Permatang Pauh: Anwar Wins by a HUGE Margin

Tahniah Anwar! Against all odds and the arrogant Barisan Nasional, you have succeeded not only in winning your seat, but by an even bigger margin than Datin Seri. It's obvious the people don't buy the sodomy claims made against you.

Just today, Information Minister, Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek, had the cheek to make a shabby statement...

"Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must accept that the era of him becoming prime minister ended long ago."

All sorts of tricks were resorted to by the highest ranking officers in the current government. DPM Najib even resorted to swearing on the Quran that he neither murdered nor knew Altantuya, the brutally murdered Mogolian translator. This was just after Saiful, Anwar's sodomy accuser, performed the same act claiming that Anwar sodomised him. (Come on, any real man would have fought his way out of that situation, unless he really wanted it)

Najib then turned to Anwar to say that he should do the right thing and swear also. Political trickery from a man who also has an agenda, and plenty of secrets. He has outrightly accused Anwar of corruption, however, it is a matter of time before the finger pointing begins to reveal who the really corrupt are.

We're not blind to the fact that it is possible that Anwar has his misdeeds, cronies, stashes of money or otherwise (as claimed by Najib). However, we also know that Najib and the likes of people like Khairy (who has participated in the campaigning) aren't clean enough to go around pointing the finger at other people. So many people have spoken about it, and it comes from different sources, these people aren't even opposition supporters, some are UMNO, and yet, they are aware, and yet they do nothing. Perhaps all feeling of hope is lost.

Perhaps, it is now time for us to give an opportunity to someone who has so widely claimed an agenda of a secular and equal for all Malaysia. Perhaps it is time for that change. BN says he will not deliver on his promises and that the rakyat are being duped. However, if he doesn't, not only will he not survive the next election, he would have lost all his international credibility - which, therefore casts doubt. As he is deemed to be quite reputable in the international community.

What is the point in supporting a government that has not only mismanaged the economy, and benefited a small group of Malays, but also one that is arrogant enough to believe that the people will support them, even after they as the lawmakers and nation builders have made racial and religious slurs against the minority groups.

That aside, UMNO even attempted to secretly form an alliance with PAS, a group with an Islamic State Agenda, against all UMNO's principles of supporting policies that will benefit all Malaysians regardless of race or religion. UMNO in such desperation was willing to break ranks with their component parties, just to ensure the strength of the Melayu and Islam, forgoing the more national agenda that includes every Malaysian. The entire Malaysian community that helps build this nation. This is wrong.

We have predicted that as far as UMNO and PAS is concerned, it is a battle of who is more Islamic. Gone are the days where their agenda was in full support of all other races. BN increasingly becomes divided.

On the matter of Islamic State, Najib claimed that we are an Islamic state prior to the elections. Then more recently, he claimed that we aren't. So which is it? So much evidence shows that UMNO has lost its way. They are torn as to whether they need to gather more Malay support to manage their sinking ship, or should they support a more national and perhaps secular agenda as the leader of the BN.

So what's the point in supporting the BN if they have lost their way and their clarity of their agenda? Change must come about, and it must come now. Anwar certainly does not promise an about turn change, as far as we are concerned, but it will be a fresh start. There will be changes and some difficulty for some in managing that change. However, this can be expected. Considering the options we have, we think that Pakatan Rakyat holds promise.

The message we, as the rakyat have sent BN is that we are serious about change and that we will not be taken for fools. Nobody really has much respect for Badawi or Najib, but yet, they, along with some bigwigs remain arrogant. Perhaps it's time we retire them to their mansions in England and Australia.

Today, the Rakyat have triumphed yet again, and it is obvious that we stand firm on our decision and need for change. Will UMNO now consider their misdeeds and the need for change?

Remember, by supporting Barisan, we effectively do the following:
1. We entrust our nation to Badawi, whose son-in-law, (as claimed by fellow UMNO comptriates) is power hungry and willing to do all sorts of things to show himself as the Malay-Ultra for purposes of party position. Khairy is also widely known to have some big businesses
2. We entrust our nation, for however long he can hang on to it, to Najib. The man who once uttered the words "bathe in Chinese blood" in the 1980s. See Wikipedia. Search Najib Tun Razak. We also entrust our nation to a man who has control of the Armed Forces, and who has held the position of Defence Minister for almost or more than a decade.

It is time we realise that some people, unlike Mahathir, hold very little vision for the nation or anyone else other than themselves.

It is time for change and we must endure the trials to come.

Tahniah Rakyat Permatang Pauh dan Rakyat Tersayang Malaysia!


News clips extracted:

Najib: Beware of Anwar

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Datuk Seri Najib Razak today reminded voters in Permatang Pauh not to be hoodwinked by Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's promises as he was willing to validate anything to become prime minister.

"I can tell a lot about how he toppled the deputy prime minister then, the late Tun Ghafar Baba, who was also the Umno deputy president and who carried his (Anwars's) bag. You can guess what was in the bag when he was contesting the party elections. Full of money. Today, he talks about corruption," Najib said. -- Bernama


Battle for Permatang Pauh: 'We stand a fighting chance'

Barisan Nasional (BN) stands a fighting chance of wresting the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, said the coalition's deputy chairman, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

"The impossible may materialise. BN supporters should not assume we don't stand a chance." Najib said BN had conducted a solid campaign since Aug 16 and ran a number of activities which increased its chances of winning. "We will not admit defeat and we will continue to strive till the end," Najib said on BN's chances in the by-election which takes place on Tuesday.Speaking after visiting an education and career exhibition here held in conjunction with the Pekan Fest 08, Najib, who is also deputy prime minister, said BN's election machinery should not let its guard down.

"I call upon our machinery to enhance our position and make sure this momentum turns the tide to BN."On the presence of Sabah BN leaders in Permatang Pauh on Friday night, Najib said this showed their strong support for the coalition."This shows the BN government is stable and will continue to exist."Najib said the statement by PKR's vice-president Datuk Jeffrey Kitingan that 13 BN MPs in the state would cross over to the opposition did not hold water.


Battle for Permatang Pauh: Anwar's time is over, says Shabery

BUKIT MERTAJAM: Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek said Parti Keadilan Rakyat adviser Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim must accept that the era of him becoming prime minister ended long ago.

He said the PKR candidate for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary by-election had previously been chosen by former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to join the government, and had been appointed acting prime minister before being expelled in 1998.

Anwar's claims that he would become prime minister on Sept 16 were merely wishful thinking, he said at a function at Kampung Tanjung Putus, near here yesterday.He urged the constituents in Permatang Pauh not to be swayed by claims that Anwar would become prime minister if he were to win the by-election tomorrow. -- Bernama

Barisan Gets a Slap in the Face from the Rakyat

Tahniah Rakyat Malaysia! Your message to the national coalition has been delivered, with an even greater force than expected. So, the Silent Majority that Barisan Nasional always banked on, has deserted them. This is a sign of the people's deep dissatisfaction with what has gone on in the past 4 years.

At this very moment, some of our BN leaders who have been slayed, or colleagues of the same, are reporting to the media that they they can't say what has gone wrong and that it will require some analysis. What is there to analyse?

I believe that we can collectively answer that question... in general, the BN didn't take many things seriously:

1. The rights of the minority groups, ie. the Chinese and Indians. So far, only the Indians have protested openly, however, the Chinese, as usual won't really choose to take to the streets, but we believe spoke through their votes, whereby Chinese political representative stalwarts were replaced by an array of Indians, Chinese and Malays from Keadilan or DAP.
2. The BN's inability to address key issues around not only the marginalisation of the minority races, but the minority religious groups as well. Ie. Buddhists, Hindus and Christians. In previous articles, all based from articles published in the local newspapers and some regional press, it has been obvious that over the past decade, the propogation of any other religion but Islam was stifled. How many new temples are built? How many new churches have been built? Applications to build were not approved or sidelined, but at the same time, DBKL and state governments build mosques using public funds to sponsor the development of a more Islamic Malaysia. All good and well, we as muslims, christians, buddhists and hindus would never complain about such things, but if this is so, then it must be equal
3. Some people accuse those in BN of corruption, although there has been no clear evidence of it, considering some of the widely publicised indulgences of certain individuals in the past 2 years, have shown how widespread it is.
4. The insensitivity of certain party leader's and minister's comments about other ethnic groups; ie. Khairi Jamaluddin (UMNO youth deputy chief) and Nazri (Minister in PM's Department). These two individuals alone caused a lot of damage to UMNO by their racially charged comments, to the extent of warning the chinese not to push the Malays. This followed by Hishamuddin's (UMNO youth chief) drawing of the kris to symbolise Malay power, did not auger well with the people.

The above spiral and branch out into a variety of other issues that plague our country. Our people have been divided by these words and this thinking and the government under Badawi did little to mediate and mitigate.

While BN has been distracting the people with raising issues around HINDRAF and the promise of better security, the Iskandar Development Region and so forth, these issues were sidelined and not considered seriously, or if anything, not addressed.

So BN, this is the price you will have to pay. Sharizat made a comment in the media that the people have done this to "teach BN a lesson", and "they have to accept the consequences" (as BN has lost the 2/3 majority). Again, threats. No, we don't want to hear anymore threats. Not especially from a party stalwart who has been ousted by a young lady with hardly any experience who is half her age. Not to mention, in an urban constituancy where many educated and wealthy individuals live.

Do not threaten the people anymore. BN must accept their defeat and clean their house. Out with the old policies of favouritism, out with the arrogance of being in power for 50 years, and start working for the people, not dwell on some rhetorical rubbish and treat the public like they are stupid.

Times have changed, the new generation of Malaysians are better educated, and have a lesser tolerance for mediocrity.

Many of us were raised to support BN because we were promised peace, harmony and equality. We don't think that any of that is true. Perhaps on the surface it may seem so, but the racial divide is there, and it grows. But, typical of the Malaysian way, our leaders would wait until it blows up in their face before they decide they have a problem.

Malaysians today have taken drastic measures and great risks in bringing in a stronger opposition to hopefully quell the overly arrogant and Malay Rights "crazed" Barisan Nasional. We are all watching and hoping that this decision is the right one. If not, well, this now shows that anyone is expendable and we have discarded our loyalties for merit and performance.

Khairi said today that "we will fight back". Well, you may have that chance, only if BN reinvents itself and the Opposition DOESN'T prove itself to be able to deliver.

Everyone is expendable. Times have changed, people have changed.

Here's an article that addresses what the minority communities have been dying to say. Finally, people are taking their dissatisfaction with Barisan to the Ballot Box... it's about time!

Fellow citizens, in the last general election, we gave the Barisan Nasional a landslide victory. As I recall, the nation was overjoyed that Badawi had such great support from the people, a fresh Prime Minister and a new era for Malaysian politics.

Sadly, and over time, we were all greatly disappointed. For starters, it seemed that the level of confidence we had given the government, worked to our disadvantage. In the past couple of years, we have seen Hishamuddin, draw his Kris and waving it around in the name of Malay pride and power. We have also seen Badawi's son in law Khairi Jamaluddin, protesting in front of the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre, directing the anger of a mob of youngsters at the US Secretary of State Rice. Khairi, also has threatened the Chinese community on numerous occassions. And now, we have an Information Minister, Zainuddin Maidin who seeing the increasing trend of political bloggers such as myself, deems it to be a threat to the nation and hence wants to "curb" "the phenomenon".

So what does all this spell for us? The very people who gave Barisan the make or break vote. Nothing but absolute disappointment. We now have people in power who think they are invincible and they can go about saying whatever it is that they like, be it seditious or anything that rouses the emotions of the other races. Strangely, I believe that if it were a chinese or indian person who said the same things Khairi said or even did what Hishamuddin did, they would definately be behind bars, and I am quite certain that the Malay response would have been a lot harsher - which would have likely been tolerated by the government. Yet, these people still roam free and say and do as they please, enjoying the power and priviledge that we provide them.

They are quite happy continuing as they are, just as Najib has responded to the slide in Chinese votes in Ijok... "Najib said it was usual for support from this group to slightly increase or decline during by-elections and that this could have been related to local issues, adding that young voters there had been more critical than usual"... really? is it as simple as that? This is how you respond to Ong Ka Ting's valuable fact?

I think its time this is brought to a stop, and if you agree, perhaps we should take it to the ballot box in the coming election. Vote for the opposition. There will be enough votes to bring Barisan back, but we shouldn't give them a full mandate to run the country. By lending votes to the opposition, perhaps parties like Keadilan will gain some credibility and build a stronger party, hopefully one day there will be enough strength within that party making it really worthwhile voting for.

What our country is missing is a decent opposition party. It's time we learn to give ourself a choice for the benefit of the future generations. We cannot rely on Barisan anymore. It's obvious which party dominates the coalition, and now, some of them are becoming as extreme as their counterparts in PAS. Examples are clear as day, with regards to the religious department and the mockery they are making of our country and people, and our "moderate government" tolerates this?

Have a read of this article extracted from The Star (http://www.thestar.com.my/). It's a clarion call, hear it and hear it well fellow Supreme Council and Leadership of UMNO, because many of us will vote for the opposition just to put you where you belong. Change your methods and your attitude and perhaps you will regain our confidence.

Factors that swayed Chinese vote
PETALING JAYA: The swing of some Chinese votes to the opposition in the recent Ijok by-election was due to unhappiness with the service of the previous assemblyman as well as several sensitive national issues, MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting said.

He said the Chinese voters in the constituency had complained that they were unhappy with the service rendered by the Barisan Nasional."During campaigning, they (Chinese voters in Ijok) asked us why we were doing this and that now (during the election) and not earlier. There were also some rumblings on national issues," he said after attending a Wesak Day celebration at the Kwan Inn Teng Temple here.Elaborating on what he meant by "rumblings on national issues", Ong said some voters had expressed unhappiness over statements made by "some leaders" which they considered hurtful."We got this feedback although we had explained that the implementation of policies is based on collective decision-making with a multiracial perspective and not on certain statements by individuals."However, they did not accept our explanation," he said without elaborating on the statements.

Giving the party analysis on the Chinese voting pattern in the Ijok by-election for the first time, Ong said there was no doubt that "to a certain extent the Chinese votes in the area had swung to the opposition".He said that in Ijok town, for example, the BN won by a majority of only 21 votes."In Kampung Ijok, next to Ijok town, we lost 116 votes. I think that in certain areas, the swing was not big. Overall, the BN still obtained the Chinese vote, particularly in the new villages but the question now is by how many per cent because some of the ballot boxes had votes from mixed areas."In southern and northern Batang Berjuntai — two predominantly Chinese areas — the BN managed to secure about 500 Chinese votes.Ong said that the MCA, being a party that represents the Chinese community and the second largest BN component, did not deny that there was increased Chinese support for the opposition compared with the previous election."We will work hard and go down to the ground to get their feedback.

"There is a sign of some swing in Chinese votes from the BN to the opposition. This is something we cannot deny."Compared with the 2004 general election, there is some change of mood. To what extent, we can’t draw the percentage yet." Asked whether the party’s internal problems had played a role in the reduced Chinese support for the BN, Ong said: "I don’t think that was a big factor."In the by-election, K. Parthiban of the BN beat Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim of Parti Keadilan Rakyat by a majority of 1,850 votes.However, despite the better performance by the BN compared with the 2004 general election (when BN received a 1,649-vote majority), Chinese support for BN had reportedly dropped by about 10 per cent. — Bernama