Umno Plans 50 Election Petitions, More Than PR

Najib dropped a major bombshell that Umno is planning to file at least 50 election petitions for parliamentary and state seats with another 37 under consideration (read here). This will beat Pakatan Rakyat’s 31 petitions being planned – PKR 20, PAS 8 and DAP 3. Filing petitions is an expensive affair and almost all the time, these petitions are thrown out because of technicality without considering their merits.

It is quite understandable for PR to want to file the petitions because they claim that they have been cheated of the results. It will be really awkward if they didn’t file enough petitions to demonstrate they can win at least 112 seats for a simple majority. Hence, the plan for 31 petitions. The #Black505 rallies have been conducted to expound on the displeasure of losing because of irregularities, foul play and gerrymandering which consequently had demanded for the dismissal of the SPR’s Chairman and Deputy and to restructure SPR to be placed under the jurisdiction of the Parliament, the original place in the Federal Constitution prior to the many amendments made over the years.

Now, for Umno and not even BN to file petitions will be surprising. To top it all, Najib said that Umno will file at least 50 petitions while having 37 more under consideration. This is the surprise of surprise. Just what is Umno displeased about the GE13 which they have never raised since the results were announced on the early morning of 6 May. They contended that everything was clean and fair and that all must accept the results and Najib called for a national reconciliation (besides blaming a Chinese Tsunami for losses of seats).

The question on everybody’s shocked minds is what points will Umno be raising for the Election Petition of a GE13 which they kept claiming was free and fair. Very strange indeed. Will Umno actually file those petitions or if this is just a Public Relations gimmick will be left for Malaysians to wonder for now. By 12 June, all parties must file their petitions with the High Court.

Malaysia At A Standstill

The PM has been sworn in. So did the Cabinet except for 5 individuals who should not have joined in at the time as they were not made Senators yet. The new term begins with a fiasco yet to be rectified. There has been rallies by PR and NGOs showing anger at alleged fraud and also directed at the Election Commission (EC) demanding reforms and for the heads to step down.

Obviously, none of the rallies and demands will be met because the Govt will not want to bow down to such pressure. In turn, they started to arrest PR leaders and activists but ignore pro-Umno bloggers and Utusan Malaysia and even Perkasa. The show of power to silence the Opposition is back.

Such is the beginnings of Najib’s new term. Uncertainty, draconian acts, selective prosecutions, all being the continuation of his previous term. No reforms are evident although Najib has reiterated that he will want to do so. While spewing such promises, the Sedition Act is used again. And arrests made to show power and strike fear into Malaysians.

Early Observations of GE13 Results

The votes are finalized and announced by SPR. BN wins 133 over PR 89 seats in Parliament. BN governs all states except Penang, Kelantan and Selangor. PR gains 7 additional seats. All this with strong underlying presence of alleged fraud with phantom voters and unfair main stream media coverage.

Najib’s initial reaction is that he did not expect the Chinese votes to swing so extreme (read here). His line of reasoning was covered with racial overtones with blames on the Chinese community and voting along racial lines.

This off-the-cuff reaction speaks very loudly that Najib’s line of thinking is very racial indeed. In psychological evaluation, one is tested on quick first thing in the mind reaction which shows how Najib thinks. He forgets that there are Malays who voted PR and the popular vote for PR was higher than BN. Why must everything be racial? Because that is how BN thinks and works.

In the calling for national reconciliation, will Najib remains focused on racial lines or will he take the nation beyond race to needs? Unfortunately, not many believes he will change much. It will be flowery rhetorics with racial policies underlying national strategies. But we shall give him a chance and see.

What actually happened in GE13?

How can Najib calls for unity but blames “Chinese Tsunami”?

Yes, BN has won the GE13 amidst challenges that there have been massive fraud. Najib has declared that GE13 was free and fair while phantom voters prevailed.

And strangely, while calling for national reconciliation (read here), he also blamed the results being racial as a Chinese tsunami in his off-the-cuff remark to reporters.

He calls for moderation but speaks of racial overtones. Can he decide what he really wants to do?

If everything is viewed through racial glasses, Malaysia is more than finished. This practice has gone on for far too long and ignoring the needs of the populace being so varying that it is not race but needs that must be the way forward.

PR won many of the seats with superb Malay, Chinese and Sabah Bumiputra votes. Looking at the results as purely Chinese makes Najib a bigot and never thinking about East Malaysia at all.

Reconciliation means the new Govt will do everything for everyone, regardless if they voted for them or not and to do so fairly and justly and without fear or favor. No corruption.

Can Najib lead this in true reconciliation spirit or will he continue to punish voters and make policies along racial lines? Will he step up to be the PM of all Malaysians or only for some while shouting 1Malaysia?

Some say, can a leopard change his spots? In politics, maybe, anything goes. We shall see in the coming days if Najib will remain race or needs?

GE13 Results As It Happens

Final Update: Monday 6 May

[OFFICIAL]
BN 133
PR 89

BN wins GE13 with 7 seats less than 2008.

Penang is retained by Pakatan Rakyat with more than 2/3 majority.

Kelantan is retained by Pakatan Rakyat with 2/3 majority.

Perak is retained by BN with a 3 seat majority.

Selangor is retained by Pakatan Rakyat with 2/3 majority.

Kedah is won by BN with a 6 seat majority.

Perlis is retained by BN with 2/3 majority.

Terengganu is retained by BN with a 2 seat majority.

Pahang is retained by BN with 2/3 majority.

Johor is retained by BN with a 2/3 majority.

Negeri Sembilan is retained by BN with 2/3 majority.

Melaka is retained by BN with 2/3 majority.

Sabah is retained by BN with 2/3 majority.

Final Thoughts before Election Day 5 May

It is less than 24 hours to Election Day. There were mega rallies by BN and PR in their final push for a historic election of Malaysia. Reports say that they are neck to neck in the race to the final. But is it? There are some very disturbing allegations spreading around the country and must be things that voters before tomorrow’s big day.

Malaysian have been bombarded with promises and slogans and ceramahs of a grander scale than in 2008. At the same time, problematic news have been circulated without clear replies from all parties involved. This makes things all the more suspicious. What are they?

Major National Issues Affecting GE13

With GE13 around the corner on 5 May, there are a number of issues that affects voters across Malaysia. This election is no longer the same old traditional styles but is seeing Pakatan Rakyat mounting the strongest challenge ever against the BN. Amidst the ceramahs around the country and regardless of how pundits will forecast the wins, there are still key issues that voters are grappling with.

This posting attempts to allow readers who are voters to voice out their concerns and opinions on such issues.

Here is a list of issues that many Malaysians are seeking some answers to and will be updated regularly to reflect readers comments. Please share your thoughts before 5 May. Thank you.

1. Fair Press
2. Water Crisis in Selangor
3. Vernacular Schools
4. National Debt
5. Lower Petrol Price
6. Lower Car Price
7. Free Education
8. Abolishing BTN
9. Fighting for All Malaysians
10. Communal Politics and Society
11. Lower Food Prices

Nomination Day Surprises

Last Updated: 23/04/13 @ 8:30 pm

Today is Nomination Day and we see a number of surprises indeed. By noon time, the announcements will be officially made. Here are some news around the Internet and comments accorded. It will be updated when the Official information is made available.

1. Pandan

Incumbent Ong Tee Kiat has stayed out of the nominations but his ex-private secretary (ex because he apparently resigned last night) filed his as an Independent. Malaysians can see that this is brewing to be a proxy fight against PKR’s Rafizi and MCA’s Gary Lim.

2. Pasir Mas

Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali confirmed his nomination as an Independent after being left out of the BN list. However, Umno’s Che Johan refrained from filing his nomination papers making this a straight fight with PAS Nik Abduh. So, Umno had to do this longwinded way to save face to avoid direct linkage to Perkasa’s Ibrahim Ali and stepping aside for him in acknowledging Tun M’s endorsement of this man. There are two Perkasa men in the election this time, the other being Zul under Umno’s banner.

Update: Che Johan has been called to answer an internal Umno investigation as he did not submit his papers. It was understood that he may be sacked for not filing his papers under Umno.

3. DAP uses Rocket with RoS Approval

Lim GE tweeted that RoS hand delivered a letter stating they have no objections to the Rocket symbol being used in the GE13. All EC posts appears to have accepted the DAP nominations with the Rocket symbol. DAP was ready to use PAS and PKR symbols.

4. Teratai

Incumbent Jenice Lee stepped in as an Independent after she was dropped by DAP in favor of a relatively unknown Tiew Way Keng. She tweeted that she was willing to rejoin DAP if she wins.

Updated: Jenice apologizes to Karpal Singh as she is determined to stand as an Independent to defend her seat. She is duly sacked from DAP.

5. Large number of Independent Candidates

There were a very large number of Independents who filed their nomination papers by the close of the session. Only a very small number of seats will see a straight fight. Time will tell if most of them will withdraw soon enough.

6. Kota Laksamana

A DAP parliamentary candidate for Kota Melaka submitted his nomination to stand as an Independent for the Kota Laksamana state seat. He is the second DAP member to defy the leadership and stands to be sacked. This is quite unbecoming of Sim and has thrown a spanner into the DAP and PR’s position to win more seats.

Updated: Sim announced that he has pulled out as an Independent for the Kota Laksamana seat.

7. Kuala Kangsar

Umno Wanita Deputy Chief resigned and submitted her papers to stand as an Independent for this Parliamentary Seat. She had publicly disagreed with Najib’s recommendation for her to stand in a state seat. She will fight Umno Wan Mohammad and PAS Khalil Idham Lim.

Updated: Kamilia denied that she was ever offered a seat as claimed by Najib. She is duly sacked from Umno along with a number of others who also filed to run as Independents.

8. Mas Gading

Incumbent Dr Tiki Lafe filed his papers as an Independent and poised to fight against BN/SPDP Anthony Nogeh and candidates from PKR and STAR. His declaration that he is BN-friendly has been rubbished by SPDP who kicked him out a while back.

9. Alor Mengkudu

Fadzil Hanafi of Umno filed his papers as an Independent candidate this morning causing ripples in the State Umno office. He will fight against the Umno and PAS candidates.

10. List by @tiewnama

1. Naib Ketua Wanita UMNO, Datuk Kamilia Ibrahim – Parlimen Kuala Kangsar

2. Bekas Timbalan Menteri Pertanian, Datuk Seri Mohd Shariff Omar – Parlimen Tasek
Gelugor,

3. Ketua Pemuda UMNO Sepang, Suhaimi Mohd Ghazali – Parlimen Sepang

4. Ahli Jawatankuasa UMNO Sepang, Hanafiah Mohamed – Parlimen Sepang

5. Ketua Penerangan UMNO cawangan Sungai Besi, Mokhtar Salahudin – Parlimen
Bandar Tun Razak

6. Setiausaha Kerja UMNO Bandar Tun Razak, Mohamad Sukeri Abdul Samat – Parlimen
Bandar Tun Razak

7. Ahli UMNO cawangan Bukit Persekutuan, Rusli Baba – Parlimen Lembah Pantai

8. Ahli UMNO Subang, Datuk Edros Abdullah – DUN Kota Damansara

9. Ketua UMNO cawangan Sungai Buaya Selatan, Mustaf Talib – DUN Batang Kali

10. Bekas Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri Tanjung Seri, Datuk Fadzil Hanafi – DUN Alor
Mengkudu

11. Ahli UMNO Sungai Cawangan Limau, Sobri Ahmad – DUN Sungai Limau

12. AJK UMNO Bakri, Md Ghazali Salamun – DUN Bukit Naning

13. Timbalan Ketua UMNO cawangan FELDA Adela, Mohd Azaman Johari – Parlimen
Pengerang

14. AJK UMNO Ledang, Mohd Zan Abu – DUN Gambir

15. Ketua UMNO cawangan Parit Rabu, Yunos Mustakim – DUN Gambir

16. Ahli UMNO cawangan Kampung Banggol, Bekas Ahli Parlimen Setiu,
Mohd Yusop Majid – DUN Permaisuri

17. Bendahari UMNO cawangan Pekan Kertih, Zulkiflee Salleh – DUN Kemasek

18. Ahli UMNO cawangan Bukit Perah, Mohd Nuhairi Muhammad – DUN Ajil

19. Ahli UMNO cawangan Kampung Kubang Panjang, Ja’afar Jambol – DUN Alur Limbat

20. Ahli UMNO cawangan Kampung Ibol, Md Ali Mustafa bertanding – DUN Seri Menanti

21. Ketua UMNO cawangan Kikangsa Kayul, Jusbian Kenneth@Kini – DUN Kuala Penyu

22. Ahli Pemuda UMNO cawangan Sungai Sibugah, Mohd Arshad Abdul – DUN Sungai
Sibugah

23. Penyelaras BN Batu Kawan, A Mohan – Parlimen Batu Kawan, DUN Bukit Tengah

24. Penyelaras DUN Machang Bubuk, Ooi Suan Hoe – DUN Kuala Kubu Bharu

25. Ketua MCA cawangan Bandar Kuala Kubu Bharu, Yoong Tham Fook – DUN Kuala Kubu Bharu(?)

What can we expect AFTER GE13?

With the GE13 date set for May 5, we will see the culmination of Malaysia’s longest campaign period in our history. Although the formal campaign period is 15 days from Nomination Day, the unofficial campaigning started since PM Najib took over the reins from Pak Lah. For the past 4 years, Malaysians have gotten all kinds of goodies shoved at them with little economic fundamental progress. Whether they be budgets, programs, policies or expenditures, they are all short term designed to create the impression of strategy but with the intent to make the people feel good about Najib.

Well, the time will soon come for the day of reckoning if all that is said by BN and PR are well understood by Malaysians to translate into real votes for either of these political alignments.

Every political party is on the campaign road knowing full well nobody will stop them anymore regardless of the fact that the official campaigning period is not yet here. Everyday on TV, we will see how Najib pronounce the fact that BN is the savior of Malaysia and everybody else is rubbish.

Then, again, no Govt linked media will ever say anything bad about the ruling parties so that Malaysians will believe anything the media says and BN can do no wrong and there is everything wrong with the Opposition.

Thanks to the Internet and the alternate media, Malaysians can now assess for themselves both sides of the story. It appears that the Opposition has made significant inroads to the Internet savvy voters but those who are not so savvy may be missed out. More work to be done, obviously.

Fast forward to after GE13 and *&^%#$ has won the elections and now the Federal Govt.

We have two very distinct eventualities to consider. Many people are unaware that both BN and PR offers Malaysians two different destinies. Their manifestos may be incomplete but their general sense of direction are diverging. Furthermore, there are many intentions of both BN and PR that are not mentioned in their manifestos.

BN Destiny

Najib promises to fight graft if re-elected: Too Little, Too Late?

Najib promised more specialist graft courts and greater public disclosure of government contracts if BN is allowed to extend its 55 years of unbroken rule, according to a manifesto he unveiled at his first election rally since dissolving Parliament on April 3.

“My sincere apologies to all Malaysians IF we have done anything wrong,” the caretaker prime minister said in his speech, which had been broadcasted live on national television.
“At the end of the day, we are ORDINARY humans. IF we are given a strong mandate, I can assure you that we will do better in the NEXT five years. (emphasis mine)” This was what PM Najib said during the controversial live broadcast of the BN manifesto last Saturday night (read here).

Too little, too late, Mr Prime Minister. Way too little.

For 56 years when BN (read Umno) and now Najib is ruling, nothing much was really done but much said about graft and doing their best for the Rakyat.

Here is a gentle reminder to the NEXT Government.

YOU ARE VOTED BY THE PEOPLE TO SERVE THE PEOPLE FOR THEIR BEST INTERESTS. Malaysia is supposed to be governed by the people and for the people. Not for self interests.

What Najib should be saying is as follows: