Will Elections in Malaysia be Free or Fair?

Ambiga Sreenevasan

On May 5, Malaysians will vote in one of the most contentious general elections in the country's history. Unfortunately, Malaysia's electoral system is plagued by irregularities and unfairness at a time when a strong, independent electoral process is most needed.

Since its inception, Bersih 2.0 - a group pushing for electoral reforms, of which I am a co-chair - has argued for eight key reforms in its campaign for clean and fair elections. Over the past four years, Bersih 2.0 has made inroads in raising public awareness on the necessity for these reforms. The resulting public pressure has forced the federal government and the election commission to take a position on these issues and to make some overtures - albeit not entirely satisfactory - towards electoral reform.

Despite government posturing, however, the only reform that has been implemented for the upcoming general election is the introduction of the use of indelible ink. However, we have expressed our concern that the plan to apply the ink before the vote is cast may result in the smudging of the ballot paper and delays in the voting process.

PRU13: Tragedi Flashmob berdarah di Ipoh

Is Malaysia’s Electoral System Ready for GE13

Dr. Wolfgang Sachsenröder

With a possible, some say probable, watershed and regime change for Malaysia’s increasingly competitive political system in the pipeline, it is useful to look into the election system and its mechanisms. The media, fascinated with personality clashes, campaign highlights and the outcome of elections, don’t look too often into details of the electoral law. And most voters don’t care much whether the ruling governments tweak the rules in their own favour, most often by changing the boundaries of precincts more or less unnoticed – the old, widespread, and popular gerrymandering. Malaysia is not alone here, but the discrepancies in the electoral size of constituencies in favour of Malay and against Chinese areas have been “adjusted” frequently and helped the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) to safeguard its dominance over the last decades.

One of the special features in Malaysia’s multi-ethnic society is the still predominantly race-based party system. UMNO, the long term dominant ruling party was founded in 1946 as a reaction against the granting of citizenship to Chinese and Indian immigrants upon independence. The defensive attitude of the Malay (then shaky) majority, understandably insisting on political dominance in their own homeland, led to the formation of other ethnic-based political parties. UMNO, in a successful move to broaden its support base since 1974, managed to co-opt the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA), the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC),  the Malaysian People’s Movement Party (GERAKAN) and a number of parties in Sabah and Sarawak into the National Front (Barisan Nasional / BN) coalition (now altogether 13 parties), which enjoyed a huge majority in Parliament until 2008.

Najib: GE13 Date Only After Transformation Success

(Bernama) - Prime Minister Najib Razak said the 13th general election (GE13) has not been announced yet because the government wants the national transformation policy to be truly proven successful and that the people fully benefit from it.

He said creative ideas, detailed planning and effective implementation were crucial in the government efforts to champion the cause of the people and bring development to the country.

“That is why we wait until we are exhausted to hold the general election, we wait because I want to prove that the national transformation policy can truly succeed,” he said when launching the Seremban Sentral 1Malaysia People’s Housing (PR1MA) project, Seremban today.    

Also present were the prime minister’s wife, Rosmah Mansor, Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Mohamad Hassan, Information Communication and Culture Minister Rais Yatim and PR1MA chairman Jamaludin Jarjis.

Pakatan Unveils Election Manifesto

(The Star) - The final Pakatan Rakyat convention before the 13th general election kicked off here Monday with the unveiling of the pact's election manifesto.

The manifesto, delivered by PKR's Rafizi Ramli, PAS' Dr Dzulkefly Ahmad and DAP's M. Kulasegaran, covered a broad range of topics.

Some of Pakatan's promises include increasing minimum household income to RM4,000 in its first term in power, removing one million foreigners from the workforce over five years and stopping the Lynas rare earth plant in Gebeng.

Pakatan leaders also promised to lower fuel prices and electricity tariffs, cancel the Automated Enforcement System (AES) and recognise the Unified Examination Certificate (UEC).

Battle for Selangor: Najib leads BN's charge

(The Star) - The Barisan Nasional's charge to recapture Selangor has received a major boost with Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak personally heading its election machinery in the state.

The decision for Najib, who is Selangor Umno chief, to be the state's Barisan election director was made during a meeting he chaired on Saturday.

Selangor Barisan secretary Datuk Mohamad Idris Abu Bakar said the meeting also discussed strategies and Barisan's preparedness in wresting Selangor from Pakatan Rakyat. He said the meeting decided that a mock election should be conducted to test the readiness of election workers.

“It will involve all parties as our election machinery officers would become the backbone behind our strategy to disseminate our policies and information to the grassroots,” he said in a statement yesterday.

Mohamed Idris said the state Barisan leadership welcomed the decision to have the Prime Minister and Barisan chairman as its election director and state Barisan coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed as his deputy.

Adakah Lagi Tempat Melayu Bergantung?

A Kadir Jasin

SEORANG usahawan Melayu yang pada satu ketika dulu amat berjaya dan tersohor dengan mainan pasaran sahamnya yang sangat licik tetapi sudah lebih sedekad terpelanting daripada perniagaan arus perdana di Malaysia kerana politik, bertanya saya kepada siapakah orang Melayu boleh bergantung.

Bukan alang kepalang punya soalan itu. Orang putih kata, a million-dollar question (soalan sejuta dolar). Saya kata, soalan yang tidak ada jawapan. Lagi hebat, dia bertanya soalan itu (melalui sistem pesanan ringkas/SMS) dari di Milan, Itali yang berupa ibu kota fesyen dunia.

Untuk sama-sama memahami dan memikirkan jawapan kepada soalan berkenaan, izinkan saya mengemukakan beberapa fakta, andaian dan keluhan sebagai asas perbahasan:

1. Di saat-saat kedudukan orang Melayu semakin terdesak dan terancam, kepemimpinan Melayu di kedua-dua belah sempadan politik dilemparkan pelbagai dakwaan, tuduhan dan insinuasi yang sangat dahsyat. Ada tuduhan sudah terbukti. Ada tuduhan sekadar sensasi. Ada tuduhan disangkal sepenuh hati. Ada yang pucat kesing, murung berdiam diri. Apabila tuduhan tidak dibalas, tentu ada yang percaya ia berasas.

2. Persepsi yang semakin negatif di kalangan orang Melayu sendiri terhadap jati diri, integriti dan moral pemimpin politik Melayu.

Aren’t Malaysians Weird?

Raja Petra Kamarudin

I wrote ‘Sanggang - the BA’s wake-up call’ (READ HERE) 13 years ago back in April 2000. In March 2004, I wrote ‘Crowds don’t translate to votes’ (READ HERE). Basically, these articles were about the fallacy that if there is a huge crowd at your function or event then this means these people support you.

I have been trying to tell the opposition this for more than a decade and it appears that Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak has discovered this over the weekend. The huge crowd at the Chinese New Year gathering cum PSY concert in Penang cannot be translated to a show of support for Barisan Nasional. The crowd was there for a free concert, not to support Barisan Nasional.

This is the nature of Malaysians. If there is a free meal they will be there in hordes even if they hate you. I personally saw thousands of people at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s Hari Raya open house in 2006 -- many of them, in fact, non-Malays. And some even brought bags and plastic containers to tapau the food, the Chinese equivalent of a doggie bag. 

It was actually most embarrassing and I saw that Dr Mahathir pretended he did not notice this was happening (my wife, Marina, shook her head in disgust). But how can you not notice your guests emptying the tables and pouring the food into bags and plastic containers? Were they there because they loved Dr Mahathir or were they there because they wanted to plunder the table and bring enough food home for a whole week? 

10 Reasons Why We Must Vote in GE13

Thomas Fann

Without doubt, we are into the final lap of what must be the most hotly contested general election in our nation’s 56 years of history and one that many would consider to be a pivotal moment.

To many, the match is between the incumbent ruling coalition, the Barisan Nasional(BN) and the opposition coalition of Pakatan Rakyat(PR). To some the choice is between Najib and Anwar whilst to others it is between maintaining status quo or change.

But I want to put it to you that this election is not about BN or PR. Why? For usually in any contest, the winner is the one with the better skills, strategy, funds and luck even. But in an election, the winner or loser is decided not by the contending parties but by the audience or in this case the voters.

Najib: I Hate People Who Break Promises

FZ.com

The prime minister said he was confident that BN will administer Selangor better than the current state government if voted back in the next general election.

“Our objective is to recapture Selangor but it not for sake of power only. It is because I am confident and believe that we can provide better service and administer better than the current government led by the federal opposition,” he said in a 15-minute radio interview during the launch of Selangor Radio BN at Umno headquarters here.

Najib added the the state government has also cheated the people of Selangor through its lies and deception.

Radio stations Very Naughty, Says Chief Minister

Malaysia Today

Chief Minister Pehin Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud describes Radio Free Sarawak (RFS) as a ‘naughty one’ who has no respect for the truth.

Taib, who is also state Barisan Nasional (BN) chairman, said a lot of people have heard RFS’ broadcast and were angry because they knew the radio station was spreading lies.

He, however, believed that only very few (people) were misled by the lies.

“The fact that they illegally broadcast from a foreign country shows that the broadcasters have no pure motive in what they are doing,” he said after receiving tithe on behalf of Tabung Baitulmal from Pelita Holdings Sdn Bhd and Magna Focus Sdn Bhd at Menara Pelita here yesterday.

On Radio Kenyalang, Taib believed that its establishment was prompted by the impending general election.

Alleged Wanita Umno Member Apologizes Over Bawani Remark

Malaysian Digest

A woman, who is believed to be a Wanita Umno member, has issued an apology to Indian Malaysians following her rant, which contained racial slurs, against internet sensation K S Bawani.

In her FaceBook post, Norhayati Saiddin apologized unreservedly to her Indian friends for her comments, saying she had no intention to insult and become racist as she "grew up with Indians" and that some Malay individuals, who had different political ideologies, made a mountain out of a molehill.

"If you all want me to apolologise, ok, I, Norhayati Saiddin, am sorry to all my Indian friends," she wrote. 

She also clarified that she did not ask Bawani to go home to India, but instead to go to India to study, if she (Bawani) wanted free education.

Should Indians Even Trust Najib?

Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak recently lined up the present and past MIC top brass to convince the Indians that the condominium project in sacred Batu Caves would be halted “if” Barisan Nasional wrested Selangor.

The same BN government, which approved the condominium project with the full knowledge of its MIC members who sat at the various meetings, is pointing the finger at Pakatan Rakyat (current Selangor government).

Frankly, there is no real motivation for the MIC to ask Najib to put a stop to the destruction of this temple, first, on the grounds that it is sacred to the Hindus, and secondly and more importantly, on the grounds that it is a national monument.

But all that is not important to the MIC and the BN now. What is important to them are their seats in the Selangor State Legislative Assembly. And that is the sole reason MIC supports Najib’s “if”.

As prime minister Najib has the power to intervene and protect a “national monument”, there is no need for the “if.”

“If” is found only in the dictionary of fools; are all Indians to be made fools of?

Is Najib really sincere? Why wait till the election is over and set it as a condition on a minority community to win the state for him? Where is the sincerity if it is conditional?

Pakatan May Cut Petronas’ Yearly RM30b Dividend to Putrajaya

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 24 – Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim will push Petronas to cut its annual RM30 billion dividend to Putrajaya if the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) that he leads win in the coming general elections, business newswire Bloomberg.com reported today.

PR will instead set Petronas’ dividends to the country at a fixed percentage of the firm’s profits, allowing the state oil firm to spend more on investments overseas that will give better profits, PKR strategic director Rafizi Ramli said.

“Petronas should be left to run on a purely commercial basis,” he told Bloomberg when explaining Anwar’s plans.

According to Bloomberg, a PR administration is likely set up a parliamentary committee in Malaysia’s Dewan Negara to improve transparency over Petronas, which currently reports to the prime minister.

Petronas is widely-regarded as the country’s piggy bank, with Reuters reporting this July that it is Malaysia’s largest taxpayer and biggest revenue source, funding 45 per cent of the government’s budget even as the country’s continues its run of huge budget debts.

BN Mampu Menang Dua Pertiga Kerusi PRU-13

(Berita Harian) - Melaka Tengah: Barisan Nasional (BN) mampu menang dua pertiga kerusi pada Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13), kata Ketua Penerangan UMNO, Datuk Ahmad Maslan.

Beliau berkata, kemenangan itu mampu dicapai sekiranya semua ahli parti tidak bersikap terlalu yakin, tidak sabotaj parti dan perlu menggandakan usaha bagi memastikan kejayaan itu.
Saya berpendapat BN boleh melakukannya (menang dua pertiga majoriti) sekiranya mengekalkan 140 kerusi Parlimen yang dikuasai sekarang dan merampas masing-masing lima kerusi daripada PAS dan DAP, manakala 10 lagi daripada PKR.

Rampas 20 kerusi

Ini pendapat peribadi saya...semuanya logik kerana tujuh daripada 10 kerusi PKR kini bermasalah iaitu enam keluar parti dan menjadi wakil rakyat bebas, manakala satu lagi kalah pada pilihan raya kecil Parlimen Hulu Selangor. Jadi, saya rasa kita mampu merampas 20 kerusi Parlimen yang dimenangi pembangkang pada PRU-13, katanya.

MIC is Finished, Says Ex-Leader

SEREMBAN: MIC will do worse in the coming election than it did in 2008, according to a former leader of the party.

M Muthu Palaniappan, a defector to PKR who claims to be familiar with grassroots feelings, made this prediction in an interview with FMT.

He said a majority of Indian voters had grown tired of MIC’s “empty promises” and would make their feelings known at the ballot box.

Muthu’s main power base is Negeri Sembilan, but he was one of the few state MIC leaders who rose to national prominence in the 80s and 90s. He was MIC Youth chief from 1979 to 1984 and vice president of the party from 1997 to 2000.

He holds the record as the longest serving Negeri Sembilan state assemblyman from MIC, having won the Si Rusa (now Port Dickson) seat in 1982 and the Rantau seat in 1986 and 1990. He was a member of the state exco for 13 years until 1995.

He was the Negeri Sembilan MIC chief from 1979 to 1995.

He was often in the news in the late 80s and early 90s for his bold criticism of party president S Samy Vellu.

Muthu studied law at Lincoln’s Inn and was once the chairman of the London Union of Malaysian and Singapore Students.

Sabah and Sarawak are Still Colonies

Negara, Not Negeri, Status for Sabah

KUALA LUMPUR: Sabah was supposed to retain its “negara” or national status in a series of arrangements to ensure that the rights of Sabahans would forever be protected during the formation of Malaysia.

This little known fact was revealed at a national conference on marginalised communities, which arrested the attention of the participants.

They were told that the ideals that gave rise to the birth of a new nation in 1963 have, however, been eroded until those rights have all but disappeared.

“Sabah was given the understanding that it was to remain a national entity within the Malaysian Federation, which was to be a partnership of four national units – Sabah, Sarawak,  Singapore  and Malaya,” deputy president of CigMa or Common Interest Group Malaysia, Daniel John Jambun, said in his presentation titled “Lest We Forget”.

Elaborating further, he said: “We were to remain as a ‘negara’ (nation), not to become a ‘negeri’ (state).

“What eventually transpired was a process during which Sabah (like Sarawak) became one of the 13 states in Malaysia, no longer on the same status as Malaya, but just one of the states.”

Later, Jambun said that it was also the reason why Sabah’s head of state was officially called Yang di-Pertua Negara from 1963 till the early 1980s when the title was changed and reduced to Yang di-Pertua Negeri.

Jambun’s paper was based on a book of the same name authored by Dr Chong Eng Leong who agreed to have his book  presented as a conference paper to the 220 delegates.

Chong’s book outlines the major losses Sabahans have suffered since independence due to various national policies following the formation of Malaysia.

Chong’s book focused on the “KL-encouraged” influx of Muslim illegal immigrants from Indonesia and Mindanao in the southern Philippines that served to dilute the once majority Christian native population in Sabah.

Selangor Sultan: I am Above Politics, Let’s be Clear About This

Wong Chun Wai and Loong Meng Yee, The Star

Selangor will be one of the hardest fought states in the coming general election. As polling day nears, the Sultan finds himself a victim of attempts to drag his name into politics.

Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah said he was sad that he had become the target of groups and individuals who deliberately twisted his words and actions to imply that he was partial towards Umno.

“Why should I? I have nothing to gain from siding with Umno, PKR or any party,” he said. “What has Umno given me?

“Those that brand me as an Umno man, prove it. Show me when was I inclined to be with Umno. Do not blindly accuse me of things I am not guilty of. I have no political agenda.

“As head of the state, I am above politics. Let's be clear about this,” the outspoken Ruler said.
Speaking his mind: The Sultan of Selangor gesturing during the exclusive interview with The Star. Speaking his mind: The Sultan of Selangor gesturing during the exclusive interview with The Star.

Sultan Sharafuddin said he had now adopted a cautious mode when making speeches; but said he would speak up on issues affecting Islam and the welfare and harmony of the people.

In a candid interview with The Star, the Sultan said he would remain consistent against allowing mosques to be used for politics in Selangor, saying: “Politics and religion should not mix.”

DAP Bimbang Tangkapan Khalwat ke atas Bukan Islam

Md Izwan, The Malaysian Insider

DAP menyuarakan kebimbangan ekoran tangkapan khalwat ke atas pasangan bukan Islam baru-baru ini di Kelantan sambil menggesa kerajaan PAS di negeri tersebut mengambil langkah sewajarnya untuk menangani isu tersebut dengan secepat mungkin.

Dalam satu kenyataan hari ini, Setiausaha Agung DAP Lim Guan Eng mempersoalkan sikap penguatkuasa agama di negeri tersebut dan berharap tindakan segera diambil.

“Jika kerajaan PAS Kelantan gagal mengambil tindakan ke atas tindakan penguatkuasa itu yang mengeluarkan saman kepada pasangan bukan Islam tersebut, ia adalah membelakangi prinsip dalam Pakatan Rakyat (PR) yang menghormati kebebasan beragama,” kata Lim (gambar).

“Ia juga akan merosakkan hubungan dalam PR.”

Dalam laporan The Star hari ini, empat orang bukan Islam ditangkap di Lapangan Terbang Sultan Ismail Petra dan dikenakan saman kerana “tingkahlaku kurang sopan”.

“Walaupun saman itu adalah kerana ‘tingkahkalu kurang sopan’, parti lawan (Barisan Nasional) dan media pro-kerajaan telah memutar-belitkan isu ini sebagai khalwat dan mengatakan undang-undang Islam cuba dikenakan kepada bukan Islam,” tambah ketua menteri Pulau Pinang itu.