GEORGE TOWN: Sin Chew Daily News reporter Tan Hoon Cheng may be released as soon as today, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar.
He added that no more Internal Security Act (ISA) arrests were expected but it will depend on the situation of public order.
Tan, who was arrested under the ISA on Friday night, was sent to Bukit Aman at about 8.30am Saturday.
Prior to that her parents were allowed to see her at the Penang police headquarters.
In a statement Saturday, Wanita MCA chief Datuk Ng Yen Yen said the Government should review the ISA to prevent its abuse or confusion when it is invoked.
Dr Ng said the MCA has sent a team of lawyers to help Tan’s family while Penang Wanita MCA chief Tan Cheng Liang said she would provide counselling for the family.
Tan, who was picked up at 8.40pm Friday, was taken from her house in Taman Seri Rambai in Bukit Mertajam to the state police headquarters on the island.
Tan, 32, reported former Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s racist remarks while campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election.
source : http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/13/nation/20080913100931&sec=nation
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia Today news portal editor Raja Petra Kamarudin, Seputeh MP Teresa Kok and Sin Chew Daily reporter Tan Hoon Cheng were arrested under the Internal Security Act (ISA) here and in Penang.
The first person to be picked up was Raja Petra, 58, from his house in Sungai Buloh near here, followed by Tan, 32, who was arrested from her house in Bukit Mertajam, Penang. Teresa, 43, was detained at 11.20pm as she was on her way home in a car.
All of them were arrested under Section 73(1) of the ISA for allegedly being a threat to security, peace and public order.
A team of police officers from Bukit Aman arrived at Raja Petra’s house at 1.10pm and led him away 40 minutes later.
The team also took some 15 VCDs on ceramah held by Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as well as 16 books.
Last week, the Department of Islamic Development (Jakim) and several Muslim bodies lodged a police report against Raja Petra, who is already facing criminal defamation charges for allegedly insulting the Malays, Muslims and Islam.
In a statement, Deputy Inspector General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar said Raja Petra was arrested based on surveillance that showed that he was involved in activities that could cause unrest among the multi-racial and multi-religious society of the country.
Tan, who was picked up at 8.40pm, was taken from her house in Taman Seri Rambai in Bukit Mertajam to the state police headquarters on the island.
Tan, 32, reported former Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail’s racist remarks while campaigning for the Permatang Pauh by-election.
Lee Kelvin from Guang Ming and Tan Ming Xao from Nanyang Siang Pau, who had vouched for the accuracy of Tan’s report had gone into hiding.
Kok, 43, who is also state assemblyman for Kinrara and the senior Selangor state executive councillor, was picked up over an alleged involvement with a resident’s petition over a mosque.
Acting Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ismail Omar confirmed the arrests of Tan and Kok.
Under the Section, police are empowered to detain the trio for a period of 60 days after which the Home Minister can decide on further detention.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Syed Hamid Albar admitted that the decision to detain people and issue show cause letters would be unpopular and would be criticised but it had to be done.
“While we may want to be popular, freedom without responsibilities has ramifications.
“We have to take action to protect the wishes of the majority,” he said.
Syed Hamid also said Raja Petra had been warned on many occasions in the last two years.
“Now, with so much public uneasiness, we do not want anything that can threaten peace in the country.
“The police looked at all aspects and, under present circumstances, the actions were necessary,” he added.
source: http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/9/13/nation/2022362&sec=nation
Permatang Pauh (BebasBersuara): Kiraan undi terkini menunjukkan Anwar Ibrahim sedang mendahului semua peti undi. Secara tidak rasminya Anwar Ibrahim boleh diishtiharkan sebagai pemenang.
[Lagi berita menyusul kemudian]
[8.20mlm] Kini kawasan yang dikhaskan untuk penyokong UMNO telah hampir kosong.
[9.00mlm] Keputusan tidak rasmi yang diterima adalah Ketua Umum KeADILan, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim menang sebanyak 31,949 undi manakala calon BN mendapat 14,297 undi manakala calon bebas hanya 74 undi. Majoriti undi yang dimenangi Anwar adalah 17,652 undi.
Siapakah sebenarnya Ramlang bin Porigi.? Kenapakah tetiba sahaja namanya begitu hangat dikalangan mereka yang terlibat dengan dunia tanpa batasan ini(internet).? Begitu cepat namanya tersebar di blog-blog dan juga forum-forum.
Bagi yang tinggal di kampung atau tidak mendapat kemudahan internet taupun mereka yang berinternet tapi tidak ambil kisah sangat pasal semua ini., mungkin mereka tidak mengetahui sangat siapakah sebenarnya Ramlang bin Porigi ini.?
Untuk merungkai sedikit sebanyak perihal Ramlang bin Porigi ini,
- Beliau merupakan imam yang dinyatakan di media masa sebagai imam yang terlibat semasa upacara angkat sumpah oleh Saiful.(tidak kenal Saiful? ala, yang terlibat dengan Anwar pasal kes liwat tu)
-Nama beliau tidak dinyatakan didalam media masa dan juga media cetak.( Kalau tidak silap tv3 hanya menyatakan disaksikan oleh seorang imam, tetapi tidak dinyatakan namanya dan wajahnya)
-Beliau merupakan ahli pemuda UMNO cawangan Seri Macang.
-Termasuk dalam senarai pengundi berdaftar dalam data SPR bagi parlimen Permatang Pauh
So, sekarang ini apa.? Ketika ramai yang mempertikaikan segalanya pasal apa yang berlaku sekarang ini. terpikir juga aku bagaimanakah perasaan Ramlang binPogiri ini. Tetiba sahaja menjadi begitu glamour.:)_. Entah la, aku nak komen banyak2 pun , aku bukanlah tahu segalanya. Takut nanti aku dituduh memfitnah pula.:). Cuma apa yang aku ingin lakukan adalah untuk berkongsi apa yang aku tahu kepada mereka yang tidak tahu dan ingin mengetahui..:).
fikir-fikirkanlah..:)
Kuala Lumpur(BebasBersuara): Benar kata Islam selagi seseorang itu tidak didapati bersalah maka usahlah dihukumnya. Antara yang berkeyakinan tinggi terhadap Anwar adalah musyridul am PAS dan juga presiden nya.
Kedatangan pemimpin tertinggi PAS untuk mengiringi Anwar Ibrahim memperlihatkan keyakinan parti yang berteraskan Islam terhadap segala tuduhan terhadap Anwar Ibrahim sekadar gimik politik yang bertujuan menghalang kemaraan Pakatan Rakyat.
Bagi pemimpin tertinggi PAS dan musyridul amnya, mereka sependapat bahawa segala tuduhan itu masih belum dibuktikan dan Anwar masih tidak dibuktikan bersalah.
Rakyat yang mahukan perubahan perlulah memeberikan sokongan kepada Anwar Ibrahim tanpa ragu-ragu agar suara rakyat terus bergema di Parlimen. Usah disia-siakan seorang pemimpin yang diyakini mampu memberikan perubahan kepada rakyat.
Kuala Lumpur (BebasBersuara): 'Mangsa liwat' Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan telah menunaikan janjinya untuk mengangkat sumpah mengikut syariat Islam bahawa beliau bercakap benar diatas dakwaannya di liwat oleh Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim, di Masjid Wilayah Persekutuan, Jalan Duta di sini semalam.
Ada sesetengah pihak menanyakan kenapa dilakukan sehari sebelum penamaan calon pilihanraya? Ada pula yang musykil samada al-quran itu sendiri samaada 'ada isi' atau kosong? walauapapun jika benar semua syarat telah dipenuhi amat wajar untuk rakyat menunggu respon daripada Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Barangkali jika benar perkara liwat ini berlaku diantara mereka dan dengan sukarela, wajar diambil tindakan demi maruah Islam. Persoalannya dipaksa atau direla? dan persoalan paling besar ialah benarkah terjadi liwat tersebut? atau sekadar gimik politik untuk menghancurkan seorang Melayu yang berpotensi? Jika ini adalah fitnah semata-mata, sesungguhnya orang Melayu bakal kehilangan seorang pemimpin!
Agence France-Presse - 8/1/2008 10:10 AM GMT
The popularity of Malaysia's prime minister has hit a new low, a survey said, after an increase in fuel prices compounded rising economic and political concerns.
[Click here for more]
More than half the people surveyed by independent research firm Merdeka Centre said they were dissatisfied with Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose ruling party suffered one of its worst electoral defeats in March.
Just 42 percent of the 1,030 people interviewed said they were pleased with his management of the country -- sharply down from around 91 percent when he took power in 2004.
Only 28 percent of registered voters were satisfied with the economic and political direction of the country, said the survey, released late Thursday.
"This may be in part due to a deepening concern over the state of the economy as a majority (59 percent) were worried over economic related issues followed by 10 percent who cited political issues as being most important," the centre's director Ibrahim Suffian said in a statement.
In June, Abdullah announced a deeply unpopular 41 percent increase in fuel prices to cut a ballooning subsidy bill.
Meanwhile, two-thirds of respondents viewed recent sodomy charges against opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim as politically motivated, while only 11 percent believed the accusations.
Former deputy premier Anwar is seeking to return to parliament following a 10-year absence during which he was jailed on separate charges of sodomy -- an offence under Malaysian law -- which were later overturned.
Agence France-Presse - 8/10/2008 3:22 AM GMT
Former Malaysian premier Mahathir Mohamad has denied speculation he will run against his arch-foe, opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim, in a by-election expected to return Anwar to parliament.
[click here for more]
Anwar was Mahathir's deputy and heir apparent until 1998 when he was sacked and jailed on sodomy and corruption charges widely seen as retribution for challenging his one-time mentor.
Mahathir, who has also had a serious falling out with his successor, Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, said the ruling party has no one who can beat Anwar in the August 26 by-election.
"At the moment I do not see anyone who can give Anwar a run for his money," Mahathir said, according to the New Straits Times newspaper.
But Mahatir said he would not challenge Anwar for the seat vacated by Anwar's wife after he was charged with sodomy once again last week.
"No way, I have resigned in 2003 and I have said that I'm not coming back," he said, according to the state Bernama news agency.
Despite the new allegations that he sodomised a young male aide -- a serious offence in Malaysia that carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment -- Anwar has said he is still on track to seize power.
Landmark general elections in March handed the opposition an unprecedented one-third of parliamentary seats, and Anwar would need just 30 lawmakers from the ranks of the ruling coalition to switch sides.
Agence France-Presse - 8/10/2008 2:01 AM GMT
Exactly a decade ago, Malaysia was in the economic doldrums, former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim faced sodomy charges, and disbelieving citizens suspected a government conspiracy.
[click here for more]
Fast forward to 2008 -- Anwar has reinvented himself as the figurehead of a thriving opposition, and the country has a serious case of deja vu.
The economy is in a rut, Anwar faces another lurid court case on the same charge, and a majority of Malaysians are convinced the ruling coalition concocted the allegations to once again sabotage his political ambitions.
"People have come to the conclusion that the closer he is to wanting to obtain power, the more difficult others will make it for him to achieve that," said Tricia Yeoh from the Centre for Public Policy Studies.
"A lot of people are very tired, after living through the first sodomy trial... which had a chilling effect on the country, even until today. People thought it was blatant political manoeuvering," she said.
The first time around, Anwar's downfall came after he challenged veteran ruler Mahathir Mohamad. The second time, he was struck down after landmark elections that he said put him within striking distance of seizing power.
The United States and rights group Amnesty International have raised concern over the new charges against Anwar, who was originally convicted in a trial that saw him brought to court with a black eye after a vicious beating from the police chief.
He spent six years in jail until 2004 when the nation's highest court overturned the conviction, allowing him to begin campaigning for his Keadilan party which now leads a three-member opposition alliance.
In March it pulled off an extraordinary feat in general elections, seizing one third of parliamentary seats and five states in the most serious challenge ever faced by the coalition which has ruled for half a century.
Shortly after, Anwar shocked the political elite by saying he would soon form a new administration with the help of defecting government lawmakers -- he needs 30 to switch sides.
The timing of the new charges, days after the charismatic 61-year-old announced he would contest a by-election to return to parliament, has fuelled suspicions of a conspiracy.
A recent survey found just 11 percent of Malaysians believe the accusations that he sodomised a 23-year-old man who was a volunteer at his office.
A full 66 percent believe it is a "politically motivated action to disrupt Anwar Ibrahim's political career", according to the Merdeka Centre poll of 1,030 people last month.
And in sentiments that mirror those of a decade ago, only 33 percent said they had confidence in the judiciary and police who will determine Anwar's fate.
Malaysians interviewed at a Kuala Lumpur petrol station, where they filled up after a recent 41 percent price hike, had strikingly similar views, accusing the government of staging a sideshow to deflect attention from economic woes.
"The new sodomy charges against Anwar Ibrahim are all a political game because he is now a real threat to the prime minister," said Abdul Halim, a 28-year-old designer.
Businessman Mohamad Fazli Farid said the government should focus instead on the plight of ordinary workers who are unable to cope with high fuel and food prices on chronically low wages.
"Anwar was cleared of all the sodomy charges before so what are they trying to prove now? We have all grown up in the last 10 years and people are not so stupid to just accept all these things blindly," he said.
Sodomy is a serious offence which carries a penalty of 20 years imprisonment in Malaysia, a conservative and predominantly Muslim country. But the graphic charges do not appear to have dented his popularity.
In the electorate of Permatang Pauh in Anwar's home state, which is expected to return him to office on August 26, voters said they were even more determined to support him.
"It looks like the government is out to fix him again. Everyone knows that the charge against him is nothing but a lie," said 46-year-old Suhaimi Samsuddin.
"The only thing we can do now is to vote for Anwar and make sure he gets to parliament and eventually form the government. Only then can we right all that is wrong in this country."
source: Agence France-Presse - 8/6/2008 5:01 AM GMT
Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim said Wednesday he had been informed he would be formally charged with sodomy on Thursday -- a crime punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment.
"They are charging me tomorrow. It's for sodomy," Anwar told AFP, adding that the authorities had informed him of the move in a letter.
Anwar, a former deputy premier who was jailed a decade ago on sodomy charges that were later overturned, faces new allegations by a 23-year-old aide, Mohamad Saiful Bukhari Azlan.
Anwar has rejected the accusations which he says have been fabricated to prevent him from toppling the government, after landmark March elections that handed the opposition an unprecedented one-third of parliamentary seats.
He announced last week he would contest a by-election for a seat vacated by his wife and earlier Wednesday the Election Commission announced the vote would be held on August 26.
The commission's chairman Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman said parties must nominate their candidates on August 16.
"During the by-election, it is important for all parties to follow the orders given by the security authorities and ensure peace and stability," he told reporters.
Anwar, the figurehead of the Keadilan party which heads the three-member opposition alliance, has said he is bracing for "massive" vote-rigging by the government to block him from winning the key ballot.
Keadilan information chief Tian Chua condemned the authorities' decision to hold the vote on a Tuesday, instead of on the weekend which is usual practice.
"I think the reason they are having it on a weekday is to reduce the turnout," he said.
"This is a deliberate action to inconvenience the voters. We condemn the Election Commission for their decision."
"We fear there could be rigging. We urge our supporters not to be complacent, it is going to be a tough battle but we are confident of victory," he said
Andai Anwar Ibrahim berjaya sampai ke Putrajaya, siapa bakal menteri yang akan dipilih terutamanya di kementerian yang penting seperti pertahanan, kewangan, dan lain-lain?
Berdasarkan sejarah penubuhan DAP, tidak mungkin rakyat membiarkan wakil dari DAP untuk memegang jawatan menteri pertahanan atau timbalan menteri pertahanan. Diyakini bahawa rakyat akan memberontak jika perkara sebegini berlaku.
Dikatakan kewujudan DAP adalah dari serpihan PAP (people action party) yang mana telah keluar dari Tanah Melayu untuk membentuk negara sendiri iaitu Singapura.
BebasBersuara ingin nyatakan disini pendirian bahawa walau siapa pun yang menjadi perdana menteri, jawatan menteri pertahanan dan timbalan, serta menteri kewangan mesti untuk orang Melayu! Sebarang tindakan luar dugaaan dengan melantik menteri dikalangan bukan orang Melayu beragama Islam sebagai menteri pertahanan dan menteri kewangan pasti akan mengundang bala yang besar!
Sungguhpun BebasBersuara mahukan perdana menteri baru untuk menggantikan perdana menteri sekarang, BebasBersuara tidak akan bersetuju dengan tindakan yang disebut sebagai melemahkan bangsa Melayu baik dari sudut ekonomi, pendidikan mahupun kesihatan dan pertahanan. Mari hayati lirik lagu ini bersama...
Lagu Warisan : bumi dipijak milik orang
Anak kecil main api,
Terbakar hatinya yang sepi,
Air mata darah bercampur keringat,
Bumi dipijak milik orang.
Nenek moyang kaya raya,
Tergadai seluruh harta benda,
Akibat sengketa sesamalah kita,
Cinta lenyap diarus zaman.
Indahnya bumi kita ini,
Warisan berkurun lamanya,
Hasil mengalir ke tangan yang lain,
Peribumi merintih sendiri.
Masa depan sungguh kelam,
Kan lenyap peristiwa semalam,
Tertutuplah hati terkunci mati,
Maruah peribadi dah hilang.
Kini kita cuma tinggal kuasa,
Yang akan menentukan bangsa,
Bersatulah hati bersama berbakti,
Pulih kembali harga diri.
Kini sudah tiada masa,
Majulah dengan gagah perkasa,
Janganlah terlalai teruskan usaha,
Melayukan gagah di nusantara,
Melayukan gagah di nusantara.
Dear friends and supporters,
Join us for the moment that we've waited 10 years for - the campaign to return Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to Parliament.
At 9:00 PM at the Tapak Ekspo Pertanian in Seberang Jaya, Penang, YB Husam Musa, YB Azmin Ali, YAB Lim Guan Eng, Dato' Seri Dr. Wan Azizah will join Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim in the kickoff event for his campaign to win in Permatang Pauh.
We'll have highlights of the event to share with you soon.
Office of Anwar Ibrahim
After deliberating with my family, the Keadilan party leadership and our partners in the Pakatan Rakyat, I have officially submitted my resignation as Member of Parliament of Permatang Pauh to the Speaker of Parliament YB Tan Sri Datuk Pandikar Amin Bin Hj. Mulia today to make way for my husband, Anwar Ibrahim, to contest as a candidate for Pakatan Rakyat in a by-election as soon as possible.
This is consistent with our goals towards securing a Parliamentary majority and forming a new government within this year.
This decision is the right decision for Malaysia.
The nation now faces some of the greatest challenges it has encountered since gaining independence. The UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government has mismanaged the economy and steered the nation towards a catastrophe. It has allowed the integrity of the justice system to fall into deeper infamy. It has stroked the flames of racism and driven a wedge of mistrust between Malays, Chinese and Indians, while thoroughly neglecting the needs of the indigenous peoples of Sabah and Sarawak.
Anwar Ibrahim has articulated a vision for Malaysia that has brought hope to the people. He has the experience and intelligence to reinvigorate our economy, and the charisma and integrity to unite the Malaysian people and restore credibility to our institutions of governance.
I will continue to serve as president of Parti Keadilan Rakyat and as chairperson of the Yayasan Aman (Peace Foundation).
I whole-heartedly thank my supporters in Permatang Pauh who have stood by me in the most difficult of times since September 1998 and have shared in the joy of victory we all experienced on March 8th. The future of our nation lies in the dedication and commitment to justice and freedom that I have experienced as your representative in Parliament and I look forward to many more years of serving you with sincerity and with humility.
DATO' SERI DR. WAN AZIZAH WAN ISMAIL
President Parti Keadilan Rakyat
[Versi Bahasa Malaysia]
Selepas berbincang dengan keluarga saya, kepimpinan Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan rakan-rakan dalam Pakatan Rakyat, saya dengan ini secara rasminya meletakkan jawatan sebagai Ahli Parlimen Permatang Pauh kepada YB Tan Sri Speaker Dewan Rakyat Datuk Pandikar Amin Bin Hj. Mulia hari ini, memberi laluan kepada suami saya untuk bertanding sebagai calon Pakatan Rakyat dalam pilihanraya kecil secepat mungkin.
Ini adalah konsisten dengan matlamat kami untuk mendapat majoriti bagi membentuk kerajaan baru dalam tahun ini.
Keputusan ini adalah yang terbaik buat Malaysia.
Negara ini sedang berhadapan dengan cabaran yang paling getir semenjak mencapai kemerdekaan.
Kerajaan Barisan Nasional yang dipimpin oleh UMNO terbukti telah gagal mengurus ekonomi negara ini dan membawa negara ini menuju kehancuran. Kerajaan ini telah menyebabkan integriti sistem keadilan hancur ke tahap yang memalukan. Ia membiarkan api perkauman semakin bernyala-nyala dan membuatkan etnik Melayu, Cina dan India saling tidak mempercayai satu sama lain di samping sengaja mengabaikan keperluan masyarakat pribumi di Sabah dan Sarawak.
Anwar Ibrahim telah mengungkapkan visi untuk Malaysia yang telah pun membenihkan harapan buat rakyat. Beliau mempunyai pengalaman dan kebijaksanaan untuk membangunkan kembali ekonomi negara ini, juga karisma dan integriti untuk menyatukan rakyat Malaysia serta mengembalikan kewibawaan institusi-institusi kenegaraan.
Saya akan terus berkhidmat sebagai Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat dan pengurusi Yayasan Aman.
Saya mengucapkan setinggi-tinggi penghargaan dan terima kasih kepada penyokong saya di Permatang Pauh yang selama ini sentiasa teguh di belakang saya di dalam melalui saat-saat sukar semenjak dari September 1998 dan saat-saat manis kemenangan 8 Mac 2008. Masa depan negara kita bergantung kepada dedikasi dan komitmen terhadap keadilan dan kebebasan yang saya lalui selaku wakil anda semua di Parlimen dan saya akan sentiasa berkhidmat untuk anda pada masa depan seikhlas mungkin.
DATO' SERI WAN AZIZAH WAN ISMAIL
Presiden Parti Keadilan Rakyat
KOTA BHARU, 31 Julai (Hrkh) - Pastinya parlimen akan bergegar lagi dengan kehadiran tokoh yang begitu digeruni Barisan Nasional (BN) sekiranya memenangi pilihan raya kecil parlimen Permatang Pauh.
Oleh itu dalam tempoh dua bulan dari sekarang kemungkinan besar Dato� Seri Anwar Ibrahim akan menjadi anggota baru Dewan Rakyat.
Naib Presiden PAS, Dato' Husam Musa berkata, sekiranya kemenangan berpihak kepada Pakatan Rakyat sudah tentu akan mewujudkan tekanan baru kepada kepemimpinan Dato' Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.
"Niatnya sebelum ini hendak berpaut kepada PAS bagi melanjutkan penerimaan kepimpinannya dalam Umno sebaliknya berhadapan dengan situasi baru pula," katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini, hari ini.
Presiden KeADILan, Datuk Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail hari ini menghantar surat meletak jawatan sebagai anggota Parlimen Permatang Pauh kepada Speaker Dewan Rakyat Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia.
Wan Azizah berkata, beliau meletak jawatan bagi memberi laluan kepada suaminya (Anwar) bertanding sebagai calon Pakatan Rakyat dalam pilihan raya kecil yang bakal diadakan secepat mungkin.
Husam yang juga anggota Exco kerajaan negeri berkata, pilihan raya kecil Permatang Pauh akan berlangsung lebih awal daripada pemilihan pucuk pimpinan Umno pada Disember depan.
"Pengosongan kerusi oleh Dato' Seri Dr Wan Azizah hari ini membolehkan Pakatan Rakyat mewujudkan perpaduan. Segala serangan media oleh Barisan Nasional dalam masa dua minggu kebelakangan ini terkubur dengan sekelip mata.
"PAS InsyaAllah akan memberi sokongan dan bantuan sebaiknya," katanya.
Oleh itu beliau berkata, sekiranya ditakdirkan Anwar memenangi kerusi Parlimen Permatang Pauh sudah tentu akan menggugatkan kedudukan Abdullah.
Menurutnya ketika itu ahli Umno dapat membuat keputusan sama ada kepimpinan Abdullah masih diperlukan atau tidak releven lagi.
"Kemasukkan Dato' Seri Anwar ke Dewan Rakyat adalah perlu ketika ekonomi negara dijangka lebih merudum.
"Agenda reformasi yang didokong bersama Pakatan Rakyat bagi kesejahteraan Malaysia keseluruhannya memerlukan Anwar di Parlimen," katanya
KLANG, Tues: Former Port Klang assemblyman Zakaria Md Deros died after suffering a heart attack early this morning. The controversial 62-year-old politician was dropped from the Selangor Barisan Nasional line-up for the general election.
He was replaced by his daughter-in-law Roselinda Abdul Jamil as the candidate for the seat, which she did not win.
Also a former Klang municipal councillor, Zakaria hogged headlines last year when he had a run-in with the law for not submitting building plans for a mansion that was described as a virtual “istana” (palace) by his critics.
He was also found to have not paid the assessment for another property for 12 years, while his family was caught operating an illegal satay restaurant on government reserve land.
Due to these controversies, Zakaria gave in to mounting pressure and withdrew from being a municipal councillor.
His mansion has 21 bathrooms and 16 bedrooms, including 11 that occupied by each of his children, as well as a VIP room, three living rooms, a dining hall and a prayer room.
The house also has a swimming pool, several gazebos, an orchard, a two-hole golf lawn, an office, a storeroom, two rooms for maids as well as a wet kitchen and a dry kitchen.
He is expected to be buried in Malacca.
On Saturday night, the initial count for the Rembau parliament constituency in Negri Sembilan showed that PKR had taken the seat by a razor-thin majority of 141 votes.
A recount however saw a complete reversal - Khairy Jamaluddin, son-in-law of premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, won by a staggering difference of 5,000 votes.
==>> Click here for more news
For opposition party PKR, this stark gap came in as a shock and consequentially became a solid basis for suspicion.
Rembau’s PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin is today considering a legal challenge against the result.
Speaking at a press conference held at the Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur today, Badrul (photo) said he was far from satisfied with the final outcome.
In the final results, Khairy bagged 26,525 votes against Badrul's 20,779, with a majority of 5,746.
In the 2004 elections, BN had retained its Rembau stronghold with a whopping 18,656 majority.
Had Badrul won the seat, it would have been considered one of the major upsets in Saturday's elections.
“There were (also) irregularities in the vote counting procedure. The Election Commission (EC) did not issue the ‘Form 14' to us when it was compulsory to do so,” said Badrul, a former teacher and member of PKR supreme council.
Elaborating, Badrul said that Form 14 was an extremely important procedure as the document was one of the many measures that was in place to prevent vote-rigging.
Form 14 contains the number of total voters for a particular polling station and once the vote counting has been finalised, the form will be the official indicator of the number of votes designated for each candidate.
If the form was not issued, the results could not be considered as an official one but most importantly, it gave way for manipulation as the number of votes may be added in favour of a particular candidate.
It is compulsory for the form to be issued from each polling stations to each of the candidates’ polling agents stationed there.
BN’s acts of hooliganism
“We will talk to our lawyers and will consider issuing a petition to challenge the results and call for a re-election,” said Badrul.
One of Badrul supporters then added that the matter of Form 14 not being issued itself was enough to nullify the Rembau election results and they will definitely be looking into the possibility of doing so.
Besides allegations of electoral fraud, Badrul also took a shot at Khairy and BN by claiming that the constituency’s campaigning period was marred with BN hooliganism.
“There were various instances where our posters, banners and supporters were harassed by Khairy’s supporters,” he said, adding that there were more than 20 police reports lodged by him and his supporters as a result of alleged BN aggression.
He also alleged that Khairy’s campaigning cost had exceeded the quota allowed by the EC and also accused the latter of using government machineries like schools to campaign.
KUALA LUMPUR (BebasBersuara) : Tan Sri Ab. Rashid Ab. Rahman nampaknya seolah-olah sedang syok sendiri apabila mengatakan imej SPR telah melonjak naik. Dalam laporan kosmo.com.my yang dipetik berkata
"Memang imej dan kredibiliti SPR melonjak dengan mendadak selepas keputusan pilihan raya diumum.
"Malah ramai yang menelefon serta menghantar SMS (khidmat pesanan ringkas) mengucapkan terima kasih kerana berlaku adil termasuk dari kalangan calon parti-parti yang bertanding,'' katanya ketika dihubungi semalam.
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Nampak gayanya Rashid sangat pandai memanipulasi keadaan ketika kekalahan BN hangat diperkatakan. Umum mengetahui bahawa integriti dan tahap kepercayaan masyarakat telah berkurangan akibat dari tindakannya yang dilihat lebih menjurus kepada BN. Ini berikutan dari tindakannya yang membatalkan penggunaan dakwat kekal ketika hari pengundian cuma berbaki 2 hari sahaja. Sedangkan dakwat kekal tersebut telah dibeli dengan kos hampir RM2.5 juta.
Rentetan dari sikapnya yang berat sebelah ini lah antara punca rakyat hilang percaya terhadap ketelusan SPR.
Pada malam pengumuman kemenangan di TV3, jurukamera telah fokus kearah Rashid yang dalam keadaan muka seolah-oleh sedang marah. Samada kejadian disengajakan, tidak dapat dipastikan. Tapi yang pasti ketika jurukamera sedang fokus kearah Rashid, ketika krew masih lagi sedang "setting" microfon dan kamera. Seraya Rashid bertanya samada sudah selesai "setup" atau belum.
Dengan muka yang kelihatan seolah-oleh cacing kepanasan, Rashid mengumumkan kepada media berkenaan kemenangan calon-calon yang terlibat. Secara tidak sengaja wartawan telah mengajukan soalan "berapakah kerusi yang dimenangi oleh pembangkang?". Dengan nada marah Rashid menjawab "Itu saya tak tau! Tak ada tulis kat kertas ini!".
Semoga Rashid akan tenang selepas ini. Amat memalukan disaat-saat akhir sebelum bersara, BN telah tewas dan Rashid masih boleh mengatakan bahawa imej dan integriti SPR naik mendadak!
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was handpicked to succeed Malaysia's ruler of two decades, Mahathir Mohamad, when he stepped down in October 2003.
The new prime minister had a reputation as a clean administrator and a tough negotiator, but many wondered if he could emerge from the shadow of his commanding predecessor.
Six months after taking office, Mr Abdullah won a landslide victory in snap general elections, and used that mandate to embark upon a programme of reform.
But his popularity ebbed as he failed to make good on elections promises, particularly on a pledge to tackle corruption.
Amid rising ethnic tensions and economic worries, his coalition won the March 2008 election, but it did so with its worst result in five decades.
Power transfer
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was born into a prominent family in the northern state of Penang in November 1939.
His father was a founding member of Umno, which sealed Malaysia's independence from colonial power Britain and remains the country's ruling party.
After a degree in Islamic studies and a period working in the civil service, Mr Abdullah entered politics upon his father's death.
He was elected to parliament in 1978 as member for the Kepala Batas constituency in Penang, and rose quickly to prominence.
He served as both minister of education and defence, before being appointed foreign minister in 1991.
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In 1999 he became deputy prime minister after his predecessor, Anwar Ibrahim, was jailed on corruption and sodomy charges which many saw as politically motivated.
The fourth person to hold the deputy's post under Dr Mahathir, Mr Abdullah took care to limit his profile and measure his words.
When Dr Mahathir made a shock resignation announcement in June 2002, he was one of the first people to rush to his side and try to change his mind.
Just over a year later, it was to Mr Abdullah that the man who had led Malaysia for 22 years transferred power.
Ethnic tensions
The two later fell out as the new prime minister chose not to pursue some of the mega-projects favoured by his predecessor.
In 2006 Mr Abdullah's decision to cancel a controversial bridge project with Singapore triggered an angry reaction.
Dr Mahathir accused him of corruption and in July that year publicly announced that he regretted his choice of successor.
Malaysia's former leader is not the only problem Dr Mahathir has had to contend with.
In August 2007, as Malaysia marked 50 years since independence, he made a speech touching on the rising ethnic tensions and urging people to unite as a nation.
"We must ensure that no region or community is left behind," he said. "We will hold true to the concept of justice and fairness for all citizens."
But three months later, 10,000 Malaysian Indians turned out in Kuala Lumpur to protest against policies favouring ethnic Malay Muslims.
The protests are still rumbling on, and crime is reportedly on the rise. Prices of basic foodstuffs are also increasing, hitting ordinary Malaysians hard.
Mr Abdullah has now been sworn in for another five-year term in office, but he faces many tough challenges ahead.
The outcome of Malaysia's general election on Saturday was expected to be the usual landslide for the country's ruling political bloc. After all, for as long as the Southeast Asian nation has been independent, the National Front alliance has been in power. Even opposition leaders admitted they wouldn't win control of the federal government. Instead, most viewed the voting as a referendum on the leadership of Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose popularity has been hurt by higher living costs and rising racial tensions in this multiethnic nation.
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Voters did send Abdullah a message—a strongly worded one. While the National Front maintained a simple majority in parliament, it lost the crucial two-thirds control Abdullah had promised in pre-election campaigning that his coalition would maintain. Even more stunning: the ruling alliance lost power in four of Malaysia's 13 states. Before the polls, only one state, Kelantan, was controlled by the opposition. By the time the dust settled on Saturday, three heartland states—Kedah, Perak and Kelantan—along with manufacturing-based states Selangor and Penang were all in the hands of the opposition. All of these states will now be ruled not by the National Front but, in most cases, by coalitions between the Islamist PAS party, the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) and the multiethnic People's Justice Party.
The outcome was so devastating for the National Front that Abdullah's future as Prime Minister is now in doubt. "This is a new dawn for Malaysia," said Anwar Ibrahim, a former Deputy Prime Minister, who is the spiritual head of the People's Justice Party and the opposition's most charismatic figure. "The people have voted decisively for a new era."
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What a difference four years makes. In 2004, Abdullah's party won a record mandate, capturing 64% of the popular vote and 91% of seats in parliament. The overwhelming victory was due, in part, to the attraction of a fresh face—after 22 years in power, former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad handed over the reigns to Abdullah in 2003. Abdullah also scored points by positioning himself as a progressive reformer; he promised to clean up widespread graft and strengthen civil liberties.
But his popularity clearly hasn't lasted. Many of the country's ethnic Chinese and Indians are angry about the continuation of a national affirmative-action plan that favors Malays, the country's largest ethnic group, in everything from education to government contracts. Saturday's results showed ethnic minorities made good on their vows to defect from the National Front, with many switching to the DAP camp. "People can only put up with so much," says DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng, who is set to become Penang's new Chief Minister. "Dissatisfaction has reached a boiling point."
But it wasn't just ethnic minorities who abandoned Abdullah's coalition. The P.M. heads the United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a Malay-based party that dominates the 14-party National Front. In a clear sign that UMNO can no longer automatically count on Malay votes, two of Abdullah's former cabinet members lost their parliamentary seats. One beneficiary was PAS, some of whose leaders have previously advocated instituting Islamic Shari'a law nationwide. With crime rates rising, PAS candidates struck a chord by preaching that their spiritual values would be more successful in managing society than UMNO's policies.
Unusually for a country that places a premium on stability, clashes between police and voters marred the polling. In the northern state of Terengganu, which the National Front held, police sprayed tear gas on hundreds of PAS demonstrators who had gathered to protest what they believed was electoral fraud committed by the National Front.
Vote-rigging claims are hardly uncommon, although the National Front flatly rejects them. On March 5, Human Rights Watch, the New York-based NGO, issued a report criticizing the way in which it believes the National Front has maintained its grip on power. In a public statement, Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Elaine Pearson said: "Once again, elections in Malaysia are grossly unfair to the opposition. Malaysia�s ruling coalition is too comfortable with the status quo to allow reforms that would level the playing field." Among the watchdog's claims were accusations that the ruling coalition received a disproportionate amount of media coverage; that repeated attempts by opposition parties to organize rallies had been stymied; and that voting irregularities were rampant. In the state of Selangor, for instance, opposition party PAS says it found two 128-year-old citizens registered to vote.
Nevertheless, the opposition's unprecedented showing on Saturday proved that their voices had been heard. In a brief statement on Saturday evening, Abdullah said that the poll results proved that democracy did work in Malaysia—and that defeat was part of the democratic process. But he quickly rejected any calls for his resignation. On Monday, he will meet with Malaysia's king to ask for permission to form a new federal government. But whether he will survive as party leader at UMNO�s convention later this year is still up in the air. He could even be ousted as Prime Minister by the National Front. Unlike many aspects of Malaysian democracy, that script is still unwritten.
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