So it looks as if Monday will be the moment of truth for Prime Minister Mahiaddin Yasin.
Mahiaddin’s last-ditch offer smacks of desperation
What do you think of Mahiaddin Yasin’s invitation this evening to opposition parties to come together.
The writing is on the wall for Mahiaddin
It looks as if (outgoing?) Prime Minister Mahiaddin Yasin is fast running out of options as the rug is pulled from under his feet.
Do we need a new airport in Kulim?
The Kedah government has signed an agreement with ECK Group to build a northern regional airport in Kulim.
ECK Group and the Kedah government will hold an 80:20 stake in a special purpose vehicle to build the airport.
The first phase will reportedly cost RM6bn.
PM under mounting pressure
The PM must be under tremendous pressure with each passing day. Give the departure of a group of Umno MPs it is hard to see how he can come up with a parliamentary majority on 6 September.
How long more can the PM hold out?
The big news today is the resignation today of a cabinet minister for from Umno.
Bit by bit, the PM finds his base slipping. How long more can he hold out as PM?
Each day brings with it more agonising news for the Perikatan Nasional coalition.
But Umno too faced a blow today when the Registrar of Societies wrote to the party saying its decision to postpone its party elections was invalid.
Down memory lane: Penang in 1986
Take a look at this fascinating video. It is the closest thing to catching a glimpse of what life was like on the streets of Penang in the 1980s.
A dramatic day – but uncertainty still hangs in the air
So it looks as if we have to wait for the September sitting before we can have a vote of confidence. The PM appears to have bought some time.
Mahiaddin, what goes around comes around…
Remember how Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s letter contributed to Tunku Abdul Rahman’s downfall as Prime Minister in 1970?
Opposition MPs gather at Dataran Merdeka
Dramatic scenes from Independence Square this morning brought to us by Media Rakyat:
Parliament deferred again…
This is unbelievable that Parliament once again has to be deferred. If this goes on, how long more can we call ourselves a parliamentary democracy while keeping a straight face?
Aliran has responded to this. Check out the statement.
#Lawan protest in KL calls for PM’s resignation
Youth activists in Kuala Lumpur are protesting this morning calling for the resignation of Prime Minister Mahiaddin Yasin. Watch the video here.
The shocking lie that could seal the fate of the Mahiaddin administration
A dramatic day for the nation … and it continues. Aliran has just released a statement:
The Agong has never to our recollection so openly rebuked the government of the day.
The whole nation now knows the government misled Parliament and the people on 26 July, when de facto law minister Takiyuddin Hassan told the House that six emergency ordinances had been revoked on 21 July.
The palace now says the Agong was not consulted before Takiyuddin’s announcement in Parliament.
Aliran is appalled at this shocking turn of events. It means the so-called ‘revocation’ was made without going through the proper procedure stipulated in the Federal Constitution. Full statement on Aliran website
What do you all think?
Alena Murang’s Warrior Spirit showcases Malaysia’s rich cultural heritage
Amidst the doom and gloomily, we have this … a world-class performance by the Borneo-born Kuala Lumpur-based Alena Murang, who also plays the sape, and her team.
A Nelayan Story in Penang Hokkien
This is a video by independent filmmaker Andrew Ng. Subtitles in Malay and English are available.
He also came out with video critique (below) of the promotion of the three islands project to be created under Penang South Islands (PSI) or Penang South Reclamation (PSR) project.
Critics say the acronym should more appropriately be known as Penang South Islands Reclamation or PaSIR (sand – as in sand mining or pouring sand in the fishermen’s rice bowls).
And here’s a bonus video:
Never again should Parliament be suspended!
Dramatic scenes in Parliament today, and Aliran has just issued a response:
Aliran is appalled to learn that the government surreptitiously revoked all six emergency ordinances ahead of the reconvening of the long-suspended Parliament.
The government claims it revoked the ordinances on 21 July. This was apparently done by stealth as there was reportedly nothing in the government gazette at 1pm today to show the ordinances had been revoked.
This revocation appears aimed at pre-empting the requirement under Article 150(3) of the Federal Constitution for the proclamation of emergency and the ordinances to be tabled before the Houses of Parliament for a debate. The government was probably not confident it had enough support to pass the resolutions on them.
The backdoor revocation of the emergency ordinances before they could be tabled in Parliament also suggests that the government is afraid of an examination of its record during emergency rule. Clearly, it has failed in managing the Covid crisis, which has spun out of control during the period Parliament was suspended from 12 January. Full statement on Aliran website
And Mahiaddin just disappears from Parliament soon after. Read this.
What do you make of today’s events? One thing we must all be vigilant about is that we must never allow our parliamentary democracy to be hijacked by vested interests, including lobby groups and corporate interests.
Oi, you think we don’t know?
A silver lining to the grim impact of the ‘full’ and partial lockdowns is the emergence of new, youthful talents almost every day. This emergence of fresh voices – at a time when the entire system has been shaken to its core – gives me much hope for a more vibrant, inclusive nation.
Interfaith effort to help overstretched hospitals
Earlier today, a good friend of mine texted me: “Really very sad to see the situation in hospitals … It’s seriously scary!!! I cry for my country.”
‘Now they are stealing ikan kembung’
Another reason why we should not carry out the Penang South Reclamation.
Climate change warning in Penang: Chickens coming home to roost?
“One month’s rainfall in two hours” – where have we heard that before?. Yes, we heard something similar in the wake of the heavy downpours on 15 September 2017 and 4 November 2017. Back then, I wrote we should get used to it, with climate change looming and rainfall intensity rising.