GE13: Irrational to punish Barisan, Daim advises Chinese voters - The Star

GE13: Irrational to punish Barisan, Daim advises Chinese voters

KUALA LUMPUR: The Chinese should put aside their sentiment to punish Barisan Nasional in the general election and vote rationally, said former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin.

In an interview with China Press, Daim said he believed that the Chinese would make the right choice by voting Barisan.

“If you want to punish Barisan, what will you get in return? If the Chinese are not satisfied with the Government, let's see from another perspective. Are they dissatisfied with every issue?

“Economic stability, a peaceful, harmonious, developed and progressing country. It is impossible to get everything you want. I also tell that to the Malays,” he said.

Daim pointed out that if everyone was satisfied with certain issues while dissatisfied with others, it only showed that the Government had done the right thing because it could not exist just for a certain group of people.

In contrast, he said the three parties in Pakatan Rakyat had their own agenda, adding that they could not even properly manage the state governments, let alone the Federal Government.

Based on his analysis, Daim said Barisan would be able to form the next Government, with an even better overall performance compared with the 2008 general election.

“Barisan may lose some of its seats in Johor, Sabah and Sarawak. But the overall results will be better than that in the last elections. This is because Barisan will be able to win back some of the seats in Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan,” he said.

Barisan, said Daim, also had a chance to wrest back Selangor and Kedah if the coalition could come up with suitable Mentri Besar candidates. However, he admitted that it would be an uphill task for Barisan to get back Penang and Kelantan.

“As long as Kelantan Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat is there, the people will vote for PAS. It is very difficult for Barisan to win the state,” he said.

Daim also said that in Perak, although there would be a stiff fight, Barisan had the upper hand

MIC has finalised candidates for 28 seats: Dr Subramaniam - The Malaysian Insider

March 31, 2013

The MIC, a component party of Barisan Nasional (BN) said the allocation of seats was finalised after a series of discussions although initially there was a little uncertainty on the choice of candidates, he said.

Subramaniam said although the MIC had finalised the candidates, there could one or two changes in the choice of seats with BN component parties before the final announcement.

“We will make a final decision after discussing the possibility discreetly, unlike the opposition who openly clash over issue of seats in the public,” he told reporters after attending a memorial gathering for his late Press Secretary B. Sivam, who was killed in an accident, last month.

Sivam, 35, and a driver from the Ministry of Human Resources were killed when their Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) was involved in an accident at KM232 of the North South Expressway, near Rembau, on Feb 28.

In the 2008 General Election, the MIC won three Parliament seats, namely Tapah, Cameron Highlands and Segamat and later recaptured the Hulu Selangor seat during a by-election.

The 2008 General Election, also known as the ‘Tsunami’ saw the MIC win the Asahan state seat in Melaka; Gambir, Kahang, Permas, Tenggaroh (Johor); Sabai (Pahang) and Jeram Padang (Negeri Sembilan). – Bernama

DPM: Automatic dissolution of Parliament unlikely

DPM: Automatic dissolution of Parliament unlikely

Ahmad Fadli KC 7:14PM Mar 31, 2013

Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin believed that Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak will not allow Parliament to dissolve automatically.

"I don't think the prime minister will wait for the end of the five year term to dissolve Parliament.

"I (really) don't think so. (I think) the election will be in a few weeks, this April," he said during Federal Territories 1Malaysia Gathering at Titiwangsa Stadium in Kuala Lumpur today.
According to the Election Commission, Parliament would be dissolved automatically on April 30. The Negeri Sembilan state legislative assembly is already automatically dissolved.
Addressing some 3,000 people, Muhyiddin also criticised Pakatan Rakyat for saying that Umno should be rejected on grounds of having ruled too long.

Muhyiddin said that an experienced government has advantages because it understands the needs of the public.

"Ladies and gentlemen, an older government becomes more energetic. The older, the more stylish. Am I right?" asked Muhyiddin, to thunderous replies from the crowd.

GE13: Pakatan’s hopes in Perak dimming - The Star

GE13: Pakatan’s hopes in Perak dimming

Analysis
By JOCELINE TAN

Lim Kit Siang’s departure from Perak is the clearest sign that Pakatan Rakyat has given up hope of recapturing the state in the general election.

SOMETHING quite unforgettable happened at the recent appreciation gathering that Perak DAP held to send off Lim Kit Siang to Johor. Two of the party’s sworn enemies in Perak, Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and M. Kulasegaran, posed with their arms around each other and sported big smiles.

The press photographers almost went crazy because they knew just how rare a scene it was – two arch rivals acting like best friends. All of them could still remember the scene after the contentious party elections in Perak a couple of years ago when the pair would not even look at each other.

Ngeh, the powerful state DAP chairman, had earlier delivered a rather conciliatory speech at the dinner function during which he spoke about unity, forgiveness and starting afresh. He is an active Methodist church leader and he told the gathering that pastors counselling those about to get married would tell them that quarrels are normal in a marriage, that couples who quarrel also stay married forever.

Everyone laughed but Lim’s expression was quite inscrutable. He has been Ipoh Timur MP for almost 10 years, he has seen the politicking escalate between the Ngeh and Kulasegaran factions and some suspect he is quite relieved that he will soon be far away from it all.

So, is it going to be sugar and spice and everything nice between the two old enemies?

Not exactly. Even Lim has been no match for the powerful cousins of Perak. Ngeh and his younger cousin Nga Kor Ming have continued to dominate and control Perak politics and Lim has not been able to do anything to loosen their grip.

The elder politician’s body and soul is already in Johor where he has caused ripples. On Tuesday, a fashionable middle-aged lady with orange hair was so thrilled to see him in Skudai that she wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big kiss, leaving a vivid lipstick print on his cheek.

Lim’s departure from Perak politics basically means that Pakatan Rakyat has given up all hopes of recapturing Perak from Barisan Nasional. Lim would not be taking flight if he thought that Pakatan was about to wrest back Perak. He would be at the centre of the action, lending his weight to the campaign.

Another sign that Pakatan has given up on Perak has to do with all the rumours circulating about Kulasegaran and Batu Gajah MP Fong Po Kuan joining Lim in Johor.

A coalition that is fighting its way back into the seat of government would not be trying to export its heavyweights elsewhere. It would want as many big names as possible around to create a momentum and make up the numbers.

“I don’t know why there are rumours in the last two months. But I am not going to Johor,” said Fong.

Fong is a well-regarded face in Batu Gajah whereas Kulasegaran is synonymous with Ipoh Barat. The latter pretty much handles the running of Ipoh Timur for Lim because the senior man is not the sort to sit in a service centre listening to the everyday woes of the local folk.

Lately, the speculation about Fong has built up to her being dropped. Some alleged that the talk is coming from the cousins’ camp and that it is their way of telling the top leadership to get Kulasegaran and Fong out of Perak.

Party insiders said the cousins want to replace the pair with candidates who are aligned to them.

The cousins have openly crossed swords with Kulasegaran and his belligerent tweets warning the cousins not to be funny with him was the talk of the party.

Earlier this week, Ngeh held a ceramah in Sitiawan at Kampung Koh where Kulasegaran was born. Someone tweeted to ask why Kulasegaran was not invited as a speaker and said that a good Christian would have accommodated him in his own kampung. The tweet was obviously aimed at Ngeh.

The cousins also dislike Fong whom they claim is not a team player; what it means is that she is not in their team. They are also said to have rocked her political base by taking over control of the branches in Batu Gajah.

That is why some have described Lim’s departure as the “great escape” – he is now free of the intense politicking in Perak. His inability to temper the ambitions of the cousins has disappointed people in the party but as some have pointed out, Ngeh and Lim go back a long way. They are party comrades as well as family friends.

“Kit Siang had a minimal role in Perak or else things would not be so chaotic,” said a Pakatan insider.

The cousins are now king of the hill in every sense of the word. They are expected to continue to contest dual seats. Ngeh is expected to defend his parliamentary and state seats in Bruas and Sitiawan respectively. Nga will defend his Taiping parliamentary seat but is said to be moving to a state seat nearer Ipoh because he plans to put a new face to contest in Pantai Remis.

PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has also been talking about contesting in Perak. The Pakatan side said he wants to do for Perak what Lim is doing in Johor. But some think it is because Permatang Pauh is not looking as secure as before.

Pakatan in Penang is struggling with the Malay vote the way Barisan Nasional is struggling with the Chinese vote and that may explain why Anwar is keeping his options open.

Few believe that he will risk it in Perak. They think he is playing mind-games because he would want to be in Penang which Pakatan is assured of winning rather than go to Perak where Pakatan has lost hope.

MIC leaders tell Zul Noordin to ‘shut up’ and apologise - Malaysian Insider

MIC leaders tell Zul Noordin to ‘shut up’ and apologise

BY BOO SU-LYN

MARCH 29, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, March 29 — MIC leaders told Datuk Zulkifli Noordin today to “shut up”, apologise and retract his remarks that allegedly disparaged the Hindu religion. 

The Independent Kulim-Bandar Baharu MP was recorded in a video uploaded yesterday on YouTube as questioning the purity of the Ganges River in India, which the Hindus consider sacred, claiming that chicken carcasses were floating in it.

“If you don’t have in-depth knowledge, you must shut up and keep quiet,” MIC central working committee member Datuk T. Rajagopalu told The Malaysian Insider today.

“He’s not fit to be an MP. He’s a half-baked lawyer and he’s not a true Muslim man. A true Muslim man would never condemn other religions,” he added.

Rajagopalu said Zulkifli, who is also the Perkasa vice-president and a Sharia lawyer, should read up on Hinduism and the Ganges River before commenting.

MIC vice-president Datuk S. K. Devamany demanded that Zulkifli apologise and withdraw his remarks.  

“How dare he do this?” said Devamany.

“He’s a very irresponsible member of Parliament. We’re trying to create harmony and peace and the concept of 1 Malaysia, and trying to engage all communities, and harmonise everybody’s feelings...He should retract it and be sensitive to the needs of the people, the Hindus,” he added.

Hindu Sangam said earlier today that the video of Zulkifli’s remarks, which the opposition has labelled as vicious attacks against Hinduism, had originally surfaced in 2011.

The Hindu group said that it has previous complained about Zulkifli, but believed that no action was taken against him because he was a Muslim and a member of Perkasa.

Zulkifli was shown in the video delivering a religious lecture, in which he questioned a Hindu trader on why Hindu gods did not prevent the man’s shop from being flooded.

He also appeared to mock what was described as a rush to buy up the broken idols.

“Many Indians are fighting to buy statues of the elephant god, even the one with its trunk broken off… I asked him why they were buying this god, [when] the trunk is broken. He said, ‘Never mind, we’ll mend it,’” said the lawmaker who was sacked from PKR.

MIC central working committee member P. Kamalanathan condemned Zulkifli’s remarks “in the harshest manner possible.”

“Our diverse country does not need such sensitive provocation which is against the lofty 1 Malaysia ideal of the government,” Kamalanathan, who is also the Hulu Selangor MP, told The Malaysian Insider.

Indian group the National Indian-Rights Action Team (NIAT) lodged a police report against Zulkifli at the Dang Wangi police station here today.

“His remarks were very insulting. His statement can incite religious tension between the Muslims and Hindus,” said NIAT chairman Datuk Thasleem Mohamed Ibrahim Al-Haj in a statement today.

“YB Zulkifli’s statement is also seditious. This report was lodged so that investigations can be conducted immediately and for appropriate action to be taken against YB Zulkifli,” he added, pointing out that Section 298A of the Penal Code prohibited actions that cause disharmony, feelings of enmity and hatred.

Human rights group Suaram also censured Zulkifli earlier today and urged voters to reject him in Election 2013 that is expected to be held in weeks. 

This is the second incident of the year in which Hindus were the apparent target.

Earlier this year, columnist Dr Ridhuan Tee Abdullah upset MIC central working committee member S. Vell Paari after allegedly insulting the Hindu community in an article published in Malay-language daily Sinar Harian on February 18.

M'sian households richer by 24pct over three years - Malaysiakini

M'sian households richer by 24pct over three years

Aidila Razak, KiniBiz 2:39PM Mar 28, 2013

Malaysian households took home close to RM1,000 more per month last year compared to 2009, a government survey on incomes found.

The Department of Statistics Household Income and Basic Amenities Survey 2012 found that Malaysian households earned an average RM5,000 a month last year, up a significant 24 percent from 2009 when the same survey was last conducted. 

This about tracks the growth of overall gross national income (GNI).

The figures mean that each person in a Malaysian household (assuming 4.2 persons per household) took home an average of RM1,190.50 a month in 2012, up by RM254 a month in 2009. 

This works out to RM14,286 per year.

The figure, however, is about a third of the RM48,000 annual GNI per capita high income target which the Performance Management and Delivery Unit believes can be hit by 2018.

The GNI per capita income target set includes incomes of corporations and businesses, plus net income from abroad.

Lagging rural household incomes

The income growth from 2009 to 2012, however, was higher in the cities, with rural household average monthly income lagging by close to more than RM2,600. 

Urban households earned on average RM5,742 a month while rural households earned RM3,080.

Those living in the Kuala Lumpur area enjoyed the largest income growth, earning RM3,000 more than the national average in 2009. 

Annual growth rate was also double that of the national rate.

The surge in the incomes of KL-ites pulled up the national average, with most other states registering average monthly income lower than the RM5,000 national average in 2012.

Average monthly household income in 2012 was lowest in Kelantan at RM3,168, but the state had seen incomes growing at a significant rate of 7.4 percent every year.

Among the states whose household incomes grew at a slower rate of four to five percent are Penang, Malacca and Pahang.

Zambry: Cadangan Anwar ke Parlimen Lumut tindakan terdesak pembangkang - Sinar Harian

23 Mac 2013

Zambry Abd Kadir

PANGKOR - Cadangan pembangkang supaya ketuanya Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim bertanding bagi kerusi Parlimen Lumut pada pilihan raya umum ke-13 dilihat sebagai satu tindakan terdesak dan cuba menagih simpati rakyat.

Menteri Besar Perak Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir berkata pembangkang khasnya di negeri ini semakin kehilangan sokongan berikutan pelbagai pendekatan yang dibuat Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam usaha membantu rakyat.

"Apa yang disuarakan itu adalah hak mereka tetapi saya hairan dan agak teruja apabila Ketua Pembangkang itu dicadangkan bertanding di Lumut. Kita melihat tindakan membawa Anwar bertanding di Perak sebagai suntikan semangat kepada pembangkang bagi mengatasi kelebihan BN yang terus mendapat tempat di hati rakyat," katanya kepada pemberita di sini hari ini.

Beliau sebelum itu menyampaikan cek pinjaman Tekun dan Yayasan Basmi Kemiskinan pada Program RTM Merentas Kampung Bersama TM di Arena Square, Pulau Pangkor di sini.

Zambry berkata beliau berasa agak 'teruja' dengan cadangan Pemuda PAS Perak yang kelihatan seperti memujuk Anwar untuk bertanding bagi Parlimen Lumut.

Beliau mengulas cadangan Timbalan Ketua Pemuda PAS Perak Dr Raja Ahmad Iskandar Al-Hiss baru-baru ini supaya Anwar sebagai calon kerusi Parlimen Lumut.

Zambry yang Pengerusi BN Perak dan anggota Dewan Undangan Negeri Pangkor berkata tindakan itu menunjukkan pembangkang di Perak mahu ketua mereka itu menjadi penyelamat dalam PRU-13 nanti.

"Saya sendiri berasa hairan apabila pihak pembangkang khususnya PAS begitu beria-ia mahu Anwar di Perak. Hanya kerana manusia kecil seperti saya, pembangkang terpaksa 'angkut' Anwar untuk lawan BN. Saya tidak tahu apa dah jadi dengan pembangkang hingga sampai ke peringkat merayu-rayu kepada ketua pembangkang agar datang dan bertanding di negeri Perak," katanya.

Sementara itu, Menteri Pengangkutan Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha yang juga anggota Parlimen Parlimen Lumut ketika mengulas perkara yang sama berkata beliau tidak gentar menghadapi pemimpin pembangkang itu jika benar beliau bertanding di Parlimen Lumut.

"Saya sudah bertanding tiga kali di sini...dan sedia bertanding menghadapi sesiapa sahaja. Rakyat boleh membuat penilaian sewajarnya terhadap khidmat wakil rakyat BN sejak tiga penggal yang lepas," katanya.

Dalam perkembangan berkaitan, Zambry mengingatkan pemimpin parti yang tidak terpilih sebagai calon pilihan raya umum ke-13 supaya tidak berkecil hati, sebaliknya mereka sewajarnya terus memberi sokongan kepada calon BN.

Ini, katanya, akan memastikan kelangsungan kuasa mentadbir negara terus kekal di tangan parti gabungan itu.

Mereka yang terpilih sebagai calon BN pula diingatkan supaya tidak menganggap pemilihan itu sebagai satu kedudukan istimewa, bahkan perlu bekerja keras berkhidmat untuk rakyat, katanya.

Zambry, yang juga Pengerusi BN Perak, berkata senarai nama calon BN negeri kini berada di peringkat saringan akhir termasuk tapisan keselamatan dan Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia bagi memastikan calon itu bebas daripada kes bankrap dan rasuah. - Bernama

GE13: Unexpected backlash - The Star

There are growing concerns that the Chinese voters, in wanting to punish Barisan Nasional, will end up voting themselves out of a direct say in the federal government.

AT the end of the Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, the Prime Minister told his ministers they would be meeting again this week.

To some of his listeners, it meant that it would be business as usual and that Parliament would not be dissolved tomorrow, as the press has speculated.

But some of his ministers are saying the dissolution of Parliament would take place, as speculated, and that the Wednesday meeting Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak alluded to would be a meeting of the caretaker Cabinet.

In short, until now, the Prime Minister has not given the slightest clue as to when he will call for polls, which would start with having an audience with the Yang di-Pertuan Agong to seek the dissolution of the Dewan Rakyat.

On Wednesday, the ministers had expected Najib to give some indication that their meeting last week would be the last.

But there was none. Instead, the top civil servants of the respective ministries were also told to go back to their offices for their post-Cabinet briefings and to announce there would be another Cabinet meeting this week.

A minister cheekily told the PM that the “foreplay to the elections” is taking too long and those listening in broke out in laughter.

In 2008, the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his Cabinet had their group photograph taken on Jan 30, 2008, two weeks before dissolution.

On Feb 13, Parliament was dissolved and the announcement was made at a press conference, called by Pak Lah and Najib, at 12.45pm.

In the case of Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, he preferred the group photograph to be taken at the start of a new term rather than at the last Cabinet meeting.

Not only has Najib not given any clue to his Cabinet, Barisan Nasional component heads, Umno election strategists and the media, he has also got everyone to make the wrong guesses as far as dates are concerned.

He has apparently told Defence Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that he would be attending the Langkawi International Maritime and Aerospace Exhibition from March 26 to March 30 as the PM and not as caretaker leader.

Then there is March 29, which is Good Friday, one of the most important dates for Christians. Good Friday is the day which Christians commemorate the death of Jesus Christ on the Cross, the act of salvation to all who believe.

It will be followed by Easter Sunday on March 31, where Christians mark the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

Come April 4, the Chinese will mark Qing Ming or Cheng Beng, or All Souls' Day, where Taoists will clean the graveyards of their departed family members as a day of remembrance.

The PM has been reminded at previous Barisan supreme council meetings about the importance of these dates.

The press had also reported that his pre-election nationwide tour stop in Kuantan last night was the last stop before dissolution.

Over the past 48 hours, aides of the PM seemed divided in their speculation over when their boss would seek the dissolution of Parliament, having combed his schedule over the next few days for possible clues.

The aides are still sticking to their prediction that tomorrow is the day, failing which it will still be in the next few days.

The March 25 date is favoured by the media simply because the Negri Sembilan state assembly's five-year term ends the following day. The PM, on his part, has never indicated he would want to call for dissolution on that day, nor is he required to do so.

The candidates' list for the Barisan has more or less been resolved and, except for some swapping of seats, those selected are already at kick-off mode.

When the PM found time to have afternoon tea with some editors recently, he appeared relaxed and, more importantly, confident of the looming elections ahead.

Figures from the various intelligence surveys have been rolling in, and they show that the Barisan will still be in power after the polls.

The Malay votes, especially in the rural heartland of the 222 parliamentary seats, have remained strong while the Indian votes, which went to the opposition in 2008, have returned comfortably to the Barisan fold.

Chinese voters, however, remain difficult with the majority supporting the DAP in the 45 Chinese-majority seats.

The problem is that even if the Barisan retains power at the federal level and most of the states, the governments would be dominated by the Malays if the Chinese candidates of the Barisan do not do well. In fact, the Chinese would end up sitting on the opposition benches, as in Sarawak.

There are already growing concerns that the Chinese voters, in wanting to punish the Barisan, will end up voting themselves out of a direct say in the federal government. Their belief in Pakatan Rakyat winning Putrajaya will just remain an elusive dream.

Even the leaders of the DAP do not show any confidence that this would happen, as most of them continue to hedge their bets by contesting both federal and state seats.

Analysts have already looked at the possible impact on race relations when such a scenario emerges. In Penang, while the Chinese dominates the island, the Malay Barisan opposition holds its grip on the mainland as race relations worsen.

But time is running out. Choices have to be made soon and the outcome of the votes will have a deep impact for the next five years, or even more.

GE13: Tight hold on Umno fortress - The Star

Lim Kit Siang's migration from Perak to a Johor seat signals a big power play for the Chinese seats in Umno's fortress but it will push the Malay vote to Barisan Nasional.

REPORTERS in Johor have been looking high and low for Datuk Chua Jui Meng. The Johor PKR chief has not been taking calls, his mobile phone has been switched off and he seems to have dropped out of the Johor political scene.

Even his aides have not been reachable. The media people are puzzled as to why he has disappeared at a time when every politician is trying to keep a high profile. The former MCA minister is not exactly an easy man to interview. He often talks like he is sitting in an ivory tower but he is always courteous and gentlemanly to the ladies.

Jui Meng's no-show behaviour started after it was confirmed that PKR was giving up the Gelang Patah parliamentary seat for DAP's Lim Kit Siang to contest in the general election.

Jui Meng had been eyeing Gelang Patah for himself and he is furious at the way his party has been made to play second fiddle to DAP in Johor.

Like many politicians, he has an inflated ego. He feels that as the state party chief, he should have a major say on seats and candidates. Instead, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim seems to be making all the decisions without taking his views into account.

He had wanted DAP to give up Bakri in exchange for Gelang Patah but DAP's Johor chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau has told him to “go fly a kite”. Moreover, this was coming on the heels of PKR giving up the Bentong parliamentary seat to DAP.

“All sorts of rumours are flying around. Some PKR people said he may go in as an independent. That will be interesting to watch,” said a Johor reporter.

The DAP people never got along with Jui Meng when he was in MCA and after he joined PKR. They say he has too much baggage, find him to be a diva and feel he should climb down from his high horse.

Jui Meng is not the only one to be played out by his own party. His Johor Baru chief Tan Poh Lai was all prepared to contest in Johor Baru but Anwar has named a retired general as the party's Johor Baru candidate.

Tan, an attractive lawyer, is the daughter of the late Tan Sri Dr Tan Chee Khoon who was better known as “Mr Opposition”.

Tan probably had some inkling that she was about to be shuffled aside. During a PKR luncheon last month, she announced that she was the potential candidate for Johor Baru.

It was Tan's rather amateurish way of pre-empting any queue-jumping, her way of saying: “Hello, this is my seat, okay?” Her party vice-president Tian Chua who was at the lunch was taken aback and issued a statement cautioning against premature announcements.

People in PKR cannot quite understand some of Anwar's decisions of late but they know he intends to enlist the help of several other retired and high-ranking army officers to help its Johor campaign.

He thinks it will help counter the bad press the party has suffered over Lahad Datu. But they had better think twice about using these ex-army top guns as ceramah speakers because some of them speak as though they are addressing the troops rather than voters.

Jui Meng may soon become yesterday's news. The kopitiam talk has been less about him than about DAP and Kit Siang.

Kit Siang is trying to break new ground in the south while the younger Lim takes care of the north.

His party has said he is making a “big sacrifice” and his admirers call it a homecoming because he is from Batu Pahat. They say he is taking a huge career risk in Gelang Patah. But insiders say he has done his homework and is confident of winning.

Kit Siang leading the charge in Johor is a tested formula which he has applied to mixed results over his 50-year career. He began in Malacca in 1969, moved to Selangor in 1978, Penang in 1986, Perak in 2004 and now Johor. There were wins and also losses but his biggest scalp wasTun Dr Lim Chong Eu whom he toppled in 1990.

Kit Siang is no sacrificial lamb and his aim is to create a ripple effect and help push through the other Pakatan candidates like PAS' Salahuddin Ayub who is contesting in Nusajaya, one of two state seats in Gelang Patah.

They cannot win Johor but their bid for Gelang Patah and Nusajaya has symbolic purpose. Pakatan is striking at the heart of the Umno fortress. The multi-billion ringgit Iskandar economic zone is located there while the new state administrative centre is in Nusajaya.

PAS deputy president Mohamed Sabu declared that Pakatan aimed to make the “kubu Umno” (Umno fortress) into “kubur Umno” (Umno's grave).

Greener pastures

But over in Perak, the perception is that Kit Siang is moving on because DAP has given up all hope of recapturing Perak. He does not want to waste his time in Perak and wants to put his brandname to better use elsewhere.

At another level, it is about DAP trying to replace MCA as the Chinese connector. MCA has seven parliamentary seats in Johor which is about half of the 15 seats it won in 2008. DAP has been very successful in using the politics of hate and blame against Umno to defeat MCA.

Pakatan leaders have privately admitted they have no chance of taking Johor. The question is how many seats they can add to their tally of one parliamentary and six state seats.

Umno is confident that the majority of Malays will go with them. But the big Chinese crowds at DAP ceramah have cast doubts as to whether the Chinese are preparing to change horses.

The Johor Chinese are not deeply dissatisfied with the government but they have started to acquire an appetite for opposition politics and want to hear what Pakatan has to offer. Dr Boo has told people that he has never seen this level of support from the Chinese in his 20 years in politics.

“Lim Kit Siang is trying to be the voice of the Chinese in Johor. He wants to replace MCA by inciting the Chinese against Umno. Is that what politics in Johor is going to be about? It's up to voters to think carefully about the kind of politics they want in Johor, the kind of politicians they want to represent them,” said Johor Baru MP Tan Sri Shahrir Samad.

Kit Siang, as one analyst put it, has a reputation as some kind of Chinese folk hero and his track record as an opposition figure is quite unparalleled. His lifestyle is still remarkably simple after all these years and one of his few luxuries is the Rolex watch that is a gift from his family.

Kit Siang playing a leading role in Johor is a double-edged sword of sorts. He comes with loads of baggage for the Malays whose perception of him is the exact opposite of how the Chinese see him.

The senior generation of Malays associate him with the politics of 1969. Younger Malays do not relate to him or to the way his party champions Chinese interests. The elderly politician knows this. That was why he spoke solely in Malay the night that Anwar declared him as the Gelang Patah candidate.

Nusajaya assemblyman Datuk Aziz Sapian has described him as an outsider and said that Kit Siang should not assume he could plant himself anywhere he liked and expect people to accept him. Several local Chinese interviewed on Astro Awani earlier last week said they could accept DAP but not Kit Siang.

His habit of hopping from one seat to another and from state to state has lent him a certain image. It is not quite like speed dating but it has given him a reputation as some sort of political hit man who goes bang-bang-bang in one place and when its mission is accomplished, he moves on to the next victim.

It worked very well during the years when DAP was a struggling opposition party and people saw it as a necessary survival tactic. But DAP is now part of the government in Penang, Selangor and Kedah, and the hitman formula may not get the same sort of reception.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek has called him a “Touch n Go” politician.

“As a parliamentarian, he raises pertinent issues. But to go from place to place the way he does, it shows that his politics is about Chinese killing off the Chinese. What he is doing is not going to lead to a two-party system. It will be more like a two-race system,” said Dr Chua.

The MCA leader has asked Johoreans to evaluate the policies and plans that have been put in place in the state.

“Johor has benefited most from the PM's economic transformation policies and the state government has been good to the people. The Chinese groups and associations in the state know that, we have a close working relationship,” he said.

Of the 26 parliamentary seats in Johor, PKR is contesting 11, PAS eight and DAP seven. Despite all the hype that the political tsunami has reached Johor, only DAP is sure of winning any of the parliamentary seats.

On paper, Gelang Patah looks tough because MCA won the seat by more than 8,800 votes. But DAP is banking on the new and first-time voters to make a difference.

Johor has seen a registration surge of some 267,000 new voters with some 26,000 registered in Gelang Patah alone. Almost half of these new voters are Chinese and that is what Kit Siang hopes to ride on. Even then, DAP needs at least 30% of Malay votes in order to push past the tape.

Kit Siang, 72, is looking rather jaded and his ceramah speeches often sound like an old record but he is still as tenacious as ever. Over the next few weeks, he can be expected to switch it up, to make Johor another do-or-die and now-or-never battle.

His party leaders will likely plead to his audience that this is Kit Siang's last station. They will tug on the heartstrings of the Chinese to show their appreciation for all the years this old warrior has put into the political cause.

Kit Siang's presence in Johor will shrink the Malay vote for Pakatan. But it signals a big Chinese play for seats in Umno's fortress.

GE13: Muhyiddin: Najib has chosen BN’s best to contest in polls - The Star

Muhyiddin carrying the souvenir presented by Marang Umno chief Datuk Yahaya Khatib Mohamad (left) after launching the Blue Wave campaign at Rhu Rendang in Marang. — Bernama

MARANG: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has evaluated and chosen the best from many potential candidates for the Barisan Nasional in the upcoming general election, his deputy said.

“Give your 100% support to whoever is chosen in the end,” Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin urged all party members yesterday.

He advised them to stay away from internal conflicts and reminded them that “even the tiniest sign of conflict” can affect the coalition's credibility.

The Deputy Prime Minister said this when launching the Barisan's Blue Wave campaign at a 1Malaysia gathering at Rhu Rendang, the bastion of PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, here yesterday.

Muhyiddin, who is Barisan deputy chairman said: “As we draw closer to the 13th general election which is merely days away there are several things we must bear in mind.”

Firstly, he said, it was important not to stir issues or conflicts that make it appear there are cracks in the party.

“The voters will think, If you cannot even solve your own problems, how can I trust you to solve mine?'

“So, put aside all conflicts. Do not create new problems,” Muhyiddin said.

He encouraged Barisan campaigners to give the voters the royal treatment when they go to the ground.

“Try to meet every single voter out there and listen to them.

“Remember, the voter is king' and will decide if we win or lose,” he said, urging the electorate to give the Marang parliamentary and Rhu Rendang state seats both currently held by Abdul Hadi to the Barisan.

Taking a swipe at the PAS president, who was a one-term mentri besar in Terengganu from 1995, Muhyiddin said the Barisan had done much more for the state than Abdul Hadi during that period.

Muhyiddin performed his Friday prayers at a village mosque in Kampung Petai Bubus, where he addressed another crowd and announced projects worth RM1.5mil for the Kuala Nerus parliamentary constituency.

The funds include RM160,000 to upgrade the Kampung Petai Bubus mosque.

Election 2013: Muhyiddin highlights four crucial points to BN machinery - The Malaysian Insider

Election 2013: Muhyiddin highlights four crucial points to BN machinery

MARCH 22, 2013

KUALA TERENGGANU, March 22 — Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin today highlighted four crucial points to leaders and supporters of the Barisan Nasional(BN) in facing the upcoming 13th general election (GE).

He said they were considered vital to continue the struggle of the coalition after 56 years of independence.

He said in order to achieve this, every member of the BN must stress on the question of unity in the party, not cause any problems to the party, support the candidates picked by the party leadership, and finally, meet the voters who will be the deciders of the fate of the BN in the next five years.

“On unity among us, do not cause discord and cracks among us. To date, I have yet to hear of any, I hope there will not be stories on squabbles. 

“The time has come for us to put aside such problems, because it will impact on us in getting the support from the people,” he said at a 1Malaysia People’s Gathering and “Blue Wave” campaign at Rhu Rendang in Marang, here, this evening.

He said the people surely would reject any problematic party or candidate because they needed parties and leaders who were strong to look after their welfare.

According to Muhyiddin, if the people knew the party had problems, they would say “you cannot even solve issues among yourselves, how are you to help us.”

Secondly, said Muhyiddin was candidates who had been picked by the party leadership from the division, state and headquarters, must be given full support from all BN members in the area. 

“The most important is the question of candidates. The leadership have made their evaluation and this has taken a long time,” he said.

Muhyiddin also clarified that BN leaders who were open and transparent, had made an extraordinary consultations at division, state, headquarters and component party levels, would not only win but resoundingly. 

Muhyiddin said all members of the BN must also not to create any problems at the crucial moments when facing the GE.

“Don’t cause problems, don’t cause new problems on the eve of the general election, which will be soon…don’t, issues have to be set aside, show our unity,” he said.

Finally, Muhyiddin said, all members of the BN, regardless of if they were leaders or just ordinary members, must go down and meet the people and voters because they were the “kings: during the general election season.

“To me, the voters are kings. When we meet the voters we shake hands with them, ask how they are and listen to their stories (problems) as best as possible to make them feel we are giving them attention,” he said. 

Commenting on the “Blue Wave” campaign which was attended by more than 10,000 residents from around Marang, Muhyiddin said he could feel that the people’s support for the BN, especially in Terengganu, was getting stronger.

He said Malays, Chinese and Indians, who prior to this had supported the opposition, had now returned to the BN, and so did the people in Sabah and Sarawak. — Bernama 

MIC Wanita chief: Women voters important to ensure future of country - The Malaysian Insider

MIC Wanita chief: Women voters important to ensure future of country

MARCH 22, 2013

Komala said the Indian community had renewed their trust or ‘nambikei’ in the government. - File picKUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Women voters are being seen as an important asset in determining the future direction of the country and could contribute to a landslide victory for the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 13th general election. 

MIC Wanita chief Datin Paduka Komala Krishna Moorthy said as women formed 50 per cent of the voters’ profile in the country, women could become an agent of change to the national political landscape.

“The contribution of women is important and it cannot be denied that in BN’s demography, they are the backbone and women have a deciding role in determining the victory of a candidate.

“Among the Indian community, half of the voters comprise women and we need to approach them creatively for their support,” she told Bernama .

She said the situation was better now than the 12th general election in 2008, whereby the support of the Indian community including women for BN was growing as they were aware of the government and prime minister’s sincerity in helping them.

“A survey of voters carried out recently found the Indian community support for BN is strengthening from day to day unlike in 2008,” she said.

She said this situation proved that the Indian community had renewed their trust or ‘nambikei’ in the government as they felt more assured with the BN.

Komala said the wing was helping MIC to build support of the community towards BN.

She said all MIC Wanita branches have been working hard by going to the ground intensively to help the party after its losses in the last general election. – Bernama

BN likely to win GE13 with rural support, says The Economist

MALAYSIA   

BN likely to win GE13 with rural support, says The Economist - The Malaysian Insider

BY BOO SU-LYN
MARCH 22, 2013

Election fever is in the air as this BN banner in Taman Sentosa, Petaling Jaya tries to win the attention of passing motorists. — Picture by Saw Siow FengKUALA LUMPUR, March 22 — Barisan Nasional (BN) is expected to win Election 2013 as constituency sizes give more weight to rural voters, international current affairs magazine The Economist said yesterday.

The Economist, however, pointed out that the outcome of the national polls, which is expected to be the most keenly contested in recent times, was in doubt for the first time in Malaysian history.

“The odds still favour the BN,” The Economist wrote in an article titled “Malaysia’s looming election: Video nasties”.

“Constituency sizes give greater weight to voters in the countryside, who tend to be more conservative than the wired, cosmopolitan and cynical residents of the cities,” it added.

Election watchdog Tindak Malaysia said last April that one rural voter was worth an average of six urban voters, based on the way electoral boundaries were drawn.

Tindak Malaysia founder PY Wong had pointed out that the ruling coalition won 112 out of the smallest 139 federal seats in Election 2008, giving it a simple majority in Parliament with just 18.9 per cent of the popular vote. The seats have not been changed for Election 2013.

Wong also said that malapportionment — unequally-sized constituencies — and gerrymandering — manipulation of electoral boundaries — allowed BN to sweep 62 of the smallest seats with just 6.2 per cent of the popular vote.

The Economist noted yesterday that the opposition pact comprising PKR, the DAP and PAS marginally won the popular vote in Peninsular Malaysia at 51 per cent in the historic 2008 general election that saw BN lose its two-thirds parliamentary majority.

“Affirmative-action policies introduced more than 40 years ago to favour Malays and other indigenous groups over the Chinese and Indian minorities were no longer enough to ensure an overwhelming victory for the ruling coalition,” said the magazine.

“In fact, the outcome is in doubt, for the first time in Malaysia’s history,” it added, referring to Election 2013 that will likely be called in weeks. 

The Economist also noted that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had the advantage of deciding when to call elections, depriving Pakatan Rakyat (PR) the chance of postponing elections in Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan.

“Simultaneous elections tend to favour the BN, with its greater resources,” it said.

Affirmative-action policies introduced more than 40 years ago to favour Malays and other indigenous groups over the Chinese and Indian minorities were no longer enough to ensure an overwhelming victory for the ruling coalition. — The Economist

The Economist pointed out that the mainstream media’s minimal coverage of the Sulu incursion in Sabah would help prevent a backlash among Sabahan voters of Filipino origin.

“Indeed, even if the invasion might harm the BN in Sabah, the government’s handling of it may have helped it overall,” the magazine wrote.

The Economist added that the mainstream press largely ignored revived interest in the 2006 murder of Mongolian Altantuya Shaariibuu after private investigator P. Balasubramaniam died of a heart attack last Friday.

“In opinion polls, Mr Najib remains very popular, with an approval rating of 61 per cent in one recent survey,” said the magazine.

But The Economist noted that repeated sex allegations against Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim could harm his popularity. Anwar sued pro-Umno blogger “Papa Gomo” yesterday for allegedly attempting to link him to a sex video.

“That he (Anwar) still has some chance of becoming prime minister is testimony to widespread anger at the corruption endemic in Malaysia,” said The Economist, referring to a video released by UK-based NGO Global Witness last Tuesday, which showed shady land deals in Sarawak implicating Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Taib Mahmud.

“Its many viewers in Malaysia are furious. But they are not surprised,” addedThe Economist.