tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53631698584470839992024-03-14T02:23:16.969+08:00Media PERDANAMedia Perdanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954292542578042354noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363169858447083999.post-49153221838276628492012-03-07T22:27:00.003+08:002012-09-12T18:35:45.132+08:00Let’s Face The Facts (Part 2)<div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gQCCn65G1k/T1dzGUXF_QI/AAAAAAAAAKA/Q8x8m56Bmkc/s1600/mt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2gQCCn65G1k/T1dzGUXF_QI/AAAAAAAAAKA/Q8x8m56Bmkc/s1600/mt.jpg" /></a></div><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: maroon; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The way the Malays interpret this is that you are not sincere about eradicating corruption. You are just using this as an excuse to justify kicking out Umno. If the opposition perpetuates corruption you are prepared to ‘close both eyes’ for the sake of ABU. In fact, you will curse the person who reveals corruption in the opposition. So why do you want ABU then? Is it to eradicate corruption? The way the Malays see it, it is to eradicate Malay political power. And that would be even more reason to keep Umno in power.</strong></em></span></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">NO HOLDS BARRED</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Raja Petra Kamarudin</em></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You may have read the various pieces and reports below. If not then take a quick look before you read what I am going to say.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Okay, now my response: 25% of eligible Chinese voters are yet to register to vote. Hence, there are only 3.8 million Chinese voters out of more than 12 million registered votes. This means only 30% of the voters are Chinese (many who are overseas and will not or cannot go back to vote).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The states where the Chinese voters would make an impact and the number of Parliament seats in brackets would be Penang (13), Perak (24), Selangor (22), Johor (26), Kuala Lumpur (11), Negeri Sembilan (8), and Melaka (6).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">That comes to a total of 110 Parliament seats out of 222 (I am not including those from Sabah and Sarawak).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Note, however, that not all the 110 seats are Chinese majority seats. At best we are looking at one-third those 110 seats, which means about 35 seats or so. For the rest, although they have a high percentage of Chinese voters, the Chinese are not the majority. Hence the Malays, Indians, and ‘others’ would play a crucial role in those seats (including in Sabah and Sarawak where there is a huge mix of ‘others’).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">While we in <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Malaysia Today</em> and those from the civil society movements are screaming ABU, is that also what the Malay Diaspora is screaming? While we want transparency, accountability, equality, good governance, and an end to all the abuses, transgressions, corruption, and whatnot, is that also what the Malay Diaspora wants?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The Malay Diaspora has other things in mind. The fact that in 2004 the Malays in Terengganu (who make up 97% of the voters) gave the state back to Umno (and voted Umno again in 2008) shows that Islam or religion is not the first consideration. The first consideration is money, and by voting Umno they were assured of money.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">No doubt Kelantan voted PAS since 1990 and has continued doing so for 22 years -- and will probably do the same this coming election as well. But that is because Kelantan does not have money and the Kelantanese have learned to live with not having money. That is why the Kelantanese are very industrious and migrate to other states to earn a living.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Even if the Kelantenese voted Ummo there would be no difference to their livelihood. Kelantan is poor anyway. And they have learned to live with poverty for three generations. Terengganu, however, is rich. And they have been spoiled since the 1970s. And when they faced hardship in 1999 because they voted opposition, the following election they voted for Umno again to end this suffering. And Umno made sure their suffering ended so now the people in Terengganu are quite happy.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So you see, the Malays are just like the Chinese, Indians and natives of Sabah and Sarawak. The Chinese and Indians are screaming because of the discrimination and due to economic reasons, the NEP being one of them. The Chinese and Indians scream because of what they are being denied. The Malays too scream because of what they <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">might</strong></em> be denied if Umno is kicked out.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Hence, a lot of the campaigning and sloganeering is not going to swing the Malays over to the opposition. In fact, the reverse might happen. They may be pushed back to Umno.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The trouble is: those in the opposition, in particular the Chinese and Indians, are looking after their own self-interest. There is nothing wrong with that, of course. Everyone wants to guard his or her interests. But when you appear to be threatening other people’s interest that is when the problem arises (just like how the Chinese and Indians resent the NEP when their interests are sacrificed/threatened).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">We cannot deny that the rhetoric in <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Malaysia Today</em> has given the impression that the non-Malays are declaring war on the Malays. Even I get that impression and I would consider myself more liberal than the ‘normal’ Malay. And it is no coincidence that the majority of comments in <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Malaysia Today</em> are posted by Chinese readers. And that is because the Malay readers have abandoned <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Malaysia Today</em> because they consider it a DAP anti-Malay website.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Do you think that this impression created is going help the opposition march into Putrajaya?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You say that the reason we want BN out is because they are corrupted. Malays can buy that. Not all Malays condone corruption. But when I expose just one or two cases of abuse of power involving Pakatan Rakyat (amidst the hundreds of cases I have exposed involving BN) you curse me and call me names and allege that I have been bought, have sold out, am working for Umno, and whatnot. You then argue that we must accept a bit of corruption from the opposition for the sake of ABU.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The way the Malays interpret this is that you are not sincere about eradicating corruption. You are just using this as an excuse to justify kicking out Umno. If the opposition perpetuates corruption you are prepared to ‘close both eyes’ for the sake of ABU. In fact, you will curse the person who reveals corruption in the opposition.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So why do you want ABU then? Is it to eradicate corruption? The way the Malays see it, it is to eradicate Malay political power. And that would be even more reason to keep Umno in power.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">If you really want to see a regime change then you need a change of strategy. Getting all the Chinese to unite against the Malays would only mean Putrajaya is going to get further and further away.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You first need to win the trust and confidence of the Malays. And if even I can no longer trust your reasons for ABU (from your reaction to my exposes about the opposition) how can you expect the other Malays to stand by you? Is ABU ‘anything but Umno’ or is ABU actually ‘anything but Malays’? In that case change ABU to ABM and at least we can make a decision on whether we are with you or not.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">*********************************************</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kong: One in four eligible Malaysian Chinese not a voter, situation 'serious'</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">(The Star) - MCA has urged all Malaysian Chinese who are eligible to vote to register for the coming general election, as some 1.1 million individuals from the community have yet to register.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said that according to Election Commission, as of September 2011 a total of 4.89 million Malaysian Chinese are qualified to vote but up to 1.1 million have not registered.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"This means that one in every four Chinese has yet to register as a voter," said the Transport Minister, calling the situation "serious".</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"In view of the challenging current political situation in the forthcoming general election, eligible Chinese voters should register as quickly as possible to fulfil a responsibility.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">"If a Malaysian Chinese is eligible to go to the polls but does not register as a voter, he or she will be giving the impression that the Chinese community is politically apathetic, which is not the case," he said in a statement on Wednesday.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kong, who is also Lumut MP, said the Chinese electorate in the country had always been concerned about the country's future development and actively participated in nation building.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">He said they should also actively take part in general elections, and make the best use of their vote to decide the country's future.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kong said the MCA service centres were open to help eligible Malaysians register as voters.</div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**********************************</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">BN’s four methods to win the polls</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Barisan Nasional is using three powerful and distinct methods to win the forthcoming 13th general election and their methods can be grouped into four main categories, namely:</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">1. Population re-engineering.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">2. Propaganda to brainwash the citizens.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">3. Philosophy of Malay Supremacy and 1Malaysia.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">4. Plain cheating via manipulation of the electoral rolls by the Election Commission (EC).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">READ MORE HERE</strong>: <a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/47874-bns-four-methods-to-win-the-polls" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/47874-bns-four-methods-to-win-the-polls</a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">****************************************</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">WIKILEAKS: Malaysia's racial divide deepening</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">And now with election approaching, and Najib pushing his "one Malaysia" idea, the situation is becoming even more contentious for those who consider themselves to suffer under pro-Malay policies, namely the enterprising ethnic Chinese minority. What Mahathir is doing here is drumming up resentment against the Chinese with the hopes of getting more Malays out to vote, and to vote pro-Malay. Unlike Najib, he doesn't have to try to court the Chinese vote. The danger is that his statements will alienate Chinese voters that Najib needs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">READ MORE HERE:</strong> <a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/47823-malaysias-racial-divide-deepening" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/47823-malaysias-racial-divide-deepening</a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">*******************************************</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">WIKILEAKS: Next election: do or die for Umno</strong></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">To win this next election, you've got to win back Malay votes. Create some fear... spook the Malaysians into voting for UMNO again. For Najib, it's not just about winning the election; it's the survival of BN. The fear of BN is not just that they might lose the election, but that some of them might go to prison. Some of them might be indicted. This is really a do or die situation for them.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">READ MORE HERE</strong>: <a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/47790-next-election-do-or-die-for-umno" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/special-reports/47790-next-election-do-or-die-for-umno</a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">*********************************************</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The question remains however: Is the PR platform sufficient to convince their multi-ethnic constituencies to oust BN from power to build a new democratic Malaysia?</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Under this regime, the majority Malay (and therefore Muslim) population have gained an unparalleled amount of power, wealth, status and opportunities as their birth rights since independence. UMNO and its major coalition partners in BN, the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) and the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC), were formed and allowed to survive primarily to represent and protect political and material interests of Chinese and Indian minority communities. In the post-NEP period, the regime has become even more protective of the communal interests of the Muslim-Malays while gaining authoritarian characters.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Opposition parties, while certainly sharing such unusually strong anti-regime sentiments emanating from civil society, were not able to translate these divisive ethnocentric sentiments and demands directly into political action. Instead, they have chosen to stay mute on fundamental issues that they do not wish to discuss or negotiate, that is, issues related to communal identities and religion.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The key question here is whether Malaysians, especially the Malay-Muslim community, are ready to accept a new set of deals, terms and conditions set by the new democratic regime along the line suggested by PR. All possible signs thus far seem to suggest that they are not. According to public surveys conducted by the Merdeka Center between 2008 and 2010, a large majority of Malays, especially those in the lower income categories, strongly favour the reservation of special rights and privileges.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">More alarmingly, such anxiety among a community perceived to be under threat or siege at a time when the regime is undergoing unpredictable transition is a ready recipe for communal tension and potential violence. Indeed, it was when the BN adopted policies and allocated resources in ways seen disproportionately favorable to the non-Malay communities, especially Chinese, that ultra-nationalistic Malay movements such as Perkasa gained popular approval and appeal.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">READ MORE HERE:</strong> <a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/47870-malaysia-after-regime-change-kikue-hamayotsu" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/from-around-the-blogs/47870-malaysia-after-regime-change-kikue-hamayotsu</a></div><div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">**********************************************</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Let’s face facts (part 1):</strong> <a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/47845-lets-face-facts" style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: #222222; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; text-decoration: none;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/47845-lets-face-facts</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Source : <a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/47875-lets-face-facts-part-2" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/47875-lets-face-facts-part-2</a></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</div>Media Perdanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954292542578042354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363169858447083999.post-68018962733412875522012-03-07T21:20:00.002+08:002012-09-12T18:36:05.717+08:00Let’s Face The Facts<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZaSy7USccg/T1dgWmOx_0I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/htVQhttJDdw/s1600/mt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9ZaSy7USccg/T1dgWmOx_0I/AAAAAAAAAJ4/htVQhttJDdw/s1600/mt.jpg" /></a></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: maroon; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The East Malaysians are not concerned about transparency, accountability, good governance, human rights, civil liberties, etc. Those are values and notions of those in West Malaysia, in particular the urbanites. In East Malaysia it is about nationalism and self-rule. And they do not feel by voting PKR or DAP they will achieve that.</strong></em></span></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">NO HOLDS BARRED</strong></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Raja Petra Kamarudin</em></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Okay, today no Malay-bashing, Islam-bashing, Chinese-bashing or whatever. Let’s put all that aside and look at things from the point of reality.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I must admit, though, it was fun to pin you chaps into a corner to test how you would react. You all sure have a lot more to learn about politics of the poison chalice and the kiss of death, which Umno is extremely good at.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Anyway, never mind, what Ling Liong Sik once told me is probably true after all: “You Malays are better at politics than we Chinese. We Chinese use <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Kungfu.</em> You Malays use <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Silat.</em> So it is very difficult to see how the Malay moves. But for we Chinese we know exactly.”</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Do you get what Liong Sik meant? When it comes to the Chinese, you know your friends from your enemies because every move is so visible. For Malays it is hard to tell. When a Chinese smiles, you know he is your friend or else he will curse you instead. A Malay can smile and yet be planning your death.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">But I am digressing. That is not what I want to talk about today. Today, my question is: can Pakatan Rakyat form the next federal government this May, when the 13th General Election is expected to be called?</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">First, look at the chart below. The ruling party has been consistently winning 66%-90% of the parliamentary seats since 1959. In fact, 1959 was not the first election to be held although it was the first parliamentary election. The first election was in 1955, the municipal elections, two years before <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Merdeka</em>, when the Alliance Party won all but one seat.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now, if you will notice, while the ruling party won 66%-90% of the seats, this was won against a backdrop of only 49.3%-65.2% of the popular votes. In other words, since the beginning, the ruling party has never won more than two-thirds (66.67%) of the votes. Never! The closest it came to a two-thirds win of the votes was in 1995 (65.2%) when it won 84.38% of the seats in parliament.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The worst election for the ruling party was, of course, in 1969 when it won only 49.3% of the votes and only 65.97% of the seats, plus lost a few states as well. Nevertheless, it lost its two-thirds majority in parliament by less than 1%. And the best was in 2004 when it won 90% of the seats but with only 63.9% of the votes, still less than two-thirds of the votes.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The best election for the ruling party was in 2004 in terms of seats. But that was not the best in terms of votes. In fact, 63.9% is less than two-thirds of the popular votes. In 1995, the best year for the ruling party in terms of votes (65.2%), it won only 84.38% of the seats.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">So you see, more votes do not translate to more seats, and vice versa. The ruling party could win more votes in one election but lesser seats in parliament, or lesser votes in another election but more seats in parliament. And it can win less than two-thirds of the votes but still win a two-thirds-majority in parliament. Or it can win less than 50% of the votes and still form a government with a simple majority.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In other words, just because more of you come out to vote and more of you vote for the opposition is not going to ensure that the opposition is going to now become the ruling government. More than 50 years of elections over 12 general elections (and one municipal election pre-<em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Merdeka</em>) must have surely taught us that by now.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The bottom is: it all depends on where you vote and whether you all vote in the same place or you are spread out. If all of you reading <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Malaysia Today</em> are going to be voting in the same areas, meaning of course the urban or Chinese-majority areas, then we are just going to see a repeat of the 13 elections before this. In other words, the opposition is going to win the votes but not the seats.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In the 2008 general election, the 82 parliament seats that the opposition won was split almost 50:50 Malays versus non-Malays MPs. And this was against a backdrop of roughly 90% Indian votes, 70% Chinese votes and 50% Malay votes.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">How much more can we squeeze from the Indians and the Chinese? Some analysts say that the Indian votes are going to fall to 50% this time around while the Chinese votes are going to increase slightly to 80%. This would mean that the increase in Chinese votes will be offset by the drop in Indian votes and it would also mean we would be back to square one.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The critical factor, therefore, would be the Malay votes. At only 50% there is still a lot of margin for growth. And since more than 60% of the voters are Malay, the growth in Malay votes can more than offset the decline in Indian votes.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">However, will the Malay votes just remain at 50%? Or will it drop to 40%? Or will it increase to 60%? That will determine whether Pakatan Rakyat gets to retain its 82 seats in Parliament (now reduced, of course, due to defections), or whether its seats will drop below 70, or whether its seats will increase beyond 90.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now, I am talking about Pakatan Rakyat on the basis that it will still be the opposition. Whether it stays at 82, reduces below 70 or increases beyond 90 means Pakatan Rakyat will still be the opposition. What do we need to do to see Pakatan Rakyat form the next federal government?</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Well, in West Malaysia, there are 165 seats up for grabs. In the last election, Pakatan Rakyat grabbed 80 parliament seats against Barisan Nasional’s 85. This time around it may be 75:90 if Pakatan Rakyat sees a decline. Or it may remain at 80:85 if Pakatan Rakyat maintains status quo. Or it may be the reverse: 85 seats for Pakatan Rakyat and 80 for Barisan Nasional if the Chinese votes increase to 80% and the Malay votes remain at 50% while the Indian votes drop to also 50%.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Whatever it may be Pakatan Rakyat will still remain the opposition even in the best of scenarios. To be able to form the next federal government, it needs to work on the 57 seats in East Malaysia (31 in Sarawak, 25 in Sabah, plus Labuan).</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Now, how fares Pakatan Rakyat in East Malaysia? Not too well, I’m afraid. And in the next article I may go into detail as to why. I am working on that at the moment and the feedback from East Malaysia does not augur well for the opposition.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">In 2007, West Malaysians suddenly woke up and the result of this can be seen in the 2008 general election. At that time the East Malaysians were still sleeping. Now, the East Malaysians are beginning to stir from their slumber. They now realise that neither Pakatan Rakyat nor Barisan Nasional can form the federal government without them.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">What Daim Zainuddin said in his recent interview is partly true, in that the next election is going to be a hung parliament. But what Daim did not explain is that it will be a hung parliament in West Malaysia and the East Malaysians are going to decide who is going to get to form the federal government.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The choices we are offering the East Malaysians are either a corrupt home-based government or a new Kuala Lumpur-based government. You might argue that Barisan Nasional in Sabah and Sarawak are also part of the federal coalition. That may be true. But the East Malaysian members of the federal coalition are local-based parties, not Kuala Lumpur-based parties.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The alternative to BN Sabah and BN Sarawak would be PKR and DAP (PAS is not even part of the equation in Sabah and Sarawak), both parties based in Kuala Lumpur.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">The East Malaysians are not concerned about transparency, accountability, good governance, human rights, civil liberties, etc. Those are values and notions of those in West Malaysia, in particular the urbanites. In East Malaysia it is about nationalism and self-rule. And they do not feel by voting PKR or DAP they will achieve that.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Hence, Barisan Nasional has a slight edge over PKR and DAP. At least PPB, SUPP, SPDP, PRS, UPKO, PBS, SAPP, PBRS, SNAP, STAR, etc., are home-grown parties and not colonialists, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">pendatang</em>, <em style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Semenanjung</em>parties, or whatever, like PKR and DAP.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">I have said this before and I will say it again: the key to Putrajaya rests in the hands of Sabah and Sarawak. But whom will the East Malaysians hand the key to?</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">You can scream about Perkasa? You can argue whether it is the Malays or the Chinese who are to blame for what is happening in Malaysia today. At the end of the day, all that does not matter. What matters is who are the 57 seats from East Malaysia going to back? And whom they back is going to form the next federal government.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Does PKR and DAP understand this? And if they do what are they going to do about it? From what I have been told the East Malaysians are beginning to have ideas about forming a third force. They want to reject Barisan Nasional but that does not mean PKR or DAP are going to be the beneficiary. They are not interested in taking back power from Barisan Nasional just to hand it to PKR or DAP. They want to keep that power for themselves.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Will they succeed? If I can answer that then I am a better Oracle than Daim Zainuddin.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">There are only two possible scenarios. If they succeed in building up this third force in East Malaysia (meaning the various factions unite and do not fight with one another), then they could actually sweep about 25 of the 57 seats and leave Barisan Nasional with 25 and DAP/PKR with possibly 7 or so. However, if they start fighting amongst themselves, then Barisan Nasional may sweep about 40 seats and PKR/DAP would be left with 15 or so.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Either way, Pakatan Rakyat will not be able to form the next federal government unless they work out a solution with the East Malaysian third force and engage Barisan Nasional in straight fights in all constituencies. And that would be more difficult to do than to get Rosmah Mansor to stop all her shopping.</div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><img border="0" src="http://img217.imageshack.us/img217/5248/27481659.jpg" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-bottom-left-radius: 3px; border-bottom-right-radius: 3px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-width: 1px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; border-top-color: rgb(221, 221, 221); border-top-left-radius: 3px; border-top-right-radius: 3px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-width: 1px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 10px; margin-top: 5px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 3px; padding-left: 3px; padding-right: 3px; padding-top: 3px;" /></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: maroon; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"> ** 1959/1964/1969 the Alliance Party. 1974 thereafter Barisan Nasional.</strong></span></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: maroon; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><br />
</strong></span></div><div style="background-color: white; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 15px; margin-top: 15px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; color: maroon; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><strong style="border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-style: none; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-style: none; border-right-width: 0px; border-top-style: none; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">Reference : </strong></span><a href="http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/47845-lets-face-facts" style="background-color: transparent;">http://www.malaysia-today.net/mtcolumns/no-holds-barred/47845-lets-face-facts</a></div>Media Perdanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954292542578042354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363169858447083999.post-45894193852009977012012-01-07T21:10:00.004+08:002012-09-12T18:36:36.390+08:00Joke Of The Year By Mahathir Mohamed<div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">When was propaganda classified as "for good" or "bad" ? Why is Mahathir so worried about propaganda, when it is being used and played by both side of the political spectrum for each personal or organizational benefit.</div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">Is this Mahathir's way of buying cheap publicity when our dear PM DS Mohd Najib is away on a national duty? Your time is over and passed our generation. Go and do something good before your time is up. Take care of your good self. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;"><span style="color: #0b5394; font-family: Georgia, 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif;"><br />
</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Georgia, 'Nimbus Roman No9 L', serif;"><span style="color: orange;">Dr M warns youths against believing ‘propaganda’</span></span></div><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; word-spacing: 1px;">SHAH ALAM, Jan 7 , 2011— Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged youths today to reject “propaganda”, warning that such information could be used as tools to exploit and cause harm to others. </span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">The former prime minister said youths should be selective when acquiring knowledge, adding that the application of useful information would help them succeed. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">“Today we have a huge flow of knowledge and information coming to us which could be harmful and confusing sometimes, and if we are not careful in selecting them, we can be influenced,” he was quoted as saying on Bernama Online today. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">“Propaganda, for instance, is invented so that it can twist knowledge to obtain certain advantage and it is not always good. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">“As such, people can make wrong decisions if they are not careful enough in choosing the right knowledge,” he added, in his speech at the Knowledge Management Forum held at Universiti Teknologi Mara here. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AT2HaPQGr3Q/TyHwXdL0zyI/AAAAAAAAAJo/amCdnLosE10/s1600/mahathir.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AT2HaPQGr3Q/TyHwXdL0zyI/AAAAAAAAAJo/amCdnLosE10/s1600/mahathir.jpg" /></a></div>Dr Mahathir’s <strong style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-image: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; font-style: inherit; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: initial; outline-width: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">(picture)</strong> statement comes amid a significant rise in student activism, with numerous groups here demanding for greater academic and individual freedom. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">In a recent incident, a student, Muhammad Safwan Anang, was allegedly assaulted by the police during his participation in a peaceful demonstration by student activists at Universiti Perguruan Sultan Idris (UPSI) in Tanjung Malim. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">The demonstration was held following widespread controversy over the lowering of a banner bearing the likeness of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak by Adam Adli Abd Halim, a 21-year UPSI student, outside Umno’s headquarters here last month. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">The police have denied assaulting the activists during the demonstration, saying there was “no scuffle” when arrests were made during their attempt to break the gathering. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">But Safwan Anang, who was hospitalised after the student protest, has insisted otherwise. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">The Universiti Malaya student was allegedly assaulted and lost consciousness in the 2.30am fracas which saw 17 students arrested. </div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">Other students and opposition politicians have also claimed that several students involved in the demonstration for academic freedom were allegedly beaten up and arrested after refusing to heed a police order to disperse.</div><div style="border-bottom-color: initial; border-bottom-style: none; border-bottom-width: initial; border-left-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-right-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); border-top-color: rgb(208, 208, 208); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, Garuda, sans-serif; line-height: 18px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 10px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px; word-spacing: 1px;">source : <a href="http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/print/malaysia/dr-m-warns-youths-against-believing-propaganda/">TMI</a></div>Media Perdanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954292542578042354noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5363169858447083999.post-37323652164036639602011-11-01T13:45:00.005+08:002012-09-12T18:37:02.085+08:00‘Unconstitutional To Ban Students From Politics’<span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white; color: #404040; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px;"></span><br />
<div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LVWja9c_hC0/TyIa0Qi5xeI/AAAAAAAAAJw/8roAsiqkpDw/s1600/malaysia-students.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-size: large;"><img border="0" height="213" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LVWja9c_hC0/TyIa0Qi5xeI/AAAAAAAAAJw/8roAsiqkpDw/s320/malaysia-students.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-size: large;">KUALA LUMPUR: The Court of Appeal today ruled that a law banning college students from political activities was unconstitutional, in a move hailed by the ban’s opponents as a landmark decision.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Students have long campaigned for a repeal of the 1971 Universities and University Colleges Act (UUCA), which bars them from joining political parties and trade unions, saying the ban violates human rights and free speech.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Court of Appeal ruled that the law contravened constitutionally protected freedom of expression.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">“This is a landmark decision… the net effect is that students are free to participate in political activities now,” lawyer Ashok Kandiah, who represented four former political science students in challenging the ban, told AFP.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, a lawyer representing Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia — attended by the students — told the court he would appeal the decision to the Federal Court, Malaysia’s highest.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The four students launched the court challenge last year after the university threatened them with disciplinary action after they were accused of campaigning for Malaysia’s political opposition in a local by-election.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Kuala Lumpur High Court had earlier upheld the ban’s constitutionality.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The students were eventually cleared of any wrongdoing.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Ahmad Syazwan Muhammad Hasan, of the Islamic student organisation Gamis, welcomed the decision.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">“UUCA was implemented to block the student movement. It breaks our social freedom,” he told AFP.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">The law was amended in 1975 to include the politics ban in the wake of large-scale political demonstrations the previous year by university students protesting government economic policies.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak pledged in September to scrap laws considered repressive and promised greater respect for civil liberties.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">Among the laws Najib has targeted for repeal is the much-maligned Internal Security Act, which allows detention without trial.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">However, the premier said at the time that the universities law would also be reviewed.</span></div><div style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-top: 12px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;"><span style="font-size: large;">- <em style="border-bottom-width: 0px; border-color: initial; border-left-width: 0px; border-right-width: 0px; border-style: initial; border-top-width: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px; outline-color: initial; outline-style: none; outline-width: initial; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-top: 0px;">AFP</em></span></div>Media Perdanahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02954292542578042354noreply@blogger.com0