seats.

The candidates will be given one hour (9-10am) to submit their nomination papers. There will be an hour of objection period before returning officers announce the candidates for the respective constituencies.

For the first time, all election candidates must pay stamp duty on their application forms to contest, a ruling announced by Election Commission (EC) on Thursday Feb. 21 . (read the angry reaction here and EC 's explanation here)

At total of 10,922,139 electorates, including 221,085 postal voters, are eligible to vote for their representatives from the various political parties that will later form the federal and state governments..

The Parliament has 219 seats prior to the dissolution - three new parliamentary seats have been added in this general election (Igan, Sibuti and Limbangl in Sarawak) following the redelinenation of the state's electoral boundaries.

Campaigning period has been extended to 13 days from the previous 10, beginning today (Sunday) until 12 midnight on March 7.

Updates:

Nomination scare for Rafidah: Read here

Double standard Read here

Go to Hantu Laut for Nomination Updates

Election chief says media bias will make Malaysia polls a laughingstock

Election Commission (EC) Chief Tan Sri Rashid Abdul Rahim in an interview with the Associated Press (AF) appears to lend rare support to the Opposition’s complaint of pro-government bias in the press.

The EC needs more power to prevent one-side coverage in the local media or the entire electoral system will become a "laughingstock."

"If you want free and fair elections, if you want a level playground ... you must be able to have that power to level that playground." he said.

"Without that power, then the whole system becomes a laughingstock," he said.

The commission must be able "to control the media when they take sides."

Here's the rest of the interview:

It is rare for any official connected with the electoral process to speak so candidly about the media bias.

The comments are even more surprising coming from Abdul Rashid, who has been criticized by opposition parties for refusing to acknowledge that voting rregularities occur in the country.

"In an election you have to produce what is called an informed choice. That's the principle. People must know who is contesting so publicity must be given to all, not just one section. And there are media bodies that take only one side," he told The Associated Press.

The mainstream media in Malaysia are either government-owned or controlled by the parties in the ruling coalition. They also need annually renewable government
licenses to operate.

This has ensured that virtually every newspaper and television station broadcasts flattering reports of the government. The opposition rarely gets a good mention in the papers.

The Election Commission is supposed to be an independent body, whose members are appointed by the constitutional monarch. But it is largely seen as a pro-government panel that has done little to promote electoral fairness.

Abdul Rashid indicated his hands are tied, saying the commission is in charge only of the electoral rolls and the polling process and has no power to control other irregularities, including vote-buying.

The laws need to be changed to give the commission more muscle, he said.

"Our (electoral) laws have been there for 50 years. After 50 years, I feel there must be some kind of review," he said. "There must be a law ... put in place where the EC is seen to be in full control."

Despite his frank comments that will likely be welcomed by the opposition, Abdul Rashid insisted that the electoral process itself is free, fair and transparent.

He dismissed allegations that electoral rolls, which are vetted by the Election Commission, are filled with names of dead people and people living in other constituencies. These names are used by bogus voters deployed by the ruling party, critics say.

"That never happens here. It cannot happen because the process — the polling, the counting and so on — is so transparent," he said.

"Cheating has never been proven anywhere in this country," he said, adding that the few incidents of fraud that may have taken place have been so minor that they didn't affect election results.

First Non- Muslim Candidate From PAS

PAS in an unprecedented move has fielded a non-Muslim as its candidate in the March 8 general election.

She is 29-year- old-law graduate, Kumutha Rahman, who will be contesting the Tiram state seat under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat symbol based on the electoral pact the two parties have entered into.

A member of the one-month old Unity Bureau under the Johor non-Muslim Pas Supporters Club, she joined the club because " I see that Pas is not bent on racialism. To me all races be they Malays, Chinese or Indians are all the same.”

The announcement was made by Johor Pas commissioner Datuk Mahfodz Mohamed, who will contest the Bukit Serampang state seat.

PAS, which lost all the seats it had contested in the state in 2004, will be vying for 34 state and nine parliamentary seats this time.

The Tiram constituency is a Barisan Nasional's stronghold. In the 2004 election, BN's Maulizan Bujang defeated Pas' Roslani Sharif, by a margin of 15,595 votes and the coalition us expected to repeat the feat.

S.I.L among 12 new faces in N.Sembilan line-up

As predicted Khairy Jamaludin, the son-in-law of the Prime Minister, will be contesting in the Rembau Parliamentary seat. He is among the 12 new faces introduced by Negri Sembilan Umno to contest in the general election on March 8.

Khairy, 32, was chosen because he is the national Umno Youth deputy head and Rembau Umno Youth head.

Besides, he has an “impressive background, is highly educated" and a lot of exposure, according to Negeri Sembilan Umno Liaison chairman Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan, when announcing the Umno list of candidates this afternoon

"Negri Sembilan is fortunate to get his services and judging from the applause that he received when the announcement was made, I think it augurs well," he said

As for Khairy, he has already big plans ...such as developing small and medium industries in the cons tituency and setting up a university or university branch campus to Rembau.

According to Khairy he had told the Menteri Besar that if chosen he did not want to contest anywhere else except in Rembau "because my focus is on the electorate in Rembau. It's not that I want to go all over the place to topple a particular individual."

Well, it looks like his wish has been answered... as always. And by the way the incumbent, Datuk Firdaus Harun, has been dropped.

On his status as the Prime Minister's son-in-law, Khairy said it was something he could not run away from.

After all, he is also the deputy chairman of BN Youth, deputy head of the national Umno Youth and Rembau Umno Youth head, he said.

"I have been involved in politics for nine years. I don't think that any label given to me would pose an obstacle," he said.

Khairy, who is married to Nori , the only daughter of the Prime Minister, will be pitted against Badrul Hisham Shaharin from the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

Negeri Sembilan has eight parliamentary and 36 state seats. In the last election BN won 34 state seats losing the Bahau and Lobak seats to the Opposition. However, Bahau assemblyman Lim Fui Ming joined the MCA last March.

Click here for the Bernama story & list of candidates here

Deklarasi Rakyat

MalaysiaToday's RPK wrote in his column that the Barisan Rakyat will launch the Deklarasi Rakyat on Saturday, Feb 23 (tomorrow) at 11.00am at the Blog House , 66, Lorong Setiabistari 2, Bukit Damansara, Kuala Lumpur.

The six political parties who have endorsed the Declaration will be there together with civil society movements, NGOs, and members of the blogging community.

The Barisan Raykat will introduce its candidates officially on Wednesday.

Click here for details.