I am not a fan of billionaire Warren Buffett. But his son Peter could be on to something.
Why don’t I like Warren or rather what he is saying and doing? Look at how he defends Goldman Sachs. What’s more, his investment giant Berthshire Hathaway holds a large stake in Walmart, a company which has been the target of criticism from unions and a whole range of community, grassroots, religious and environmental groups. Check out Wake Up, Walmart.
Mystery surrounds the RM1.75 million in grants to four churches in Sibu – which could change the whole face of the controversy.
What prompted the federal government to award the grants to these churches during the campaign? (The churches had reportedly applied for the grants quite some time ago.) Did government officials actually meet the leaders of these churches during the campaign before deciding to award the grants? If there was such a meeting, was there an unsolicited government offer to award these grants during the campaign? Or more seriously, did the churches press for the funds to be granted?
Most news reports are talking about a lower voter turnout in Sibu. But actually, the turnout was higher than 2008.
In 2008, the turnout was 67 per cent. But this time around, 70 per cent (or more accurately 69 per cent) of voters cast their ballots.
All right folks, after a good night’s sleep, I presume, let’s share some thoughts on the implications of the Sibu by-election result.
It’s going to be a lot harder for the BN to use vote-buying tactics to win voters’ support especially in urban areas in future by-elections. Sibu voters have taught the BN a bitter lesson.
Places of worship, religious institutions and independent schools should not accept grants from the government during election campaigns. This is outright vote-buying and the rejection of such offers sets a good example for their religious adherents or students and provides them a salutary lesson about standing up for ethics in public life.
Read Goh Keat Peng’s excellent piece ‘We don’t take such money‘. Mr Goh, a prominent Christian figure who attends a Methodist Church, gives us much food for thought: “I respectfully appeal to the churches directly involved in this episode (of accepting grants): If it isn’t true and it didn’t happen, then please say so. If it is true, offered and received, give it all back. WE DON’T WANT SUCH MONEY. Let the church be poor (as a church mouse) but as the Book of Proverbs says, poor but happy keeping a clear conscience.”
Live updates on polling day for the Sibu by-election and results as they come in.
Haris Ibrahim hosts a Komas documentary on Malaysia after the political tsunami of 2008.
Selepas Tsunami (After the Tsunami) from Pusat KOMAS on Vimeo.
The Sibu by-election campaign reaches a climax on the eve of polling tomorrow.
See the twitter updates in the box on the far right.
A Pakatan MP campaigning in Sibu thinks it is now 50:50, he told me an hour ago.
Wangsa Maju MP Wee Choo Keong’s decision to quit PKR on the eve of the Sibu by-election comes as no big surprise.
In doing so, he has betrayed the mandate of those who voted for change. This has been coming for a long time, but I suppose he was waiting for the ‘right moment’. Aliran president P Ramakrishnan predicted only yesterday something like this would happen on the eve of polling:
Now you don’t need to visit Pisa in Italy.