Perlis by-election could be GST-FPP referendum

24
171

If a by-election is held in Titi Tinggi, it could turn out to be a referendum on unpopular neo-liberal policies such as the regressive Goods and Services Tax (GST) and the Full-Paying Patients (FPP) scheme.

The MCA’s Yip Sun Onn has resigned from his seat in the Perlis State Assembly just days after Indera Kayangan assembly member and Kangar MCA chairman Dr Por Cho Chor replaced him in the Perlis state government exco line-up on 19 March. Utusan reported yesterday that the “replacement was made by the state government as a normal practice upon the request of the MCA leadership itself”.

The GST has been shelved for the time being – but it could be resurrected later. At the same time, plans are afoot to extend the Full-Paying Patients (FPP) pilot scheme to other general hospitals.

This FPP scheme reflects the neo-liberal mindset of top officials in the Health Ministry, which is helmed by Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai, who is MCA vice-president. (Tiong Lai has announced that he will contest the party’s deputy presidency.)

Sun Onn’s resignation is another blow for the tottering MCA, already dazed by the scandals, factionalism and intrigue in its ranks – and it comes at the worst possible time for the faction-ridden party as it prepares for divisive leadership polls this Sunday.

With a dearth of issues of substance in the MCA polls, a by-election at Titi Tinggi could provide a platform for real issues to be forefronted for public debate.

The BN had been anxious to avoid a by-election in this season of ‘katak-hopping” – but now this happens. Yip had won the seat with a 1,814-majority in the 2008 general election.

In the meantime, if you want to tell the government what you think of the GST, just go here.

Please help to support this blog if you can.

Read the commenting guidlelines for this blog.
Subscribe
Notify of
guest

24 Comments
Most Voted
Newest Oldest
Inline Feedbacks
View all comments
Jong
Jong
25 Mar 2010 10.35am

Want to be an instant millionaire? Join politics!

Just show some tantrums then froggy jump,

… but jangan tebal saperti Zul Noordin who holds on tight to his seat with his dear life, the seat that has a PKR/PR chop to it, given by majority NON-Muslims, NON-Malays of Kulim.

Yang
Yang
24 Mar 2010 7.35pm

Its all a bluff. There is no resignation at all. These BN UMNO, MCA, MIC & coalition partners including those frogs are (allegedly) spewing half truth and true lies to to take advantages of the situation… That goes to the most despicable and cheap skate Zahrain, Hee and all these frogs who are willing to sell their soul…

Tok Cik
Tok Cik
24 Mar 2010 5.01pm

Fat hopes guys. Jibby has talked him out of resigning… BN is not prepared to face the Oppositon in another by-election, if it happens.

Jong
Jong
24 Mar 2010 4.54pm

Is Prime Minister Najib once again abusing his power and interfering with duties of Perlis State Assembly Speaker?

The Perlis State Speaker had made the resignation announcement of Titi Tinggi MCA State Assemblyman Yip Sun Onn in the presence of the media yesterday, so what now Mr PM?

Andrew I
Andrew I
24 Mar 2010 11.26am

With the promise of more oil, all the more reason now to tunnel your way to the top. PKFZ will become like BMF: too long ago and insignificant to compare to the next stool pie, whatever that will be. But rest assured, there will be another.

That’s unless we do something about it.

In the meantime, let’s all sit back and enjoy the soap opera that is MCA. May we be blessed with another crying session on prime time TV news soon.

Then we can all cry together, like when watching those heart breaking serials.

vflai
24 Mar 2010 11.08am

……i, we enblock should all “SOKONG’ the implementation of the GST….not that we welcome it, …for we will SURELY suffer, but it is only for 2 or more years only…….the rakyat will SURELY be riled and that will be the catalyst to topple the corrupted ‘harap pagar, makan padi’ gormen……

wandererAUS
wandererAUS
24 Mar 2010 12.32am

IF THE RESIGNATION LETTER IS RETRACTED, FROM THE SPEAKER AFTER MADE PUBLIC BY HIS ANNOUNCEMENT, IT CAN BE CHALLENGED IN COURT OF ITS LEGALITY.
BUT, NO PROBLEM MA… EVERYTHING IS POSSIBLE,UMNO BOLEH!

vengai
vengai
23 Mar 2010 11.22pm

YSO resignation as assemblymen for Titi Tinggi is due to reshuffle in Perlis state state assembly?
Because he is no more An Exco?

Well, it this is the case than it will be a shame for his voters.Resign just because no more state exco.

But rumours says that it is because he is (allegedly) in CSL camp for the coming party election. And Ong T K (allegedly) instruct the Perlis MB to kick this fellow out for good. Is this true?

aca
aca
23 Mar 2010 10.43pm

that 1Malaysia gang is (terrified) if this by-election comes to pass. thats why the MB is holding on to the letter and trying to convince the assemblyman to retract the letter.

if BN has the support of the people, then they would have allow the by-election. No, they are all (terrified).

O
O
23 Mar 2010 9.15pm

Mr Anil,

He has not resigned! Can selesai one! BN takut, but, if it is DAP, do not go out to vote! Waste of time only! Useless and not worth supporting, especially those living in Penang, vote out DAP if your rights to your only green lungs left is not taken care of. Just send the DAP into the opposition next election!

DAP = Don’t Accuse People, you are no better!

http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/57265-perlis-mb-yip-has-not-resigned

Cheers!

Sean
Sean
23 Mar 2010 8.04pm

I see lots of links containing IPv4 addresses instead of hostnames at treasury.gov.my – perhaps they could ask the developers of PAS’ new English language site (why does PAS have the best devs?) for some help fixing it.

In the meantime here’s a proper URL for the same resource:

http://www.treasury.gov.my/mof_feedback/gst_form.php?id=20&dept=UNIT%20GST

K
K
23 Mar 2010 7.32pm

Well Anil, this could be also a referendum on PR’s viability as a coalition and the credibility of Anwar as the Oppposition leader and a future PM too.

Frankly you are reading too much into this.

I hope you had not jumped on the bandwagon of the so-called alternative media recent campaign to defend Anwar’s battered image after Sodomy 2 but embarking on a mindless attack on BN.

I would have expected a more rational and logical analysis from you rather than recycling the thrash that being peddled by the likes of MI and Mkini.

looes74
looes74
23 Mar 2010 11.45pm
Reply to  K

Demand election then. Why Perlis speaker still keeping the letter?

Ahmad Syafiq
25 Mar 2010 9.56pm
Reply to  K

Even though I’m an opposition supporter, I have to admit that even if there is a by-election in Titi Tinggi, it will not be a referendum of national issues such as GST. We all know Perlis is not part of the tsunami. They are quite secluded, minding their own business. To give you a fact, Anil, if you noticed during March 8, 2 years back, out of the 13 state seats that BN won out of a total of 15 seats, they have managed to increase their majority in 9 of the seats, suggesting that their issues are mostly local.… Read more »

Ahmad Syafiq
26 Mar 2010 2.30pm
Reply to  Anil Netto

I see… Thanks for your point. Of course, we can’t rely on politicians alone to raise the issues that will affect the voters though. Sometimes, it takes a private initiative by someone from somewhere to get the ball rolling. For example, a TTDI resident before the March 8 tsunami, printed a 1,000 flyers and distributed the flyers at the jogging place in front of my old primary school SKTTDI2. Most joggers at the time were happy to receive the flyers. Of course, 1 or 2 of them would straight away throw it into the dustbin. My point is that, if… Read more »

Cina Bukit
Cina Bukit
23 Mar 2010 6.19pm

Looking forward to more by election

Bigjoe
Bigjoe
23 Mar 2010 6.06pm

Honestly, if I were OTK which is almost guaranteed to lose, I would have all my followers resign too as part of scorched earth policy for MCA. Might as well do the Chinese community a favour and come out looking like a hero by destroying the party that is useless to them already. Why hand over the family jewel to prodigal relatives…

low
low
23 Mar 2010 5.29pm

MCA trying to ‘pujuk’ him now hey

Devan
Devan
23 Mar 2010 5.28pm

A true gentleman,
A man of principles.At least he had the guts to resigned unlike Zahrain the Golfer, Hee the BMW lover,and the two China-dolls lover,and not forgetting the self-declared Taliban of Kulim.
If you people have any honour,dignity or selfrespect RESIGN and go back to the people to see whether you people elected on a PR ticket still enjoy the support!!
DO IT IF YOU DARE !!!!COWARDS…

wira
wira
23 Mar 2010 4.10pm

The Speaker will speak to the ADUN and “convince” him to withdraw his resignation letter.

There are many ways to convince him.
After that it will be life as usual.

If we want a platform to assess public opinion for or against the GST, I guess we may have to wait for another opportunity.

Jong
Jong
23 Mar 2010 3.59pm

At least this one up north in Perlis has guts and dignity to resign. Where are the rest, still dragging their feet having hopes?

First thing first, the useless Health Minister Liow must GO. He does not know what is going on in the healthy ministry but is more interested playing politics to secure himself a VP position in MCA whatever is left of it.