Pakatan on a roll
Here’s something I wrote for Asia Times after the Penanti by-election:
Malaysia’s opposition alliance has chalked up its fifth by-election win out of six since a general election last year.
This time, the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front – BN) coalition did not put up a candidate, perhaps fearing that another by-election defeat would be demoralizing. That left the coast clear for the Pakatan Rakyat (People’s Alliance) to brush aside three independent candidates on Sunday.
New dams in peninsula despite Bakun undersea cables
Now comes news that Tenaga is planning two new hydroelectric plants in Terengganu and Pahang (see report below).
Doesn’t this fly against the justification for the laying of submarine cables to transmit electricity from the Bakun Dam in Sarawak to the peninsula – that there would be no need for expensive new capacity on the peninsula?
Energy Minister Peter Chin said last month that the Cabinet had agreed that opting for the Bakun submarine cable project would be better than continuing to build new power plants in the peninsula. “In the long term, it will be more economical and viable to transmit power from Bakun to Peninsular Malaysia even though the undersea cable project will be very costly,” he said.
So, what’s going on? Was Peter Chin unaware of these two new dams in the peninsula – or was he simply having us on?
Widow facing eviction dies after deadline expires
When I first met her last week, she reminded me of my dear late grandmother. She did not say much but wore a worried frown on her face (see photo).
Tonight, I received news that she had passed away just after 8.00pm on the way to the hospital, after complaining of pain in her back and hand. She had not been feeling well for some time.
Widow Santhosa Mary @ Manimathu, 74, lived among the tenant-villagers at the St Francis Xavier’s Church along Penang Road. They had been given a 31 May deadline to sign an agreement to vacate their homes. The Church, through its lawyers, wanted the villagers to accept RM10,000 in compensation and leave by 31 May 2010. If they failed to accept these terms, they had to leave by yesterday, Pentecost Sunday.
As the deadline to accept the terms approached, Manimathu grew anxious, according to one of the villagers.
Penanti: The moment of truth arrives
Photos by Anil Netto
These are scenes of Nizar at Penanti on Nomination Day and of a ceramah last night at the main Pas operations centre, as polling day approaches tomorrow. “Postal balloting” involving police personnel has already taken place.
In the PKR campaign, national issues have taken centre-stage, especially the Perak power grab and Najib’s role in it as well as his – apa nama – ‘political baggage’.
Air of gloom as Church orders villagers to vacate land
“Please help us”: Some of the villagers who are not sure what to do next – Photo by Anil Netto
Villagers in a dozen households next to the St Francis Xavier’s Church face uncertainty after receiving three letters over the last year from lawyers acting on behalf of the Catholic Church in Penang.
The residents had been ordered to vacate their premises by 31 May 2009 (which happens to be Pentecost Sunday, marking the coming of the Holy Spirit). In the latest letter of 19 May 2009, they have been granted a second extension until 31 May 2010 on “humanitarian grounds”, provided they agree in writing to compensation of RM10,000. If not, they have to vacate their homes by this Sunday.
The lawyer’s letter states the church can afford to provide only RM10,000 as it is a “non-profit religious institution”. Lay Catholics, however, are not in a position to judge whether the church can afford to pay more as its diocesan accounts are not made public to them as a matter of course.
Allow me to introduce you to some of the villagers the church wants to evict (see photo above, from left):
Augustin Martin, 82, raised at the nearby orphanage in the early 1930s. He was a church organist during World War II and worked as a driver for the Kee Huat company in his younger days. Occupant of house no. 52-E.
Arokiasamy Dass, 84, born here in 1925, former JKR tractor driver. His father arrived here around 1920 just before getting married. Occupant of house no. 52-H.
Just another day in Ipoh
Photos by Kinta Kid
Scenes from around the Perak state government complex, outside the nearby Wisma DAP, and under the Democracy Tree. Heavy police presence all around. Today is the last day of the hunger strike.
GDP plunges 6.2% in 1st quarter
Source: Statistics Department
Hey, let’s do the limbo rock Limbo lower now Limbo lower now How low can you goReality has just smacked us in the face. GDP fell by 6.2 per cent in the first quarter of 2009 compared to the same period last year. (In the last quarter of 2008, GDP grew by 0.1 per cent, year on year.) This is the first time we are in negative territory since 2001 and it’s the worst performance since the Asian economic crisis. Manufacturing fell a staggering 17.6 per cent, largely due to our unwise over-dependence on FDI-driven economic growth, especially in the electronics sector.
Rock-blasting in Tanjung Bunga near housing estate
Rock blasting work at the Bolton Surin project site in Tanjung Bunga on 14 May. The blast sent a rock flying; it landed on the slope and then rolled down to hit a tree, shaking it violently, according to an eye-witness.
A resident in the area managed to capture the blasting on video.
Penang should lead with honest asset disclosures
Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s comments that Penang state exco members would be asked to declare their assets as soon as possible is reassuring. It shows that the state government is still thinking about it – more than one year after the general election.
Guan Eng says that he is now mulling over the best method of doing so.
It’s all quite simple, really. Just get them to list their assets (as well as their immediate family’s) on a sheet of paper and to declare that the list is a true and fair representation of their net worth. Get these declarations audited by an independent firm.
2 arrested near Ipoh DAP office ahead of sing-a-long
2150: Two more have been arrested: Nga’s driver, Haridas, and Taiping councillor Simon Uthaya Kumar.
From “Malaysia Boleh!” to “Tak Boleh!”
Scenes from around Wisma DAP, Ipoh this morning – Photos by Kinta Kid
So what’s all this about? Arrest and release, arrest and release….
Increasingly, it appears as if all these arrests – over 160 in recent weeks – are aimed at frustrating civil society and opposition activists and their attempts to legitimately raise public awareness especially over the power grab in Perak. By no stretch of the imagination can those arrested be deemed a threat to security.
And since when has fasting become an offence? (Add this to the lengthening list of don’ts and tak bolehs we now have.) That’s the question posed by Aliran president P Ramakrishnan:
Aliran is terribly perturbed by the increasing role the police are assuming which is perceived to be undemocratic and very unfair. They have intervened whenever peaceful activities such as candlelight vigils are organised by civil society groups.
BREAKING NEWS: All 14 in Ipoh released
1635: All 14 of those arrested have now been released on personal bail.
14 arrests so far in Ipoh
Seven Perak State Assembly members (five from the DAP and two from PKR) and one DAP MP have been arrested in Ipoh:
- Keshvinder
- Sivakumar
- Thomas Su
- M M Leong
- P H Lim
- Kula
- L K Chang
- M K Chan
Nizar arrives at Ipoh DAP offi…
Nizar arrives at Ipoh DAP office to shouts of Hidup Nizar! He moves to shake hands with the cops but is prevented from doing so.
More arrests including adun fr…
More arrests including adun from Pasir Pinji, Simpang Pulai & Jalong. Several supporters in black also arrested.
Tussle over canopy. Ipoh counc…
Tussle over canopy. Ipoh council wants to remove DAP canopy even tho party officials claim they have a permit.
Nizar has left the DAP office,…
Nizar has left the DAP office, heading to court. Perak village chiefs are expected to file a suit against the BN govt.
Siva and Kula arrested as they…
Siva and Kula arrested as they were walking towards the democracy tree.