Malaysia Votes Tomorrow

In about 9 hours, Malaysians will be going out to vote in the 14th General Election (GE14). Many say this might be a historic defining moment that may see Barisan Nasional (BN) become the Opposition Party in Parliament.

This time, Tun Mahathir is leading the charge at 92 of age. He could be enjoying life but has chosen to stand with the Opposition to challenge BN to Putrajaya.

This was never in anyone’s wildest dreams. With Anwar locked away, Tun M was a natural choice. And banding together PKR, Bersatu, DAP and Amanah, and yes, standing under the PKR logo only, Tun M is also making history of sorts.

It is left to be seen if voters for the Opposition can overcome the gerrymandering, the flippant decisions of Election Commission (EC), the incredulous promises made by Najib, the various tricks to prevent a big turnout, Malaysians must come out to vote.

Whatever results that may appear tomorrow should be seen as clean and fair in the eyes of all Malaysians and the world.

Will it be more of Najib’s offers or will it be a fresh and just new government? Even Umno doesn’t believe they can change.

Culture, especially a bad one, cannot be slowly nursed to be good. It must take the shock therapy of serious soul searching and humility, neither is found in Umno.

In light of the constant denials of wrongdoings, there is really nobody who dares to pry into all allegations anymore with Najib having consolidated his powers.

GE14 is about what the people say, if it is at least enough to turn the tide or Najib will have outfoxed his one-time mentor?

Will Malaysians see a new tomorrow or more of the same?

We shall know by early Thursday morning.

So, go vote, fellow Malaysians. Do your duty. Stay safe!

No Contest in Umno Election Contest

It is certainly interesting to watch the public calls for no contest to Umno’s top two posts – President and Deputy President. Tun Mahathir made the most bewildering comment where he supported no contest for these two posts. But it was his reasoning that was bewildering.

“Going by the democratic practice, we should have contests but Malaysians do not really understand the practice. If they lose, they will quit the party and set up another, causing the Malays and Umno to split further.

“In this connection, I support contests, but not for the two top posts of president and deputy president.” (read here).

When Tun M referred to “Malaysians do not really understand the practice”, he really meant the Umno Malays since the context of his comments was on Umno election, not on the Malaysia General Election. His description of the following statement about quitting the party is probably the allusion to Tengku Razaleigh during the 1987 Umno election but it is not accurate as he did not quit the party because of losing. It was Umno which was deregistered and subsequently to that, Tun M registered Umno Baru and removed all of Razaleigh’s supports from the Cabinet, thus forcing him to form Semangat 46 in 1988 after an earlier rejection of the name Umno 46. It was Tun M’s vindictive actions to penalize Razaleigh and his supporters that caused the split. The then Umno President took immediate actions to prevent a repeat of a close contest to his top post.

This is probably a case of selective memory to build a supporting reason for Tun M’s comments to support a no contest for the top two Umno posts. Quite typical of Tun M’s style for speaking off the cuff and justifying what he says based on his own version of events.

PM Najib touted that Malaysia had the “best democracy” in the world. That is really a joke looking at now with the mooting of no contest for his Umno post. How is it that Malaysians can accept democracy in the country but Umno as a party cannot? Why is it that Najib can seek a mandate with Malaysians but cannot do the same within his own party?

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.

The Final Leg Before The GE13 Finish Line

Malaysians expect the mother of all General Elections in the coming GE13. Both Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) are pulling everything out of their hats to build a strong perception amongst voters in a yet to be called General Election.

This is the longest unofficial campaign period ever in the history of Malaysia’s elections. Ever since PM Najib took over the reins from Pak Lah, he has hinted to seek a mandate but has never dared to call for one, even until now. We are staring at the end of April 2013 as the automatic end of Parliament if Najib does not call for its dissolution earlier. For now, Negri Sembilan has gone into caretaking mode with the rest of the state parliaments following suit over the next month or two.

So, what can we expect now?

1. Najib’s Strong Closing and Finishing

Being the incumbent although without the so-called mandate, Najib will always be poised to pose a very formidable close to his reign as the current PM. His so-called “State of the Union” address last was designed to spew all kinds of numbers and stats to generate a positive impression of his government’s work-in-progress in all areas of social, economic and financial development. Of course, much of the realities are yet to be felt by the man-on-the-street regardless of how much he elevates the country’s progress. In fact, people feel that they are well behind financially and economically.

So, how is it that our PM says everything is beautiful and the people says huh?

Who will be the next PM?

As much as questions fielded to Pakatan Rakyat as to who will be their choice for the PM position in the event they win the GE13, the same question should also be asked of Barisan Nasional as if current PM Najib will continue to be one if they win with a lesser majority than during ex-PM Abdullah Badawi in 2008.

Tun M has voiced out his opinion that Najib is weak and if a lesser majority is obtained by him, Tun M believes Najib should be replaced. Of course, he gave a caveat that it was to be the decision the of Umno Supreme Council. The observation of most political analysts actually concurs with Tun M and if Badawi had to go for historical poorest performance, so should Najib in following the precedent. Read here for an analysis that BN will not get a 2/3 majority in the GE13.

BN has been trying to shake the PR tree playing up a strawman that Anwar may not be the PR choice for PM because of objections from PAS. At the same time, BN is playing ignoramus regarding Najib’s position as PM and Najib knows it all too well.

That is why the GE13 will now be held at the very last possible moment that Najib can call. It is very clear by now he has missed all the best timing over the past 3 years and has placed Malaysia in a state of flux guessing the GE13. The expected date will now be mid-April for dissolving Parliament and EC shall call for the GE in mid-May with a possible 10 days of campaigning. Otherwise, Najib’s term automatically expires on 30th April and the constitution will take over from there onwards.

What is clear will be as follows:

BN Won’t Get 2/3 In GE13

It will be “impossible” for the BN to get a two-thirds parliamentary majority in the next general election – and this could lead to BN head and prime minister Najib Abdul Razak’s resignation, to a study says. (read here and here)

There is only a logical reasoning to come to such a conclusion.

The conclusion is one that has to do with the position of PM Najib to remain as Prime Minister of Malaysia. Will he be able to stay or will he be forced to step down?

Here is the simple analysis.

How Should We Now Vote, Malaysia?

MALAYSIANS DESERVE THE GOVERNMENT THEY VOTE FOR!

The Umno General Assembly is now over. The well coordinated and choreographed presidential meeting of Umno has done the job. Its members are feeling confused to what they swore, some feeling humored and most couldn’t figure out what they are supposed to swear on as the words came out of Umno President Najib’s mouth.

The final verdict seems to contend that Umno was trying to create a perception that it has changed, it is now more united under Najib, it can stand strong to fight in what is probably the mother of all General Election in Malaysia, it has stamped out dissent, it can show that Umno remains the backbone of BN and also the defender of the Malays, and the focus is on the enemy Pakatan Rakyat and Anwar.

Yes, that is what the media will want you to believe. It is what Umno wants you to believe and they did a rather good job at that. All the toned down rhetorics and crocodile tears shed along the way shows that Malaysian show business is not dead at all. And Umno is a natural at this gauging from the conduct over the past few days of the Umno General Assembly.

So kudos to Najib and the Umno leadership for the perception generated. Umno is ready for a bruising battle for sure.

But such attracts controversial comments from opponents like Lim KS, Anwar and Hadi Awang. Fear mongering, they say. No vision and substance to lead the country. No focus on what matters for the rakyat. Etcetera etcetera…

We watched the PAS Congress in November demonstrate that it is now stronger than ever and ready to tackle hard issues and people centric issues. PAS is focusing on a strong leadership display and invoked a controversial prayer on the failing of Umno in the coming GE13. That obviously drew disdain from Umno who retorted in the recent General Assembly.

But such is politics in Malaysia. Umno with its own recipe of rhetorics on race, religion and royalty against the opposition on economics, people well-being, eradicating corruption, better governance, lowering the economic burden, etc now resonate across the country.

2-Party System in Malaysia

Lim Boo Chang says that for a 2-party system to succeed in Malaysia, it can only work if all races have a stake in managing the country. He points out that a poor example is Penang being dominated by DAP representing the Chinese while PAS and PKR merely plays a secondary role (read here)

This is bull crap!

With due respect to our veteran politician, he has completely missed the point. His roots from the past must have gone so deep that racial politics flows in his vein. He forgets the old adage that “too many cooks spoil the broth”. How can we practice an inclusive brand of country management?

He still thinks the current BN leadership of the appearance to include multi-racial composition in the country management is the way to go. He forgets that there is only one party and one person who calls the shots. He is stuck in his old ways and alas posits a poor understanding of a better management model for the country.

The issue is on the quality of leadership to be the leaders of ALL Malaysians. By this, we mean that our leaders, regardless of race and religion they may be, should practice an inclusive strategy based on fundamental needs and national growth for ALL Malaysians. In this way, if any leaders practice forms of corruption, they are deemed to have strayed from this principle as they are taking away from the people whose fundamental needs must be met as well as from our country whose growth is at stake. If any leader only pays attention to a race rather than needs of people, he is deemed to have abandoned the greater good of the country.

In short, we should not care what race or religion the leaders belong to as long as they are capable and committed to care for all Malaysians and be the very leaders of all Malaysians. Their view must be one who will take the country to greater heights while ensuring all Malaysians are cared for. It is not a socialist view but a pragmatic view based on needs of Malaysians regardless of race or creed. They should not speak from all side of their mouths. They should not play to the gallery. Policies must be fair and just and strategic and impactful. Implementation must be vigorous and faithful and not have hidden agendas.

DAP, Tunku Aziz and Dissent

The unfortunate episode where Tunku Aziz finally quit DAP has occured. Much has been said by many people but in the final analysis, a highly respected individual like Tunku has gone down the path in a distasteful way.

Is it that DAP cannot handle dissent? On the contrary. Just as in Pakatan Rakyat, they have plenty of issues they cannot agree on but they can agree to disagree. You can’t see that in Barisan Nasional. If you disagree, keep it to yourself.

Tunku Aziz has stood up for many good and noble issues during his time as the leader of Transparency Malaysia International (TMI). He spoke fearlessly and without favor. The people loved him as a genuine and honest and sincere leader of the society. But those were the days.

When in a collective leadership in an organization like the DAP, Tunku forgets that he is not the TMI head any longer. He is neither the DAP head either. So when he takes a public stand against party position, he became the embarrassment for the DAP leadership. It is no longer about dissent. Once it becomes a public matter, Tunku has breached his honor to the party.

Shahrizat Cabinet Post – Not A Resignation

It was widely reported that Sharizat was resigning from their Cabinet post on April 8. Then came reports that she didn’t submit her resignation letter. To too it off, PM Najib applauded her saying she sacrificed herself for the party.

This was what she was reported to have said.

“On April 8, when my term as senator ends, I will step down as… minister,”

The reality is that this is a play of words. Najib and Sharizat must have had an understanding that she step aside gracefully while helping Umno dodge the NFC bullets.