Today is Good Friday, the day christians recall how the forces of Death and Darkness tried Jesus before a kangaroo court, tortured him a …
Umno’s power grab propels Nizar to national stage
Nizar and Perak Speaker Sivakumar anxiously await the results last night
What an incredible last few days it has been. And thank you to all the “citizen journalists”, political activists and even mainstream media folks who fed me information, including complete strangers such as the young man who passed me the video he took of the teargas incident in Air Kuning. Thanks for all your kind words and encouragement, which kept me motivated.
I left Perak this afternoon after lunch at a kopitiam restaurant in Taiping with much to think about (and I don’t mean just the cendol).
Bukit Gantang ushers in a new phase in Malaysian politics. Ethnic and religious barriers were broken here as the Chinese and others voted in droves for Pas. Much of it was due to the more moderate face of Pas projected by its popular candidate, Nizar, and the party’s makeover “Pas for all”. The close cooperation among Pakatan parties, and more importantly, the interaction of ordinary people on the ground also contributed to the breakthrough.
In staging its power grab in Perak, Umno may have committed its biggest blunder. By ousting Nizar, it allowed him to be chosen as a candidate for a parliamentary seat, thus propelling him to a bigger stage – Parliament, where he will now be a regular face in front of a national audience.
His overwhelming acceptance among minority groups is something that Umno leaders cannot match – unless they dump their divisive brand of racial politics.
Here’s an article I wrote in Perak this morning for Asia Times, just before returning to Penang:
Malaysia’s Najib fails his first test
By Anil Netto
BUKIT GANTANG, Perak – Malaysia’s ruling coalition lost two of three by-elections held on Tuesday, in a result that shows that the change in prime minister from Abdullah Badawi to Najib Razak only four days prior has done little to stem the erosion in popular support for government led by the United Malays National Organization (UMNO).
LIVE from Bkt Selambau: FRU disperses crowd again
My contact in Bukit Selambau reports:
0026: Three PKR supporters are believed to have been detained for not dispersing, though I am unable to confirm this.
2355: Police have given a final warning for the crowd to disperse. My contact is concerned that there could be arrests.
2350: In Jalan Cinta Sayang, the FRU are asking the crowd to disperse, but some are jeering and not moving.
2340: Over at Bandar Baru in Bukit Selambau, Anwar has addressed a crowd of around 5,000 as the eve of polling draws to a close.
In Simpang in Bukit Gantang, a crowd of 5,000 has just listened to Husam Musa and other NGO activists talking about whether Umno is really the defender of Malays and whether Pas is a puppet of the DAP.
Batang Ai: BN does not practise discrimination?
The BN claims it does not practise discrimination in dishing out projects. Oh yeah? Read these news snippets and form your own conclusions.
BN does not practise discrimination: Masing
Borneo Post, April 1, 2009
Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) president Dato Sri Dr James Masing said the Barisan Nasional (BN) does not practise ‘pilih kasih’ (favouritism) when it comes to disbursing funds for projects or allocating projects.
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=49590
NCR land devt aimed at helping owners
Borneo Post, April 3, 2009
…On the by-election, Gramong said it was very important for the voters to make the right choice. He said the BN government, since 1963, had been faithfully dishing out development projects like schools, health centres, hospitals, roads, water and power supplies not only to towns but also rural areas. He said a lot could be achieved if they voted for the BN.
“Vote the opposition and you will be in the political wilderness. Your representative will be sitting with the other opposition members, shouting to have their voices heard. They will be blaming and criticising others for their own shortcomings and failures,” he said.
http://www.theborneopost.com/?p=49666
Batang Ai: More Santa ‘instant noodles’ projects
The abuse of government resources continues unabated ahead of the Batang Ai by-election in Sarawak
Pilot project in Sarawak
The Star, April 6, 2009
A children’s activity centre will be set up at a longhouse here under a pilot project to provide early education for rural children….Sixty-two people were given assistance totalling RM15,475, including 33 senior citizens, one disabled person and 21 who received aid for their children….the 36-door longhouse needed repairs and requested an allocation from the Government….In response, Dr Ng pledged to raise the RM40,000 needed.
http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2009/4/6/nation/3638062&sec=nation
Syed Hamid was speaking to reporters after presenting birth certificates to 38 recipients from the Lubok Antu district at Rumah Johnson, Kaong Ili, here yesterday. The oldest recipient was 55 years old, while the youngest was nine.
Batang Ai: BN holds the edge
Dalbinder reports that things are looking bleak for PKR in Batang Ai, Sarawak:
If the PKR wins, it will be by a slim majority. If it loses, it will also be by a slim majority.
Almost every long-house gets free decorations – any maybe more – from the BN.
Jawah’s past has cast some doubts on some of the local folks. He looks physically not really fit, which will affect his campaign.
And the folks here are also asking, “Where are the top PR leaders?”
LIVE: Police move in at ceramah in Bukit Selambau
A Pakatan supporter vigorously waves the DAP flag to welcome the crowd to the party’s dinner in Simpang, Bukit Gantang tonight – Photo by Anil Netto
Pas posters flutter over the largely Chinese crowd at the DAP ceramah in Simpang