Just had a chat with a grassroots campaigner from Pas, who spent a couple of days in the outlying areas of Hulu Selangor.
He said Pakatan faces an uphill task in the remaining days of the campaign. At this point, he thinks Barisan has the edge among the kampung voters and, if things remain as they are, he feels the BN could clinch victory.
The Penang Island Municipal Council (MPPP) has reported a record suplus of RM49 million for 2009 (RM20 million in 2008). But instead of making available more financial resources for essential services and amenities, the MPPP may be forced to fritter away its funds on the RM50 million Penang International Convention Centre (PICC) project.
More concerns have been raised by various quarters over PICC. What will happen to the Penang International Sports Arena (Pisa) during the construction and building of the PICC? What will happen to both Pisa and PICC when Ivory and IJM builds their own better convention centres? How does Penang plan to bring participants for events at PICC when only limited international flights come into Penang? Why would event managers want to come to PICC when KL, Bangkok and Singapore have better convention centres? What is the point of building an unattractive PICC without ancillary services at such a small location?
Penang is getting a Speakers’ Square – though it remains to be seen how it will actually work in practice.
The launch has been set for 9.00am on 3 May. The Square will be located at the Millennium Square at the Esplanade.
Quite a bit of mud-slinging has been going on in Hulu Selangor. In particular, allegations about PKR candidate Zaid Ibrahim’s past.
I would like to think that voters are more discerning and mature and want to know what each candidate (and his party) stands for in relation to specific issues.
Abdul Razak Baginda – remember him? – surfaced in Singapore today.
He gave a talk on the Islamic Caliphate(!) at Nanyang Technical University at 10.00am, according to a source. About 80 people were believed to have signed up for the talk, but just over 40 actually attended.
Here’s your chance to file in your citizens’ ‘intelligence’ reports from Hulu Selangor.
If you have been to Hulu Selangor to witness the by-election campaign – or if you have heard from others who have been there – share with us in the ‘comments’ section what is happening on the ground and what voter sentiment is like.
Scenes from Nomination Day for the Hulu Selangor by-election yesterday.
A submarine that has problems diving?
John Berthelson of the Asian Sentinel has given us something more to think about here.
The manufacturer says the KD Tunku Abdul Rahman has successfully completed sea trials following “scheduled maintenance”. See statement here. – Photo by DCNS.
So far, 10 Scorpene subs have been ordered from DCNS – two for Chile, two for Malaysia (at a cost of RM3.4 billion) and six for India. DCNS designed the Scorpene and developed it jointly with Spanish naval shipbuilder Navantia. The second Scorpene for Malaysia, the KD Tun Razak, is expected to reach Lumut in the middle of the year.
Live coverage of Nomination Day for the Hulu Selangor by-election.
Just looking at the law relating to land matters.
Under section 100 of National Land Code, the Land Administrator shall by order declare the land forfeited to the State Authority if the arrears in quit rent is not settled within the period stipulated in its notice of demand (issued under section 97).
Section 100 further provides that the Land Administrator shall not during the period specified in the notice of demand accept the tender of a lesser amount than the sum thereby demanded.