Batang Ai: Taib “the Glue” to lead 5,000 BN supporters

 Malaysian elections  10 Responses »
Mar 292009
 

Sarawak Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman Taib Mahmud is expected to lead some 5,000 BN supporters to the nomination centre at the Lubok Antu Mini Stadium this morning, reports the Borneo Post. Among the BN big guns expected to join him in the show of support for their candidate, Malcolm Mussen Lamoh, are Umno vice-president Shafie Apdal, Joseph Pairin Kitingan and Parti Rakyat Sarawak president James Masing. On the opposing side, Khalid Ibrahim and other PKR leaders will accompany their candidate, Jawah Gerang.

Batang Ai: Jawah addresses 800-crowd in longhouse

 Malaysian elections  4 Responses »
Mar 282009
 

My contact in Sarawak reports: 2137: At a ceramah in a long-house, Jawah Gerang, the PKR candidate, is speaking using a mixture of Iban and Malay. Among those present are Ngemah state assembly member Gabriel Adit (an independent who joined PKR in November) and Padungan state assembly member Dominique Ng. Gabriel is speaking in Iban now. Khalid Ibrahim and others are waiting in the wingsfor their turn. The crowd is estimated at more than 800, their mood upbeat. 1819: At the PKR operations centre in Lubuk Antu, Khalid is addressing a crowd of 80 in a crammed room. He speaks about the ‘welfare government’ of Selangor and stresses that all Aduns must work hard and cannot afford to take it easy. A by-election win here would be a victory not just for Batang Ai but for all Malaysians who cherish justice, he adds.

Ban on ceramah in “public places” in Kedah

 Democracy, Human rights, M'sian politics, Malaysian elections  10 Responses »
Mar 282009
 

Another day, another restriction ahead of the by-elections. This time  no outdoor rallies will be allowed in Kedah in a move likely to hurt the Pakatan the most in its attempts to reach out to voters. On 23 March, police fired tear gas and chemically laced water to disperse a crowd of several thousand attending an Anwar ceramah on an open field in Sungai Petani. On 7 March, a large crowd of 15,000-20,000 attended another Anwar rally in Bukit Selambau. Police will now only allow indoor ceramah in Kedah. This excerpt from a Bernama report carried in NST: All political parties are prohibited from holding ceramah or gatherings at public places in Kedah to maintain public order.

No rest for Najib and his men

 M'sian politics, Malaysian elections  8 Responses »
Mar 282009
 

With Najib and his men basking in the glow of victory, the real test for them begins now as they confront the challenges that lie ahead. When you think of it, he has been getting plenty of free advice from a host of personalities associated or previously associated with Umno: Abdullah, Mahathir, Razaleigh, Zaid… He has the power, but there is one thing even Power will find hard to manage and that is public perception. Here’s something I wrote for Asia Times after the Umno elections: Challenges mount for Malaysia’s Najib By Anil Netto PENANG – Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak took a big step towards taking over the premiership when he was returned unopposed this week as president of the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), the dominant party in Malaysia’s ruling coalition. His men also bagged most of the leadership posts in the recently concluded party elections. As head [Read more]

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