Bekas calon Parlimen Kepala Batas beri bantuan pada kaum India

Mohd Sabri Said Mon | Mar 31, 08 | 5:48:07 pm MYT

KEPALA BATAS, 31 Mac (Hrkh) - Buat pertama kalinya, bekas calon Parlimen Kepala Batas, Ustaz Subri Md Arshad berceramah tentang kebaikan Islam di pekarangan Kuil Sri Mariaman, Kampung Kovil, Kepala Batas petang semalam. Walaupun semasa kempen pilihan raya umum lalu beliau telah diundang ke situ namun ia tidak banyak menyentuh tentang kesucian Islam sebaliknya melebihkan pengenalan diri dan manisfeto PAS yang diwakili. Semasa berucap beliau yang datang dengan tujuan memberikan bantuan kebajikan kepada 12 orang keluarga India menegaskan, Perdana Menteri, Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sendiri bimbang situasi dalam pilihan raya umum lalu sehingga membuatkan beliau terpaksa turun ke kampung-kampung menggunakan khidmat artis berbanding pilihan raya ke-11 yang dianggap zon selesa. "Saya ucap terima kasih pada semua pengundi yang telah memberikan kepercayaan kepada saya untuk melawan Pak Lah. Walaupun ia nama besar namun kita dapat kurangkan majoriti daripada 18 ribu kepada 11 ribu sahaja. Itu sudah cukup membuatkan beliau tidur tak lena, " tambahnya dengan tepukan gemuruh. Menurutnya, "apa bangsa dan agama sekalipun kita mempercayaan tuhan yang satu itulah yang mengatur kemenangan kepada golongan yang tertindas maka jangan kita mempersiakan kemenangan yang diperolehi." Kepimpinan yang menerajui negeri di Pulau Pinang tidak akan bersikap zalim sebagaimana Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BN) bahkan bertindak waras dalam apa jua tindakan demi kepentingan rakyat. "Tengok apa yang BN buat bila kekal kemenangan di Kepala Batas khususnya di Bertam. Masalah tanah lot di Kampung Kovil, dewan orang ramai yang digunakan oleh MIC, banjir, Jalan Kampung yang kecil dan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Tamil yang tidak mempunyai tandas sempurna, " ujar Ustaz Subri. Menurutnya, oleh sebab itu sokongan yang semua pihak berikan hendaklah berterusan supaya membuahkan hasil pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 kelak. Hadir sama dalam majlis yang bermula pukul 3.00 petang itu ialah Setiausaha Majlis Tindakan Dun Bertam, Jasni Ahmad Wahi; Ketua PAS Cawangan Bertam, Hj Abdul Razak Abdullah; Pengerusi Kuil Sri Mariaman, Kalimuthu dan Setiausaha Kuil, Mardevan. - mks.

MB Selangor akan cari jalan terbaik kepada warga Setinggan

Wan Nordin Wan Yaacob Sat | Mar 29, 08 | 10:22:34 am MYT

SEREMBAN, 29 Mac (Hrkh) - Angkatan Muda Keadilan Malaysia (AMK) menyokong kenyataan Menteri Besar Selangor, Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim untuk Selangor mencapai matlamat setinggan sifar seperti yang disiarkan dalam temubual oleh portal internet Malaysiakini. Namun AMK kesal dengan kenyataan beberapa pihak yang mengandaikan bahawa Kerajaan Negeri Selangor yang dipimpin keADILan akan bertindak dengan cara yang sama seperti tindakan tidak berperikemanusiaan semasa Selangor di bawah Dato� Seri Mohd Khir Toyo, kata Setiausaha AMK, Ahmad Zaki Yamani bin Zainon. "Adalah zalim untuk menganggap bahawa peneroka bandar perlu dibiarkan dalam keadaan mereka sekarang tanpa sebarang usaha untuk mengiktiraf hak dan pegangan mereka secara sah ke atas tanah yang didiami atau ke atas tanah lain yang bersesuaian dengan keperluan kehidupan mereka. "Persoalan pampasan, peluang pekerjaan dan sebagainya perlu diberikan perhatian utama di dalam sebarang usaha pembangunan." ujarnya dalam satu kenyataanya semalam. AMK percaya Menteri Besar Selangor akan mencari jalan terbaik yang adil dan manusiawi untuk memastikan para peneroka bandar dapat keluar daripada status 'setinggan' mereka. Setiap rakyat Selangor perlu diberi peluang yang adil untuk memiliki hartanah dan pada masa yang sama hak pemilik tanah dihormati dan diberi peluang untuk membangunkan hartanah mereka, ujarnya. "Ini 'keseimbangan' yang perlu dicari seperti yang dinyatakan oleh Tan Sri Abdul Khalid. "Kerajaan perlu memainkan peranan utama dengan bertanggungjawab dan penyayang. Pada masa yang sama, syarikat-syarikat perlu berperanan sebagai warga korporat yang prihatin. "Malah sebelum ini Tan Sri Abdul Khalid telah pernah mengemukakan idea-idea inovatif untuk memastikan rakyat termiskin sekalipun mampu memiliki hartanah, termasuk melalui skim pembiayaan jangka panjang inter-generasi sehingga 60 tahun," katanya. AMK percaya Menteri Besar Selangor dan kerajaan negeri akan mengemukakan pelan komprehensif untuk mencapai matlamat setinggan sifar yang akan dilaksanakan. Sebarang cadangan dan komen sekarang sudah tentu akan membantu, namun ia perlu dikemukakan melalui saluran yang betul dan membina, tegasnya.

Asset declaration: 'Include past records'

A proper asset declaration exercise involving public office bearers must include past financial records as well, said the Democracy and Anti-Corruption Movement (Gerak). Gerak chairperson Ezam Mohd Noor said a current public asset declaration alone does not guarantee accuracy. "It is easy to transfer assets before a declaration. It takes just one day to close an account. All one has to do is maintain one account and make a deflated declaration," he explained when contacted yesterday. A way around this, according to Ezam, is to compel public office bearers to furnish their income tax returns for the past one or two years on top of their current declaration. "The purpose is not to dig into their past but to use the information as a barometer," he added. Ezam also suggested that asset declarations be made annually, with the first and final declaration exercise in one term being the most important. "We want to know what they have at the beginning and the end of their term. If a person suddenly becomes richer by a few million, then of course something is wrong," he said. No compromise In an unprecedented move, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced on March 17 that he would be compelling cabinet ministers and their deputies to publicly declare their assets. Ezam also raised a suggestion made by the late Harun Hashim, the country’s first Anti-Corruption Agency (ACA) director, on ways to limit the circulation of asset declaration data. According to Ezam, Harun had told a conference in 1997 that a way to lessen the exposure of the data was to charge a nominal fee for the documents. "Some individuals might have a problem of making their assets ‘too public’. Thus, this mechanism will limit the data to people who are really serious about scrutinising the data," he said. On the newly formed Selangor government, Ezam hoped that the new state leadership would be a pioneer in publicly declaring their assets. "Gerak really hopes that they would do so on the basis of good governance and transparency. To any government committed to good governance, there should be no compromise," he said. In a recent interview with Malaysiakini, Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim said that some state exco members have reservations about publicly declaring their wealth.

Gov't rejects calls to release detained state legislator

Mar 28, 08 6:17pm

Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar today rejected opposition calls for the release of an ISA-detained state legislator, citing the need to uphold public security. "We must react to the country's internal security and public order," Syed Hamid was quoted saying by the state Bernama news agency. The opposition parties last week pressed for five ethnic Indian activists, including lawyer M Manoharan who won a seat in recent elections, to be freed from the Internal Security Act, which allows for indefinite detention without trial. Manoharan, standing for the DAP, was elected from his detention centre - soundly beating the government incumbent in the Kota Alam Shah state seat in the March 8 general elections. Syed Hamid said Manoharan will be forced to sit out of the newly formed state assembly when it convenes. "You definitely can't be at two places at the same time," he said. The five are leaders of rights group Hindraf who were detained last December for organising an unprecedented mass rally claiming discrimination against ethnic Indians. Police used tear gas, water cannon and baton charges to break up the November protest, which drew at least 8,000 people. The opposition, which now controls more than a third of parliamentary seats, has said it will seek to repeal the ISA - which dates back to the British colonial era when it was used against communist insurgents. It is currently being used to hold more than 100 people, including about 80 alleged Islamic militants.

One room enough for me: Guan Eng

by Regina William
PENANG (March 21, 2008): He could have lived comfortably and with maximum security at Rumah Tetamu on Macalister Road, the official residence of the chief minister.

However, told it would cost the state government at least RM300,000 to repair it and make it fit for a VIP, Lim Guan Eng decided to forgo the idea, bearing in mind that he had asked Penangites to join him in an austerity drive, which is the hallmark of the DAP-PKR state government.

He told theSun in a phone interview he would rather spend the money for a better cause.

"I found out that if I were to move into Rumah Tetamu, the leaking roof problem will have to be repaired at a cost of at least RM300,000, or even more for other works. The police also wanted me to move in for security reasons, so that I will be safe.

"We have a RM35.6 million deficit budget for this year, and this administration does not intend to spend money unnecessarily. Just for me, one man, spending that much money (the repair cost) is not worth it."

Lim is content staying at his father Kit Siang's corner-lot house at Island Park. "One room is enough for me, I don't want to waste funds unnecessarily," he said.

The austerity drive is evident in this new administration. Gone are the days when press conferences and meetings would see free-flowing coffee and tea, including at least two pieces of kuih for each attendee. Now, mineral water in cups are passed around, with no food in sight. Even the monthly civil servants gathering on Monday saw a drastic change. The 2,500-odd civil servants were surprised there was no makan on the table.

On Wednesday, after his first executive council meeting, Lim appealed to Penangites to help the state in its drive to minimise and reduce unnecessary expenditure, so the money could be used to help the less fortunate.

He also urged the people to tighten their belts, especially after the new state exco reviewed the state's financial status with the deficit budget.

He said savings from these efforts can be channelled back to the state government for other much needy causes.

Former chief minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon also did not stay in Rumah Tetamu. He stayed in his own house in Tanjung Bungah.

Rumah Tetamu was last occupied for about two years from 2001 by Yang di-Pertua Negri Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas when his official residence, Seri Mutiara, was being refurbished.
http://www.sun2surf.com/article.cfm?id=21132

T'ganu MB: Palace appoints Ahmad Said, boycott looms K Kabilan | Mar 22, 08 7:42pm

After days of uncertainty, the Terengganu palace has defied the prime minister and announced that Kijal state assemblyperson Ahmad Said, 51, has been appointed the new menteri besar of the state. He would be replacing the prime minister-backed Idris Jusoh. The office of the Sultan of Terengganu said that the swearing-in ceremony will take place tomorrow morning at Istana Tamu in Kuala Terengganu. Terengganu is the only state left without a menteri besar after the March 8 polls. In an immediate reaction, all 22 BN state assemblypersons who backed Jertih state representative and incumbent menteri besar Idris (photo) are believed to be toying with the idea of boycotting the ceremony. At the same time, Ajil state representative and senior Umno leader Rasol Wahid said that the BN state assemblypersons will also be sending a protest note to the palace on Ahmad’s appointment. In addition, Ahmad has warned by the party to decline the appointment as mentri besar. Umno secretary-general Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said that disciplinary action would be taken against Ahmad should he decide to go ahead with the swearing-in. Tengku Adnan urged Ahmad to put the party before himself. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has issued the appointment letter to Idris but this is being ignore by the sultan. The protracted delay in the appointment of the menteri besar was seen by many observers as a silent conflict between the Terengganu palace and the prime minister. Immediately after the general election, Abdullah had supported Idris to continue being the menteri besar. Idris also had the support of 22 of his fellow state assemblypersons, excluding Ahmad. However, Sultan Mizan Zainal Abidin of Terengganu - who is serving as the Agong - was keen on replacing Idris with Ahmad, who is also the Kemaman Umno division chief. In the elections, BN retained the state comfortably by winning 24 out of 32 state seats. PAS won the rest. The fallout with the sultan The sultan was apparently not happy with Idris over the Batu Buruk riot on Sept 8 last year as well as the incident on polling day when the police used strong measures to disperse PAS supporters in Rusila, Marang. It is also believed that the sultan was also unhappy with the “apparent cockiness” shown by Idris during his tenure as menteri besar. On the ground, Idris also faced pressure from Umno members and leaders over his choice of election candidates. Sources told Malaysiakini today that the pressure on Idris from state Umno leaders and fellow state representatives were still apparent but they continue to support him for the menteri besar post to toe the party line. “It is simply because they don’t want to be seen as going against prime minister Abdullah’s choice,” said a source close to the state party leadership. “Furthermore, Idris is also the state Umno leader. It would not be sending a right signal if the state representatives leave him isolated, especially when the present political climate is so favourable to the opposition,” he added. The source said that the conflict could have been avoided if Abdullah had “given his consent to Ahmad to lead the state”. As it stands, the source fears that the boycott plan by the 22 BN state representatives will draw a wider wedge between the palace and Umno. “And it is unfortunate that Ahmad is caught in the middle of all this. His role will surely be affected as a result of this,” added the source. The source said that the first task for Ahmad would be to gain the support of the 22 state assemblypersons, who had submitted a memorandum to Abdullah on Friday, seeking for Idris to be retained. Idris was originally slated to be sworn in on March 10 at Istana Maziah but that ceremony was postponed at the eleventh hour to a date that was to be determined later. It’s the sultan’s prerogative Constitutional law expert Prof Abdul Aziz Bari said that it was important for the state to have the menteri besar sworn in as soon as possible. “As far as I know, 14 days (to appoint a menteri besar after the general election) is certainly unreasonable. By now the state has set a new record, certainly in Malaysia,” he told Malaysiakini. “Apart from the fact that the government of the day must have a valid popular mandate, the head of state must have a government to advise him. “Which is why it has been said that the government must be appointed as soon as possible after the results are out,” he added. Abdul Aziz also said that it was the sultan’s prerogative to appoint Ahmad to the post. “Given the law, namely that it is the ruler's judgment and satisfaction, there is nothing Idris or the prime minister can do about it. Legally the prime minister has got no business here as it is a matter for the sultan to decide,” he added. However, Abdul Aziz said that the sultan must make his position clear by stating why he took the present position. “It has been claimed that the sultan was unhappy about the Batu Buruk tragedy and the commotion in Marang during the polling day. “This is indeed a valid reason for the sultan has a duty to protect the constitution and to ensure that process has been conducted in a fair manner. “He may ask Idris to tell the truth; perhaps for him to declare that he has got nothing to do with those two incidents,” he said. Abdul Aziz also ruled out any possible claims that the sultan had acted beyond his powers in appointing Ahmad. “I believe he has got all the information pertaining to what has taken place in the state. And, like what has been done by the rulers of Perak, Perlis and Selangor, he has a duty to appoint a government that is stable and has the necessary support,” he said.

TKM sampai awal, YDP Perbandaran tak nampak muka

Abdul Halim Mohd Rashid Sat | Mar 22, 08 | 4:38:36 pm MYT

KUALA LUMPUR, 22 Mac (Hrkh) - Apabila mendapat tahu 12 pam yang tidak berfungsi mengakibatkan banjir kilat yang terburuk sejak beberapa tahun lalu di Zon Perindustrian Seberang Prai, Timbalan Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang Dr P Ramasamy bergegas ke tempat kejadian dan sampai seawal pukul 8.30 pagi. Malangnya, Ketua Jurutera Majlis Perbandaran Seberang Perai (MPSP) tidak kelihatan langsung sehinggalah jam 10 pagi. Lebih hebat lagi, Yang Dipertua MPSP pula langsung tidak dapat dihubungi sehinggalah pukul 12.30 tengah hari. Sambil menyatakan kedua-duanya perlu menyatakan apa yang sebenarnya berlaku kepada mereka, perkara itu didedahkan oleh Ahli Parlimen Jelutong, Jeff Ooi dalam blognya, www.jeffooi.com Ketika itu, Dr Ramasamy, Jeff dan pembantu-pembantu sedang menyelaraskan usaha untuk mendapatkan maklumat dari pihak yang sepatutnya bertanggungjawab mengenai banjir kilat itu. Beliau menyatakan kekecewaanya pihaknya terhadap dengan apa yang berlaku itu. Lebih malang lagi, katanya, Timbalan Pengerusi Persekutuan Pengilang-Pengilang Malaysia (FMM) cawangan utara, Datuk Muhammad Ismail mengadu, masalah itu telah lama berlaku dan pihak MPSP telah diberitahu mengenai perkara itu dalam beberapa pertemuan. Jeff yang juga seorang blogger terkenal membayangkan pihaknya akan mendedahkan segala-galanya. Dr Ramasamy pula dipetik oleh sebuah akhbar tempatan sebagai berkata: "Saya telah mengarahkan MPSP mengambil tindakan-tindakan pemulihan kerana banjir tersebut akhirnya mungkin akan menjejaskan keyakinan para pelabur".

Selangor exco: 5 non-Malay, 4 women

Andrew Ong and Ng Ling Fong | Mar 21, 08 1:00pm

Selangor's 10-member state executive council looks likely to open a new historical chapter with half of its line-up being non-Malays. Also the council - which is the administrative body of the state - will also make history with the inclusion of four women in the team. Malaysiakini has learnt that Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim has submitted the final list of state exco members to the palace this morning. Of the 10 executive councillors, PKR will have four posts, DAP (3) and PAS (3). It is understood that PKR have been allocated four exco positions in which two members - Dr Xavier Jayakumar (Seri Andalas - right) and Elizabeth Wong (Bukit Lanjan) - are non-Malays. Three more non-Malays in the list are Ronnie Liu (Pandamaran), Teresa Kok (Kinrara) and Ean Yong Hian Hua (Seri Kembangan) from DAP. Earlier, it was reported that the palace would prefer that there be a minimum six Malay exco members, to reflect the state’s racial composition, but would however accept an exco with five Malays and five non-Malays. Four women in exco Two Malays expected to represent PKR in the exco are Yaakob Sapari (Kota Angerik) and Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga). PAS, which has been given three exco positions, is expected to be represented by Dr Hassan Ali (Gombak Setia), Dr Halimah Ali (Selat Kelang) and Iskandar Abdul Samad (Cempaka). The swearing-in for the state exco members is expected to take place on Monday. A rehearsal to take place later this afternoon. Four of the executive councillors will be women. The last exco line-up had only one woman. The exco line-up however, is expected to be without veteran Selangor opposition leader Teng Chang Kim (right) who is the most experienced member in the Selangor legislature. Teng had served as state assembly opposition leader since 1995 when he won the Bukit Gasing seat. In 1999, he was elected Bandar Kelang assemblyperson and later the Sungai Pinang assemblyperson in 2004. During the recent general election he retained the Sungai Pinang seat with a higher majority. It is learnt that Teng will be made speaker of the state assembly. However, this will require prior approval from the Selangor sultan. It is also not clear whether Khalid will be naming either one or two deputy mentri besars, if at all. The sultan has expressed his wish to see a Malay deputy MB, while predominantly Chinese DAP - being the second biggest party after PKR - is pressing for its representative to be picked as Khalid's deputy. Hindraf wants Mano as MB Meanwhile, four Hindu Rights Action Force leaders presently being detained under the Internal Security Act in Kamunting today urged that their fellow detainee and Kota Alam Shah state representative M Manoharan is appointed as a deputy menteri besar in Selangor. The four - P Uthayakumar, R Kenghadharan, V Ganabatirau and T Vasantha Kumar - said they unanimously believed that Manoharan (left) should represent the Indian community in the new state government. The five of them were arrested under the ISA on Dec 13 for allegedly being a national threat in mobilising the Indian community to air their grievances against the government. “Hindraf has contributed enormously in the last election to ensure the victory for DAP, PKR and PAS,” they said in a March 19 joint-statement which was smuggled out of the detention centre. “Manoharan, being a Hindraf leader and a DAP stalwart should be given due recognition by appointing him to the post of deputy menteri besar,” they said, adding that the appointment would make “his unlawful detention less painful”. Manoharan won the Kota Alam Shah seat with a 7,184 majority while remaining under detention.

The Barisan Rakyat Category

The Barisan Rakyat Category

Most Popular Victory
Undoubtedly, the Subang Jayan's Most Popular Victory Award winner is none other than our very own Hannah Yeoh (DAP), newly elected 29-years old ADUN for N31 Subang Jaya constituency, who has won with a great majority of 13851 votes. We now have a young, clean and crime-fighter ADUN representing us in Selangor State Assembly!

Most Unbelievable Victory
The made-popular candidate from Lingam's video, Loh Gwo-Burne (PKR) has defeated former ADUN of Subang Jaya, Lee Hwa Beng (MCA), with a majority of 5,031 votes in P104 Kelana Jaya constituency. Despite of inexperience in politic (and corruption), the man of integrity has won the Parliamentary seat which many claimed impossible for him to defeat the long-rooted, widely-known Lee Hwa Beng.

Most Glamourous Victory
Incumbent Teresa Kok (DAP) is again elected MP for P122 Seputeh constituency with a great majority of 36,492 votes (the highest in the nation), defeating new candidate Carol Chew Chee Lin (MCA) who insulted all Malaysian women with her sexist election posters. Terasa is also elected ADUN for N30 Kinrara constituency which also covers part of USJ area (USJ 16 onward). While she is marching in with the rest of the Opposition MPs into the Parliament, she is also marching in to the Selangor State Assembly as the Ruling Coalition.

Most Difficult Victory
Undeniable, one of the toughest battles of this election is at the P106 Petaling Utara battlefield where new candidate Tony Pua (DAP) is facing incumbent Chew Mei Fun and the heavy machineries of BN (especially MCA). Despite all the BN's promises, big gun's visits and jamuan makan malam, the Petaling Jayans have elected Tony Pua as their new MP! A day before the Election, we were even told that Tony Pua might not be able to make it due to BN / MCA unstoppable, continuous bombing! But he made it with a large majority of 19,972 votes.

Most Challenging Victory
The most-big-guns-visited and most-celebrities-visited constituency should be none other than P121 Lembah Pantai - for a simple reason : Nurul Izzah Anwar (PKR) was the Candidate for its MP, and she is the daughter of former Deputy PM Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Both PM and Deputy PM plus many artists including Mawi have visited Lembah Pantai to help incumbent Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Minister for Women, Family and Community Development). Nurul has to face lots of challenges as UMNO was doing all it could to stop Anwar and family to step foot in Parliament. Despite all the efforts, Nurul won by a majority of 2,895 votes.

Most Heart-Warming Victory

The Most Heart-Warming Victory Award must go to Manoharan Malayalam, the newly elected ADUN for N48 Kota Alam Shah. Despite of his absence from the constituency due to being unlawfully detained under ISA since Hindraf movement, the Rakyat of Kota Alam Shah have bravely stood up for him and voted him as their representative to the State Assembly with a significant majority of 7,184 votes! We salute to Kota Alam Shah!

Most Lonely Victory
Incumbent Chong Chieng Jen (DAP) is again elected MP for P195 Bandar Kuching constituency with a majority of 9,952 votes. However, he is the only Opposition Candidate that won a Parliamentary Seat in the state of Sarawak, that made him loneliest winner in Sarawak .

The Barisan Nasional Category

Nonetheless, there are some awards to be awarded to BN Candidates too, as Subang Jayans are always generous, not selfish and not stingy.

Most Popular Defeat
Incumbent Samy Velu (8-term MP, MIC President, Work Minister) was defeated on his birthday by new candidate Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj (PKR) with a majority of 1,821 votes in P62 Sg Siput constituency. Undoubtedly, all Subang Jayans (might be all Malaysians too) are cheering and celebrating for his defeat now. "Finally, he is gone!" Some would said. Unfortunately, he has just stated today that he'd not resign from MIC President post.

Most Unwanted Victory
Khairy Jamaluddin (Deputy Chief of UMNO Youth, Badawi's son-in-law) was elected MP by a small majority of 5,746 votes in P131 Rembau constituency (48,390 voters). With his corrupt reputation and arrogant attitude, what a great disaster to the Nation to have him in the Parliament! We wander who'd he jump at next?

Most Gentleman Defeat
Koh Soo Koon (former Penang Chief Minister, Gerakan Acting President) was defected by new candidate Ramasamy Palanisamy (DAP) with a majority of 9,485 votes in P46 Batu Kawan constituency. Also, Gerakan has lost all the seats contested in Penang . Yet, he has acted as a great gentleman by congratulating his opponent and DAP Penang State Chief openly also willing to take the responsibility by offering to step down. He also performed very steady and gentleman when he invited the press together with new Penang CM-to-be YB Lim Guan Eng in his office yesterday.

Here are the 10 Awards from us. If you have any other suggestion / proposal, please feel free to leave a comment.

Pambee yennatha panjeee panjee padam yeduthalum athu nalla theater'le release panne mudiyathe!!......

hahahahaha!! ......Kai, Pavem vidungee.... ....

Pambee yennatha panjeee panjee padam yeduthalum athu nalla theater'le release panne mudiyathe!!.......

----- Original Message ----
From: Cindian
To: my_indian@yahoogrou ps.com
Sent: Saturday, 15 March, 2008 12:14:47 AM
Subject: ~My_Indian~ Melindraf: UMNO, the new Hindraf (Part 2)

UIkkks! Jom kita sama-masa mengimbas kembali kenyataan-kenyataan berikut yang pernah mengambil tempat di dalam politik negara tidak lama dahulu. Bukan mengungkit namun kita yang pernah melalui asam pahit harus sentiasa ingat agar tidak lupa akan kisah lama..

"Perhimpunan Haram lagi? Oleh penyokong Umno? Bukankah Umno adalah parti yg berdaftar secara sah, kenapa tidak dapatkan permit polis?"

"Perhimpunan haram dan tunjuk perasaan hanya akan membawa kemudaratan kepada rakyat dan negara"

"kalau tidak suka mereka boleh keluar dari negeri kita. Saya lebih mengutamakan Melayu Malaysia daripada Melayu Umno"

"Perhimpunan haram dan rusuhan bukan budaya kita"

"Mereka ini tak habis2 nak wat hal dan ganggu peniaga dan menankutkan pelabur"

"Jika nak tunjuk perasaan atau tidak puas hati pun gunalah sistem yg betul. Negeri kita ada undang-undang dan janganlah mencabarnya"

"Tangkap mereka-mereka yang yang mengadakan perhimpunan haram. Tangkap beruk-beruk di jalanan"

"Jika mereka memang anak jantan maka berlawanlah macam anak jantan di gelangang. Ini dah kalah suruh anak buah lak duk wat buang tabiat pe hal?"

"Negara kita ikut sistem demokrasi, jika tidak puas hati gunalah peti undi. Itu adalah demokrasi yang sebenarnya"

"Mereka yang tidak puas hati itu hanya kumpulan kecil Melayu Umno saja, Namun majoriti rakyat sentiasa menyokong tindakan kerajaan negeri"

Dan banyak lagi....... namun, kita sebagai rakyat harus sedar bahawa mereka juga manusia yang punya hati dan perasaan walaupun disebalik tunjuk perasaan mereka terdapat dalang dengan niat yang tersembunyi.

Sebagai rakyat, mereka punya hak untuk bersuara dan selagi mereka tidak menyalahi undang-undang ianya akan diambil kira sebagai sistem demokrasi walaupun nampak seperti ganas dan menankutkan.

Saya percaya bahawa kita tidak akan berpura-pura takut dengan apa yang mereka lalukan sepertimana yang pernah DIDAKWA oleh media arus prima KONONYA perhimpunan haram hanya menakutkan rakyat dan pelabur asing.

Komentar

Petikan Berita Harian bertarikh Sabtu 15 Mac 2008 ,mentafsirkan 2000 penunjuk perasaan di KOMTAR ,Pulau Pinang yang melanggar undang – undang negara seperti keselamatan negara, ketenteraman awam , melumpuhkan kegiatan ekonomi rakyat Pulau Pinang, menakutkan pelancong asing serta menggugat pelabur asing yang semakin serius memfokus keatas negeri Pulau Mutiara ini ekoran dari keputusan rakyat selepas pilihanraya umum 2008 sebagai “ Perhimpunan Secara Aman”.Sedangkan peserta perhimpunan aman BERSIH ,BAR Peguam dan HINDraf di kategorikan perusuh,penjenayah,anti keamanan?

Faktor penggiraan peserta demontrasi yang mana satu diambilkira oleh Fazzallah Pitt pengarang BH? Sila kemukakan formula yang digunapakai oleh pihak media arus perdana dalam penggiraan para demontrasi tersebut.Kesahihan peserta di Komtar ,Pulau Pinang itu adakah berdasarkan pengamatan mata kasar seperti anjuran pihak BERSIH dan HINDRAF yang dianggarkan oleh media sekitar 5000 orang peserta sahaja?Sedangkan jumlahnya melangkau 70000 peserta.

Mengapakah media meniupkan slogan anti kaum Melayu, sedangkan kami anak bangsa Malaysia tidak pernah bermusuh dengan mana-mana kaum?Kami beranggapan sebagai rakyat Malaysia , warga Malaysia,anak bumi Malaysia tercinta.Tiada negara lain untuk kami menaburkan bakti selain dari Malaysia yang aman ini.Kenapa selalu disalah ertikan oleh golongan yang mempunyai kepentingan tersendiri?

Saya berani bersumpah semangat kenegaraan saya demi Malaysia mungkin melebihi sebilangan penduduk yang mengaku Bumiputra .Jasa keluarga kami untuk negara mungkin tidak seberapa seperti para Negarawan yang lain tetapi sumbangan pada peringkat dan status saya , amat membanggakan diri saya.

Akhir kata , saya adalah pembaca setia akhbar Berita Harian sejak dari bangku sekolah sehingga kes anjuran perhimpunan Bersih 2007.Saya terkejut pada pagi ( sehari selepas Perhimpunan Bersih)itu apabila muka hadapan menunjukan tajuk “ Rusuhan di Pakistan” tetapi isu Bersih di muka surat keempat kolum yang kecil sekali.Sejak itu saya bernekad untuk berhenti melanggan suratkhabar arus perdana.Duit RM 1.50 sehari saya labur untuk mendapatkan isu semasa yang sahih,releven dan tepat tapi ditapis dan dipesongkan maklumat sebenar dan tiada keadilan dalam proses penyebaran maklumat kepada pembeli seperti saya. Cuma kini seperti penanggih dadah yang telah lama tidak hisap, terasa gian menjadi – jadi. Selepas pilihan raya saya mula membeli akbar.Tetapi masih tidak berubah.Sungguhpun minda rakyat telah berubah tapi media Malaysia masih ingin menarik rakyatnya untuk setia dalam tempurung media mereka.

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KEJOHANAN KARATE KADET / JUNIOR & PRA SUKMA NEGERI KEDAH 2008

FROM RIGHT

SHIHAN SIR K. ANANTHAN BKM,PJK
8TH DAN BLACK BELT

SENSEI RAJAH PJK
5TH DAN BLACK BELT

SENSEI S.STALIN PJK,PJM.MBA
5TH DAN BLACK BELT

FRONT: PADMAN NAIR & KIRTHI NAIR


KADET LELAKI KATA INDIVIDU

8 - 9 YEARS

GOLD MEDAL BY : PADMAN NAIR ( KUDIIMAGAN'S SON " 6 YEARS OLD" )

KADET PEREMPUAN KATA INDIVIDU

10-12 YEARS

BRONZE MEDAL BY : KIRTHI NAIR ( KUDIIMAGAN'S DAUGHTER " 10 YEARS OLD" )

Deputy CM 2 - P Ramasamy.

DAP’s Perai representative P Ramasamy who was an ex UKM lecturer and PKR’s Penanti state assemblyperson Muhammad Fairuz Khairuddin has been appointed as Penang’s Deputy CM’s by our new Cheif Minister Lim Guan Eng today.

Both of them will hold the post as:
Deputy CM 1 - Muhammad Fairuz Khairuddin
Deputy CM 2 - P Ramasamy.

This is the first time for an Indian to hold such a high rank in state government since Merdeka. Barisan National, which is controlled by UMNO, has never gave such representation to ethnic minorities other than having only one Indian at the Federal Cabinet Ministerial Level. According to our new Penang CM, the decision was made as such is to have an equal representation of leadership to all communities in Penang. What a statement…hats off to him. This is what the people were anticipating for and it is taking place. It is time for them to be established and I respect their first steps.

After sworn in as the Chief Minister for Penang yesterday, Lim as also mentioned that they would run the Government Administration free from policies like NEP which breeds cronyism, corruption and systematic inefficiency.

He also ordered the government servants including chief minister, state council members, speaker and deputy speaker as well as the respective heads of the Penang and Seberang Jaya municipal council to declare their assets publicly.

As a appreciation to the people who had chosen them, all summons for offences involving parking and hawker license issued before 11th March, will be waived.

Therefore, I personally appreciate and welcome the new practice of Barisan Rakyat, which was chosen by us. This is truly People’s Government or in Tamil which sounds “Makkal Aresanggam”. Good luck to the new Penang Government. Valghe Makkal Aresanggam!!! Valghe Makkal Sakthi!!

Election post-mortem: Top 10 factors

Election post-mortem: Top 10 factors

Bridget Welsh | Mar 12, 08 1:50pm

Few expected that the wave of protest would snowball into the record losses for the Barisan National. My own analysis was the gains would be at maximum 70 seats and two state governments, not the record five state governments and 82 seats for the opposition. While the ground swell of disgruntlement was there, concerns about electoral fairness and persistent patterns of ethnic voting dampened the optimism, even among the opposition. Yet, the record breaking losses for the BN have created a fundamental rupture in Malaysian politics. Based on following the campaign and the generosity of ordinary people and political elites sharing their views, here are my top 10 reasons for the outcome: 1. Reformasi spirit lives on The BN severely miscalculated in its assessment of the Malaysian electorate. In 2004, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi embraced the reform agenda that catapulted into the electoral agenda in the 1999 election. The fight against corruption, increased transparency, and, most important, better governance underscored his 2004 campaign. Recall the advertisements for a more effective civil service, and the focus on building on his ‘Mr Clean’ persona. Coupled with Abdullah's affable personal style and the groundswell of goodwill, Malaysians embraced his leadership, giving him then a record mandate. But the mandate was not just about Abdullah the man, it was also about the issues that he used to get himself and the BN elected. The 2004 campaign was filled with promises of reform of the police to address crime and pledges to reduce corruption. Not only were these promises not fulfilled, the problems have been seen to deepen during his tenure as reform efforts were abandoned and anti-corruption efforts were selectively applied. Many in the 2008 BN slate continued to have questions about alleged corruption, from S Samy Vellu (Maika scandal) to others close to the prime minister. These charges were not investigated, and in fact with the continued selection of candidates this round with corruption clouds, the Abdullah administration failed to show a commitment to address the problems it acknowledged in 2004. At the core, Malaysians want - and deserve - a better government. The spirit of reform remained alive and kicked back in this election. 2. Abdullah's laissez-faire lackluster leadership Abdullah brought about a profound transformation in liberalising the political system, allowing more voices to be heard, and graciously accepting the electoral results. In these areas, he deserves high praise. Yet, he failed in the key area that has been the backbone of the BN's legitimacy - economic performance. The macro numbers in Malaysia are strong and the country remains one of the most competitive for investment regionally. Yet, it is falling behind in maintaining competitiveness and the economic gains are not being effectively distributed to the population. Abdullah's administration corresponded to high inflation - the highest since the early 70s. Inequality is rising sharply and ordinary people, notably the middle-class based in the urban areas, are feeling the pinch. Even though commodity prices have brought more wealth to the rural areas, it is not keeping up with rising costs. This was brought home to me with conversations with Malay rubber tappers in Larut, Perak, who supported PAS in record numbers. In fairness, the rising prices are the result of an appreciating ringgit, rising oil prices and high government subsidies, issues that are either out of Abdullah's control or he inherited. Yet, his economic team proved not able to manage domestic prices effectively and translate the oil and gas revenue into gains for society at large that could be felt in ordinary households. The recent Hari Raya, Chinese New Year and Deepavali holidays were noticeably less plush than before, a real sign of fiscal difficulties. Wages have comparatively dropped and those working in the service sector make barely enough to survive. The starting take-home salary at 7-Eleven is RM700 a month. Unemployment among younger people remains too high, and not all of them can be absorbed into the civil service. Difficult conditions are compared sharply to the wealth of the political elite, including Abdullah and his family with a reported new home in Perth. The conspicuous display of consumption of the elite is on display from the rural areas of Perak to the Kuala Lumpur shopping malls. Beyond the bread-and-butter issues, was a more serious dynamic - the inability to instill confidence in promoting long-term economic development, increasing Malaysia's economic competitiveness. The economic vision was missing in Abdullah's first term, and the fiscal liquidity in the country was not adequately invested locally. The economic reforms needed to bring about the changes were not pursued with the zeal to keep Malaysia ahead of countries like Vietnam. In particular, Malaysia faces the difficult task of making is domestic business entrepreneurs more competitive. This involves weaning them off a dependence on contracts. This is true for both the Malay and Chinese business communities alike. Abdullah's administration strengthened its use of patronage, and did not send a clear message to end wasteful big projects. The new economic corridors have yet to be shown to be effective allocations of resources, rather than avenues for elite economic gain. Malaysia did not aggressively pursue trade liberalisation in a means to attract more foreign capital. Moreover, the much-needed reforms in education, to strengthen Malaysia's human capital, were not effectively implemented, although good ideas were touted. Investors want confidence, and effective policy implementation. Abdullah's decision-making style has yet to yield the results his 2004 mandate should have given him. The ideas were developed, but not implemented. The talent in Malaysia is there, but Abdullah was not able to effectively harness it. The BN is fooling itself if it thinks the electorate does not appreciate the larger issues that affect their children's futures. 3. BN coalition failings and infighting Abdullah's poor management extended to the BN itself. The component parties within the BN were dismissed and ignored. Whether this involved the PGCC (Penang Global City Centre) project in Penang in which the opposition of Gerakan to the project was completely by-passed or the memorandum on Article 11 that the parties were forced to withdraw, the perception was created that voices for non-Malays in the coalition were not being heard. Umno came across as too arrogant within the coalition. This came to a head in the Hindraf affair, when voices within the system rejected the concerns of ordinary voices and added salt to the wound by arresting the Indian Malaysian leaders. This seriously delegitimised the MIC as the voice of the Indian Malaysian community. It is not a coincidence that Devamany S Krishasamy, the MP from Cameron Highlands, who had the bravery to at least acknowledge concerns, was reelected and Samy Vellu, who justified the arrests, lost. The issue of problematic BN management extended to the dominant party within the BN itself, Umno. Abdullah came into office without a strong political base within his party. The party rallied around him in the office of the PM, yet he continued to face dissension inside. Rumours of rifts between him and his deputy Najib Razak continued, and were denied as in fact their working relationship was overall sound in the first term. Yet, the dissension continued to percolate, with former premier Dr Mahathir Mahathir leading the charge. The March polls were not just about national elections, they were also about positioning for the next Umno elections. In this regard, the March polls were used as a means to strengthen Abdullah and his allies positions within the party. Mentri besars were given much more influence over the candidate slates. Popular candidates, those that hold important division chief positions within Umno, were dropped. It is no wonder the Umno machinery did not work as effectively in this election compared to the last. As one Umno elite described it, there were too many "fronts" opened this campaign to mend. The impact of Umno infighting is most obvious historically in Kelantan, but can account for losses elsewhere and reduced majorities even in safe areas such as Perlis. The divisions within Umno were paralleled by splits within the other important component parties. For the MCA, the battle over leadership was already on the agenda before the election and the ouster of Chua Soi Lek, distancing of Chan Kong Choy and rise of Ong Ka Chuan, the brother of the party’s president have created serious ripples within the party. The MCA knew defeat was coming, but not as serious as the outcome. They slated the least number of incumbents - 35% - due to infighting and the difficult Chinese electoral terrain. The MCA's loss in the urban areas shows that they lost both Chinese and English-educated Chinese, the latter of which have not been effectively included in Ong Ka Ting's tenure. The MIC's crisis is well-known, as a similar dynamic over succession permeated the election, and the record number of new candidates for the MIC only served to have MIC fight itself in places like Perai in Penang. Gerakan's internal difficulties in the chief ministership issue were also on public display, although for the purposes of the election, the party maintained unity - to no avail. 4. Better messaging by the opposition It is thus not surprising that the BN campaign lacked a coherence. In reading the messages about its record, the issues raised were disparate and lacked focus. While clearly polished posters and top printing quality, the BN content did not resonate clearly. The messages used in different states did not fit clearly under one umbrella, such as Umno's focus on it being the party of the struggle for Islam in Terengganu and Kelantan. In fact, many of the messages belied the experience of ordinary Malaysians - end of poverty? clean police force? prices least in the region? The connection to society was missing. The tone of the campaign was one in which the voices of society were not listened to, and people were talked down to. Many pointed to the arrogance of the BN in its campaign - highlighting the ‘One Choice’ poster as a fundamental lack of appreciation that there was another choice in this campaign, a choice that the majority of the electorate chose. The defensive posture of the BN campaign failed to offer hope to the electorate. "Be grateful for what you have" does not evoke support in a context of increased economic difficulties. In comparison, the opposition was united in promoting one message of "change". While they differed in their priorities of what they wanted to change, they all concurred on introducing more checks and balances in the system. Each party had a common template and umbrella that allowed candidates that were unknown to build on the individual party's identity. The message was modest in goals and a positive message. This more effective messaging allowed the opposition to reach out to new voters, and convinced many Malaysians to vote outside of ethnic lines. 5. Embracing modern campaigning: New mediums A critical component of the opposition's stronger campaign was its more aggressive move to modern campaign techniques. While Malaysia elections continue to be labour intensive affairs, with house-to-house campaigning the norm, the use of polling of the electorate and the embrace of the Internet, blogs and SMS worked more the advantage for the opposition. The opposition was denied balanced coverage in the mainstream media, and thus was forced to adopt new campaign techniques for greater penetration of their message. PAS was perhaps the most effective of all the opposition parties in using its website to reach out to its supporters, with its candidates profiled early on. Yet, PKR and DAP were also close behind, using email list-serves and YouTube. The uploading of ceramah allowed a wider audience to hear their message. The BN lacked the same level of adoption of these techniques. In part, it believed that control over the media and resources would work. This is understandable. They have worked in the past. Yet, Malaysia is no longer the same place. Now 42 percent of Malaysians reportedly use the Internet, and they have access to alternative opinions. No matter what level of control over blogging the government introduces, they cannot control cyberspace. The BN will need to adjust its campaigning methods to reach out effectively, especially to younger voters. 6. Timing of election and campaign period The long campaign worked in favour of the opposition, not the government. This has to do in part with the cheaper means to conduct campaigns noted above - CD's, Internet and SMS are cheaper than paying campaign workers. Yet the longer campaign period - the longest since 1969 - allowed the opposition to get its message out, to respond to the issues that the BN were raising. Instead of a blast in which the focus was on a few key messages, candidates from all parties had to adapt and change their messages as the campaign evolved. This was most evident in Penang, where the response of outgoing chief minister Dr Koh Tsu Koon to the issue of the state's future leadership, provided fodder to the opposition during the campaign itself. The BN proved less willing to adapt as the campaign evolved. Thirteen is clearly not Abdullah's lucky number. This election was called too early. While there is no doubt that economic pressures would have made the context difficult, the possible international recession might have given Abdullah more ability to deflect blame. As is, he alone was faced with an assessment of his economic management. The scheduling of the elections only a few months after Hindraf and during the Chinese New Year celebrations did not help build confidence among non-Malays. Rushing the seat allocation within the coalition contributed to internal BN disgruntlement. More policies should have been implemented to address ethnic relations and more efforts to address the infighting within the coalition needed to be done before the election. The election was clearly poorly timed. 7. Opposition cooperation The opposition is comprised of three different political parties with different political outlooks and philosophies. It is also comprised of strong personalities. After the DAP left the Barisan Alternatif in 2001, the divide between the opposition parties widened, as the ideological differences over Islamic governance split the DAP and PAS, and even had ripple effects within PKR. Bringing the opposition together into the non-aggression pact of this election and the common umbrella was a massive effort, led by members within all the parties who recognised that national gains were not possible without cooperation. All the parties needed cooperation to win new ground - DAP in Penang, PAS in Kedah and all the parties in Selangor and Perak. The seat negotiations were heated and difficult, but in West Malaysia successful. All the party leaders are responsible for this success. It involved moving PAS away from an openly Islamist agenda, which it adopted in the 2004 campaign, and all the parties to embrace multiracialism. Operationally, cooperation involved joint PKR-DAP and PKR-PAS ceramah and on the ground canvassing, in which PKR and Anwar Ibrahim in particular brought parties together. For the campaign, the common goal of breaking two-thirds majority blinded the opposition to the ideological differences within itself and instilled more party discipline in all the parties. Electorally, the opposition was seen as a viable alternative as the opposition, not individual parties. 8. Strong opposition candidates The opposition also slated strong articulate candidates who spoke about the issues. From Nurul Izzah Anwar's discussion of housing, Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad's attention to education and Liew Chin Tong's focus on the chief ministership issue to Dr Syed Azman Syed Ahmad Nawawi's highlight of the royalty disbursement in Terengganu, the candidates in the opposition spoke concretely about concerns in their constituencies. The opposition is now comprised of a greater number of professionals - up to over 45% - and now includes businessmen such as incoming PKR MB of Selangor Khalid Ibrahim as well as social activists such as Dr Lee Boon Chye in Perak. Those that have stayed in the opposition and joined the parties after the heyday of 1999 are deeply committed to the principles the opposition calls for. While lacking in governing experience, there is talent and many who listened to the ceramah recognised this. This is not to say that the BN did not slate capable candidates. The share of professionals remained high - over 30% - and the parties have extraordinarily capable people. Yet, the few that are tainted by scandals spoil the chances for others. Clean politicians within the BN - and there are many hardworking representatives within the BN - are negatively affected by the image that BN governance is about gaining wealth, not public service. This time round, even the hardest working parliamentarians such as Chew Mei Fun, could not meet the challenge of the younger dynamic slate for change. 9. Backfire from attack on Anwar Ibrahim If there was one serious miscalculation that took place during the campaign, it was the attack on Anwar Ibrahim. Personal in nature, it was seen as unfair, especially in the Malay community. No question, there are real concerns among many Malaysians about Anwar Ibrahim's tenure in government - from issues of education to Islamic governance. He will have to continue to build confidence in the Malaysian electorate to those who have reservations about this leadership in the opposition. Yet, the attack on Anwar provoked a reaction, particularly among Malays. It reignited the 1999 reformasi spirit, and only served to add credibility to his influence nationally. Here, the BN served to alienate many Malays through negative campaigning, rather than convince the electorate to support its message of development. 10. Sophistication of Malaysian electorate Finally, and it is finally (with apologies for the length of this article), the 2008 election illustrated the strengthening of Malaysian identity and growing sophistication of the electorate. Gone are the days when resources and promises alone can woo support - except perhaps in East Malaysia. Malaysians want more responsiveness and voices, and they used this campaign to stand in the majority for change. They no longer can be talked down to, but need to be listened and heard, not just during the election. The leadership in both the opposition and the BN will have to keep this in mind, as the terrain has fundamentally changed.