Kuala Terengganu By-election

[pywong]

A compilation of resources for ease of reference:

Map:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3t3es_Wa5XE/SVG6zAeZ64I/AAAAAAAAAHI/hZZTaYVm5i4/s1600-h/kt_wikimapia_dm_4.jpg

Understanding P036 - Kuala Terengganu Parliamentary Constituency
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/understanding-p036-kuala-terengganu.html

Voter Statistics:
Polling day is 2009 Jan 17. Campaign period is 11 days, counting from nomination day of Jan 6. SPR will use the electoral roll gazetted on 2008 Dec 5, containing 80,229 registered voters, made up of 79,194 ordinary and 1,035 postal voters. SPR said there would be 36 polling centres, 143 polling streams, and SPR 877 workers.

Voters can verify their voting status in three ways:
.. State Seats / Polling Districts

N13 - Wakaf Mempelam
Pulau Rusa, Kampung Paluh, Losong Datok Amar, Losong Penglima Perang, Losong Hj Mat Shafie, Seberang Baruh, Wakaf Beruas, Merbau Patah, Durian Burung, Sungai Rengas, Wakaf Mempelam,

N14 - Bandar
Tok Ku, Cabang Tiga, Hiliran Masjid, Losong Masjid, Pulau Kambing, Kampung Cina, Pejabat Bandaran, Paya Bunga, Pantai Terengganu,

N15 - Ladang
Ladang, Mengadang Akar, Batas Baru, Gong Kapas, Pasir Panjang, Bukit Bayas,

N16 - Batu Buruk
Batu Buruk, Kampung Nibung, Gong Tok Nasek, Bukit Depu, Kampung Kuala Ibai, Cendering Pantai, Cendering, Taman Permint Jaya,
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/kuala-terengganu-or-kt-by-election-on.html

Analysing the Voting Stations:
We list KT's 36 voting stations (TM), 143 voting streams (Saluran), and the maximum number of voters that can appear in a vote tally. Two oldest voters pushed to the end of queue?

This list can help us to:

* anticipate the voting day crowd and traffic at the TM (Tempat Mengundi, voting station),
* allocate observer teams to each TM,
* monitor the maximum number of votes that can be tallied at each TM and stream.
* (A voting stream or Saluran) is one of several rooms monitored by polling agent inside a TM.)
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/143-voting-streams-with-uneven-sizes-in.html

Analysis of Voter Addresses:
8,388 or 10% of KT Voters Have No NoRumah

10.5% of voters in Kuala Terengganu are registered without a house number (NoRumah), even after excluding postal voters. SPR's voter address registration seems archaic, with 35% voters nationwide without house numbers, and without ZIP code. Why not automatically register voters and use MyKad address?
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/8388-or-10-of-kt-voters-have-no-norumah.html

Analysis of Voters by Age:
KT's Mainly Young Voters Include 46 Centenerians

67% of Kuala Terengganu voters are 21 to 49 year old. KT contains 187 voters aged 90 to 99, a deletion of 30 voters in this age group from the GE12 roll. However, There remains 46 voters aged 100 and more, a deletion of only 1 voter since the GE12 roll. Unlike Permatang Pauh, SPR did not completely delete the 100-and-older voters across the board.
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/kts-mainly-young-voters-include-46.html

Confusion from Police Voters I/Cs:
1001 Police IC Changes = 1001 Potential Confusions

SPR again slightly modified all police IC numbers. The same police voters actually remain registered in KT. But researchers who compare electoral rolls using IC numbers may mistake them as 1001 missing voters and - at the same time - another 1001 newly added voters. Such confusion had accounted for half the mystery and uproar about "900+ missing voters" in the Permatang Pauh by-election in August 2008.
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/1001-police-ic-changes-1001-potential.html

Postal Voters' Addresses & Coding System:
1001 Police Voters in KT

Of Kuala Terengganu's 1,035 postal voters, 1,001 or 97% are police personnel. Of these, 864 are registered at 3 police locations within the Ladang state seat (N15). Other than police personnel, there are 27 army and 7 absentee postal voters residing abroad.
http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/1001-police-voters-in-kt.html

[pywong]

Pas names surprise candidate after last minute change
By Adib Zalkapli

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 2 – Four-term Wakaf Mempelam assemblyman Abdul Wahid Endut, who was once challenged to a fist fight by current Terengganu mentri besar Ahmad Said, has been named Pas's candidate for the Jan 17 Kuala Terengganu by-election in an eleventh hour decision that took many by surprise.

His selection is seen as a compromise decision as rival factions in the party could not agree on either Batu Buruk assemblyman Dr Syed Azman Nawawi or state party chief Datuk Mustafa Ali.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/15087-pas-names-surprise-candidate-after-last-minute-change

Biodata of candidate:
Beliau merupakan Adun Wakaf Mempelam, iaitu salah satu Adun dalam Parlimen Kuala Terengganu. Wahid juga adalah Adun sejak lima penggal dari tahun 1990 lagi memiliki rekod yang cemerlang sebagai Adun atau Exco selama sepenggal dan sebagai Adun pembangkang.

Wahid dianggap sebagai anak didik Pesuruhjaya PAS Terengganu, Dato' Mustafa Ali kerana kerusi Wakaf Mempelam yang beliau wakili kini adalah kerusi yang dimenangi oleh Mustafa ketika PAS melakukan 'comeback' di Terengganu pada tahun 1982.

Beliau dilahirkan pada 29 September 1957 di Kampung Pulau Rusa dan kini menetap di Kampung Seberang Baruh Kiri, Jalan Kelantan, Kuala Terengganu.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/16544/84/

[sampalee]

Shall meet up in KT on the eve of nomination day.I will buy teh tarik.

[pywong]

During the Mar 08 elections, the SPR officers had both postal votes and normal votes. This time round, the SPR have declared that the polling officers are postal voters only. That is better.

1,035 postal voters
881 SPR personnel from locals
154 police and soldiers from outstation.

143 polling streams for KT by-election

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 4 – The Election Commission (EC) will provide 143 polling streams at 36 polling centres for the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election on Jan 17.

EC deputy secretary (operations) Datuk Noordin Che Ngah said the number of registered voters for the by-election was 80,229 compared to 80,325 in the general election last year.
....
The Kuala Terengganu parliamentary constituency has four state constituencies within it – Wakaf Mempelam (with 20,629 voters), Bandar (18,833), Ladang (16,780) and Batu Buruk (23,987).
......

Noordin said the EC would station 881 personnel at the 36 polling centres to facilitate the election process.

“The 881 people are locals who were recruited from among government employees and they are postal voters,” he said.

Of the 80,229 voters, he said, 1,035 were postal voters made up of soldiers, police personnel and EC workers. – Bernama

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/15229-143-polling-streams-for-kt-by-election

[pywong]

From Malaysia-today

Support the Kuala Terengganu 'war effort'
Letters/Surat
Posted by admin
Sunday, 04 January 2009 18:13

You can support PAS in the Kuala Terengganu by-election by sending a small donation to:

Tabung Dana Pilihanraya
CIMB Islamic Bank account number: 1449-0000017-10-4

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/16614/84/#jc_writeComment

[pywong]

Malvu is doing a great job with their analysis.

....2008-12-31
90 Voters in a Big House in KT

90 voters live in the same big house at No. 1089-A of Kg Kuala Ibai in Kuala Terengganu. SPR's inconsistent house numbering format understates the number of voters in the same houses. Meanwhile, 453 voters are registered without house number (NoRumah) at a single locality, ie, Kg Gong Tok Nasek.

Background: Many voters in the same address

* We need to differentiate between two types of "large addresses":

1. Many voters in a locality without house number.
o These are also listed and discussed in Table C of article "8,388 or 10% of KT Voters Have No NoRumah".
o This type involves many large cases, and usually involves a village address registered with up to a few hundreds of voters.
o An example is the 453 voters registered at " [Blank NoRumah] Kg Gong Tok Nasek."
o This type is difficult to verify, because they have only a village name, no street name, no house numbers, and there are many such voters in one address.

2. Many voters in the same house with a house number.
o This type involves relatively fewer voters per address, and a specific house number, that may be easier to verify.
o An example is the 12 voters registered at "352 Kg Gong Tok Nasek" - the same village as the above example.
o However, there is widespread inconsistency in SPR address formats, hiding many voters in the same house.
o An example is the 90 voters registered at "1089-A Kg Kuala Ibai," including these variations of the address:
+ 1089-A Kg Kuala Ibai: 56 voters
+ 1089 A Kg Kuala Ibai: 23 voters
+ 1089A Kg Kuala Ibai: 7 voters
+ 1089 - A Kg Kuala Ibai: 4 voters
+ These are 90 voters all in the same house!

http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/90-voters-in-big-house-in-kt.html

[pywong]

Three in the fray (but one could be disqualified)
UPDATED
By Debra Chong and Adib Zalkapli

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 6 – It's official – a three-way fight between BN's Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh, Abdul Wahid Endut of Pas and independent Azharuddin Mamat. There were no objections when the period ended at 11am today.

....A third candidate has entered the fray – independent Azharuddin Mamat, 46, from KT.

However, it looks likely to be a straight fight between BN and Pas because the proposers and seconders for the other candidate have registered addresses that are not within the constituency.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/15320-nomination-action

[sampalee]

Judging the response on nomination day,the PAS candidates can easily win with A higher increase in vote than mat Sabu secured on March 8th,exceeding even Anwar performance at permatang Paus.This can prove to be the final nail in umno's coffin and there is every possibilities,there will be sore loser

[pywong]

How come overseas students get to vote but not other Malaysians overseas? Why are they so special?

Are there any postal voters stationed in KT itself?

EC To Issue 1,035 Postal Ballot Papers This Saturday

Posted by admin
Wednesday, 07 January 2009 15:31

(Bernama) -- The Election Commission (EC) will be issuing ballot papers to 1,035 postal voters who will cast their votes for candidates in the Kuala Terengganu by-election after this Saturday.
State EC director Mohd Noor Daud said the postal ballot papers would be handed over to the by-election manager's office at the Kuala Terengganu Municipal Council building on Saturday.

He said out of the 1,035 postal voters, 1,001 were from the police force, 27 from the military and the rest were Terengganu students studying abroad.

"We are not involved in the voting process as this is handled by the by-election officer, the police and military who will determine the date for the ballot papers to be sent in.

"What the EC wants is for the postal ballot papers to be returned before 5pm on Jan 17, the polling day," he added when contacted here Wednesday.

The by-election is held following the death of the incumbent Kuala Terengganu MP Datuk Razali Ismail, who was also Deputy Education Minister, on Nov 28, 2008.

In the last general election in March last year, Razali defeated Mohamad Sabu from PAS and independent candidate Maimun Yusof by a 628-vote majority.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/16702/84/

[pywong]

KT returning officer forced to quit

KUALA TERENGGANU, Jan 15 - The returning officer for the Kuala Terengganu by-election Datuk Mat Razali Kassim today tendered his resignation effective immediately.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/16043-kt-returning-officer-forced-to-quit-

[pywong]

http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/2009/01/should-you-be-surprised_16.html

.......Why did 60,000 Malaysians march in protest on 10 Novermber 2007? Why did they brave the police tear-gassing and chemical wash? They wanted a clean, fair election? Did we get one in March 2008? If it was clean and fair, the Pakatan Rakyat would have won Terengganu and Perlis!

Did the Election Commission cheat again at Permatang Pauh? Of course they did without batting an eye.

.......Could it be that this culture of cheating at the polls began after the 1969 GE? For the first time the Alliance realised that they could lose at elections and they were not going to lose any elections at all cost, in the future. Probably, yes?

So will they cheat again, even with a new Election Commission chief? Can the EC Chairman, in his maiden assignment, sleep peacefull and say that he ran a clean and fair election in Kuala Terengganu?

......10.5% of voters in Kuala Terengganu are registered without a house number (NoRumah), even after excluding postal voters. SPR's voter address registration seems archaic, with 35% voters nationwide without house numbers, and without ZIP code. Why not automatically register voters and use MyKad address?
(http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/8388-or-10-of-kt-voters-have-no-norumah.html)

Background:

* Nation-wide, 35% of voters were registered with the SPR without a house number (NoRumah) for GE12 electoral roll gazetted on 2008 Feb 5. See NoRumah? No Rumah? More than 1/3 voters homeless?
* Sabah led the blurry pack, with 92% of voters not registering their house number.
* Terengganu state overall had 35.2% voters without house numbers.
* The relatively urbanized Kuala Terengganu (P036) in 2008 Feb 5 had 10.6% voters without NoRumah.
* Using the latest KT roll of 2008 Dec 5, we found only slight improvement to 10.5% voters without NoRumah.

* In Permatang Pauh by-election roll dated 20080731, 1,020 or 1.8% voters were without house numbers. See this report.
* Our analysis exclude postal voters. Had postal voters been included, the percentage will be even higher by about 1% to 3%.
* Our analysis also tries to standardize variations of entries, such as "-" and other text that denotes blank, such as "tiada","null","*", etc.

And don't forget Primula Park Royal employees surrendering copy of their MyKad and temporary ICs being given out by the State registration department late Wednesday night.

[pywong]

KT By-election: Will 916 come true after all?

If tomorrow, on 17 Jan 2009, UMNO still loses despite the massive cheating and abuse of power, it will prove to the people that UMNO is no longer invincible. Then the people across the whole nation will wake up and BN will lose the next General Elections. Given this situation, UMNO’s hold on the other component parties in the BN will be broken and they will jump the BN ship to join Pakatan Rakyat.

Maybe 916 will come true after all.

This is the last day for campaigning before polling day on 17th Jan 09. The town is over-flowing with Ministers, leaders and supporters from both sides. As I am typing this article in the Mingstar hotel along the busy Jalan Sultan Zainal Abidin, the cars outside are blaring their horns in support of PAS.

The strategies of the two coalitions are clear.

I. BN & UMNO’s Strategies:

A. Pre-election strategy:
1. Pad the Electoral Roll. No time for gerrymandering. Use SPR and National Registration Dept to prepare i/cs for phantom voters, insert them into the electoral rolls, shift known PAS supporters out of the constituency, hide other known PAS supporters from the public rolls to free that vote for phantoms to use later.

2. Adjust or change the i/c nos of voters to confuse election watchers.

SPR had just gazetted a country-wide electoral roll on 28 Nov, 2008. (http://daftarj.spr.gov.my/daftarj/daftar.aspx). Yet a new roll was specially prepared on 5 Dec, 2008 just for this by-election. (http://daftarj.spr.gov.my/semakp36/prayakecil.aspx). This is a remarkable achievement, considering that in 1999, more than 160,000 young voters were disenfranchised because the cut-off date for registration was set 6 months before the General Elections. Mahathir was quite rightly worried that the voters would vote against him.

This tactic was repeated in Mar 2008.

Has the SPR become so efficient overnight?

In their rush, the SPR has been careless. In the new rolls, phantom voters are strewn all over the place. They have even appeared in the house of the Agung’s uncle. There are other instances of suspicious voters with as many as 92 voters in one house. This time, PAS is prepared and is setting a trap for the phantoms. All that is needed is for one phantom to be caught and the scheme will be blown sky-high.

Malvu has done an excellent job analyzing the new rolls and compared it with the previous ones to look for discrepancies. (http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/143-voting-streams-with-uneven-sizes-in.html)

This is UMNO’s ultimate weapon. If despite this advantage, UMNO loses in Kuala Terengganu, UMNO’s hold on the electorate is gone. Likewise UMNO’s hold on the MCA, MIC and Gerakan. If the component parties believe that UMNO cannot give them that advantage in the elections, there is nothing to hold them in the BN. They will leave and that will be the end of BN.

B. Mainstream media:
Blanket the country with UMNO propaganda and demonize Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and PAS.

C. Election Campaign:
Play on the politics of fear, greed and hate – divide-and-rule. These are primordial emotions and have worked for UMNO during the past 50 years.

1. FEAR:

a. Pit the Malays against the Chinese using hate and fear:
In the Malay heartland, tell the Malays that they will lose their special privileges if PAS wins. Promote the idea that if Anwar becomes the Prime Minister, Lim Kit Siang will be the deputy PM. Suggest that PAS and PKR are under the thumb of the DAP. This is such a ridiculous idea when it is obvious to everyone that DAP looks up to Anwar as the leader.

b. Abuse of Govt Machinery:
In official functions with civil servants, tell them to vote for UMNO with the implied threat that their votes can be checked and PAS supporters will be sacked. The KT Mayor was forced to resign as the Returning Officer over this issue.

Similarly, the MCA is going round the Chinese community giving them the same message. The threat is that their business will suffer if they give their support to PAS. Likewise the Temporary Occupation License (TOL) on their houses beside the river bank in Kg Cina will not be renewed. PR countered this by assuring that the ballots are sealed and kept for 6 months before they are destroyed if there is no judicial dispute on the election results.

c. Intimidation:
Bring in 8,000 police to intimidate the locals and to help the phantoms get past the PAS vigilantes.

d. Political Harassment:
DAP operation centre in Kg Cina was forcibly closed. http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/16875/84/ .

e. National Threat:
Najib told national television on 6 January, 2009 that the government could not afford to lose this election and still manage the country well – lose one by-election and they become paralyzed?

f. Police Harassment:
Use police to harass PR and their supporters: The police tried to stop PR from going round with a large TV mounted on a truck, although they don’t have the authority to interfere with the election campaign.

They refused to issue permits to PR to conduct ceramahs on 2 days – 9th and 10th Jan 09. PR proceeded with their ceramahs nonetheless. A Police cub bit off more than he could chew when he demanded for RPK’s i/c. http://zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com/2009/01/out-of-sightand-he-harasses-police.html

g. Biased SPR:
SPR told DAP and PKR not to hang up their flags as only PAS was contesting. But UMNO was allowed to do so even though it was BN contesting the elections.

h. Frighten the Chinese voters over the Hudud issue.
PR overcame this by signing an agreement that all 3 parties (DAP, PAS and PKR) have to agree before any policy can be implemented.

i. Character assassination:
Using Ezam to attack Anwar Ibrahim.

2. GREED
Bribery:

a. RM 70 million to Class F Contractors
Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak dished out 583 government contracts (valued between RM30,000 to RM200,000 each) in a “lucky draw” fashion to each and every Class F contractor present at the Wisma Darul Iman in Kuala Terengganu on Jan 10, 2009

b. UMNO Ceramahs:
Offer free food and hampers to audience.

c. Launching of development projects
Federal and State Govt pledges & distribution >RM 12 million to the Chinese community.
5 Jan 09, RM 2.7 million: Distribute RM 300 to 9,000 needy & elderly Chinese.
13 Jan 09: RM 3.3 million for Bt Kecil Chinese community hall.
RM 3 million for KT Chung Hwa Wei Sin (C) school.
RM 110,000 for 40 Chinese religious organizations.
RM 2.926 million for 10 Chinese schools in Terengganu.
RM 205,000 for 2 Chinese temples.

Consider this: Development is an on-going process. It should be planned and executed progressively, not just during a by-election. This has happened over many by-elections in the past. The behaviour of UMNO all these years is that they believe the nation’s wealth belongs to them to dispense as they wish. And this is reflected in their thinking when speaking to the voters.

Their constant message is: “Only BN can bring development to their constituency. Don’t bite the hand that feeds you.” They forget that the food does not belong to the BN or UMNO. It belongs to the State. Maybe it is time to use the Hudud on that hand.

d. Vote Buying:
Offer between RM 200 to RM 400 for their votes. PR countered by encouraging the voters to take the money but vote for PAS.

e. Resurface the roads:
Overnight, the kampong roads are resurfaced. Such attempts to placate the electorate is so transparent and an insult to the intelligence of the people. Yet UMNO never learns.

II. PAS & PR’s STRATEGIES.

A. Winning Hearts and Minds:
a. Use the soft-sell: Portray as the underdog fighting a cruel and corrupt regime. Speak softly to the voters asking for a chance to serve them. The PAS candidate, Wahid, is a genuinely friendly person and he is winning over the Chinese.

b. Demonstrate Capability:
Bring the MBs from Selangor, Penang and Kelantan to explain how successfully they have governed and helped the people over the past 9 months. This is very successful.

c. Demonstrate Unity:
Show that all the component parties, their campaign workers and even civil societies can work willingly and happily together as a group. This has worked so well that even Lim Kit Siang’s photograph is hung up in the kampong house, something unimaginable just 2 years ago.

d. Religion:
PAS has successfully used religion to fight against UMNO’s attempts to mislead and bribe the Malays.

e. Demonstrate Malay leadership:
All the component parties in PR has clearly shown that the coalition is led by a Malay leadership.


f. Play on Chinese frustration with UMNO:
The Chinese had it with UMNO’s arrogance, bullying and corruption (Pas now wants details of Terengganu's oil royalty payments to be made public.
http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/16848/84/) over the past 51 years and are determined to punish UMNO. UMNO’s blandishments are not working. Neither are the MCA’s not-so-subtle threats. This is clearly shown in the empty MCA Operations Centre in Kg Cina and the poor attendance at the BN ceramahs. As a result, MCA is demoralized.

Ceramah dinners held by DAP and PKR are packed with Chinese who pay to attend and donate generously to the campaign fund.

f. The Barisan Bloggers:
Raja Petra is a one-man vote-getting machine. Everywhere he goes, he is recognized and people keep on asking to take photos with him. The bloggers have been blanketing Kg Cina almost daily until the Barisan Rakyat T-shirt has become a fixture. Indications are that 70% of the Chinese will vote PAS.

g. The Anwar Factor:
Anwar is hugely popular leading to packed ceramahs wherever he goes. He sells the big picture, telling the audience: You will determine where the country is headed. The whole country is looking to you for help to free us from UMNO.
http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/13617-kt-by-election-will-be-test-of-malay-sentiment

h. The Najib Factor:
The people are asked: Do you want Najib (or worse, Rosmah) to be your Prime Minister? Given Najib's perceived association with Altantuya's murder, the allegations of corruption over the Sukoi submarine commissions paid to his friend and adviser, Abdul Razak Baginda, the answer has been a resounding "No!"

i. The Message of Love:
Promote the idea that we are all Malaysians to be treated equally. Anwar's message is: "Anak Melayu, anak saya. Anak Cina, anak saya. Anak India, anak saya. Anak Iban, anak saya. Anak Kadazan, anak saya. For Malaysians to develop in peace and harmony, we need PR to govern the nation."

Herein, lies the danger for UMNO; If tomorrow, on 17 Jan 2009, UMNO still loses despite the massive cheating and abuse of power, it will prove to the people that UMNO is no longer invincible.

Then the people across the whole nation will wake up and BN will lose the next General Elections. Given this situation, UMNO’s hold on the other component parties in the BN will be broken and they will jump the BN ship to join Pakatan Rakyat.

Maybe 916 will come true after all.

Let's pray for tomorrow

Also in http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/16960/84/

[pywong]

UPU 3 and 4 have very low turnout, way below what is normally the case. This is a serious cause for worry as it gives room for the phantoms to use their votes in the afternoon.

There are 36 voting centres in KT. A survey of 4 voting centres shows that turnout is very low. The police are creating jams all over town with their meddling of the traffic, thus preventing voters from getting to the voting centres quickly.

I wonder whether this is part of UMNO's master plan. Actually, the traffic at the centres is so easy to solve. Close the road in front of the centre to vehicular traffic and direct them elsewhere. The place will be so much more quiet and pleasant. Instead, people have to be constantly watching out for cars while walking to the centres.

UPU Location Name Total voters Votes at various times
10:00am 12 noon 2:00pm
2 Mengadang Akar 2063 877 (43%)
3 Batas Baru 1700 350 (20%), 572 (34%), 694 (39%)
4 SK Men Gong Batas 3300 729 (21%), 935 (28%)
5 SC Hwa Wei Sin 3058 430 (14%), 1590 (52%)

UPU 3 and 4 have very low turnout, way beyond what is normally the case. This is a serious cause for worry as it gives room for the phantoms to use their votes in the afternoon.

4pm update: Police are closing roads leading to the voting centre and diverting traffic away. More desperate tactics are coming to light.

Rumours are floating that UMNO has conceded defeat. One more hour to go.

[pywong]

TOTAL 80,229

TIME COUNTED PAS BN BEBAS ROSAK
8:23pm 52,466 26,971 24,839 152 504

8:39pm 53,647 27,488 25,503 152 504
POS 86 1,039 1 71 (Under dispute & recount)

8:59pm: Conflicting figures but PAS leading by >2,000 votes

9:30pm 63,967 32,883 30,252 193 639

Final: Turnout 79.73%. PAS wins with majority of 2,631 votes.

[pywong]

PAS’ Wahid wins KT seat by 2,631 majority
Posted by admin
Saturday, 17 January 2009 21:38

(The Star) - PAS candidate Mohd Abdul Wahid Endut has been declared the winner of the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat by-election by the Election Commission.

Wahid polled 32,883 votes to Barisan Nasional candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh who garnered 30,252 votes for a majority 2,631 win

Independent candidate Azharuddin Mamat received 193 votes.

With the victory, the Opposition now has 82 seats in Parliament. Barisan has 137 seats and the remaining three seats are held by independents.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17011/84/

Barisan Bloggers celebrating:

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTPollingDay930pm170109001.jpg

The PAS War Machine is amazing. Najib threw everything at time except for the kitchen sink and Rosmah, and yet they held firm and won.

SYABAS PAS!

SYABAS PR!

[pywong]

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTCelebrationsonthestreets1030pm-4.jpg


http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTCelebrationsonthestreets1030pm-3.jpg


http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTCelebrationsonthestreets1030pm-2.jpg


http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTCelebrationsonthestreets1030pm-1.jpg


http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTCelebrationsonthestreets1030pm170.jpg


In our euphoria, it is important to bear in mind that this victory was won despite UMNO's attempts at blackmail, threats, bribery, misuse of government machinery, in particular, the SPR, the National Registration Dept, the Police, the Military Intelligence.

Be vigilant. We must draw the proper lessons from this by-election. They will try even harder to cheat next time.

This is one more nail in UMNO's coffin. In the end, People's Power will prevail.

Hidup Rakyat!

[pywong]

The spinning starts.

9.55pm: At a press conference tonight, Prime Minister-in-waiting Najib said that the defeat in Kuala Terengganu should not be interpreted as the voters having spurned Barisan Nasional (nor him)

http://malaysiakini.com/news/96645

An awful day for Najib and BN
Commentary by Wan Hamidi Hamid

JAN 17 — It was a horrible blow for Datuk Seri Najib Razak. The prime minister-in-waiting has now lost two by-elections in less than five months.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/16210-an-awful-day-for-najib-and-bn

[pywong]

An eyewitness phoned in and said she saw the police beating them up.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17018/84/

[pywong]

On the result of the Kuala Terengganu By-Election
Posted by admin
Sunday, 18 January 2009 02:54

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17022/84/

Barisan Nasional has been humiliated at the polls for the third time in ten months. I am full of admiration for the hardworking party members who toiled for two weeks on a local struggle. But we lost because of a national problem. The rakyat reject UMNO in its present form and style, and they reject its leadership.

Despite ringing signals from the rakyat through March 8 and Permatang Pauh, UMNO either has not heard the call for fundamental change, or is unable to respond to it.

Money, machinery and incumbency could not trump the call for change. BN will lose, and will in the end lose everything, until we respond fully and sincerely. But the response from the leadership yet again is that this "should not be interpreted as voters having spurned BN." Our leadership remains in denial. Loyal members of UMNO and the BN will feel they are on a sinking ship.

UMNO has lost by a large majority in a 90% Malay constituency. We lost because of Malay votes in a state whose government we control. We threw the national resources of a party in Federal power at this election, and still we lost.

Actually this was more than a referendum on the leadership. It was a test of the relevance of UMNO in its present form. If UMNO is no longer relevant to the Malays, the BN formula is dead. The Chinese will have no reason to support MCA, and so on. The power-sharing, consensual bargain on which our political system has been based since Independence is broken.

There are serious implications to this. We have always claimed that social peace in Malaysia is built on this bargain. A party leadership in denial is unlikely to form a government with the realism and guts to face an economic meltdown that it also denies is happening. We are in uncharted waters with no one at the wheel.

YBM Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah

17 January 2009

http://tengkurazaleigh.wordpress.com

[pywong]

Watch the spin.

The nightmare scenario is for the MCA grass-roots to realize that UMNO's dirty-tricks dept are not strong enough to help them win an election. Given that UMNO is a liability in every other dept, the MCA leadership will be forced by the grass-roots to ditch UMNO and quit the BN.

So Ong Tee Keat is trying to spin the figures to demonstrate that Chinese support for UMNO has increased.

A few factors need to be borne in mind.

1. At 4pm on polling day, the police started meddling with the traffic leading to the voting centres so much so that legitimate voters could not reach the centre in time. In fact, the police were diverting traffic away from the voting centres. As a result, the last one hour of voting had very few people entering the voting centres and yet there was a mysterious surge of more than 4% during that hour.

Could this be the work of phantoms?

2. Rear gates which were supposed to be closed at the voting centres were opened by somebody to allow outsiders to enter. Fortunately, PAS was vigilant and managed to close some of the gates in time.

This by-election has shown that the PR, and in particular, PAS's campaign machinery is a match for UMNO's machinery including their Intelligence (Govt) services. This is the beginning of the end for UMNO.

We will have to wait for PAS's analysis of the voting results to determine whether the figures presented below by the Star is correct or our field observation of 70% support of PAS is correct.

This morning, we went round to thank the Kg Cina voters for their support. Their joy was so effusive. So it is hard to believe that they did not vote for PAS overwhelmingly.

MCA thanks Chinese voters for increased support

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 17 – The MCA will not take the trust from Chinese voters lightly following their increased support for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the Kuala Terengganu by-election, said MCA President Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat tonight.

In Kampung Cina which has 82.6 per cent of the total Chinese voters in the parliamentary constituency, BN received 1,125 votes against Pas’s 668, a majority of 457 when compared to the 396 votes majority in last year’s general election.

The other areas with mixed composition were Pulau Kambing (BN polled 1,223 votes to Pas’s 958), Pejabat Bandaran (BN 861, Pas 681) and Paya Bunga (BN 969, Pas 759).

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/16220-mca-thanks-chinese-voters-for-increased-support

Another view here with some analysis of the numbers. My problem with such analysis is that it does not take into account the effect of phantom voters. I suspect UMNO support in the Chinese seats were rammed up to mask the swing of the Chinese votes to PAS.
https://airkosong.com/_/2009/01/18/misinformation-by-ong-tee-kiat-on-kts-chinese-support-for-mca/

RPK and the Barisan Bloggers going round Kg Cina to thank the voters. 8 out of 10 voters expressed happiness at the result.

Some even went to the extend of commenting: It is time we teach UMNO a lesson.

So I wouldn't put so much store in the voting results.

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109021.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109020.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109017.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109014.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109012.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109009.jpg

http://i416.photobucket.com/albums/pp242/tindakmalaysia/KT%20By-elections%20170109/KTTQVisit180109007.jpg

[pywong]

From my interaction with the Chinese in KT, I don't think DAP and PKR were rejected by the Chinese. This is merely a misinterpretation of the results that does not taken into account events on the ground. The welcome accorded the DAP and PKR leaders was over-whelming and spontaneous.

In this sense, this article is consistent with the spin in the Star. MCA is trying their best to absolve themselves from blame.

1. Police diversion of traffic from the voting centres at 4pm
2. Very little people going to the centres from outside and yet, mysteriously, there was a surge of 4% of voters in the last hour.
3. We need to pay more serious attention to UMNO's dirty-tricks dept. They can influence the results by a few % but in this case, apparently it was not enough to overcome the swing to PAS by the voters.

To get a clearer picture, we need to study the profile of the voters during the last hour. MALVU or PAS is likely to come out with that.

Lessons from Kuala Terengganu
19 Jan 09 : 8.00AM

By Deborah Loh
deborahloh@thenutgraph.com

DAP and PKR rejected by Chinese

Umno tak laku

http://thenutgraph.com/lessons-from-kuala-terengganu

Here the spin by the same author is different:

http://thenutgraph.com/bn-has-lost-the-plot

[pywong]

It is time we stop analysing voters by race. KT has clearly shown that race was not a factor.

Issues were the main consideration.

And the biggest issue is corruption.

A party (UMNO) that is capable of dispensing Govt money and projects to the voters, treating it as its own, is equally capable of stealing this money from the people.

The voters have matured and have seen through UMNO's attempts to bribe the voters through money and development projects.

http://thenutgraph.com/live-results-from-kuala-terengganu-by-election

[pywong]

Declaration of Institutionalization of Electoral Bribery:

Political Bribery and Political Promise

Posted by admin
Monday, 19 January 2009 20:40

Press Statement
National Institute for Electoral Integrity (NIEI)
Monday, 19 January 2009

Parliamentary By-Election, Kuala Terengganu P036

Declaration of Institutionalization of Electoral Bribery:

Political Bribery and Political Promise of Bribery amounting to RM 1 Billion

3 anomalies which were observed during the execution of the By-Election Process in Kuala Terengganu (P036):

1. Institutionalization of Bribery in the elections

2. Misappropriation of Governmental Engine

3. Overwhelming attendance of Police Force.

Bribery was rampant during Elections in Malaysia, this is certainly evident during the recent Kuala Terengganu elections.

The institutionalized practice of Bribery is usually assumed to be cash distributed unabashedly. During the KT elections, RM300 and RM250 were readily distributed to adults and youth unabashedly to citizens of Terengganu. Even the Chinese were awarded RM300 each as “Ang Pow Money”. The Trishaw pullers on the other hand, were promised RM10,000 each.

The Press core, were also included in this Bribery flamboyancy. On the evening of the 16th Jan 2009, a day before election day, every Press personnel who were at the BN Media Tents were given RM300 in unmarked white envelopes. Two weeks before that, the said same were given raincoats costing RM98 each.

Indirect Bribery to “fish for votes” were abundant, amongst them are listed below:

1. The formation and allocation of RM1 million for an “Emergency Fishermen's' Fund”

2. Allocation of RM150k for a KT Fishermen's' Scheme.

3. Assignment of unsolicited “non-tendered” (uncontested) of 583 Class F Projects amounting to RM15.8million

4. A sudden Ground-Breaking Ceremony of an RM10 million Cardiology Unit

5. Another sudden Ground-Breaking Ceremony of a Mosque in Kubang Ikan on the 15th of January.

6. A third Ground-Breaking Ceremony of 1,200 units of Ultra-Low Cost Housing Projects.

7. A fourth Ground-Breaking Ceremony of RM100 million to build 1,000 low cost houses in Kuala Terengganu.

8. A mysterious “gift” of RM6.1 million to Chung Hwa Wei Sin Primary School.

9. Cash gifts amounting to RM2.5million indiscriminately distributed to the Chinese residents of Kuala Terengganu.

10. A RM50 million grant suddenly assigned to Chinese schools in Terengganu.

11. Sudden gifts of Pilot E-books to 100 students in KT, with the promise of another indiscriminate 23,000 valued at RM 1,300 each to school children.

12. 206 songket weavers suddenly received a set of “Kek Tenunan Tradisional” valued at RM695 each.

13. The immediate distribution of RM408.6 million to the Government of Terengganu in Oil Royalties.

14. And the sudden declaration of a Project to expand (and deepen) the area around the fishing port at the Cendering Port.

Thus is the Misappropriation of Authority of the Governmental Engine.

With regards to this Bribery practice, the following is a short list of the blatant misuse of Governmental Powers at the Local, State and Federal Level.

l At the local level, the Datuk Bandar Kuala Terengganu caught Mat Razali Kassim, the Elections Officer Campaigning and coercing his subordinates to vote for BN. (He was forced to resign thereafter)

l His replacement, the Setiausaha Majlis Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu, previously was also chastised for being personally involved in Campaigning for the BN.

l The use of the Chief Minister's and JKR machinery in the ground-breaking ceremony of the Officiating Ceremonies of the aforesaid Mosque.

l During a Campaign at Gong Badak, The Irrigation and Drainage Department was instructed to analyze the frequent flooding in the Pusu Tiga Housing Estate, in Gong Badak.

l State Sec and the Director of State Finance were intimately involved in the BN Programs targeted specifically at Imams, Bilals, Village Chiefs, and Civil Servants. This includes the Governments outside of the P036 Electoral Jurisdiction.

l The Officiating of the title “Malaysian Institute of Teachers Training”, and a “SMK” title to a privately owned Campus and school, to a certain Datuk Razali Ismail. (He is a Parliamentary Rep of KT.)

The following Governmental Bodies were directly involved during the P036 Campaign:

1. Ministry of Health

2. Ministry of Education

3. Ministry of Social Welfare

4. Ministry of Agriculture

5. Ministry of Finance

6. Prime Minister's Department

7. Ministry of Information

8. Ministry of Women, Family and Community.

The Campaign also offered Services at Governmental Expenditure which appeared to be BN sponsored.

1. The cash disbursement of RM500k in December to Flood Victims.

2. RM200k as food and misc expenditure for the same.

3. The sudden direct-flights for all Terengganu bound Haj Pilgrims.

4. A sudden replacement of Atap-roofs.

Many other Ministers and their Deputies and their excos were also involved in the Campa of P036. Amongst them were:

1. Abdullah Badawi

2. Najib Razak

3. Zahid Hamidi

4. Mohd Shafie Apdal

5. Dr. Ng Yen Yen

6. Shahrizat

7. Hishamuddin Hussein

8. Muhyidin Yassin

9. Ong Tee Kiat

10. Muhamad Taib

11. Azalina Othman

12. Syed Hamid Albar

13. Noh Omar

14. Hamzah Zainudin

15. Ali Rustam

16. Lim Guan Eng

17. Ahmad Said

18. Mohamad Nizar

19. Ngeh Koo Ham

20. Nik Aziz

21. Khalid Ibrahim

22. Theresa Kok

23. Elizebeth Wong

24. Husam Musa

25. Nik Aziz Nik Mat

26. Hasan Ali

The question is, who bore the cost of these individuals Campaigning?

There were also blatant cash disbursements and “Free Gifts” by BN to the Journalists from

Utusan Malaysia, Berita Harian and Sinar Harian. Many Concerts were also “sponsored” by The Information Ministry; these included famous Terengganu singers such as Salim Iklim.

PAS also violated “Fair Ethical Electoral Practice”. They were giving out wheelchairs at Bukit Tepu, giving out free haircuts and free Homeopathy consultation.

Excessive amounts of Police Personnel.

It is estimated that there were 10,000 Uniformed Police Personnel who were “ordered” to be stationed in KT during the entire months' Campaign. The ridiculous ratio of 1 Police Personnel to 8 Civilians is unheard of.

The excessive Police presence was creating a “War-Zone” like situation. Their alleged purpose was to ensure safety, but this caused much undesirable public stress, and an “emergency-like” situation. This goes against good electoral practice of free and peaceful elections.

The Electoral Act needs revision to curb and prevent Bribery and Corruption as wheels to “buy” votes. This is most apparent with the illegal abuse of Governmental Bodies, and Authorities to Campaign, and needs to be made immediately illegal.

Fortunately, the voters at Kuala Terrengganu are mature, and a good majority are immune to being offered “sweets” (gifts) during elections.

Yunus Ali

Pengerusi NIEI

Translated by Michael Chick

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17056/84/

[pywong]

A threat too far
Posted by admin
Monday, 19 January 2009 10:55

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Umno ‘won over’ the Chinese in Kuala Terengganu. But it was with a gun at the head. And the Chinese will never forget this. And neither will we. I was hoping that the Chinese were right. I was hoping that the Chinese can safely vote BN and that PAS will still win just on the Malay votes. On hindsight, the Chinese were right of course. Much to my relief that is exactly what happened, though I would have loved a 5,000 majority instead of just 2,631.

In the short-term, Umno ‘won’ the Chinese votes. But the ‘win’ was gained through the barrel of the gun. This is not the best way to win because, in the long-term, the Chinese will want to ‘pay back’ Umno for threatening them in the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17041/84/

[pywong]

Sharp Slap to UMNO’s Leadership

Posted by admin
Monday, 19 January 2009 10:53

That would be great news for Anwar Ibrahim-led Pakatan Rakyat, further enhancing its chance of assuming power. This may occur even sooner if Barisan Members of Parliament, sensing the political change, were to abandon their parties. The shift could also come earlier if, as expected, Sarawak were to call an earlier election. Then there is the volatile political situation in Sabah.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

M. Bakri Musa

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17040/84/

[pywong]

Umno loss a wake-up call

Posted by admin
Monday, 19 January 2009 08:19

Party veterans blame leaders for disconnect with ground

Umno lost the most ground in the Malay areas, while the Chinese votes remained stable. Analysts and party leaders have attributed the defeat to the choice of candidate, party in-fighting, and Umno's disconnect with the ground.

THE CORRIDORS OF POWER

Carolyn Hong, The Straits Times

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17036/84/

[chakngoon.ng]

PY

You conclude that the Chinese in KT did not reject DAP and PKR based on your interaction with the Chinese there. Yet, according to Deborah Loh in the Nut Graph, the Bandar’s Kampung Cina voting district is 83% of Kuala Terengganu’s Chinese Malaysians and ther the BN’s majority increased by 457 votes compared with 396 in the 2008 general election. How would you explain this?

Without having the voters’ data to work on, I would have to say that Loh’s analysis is more credible than your unsupported conclusion. I remember that when Lee Kuan Yew spoke in an election rally in the Penang Padang in the first general elections after the formation of Malaysia, the crowd spilled into the surrounding streets. If crowd size were any indication of how voters would vote, DAP would have swept the polls then. Yet it was Alliance (the original name of the coalition of UMNO, MCA, and MIC) that triumphed. Therefore, crowd size was an unreliable indication of how voters would actually vote. If it was then, it can be now.

Why not get hold of the election data and try to read some sense into them instead of speculating based on crowd size and rejecting any analysis you do not like as merely spin. Putting it bluntly, I would say yours is spin and Loh’s has at least some credibility because her conclusion was backed by figures.

It is important that we study the polling figures objectively so that we can know how we can do better in the next election in KT. We have to know why the KT Chinese are backing BN. Has BN’s MSM propaganda or bribe been so effective? Were cheramahs mere entertainment and could the distribution of pamphlets have been more effective?

Ng Chak Ngoon

[rocky]

chinese la.malay la. They lost the seat. Malaysians in KT rejected BN/UMNO. Say what you want, spin what you want...conclusion is BN lost. and majority Malaysians in KT voted for PAS. ;)

[pywong]

http://sloone.wordpress.com/2009/01/19/gracious-nik-aziz-on-kuala-terengganu/

Sloone: Also time for PR to get down to work.

[pywong]

PY

You conclude that the Chinese in KT did not reject DAP and PKR based on your interaction with the Chinese there. Yet, according to Deborah Loh in the Nut Graph, the Bandar’s Kampung Cina voting district is 83% of Kuala Terengganu’s Chinese Malaysians and ther the BN’s majority increased by 457 votes compared with 396 in the 2008 general election. How would you explain this?

Read both articles by Deborah Loh:
http://thenutgraph.com/lessons-from-kuala-terengganu

http://thenutgraph.com/bn-has-lost-the-plot

Those numbers were provided by MCA State Chief Toh Chin Yaw. I don't have to explain it. You should know better than to listen to the MCA. Any analysis that does not take into account the phantom votes are unreliable.



I remember that when Lee Kuan Yew spoke in an election rally in the Penang Padang in the first general elections after the formation of Malaysia, the crowd spilled into the surrounding streets. If crowd size were any indication of how voters would vote, DAP would have swept the polls then. Yet it was Alliance (the original name of the coalition of UMNO, MCA, and MIC) that triumphed. Therefore, crowd size was an unreliable indication of how voters would actually vote. If it was then, it can be now.

Why not get hold of the election data and try to read some sense into them instead of speculating based on crowd size and rejecting any analysis you do not like as merely spin. Putting it bluntly, I would say yours is spin and Loh’s has at least some credibility because her conclusion was backed by figures.

It is important that we study the polling figures objectively so that we can know how we can do better in the next election in KT. We have to know why the KT Chinese are backing BN. Has BN’s MSM propaganda or bribe been so effective? Were cheramahs mere entertainment and could the distribution of pamphlets have been more effective?

I suppose you were too young to understand the impact of phantom voters on Lee Kuan Yew's campaign. Do not think that phantom voters were a recent phenomenon. It is just that we did not understand how it worked in the past.

Get hold of election data: In an earlier posting, I stated that "To get a clearer picture, we need to study the profile of the voters during the last hour. MALVU or PAS is likely to come out with that." You know very well I have no access to such data, so please stop throwing such suggestions my way.

Distribution of pamphlets: You had the chance to do it but you didn't. A pity really, as you would have got the answer yourself.

[pywong]

https://airkosong.com/_/2009/01/18/misinformation-by-ong-tee-kiat-on-kts-chinese-support-for-mca/

https://airkosong.com/_/files/KT-Chinese-2008-2009.pdf

What the link shows is that in the 4 areas with significant Chinese voters, PAS still lost to BN. In 2008, the loss was 1197 votes while in Jan 2009, the loss was 1099 votes. Relatively speaking, PAS has improved its vote count by 98 votes compared to the Mar 08 elections.

[pywong]

Malaysia's Islamic party wins by-election

http://www.worldfutures.info/News/Latest/Malaysia-Islamic-Party-wins-by-election.html

[pywong]

Watch the spin doctors come out to save Najib’s sorry ass by trying to hang the KT loss round Pak Lah’s neck, Haris Ibrahim
January 20, 2009

After all, didn’t someone say that politics is about perception?

And perception, if carefully managed, may well disguise the truth, no?

And none are better placed to manage perception than the media, both mainstream and online.

That truth being that the loss of KT could very reasonably be read as a rejection of Najib as PM.

Yesterday, at about 3pm, a meeting to manage perception took place at La Bodega in Bangsar.

Present at the meeting were Mukhriz, JJ, a person by the name of Khairuddin, Rocky and Nuraina.

Agenda : Pin the loss of KT on Pak Lah. Deflect any dirt arising from the KT loss away from Najib. Got to make sure Pak Lah goes in March. Kill any idea that he or anyone else might have to keep Pak Lah on as PM.

........ http://harismibrahim.wordpress.com/2009/01/20/watch-the-spin-doctors-come-out-to-save-najibs-sorry-ass-by-trying-to-hang-the-kt-loss-round-pak-lahs-neck/

[pywong]

Old formula no longer works

Posted by admin
Tuesday, 20 January 2009 12:57

CERITALAH By KARIM RASLAN (The Star)

The by-election in Kuala Terengganu further emphasis that voters don’t want politics-as-usual. They want respect and service.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17082/84/

[pywong]

BN loses out on Generation Y voters

Ong Kian Ming | Jan 20, 09 11:15am

This article is not about explaining what went wrong with my final prediction of a 7,000 majority win for PAS. I will just say this – even my earlier and more accurate prediction of a 3,300 majority which employed a different methodology had some faulty predictions when compared to the actual results.
MCPX

Right now, I want to point out why the Kuala Terengganu by-election results should be particularly worrying for BN in ways which are not revealed by the small 2,631 (approximately four percent) majority win by PAS.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/96791

[pywong]

Najib says KT loss not a reflection on his leadership

By Shannon Teoh

PUTRAJAYA, Jan 20 - Deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak dismissed suggestions that Barisan Nasional's (BN) defeat in the Kuala Terengganu by-election was a personal setback, insisting instead that it was the collective responsibility of his party.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com.my/index.php/malaysia/16387-najib-says-kt-loss-not-a-reflection-on-his-leadership

[pywong]

http://tindakmalaysia.com/tm_forums2008/index.php/topic,658.new.html#new

[pywong]

Dear Najib, let me help you a bit since you seem to be too thick to understand.

1. Stop the electoral fraud. Make the SPR an independent body answerable to Parliament.
2. Seriously address the complaints about phantom voters.
3. All Police and Army to vote at the nearby voting centres. No more postal votes for these people.
4. Let independent election observers from the UN and the Commonwealth monitor the elections.

We want an open and fair election where all parties have a level playing field, not the present fraudulant system.

Revamping UMNO's culture won't help. The cancer is too embedded. Try C4.

Umno Must Revamp Culture, Image - Najib

Posted by admin
Tuesday, 20 January 2009 20:01

(Bernama) -- Umno's negative image and the attitude of its leaders, which is not seen to be people-friendly, are among the reasons for the Barisan Nasional's (BN) defeat in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election last week, said Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
As such, the Umno deputy president said the party must change its culture and image so that it could win the hearts of the people.

Umno leaders at all levels must put up a positive and people-friendly image, he told reporters after witnessing the handing over of the agreement on the Restructuring of the Negeri Sembilan Water Supply Services at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre, here.

"The people gauge Umno from what they see in their relationship with the Umno leaders at all levels," he said.

He said this when asked to comment on the statement by Umno vice-president

Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin that Umno needed the "wow" factor to regain the people's support following the defeat in the by-election.

PAS won the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat when its candidate Abdul Wahid Endut defeated the BN candidate, Datuk Wan Farid Wan Salleh and Independent candidate Azharuddin Mamat in the by-election on Saturday.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17102/84/

[pywong]

Wong Chin Huat's analysis here, The KT Boomerang, http://www.thenutgraph.com/kt-boomerang, shows the results in %. It is not a good method as it does not show the absolute numbers, which is what counts eventually. In that respect, airkosong's posting is more useful (https://airkosong.com/_/files/KT-Chinese-2008-2009.pdf

What the link shows is that in the 4 areas with significant Chinese voters, PAS still lost to BN. In 2008, the loss was 1197 votes while in Jan 2009, the loss was 1099 votes. Relatively speaking, PAS has improved its vote count by 98 votes compared to the Mar 08 elections.)

Raja Petra's analysis here, http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17120/84/, shows that PAS won all the 4 DUN seats (Wakaf Mempelam, Bandar, Ladang & Batu Buruk). The only saving grace for the BN was the postal votes and we know how it is done. The table at the bottom of the article is useful for future reference.

His point, which has also been stated in earlier postings, about interference in the traffic and the sudden surge in voting despite no voters approaching the Pondok Panas needs further consideration:

At 3.00pm on Polling Day, the police set up ten roadblocks all over town. Kuala Terengganu was practically cordoned off and no one could get in or out. We tried to make our way to the PAS IT Centre in Kuala Ibai but were turned back. We tried another route and were turned back again. We just went around and around town at slower than walking pace trying to find a way to get out.

In the meantime, those who wanted to get to the polling centres were also turned back and diverted away from town. No one could reach the polling centres and those of us stuck in town could not get out either.

At 4.00pm, voting almost ground to a halt. The voter turnout was only 74% and this was very worrying. The low voter turnout means they can pad the ballot boxes with ‘phantom voters’. One hour later, when polling ended, the voter turnout spiralled to 79%. We were perplexed. Where did the extra 5% come from? This represents about 4,000 votes. Traffic was at a standstill and no one could enter or leave town. How did these 4,000 voters get to the polling stations?

Too much time has been spent analysing the Chinese votes which constitutes only 11% of the electorate, while we ignore the remaining 89% which swung to PAS, and the effect of the phantom voters. Until and unless we make provision for the phantoms, all the analyses are not accurate.

The bottom line is: PAS won. During the next general elections, the tricks that UMNO resorted to this time will not work so well as PR will have devised strategies to counter it.

The most important thing we have to recognize about this by-election is this.

The by-election results represent a sea-change, one that will have a bigger impact than Joseph Pairin Kitingan's win in Tambunan in 1984 - http://nt.diakrit.com/metaweb/304c/uppsats/MFS_Malaysia.pdf, page 13.

PAS (and PR) has proven that they can beat UMNO in a predominantly Malay seat despite all the advantages of incumbency enjoyed by UMNO, together with the bribery, threats and blackmail inflicted on the voters.

The myth of invincibility of UMNO has been destroyed. The majority of the voters have overcome the fear factor. The next general elections will see UMNO toppled.

[pywong]

Malaysia has been subjected to 50 years of the most insidious systematic indoctrination under the BN government. We don’t have a real racial problem as such, as in Malaysia the races do work and mingle in harmony and we do make good friends with each other. But the incessant propaganda of hatred has nevertheless taken a heavy toll in our collective psyche.

http://humblevoice.blogspot.com/2009/01/kt-by-election-major-corner-stone-is.html

[sampalee]

YES,there are no problem amonst the various races.It is the evil umno that spread hatred.The rakyat must unite and be single minded in EXTERMINATING umno.

[pywong]

YES,there are no problem amonst the various races.It is the evil umno that spread hatred.The rakyat must unite and be single minded in EXTERMINATING umno.


Kawan, where were you? I was in KT for 10 days and never saw you. You owe me a teh-tarik.

[pywong]

Pakatan duo lodge report over KT 'corrupt acts'
Andrew Ong | Jan 22, 09 2:16pm

Two Pakatan Rakyat MPs have lodged a report with the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) over alleged corrupt practices by Barisan Nasional during the Kuala Terengganu by-election.

http://malaysiakini.com/news/96964

[pywong]

Wow! Umno has to wake up

by Azmi Sharom
Posted by admin
Thursday, 22 January 2009 09:57

The party has now to be more open and allow its young members to move to the fore considering that it was young voters who made the difference in Kuala Terengganu.

http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17148/84/

[pywong]

Jan 23, 2009

Another setback for Malaysia's UMNO
By Anil Netto

PENANG - A key parliamentary by-election on Saturday that fell to a resurgent opposition alliance has piled more pressure on Malaysia's premier-in-waiting, Najib Razak.

At issue now is whether the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition Najib will lead beginning in March is capable of pushing through the reforms many believe are vital for the government's long-term survival.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KA23Ae01.html

[racheljansz]

Jan 23, 2009
At issue now is whether the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition Najib will lead beginning in March is capable of pushing through the reforms many believe are vital for the government's long-term survival.

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/KA23Ae01.html
I think this is double talk.
UMNO's or Malaysia's long-term survival?
So far the chances of UMNO's survival is extremely low, when the patient is at Stage 4 of Corruptoma Cancer.
Even if recover it will not be the same anymore!
Beyond recognition.

[pywong]

Dog days ahead for Najib
Manjit Bhatia | Jan 20, 09 1:35pm

In a recent column, I said the KT by-election was always about Najib. And that’s regardless of whatever spin he had put on the poll during the campaign and whatever spin he produces after it.

At a press conference after the result was declared Najib rejected the argument that it reflects poorly on him. His position is a no-brainer. And it’s banal.

After all, more than even Anwar Ibrahim (left) and Lim Kit Siang (right), it was Najib who was pulling out all stops to ensure that Ahmad Farid would win. If the candidate had been Abdullah’s stooge, Najib wouldn’t have worried about doing more than his token bit for him.

But he did more than that. Much more. Najib campaigned fiercely, criss-crossing the electorate umpteen times in a bid to help Ahmad Farid. All the while, however, he knew that the poll was more about himself than about Ahmad Farid.

http://malaysiakini.com/opinions/96809

[pywong]

Is the BN becoming irrelevant?

Wednesday, 21 January 2009 19:14

The great thing about the results of the Kuala Trengganu by-election is that the old politics of the Barisan Nasional will no longer work. The past winning formula – money, media and machinery – could not woo the voters to throw in their support for the BN.

The BN poured in money in the millions to tantalise the voters; it mobilised both the federal and state machinery to mount an aggressive campaign; it had the solid support of the pliant media to give the widest one-sided coverage. This was the winning formula the BN had consistently resorted to in the past with great success. But this time it did not work in its favour.

http://www.aliran.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=812:is-the-bn-becoming-irrelevant&catid=54:2008&Itemid=11

[pywong]

It is too late for Barisan to wake up. It is in deep coma. Just look at what they are trying to do with the stimulus package and you will get an idea - RM 200 million to one of Rosmah's pet kindergarten projects! She is behaving more and more like Maria Antoinette (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marie_Antoinette)

Time Barisan woke up and fixed what is wrong
John Lee
JAN 23 — After its humiliation in Kuala Terengganu, Barisan Nasional has no choice but to face the facts: the people of Malaysia are not happy with their Barisan-led government.

In spite of nearly every imaginable advantage, Barisan went home defeated. By-elections have traditionally been their strong suit; political celebrities of all kinds come in to shower voters with attention and promises of goodies. Vote-buying and extensive “phantom voter” operations have not been unheard of in the past, and this time round was no exception. The seat was not an opposition stronghold, and had previously been held by a deputy minister in the Barisan government. The upcoming Chinese New year holiday a mere week after polling (when most people would usually come home) and the fact that this was just a by-election were both factors depressing turnout among younger and urban voters, groups likelier to vote for the opposition. If Barisan’s plan to stay the course was working, surely Kuala Terengganu would be the place to prove it; prior to March 8, all these factors combined would have been enough to give Barisan a landslide victory. And yet in the face of all this, the Pakatan Rakyat candidate won with a larger majority than the Barisan candidate had on March 8.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/john-lee/16623-time-barisan-woke-up-and-fixed-what-is-wrong

[pywong]

That is what we are saying: UMNO resorts to electoral fraud and abuse of government machinery to win. They cannot afford to change because changing will make them lose even more elections. So they are stuck in a downward spiral.

They know their time is up. So they have to grab as much as they can while the going is good. That explains why Najib's stimulus budgets will not work. It is not designed to stimulate the economy, only as a means to siphon money from the government into private hands.

Consensus that change must come from Umno

By Adib Zalkapli KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 24, 09

In the hotly-contested Kuala Terengganu by-election, Umno lost due to the swing in Malay votes despite repeated attempts by Umno campaigners to show its rival Pas had sold out to the minorities to appease other Pakatan Rakyat parties.

The loss of Malay support in Kuala Terengganu has led many to believe that Umno would be forced to abandon its exclusive approach but political observers and component party leaders remained sceptical that the defeat would shape the convention into assisting BN in rejuvenating itself ahead of the next general election.

Dr Agus Yusoff of Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia: Any drastic change would only mean weakening Umno's position in Malaysian politics, citing the use of government machinery in any election campaign.

"That is Umno's strength, awarding projects, mock cheques. If they want to stop that, what is left of Umno?"

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/16751-consensus-that-change-must-come-from-umno

[pywong]

Choosing change over continuity — Farish A. Noor

JAN 24 — The outcome of the recent by-election in Kuala Terengganu sounded a wake-up call in the corridors of power in Malaysia and among the senior leadership of the ruling Umno in particular.

....In the predominantly Chinese or in the areas where there was significant non-Malay representation, the voters by and large stood by the Barisan Nasional government.

....It was in the predominantly Malay-Muslim areas where the swing to Pas occurred.

This is the third by-election loss for BN since the general election last year — the third time its entire machinery and the personal campaign appearances of its most senior politicians were unable to turn the tide.

....The defeat has focused attention yet again on Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Rajak. The by-election result indicates not only Umno's unpopularity but also Najib's standing and credibility with Malays at the moment.

....Today, more than 12 million Malaysians are registered Internet users. It is the result of a globalisation process that went hand in hand with rapid development.

....Judging by the Kuala Terengganu by-election result, it would appear that the public — in particular, Malays — has already made its choice: It is one for change rather than continuity. — Straits Times

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/136-breaking-views/16739-choosing-change-over-continuity--farish-a-noor

[pywong]

Good medicine is often bitter

JAN 25 – In the aftermath of the KT by-election, alarm bells are ringing in the home of every top BN leader. The writing on the wall is clear – change, or be changed.

I call upon these BN leaders to push for the abolition of ISA and the immediate release of the Hindraf leaders and others detained under the draconian law.

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/hsudarren/16781-good-medicine-is-often-bitter

[pywong]

KT: A slap in the face for Najib

Josh Hong | Jan 23, 09 12:09pm

With Umno’s defeat in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary by-election last week, the ruling party’s chances of resurgence now seem even more remote. Bizarre, that the prime minister-in-waiting Najib Abdul Razak was quick to dismiss it being a no confidence vote on his impending premiership.

Najib is still living in Cloud Cuckoo Land, safe in the belief that the 3-M strategy: the media, money and machinery, could be thoroughly shaped up for more effective electoral manipulation when he takes over the reins in March.

http://malaysiakini.com/columns/97030

[pywong]

Looks like a good analysis and more useful than the others. Would someone be so kind as to translate it?

Friday, January 23, 2009
Menghadapi Kemenangan PRK Kuala Terengganu

Pilihanraya Kecil KT telah selesai dan AlhamduliLlah, calon PAS/PR telah muncul sebagai pemenang. Maka bertambahlah kerusi Parlimen PAS dan PR dan agenda perubahan di peringkat pusat terus hidup!

Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan tahniah kepada calon, PAS, DAP dan PKR. Usaha-usaha para pemimpin, serta ahli dan penyokong yang seolah-olah tidak kenal penat-lelah telah mencapai hasil yang diinginkan. Tidak dilupai juga peranan ahli Kelab Penyokong PAS yang telah turun beramai-ramai membantu calon PAS di KT.

Saya ingin juga menyatakan tahniah kepada pengundi kerana membuat pilihan yang tepat. Semoga Allah memberi kami kemampuan untuk menunaikan tanggung jawab kami terhadap pengundi dengan sebaik yang mungkin.

Dalam pada keghairahan kita menyambut kemenangan ini, perlu juga kita akui bahawa PR kecil ini telah mendedahkan beberapa kelemahan yang perlu diatasi sebelum datangnya PRU ke 13. Ini adalah kerana pada PRU ke 13 kelak, PAS tidak akan lagi dapat dibantu oleh DAP dan PKR sepertimana kita dibantu pada masa ini. Ini adalah kerana pada masa itu, masing-masing akan sibuk dengan kawasan dan negeri masing-masing. Kita tidak akan mampu mengadakan program demi program, hari demi hari, malam demi malam bersama pemimpin-pemimpin PR sepertimana di Kuala Terengganu.

Walaupun analisa mendalam atau ‘post-mortem’ belum lagi siap dilakukan PAS Pusat, saya ingin mengenengahkan beberapa perkara untuk kita berfikir bersama. Sebelum itu, perlu saya sebut, mereka yang sensitif dan tidak mahu dengar teguran dan hanya ingin pujian, harap berhenti membaca di sini sahaja. Terima kasih.

Di antara perkara-perkara yang saya fikir perlu diberikan tumpuan oleh pimpinan PAS khususnya adalah seperti berikut:-

1. Senjata utama BN adalah tindakan dan dasar-dasar tertentu yang telah dilaksanakan oleh PAS semasa ia memerintah Terengganu pada tahun 1999 hingga 2004
Ini jelas dari strategi BN menyebar buku kecil berjudul ‘masihkah kau ingat’ yang mengandungi gambar-gambar dan ulasan-ulasan yang mengingatkan pengundi Terengganu akan dasar-dasar dan tindakan-tindakan PAS yang tidak popular semasa PAS memerintah Terengganu satu masa dahulu. Saya difahamkan bahawa buku kecil yang sama telah diedarkan semasa PRU ke 12 bulan Mac 2008 yang lalu dan ini adalah di antara sebab kekalahan kita di Terengganu.

2. Kegagalan kita mendapat sokongan yang lebih meluas dari kalangan masyarakat Tiong Hua di KT
Di antara yang paling ketara adalah kegagalan kita mendapat sokongan yang lebih meluas dari masyarakat Tiong Hua. Kita gagal melakukan ini walaupun kita dibantu oleh pemimpin-pemimpin masyarakat Tiong Hua yang masyhur di Negara kita seperti Lim Kit Siang, Lim Guan Eng, Tian Chua dan seluruh kepimpinan DAP dan PKR! Ini membuktikan wujudnya satu tahap ketidak-yakinan yang begitu menggunung terhadap PAS di kalangan masyarakat Tiong Hua di KT. Ini merupakan masalah yang perlu dikaji dan ditangani.

Saya faham ada beberapa penjelasan dan tafsiran yang telah dan sedang dikemukakan oleh berbagai pihak berhubung persoalan undi masyarakat Tiong Hua ini. Walau apa sekalipun penjelasan dan tafsiran, hakikatnya sokongan mereka adalah jauh kurang dari apa yang diharapkan.

3. Jentera dan perancangan kegiatan kempen yang perlu dipertingkatkan
Satu lagi aspek yang didapati menghairankan adalah pengurusan kempen yang kelihatan agak lemah. Risalah-risalah adalah begitu terhad dan program ceramah yang saya hadiri pun tidak jelas samada disusun oleh AMK atau PAS. PAS seolah-olah lebih cenderung kepada corak kempen senyap-senyap, melalui lawatan ke rumah-rumah dan tidak begitu berminat untuk mengadakan program ceramah besar-besaran.

4. Masalah dalaman PAS yang tidak di atasi
Masalah dalaman ini biasanya dapat diatasi dalam kehangatan suasana PR kecil. Malangnya didapati ini tidak berlaku dengan sepenuhnya semasa di KT. Masih kedengaran tuduhan golongan “Erdogan tidak turun” sedangkan semua yang dituduh sebagai ahli golongan Erdogan ini, termasuk diri saya, sibuk berkempen. Yang paling gigih yang saya lihat adalah YB Syed Azman sendiri yang walaupun tidak lekat sebagai calon, tetapi terus berceramah dan berkempen seperti biasanya.

CADANGAN-CADANGAN

Dalam menangani isu pertama, yang pasti akan tetap menjadi senjata BN menjelang PRU ke-13, mungkin PAS Terengganu perlu mengakui kesilapan dan keterlanjuran sekiranya telah berlaku kesilapan dan keterlanjuran ini. Jangan kita menganggap pengakuan sebegini merugikan. Sebaliknya ia akan menyebabkan rakyat kagum akan keikhlasan dan ketelusan kita. Mungkin kita boleh mengaku kita tersilap kerana dulu kita pun baru dan bergerak bersendirian dan oleh itu melakukan kesilapan-kesilapan ini. Kesilapan seperti menutup Tadika KEMAS, melantik isteri menjadi Ahli Lembaga Anak Syarikat Kerajaan Negeri (GLC), menaja pengajian anak exco kerajaan negeri dengan duit zakat dan sebagainya seperti yang dijaja UMNO melalui buku kecilnya. Kesilapan yang pada dasarnya boleh dikatakan ‘tidak salah’ dari sudut syara’ bila dikaji sepintas lalu, tetapi amat dangkal dari sudut kebijaksanaan politik, hikmah perjuangan dan dasar ‘anti-kronisma’ yang ingin dibawa.

Walau apa pun yang diputuskan, hakikatnya, ‘stigma’ yang lama akan sentiasa bersama PAS di Negeri Terengganu ini. Sekiranya kita ingin mempertahankan dasar-dasar yang jelas merugikan kita dulu sehingga menyebabkan kita diturunkan pada 2004 dan tidak dipilih kembali pada 2008, maka kita akan tersilap langkah. Ego kita membutakan kita. PAS Terengganu perlu membersihkan imejnya yang malangnya telah terpalit dengan kes-kes seperti yang disebutkan tadi, menyatakan kita telah belajar dari pengalaman lepas dan akan mentadbir dengan jauh lebih baik dari dahulu. Dalam erti kata lain, PAS di Terengganu perlu melakukan sedikit ‘rebranding’.

Kemunculan saf pimpinan baru di Terengganu yang terdiri dari golongan muda boleh membantu ke arah ini. Individu-individu seperti YB Abdul Wahid Endut dan YB Syed Azman perlu diberi ruang untuk mengasaskan hubungan yang lebih mesra di antara PAS dengan masyarakat awam. Ianya boleh membawa kepada kesedaran bahawa sudah berlaku perubahan yang lebih positif di dalam PAS itu sendiri dan kesilapan lama tidak akan diulang lagi.

Di kalangan masyarakat Tiong Hua, dikatakan isu yang paling sensitif ialah soal kuil yang kononnya ingin dirampas PAS semasa PAS memerintah dahulu. Isu ini, seperti isu-isu yang ditonjolkan melalui buku kecil BN perlu diperjelaskan. Mungkin ada yang akan berkata, “telahpun dijelaskan!”. Namun, yang jelas bahawa penjelasan yang telahpun dibuat tidak memadai, maka kena jelaskan lagi.

Sekiranya benar dakwaan MCA bahawa masyarakat Tiong Hua tetap bersama BN, ini bererti tugas kita semakin sukar kerana ia membuktikan bahawa pemimpin-pemimpin Tiong Hua seluruh Negara, bersama ahli-ahli Kelab Penyokong PAS kita, semuanya tidak mampu mengatasi penolakan masyarakat Tiong Hua Terengganu terhadap PAS Terengganu! Saya sebenarnya telah mendengar keluhan orang Tiong Hua sendiri semasa berkempen di Batas Baru. Dia menyebut pimpinan PAS Terengganu tidak mesra terhadap mereka. Kiranya begitu, sambutan Tahun Baru Cina ini, PAS Terengganu perlu membuat sesuatu untuk mendampingi dan bermesra dengan mereka. Hakikat kita membela semua golongan masyarakat perlu dibukti melalui amalan dan bukan sekadar retorika! Ini cadangan saya berhubung isu kedua.

Dalam isu ketiga saya ingin menyebut, program senyap-senyap sesuai untuk pengundi saluran 1 dan 2 tetapi tidak untuk yang lebih muda. Mungkin saya tersilap dan tidak mendapat maklumat sepenuhnya. Mungkin perancangan program kempen tersusun rapi tetapi kami dari Selangor yang berada di rumah Selangor tidak dimaklumkan. Saya hanya cerita apa yang saya lihat dan kalau silap, maafkan sahajalah. Saya membandingkan dengan suasana kempen di Permatang Pauh, bagaimana risalah-risalah bertimbun dan tuduhan-tuduhan BN dijawab secara tersusun dan terperinci. Semua yang hadir, samada petugas atau pengundi merasai diri mereka terlibat dalam satu peristiwa yang besar dan hebat. Di KT suasana jauh lebih dingin.

Ada yang berpuas hati kerana kita menang. “Dah menang cukuplah! Apa hendak lagi?” Inilah sebenarnya masalah kita, mudah berpuas hati dan tidak mahu memperbaiki kelemahan yang wujud, untuk masa depan. Ada pula yang membawa pendekatan yang lebih klassik, “Kita menang berkat wala’ dan istikharah pimpinan”, apa dulu tak wala’ dan tak istikharah ke? Semua persoalan ingin dipermudahkan. Memang betul, wala’ dan istikharah penting, tetapi penting juga usaha, perancangan dan kesungguhan mematah serangan musuh.

Perlu kita putuskan mana yang lebih relevan bagi diri kita dalam berhadapan dengan Pilihan Raya, kaedah Isra’ dan Mi’raj atau kaedah Hijrah? Kalau Isra’ dan Mi’raj kita serah sahaja kepada Allah, bertawakkal dan berserah bulat. Tiada yang perlu kita lakukan kerana dalam peristiwa ini semua telah Allah tetapkan ke atas Nabi besar kita Muhammad (SAW). Tetapi kalau kaedah Hijrah, maka banyak yang perlu dikaji, disusun serta di atur dan sambil berusaha, bertawakkal kepadaNya.

Bagi isu ke-empat dan yang terakhir, pimpinan PAS, khususnya pimpinan PAS Terengganu perlu menamatkan dan mematikan buat selama-lamanya isu ‘golongan Erdogan’ yang kononnya wujud di dalam PAS. Semua usaha untuk memecah-belahkan PAS perlu ditangani dengan tegas. Perbezaan pendapat tidak semestinya dilihat dari sudut berpuak-puak atau berkumpulan. Sebaliknya ia perlu dibincang dengan ikhlas dan terbuka. Amat malang bagi PAS kerana wujudnya kecenderungan untuk ‘melabel’ orang-orang tertentu dengan label2 tertentu. Ini merupakan penyakit semenjak tahun 80an lagi dengan label2 seperti ‘IRC’, ‘JIM’ dan sebagainya dan kini timbul pula ‘Erdogan’.

Pendapat saya berhubung dengan persoalan ini ialah bahawa puncanya adalah kelemahan keperibadian dan ketidak-mampuan berhujjah orang yang memulakan pertuduhan ini. Oleh kerana dia tidak mampu berhujjah, maka dia mencari kaedah yang paling mudah untuk menghalang sesuatu pendapat atau seseorang dari berpengaruh di dalam PAS. Dia menggunakan istilah-istilah yang dianggap akan menimbulkan kesangsian ahli biasa terhadap pendapat atau peribadi berkenaan. Dia menggunakan juga networkingnya yang sedia ada oleh kerana dia ‘orang lama’ dan dikenali ramai dan dengan itu mewujudkan satu ‘mental block’ terhadap ide-ide dan cadangan-cadangan baru yang dianggap berlainan.

Keadaan ini sekiranya tidak ditangani dengan baik dan segera oleh pimpinan PAS akan mendatangkan masalah besar bagi PAS dalam tahun-tahun akan datang. Semua masalah akan menjadi lebih besar dan lebih dahsyat menjelang PRU ke-13. Ini adalah kerana PRU ke-13 dilihat sebagai PRU yang berpotensi untuk membawa perubahan di peringkat Pusat. Pada masa itu tuduhan ‘Erdogan’ dan ‘penyokong Erdogan’ akan berterbangan dengan begitu ghairah sekali, kecuali ianya dihentikan sekarang!

WalLahu 'Alam
Posted by Khalid Samad at 5:00 AM

http://www.khalidsamad.com/2009/01/menghadapi-kemenangan-prk-kuala.html

[pywong]

Kong Hee Fatt Choy, Pak Lah

Posted by admin
Monday, 26 January 2009 12:09

Today, to celebrate Chinese New Year, RPK sends his second open letter to Pak Lah, which touches on the problem of police brutality and the vote of no confidence against Najib in the recent Kuala Terengganu by-election.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

https://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/17254/84/

[pywong]

* Travelling and living allowance - 2,700,000
* Foodstuff and accommodation - 4,500,000
* Dried food and beverages - 65,000
* Communication and utilities - 50,000
* Canopy rental - 6,000,000
* Fuel and spare sparts - 698,000
* Raw material and others - 310,000
* Maintenance and minor repairs - 830,000

* Total expenditure incurred by rakyat - RM15,153,000

More… (http://anilnetto.com/accountability/i-am-starting-a-canopy-rental-business/)