Anwar speaking in Bagan Datoh, Perak last night
Anwar Ibrahim has rejected criticism by BN politicians that he opted for a by-election in Permatang Pauh because it was a safe seat for him. He said he was willing to contest in any Umno stronghold including Kepala Batas, Abdullah Badawi’s parliamentary seat, which is just 15 minutes’ drive from Permatang Pauh.
The semi-urban town of Permatang Pauh is gearing up for a what could be a pivotal by-election that could influence the direction of events in coming months.
The political situation is in a state of flux as the Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat enter a crucial phase that could determine the direction of the country.
In the foreground are the high-stakes allegations – the sodomy complaint and the Altantuya murder. In the backdrop, the equally high-stakes political battle between the leaders of the rival coalitions.
The road blocks in KL and the bizarre way Anwar Ibrahim was arrested recently – and then released – did not help soothe frayed nerves. The big question now is will he be arrested again and charged before the by-election?
Key: July prices in red; June prices in violet (Graph courtesy of oilnergy.com)
It looks like the price of oil in Malaysia could be dependent on other factors apart from economic considerations.
Now the PM talks of “streamlining” the oil price from 1 Sept. By also capping the petrol price at the present RM2.70/litre for the rest of the year, the government is now opening up the possibility of a possible reduction in fuel prices this year in the event of a further drop in global prices.
What exactly has changed since 5 June, when the petrol price was raised by 41 per cent?
As you can see from the graph above, the price of Nymex Light Sweet Crude on 4-5 June was around US$125 per barrel. And that was when they raised the petrol price in Malaysia by 41 per cent.
At the end of July, the price was also around US$125. But this time, they are talking of “streamlining” the oil price.
Chia Loong Thye has responded to the launch of the book on Gerakan, explaining why he wanted to stop the event. He says he is all for non-sectarian politics “but why is it not possible to discuss this issue without the need to slander another person? My complaint against the authors is just that.”
Here is his statement in full:
My action to sue the authors of the book, Non-Sectarian Politics in Malaysia: The Case of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia, (“the Book”) for defamation may have caused some uneasiness amongst friends and those who are actively contributing to the political writings in this country.
Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud is not amused with activists calling for environmental protection in the state. “Before they open their mouth, they must understand what is happening now. There is no government project which will destroy the environment,” he was quoted as saying.
Come again? Okay, no “government projects” – but what about private sector projects approved by the government? Are they really environmentally sustainable? We all know the answer to that!
“The government also has the responsibility to ensure that members of the future generation inherit the good environment,” he added.
The million dollar question is, is the government living up to that responsibility? Where have all the rainforests gone?
The forum on non-sectarian politics at the book launch
A last-minute letter from Gerakan politician Chia Loong Thye’s lawyers failed to stop the launch of a controversial new book on Gerakan by authors Neil Khor and Khoo Kay Peng at the E & O Hotel.
The letter was sent to the authors during the book launch at the hotel. Issued by the legal firm Lee Hishammuddin Allen & Gledhill, it put the authors on notice that Chia would “claim for any aggravated damages that will arise from the launch of the book….”
The book “Non-sectarian politics in Malaysia: The case of Parti Gerakan Rakyat Malaysia” had already ruffled the feathers of certain quarters within Gerakan even before the launch.
Anwar has decided to opt for the Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat, probably after figuring out that the delay and uncertainty in neighbouring Kulim was going to be far too long. Azizah is giving way for him, which is a pity because as president of PKR, which has the most parliamentary seats, she is the first woman Parliamentary Opposition Leader.
All Penangites should look out for the draft Penang Local Plan when it is displayed before long and make their voices heard.
The Local Plan will eventually govern the use of land in the state and determine what kind of development is allowed in your neighbourhood. The Plan is almost ready now though it may be slightly delayed, from what I hear.
Penangites – especially residents associations – must ask their State Assembly members and city councillors to brief them about the Plan once it is released. Residents associations must use magnifying glasses to thoroughly pore over the Plan for their respective areas. Don’t let them slip anything past you.
The public also needs to demand an extension in the duration of time that the Plan is publicly displayed to allow more time for study, briefings and feedback. Usually, the plans are displayed for a month – but more time is required.
We learn something new everyday.
Today’s lesson is that a qualified, experienced GP cannot detect if a patient has been sodomised.
Apparently, if the Hospital Pusrawi folk are to be believed, that requires a sodomy specialist… err, I mean a gut specialist. This from the Malaysiakini interview:
What led the doctor TRO (to rule out) sodomy? Why?
Because Saiful mentioned that he was sodomised. Sodomy check-up has to be done by a specialist not a medical officer. You need a gut specialist. We don’t have one in Pusrawi.
At the rate we are being enlightened on this err, delicate issue, Malaysians are going to be sodomy experts in no time. Maybe we could be a world leader in sodomy medical research – you know, sort of carve out a specialist niche in sodomy detection and patient therapy. After all, it appears to have become a national obsession.
Pas-Umno talks a bargaining ploy to strengthen Pas’ hand in Pakatan?
Going by the reports in the mainstream media, you would think that Umno and Pas are on the verge of merging. Mustafa Anuar has a round-up of the coverage.
The latest is a Star report:
PAS proposes hudud laws if it merges with Umno
KOTA BARU: PAS will propose the implementation of hudud and qisas laws, among other things, if the proposed PAS-Umno merger becomes a reality.
PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat said the proposal was in line with Islamic principles and could be implemented if both parties, which were now having ongoing discussions on Malay and Muslim issues, agreed to it towards forming a new political entity.
But hang on a minute. Here’s the main story in Harakah Daily:
Cabaran perkongsian kuasa dalam pembentukan kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat
Mohd Rashidi Hassan
Wed | Jul 30, 08 | 12:54:03 pm MYTPAS tetap komited dengan Pakatan Rakyat. Itulah jaminan pemimpin-pemimpin PAS dan kehendak ahli serta penyokong PAS keseluruhannya.
Harus diingatkan, bahawa pemimpin, ahli dan penyokong PAS memberikan kerjasama yang tidak berbelah bahagi sejak penubuhan Barisan Alternatif (BA) yang menggabungkan PAS, KeADILan, PRM dan DAP semasa al-Marhum Dato’ Fadzil Mohd Noor menjadi Presiden PAS lagi.
In other words, Pas leaders have guaranteed their commitment to Pakatan in accordance with the will of Pas members. They will not join the BN. But from the same Harakah report it appears they are unhappy over a string of issues, especially in relation to power-sharing in Selangor.