Lim says he has evident AG abuses power
Courtesy of PAS Kemaman
Showing posts with label DAP. Show all posts
Showing posts with label DAP. Show all posts
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Thursday, July 10, 2008
DAP and PAS’s loyalty to Anwar under scrutiny following sodomy allegation
NST (10/7/08): Ever since Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) advisor and de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim was accused of sodomy by his former aide, the leaders of the two other opposition parties in the coalition pact basically agreed that the issue be settled through legal means.
However, there have been no indications that they have accepted the allegation to be unfounded.
Hence, the question arises as to how far the DAP and PAS would remain loyal to PKR in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if Anwar is found guilty of the offence in the court of law.
The loyalty of PKR leaders and members towards Anwar, meanwhile, cannot be denied as the party had emerged out of the struggle to free Anwar 10 years ago when he was faced with the first sodomy allegation and abuse of power when he was still in Umno and the deputy prime minister then.
PKR information chief Chang Tian Chua, in a press interview, not only acknowledged the members’ loyalty to Anwar but also their readiness in facing those who tried to stifle the party’s struggle.
He, however, did not deny that presently only PKR appeared to be at the forefront and facing the onslaught.
“No matter how difficult it is, we will overcome it,” said Tian Chua.
Firmly refuting that PKR was in a leadership crisis following the latest sodomy allegation against Anwar, he was confident that DAP and PAS were together with PKR over the issue and that PR was still strong. “As a pact, we are strong. But we are confronted with a very big challenge now,” said Tian Chua.
Behind those firm words of commitment, DAP and PAS’ loyalty towards Anwar and PKR have not actually been tested and their clearly different political ideologies may pose Anwar as a liability to the struggles of PKR’s opposition partners.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, for instance, when asked about the matter, said that so far there had been no change in DAP’s policy towards PR.
But his refusal to comment further on the sodomy allegation against Anwar and its impact on PR could be felt as trying to evade the issue.
To an earlier press query, he said the allegation should be resolved through the country’s legal system as “what is right, will still be right and what is wrong, will still be wrong”. But statements by PAS leaders on the issue have clearly shown that the party is loyal to the opposition pact “for the moment”. “We are still with Pakatan Rakyat. Whether he (Anwar) is guilty or not, that’s a question we will deal with later,” said PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar also admitted that the cooperation was for the time being because in future they would have to go separate ways according to their own plans.
“Right now there are no internal issues (in PR) related to current developments. But in future, we will move forward in line with our own party’s struggle,” he said.
So, it appears that the partners in the coalition front have their own agenda and plans although they now collectively enjoy public support.
As political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling put it: “The people’s support will determine whether Pakatan Rakyat can weather the controversy involving Anwar as a coalition pact, or distance themselves from PKR.” “To me, Anwar’s credibility among PKR members is not affected as based on past experience, he had cleared himself of the earlier allegation. So they regard this again as slander.
“However, there may be doubts in the minds of the public, who may regard this as ’sandiwara’ (drama) or an excuse on the part of the PKR leader. It must also be remembered that although Anwar was eventually cleared of the charge by the court there were evidence which the court did not dismiss (which indicate that homosexual activities did take place), so people might believe this (the allegation).” The former dean of the Arts and Social Science Faculty of Universiti Malaya also agreed that the statements made by leaders of PKR’s partners in the PR indicated that they did not reject the possibility that the latest sodomy allegation could be true.
“Their (DAP and PAS) loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat depends on the outcome of the investigations, the court hearing and judgment. If the decision is negative for Anwar, I believe it will eventually have a negative impact on PKR and society at large,” he opined.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer, Prof Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff, also believed that the latest controversy surrounding Anwar would not affect cooperation among the three PR partners for the time being.
Instead, he said, this was an opportune time for the opposition front to portray an image of solidarity against what they might claim as abuse of power by the government.
“Even if the decision in the end is negative for Anwar, support for PR will depend on public perception so to whether the investigations, trial and judgment are transparent and fair.
“If not, it will only serve to strengthen the opposition as they are now together in fighting against what they claim as abuse of power by the government.” Moreover, he added, DAP and PAS leaders were now seeing the second sodomy allegation against Anwar as personal rather than having to do with the party.
Mohammad Agus said the latest controversy had little impact on public support for PR as it still benefited from the current economic situation due to the oil price increase, by offering hope that things would change if they came into power.
“Although that hope cannot be fulfilled yet, it is enough for PR to gain public support and sympathy while it is confronted with a moral issue,” he added.
But he agreed that the opposition pact would not remain in the long term because of their different ideologies, especially between PKR and PAS, when it came to Malay politics.
“PKR sees its politics as people’s politics, while PAS’ politics is religious politics and protecting Islam is its priority.
“PKR practises what we call minority mentality, where they depend too much on the support of other races although in reality the Malays do not have to do this as they are the majority race in the country,” he said .
Whatever the outcome of the latest controversy involving Anwar, what is clear is that PR has never come out to state that their cooperation would be a long lasting one.
In fact, prior to this, leaders from PKR’s two partners in the PR were rather quiet on Anwar’s plan to topple the Barisan Nasional government by Sept 16, the latest, and replaced by PR, indicating their doubts about the realisation of the plan.
As Lim Guan Eng had said: “That (the plan), you have to ask Anwar. I am of the opinion that anyone has the right to plan.”
However, there have been no indications that they have accepted the allegation to be unfounded.
Hence, the question arises as to how far the DAP and PAS would remain loyal to PKR in Pakatan Rakyat (PR) if Anwar is found guilty of the offence in the court of law.
The loyalty of PKR leaders and members towards Anwar, meanwhile, cannot be denied as the party had emerged out of the struggle to free Anwar 10 years ago when he was faced with the first sodomy allegation and abuse of power when he was still in Umno and the deputy prime minister then.
PKR information chief Chang Tian Chua, in a press interview, not only acknowledged the members’ loyalty to Anwar but also their readiness in facing those who tried to stifle the party’s struggle.
He, however, did not deny that presently only PKR appeared to be at the forefront and facing the onslaught.
“No matter how difficult it is, we will overcome it,” said Tian Chua.
Firmly refuting that PKR was in a leadership crisis following the latest sodomy allegation against Anwar, he was confident that DAP and PAS were together with PKR over the issue and that PR was still strong. “As a pact, we are strong. But we are confronted with a very big challenge now,” said Tian Chua.
Behind those firm words of commitment, DAP and PAS’ loyalty towards Anwar and PKR have not actually been tested and their clearly different political ideologies may pose Anwar as a liability to the struggles of PKR’s opposition partners.
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng, for instance, when asked about the matter, said that so far there had been no change in DAP’s policy towards PR.
But his refusal to comment further on the sodomy allegation against Anwar and its impact on PR could be felt as trying to evade the issue.
To an earlier press query, he said the allegation should be resolved through the country’s legal system as “what is right, will still be right and what is wrong, will still be wrong”. But statements by PAS leaders on the issue have clearly shown that the party is loyal to the opposition pact “for the moment”. “We are still with Pakatan Rakyat. Whether he (Anwar) is guilty or not, that’s a question we will deal with later,” said PAS Youth chief Salahuddin Ayub.
PAS secretary-general Datuk Kamarudin Jaffar also admitted that the cooperation was for the time being because in future they would have to go separate ways according to their own plans.
“Right now there are no internal issues (in PR) related to current developments. But in future, we will move forward in line with our own party’s struggle,” he said.
So, it appears that the partners in the coalition front have their own agenda and plans although they now collectively enjoy public support.
As political analyst Prof Datuk Dr Zainal Kling put it: “The people’s support will determine whether Pakatan Rakyat can weather the controversy involving Anwar as a coalition pact, or distance themselves from PKR.” “To me, Anwar’s credibility among PKR members is not affected as based on past experience, he had cleared himself of the earlier allegation. So they regard this again as slander.
“However, there may be doubts in the minds of the public, who may regard this as ’sandiwara’ (drama) or an excuse on the part of the PKR leader. It must also be remembered that although Anwar was eventually cleared of the charge by the court there were evidence which the court did not dismiss (which indicate that homosexual activities did take place), so people might believe this (the allegation).” The former dean of the Arts and Social Science Faculty of Universiti Malaya also agreed that the statements made by leaders of PKR’s partners in the PR indicated that they did not reject the possibility that the latest sodomy allegation could be true.
“Their (DAP and PAS) loyalty to Pakatan Rakyat depends on the outcome of the investigations, the court hearing and judgment. If the decision is negative for Anwar, I believe it will eventually have a negative impact on PKR and society at large,” he opined.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia lecturer, Prof Dr Mohammad Agus Yusoff, also believed that the latest controversy surrounding Anwar would not affect cooperation among the three PR partners for the time being.
Instead, he said, this was an opportune time for the opposition front to portray an image of solidarity against what they might claim as abuse of power by the government.
“Even if the decision in the end is negative for Anwar, support for PR will depend on public perception so to whether the investigations, trial and judgment are transparent and fair.
“If not, it will only serve to strengthen the opposition as they are now together in fighting against what they claim as abuse of power by the government.” Moreover, he added, DAP and PAS leaders were now seeing the second sodomy allegation against Anwar as personal rather than having to do with the party.
Mohammad Agus said the latest controversy had little impact on public support for PR as it still benefited from the current economic situation due to the oil price increase, by offering hope that things would change if they came into power.
“Although that hope cannot be fulfilled yet, it is enough for PR to gain public support and sympathy while it is confronted with a moral issue,” he added.
But he agreed that the opposition pact would not remain in the long term because of their different ideologies, especially between PKR and PAS, when it came to Malay politics.
“PKR sees its politics as people’s politics, while PAS’ politics is religious politics and protecting Islam is its priority.
“PKR practises what we call minority mentality, where they depend too much on the support of other races although in reality the Malays do not have to do this as they are the majority race in the country,” he said .
Whatever the outcome of the latest controversy involving Anwar, what is clear is that PR has never come out to state that their cooperation would be a long lasting one.
In fact, prior to this, leaders from PKR’s two partners in the PR were rather quiet on Anwar’s plan to topple the Barisan Nasional government by Sept 16, the latest, and replaced by PR, indicating their doubts about the realisation of the plan.
As Lim Guan Eng had said: “That (the plan), you have to ask Anwar. I am of the opinion that anyone has the right to plan.”
Thursday, July 3, 2008
Melodrama ends as statutory declarations ignite the possibility of winning Olympic gold
NST (2/7/08): After three days of melodramatic dissidence between MP for Puchong Gobind Singh Deo and Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia that fixated the easily excitable MPs, the House may have been “converted” into a soundstage for the set of Law & Order: Dewan Rakyat for a fourth scintillating day of juicy squabbles but it was not to be. And for good reason.
The excitement today throbbed outside the confines of Parliament House, hijacked into the realm of the national political psyche by that master impresario himself, Anwar Ibrahim. He held court at the PKR HQ, surrounded by officials, supporters, loyalists and supplicants, in revealing a private investigator’s statutory declaration that contained incendiary revelations on the state of the political domain, which Anwar claims, is reeling from crises of confidence, inflationary worries, party in-fighting, leadership and anything that could swing public perception to back his bid for the Premiership.
Back to the House, the routine and the prosaic was reinstalled, until Mahfuz Omar (Pas-Pokok Sena), at the tail end of his colourful description of all things inadequate and hopeless about the Mid-Term Review, interpolated the very thing that Anwar was creaming elsewhere for all its worth.
Perhaps it was the titillating nature of the subject or its graphic debauchery, but Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tunku Jaafar somehow didn’t spring into action to defuse Mahfuz from heckling away, seeing that the topic had detoured from anything resembling a Mid-Term Review thing. And surprisingly, neither did the BN backbenchers howl in protest.
So Mahfuz had a free run until Wan Junaidi decided to halt the Pas information chief, on the account that his 20-minute Hyde Park-styled rap was up. That didn’t matter. Mahfuz bulldozed his way to mouth off more of statutory declaration contents, ignoring twice warnings from the Deputy Speaker and a snipe from Ibrahim Ali (IND).
Nobody always knew the stance or direction the irascible Ibrahim would take in his intercalation of debates, especially those between the Government and the Opposition, but in this case, he came to the rescue of the people implicated in the statutory declarations. “It’s only a statutory declaration. Don’t ‘fitnah’,” was his succinct snipe.
When Mahfuz began to break away like a runaway train, Wan Junaidi had had enough. He muted Mahfuz’s microphone while the Pokok Sena MP yapped his way into a state of audibility only the MPs surrounding him could make out. Realising that his microphone was silenced, Mahfuz stopped talking and sat down with a sheepishly satisfied look.
But by taking away sensationalism out of the debates, the extraordinarily ordinary came in its place to allow lesser known MPs the chance to argue economic points of the MTR. Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah) must have burnt many midnight oils to bring forth his legwork but it didn’t court controversy until he impregnated his speech with the charge that Umno committed the folly of eroding Malay trust with the inept implementation of the New Economic Policy.
Loke’s charge throttled the perennially choleric interjector Datuk Tajuddin Rahman to blast back, sans Speaker permission as always, as he accused Loke of egging away Malay fortitude, pride and rights with the DAP’s known disavowal of the NEP. Loke refused to back down, insisting that the DAP respected the NEP’s policy of raising the socio-economic status of “poor Malays and bumiputeras”, just as long as it wasn’t done the Umno way. Tajuddin laughed off Loke’s stance, scorning it as “insincere” but the argument lapsed there and then.
But there was another salient point Loke raised that subtly hit the nerve of the national psyche – the inability to maintain punctuality. He complained that the public transport the Government built was fine for its engineering marvels, especially the train services between Seremban and Kuala Lumpur, but he could not stand for its continual delays, unlike the services in other developed countries where the train arrives “not a minute early and not a minute late.” That’s hitting the nail on the head for tardy Malaysians’ fondness for flagrant time keeping.
Loke proposed that the transport authorities hire a German consultant to work out the snags in six months while he flushes the public transport inefficiencies out of its drowsiness. “If the German fails in six months, then you can sack him and if you continue to fail to improve the system, then the Transport Minister should resign or be sacked,” he said.
It was a golden moment for Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom) to highlight the plight of his home state Sabah for the inequalities and neglect it suffered for decades but he decided to use it on a national issue – the Olympics, specifically questioning why the Government should award RM1 million each to Malaysian athletes who score a gold medal in next month’s Beijing Olympics.
“This would only produce materialistic athletes who no longer strive to win medals for the sake of the country,” he reckoned. “The original intention of international sports meets, including the Olympics, is to produce athletes who bring glory to the country they represent.”
Raime argued that the huge incentive may pamper the victorious athlete and let slip a dip in form. Instead of cash, it was better to send the promising athletes for overseas training. Raime’s visionary foresight is praiseworthy only for his confidence that long before it becomes moot, a Malaysian athlete can actually win an Olympic gold medal!
If a Malaysian could actually WIN a gold medal, then he or she deserves the avalanche of accolades in profitable or glorious terms. He or she should also be made a Prime Minister for a day as the ultimate reward and signed legal decrees or award contracts for projects of whatever his or her heart desires.
Win it first, in any way possible or at any sacrificial cost, then let’s talk about being pampered into becoming materialistic morons.
The excitement today throbbed outside the confines of Parliament House, hijacked into the realm of the national political psyche by that master impresario himself, Anwar Ibrahim. He held court at the PKR HQ, surrounded by officials, supporters, loyalists and supplicants, in revealing a private investigator’s statutory declaration that contained incendiary revelations on the state of the political domain, which Anwar claims, is reeling from crises of confidence, inflationary worries, party in-fighting, leadership and anything that could swing public perception to back his bid for the Premiership.
Back to the House, the routine and the prosaic was reinstalled, until Mahfuz Omar (Pas-Pokok Sena), at the tail end of his colourful description of all things inadequate and hopeless about the Mid-Term Review, interpolated the very thing that Anwar was creaming elsewhere for all its worth.
Perhaps it was the titillating nature of the subject or its graphic debauchery, but Deputy Speaker Datuk Wan Junaidi Tunku Jaafar somehow didn’t spring into action to defuse Mahfuz from heckling away, seeing that the topic had detoured from anything resembling a Mid-Term Review thing. And surprisingly, neither did the BN backbenchers howl in protest.
So Mahfuz had a free run until Wan Junaidi decided to halt the Pas information chief, on the account that his 20-minute Hyde Park-styled rap was up. That didn’t matter. Mahfuz bulldozed his way to mouth off more of statutory declaration contents, ignoring twice warnings from the Deputy Speaker and a snipe from Ibrahim Ali (IND).
Nobody always knew the stance or direction the irascible Ibrahim would take in his intercalation of debates, especially those between the Government and the Opposition, but in this case, he came to the rescue of the people implicated in the statutory declarations. “It’s only a statutory declaration. Don’t ‘fitnah’,” was his succinct snipe.
When Mahfuz began to break away like a runaway train, Wan Junaidi had had enough. He muted Mahfuz’s microphone while the Pokok Sena MP yapped his way into a state of audibility only the MPs surrounding him could make out. Realising that his microphone was silenced, Mahfuz stopped talking and sat down with a sheepishly satisfied look.
But by taking away sensationalism out of the debates, the extraordinarily ordinary came in its place to allow lesser known MPs the chance to argue economic points of the MTR. Loke Siew Fook (DAP-Rasah) must have burnt many midnight oils to bring forth his legwork but it didn’t court controversy until he impregnated his speech with the charge that Umno committed the folly of eroding Malay trust with the inept implementation of the New Economic Policy.
Loke’s charge throttled the perennially choleric interjector Datuk Tajuddin Rahman to blast back, sans Speaker permission as always, as he accused Loke of egging away Malay fortitude, pride and rights with the DAP’s known disavowal of the NEP. Loke refused to back down, insisting that the DAP respected the NEP’s policy of raising the socio-economic status of “poor Malays and bumiputeras”, just as long as it wasn’t done the Umno way. Tajuddin laughed off Loke’s stance, scorning it as “insincere” but the argument lapsed there and then.
But there was another salient point Loke raised that subtly hit the nerve of the national psyche – the inability to maintain punctuality. He complained that the public transport the Government built was fine for its engineering marvels, especially the train services between Seremban and Kuala Lumpur, but he could not stand for its continual delays, unlike the services in other developed countries where the train arrives “not a minute early and not a minute late.” That’s hitting the nail on the head for tardy Malaysians’ fondness for flagrant time keeping.
Loke proposed that the transport authorities hire a German consultant to work out the snags in six months while he flushes the public transport inefficiencies out of its drowsiness. “If the German fails in six months, then you can sack him and if you continue to fail to improve the system, then the Transport Minister should resign or be sacked,” he said.
It was a golden moment for Raime Unggi (BN-Tenom) to highlight the plight of his home state Sabah for the inequalities and neglect it suffered for decades but he decided to use it on a national issue – the Olympics, specifically questioning why the Government should award RM1 million each to Malaysian athletes who score a gold medal in next month’s Beijing Olympics.
“This would only produce materialistic athletes who no longer strive to win medals for the sake of the country,” he reckoned. “The original intention of international sports meets, including the Olympics, is to produce athletes who bring glory to the country they represent.”
Raime argued that the huge incentive may pamper the victorious athlete and let slip a dip in form. Instead of cash, it was better to send the promising athletes for overseas training. Raime’s visionary foresight is praiseworthy only for his confidence that long before it becomes moot, a Malaysian athlete can actually win an Olympic gold medal!
If a Malaysian could actually WIN a gold medal, then he or she deserves the avalanche of accolades in profitable or glorious terms. He or she should also be made a Prime Minister for a day as the ultimate reward and signed legal decrees or award contracts for projects of whatever his or her heart desires.
Win it first, in any way possible or at any sacrificial cost, then let’s talk about being pampered into becoming materialistic morons.
Saturday, May 17, 2008
Dewan Rakyat: Syed Hamid: Don't sell out for quick gain
NST (16/5/08): Home Minister and Umno supreme council member Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar said MPs who switched sides would not help in the effort to create a healthy political climate where integrity was paramount.
"I don't think it is right to switch. If we are bought, it will be the worst political corruption. I hope no politician will think of selling himself for short-term profit."
Speaking on the same issue, Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaludidn (BN-Rembau) said claims by BN members they were lured with money was serious.
"It has reached such an extent that it created questions among the people whether it will undermine democracy in Malaysia.
"I hope the people will think twice when they hear about claims BN reps will jump and question the motive (of the news)," he said.
Khairy also rebutted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's claim that Pakatan Rakyat was not buying MPs but there were Barisan MPs who wanted to cross because they were disappointed with BN.
"Don't tell me within two months they all lose hope with the BN," he said.
Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Azmin Ali reiterated that the pact will form the government by Sept 16 but not through "buying over" BN backbenchers.
"They are not coming to us because of monetary gain.
"They will come to us because of our policies," he declared in the Parliament lobby.
Azmin called on Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) to prove his claim that he was offered millions of ringgit to cross over.
"Tell us how much, the date and who was the person who made the offer."
Azmin also took a swipe at Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
"How many times did he move? He moved from Pas, Semangat 45 and then to Umno," he said of Shabery's labelling of leaders.
In a press statement, DAP chairman Karpal Singh also took Shabery to task over the remarks, reminding the minister that he himself was once with Semangat 46.
"I don't think it is right to switch. If we are bought, it will be the worst political corruption. I hope no politician will think of selling himself for short-term profit."
Speaking on the same issue, Umno Youth deputy head Khairy Jamaludidn (BN-Rembau) said claims by BN members they were lured with money was serious.
"It has reached such an extent that it created questions among the people whether it will undermine democracy in Malaysia.
"I hope the people will think twice when they hear about claims BN reps will jump and question the motive (of the news)," he said.
Khairy also rebutted Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's claim that Pakatan Rakyat was not buying MPs but there were Barisan MPs who wanted to cross because they were disappointed with BN.
"Don't tell me within two months they all lose hope with the BN," he said.
Meanwhile, Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice-president Azmin Ali reiterated that the pact will form the government by Sept 16 but not through "buying over" BN backbenchers.
"They are not coming to us because of monetary gain.
"They will come to us because of our policies," he declared in the Parliament lobby.
Azmin called on Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (BN-Kota Belud) to prove his claim that he was offered millions of ringgit to cross over.
"Tell us how much, the date and who was the person who made the offer."
Azmin also took a swipe at Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek.
"How many times did he move? He moved from Pas, Semangat 45 and then to Umno," he said of Shabery's labelling of leaders.
In a press statement, DAP chairman Karpal Singh also took Shabery to task over the remarks, reminding the minister that he himself was once with Semangat 46.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Kota Belud MP said offered large sum to defect
The Edge Daily (14/5/08): Backbencher Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan (Kota Belud-BN) caused a stir in parliament yesterday when he alleged that he was offered a large sum of money to defect to the opposition camp.
“I’d like to ask the Speaker, is it not corruption for certain opposition leaders to offer goodies to members of parliament (MPs) to jump ship? I myself have received a call offering a large sum of money to jump ship. Is that not corruption?
“They also offered me a Cabinet position. Is that not corruption?” he said when debating the motion of thanks on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Abdul Rahman also claimed that bribery was pervasive during the contest against the late Tun Ghafar Baba for the position of Umno deputy president, where tons of money, projects and “pink forms” were used as “grease” to secure victory.
“We in Sabah still remember how delegates (to the Umno general assembly) can be bought and threatened. Thanks to the supreme leader of PKR (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) for introducing and turning money politics into a culture in Umno Sabah,” he said.
He also teased the Pakatan Rakyat on who would succeed Anwar if he became the next prime minister, claiming that his constituents were pressing him on the matter.
“Who will become the next prime minister after Anwar? The people want to know? Can Pakatan Rakyat continue to surprise and create history by appointing the first prime minister from among the Chinese and Indians — (for example) the honourable MPs from Ipoh Timur (Lim Kit Siang) or Bukit Gelugor (Karpal Singh) from the DAP. We will wait…” he said.
Abdul Rahman also questioned whether Pakatan would allow PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to become prime minister.
“With his turban and robe ala Taliban, he is said to be unsuitable to hold the prime minister’s position as he can give the wrong image of Malaysia to foreign investors,” he said, adding that even non-Malays in Malaysia would be concerned if Hadi became either home or education minister.
He also asked whether PKR president and opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, whom he characterised as a puppet and warming the seat for Anwar, could become a prime minister.
Taking a swipe at Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak-PKR), Abdul Rahman said the PKR vice-president was so obsessed with his leader to the point of following Anwar’s style of clothing and speaking.
He ended his speech by saying Anwar was building an empire of nepotism and would appoint his daughter, Nurul Izzah (Lembah Pantai-PKR), to succeed him as prime minister.
“I’d like to ask the Speaker, is it not corruption for certain opposition leaders to offer goodies to members of parliament (MPs) to jump ship? I myself have received a call offering a large sum of money to jump ship. Is that not corruption?
“They also offered me a Cabinet position. Is that not corruption?” he said when debating the motion of thanks on the royal address in the Dewan Rakyat yesterday.
Abdul Rahman also claimed that bribery was pervasive during the contest against the late Tun Ghafar Baba for the position of Umno deputy president, where tons of money, projects and “pink forms” were used as “grease” to secure victory.
“We in Sabah still remember how delegates (to the Umno general assembly) can be bought and threatened. Thanks to the supreme leader of PKR (Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim) for introducing and turning money politics into a culture in Umno Sabah,” he said.
He also teased the Pakatan Rakyat on who would succeed Anwar if he became the next prime minister, claiming that his constituents were pressing him on the matter.
“Who will become the next prime minister after Anwar? The people want to know? Can Pakatan Rakyat continue to surprise and create history by appointing the first prime minister from among the Chinese and Indians — (for example) the honourable MPs from Ipoh Timur (Lim Kit Siang) or Bukit Gelugor (Karpal Singh) from the DAP. We will wait…” he said.
Abdul Rahman also questioned whether Pakatan would allow PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to become prime minister.
“With his turban and robe ala Taliban, he is said to be unsuitable to hold the prime minister’s position as he can give the wrong image of Malaysia to foreign investors,” he said, adding that even non-Malays in Malaysia would be concerned if Hadi became either home or education minister.
He also asked whether PKR president and opposition Leader Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, whom he characterised as a puppet and warming the seat for Anwar, could become a prime minister.
Taking a swipe at Mohamed Azmin Ali (Gombak-PKR), Abdul Rahman said the PKR vice-president was so obsessed with his leader to the point of following Anwar’s style of clothing and speaking.
He ended his speech by saying Anwar was building an empire of nepotism and would appoint his daughter, Nurul Izzah (Lembah Pantai-PKR), to succeed him as prime minister.
Monday, May 12, 2008
Membership drive grips political parties
Umno will continue pursuing its target of 3,000 new members registered
in every state by year-end.
in every state by year-end.
Malaysian political parties would prefer to be broad-based, but remain troubled by the risk of infiltration by opportunists, writes Zubaidah Abu Bakar.
NST (9/5/08): Size does not matter. This was proved by some political parties which, despite having relatively few card-carrying members, had their representation in Parliament markedly increased in the March general election.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat now has 31 seats, an increase of 30, although membership was holding up to a constant 300,000 up to the polls. The DAP, with a registered membership of fewer than 100,000, has 28 representatives, an increase of 16 from the previous term.
But in the context of Malaysian politics, political parties on both sides of the divide generally prefer the numbers. Large membership equals strength, they say.
So they are not rejecting new membership applications, which are coming in steadily for some parties despite huge setbacks in the polls. Many parties are on membership drives.
Gerakan, for instance, has set up 100 new branches and registered at least 5,000 new members in the past two months, according to party secretary-general Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye.
PKR is also experiencing an influx of new members, a trend its secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim describes as "encouraging". The party expects its membership to triple by year-end.
"People who want to engage in our struggle are politically experienced and they share the agenda for change. We will definitely take them," he says, adding that membership in Ampang alone has risen by more than 2,000 since March.
For Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas), a wide network is important. Secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar says the party wants to boost its membership, now around 900,000. "The numbers reflect our strength," he says.
"We need committed members to mobilise our election machinery."
Pas is also experiencing a surge in membership applications after the March 8 polls, and a sizeable number of new branches are being set up. The party is still updating its database, and expects the new members to expand the party's rosters to more than a million.
Umno is also continuing to woo new members despite its dismal performance, which was partly attributed to its own members voting for opponents.
The country's largest political party, which boasts of having 3.2 million registered members, was snubbed when only 2.4 million voters voted for its candidates, reducing its MP strength by 30 to 79.
Umno will continue pursuing its target of 3,000 new members registered in every state by year-end.
Its Anakku Ahli Umno ("My children are Umno members") campaign, launched in 2005, is still very much alive.
"We are grassroots-based and want to get more people to support us through becoming registered members and helping fight for the party's cause," says Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Umno's information chief.
Like Pas, Umno needs election campaign workers to woo voters on the ground come every election. Its time-tested "Kumpulan 10" campaign strategy, where each member or group is to take charge of 10 families during an election campaign, will not work if the party does not have members to touch base.
The Chinese-based MCA, with 1.1 million members, is trying to reach out to young people. It amended its constitution last year to enable youths, aged between 18 and 35, to set up their own branches and run activities independently, as part of efforts to "reinvent" the party.
Only 16.07 per cent of MCA's membership comprises those below 35. It aims to raise this to 20 per cent in the next two years, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan said early this year.
While the DAP is not limiting its membership, it is treading with caution in admitting new members, whose applications are vetted at the branch level.
"We are not limiting membership but we want only members who are loyal to our cause," says party chairman Karpal Singh.
"We have to be careful who we take as we do not want opportunists in the party."
DAP is known to prefer quality to quantity. The party had never relied on membership for support and won support from non-members because of its deeds and the performance of its MPs.
DAP leaders believe their party is self-sustaining, given that 50 per cent of members of its central executive committee comprise graduates; one-fifth of them lawyers.
The last general election result speaks for itself - the DAP does not have to have a big, broadbased membership to win support at the ballot box.
Professor James Chin's observation that "people always want to be associated with those in power" may explain the sudden surge in membership among political parties that performed well in the last general election.
The head of Monash University's School of Arts says this human peculiarity explains why more people are becoming interested in joining PKR, DAP and Pas of late.
"These three parties are now in control of five states, so it is natural for people to want to be part of them," he said, adding: "It is also a well-accepted view that the fastest way to gain power and wealth is to join a political party.
"There are also those who become a member in the hope that one day they will get a chance to move up the party hierarchy and hold important posts in the government."
Chin also points out that it is a trend in many political parties to see an increase in membership during internal-election years - especially parties whose delegations to annual assemblies are based on membership strength at the division level.
This might explain the sudden interest of "apolitical" individuals in Penang to join Gerakan despite the party having lost power in the state it ruled for 39 years.
Gerakan is holding its party elections in October. The MCA, Umno and DAP will also hold party elections this year.
While too many members can be a liability to a political party, given the difficulty of pleasing everyone, Muhammad says Umno has its own ways to tackle the issue.
"There are pros and cons of having a large membership, but being a big party is what Umno wants," he says, though admitting it is difficult to screen supporters for sincerity.
Kamaruddin strongly believes that Pas members will not resort to actions that would undermine the party, as those who join Pas are committed to the party's struggle.
Karpal admits that it is easier to control members of a small organisation, but says limiting party membership is not a rule.
Big or small is a matter of choice. Fact: Political parties get the people's support if their cause is in tandem with the needs and aspirations of voters at the time the general election is held.
NST (9/5/08): Size does not matter. This was proved by some political parties which, despite having relatively few card-carrying members, had their representation in Parliament markedly increased in the March general election.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat now has 31 seats, an increase of 30, although membership was holding up to a constant 300,000 up to the polls. The DAP, with a registered membership of fewer than 100,000, has 28 representatives, an increase of 16 from the previous term.
But in the context of Malaysian politics, political parties on both sides of the divide generally prefer the numbers. Large membership equals strength, they say.
So they are not rejecting new membership applications, which are coming in steadily for some parties despite huge setbacks in the polls. Many parties are on membership drives.
Gerakan, for instance, has set up 100 new branches and registered at least 5,000 new members in the past two months, according to party secretary-general Datuk Seri Chia Kwang Chye.
PKR is also experiencing an influx of new members, a trend its secretary-general Datuk Salehuddin Hashim describes as "encouraging". The party expects its membership to triple by year-end.
"People who want to engage in our struggle are politically experienced and they share the agenda for change. We will definitely take them," he says, adding that membership in Ampang alone has risen by more than 2,000 since March.
For Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas), a wide network is important. Secretary-general Datuk Kamaruddin Jaafar says the party wants to boost its membership, now around 900,000. "The numbers reflect our strength," he says.
"We need committed members to mobilise our election machinery."
Pas is also experiencing a surge in membership applications after the March 8 polls, and a sizeable number of new branches are being set up. The party is still updating its database, and expects the new members to expand the party's rosters to more than a million.
Umno is also continuing to woo new members despite its dismal performance, which was partly attributed to its own members voting for opponents.
The country's largest political party, which boasts of having 3.2 million registered members, was snubbed when only 2.4 million voters voted for its candidates, reducing its MP strength by 30 to 79.
Umno will continue pursuing its target of 3,000 new members registered in every state by year-end.
Its Anakku Ahli Umno ("My children are Umno members") campaign, launched in 2005, is still very much alive.
"We are grassroots-based and want to get more people to support us through becoming registered members and helping fight for the party's cause," says Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Umno's information chief.
Like Pas, Umno needs election campaign workers to woo voters on the ground come every election. Its time-tested "Kumpulan 10" campaign strategy, where each member or group is to take charge of 10 families during an election campaign, will not work if the party does not have members to touch base.
The Chinese-based MCA, with 1.1 million members, is trying to reach out to young people. It amended its constitution last year to enable youths, aged between 18 and 35, to set up their own branches and run activities independently, as part of efforts to "reinvent" the party.
Only 16.07 per cent of MCA's membership comprises those below 35. It aims to raise this to 20 per cent in the next two years, party secretary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan said early this year.
While the DAP is not limiting its membership, it is treading with caution in admitting new members, whose applications are vetted at the branch level.
"We are not limiting membership but we want only members who are loyal to our cause," says party chairman Karpal Singh.
"We have to be careful who we take as we do not want opportunists in the party."
DAP is known to prefer quality to quantity. The party had never relied on membership for support and won support from non-members because of its deeds and the performance of its MPs.
DAP leaders believe their party is self-sustaining, given that 50 per cent of members of its central executive committee comprise graduates; one-fifth of them lawyers.
The last general election result speaks for itself - the DAP does not have to have a big, broadbased membership to win support at the ballot box.
Professor James Chin's observation that "people always want to be associated with those in power" may explain the sudden surge in membership among political parties that performed well in the last general election.
The head of Monash University's School of Arts says this human peculiarity explains why more people are becoming interested in joining PKR, DAP and Pas of late.
"These three parties are now in control of five states, so it is natural for people to want to be part of them," he said, adding: "It is also a well-accepted view that the fastest way to gain power and wealth is to join a political party.
"There are also those who become a member in the hope that one day they will get a chance to move up the party hierarchy and hold important posts in the government."
Chin also points out that it is a trend in many political parties to see an increase in membership during internal-election years - especially parties whose delegations to annual assemblies are based on membership strength at the division level.
This might explain the sudden interest of "apolitical" individuals in Penang to join Gerakan despite the party having lost power in the state it ruled for 39 years.
Gerakan is holding its party elections in October. The MCA, Umno and DAP will also hold party elections this year.
While too many members can be a liability to a political party, given the difficulty of pleasing everyone, Muhammad says Umno has its own ways to tackle the issue.
"There are pros and cons of having a large membership, but being a big party is what Umno wants," he says, though admitting it is difficult to screen supporters for sincerity.
Kamaruddin strongly believes that Pas members will not resort to actions that would undermine the party, as those who join Pas are committed to the party's struggle.
Karpal admits that it is easier to control members of a small organisation, but says limiting party membership is not a rule.
Big or small is a matter of choice. Fact: Political parties get the people's support if their cause is in tandem with the needs and aspirations of voters at the time the general election is held.
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