TV PAKATAN RAKYAT

The rakyat are waiting to pocket the cash handouts that the government will be dishing out next year after polls are called but are just as eager to oust the ruling coalition, says Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim. “Even though people will be receiving the (RM500) BR1M (Bantuan Rakyat 1Malaysia), but I am confident that they are biding their time to cast out the BN,” he declared at the Himpunan Kebangkitan Rakyat (People’s Uprising Assembly) in Kota Baru last night. This uprising, Anwar said, was similarly reflected in rallies across the nation including Sabah and Sarawak previously described as the BN’s fixed deposit states.

“They (BN) are aware of this which is why they are becoming violent to the extent that we, including our friends in PAS, have become accustomed (to being targeted),” he said. The night’s rally itself, Anwar said, was testimony to his declaration as some 50,000 people, armed with, yellow, orange, green and red flags thronged the Sultan Muhamed VI Stadium. The colours represent several prominent protests groups of recent years, namely the Bersih, Felda rights, anti-Lynas and Kelantan royalty movements. Beyond symbolism, the gathering tonight was part of a series of Pakatan-driven rallies to capitalise on the existence of the diverse dissenting groups united against the government ahead of the looming polls to culminate in the mother of all rallies in Kuala Lumpur on Jan 12.

Graft probe challenge to BN

“Once we capture Putrajaya, the demands of yellow, orange, green, red, we will fulfill them all,” declared PAS deputy president Mohamad Sabu as the sea of people waved the flags of four colours. Taking the podium later, PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang broomed away Umno’s stand that corruption happens across the board in countering its self-confessed corruption perception problem, insisting that it wasn’t so in Pakatan-led states. “If there are states led by Pakatan that indulge in corruption, then relinquish power, we do not want a corrupt state. If what Umno claim is true, then investigate,” he said.

However, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang said Umno’s issue with corruption was not merely perception but fact. Noting PAS’ commitment to join hands with Pakatan in capturing Putrajaya at its muktamar earlier in the day, Lim referred to several of the ruling coalition’s attack lines suggesting that the ‘unholy union’ with the DAP would threaten the Malay community. “They (BN) say if Pakatan wins power, Malays will lose power… the position of the monarchs would be threatened and Islam sidelined… Malays would be beggars in their own land… is this true?” he asked repeatedly to a loud “No!” from from the crowd each time .

Lim (left) said this was the first time since independence where a change of government was in sight with victory hingeing on the unity within Pakatan. “Our success will depend on the unity and commitment of all parties within Pakatan by moving in unison with the same objectives, let’s show we are different from the BN,” he said. ~malaysiakini.com~

FMT
By CT Ali

Why do we want to change the most successful political entity in our country’s history? Umno has never failed itself! Like him, hate him; whatever you may think of Anwar Ibrahim, you cannot ignore him. His presence is overwhelming. For his detractors, he is the very personification of the excesses of Umno during his time as deputy prime minister and yet for those that have given up on Umno, he is the rising phoenix. And having risen from the ashes, he now soars like an eagle above everything else and waits to land. When and where will that eagle land? For those of you who are now in doubt about what good your vote can do in the millions to be cast during the 13th general election, I ask that you think again.

How do you think Anwar was able to keep his sanity and the fire burning within him to bring much- needed change to the way our government works throughout his solitary confinement in Sungai Buloh? You and I have not reached the heights of office that he has, so we would never know what really went through his mind through the years of incarceration, but this much I know: he would have had enough time to reflect on the future – his and ours. His future and ours will be determined by that vote you will cast among the millions on polling day. If you have persuaded yourself that you want our government to do things differently, then you can be rest assured that there will be others of similar mind. If enough of us are persuaded thus, there we have it, our ability to make change happen.

Umno won’t change

But what do we want to change? Umno? Why do we want to change the most successful political entity in our country’s history? Umno has never failed itself. Every political pundit, every analyst worth talking to, every authority worth his salt and every expert on the future of Malaysia, most of them confidently say that the time for Umno’s demise is nigh. Are any of them aware that Umno has won all of the last 12 general elections? At every twist and political turn, Umno has emerged victorious. How can you say Umno has failed itself when it has been the only government in Malaysia since independence? Every prime minister has been from Umno.

What has Umno set out to do, it has done.

Make every Umno president, their families, relatives, cronies, peers and sahabats wealthy beyond their wildest dreams? Done! Make Ketuanan Melayu its cornerstone for political survival? Done! Ensure that ethnicity – namely the Malays – will numerically outnumber the others through dedicated “pendatang asing” policies that welcome these immigrants and grant them citizenship – and in this way – ensures that the Malays now make up 60% of Malaysia’s population? Done!

Cement this numerical superiority by propagating a race-based “Ketuanan Melayu” policy that gives priority, economic advantage and “first among equals” advantage to the Malays in education, work opportunities and in all things Malaysian? Done! Ensure that all government departments and agencies, MACC, EPF, police, Rela and the armed forces are at the beck and call of their political masters? Done! Institutionalised money politics and endemic corruption into every nook and cranny of politics and into every facet of government functions? Done!

Power of our vote

It would be hard to persuade Umno and those that support Umno that we need to change the Umno-led Barisan Nasional government because it has been very successful in doing what it has wanted to do for itself. And there are many millions that think that there is no need to change this BN government. So the question we must ask ourselves today is this: are there enough of us out there who want change the way our government works? Are there enough of us to ensure that this happens? And we want change not through an armed insurrection, not through the winds of change that the Arab Spring blew violently across the Middle East, no, not through any other way but through the ballot box – our votes – if we are allowed to cast it freely at this 13th general election.

That is why every one of your votes counts.

That is why we want to change this Umno that has never failed itself but has certainly failed the people of Malaysia too many times in too many ways and for too long a time. It is time we ensured the survival of our nation by having a truly representative democracy – and this we can do by voting in a government of the people, by the people, for the people.
~CT Ali is a reformist who believes in Pakatan Rakyat’s ideologies. He is a FMT columnist. ~anwaribrahimblog.com~

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Malaysia faces a widening gap between wages and the profits of companies under the government’s Economic Transformation Programme (ETP), Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim warned today. He told Parliament when debating the government’s Budget 2013 proposals that not enough was being done by the Barisan Nasional (BN) government to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor in Malaysia. The opposition leader claimed household wages remain low and that structured analyses show the rich getting richer and the poor getting poorer.

“This means the economic growth and all the projects announced by BN do not bring effect on the incomes of a majority of the people,” Anwar said. He added surveys showed 44.2 per cent of Malaysian households make less than RM2,500 a month, and share only 14 per cent of the country’s economic prosperity in stack contrast to the 50 per cent shared by the top 20 per cent of wealthiest Malaysians. “The excitement in chasing economic forecast numbers without specific policy reforms to narrow the gap (between the rich and the poor) and ensure even distribution is more evident than ever in the prime minister’s ETP,” Anwar said.

“The analyses and comparisons in economic value made by the ETP projects and wages given to workers show that by 2020 workers will be paid much less in relation to company profit. “If now, the ratio of wages to profits stands at 28 per cent, under the ETP it is expected to fall to 21 per cent,” he added. Earlier, Anwar had said the national economic plan should shift from only meeting equity targets and growth to ensuring a minimum household income of RM4,000 a month by the end of a first-term Pakatan Rakyat (PR) administration. He also said economic growth should be generated by small and medium-sized businesses and not just by “one or two big bosses.” Speaking in Parliament, the opposition leader pitched his PR’s Budget 2013 proposal to focus on disposal income instead of chasing equity and growth targets. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Anwar Ibrahim


Lim Guan Eng


Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang


Datuk Yahya Lampong, a former federal deputy minister, has joined Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), it was announced last night by PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar made the announcement at a Malaysia Day celebration organised by the opposition pact in Dalit, near here. Yahya, who had joined Umno after Usno was dissolved, was present at the event. Also present were former Umno Supreme Council member Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin and former United Pasokmomogun Kadazandusun Murut Organisation (Upko) deputy president Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing. Lajim and Bumburing, the MPs for Beaufort and Tuaran respectively, had defected to the opposition earlier. Yesterday morning, Anwar Ibrahim also announced that corporate figure Tan Sri Ibrahim Menudin had joined PKR in Labuan. — Bernama

Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim will be the first Malaysian politician to host a Google Hangout next week, expanding his social media experience to widen his appeal among the country’s hip and technologically-savvy youth who form a quarter of the electorate.
The “Borak Bersama Anwar” live chat-room on YouTube is set for 10.30pm local time on August 17, just two days before Malaysia celebrates Hari Raya Aidilfitri after the Ramadan fasting month. A Facebook page and a Google+ page went live early this morning to publicise the event, seen as a step above Barisan Nasional’s (BN) rising activity in cyberspace. “Politicians are discovering cyberspace in a big way before the next elections and Anwar is at the forefront of it. His Google Hangout is the first in the country,” a source told The Malaysian Insider.

US President Barack Obama hosted a Google Hangout last January as part of his re-election campaign. The forum comes in the form of live video connections and video YouTube questions. The Facebook and Google+ pages described “Borak Bersama Anwar” as a Google Hangout event with the de facto PKR leader and opposition chief that will be broadcasted live via YouTube. “We would like to encourage people to post their video questions on YouTube and share the link on our Facebook or Google Plus event page. We will also go through your notes and questions to determine our topics for the night.

“If we find your questions interesting, we will also invite you to be one of our panels live as well. Thank you, and hope to see you at Borak Bersama Anwar,” said a statement on both the pages. The party has also set up #BorakAnwar as the official hashtag for the event, to be used on the Twitter microblogging site.

Anwar Ibrahim
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Lajim Ukin


Last weekend’s decision by two Barisan Nasional (BN) lawmakers in Sabah to back Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has intensified the tussle for seats among the federal opposition even as it seeks to loosen the ruling coalition’s hold over the East Malaysian state in the general election expected soon. It is understands that PR and the local Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) are already close to brokering a power-sharing deal but Tuaran MP Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing’s and Beaufort MP Datuk Seri Lajim Ukin’s sudden entry into the game so close to the polls may throw a spanner in the works for the state’s colourful opposition front. When announcing his departure from BN over the weekend, Lajim, a federal deputy minister, also stated his intention to field his men in 17 of the state’s 25 parliamentary seats in the coming election. But this may clash with the PR-SAPP power-sharing deal, which SAPP president Datuk Yong Teck Lee told The Malaysian Insider today included an agreement that would see the peninsula-based PR taking on a larger share of the state’s federal seats.

The former Sabah chief minister, however, dismissed this as an “internal issue” for PR to resolve among its three component parties of DAP, PKR and PAS. “The principle here ― and this is the basis that we have been discussing for the last three years ― is that SAPP takes on more state seats and the federal parties take on more federal seats. It has more or less been crystallised now,” “I think this whole Lajim-Bumburing situation... they are basically internal PKR and Pakatan issues. “But with SAPP, yes, yes, we are making our agreements... even yesterday, PR leaders told us that talks between SAPP and PKR will progress further,” he said.

The experienced politician pointed out that both Lajim and Bumburing would be contesting under PKR’s flag, saying this further indicated that the negotiation should not affect PR and SAPP’s deal. When asked if SAPP would be willing to back down should either Lajim or Bumburing push to field their choice of candidates in a greater share of seats, Yong said this was not part of the opposition’s agenda. “Only in the stage of fine-tuning... because Lajim’s base is Beaufort and Bumburing’s in Tuaran. The fine-tuning (of candidates) will only be in these areas,” he said. Yong’s SAPP has been pushing hard for its emotive “Sabah for Sabahans” agenda, which it says means that administrative control over the state known as the “Land below the wind” must remain in the hands of a local party.

During a March interview with The Malaysian Insider, SAPP leaders said the opposition front’s seat-sharing formula must entail Sabah parties contesting in two-thirds of the state’s 60 state seats while PR takes on two-thirds of the federal seats. This, they said, is a win-win formula that would enable all parties to achieve their goals in addition to toppling BN. Another opposition party, STAR (State Reform Party), led by 65-year-old political veteran Datuk Dr Jeffrey Kitingan, is also singing the same tune but The Malaysian Insider understands that its seat negotiation with PR has yet to be resolved. While SAPP’s Yong admitted that STAR has local advantage in some of Sabah’s interiors, a local PR leader revealed that the newly-formed political front may contest against PR during the polls.

When contacted here, Sabah DAP chief Jimmy Wong said the party was willing to be “flexible” in seat negotiation, despite noting that DAP has its sights set on fielding candidates in 20 of the state’s 60 state seats.“We have new shareholders now ― Lajim and Bumburing. So we should all give a little, take a little. “To me, the important thing is the BN wall... the great war in Sabah is about breaking the BN ‘fixed deposit’, about toppling this BN wall, which we now see cracks appearing in,” he said. Sabah PKR chief Ahmad Thamrin Jaini told The Malaysian Insider that PR parties would have to meet again at the negotiation table to accommodate its new allies.

“We need to observe, of course, their strength in their areas and our strengths. It is about the bigger picture here. “Of course, anything affecting the seats that we have agreed should be given to us in PR.... it should require renegotiation,” he said. Federal seats in east Malaysia’s Sabah and Sarawak are expected to be BN’s focal point come the general election as both states, including the federal territory of Labuan, contribute a significant 57 seats, or 25 per cent of the 222 Parliamentary seats available. In Election 2008, BN lost its customary two-thirds parliamentary majority largely due to significant losses in the peninsula, where it won just 85 seats while the opposition swept 80 seats. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

In the final episode, Julian Assange talks to Malaysia’s opposition leader, who faced prison terms twice in what he calls politically-motivated cases. But he never gave up fighting for democracy in a country he brands less democratic than even Myanmar. When Anwar Ibrahim, the former deputy prime minister of Malaysia and currently leader of the opposition party, says democracy, he means “an independent judiciary, free media and an economic policy that can promote growth and the market economy.” However, at the same time, he told Assange that the people of Malaysia should understand what abuses all these elements of freedom may bring to their country. “Arab Spring – one area clambering for freedom. Then we have Occupy Wall Street… and the limitations, the unbridled greed and the gap between the very rich and very poor, the complicity between the big business groups and politics – these we need to avoid,” Ibrahim says.

From prison to parliament

Nowadays Ibrahim’s opposition political party is gaining more and more support from the people. However, before his voice was heard, he went through six years in solitary confinement in prison and two criminal cases. Ibrahim was first arrested for supporting land farmers in the north and demanding better treatment from the government. As a result he spent two years in detention without trial. The activist was released after Mahathir Mohamad became prime minister, whose reforms he supported. He even became his deputy. But in 1998 Ibrahim was imprisoned for six years ‘for corruption and sodomy’ after he fell out with his boss. He was released in 2004 largely thanks to campaigning by his wife. Thousands of people went into the streets in his support.

In 2008, a significant year for Malaysian politics, Ibrahim tried to get elected to parliament. He maintains this was a real challenge because his opposition party was not given even a minute of air-time. “We won 10 out of 11 parliamentary seats, and so I believe we are ripe for some sort of Malaysian Spring through the electoral process,” he says. And despite the fresh allegations of sexual harassment he faced in 2008 and the abuse he suffered on a daily basis at the hands of the national media, his party gained more support from people. In January 2012 he won the case. But with Malaysian elections looming and Anwar tipped to win, he has recently been charged with unauthorized assembly.

Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has said he is prepared to open all the accounts he owns only if Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin does likewise. “If there’s a case he should have charged me. This shows how desperate Muhyiddin is. “I challenge him open up every single case. I will open up every single account and Muhyiddin must do likewise,” he told reporters here. “I challenge Muhyiddin to be investigated, I am prepared to submit everything,” said the PKR de facto leader. The deputy prime minister had demanded Anwar clarify an allegation by ex-Bank Negara Assistant Governor Datuk Abdul Murad Khalid that the opposition leader owns 20 master accounts worth RM3 billion. Muhyiddin (picture) said the allegation was not a small matter, and the former deputy prime minister must be responsible in promptly explaining the matter to the people.

“The figure (RM3 billion) mentioned is big. So, it is the duty of the opposition leader to clarify it. It is true or not. If not true, answer...the people want to know...the NGOs which are making the demands for an explanation also represent a large number of people. “If untrue, Anwar must take action against the parties making the allegation, including the ex-Bank Negara Assistant Governor,” he told reporters after launching a State-level ‘Love Gardeners’ Programme at Dataran Sarang Buaya, here, today. Muhyiddin who is also education minister, said Anwar’s authority and integrity would be affected if he did not clarify the allegation. Last Tuesday, Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali was reported to have raised the status of the investigations by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on Abdul Murad’s allegation made almost 13 years ago. Ibrahim said that the exposure by the Bank Negara Assistant Governor, among others, alleged that Anwar (picture) controlled 20 master accounts involving assets, shares and money worth RM3 billion, which were obtained when he was Finance Minister towards the end of the 1990s. Newspapers today reported that several NGOs also urged MACC to speed up investigations in the claim as the matter was of public interest. ~themalaysianinsider.com~

Anwar Ibrahim


Nurul Izzah


Tian Chua


A PKR ceramah featuring Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and daughter Nurul Izzah Anwar turned ugly when the crowd as well as opposition leaders were pelted with stones and eggs. Tensions were already running high before the event began last night, as the scheduled PKR function was located a mere 100 metres away from another ceramah — one organised by Umno. Some 100 Lembah Pantai Umno youth members were earlier seen blocking the main road leading to the PKR ceramah venue, carrying banners which read “Anwar causes violence in this country.” PKR’s ceramah had an unceremonious start as guest speakers tried to speak as loudly as they could to compete with the Umno ceramah nearby. Chaos occurred when Nurul Izzah was about to speak — the wiring to the sound and lights system was cut, delaying the Lembah Pantai MP’s speech by a good 15 minutes.

Shortly after she spoke, Anwar arrived and that was when the stone- and egg-pelting commenced. The night saw one major casualty where a senior citizen suffered injuries to the head after being hit with a stone. The PKR de facto chief ordered the bleeding man to be brought to the nearest medical centre for treatment. Anwar also immediately blamed Umno for the incident. “This is the way of Umno youth. A man has been injured because stones were thrown at him by the accursed Umno youth! “I challenge (Datuk Seri) Najib (Razak) to a debate, not to send his thugs to do this,” said Anwar to cheers from the 1,000-odd crowd who were mostly PR supporters. “Throwing stones, it means a total lack of respect for democracy in Malaysia... it is a sign of an Umno-BN that is desperate to hold on to power,” added Nurul Izzah.

In contrast, Umno’s 500-odd ceramah attendance degenerated into a verbal shouting match as its star speaker Ummi Hafilda Ali screamed verbal abuse each time Anwar or any PR leader spoke. “Anwar is al-juburi. He is pro-Jewish. He is the father of womanisers,” shouted the woman whose complaint led to Anwar’s first sodomy trial, as she tried to drown the former deputy prime minister’s speech. This prompted Anwar to say: “We want to win the elections not by insulting people but by rule of law. “I am used to getting insulted every night, for 14 years I have been insulted by TV3 and Utusan Malaysia,” he said to cheers from the PKR crowd. This marks the third time a PR function has been disrupted after similar incidents in Merlimau and Malacca last weekend

The Tun Dr Mahathir who still stubbornly remains fixated on the falsified notion of his that the Malays and the Chinese are potent forces with ingrained enmity against and for each other deserves outright condemnation. It in fact is a racist remark and deserves the Rule of Law to act decisively. The Tun fails to see that the DAP, PKR and PAS all have all races within their party as members. Has he ever walked the streets of Kota Bahru to see how Malays and Chinese eat, work, play, live and laugh side by side? Has he walked into any Taman in sprawling Kuala Lumpur to see how all races live side by side and in the same flats happily?

Stop your racist view points for this is 2012 not 1969, Tun. You have seemingly deep frozen your philosphies with your Malay Dilema, really. The same type of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sabahans and Sarawakians that still float within BN are also the members within the opposition coalition. Opposition does not have Japanese, Russians, Mongolians or any other as their party members. They are all citizens of this land, please do not forget Che Det. Loose coalition? What about Samy Vellu telling you off. Now the Tun also spoke of PR being a loose coalition that would spilt up quite easily. How presumptuous.

He fails to recall that only last week his MIC kingpin, Samy Vellu, who stood by him for 22 years revealed that he was stabbed in the back by none other than the Tun himself. Is this not worst than splitting because of ideology? It is very clear that either the Tun is living a life too high up or that his gurkas are not keeping him piped on the ground realities today. In any case PR better be forewarned. As the General Election looms around a mysterious corner, it is obligatory and a categorical imperative that all three members – PKR, DAP and PAS get their act cemented together. There should be no space for even a hairline crack or tiny chip to your solidarity, viewpoints and coalition principles.

It is mandatory that you script the same verse, sing the same song and dance to the same tune. You cannot afford any disagreement and conflicting statements to hit the sail. If you are not vigilant and are unable to harness the changing winds that is proving to be increasing in your favour, you risk losing all of it with any signs or even a whisper of your in-congruent positions. And it certainly calls for solidarity and sacrifice; forget about compromises. Your combined intentions is to act in the best interest of nationhood and the future of all Malaysians who are the subjects of His Majesty and Council of Rulers and citizens of the same land. Pakatan must stay united behind their anointed Leader

Let your anointed Leader be the torch bearer at all times; let your lieutenants be a team. Put aside your ideologies and stand united for a common goal and agreed pathways. This is not the season to go to battle with internal conflicts and jostlings with a mysterious enemy who cannot even tell you fairly and squarely when election date is. Hold on to a nation-manifesto not a party-blueprint. The 13th GE is not about political party winning; it is about returning to society what rightfully belongs to a nation’s citizens. Once you have won the battle hands down, you can get back to your drawing boards to see how best you can galvanise your divergent strengths and distinct ideologies to work together in delivering on the promises to nationhood. Tough yes, but it is do-able. It is worth all the price and prize because we get to put the nation back on its path that is not riddled with corruption, racism, divisive politics and personal, self-serving greed. Like they say,:When the going gets tough, only the tough can get going.

DSAI must prove the Tun wrong. And having said that, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the responsibility falls on your shoulders. Surely you can carry the yoke with ease given your incarceration in prison, the unceremonious and acrimonious slanders slammed upon you and your family, and most importantly with the dedicated support of the coalition members who have come a long way of fifty over years struggling with commitment and determination despite the mammoth and almost insurmountable challenges and frustrations thrown in their way. In short, prove the Tun wrong. There is no space for self-centered mistakes. PR cannot afford to make apologies like their opposition the BN.

Let us march on and show the world that we have made Malaysia ‘Truly Asia’ – a nation of solidarity, harmony, co-existence, justice, civil liberties and democratic to the dot. And on that score, dear Tun, please also be informed that people who vote for the opposition are not lacking in common sense. It is just that the voters have grown tired of all the promises undelivered and the hurt thrown at them for half a century. And you Sir will have to take the whole blame because we gave you the benefit of doubt for 22 years only to drive us to the other side of the wall. ~Malaysia Chronicle~