Penanti: Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin quit

[pywong]

Anwar and PKR's track record in selection of candidates is deplorable. It's time he bucked up. Don't take the people's support for granted.

Fairus is effectively blackmailing PKR below.

Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, who quit as Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 and as Penanti assemblyman, has given PKR a two-week deadline to clear his name, saying he would otherwise expose a state government and party scandal.

More… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/20705/84/)

As Penanti by-election looms, polls fatigue a concern

Posted by admin
Thursday, 16 April 2009 21:54

By Lee Wei Lian (The Malaysian Insider)

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — By and large, the initial reaction to the announcement of the sixth by-election in less than a year was one of bemusement. While the excitement was high for the first five, especially given the high stakes involved, the reaction this time was one more of cynical amusement with one political party worker saying that the situation has become like a circus.

More… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/20704/84/)

[pywong]

Ya, lor. Everytime lose. No fun.

Najib: Not the time for another by-election

Rahmah Ghazali | Apr 17, 09 12:26pm
# updated 3.03pm The prime minister said this was not a time for politicking as the nation should be focussing on fighting and solving the deepening global economy crisis.

More… (http://malaysiakini.com/news/102547)

[pywong]

The Penanti doublespeak — The Malaysian Insider

APRIL 18 — Question: When did a group of politicians and lawmakers who have presided over billions of ringgit in wastage and leakages and who usurped power in Perak develop a conscience about prudent spending and democratic practices?

Answer: When they realised the futility of contesting a by-election in Anwar Ibrahim territory and the danger of allowing the political temperature in the country to keep on throbbing.

The latest news out of the Barisan Nasional camp is that they may not contest the Penanti seat in Penang, left vacant by the resignation of Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, the incumbent who has been damaged by a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission probe and countless complaints of incompetence and truancy.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today that if there was a consensus among BN parties, the ruling coalition may not field a candidate in the by-election. This is not the first time that the BN has contemplated giving a free victory to the opposition.

After Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail made way for her husband in Permatang Pauh last year, similar noises were made by BN politicians, arguing that they did not want to become pawns in a political game.

Fearful of coming across as cowards, BN fielded Datuk Ariff Shah and he was trounced by Datuk Seri Anwar. It is almost certain that any candidate BN puts up in Penanti will be beaten soundly. This state seat is part of the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/opinion/breaking-views/23748-the-penanti-doublespeak--the-malaysian-insider)

[lokgp]

There is no point in fighting a by-election that most probably they are going to lose, and a waste of money, energy and time.

Everything should be focused on steadying the economy right now. No more politics!

The by-election has no importance, and it won't improve a single thing. it will only prove again that BN has lost people trust in that area.
And if they do participate in an insignificant by-election, they are terribly stupid.

Focus on economy. Both parties should do the same. Come together and solve these problems together.

Government in for the people, by the people, therefore should act like it!

Waste no time. Act now!

[pywong]

Let's hope the BN maintain such a healthy attitude and concede a walkover to PR in the next general elections. That would save the country big bucks and allow us to concentrate on the economy. In any case, it's no fun contesting and getting bashed all the time. But BN had better start getting used to this. It's going to continue until they are C4'ed.

MCA: It’s democratic to skip Penanti

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 – MCA has become the first Barisan Nasional party to support the idea of skipping the Penanti by-election, saying it may turn out to be a major step forward to cool the country’s hot political climate.

“We are too politicised to a point that we forget the meaning of democracy. It is not a show of strength or a tool to satisfy one’s private agenda,” MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat said in his weblog today.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/23798-mca-its-democratic-to-skip-penanti)

[pywong]

Since Mahathir is so gungho, why don't he stand? I am sure PKR will give him a torrid welcome.

Dr M: BN should not be scared to contest Penanti

Apr 19, 09 6:36pm
Barisan Nasional should contest the Penanti state seat in Penang, former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad said at a function organised by the Raub Umno Youth today.
MCPX

mahathir 0980409He told Bernama that if BN did not contest the seat, the ruling coalition's members and supporters in the area would be disappointed.

More… (http://malaysiakini.com/news/102676)

[pywong]

Mahathir should put his money where his mouth is and contest on a BN ticket.

Dr M wants to lead BN against Anwar in Penanti

KUALA LUMPUR, April 20 – Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is prepared to lead Barisan Nasional’s (BN) machinery for the Penanti by-election as his supporters continue to pile pressure on Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak to abandon his idea of skipping the expected vote in Penang.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/23880-dr-m-wants-to-lead-bn-against-anwar-in-penanti)

[pywong]

What can be expected in Penanti

Posted by admin
Tuesday, 21 April 2009 00:00

It appears like there is going to be a by-election in Penanti after all. The Penanti state seat comes under the Permatang Pauh parliamentary constituency. And the Member of Parliament for Permatang Pauh is Anwar Ibrahim. Tun Dr Mahathir has said he will lead the charge in Penanti. Expect this to be a ‘proxy war’ between Dr Mahathir and Anwar Ibrahim.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

First, the results of the last three general elections:

1999

Total Voters: 14,112
Total Votes cast: 10,827
Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Kadir (PKR): 6,405
Zulkefly bin Bakar (BN-UMNO): 4,422
Majority Votes: 1,983

2004

Total Voters: 14,808
Total Votes cast: 11,915
Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid (BN-UMNO): 6,195
Anuar Shaari (PKR): 5,528
Majority Votes: 667

2008

Total Voters: 15,421
Total Votes cast: 12,667
Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin (PKR): 7,346
Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid (BN-UMNO): 5,127
Majority Votes: 2,219

And for 2009?

So, what will we see in Penanti this by-election? What about a win for Pakatan Rakyat (PKR) with a majority of not less than 2,500 votes? Would this be possible?

The Barisan Rakyat Bloggers will certainly go down to the ground and work very hard to meet this aspiration. Menang, kalah, tak kisah. Janji kerja kuat dan cuba habis-habis.

Malaysian elections are heavily rigged in favour of the ruling party. Let me count the ways.

There is the gerrymandering of the electoral boundaries. Those seats which are strong opposition seats have as much as 120,000 voters while those seats that Barisan Nasional can win with both eyes closed and two hands tied behind their backs have as low as 5,000 voters.

What does this mean? This means even if the opposition garners 100,000 votes it will still be just one seat while Barisan Nasional can win four or five seats with that same number of votes. This is why, in the last general election, Pakatan Rakyat and Barisan Nasional won almost 50:50 of the popular votes but Pakatan Rakyat won only 82 seats against Barisan Nasional’s 140.

Then there are the 500,000 or so postal votes which will be increased to more than one million soon when the army volunteer reserve camps are created all over the country and in every parliamentary constituency. This gives Barisan Nasional a handicap advantage even before Nomination Day. Therefore, Pakatan Rakyat needs to garner one million votes just to come back to zero.

Then there are the unknown number of phantom voters -- where it is not uncommon to find 100 voters registered in one house that has only two or three residents. These are foreign workers issued with Malaysian identity cards or Umno people issued with more than one identity card so that they can vote half a dozen times at different polling stations throughout Polling Day.

Yes, the opposition must garner one million voters just to break even. And soon it would need two million votes to break even.

Last year, Anwar won the Permatang Pauh by-election with a majority of around 15,000 instead of 20,000 because of this. The same went for Nizar in the recent Bukit Gantang by-election where he could have won with a majority of 5,000-6,000 instead of half that if not for the cheating. Kuala Terengganu was the same. Wahid could have won with a majority of 6,000-8,000 if not because the police had closed all the roads two hours before polling ended and many voters could not reach the polling stations in time to vote. The police also did the same in Bukit Gantang.

I therefore do not expect a majority of more than 2,500 in Penanti. On a level playing field I would even dare put my money on a majority of 5,000.

That is all I want to say in this posting. Short and to the point! Let’s give Pakatan Rakyat a win with a majority of 2,500 votes.

See you all in Penanti on Nomination Day after we see you on 7 May 2009 in Ipoh where we shall storm the Bastille.

Link here… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/20861/84/)

[pywong]

Watch it. One dirty trick coming up.

EC: Status of Penanti seat on 27 April

Posted by admin
Thursday, 23 April 2009 02:22

(Bernama) - Election Commission (EC) chairperson Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof will announce the status of the Penanti state seat on 27 April.

Public relations officer Sabri Said said Abdul Aziz would make the announcement at a media conference at EC headquarters here on 27 April at 10am.

"The media conference has been switched from Friday to Monday. EC which met today discussed the status of the Penanti state seat in Penang," he said in a statement here yesterday.

Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, 33, of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) resigned as Penanti state assemblyman on 16 April.
Fairus who was investigated by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had also resigned as Penang Deputy Chief Minister I.

Link… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/20960/84/)

[pywong]

10 dalil kenapa Tun Mahathir wajib diletakkan di Seri Penanti

Oleh Helen Ang
Khamis, 23 April 2009 16:25

Dalil 1

Penyakit remuk semangat Barisan Nasional mesti segera diubati. Nampaknya nakhoda Umno – kapal perang BN yang digentari – perlu lekas menghadap Tun Doktor Tok Pawang. “Jangan mengaku kalah!” herdik Ayahanda Mahathir tatkala mengulas kekosongan kerusi DUN Penanti, sambil menabur barus … maka asap kemenyan dan setanggi ladan pun berkepul-kepul naiklah ianya.

Mengapa pembangkang menang mudah empat pilihanraya kecil satu persatu? Ikutlah nasihat orang tua-tua: Kalau sesat, pulang ke pangkal jalan. Patuhilah kata-kata sakti khalifah Umno Baru, ahli nombor Sifar-Sifar-Satu yang digeruni.

Hanya Ayahanda M yang cukup pekat manteranya untuk menepis kemaraan, ‘winning streak', Pakatan Rakyat. Dengan itu, wajar dia saja yang dijadikan sebagai calon BN di Penanti.

Lanjutan… (http://bm.cpiasia.net/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=36:10-dalil-kenapa-tun-mahathir-wajib-diletakkan-di-seri-penanti&catid=7:helen-ang&Itemid=8#JOSC_TOP)

[pywong]

What is there to fear when they have the SPR, SB, Police, News Media, Govt machinery, etc in their pocket? They are just a bunch of bullies who don't even have the guts to fight fair.

But now they fear the wrath of the people who has been suppressed for the past 52 years.

Barisan fears no one: Muhyiddin

Posted by admin
Thursday, 23 April 2009 14:25

(Bernama) - The Barisan Nasional does not fear anyone in facing a by-election, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

“We have never feared anyone. This question of elections is a normal matter to be faced. Winning and losing is customary in contesting and we will continue to face this,” Muhyiddin, who is also the Education Minister, told reporters after visiting SMK Setapak Indah here.

He was commenting on a statement by PKR strategy director Saifuddin Nasution Ismail that Barisan was reluctant to contest in the Penanti state constituency by-election in Penang as it was the underdog.

Muhyiddin, who is also Barisan deputy chairman, however said the matter of contesting or not had not been decided.

More… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/20997/84/)

[pywong]

Read carefully "statements recorded ....... did not provide the basis for prosecution." The MACC did not say Fairus is innocent, merely current investigation shows insufficient evidence to charge.

Looks like UMNO's gambit failed. They were hoping to pull Fairus over but his resignation spoilt the game.

UMNO, time to face the rakyat in a by-election, baby.

And that was when Nazib realized - Oh no! Another by-election again!

Fairus will not be charged, says MACC
UPDATED

PENANG, April 23 — The Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) has decided statements recorded when investigating former Penang Deputy Chief Minister 1 Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin did not provide the basis for prosecution.

In a statement here today, MACC said the decision was made after studying the case and considering the statements recorded in the course of investigation.

"MACC's legal and prosecuting division decided that the statements have no basis for prosecution. The Attorney-General also agreed with the decision," said the statement.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/24294-fairus-is-cleared-of-all-charges-says-macc)

[pywong]

If this happens, it will prove that UMNO is chicken.

Menanti... the Penanti penalty

What if the Election Commission (EC) had decided there's not going to be a by-election in Penanti?

I received an SMS from a regular Little Bird on Monday. It contained three predictions.

One: That the EC would meet on Wednesday, yesterday, to deliberate on the vacancy for Penanti, but would delay the announcement of the decision to next Monday, and not tomorrow, Friday.

True. Thing has come to pass. EC announcement on Monday.

Two: That MACC will not charge Ahmad Fairus Khairuddin. Announcement on Thursday, today, it said.

True, again. Thing has come to pass. MACC officially cleared Fairus.

Now, I am very nervously waiting for the third prediction to unfold.

More… (http://www.jeffooi.com/) Apr 23, 2009

[pywong]

Funding democracy, the BN way
24 Apr 09 : 11.00AM

By Jacqueline Ann Surin
jacquelinesurin@thenutgraph.com

SINCE the historic March 2008 general election, it has become clearer to Malaysians that democracy is messy and expensive. Indeed, any politician who tries to convince the rakyat that democracy is an easy and frugal affair is guilty of trying to fool the masses.

But what have we been hearing about the unusual spate of elections the country has been having since March 2008, especially after it became apparent that Malaysia would be in for its sixth by-election in Penanti, Penang? Barisan Nasional (BN) leaders, most notably the prime minister himself, are calling these elections a drain on resources, a waste of public funds, and even a "publicity stunt" by Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR).

More… (http://www.thenutgraph.com/funding-democracy-the-bn-way)

[pywong]

Oh dear. UMNO and the SPR were hoping to get Fairus to withdraw his quit letter to save UMNO from a drubbing. Never mind. UMNO can send in Mahathir as the candidate.

We should give credit to Fairus for maintaining his stand. It takes principles and guts.

Fairus says it again: I quit
Athi Veranggan | Apr 24, 09 4:03pm
Former Penang deputy chief minister Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has today reiterated his decision to resign as Penanti assemblyperson.

Fairus’ announcement quashes speculations that he may withdraw his quit notice and remain as Penanti state representative since he had been cleared of all graft allegations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC).

His decision will pave way for a by-election in Penanti - the sixth in the country since the 12th general election last year............

Karpal Singh said Fairus had the right to withdraw his resignation as Penanti assemblyperson so long as the Election Commission had not accepted his earlier quit notice and announced the by-election date.

In an unusual move, EC has put off making an announcement on its decision regarding the status of the Penanti seat scheduled today to Monday.

Meanwhile, Penang speaker Abdul Halim Hussin clarified: “I only said that his resignation was done in accordance with the law. As the speaker, I am legally bound to verify the authenticity of the resignation letter, hand it over to the EC and wait for its decision”.

More… (http://malaysiakini.com/news/103034)

[Isa Rahim]

I do not agree that Anwar's and PKR's track record in selecting people is deplorable.

It's a momentous task to grow a party so quickly. And you have to do it against the onslaught of BN sabotage. And with BN we mean the combined power of newspapers, television, police, AG, most of the justice system, MACC, EC, GLCs, village heads and most of the civil service.

Adding to that you have 2 coalition partners to satisfy which different strengths on state-to-state basis.

Against that backdrop, I think Anwar has done reasonably well. Some mistakes yes, but in each of these cases perhaps there was not much of a choice.

Losing Perak was through illegal means; he could not have done anything against it. The most he could do was to prepare pre-signed resignation letters; but despite this; BN found illegal ways around it.

As for Fairus in person; there seem to be a lot of evidence that he didn't perform so he should go. However, at the present point there is no reason to believe he's a questionable character. He has not flirted with UMNO at all. But steadfastly been a PKR man despite MACC. He might not have performed to expectations, but that could rather be a sign of immaturity; and he could improve over time.

[pywong]

I do not agree that Anwar's and PKR's track record in selecting people is deplorable.

Isa Rahim, have you seen the ones we have in Selangor? Don't ask me to name names.


As for Fairus in person; there seem to be a lot of evidence that he didn't perform so he should go. However, at the present point there is no reason to believe he's a questionable character. He has not flirted with UMNO at all. But steadfastly been a PKR man despite MACC. He might not have performed to expectations, but that could rather be a sign of immaturity; and he could improve over time.

I do agree that Fairus has maintained his loyalty to PKR and he deserves credit for that. But threatening to expose PKR's dirt if he is not exonerated.....?

[pywong]

Zahid admits Umno to face tough fight in Penanti
By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

KUALA LUMPUR, April 23- Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi now faces an immediate task of preparing the party towards the Penanti by-election now that he has been appointed as the new Umno Penang state liaison chief replacing former party president Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Penanti has a 70 percent Malay population, something Zahid believes Umno can capitalise on as compared to other by-elections in which BN lost due to the swing of non-Malay votes.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/24446-zahid-admits-umno-to-face-tough-fight-in-penanti)

How is it UMNO couldn't capitalise on the 88% Malay voters in Kuala Terengganu? Not only did UMNO lost a seat they held previously, they lost by a huge margin of 2631 votes. That's a swing of (2631 + 628) 3259 votes! UMNO is still playing the old song of race while Malaysians have woken up and gone beyond that. The future that awaits UMNO is very clear - extinction.

here (http://malvu.blogspot.com/2008/12/kuala-terengganu-or-kt-by-election-on.html)

[Isa Rahim]

I do agree that Fairus has maintained his loyalty to PKR and he deserves credit for that. But threatening to expose PKR's dirt if he is not exonerated.....?

I think this was a lie invented and disseminated by Bernama. There was no real truth in it. The intention was to plant the seed in people's minds that there are hidden 'scams' with in PKR / PR.

[pywong]

I do agree that Fairus has maintained his loyalty to PKR and he deserves credit for that. But threatening to expose PKR's dirt if he is not exonerated.....?

I think this was a lie invented and disseminated by Bernama. There was no real truth in it. The intention was to plant the seed in people's minds that there are hidden 'scams' with in PKR / PR.

It has been published many times but so far Fairus hasn't challenged it at all. So what are we to make of it.

Currently, UMNO/BN's songs about by-elections being a waste of time and money, MACC clearing Fairus and SPR delaying the announcement, looks a tad suspicious. The game looks like getting Fairus to withdraw his resignation letter and then turn amphibian.

Desperate times calls for desperate measures, you know. And we can see that Najib is one hell of a desperate guy.

[Isa Rahim]

I think we will see Fairus challenging the defamations once the thing has settled a bit. The case is still ongoing.

I agree on the desperation of Najib.

[pywong]

Monday April 27 2009

Penanti vote is on

PUTRAJAYA, April 27 — The Election Commission (EC) today finally set May 31 as polling day for the Penanti state by-election in Penang.

Nomination day is set for May 23.

“No more pondok panas ... the centres are used by voters to check their registration details, the EC already sets up counters for this, so this time we are going to increase the number of counters,” said Aziz.

“We have set the campaign period until midnight May 30. So on the polling day stop it,” he added.

But Aziz said political parties could still provide transportation facilities to voters.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/24661-penanti-vote-is-on)

[pywong]

'We are not afraid of losing to them but it is a sheer waste of public funds,' Prime Minister Najib Razak said earlier this month.

What about the Euro 105 million for the submarine commission to Abdul Razak Baginda? Not a waste of funds? Since when has Najib discovered the virtues of financial prudence?

April 27, 2009
M'sia: another vote in May

Datuk Seri Najib was dealt a major rebuke within days of being sworn in earlier this month, losing two of three by-elections held on April 7 in a result the opposition said indicated voters had rejected the new premier.
THESTAR

KUALA LUMPUR - MALAYSIA'S ruling coalition, humiliated in a string of by-elections losses over the past year, faces a further bruising contest as authorities on Monday announced another vote in May.

The Election Commission said a by-election would be held in northern Penang state on May 31, for a seat in the state legislature after the resignation of a senior member of the opposition coalition which rules the state.

Penang deputy chief minister Mohamad Fairus Khairuddin quit last month after he was investigated for alleged corruption, saying his departure would 'allow me the space to clear my name.'

The ruling Barisan Nasional coalition, which suffered its worst losses in March 2008 general elections that saw the opposition seize five states and a third of parliamentary seats, is considering not contesting the by-election.

More… (http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/SE%2BAsia/Story/STIStory_369228.html)

[pywong]

Mukhriz wants Umno in Penanti, touts new approach
By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

SHAH ALAM, April 28 – Echoing his father’s views, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir has urged Umno to contest the Penanti by-election with a new approach to get voters on the ruling federal coalition’s side.

The International Trade and Industry deputy minister covered his bases by agreeing the vote could be deemed “a waste of funds” but argued that Umno had to contest to fight the opposition’s smear campaigns and because the Election Commission had already confirmed a by-election.

“I believe in Penanti, we will be using a new-out-of-the-box approach (Here's one: EC Ban on Canvassing. (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/24834-pakatan-to-appeal-ec-ban-on-canvassing))

Watch out! Mukhriz double-speak coming:

“The smear campaign may be effective for them but what happens in the long run? They seem not interested in unity and the long term future of the country. They are willing to see the rakyat break so that a certain person can become prime minister. I think that is very selfish of them.

“Our strategy has always to make sure that whatever we do does not jeopardise the greater unity (like brandishing the keris and soaking it in Chinese blood.) of the people in the long run. We are ever mindful of that but sometimes being mindful of that means we lose in the by-election,” Mukhriz said, adding that “it is a sacrifice that we have to make.” This is known as covering your backside in case you lose.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/24797-mukhriz-wants-umno-in-penanti-touts-new-approach-)

[pywong]

reports by security agencies show that the Opposition still has the upper hand in Penanti.

Why are the security agencies interfering in the political process?

Najib’s Penanti dilemma

KUALA LUMPUR, April 29 — Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak is coming under considerable pressure from Umno to change his stand that Barisan Nasional should give the Penanti by-election a miss.

More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/24966-najibs-penanti-dilemma)

[pywong]

Deferring to BN? Since when has UMNO discovered a new-found sense of humility?

In simple English, this is known as passing the buck. Najib was never known to have guts. He's behaving exactly as we expect him to.

BN supreme council will decide on Penanti

By The Malaysian Insider

KUALA LUMPUR, May 4 — The decision on whether Barisan Nasional (BN) will contest the Penanti by-election will be decided by the ruling coalition’s supreme council.

BN sources told The Malaysian Insider the supreme council is expected to be convened soon to make a decision on the matter.

They said that it was not proper for Umno to make a decision unilaterally as the candidate would contest under the BN banner.

Umno also wanted to consider the opinions of its coalition partners first. More. (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/25458-bn-supreme-council-will-decide-on-penanti)

[pywong]

This is no fun. Looks like Najib is suffering from an attack of chickenitis. They will try to fight through their proxies - the Independents.

Confirmed! BN not contesting in Penanti

May 18, 09 6:51pm
Barisan Nasional will not be contesting in the Penanti by-election on May 31, announced Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.

The decision was made after following a BN council meeting chaired by Najib this afternoon.

The decision was not a major surprise as Najib had previously indicated that the ruling coalition was not interested in wasting public fund by taking part in the by-election.

The seat fell vacant following the resignation of PKR's Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin. PKR has named Mansor Othman as its candidate.

Several independents are also expected to contest for the seat. Nomination is on May 23. Link here… (http://malaysiakini.com/news/104580)

[pywong]

Don't be too sure they won't spring a surprise at the last minute. They are perfectly capable of it.

Why is Umno/BN not contesting in Penanti?

Well, apart from the obvious answer, allow me to suggest a few possible reasons:

* After what happened in Perak, Umno and the BN are not in the mood for elections anywhere. If they were to contest, they could be in for a drubbing after what they have done in Perak.

* Even if Najib’s Perak adventure had not occurred, it is unlikely that Umno could win in Penanti given the erosion in support for the BN since the last general election (even though Malay support for the party may have increased). More… (http://anilnetto.com/human-rights/why-is-umnobn-not-contesting-in-penanti/)

[pywong]

Barisan Nasional will not contest the Penanti by-election in Penang as it is not an election provided for by the Constitution. More… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/22064/84/)

How touching. Najib is suddenly so concerned about the Constitution. These people are so transparent in their hypocrisy.

[pywong]

UMNO claims they are trying to save money by not contesting. The saving they made is ploughed into giving the voters a free holiday. Talk about a caring govt.

How about a free shopping trip to Thailand on polling day?
By Lee Wei Lian

PENANTI, May 27 – Some voters here may be spending polling day holidaying in either Langkawi, Haadyai or the Perlis shopping haven of Wang Kelian, near the Thai border.

Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Bilik Gerakan or operation centres report an organised effort to sign up voters for free bus trips to the various holiday destinations.

“They (Barisan Nasional) are afraid that their supporters will come out and vote even though they are not contesting. They would like to reduce the voter turn-out so that they can say voters do not approve of the by-election and are boycotting it,” says one PKR Penanti executive committee member.

He added that the trips are being advertised as school-holiday trips.

Permatang Pauh Umno division chief Datuk Abdul Jalil Abdul Majid has denied being behind the bus trips.

“People have the right to go where they want,” he said when contacted by The Malaysian Insider.

Division secretary Rohaizat Othman said that the bus trips are being organised at the branch level and he is not involved. More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/27801-how-about-a-free-shopping-trip-to-thailand-on-polling-day-)

[pywong]

This lady is contesting because she wants revenge against PKR. Then she betrays 2 friends from PKR by secretly taping their conversations and release it to the public. How would a voter feel, being asked to vote for her just to let her venge her venom against her former party?

The Goofer Aminah Abdullah: “I’m not sure it was bribery”

Posted by admin
Wednesday, 27 May 2009 11:23

Penanti’s independent candidate Aminah Abdullah today said she did not know the offers she claimed to have received from two PKR leaders amounted to bribery until the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) explained it to her.

By Din Merican

“The officials told me that the offers amounted to corruption. Only then did I really know it was bribery,” she told journalists, after handing over similar evidence to the Election Commission (EC) office at 11am today. EC officer Noormah Shaari accepted the items from Aminah and her husband Mohd Rofi Osman.

Aminah’s latest statement, however, contradicted what she said last Saturday after the nomination process, when she told journalists that she had been offered a cash bribe. More… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/22446/84/)

[pywong]

BN no better than communists, says Nik Aziz


BN was accused of total evil, reigning with treachery, manipulation and corruption. He urged Penanti voters to rise against the BN rule and vote for PKR candidate Mansor Othman this Sunday.


By Syed Jaymal Zahiid

PENANTI, May 28 — PAS spiritual leader Datuk Seri Nik Abdul Aziz joined an all-star ceramah session last night as Pakatan Rakyat stepped up efforts to wrap up the by-election and bag the win.

Nik Aziz went straight for the Barisan Nasional (BN) jugular and mocked prime minister and BN president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s decision not to allow former communist leader Chin Peng to return to Malaysia, describing it as hypocritical.

“Chin Peng wants to come back and somebody asked me what I thought about it so I said if BN wants to reject the communists, then the same can be said about nationalists,” he said.

The statement was made in reference to his belief and past statement that Umno should replace its nationalist trait with Islam as the main ideology. More… (http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/27861-bn-no-better-than-communists-says-nik-aziz)

[pywong]

2009-06-01
Reports of Missing Penanti Voters Not Credible?

We doubt the claims that voters were transferred out of Penanti in a conspiracy, until we can see more convincing evidence. The only case with a quoted name appears to be an error by the voter, the political party PKR, or the media.

PKR claims and several media reported that around 8 voters were transferred out of Penanti without their knowledge and lost their rights to vote. We hope PKR would lodge formal police and SPR reports with full details.

For the only case where a name (Tan Soon Guang) was quoted in the media, we find the claim doubtful, because based on our databases of voter rolls (issued by SPR): More… (http://malvu.blogspot.com/2009/06/reports-of-missing-penanti-voters-not.html)

[pywong]

Pakatan Rakyat has found the winning formula in elections and that is why BN is so worried.

It is the politics of love and justice vs UMNO's politics of hatred and threats.

We can read below how UMNO/BN abuse the govt machinery to help in their campaign. This effectively deprives us of a free and fair vote.

Future of Malaysia is Pakatan, says Saifuddin

5 Jun 09 By Lee Wei Lian, The Malaysian Insider

This is where we quarrel, we argue, we debate in order to make sure they can understand the policy of your party. You cannot be emotional. You have to be short, precise and articulate.

KUALA LUMPUR, June 5 — In the first part of the The Malaysian Insider's interview with PKR's election director Saifuddin Nasution last week, he talked about the outcome of the Penanti election. As expected, his party won, but he had hoped for PKR to get 7,000 votes, 1,000 more than the actual result. He says the party is analysing the result but can only talk about it after he presents it to the party leadership on June 7.

Meanwhile, in the second instalment of the interview, the former Umno leader and political secretary to Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar talks about how he was relieved to find that support for Pakatan Rakyat (PR) was not affected by negative press and how the informal coalition is heralding a new, more open political culture.

As election director, he talks about his job, his plans about writing a book on winning elections as well as the differences he has observed in the way Umno and PKR run their election campaigns.

The Malaysian Insider (TMI): Have you listened to the tape from independent candidate Aminah Abdullah?

Saifuddin: Yes I listened to it and how they (Aminah and the two PKR men) badmouthed others. I think I have some credibility to touch on it. I have been in PKR since its inception. I was among the first supreme council members back in April 1999 when we first formed the party.

For the last 10 years, these things have been happening not only in Penang but also other states. Why? Because who are the people and their background? Some are ex-Umno, myself, Azmin Ali, Anwar Ibrahim. We are ex-Umno. You also have activitists from NGOs. Irene Fernandez, Tian Chua, R. Sivarasa. You also have a group of people who are just purely reformists. They don't care about politics. They just looked after the family, go to office and get a salary.

But after what happen to Anwar, the came in with no political experience. You also have academicians like Dr Mohd Noor Manuty. Differences here and there. People from the Umno or other parties, they are politically expedient. They can handle it well. People who are from NGOs or academics, they are very idealistic.

So when you listen to the tape, to me this is normal. The most important thing for leaders is how you manage differences. That is why I admire how Anwar handles it, not only in PKR but PR. How does he handle differences between (PAS president) Hadi Awang and (DAP strongman) Lim Kit Siang? I remember going through heated arguments involving fundamental issues before we came up with an agreement, like the position of the constitutional monarchs, Islam as the official religion and the Malay language.

Anwar told me one day that in one of his meetings with Tengku Razaleigh a few months back, Razaleigh said that he admires Anwar and said that “you did what I failed to do in Gagasan Rakyat (DAP and Semangat 46) and Angkatan Perpaduan Ummah (PAS and Semangat 46), because I failed to get a consensus on these issues of language, the Rulers and religion.”

In Barisan Nasional (BN), my last post was Umno Youth secretary and BN National Youth secretary. That time we had Ong Tee Keat, Chan Kong Choy, Zahid Hamidi and Hishamuddin Hussein. I experienced being in meetings together with them. The BN tendency is that they try to pretend there is no problem, they will sweep the problem under the carpet, they dare not face it.

But now in PR, the secretariat level is where most of the arguments happen. Representing PKR is me, Azmin Ali, Datuk Johari Abdul and Mustafa Kamil. We have Tony Pua, Liew Chin Tong and Anthony Loke representing DAP. And Kamaruddin Jaafar, Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and Dr Hatta Ramli representing PAS. This is where we quarrel, we argue, we debate in order to make sure they can understand the policy of your party. You cannot be emotional. You have to be short, precise and articulate. That is how we came up with a PR budget within 3-4 days after Pak Lah presented the national budget.

To me this is the future of Malaysia. You don't come up with a statement without thinking about other people's feelings. We are very guided. Sometimes there are incidents like when Karpal (Singh) demanded Anwar resign. Even in Parliament, Anwar can still go to Karpal. This is the new political culture where people dare to criticise the top leadership. You think that the BN component parties, they dare to criticise (Prime Minister) Najib Razak?

In PR, I believe we have the opportunity to start a new political culture so I believe this is the future party for Malaysia. If we manage PR properly, you are strengthening the pull factor. And what is happening in BN is it is strengthening the push factor. You can see what is happening in PPP, MIC, even component parties in Sabah and Sarawak.

I don't say that all PR MPs are perfect. Some are clowns, I know. But overall, they will look at us, even the government servants, that we are better prepared. We do our homework. We give very sharp, intelligent arguments and are very diligent. They can see that. If you go to the Parliament library during lunch time, you can see our MPs doing homework there. Or you can chat with the researchers in Parliament. Who fills up the blue form to ask for more information?

TMI: Is there any plan to register PR as a political party?

Saifuddin: You need to have a certain number of parties before you are allowed to register. Three is not enough. We need to have five to seven or something like that. Time will come where we will have more (parties in the coalition). Especially with parties from Sabah and Sarawak. Now we are comfortable having this loose coalition or political pact. The basic understanding is that when you go for elections, we have agreed to challenge BN one to one. That's it.

We have also distinguished the areas for each political party, other parties should not demand for it. For example, Permatang Pauh. It is so special to PKR. Or Marang for PAS. Or Tanjung or Kota Melaka for DAP. We call it distinguished areas. And if you are an incumbent others should not ask for it.

We also look at the winnability factor. We have come up with clear guidelines. So when we go for negotiations, we are guided by this.

TMI: But then PAS Youth wanted to contest Penanti.

Saifuddin: Before the establishment of PKR, this was a PAS stronghold. That is a fact. We won this seat via a by-election in 1999 through Rahman Talib, our permanent chairman. In 2004, we lost. In 2008, we won it back. Because of that, PAS said why don't we ask for the seat? But they followed the proper channels. The grassroots wrote a letter to the state chief who wrote a letter to Hadi who brought it up in the political bureau meetings. And we discussed it in PR. Finally we decided on the status quo. It is a challenge to satisfy everyone in a political organisation and two or three of them chose to voice it out through the media.

But for the long term, we are looking at the bigger agenda, to strengthen PR and take over the government in the next election. But PAS is supportive. PAS director of elections Mustafa Ali and deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa will have high tea with the voters. Penang PAS state chief Ustaz Salleh called me and asked for (PKR candidate) Mansor to join them.

TMI: I can see the cohesiveness between top PR leaders but will the PAS supporters follow their leader's example?

Saifuddin: What is the difference between PAS and DAP and PKR? PAS is very regimented. Once you go in, you have to go through a series of training. I was trained by PAS when I was a student. They have a standard syllabus. Among things they really stress is loyalty to the leaders. First loyalty to God, loyalty to the Prophet, loyalty to the Quran and loyalty to party leaders so long as party leaders do not commit mistakes or sins. Every single member has to go through this. Once the instruction comes from Hadi or other top leaders, they abide by it.

In the last muktamar, you can see the debate was based on the motion by the Dewan Pemuda on whether PAS should remain in the PR. Those who were against the idea orchestrated the speakers. The first speaker was an ulama Zawawi, who is a hardliner, pro-muqabalah and pro-Umno. They were not allowed to put up speakers who were pro-PR. It was a one-sided argument. When it came to the wrap up, the permanent chairman invited the deputy Mursyidal Am Haron Din, who is also pro-muqabalah, to speak. But Nik Aziz, the Mursyidul Am was there, you should invite him, not the number two. But still they invited Haron Din. So they thought when it came to voting, the pro-muqabalah, pro-Umno would win. What they never expected was that before the voting, Nik Aziz would step up and ask for time to give a speech. He gave a beautiful speech. What happened after that — a standing ovation. Even though the debate from morning till evening was one sided, it needed only one person — Nik Aziz —to neutralise it.

TMI: Are you already looking at the Manek Urai by-election?

Saifuddin: Yes. Manek Urai is just next to my constituency of Machang. Datuk Seri (Anwar) just asked me to arrange a programme for him one day before nomination day. During the campaign period, he hopes to take part in the campaign for two-three days. So I have to mobilise PKR members in Kelantan.

TMI: How does cooperation work among PR parties?

Saifuddin: If the seat is contested by PAS, the campaign will be led by PAS and we will be invited. Our role is just to complement. We will follow the campaign strategy outlined by PAS. Same like here. PAS leaders who come here have to inform me.

In Manek Urai, you have close to 13,000 voters and nine polling districts. In the last election, PAS only lost one. So it is a safe seat for PAS actually. But this is a remote area, we call it Ulu Kelantan. There is no township there. We are looking forward to reciprocating what PAS has done to help us here.

I have the advantage of knowing almost all the top leaders in PAS. I have a very good working relationship with Tuan Guru Nik Aziz because I happened to work in a state department chaired by Nik Aziz. I had a board of trustees that included, among others, Husam (Musa) and I was the CEO. I also know Hadi, Mustafa Ali, Kamaruddin Jaafar and they know me. It's easy for me to communicate with them.

TMI: Why were you working there?

Saifuddin: After I lost the 2004 election, I was jobless. Kelantan said, well you have experience, you have good networking, why don't you come and work in a state government in Kelantan? So I said, OK, no harm.

TMI: What is the job of election director?

Saifuddin: The job description is very clear. The election director has to plan the entire campaign and make sure the execution is smooth. He also has to adjust the campaign to suit local conditions. He also has to coordinate the election directors from different states who will be put in charge of different polling districts.

The director has to make sure mobilisation is good, and work with the strategy and communications directors and ensure that the different party wings — supreme council, women and youth — don't work in isolation.

It involves a lot of logistics, like setting up of the operation centres and making sure everything is prepared, even things like drinks and simple food so that when party workers come in, they have something.

We are not like Umno and BN. In PR, the director must be hands on and not only delegate. He has to be part of the working team. I was in BN for 9 years. I was political secretary to Syed Hamid Albar when he was law minister and also defence minister.

I worked for him in 1995 in the general election in Kota Tinggi so I know exactly how the BN machinery works. I took part in by-elections as well.

The BN election machinery, normally they rely on government departments to help — the Health Department, Education Department, Biro Tata Negara, military intelligence, police special branch. So they tend to be complacent. If they have 10 tasks to do, they will leave eight to the government departments. They will only handle two things — normally things related to finance and budgets.

As a result, now when we keep on telling people that elections means party vs party, not party vs government machinery, you can see how they have a handicap in this sense.

The election director is also answerable to the party president and political bureau. My reporting line is to the party president and political bureau. So you have responsibility and accountability as well.

You need to train party workers. Azmin (the previous election director) put up a very good system. I fine tune and polish. My ultimate aim is to come up with a manual on how to win an election in Malaysia. I am crystal clear on what are the activities involved.

TMI: What surprised you about Penanti?

Saifuddin: I have been here the last 3 weeks. What surprised me is BN's decision not to contest. BN is always the favourite in elections, but now they are underdogs. Another thing that surprised me is that since March 2008, the level of support is still intact when there is so much negative publicity and propaganda on the state of PR.

Like the issues of corruption which involved the Selangor mentri besar and the special assistant to the MB, the crossovers in Perak, and here in Penang, where negative propaganda is that Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng is sidelining the Malays and that there is no development in Kedah and Kelantan.

So for last 1½ years, some will feel that it might affect the PR. But when I came here and did a sampling and asked open-ended questions, I saw that the support remained intact. That I relate to the political maturity of the people. This really surprised me and sometimes when I see how aggressive the negative campaigning is towards us, I feel scared that this will affect our support. In the case of Penanti, I don't see that happen here.

TMI: What have voters been telling you?

Saifuddin: They feel that the vacuum in the Malay leadership in Penang is huge and they are putting high hopes on PKR, especially Anwar, so that really glues them to support PKR. I spent time praying with people in the mosque and they tell me that they are very concerned about the future of Islam and Malays in Penang. They are worried of that situation, but they don't have much choice as they feel their only hope is Anwar.
Fence sitters are restless in the sense that they have been patient enough waiting for for 50 years for Umno and BN to help the Malays in Penang. When we discuss the NEP or Malay agenda or whether Umno can help the Malays, a big percentage, 70 per cent, said no. When you talk about the Malays in Penang, you talk about poverty, joblessness and landlessness.

TMI: What do BN or Umno supporters tell you?

Saifuddin: People in Penanti have a perception that the JKKK (Jawatankuasa Keselamatan dan Kemajuan Kampung) is now more effective and serves everybody. Previously, they said the JKKK only helped their own families. Previously, the head of JKKK was the Umno branch chief. You give them power to distribute projects, for example, tar roads or paint suraus, they normally give it to their relatives. But now no.

TMI: Is it easy to tell an Umno supporter or fence sitter?

Saifuddin: Elections in Malaysia are very much constituency based. If you are one of my party workers, I station you in one polling district which has five localities. Each locality has, for example, 69 voters. With the help of the locals, you will surely know, who are these 69 people. They will know this kampung, this jalan, this lorong, this is Pak Mat, his name is Ahmad Abdullah, and this is an Umno stronghold. So you tick Umno. Then you know Aminah, she is a single mother, we've helped her before so she's with us. So you tick PKR. The locals will know because they have lived together for years. This is a very micro process. But you can do it if you have enough manpower.

TMI: What are the statistics of the Penanti by-election campaign logistics?

Saifuddin: Since Umno is not contesting, we have put up 3,000 flags.

TMI: How many flags if Umno is contesting?

Saifuddin: 10,000. We have one main operation centre for each polling district and 41 posts. We have 50 to 100 party workers coming from each state, so I can say we have between 500 and 1,000 workers. And more will be coming.

TMI: What about the budget?

Saifuddin: This time, it is very small, not more than RM50,000.

TMI: That sounds very efficient.

Saifuddin: Well, we can get subsidised prices for the rental of canopies from party supporters. They may normally charge RM200 per day but for us, they may charge only RM100 for the whole campaign period.

More… (http://mt.m2day.org/2008/content/view/22817/84/)