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Sarawak: So the dam-building frenzy begins…

Anil Netto
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13

Uncertainty continues to hang over what to do with all the electricity from the 2,400MW Bakun Dam. Few know for sure if the undersea cables will be actually laid, given the enormous risks involved. Anyway, the electricity for that dam was supposed to go to the peninsula.

So now they have this new plan to build the RM3 billion 940MW Murum Dam as part of the 12-dams-for-Sarawak project. And the award goes to… a Chinese firm. Who is going to use all this electricity? Would that be the aluminium smelter Salco? That’s a joint venture between Rio Tinto and CMS (ring a bell?) And which company is likely to benefit most from the supply of materials for the construction of all these dams?

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15,000-crowd roars Anwar’s campaign off to flying start

Anil Netto
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Show of strength in Seberang Jaya

This is a section of the 15,000-crowd that packed the Seberang Jaya Expo site last night to listen to a stellar cast of speakers: Anwar, Guan Eng, Wan Azizah and Husam Musa. The crowd chanted the old battle-cry “Reformasi!” and when Anwar declared, “Lawan tetap…“, they roared back, “Lawan!” with much steely determination.

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Can Anwar improve on Wan Azizah’s majority?

Anil Netto
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12

This is some background info of the semi-urban to rural constituency of Permatang Pauh, which lies between Butterworth and Bukit Mertajam, courtesy of undi.info.

PENANG: P44 – Permatang Pauh 2008 Voters: 58,449
Party Candidate Votes Majority
UMNO Datuk Pirdaus Ismail 16,950
PKR Wan Azizah Wan Ismail 30,348 13,388
Racial Breakdown
Malay: 69.40%, Chinese: 24.50%, Indian: 5.70%, Others: 0.10%
PENANG: P44 – Permatang Pauh 2004 Voters: 54,041
Party Candidate Votes Majority
UMNO Datuk Pirdaus Ismail 21,147
PKR Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail 21,737 590
Racial Breakdown
Malay: 67.60%, Chinese: 26.30%, Indian: 5.70%, Others: 0.30%
State Seats / Polling Districts
N10 – Seberang Jaya

Jalan Sembilang, Seberang Jaya Ii, Kampong Pertama, Kampong Belah Dua, Seberang Jaya I, Jalan Bahru, Simpang Ampat,

N11 – Permatang Pasir

Sama Gagah, Permatang Ara, Permatang Pauh, Bukit Indra Muda, Kampong Pelet, Kubang Semang, Tanah Liat Mukim 8, Kampong Cross Street 2,

N12 – Penanti

Guar Perahu, Kuala Mengkuang, Telok Wang, Mengkuang, Sungai Lembu, Penanti, Kubang Ulu, Sungai Semambu, Tanah Liat Mukim 9, Berapit Road,
Analysis

Permalink: http://undi.info/ax/state/pn/2008/parliament/P44.html

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Tan Yee Kew and 1,700 others join PKR

Anil Netto
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Tan Yee Kew (Photo credit: Mysinchew)

Just heard from a KL journalist:

At a ceremony from 10.30am to noon today, Anwar Ibrahim accepted a stack of PKR membership forms from former MCA senior central committee member Tan Yee Kew and 1,700 others described as former BN supporters.

Some 1,500 people packed a convention hall at the Klang Executive Club to witness the handover.

PKR had received over 2,000 application forms from the constituencies of Kapar, Shah Alam and Klang but was able to process only 1,700.

Tan, who was also International Trade and Industry Ministry parliamentary secretary, quit the MCA on 17 July. She said she shared the people’s disenchantment over the widening gap between the rich and the poor, racial discrimination, rampant corruption and abuse of power.

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Anwar: Safe seat? I’m willing to contest in Kepala Batas

Anil Netto
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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.

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Permatang Pauh gears up for pivotal by-election

Anil Netto
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10

The lull before the frenzy: This was the scene when I dropped by at Permatang Pauh the day after Wan Azizah stepped down as MP to make way for Anwar

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?

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“Streamlining” oil prices for by-election?

Anil Netto
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18

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.

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Loong Thye explains why he wanted to stop book launch

Anil Netto
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12

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.

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Sarawak govt knows best, Taib tells environmentalists

Anil Netto
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18

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?

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Last-minute lawyer’s letter fails to block book launch

Anil Netto
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12

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.

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