Opposition Does NOT Have To Announce Shadow Cabinet

There are calls by many quarters for the Opposition to announce a shadow cabinet. These are foolish demands by vested interest parties who knows nothing of political parties setting up a cabinet.

I don’t believe the Opposition needs to do that for the federal cabinet or for BN to announce one for Selangor.

It is definitely too premature to announce a cabinet because we don’t know how the GE13 results will turn out. How many seats will each party win? Will the intended leadership personalities win their seats?

Why put the cart before the horse? Even in the US Presidential elections, the only known role is the so-called shadow Vice President, the presidential candidate’s running mate.

President Obama only appointed Hillary Clinton as Secretary of State after he won the presidential election as with his “cabinet”.

So why is everybody clamoring for Pakatan Rakyat to announce a shadow cabinet? Maybe there are other parties that need to join forces to form the government. We shouldn’t think that there are only BN or PR only in the next GE13. We shouldn’t assume PR will win or BN will lose.

The facts of NFC debacle

The National Feedlot Centre (NFC) and the National Feedlot Corporation (NFCorp) have been confusing the public a lot. In many cases, it has been used interchangeably but they are actually two separate entities. In actual fact, based on the AG Report 2010, the two have no legal agreement with each other at all. This is a highly engineered piece of work by those involved. Here is the attempt to clear some of the fog covering the so-called debacle and is based on the AG Report 2010

Ibrahim, NFC and All Gone Wrong!

The Malaysian Insider reported yesterday that NFCorp Chairman Mohd Salleh Ismail met with Perkasa and 15 other NGOs to brief them on the NFC situation (read here). Immediately after that, Ibrahim Ali gave a statement that “the office of the Auditor-General had already agreed in private that the company’s affairs were in order“. He further made startling remarks that stabbed the AG in his back insinuating that the AG made a mistake in his 2010 Report regarding the “mess” in NFCorp and that he should “release an official statement.”

Christians Don’t Care Who is PM as long as …

The General Election is definitely around the corner. The season of building alarm bells for the Malay community against others communities to boost Malay votes for Umno has begun.

First, to demonise DAP and now the guns are trained on the Christian community. One on race, the other on religion. Both are equally sensitive but yet the PM has stayed silent to let this boil up.

Christian Issues
For the past few years, the Al-Kitab issue has been simmering with the confiscating of CDs and Bibles. Only a few weeks ago, Najib had to step into the muddied water regarding the Malay Bible to allow the Sarawakians to use the bible freely but not applying to Peninsular Christians.

Really a 1Malaysia, 2Rules situation.

But that appeasement helped not to let the issue boil over to hurt the BN votes too badly. BN survived the Al-Kitab woes but all strains and complaints remain unresolved.

Certainly, over the years, the freedom of Malaysians to worship have steadily eroded and curbed to the point the Al-Kitab was considered a national security threat under ISA. Such actions have pushed the Christians to a point that their patience quickly abated. In turn, they were accused of being extremists and threatening to Muslims for reasons that baffles everyone.

Now, pro-Umno bloggers have played up a seminar held in Penang as a political aspiration of DAP and Christians and lying to the public blatantly to stir up strife amongst the Muslims and Malay community against the Christians. If it was anybody else, they would have them locked up under ISA being seditious and all.

Umno daily, Utusan Malaysia, picked this up to publish as headline front page news thereby legitimizing the lies as truth and news.

And the authorities are looking the other way. In fact, Pembela had the gall to call on the police to investigate the Utusan propaganda.

Simple questions to answer: did anyone investigate the facts and truth of the matter or what pro-Umno bloggers and Utusan Malaysia say is always true? The answer is a vehement NO!

NO! Nobody checked the veracity prior to publishing the news which make these lies instead.

NO! Not everything they say is true. In cases like this, absolutely seditious, malicious and mischievious.

Lies, Lies, Lies
They accused the DAP working with the Christians to plan to change the position of Islam in the Constitution. They lie about the Christians wanting a Christian PM of Malaysia.

These are the worst kind of lies possible. Self generated without a shred of fact, self serving for a political purpose.

What is happening to our country?

The Christians Don’t Care
It is a fact Christians are not interested to touch the Constitution for whatever reason and they have zero interest in a Christian PM.

There is really no such need either. And the lies spreaded by pro-Umno bloggers serve to fan a fire that is not there just for political expediency.

The Christians don’t care for any of the things claimed so wildly concocted by blind politics. Christians only care for respect and constitutional right to freely worship. They ony want leaders who rule justly, fairly for everybody.

In fact, it is customary and instructed of Christians to pray for the leaders of the country that God will bless Malaysia, that we will have peace and harmony and prosperity and freedom to worship God.

By a sheer slanted view and incapable of appreciating Christianity, Utusan Malaysia propagated the lies of pro-Umno bloggers possibly to fan religious intolerance amongst Malays and to stir them up against non-Malays in hope they vote Umno in the upcoming General Elections.

This is most dangerous play and denying the truth and peaceableness of Christians and other religions.

No one can bring to pass any of the allegations. Not BN, not PR, certainly not DAP or most unlikely the Christians. So why all the ruckus and emotional uproar on baseless reports?

1Malaysia Fails
Najib’s 1Malaysia is about to be fully destroyed day by day by people related to Umno. It seems there are groups that will undermine Najib’s noble national unity interests.

But with Najib being quiet and not taking a clear stand to reprimand such dangerous behavior and seditious actions of Umno related parties, it seems that Najib may be assumed agreeable to these actions and thereby silently consented too.

This is not the time for Najib to be perceived weak and play to the Umno gallery to the detriment of his policies of unity as the PM for all Malaysians.

Speak up now, Mr Prime Minister. Take charge of unity or be accused of promoting a divide and conquer policy under your guise of 1Malaysia.

Do not fail Malaysia!

Put an End to Racial Politics

When will the political leaders of Malaysia ever learn that all Malaysians must be taken care of at the same time regardless who is voted to represent them.

The ethnicity doesn’t matter at all. It must be true Malaysian leaders representing all Malaysians and no bias to any one group.

At the present state of our country, all political assessments are still along ethnic lines. After 53 years, this narrow view is deeper than ever before prompting PM Najib to come up with the 1Malaysia slogan for unity.

That chameleon slogan uttered even as a greeting like “Selamat 1Malaysia” has given rise to the most obscure meanings and now it means anything to anyone who makes any sense out of it. Meaningless at best.

No point arguing what it means because even PM Najib doesn’t even know himself it seems with conflicting words coming out from him as he plays to the gallery.

In anticipation to GE13, Umno will realise that if MCA is rejected, BN will not be able to regain the 2/3 majority. However, PAS has also pointed out that with an 8% swing in Malay votes to Pakatan Rakyat, BN will lose the election.

Strange that all analysis remains along ethnic lines but that’s not how Malaysian thinks anymore.

In most if not all constituencies, it is impossible for a mere single ethnic group to determine the win of a seat. You need Malaysians from all ethnic background to win seats.

Yes, there are still racial bigots who will vote along racial lines. They can’t understand the bigger country picture.

Then there are those who are party bigots. They will vote their party no matter what. However, we see a change in GE12 where party members abandoning their own parties to vote the opposition or spoiling their votes in protest, the latter being the foolish.

Ignore the rantings that ethnicity in the Government will be best to represent various groups.

In modern Malaysia in the 21st century, all leaders voted to power MUST represent the interests of all parties without fear or favor. It is the capability of the leader and the political group leadership that matters as they seek to serve all Malaysians especially those in need.

Let’s choose wisely for our political representation in the country’s government. It is not the ethnic background. It is the capability to represent us all regardless of ethnic background.

Listen to the voices of those who present themselves for our votes and hear clearly what they say. See through their charade and cut to the chase. What have they done and what more can they do to make our lives better. Not tell us how to vote.

Let Malaysians NOT be divided but united to face the world. We need each other to make this happen.

Vote MCA for Chinese Representation in the Government – Irrelevant

The recent rantings by Chua Soi Lek and PM Najib miss the mark altogether.

It is a fact that the Chinese support for MCA is now at a dismal state. But it didn’t have to do with Chinese votes.

It is also a fact that it is not only the Chinese that voted for MCA. There are Malays, Indians and other communities who also voted.

Generalizing and singling out the Chinese is absolutely wrong and is factually incorrect and also dismisses all others in the process.

When the call is for 1Malaysia, why does it matter on the call that Chinese representation in the Government will be affected if MCA loses Chinese votes?

In GE12, Chinese voted for MCA, MIC, Umno, etc. Not every seat is MCA. They also voted for opposition parties. They did not vote with the mind of having more Chinese representation in the Government.

Just as in the recent Sarawak election that not only Chinese voted DAP but also the Malays, Dayaks and Ibans.

Nothing Racial Please
On the contrary, they as well as many Malaysians from all communities voted for who they felt can lead the country for a better future. It didn’t matter what ethnic background was the candidate from. It was the bigger picture that mattered.

In fact, GE12 is a true reflection of 1Malaysia where voters voted for who they felt can best represent their future. There were no racial lines drawn except where politicians forced it.

So why did Soi Lek and Najib mislead Malaysians with such political blackmail as some has called it?

Political Fear
The general fear of losing support makes politicians act strangely. They fear their political powers subsiding and hence, such irrational reactions and rhetorics.

MCA is now down in the dumps and need to drum up general support as it gasps for political air for survival. They can see how Gerakan operates today. MCA can be just that or worse.

Did the MCA not realise their own members do not support them? Soi Lek must deal with them first and then to address the shortcomings of MCA in relation to Malaysians at large because all communities voted for or against them.

Think General Election, Think About All Malaysians
Malaysians do not really think racial lines when it comes to elections. Certainly, there are those diehard bigots who are partisan but most Malaysians vote for those who can make their lives better.

Of course, some may say this is naïve and many Malaysians do vote whoever gives them money.

We can’t change that overnight but hopefully that change can come soon enough.

The point we must make is for politicians to uphold 1Malaysia and speak about Malaysians at large, not by race but by NEEDS. Malaysians have needs that politicians must address. It affects all communities.

When it floods, we must help all affected by it.

When there is injustice, we must stand up against it no matter who it is.

When there is poverty, we must help them all regardless what race they are and who they voted for.

This is in essence a true 1 Malaysia. It is about giving help and hope to ALL Malaysians, not a particular group.

If all the politicians clamor is for particular groups, then let only those groups pay income tax and all others be exempted. That is fair.

Obviously, there’s fair and there’s fair depending on who executes the fairness. That is politics. But Malaysians are simple people who wants a better future for us and our children.

Focus on what matters to Malaysians, not the political parties. Then the voters will know what to do when their time comes.

Najib, Soi Lek Message has no meaning to Malaysians

Najib has declared that if the Chinese won’t support MCA that they will lose their representation in the Government.

Chua Soi Lek today came out to defend Najib and said that is the reality, not a threat, that should MCA fare worse in the next General Election that they will stay out of the government.

These statements and comments about them have made headlines and waves throughout the main stream media as well as on the net.

What difference will it make to Malaysians?

Rhetorical

The latest rantings appear to be rhetorical given that MCA had the worst election results in recent years winning 15 out of 40 parliamentary seats in GE12.

Yet they continued to remain in the cabinet with 4 ministerial positions.

Gerakan, who was almost cleaned out, had Koh Tsu Koon becoming a minister via a senatorship backdoor even after declaring not to accept it if offered. Now that is history.

The statements made appear mostly rhetorical and many construe them as threats to the Chinese community. However, the reality is that most people who read such political rhetorics have pooh-poohed or ignored them as mad rantings.

Can the government of the day ignore the needs of any community? The answer is a clear NO! So what are these statements intended for?

Waning Support

The analysis that MCA and Gerakan have lost the support of the Chinese community and that they have backed DAP instead appears to have sparked the maddening ravings.

This is a skewed view of BN and in attempting to sow seeds of discord and confusion in the political arena, BN has aimed at the Chinese community especially because of the recent DAP success in the Sarawak election.

The reality is that many Malaysians are losing patience on BN and have lost the respect for MCA and Gerakan. It is not just the Chinese community.

In every constituency are always mixed with multi communities. The seats that DAP won had Chinese, Iban, Dayak, Melanau, etc. and they voted against BN.

There are also Chinese, Iban, Dayak, Melanau, etc. who voted for BN. These statements by Najib and Soi Lek will be taken that these voters who voted for BN are irrelevant. Only the Chinese is the primary cause of the loss of BN seats. That is an absolutely narrow and extreme view to cast a blame and find a political scapegoat.

Instead of improving the weaknesses that voters perceive the BN had and to make amends to win their support, such rantings only confirm the feelings of voters to continue to vote against BN.

Soi Lek is sure to lose more support for the MCA with empty lip service.

Mature Malaysians

Malaysian voters are generally more mature and know how to weigh the words of politicians. The general feeling is not about how great the opposition leaders are but how bad they feel against the BN.

The opposition has successfully rode this tide of disenchantment against the BN and GE12 along with the recent Sarawak election has seen the attitude towards the opposition growing very positive.

It has been clearly seen that the issues the opposition raised are all things that affect all Malaysians. The weak economy, rise of inflation and petrol prices, stagnant wages, etc are real problems we all face and they attempt to show how they can resolve them if voted to power.

On the other hand, BN kept on with personal attacks on Anwar, “sex video” revelation and the writing off the opposition claims on how they can improve the lives of Malaysians by saying it will bankrupt the country actually puts off all Malaysians.

Najib can’t put up any decent initiatives to prove he can do the job of improving our lives. Publicity of the Government Transformation Programs have drawn more doubts than positive support. Malaysia losing FDI to countries like Indonesia and Philippines cannot be excused and Najib has remained erriely silent on this matter.

Malaysians Suffer

In reality, all Malaysians, not just the Chinese community, are suffering. The prolonged agony started in the late 90′s at the time of a global crisis and when Anwar was incarcerated. Malaysia never bounced back.

After the Mahathir era, the Badawi era saw no movement. Now the Najib era has seen only hot air publicity to talk up economic growth.

Malaysians are at their wits end now and no amount of positive spin by Najib and gang or such diversions on the Chinese community can change it.

Unless and until the general lives of Malaysians improve in a real way (not perceived), the sentiments against the BN will continue to grow and it has no communal lines.

Mere Distractions

Politics make strange bedfellows. MCA in BN means MCA supports all Umno stands for and Umno supports all MCA stands for, at least in appearance for as long as the tolerance of each other remains bearable.

Political diversions such as these racial statements will continue as long as they think the diversion works.

Malaysians will ignore them and sentiments against BN will grow until they show they care for all Malaysians by fixing things that affect our lives. GE13 is not that thing but if it takes GE13 to make a statement, Malaysians may just rise to the occasion.

Make the Change Now

BN, please do something to improve our lives. Political rhetorics and blame on any community means nothing to us! So far, it’s been nato – no action, talk only!

What difference will support of MCA mean to the Chinese community and all Malaysians who vote for them? What difference has MCA ministerial positions mean for them? So far, if voting MCA means more of the same, there’s really no upside to voting MCA.

Tell all Malaysians something different, something more definite, things that will improve our cost and standard of living now! Before many more Malaysians run away.

That’s what all Malaysians care about. Not useless politicking like picking on particular communities for BN failings. You had 53 years already. You should know what and how to do it.

Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Soi Lek Silly Rantings

Soi Lek and MCA recently came under severe attack by Perkasa and nobody in BN came to their defense.

Yes, Chua SL attempted to speak up against what he considers is extreme and racist against Utusan.

End result: Perkasa demo in front of MCA HQ with no police deterrent, DPM coming in support of Utusan and Perkasa and no BN component parties especially Umno coming in support of MCA.

Today, Chua SL is reported here that he will vote PKR if they will remove Malay privileges from the Constitution.

Tangent Deflection

Where did this come from? PKR never proposed any changes to the Constitution. Then again, MCA probably doesn’t quite understand the privileges for Bumiputras which include the natives of East Malaysia.

We seem to always forget this group of people who has been marginalised in vocalisation of priveleges.

Furthermore, Nurul Izzah has kept pointing out the specific privileges in the Constitution but unknowing people have ignored her point and accused her of abandoning Malay rights.

Now Chua SL is diverting attention by sounding really silly on something without any basis.

Nobody is about to change the Constitution. It’s poor understanding and interpretation that is the problem here.

Chua SL Lost The Plot

It appears that the MCA leader is trying to grab sand while sinking (some say already sank). He is trying to win support and getting it all wrong.

If nothing substantial happens to MCA actions to shore support except using strawman rhetorics, MCA may be as good as history and a walking dead party.

The issues being fought by MCA are either stiffled or totally irrelevant. Like how Chua SL barks on totally stupid issues that only he seems interested in and nobody else.

His rhetorics are more foot in mouth and hurting his already poor image as well as MCA being a subservient member of BN. He needs a new team of advisors to guide him to speak on real issues that affects ALL Malaysians.

When will they ever learn? Malaysians are more mature and such rantings will be totally ignored and laughed at!

Sarawak Election – Who Really Won and Lost?

The Sarawak Election is over and the people has spoken. They brought BN and Taib back to power.

Obviously, BN won with 55 seats but lost 8% of the popular votes at 55.24% (unofficially).

Taib, PBB

Then it is also obvious that Taib won and he was promptly sworn in as the CM. He was slated to win anyways because PBB won all 35 seats, one short of a simple majority. Taib is not CM for 30 years by fluke. He also won his right to dictate to BM and specifically Umno of his power endorsed and over Najib’s intrusion during the end of the campaign.

There was never a moment that Taib would have lost except for wild speculations and Najib’s paranoia for not understanding Sarawak. Najib’s advisors should all be sacked for underestimating the old fox and usurping his power but Taib won hands down.

DAP

It is a resounding acceptance by the Sarawakians, not just the Chinese but Dayak and Iban communities that came thronging in support and gave it overwhelmingly. Winning 12 out of 15 seats contested is excellent and PKR, PAS, SUPP, and SNAP must learn from DAP and PBB.

Go for what you seriously can win. Not for wishful thinking like SNAP and PKR. Even PAS knew they didn’t stand a chance but going for 5 seats shows they were testing the water still. But PKR going for 49 seats and ended up losing 46 (regardless of reasons which might be true). PKR had no clue going into the Sarawak Election and the results showed.

DAP was preparing for close to a year. PKR was still bickering over seats with SNAP. And there’s nothing more needed to be said about SNAP now with such dismal results losing all 26 seats contested, including the one they won in 2006.

Najib

Although Najib and the rest of the Ministers would like to claim glory for the BN win, it will be too short sighted for them not to realize that their contribution almost helped the opposition win. The Taib factor was the platform for the opposition but was also the reason BN still won in all the heartlands of rural Sarawak. Taib knows best. That’s why he’s been CM for so long and with this results, no one can deny Taib, not even Najib.

But Najib did win for trying hard. And he did so at his own peril of upsetting Taib. Now, Najib will try to force Taib to step down and Taib’s message will be bugger off!

PKR

Not enough can be said but they don’t seem to learn. No proper preparation ahead of time, going into battle without strategy but piggyback on DAP. Going for way too many seats without having the right resources.

They underestimated the logistics and terrain of the constituencies they contested. There was no cohesive ground strategy except to push with ceramahs. Rural folks in the heartland needs handouts, not words, as they are already in hardship. Not able to communicate to them how PKR can change that if they voted PKR has been the biggest challenge.

PBB is there for way longer and knows the culture and terrain very well. What made PKR think by popping in during election that the people’s minds can be swayed? As we can now see, PBB won all their seats.

PKR’s Azmin Ali doesn’t know a thing about running campaigns and if he does, it didn’t show. DAP’s Tony Pua although new had all the experiences he can drawn on and the urban/rural landscape is more familiar after being there for decades. So PKR can’t expect the same results as DAP.

Last remark about PKR. They were hoping that the GE12 sentiments against the establishment was present and hoped that the people will vote just anyone as long as it’s not related to Taib. They were so wrong. Poor reading of Taib’s mega influence just like Najib. Seems that West Malaysians don’t have much of a clue on how Sarawak works and thinks.

SUPP

George Chan lost. SUPP won a mere 6 seats. George is expected to step down soon and let the next set of leaders decide the fate of the party, unlike Gerakan and MCA who has been giving SUPP advice publicly that sounded more like flatulence instead.

SUPP knows best. George must be really tired fighting the election of his life that was nothing like what SUPP had faced before. DAP literally overwhelmed with personable messages rather than generic rhetorics.

Sarawakians

The people will win but if any community of people is sidelined or victimised, there will surely be a retaliation in the GE13 when that happens.

The results is the people’s choice. They are still Sarawakians even if they didn’t vote BN. What should be alarming is that almost half the voters supported the opposition.

So to win them back is to do more to show BN can seriously “transform” into what they personally feel is improvement before the supportive 50% start casting the votes the other way.

One thing for sure. The popular votes show more accurately the sentiments of the people and not the seats as they don’t represent the 1 person 1 vote construction.

The people has spoken. Take heed. This is possibly the last chance for BN to buck up before it’s too late.

BN wins Sarawak but loses more seats to DAP, PKR

Taib delivers Sarawak yet again.

As the results are still coming in, the official announcement by EC was just made that BN has won by a simple majority. Indications are getting clearer that BN may just also get their 2/3 majority but just barely.

It is expected that DAP will win at least 12 seats with PKR between 8 to 12 seats. There is only 1 Independent winner.

What is clear is that SNAP and PAS did not win a single seat. Did SNAP help BN win by splitting the non-BN votes? We’ll know when the detailed results come in.

The biggest loser is SUPP where George Chan and many of his team lost to DAP.

What will this mean to BN, Taib and Najib?

This result is a wake up call to the BN to put things right and restore the confidence of the people. Fixing all the public grouses as well as reorganizing the BN parties, particularly SUPP, will be crucial.

Taib wins by not doing much and this will probably tells a story to Najib not to jump the gun in Sarawak. No matter how the opposition gains traction, it still can’t get that far. Sarawak is different from Peninsular. Although the Peninsular styles have certainly made an impact, the culture is still different from the Peninsula’s practice. The Najib intrusion was not appreciated and was a kneejerk reaction, a sense of desperation. But not for Taib at all.

The message can be said of one to Umno to please stay out of Sarawak. You don’t know how Sarawak works..

Now the opposition can be more effective in the State Assembly and will be a good improvement. It is good for the people to have a louder check-and-balance voice.

The people has spoken. Make their lives better or else the next election will see further erosion of BN seats.