13 February 2009

Gamuda - Politik & Perniagaan.............

It is a known fact that YM Raja Eleena is a major shareholder of Gamuda. Is it possible that this could have been a reason for Pakatan not to be in Perak Sultan’s good books?

Reformasi News Headlines Berita Reformasi Terkini
Tarungkite site by monazmuslim reports;

"Rupa-rupanya ada sesuatu yang tersembunyi di sebalik tindakan Sultan Azlan Shah ini. Mungkin fakta ini merupakan satu faktor yang mempengaruhi tindakan Sultan sehingga sanggup bertindak secara tidak profesional.

Untuk pengetahuan pembaca, Syarikat GAMUDA (M) Sd. Bhd. yang diberikan projek oleh Kerajaan Pusat bagi membina Landasan Keretapi dari Padang Besar ke Ipoh merupakan syarikat milik anak perempuan Sultan Perak, Raja Dato' Seri Eleena Azlan Shah. Raja Eleena merupakan pemegang saham terbesar dalam GAMUDA melalui syarikatnya Generasi Setia (M) Sdn. Bhd.

Projek Landasan Keretapi yang bernilai RM 12 bilion ini telah tergendala di kawasan Pulau Pinang. Ini berpunca apabila GAMUDA tidak mahu mematuhi prosedur yang ditetapkan oleh Kerajaan Pulau Pinang yang diperintah oleh Pakatan Rakyat.

Jika dilihat dari fakta ini, ianya tidak mustahil boleh mempengaruhi tindakan Sultan Perak dalam menangani isu rampasan kuasa ini. Secara logiknya, Sultan Azlan Shah marah dengan tindakan Kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat Penang kerana menjadi punca projek puteri kesayangannya tergendala. Secara kebetulan berlaku isu lompat parti di Perak dan digunakan sepenuhnya oleh Sultan Azlan Shah untuk balas dendam kepada Pakatan Rakyat.

Sekiranya ini benar, adalah malang bagi kita rakyat Malaysia. Sultan yang menjadi payung kepada rakyat telah bertukar sikap hanya disebabkan kepentingan peribadi dan keluarga."

According to blogsite Stocktube:

"Another interesting fact about Gamuda - the largest shareholder is also the second richest woman on the 2008 Forbes 40 Richest Malaysians at #35 spot. She is Raja Datuk Seri Eleena Raja Azlan Shah, the daughter of the Sultan of Perak, Raja Azlan Shah. She was worth RM773 Million ($228 Million) at #25 spot in 2007’s 40 Richest Malaysians but this figure dropped to RM510 Million ($150 Million) in 2008 at #35 spot.

Based on today’s stock price of RM1.91 a share her fortune is only at RM287.46 million based on her remaining stake of 7.5% in Gamuda via Generasi Setia (M) Sdn Berhad. Naturally when his father refused to dissolve the state assembly for a fresh election various rumors and speculations began its circulation."

"Malaysian politics is perhaps the dirtiest but you can’t blame the public to have a perception that the federal government was twisting the arms of the Sultan (silly assumption, is it not?). However on the business perspective you do not need to wake Einstein up from his grave to tell you that Gamuda is basically at the mercy of the Federal government.

With water taps closed by the federal government to three of the most developed states, Selangor, Perak and Penang, Gamuda is screaming for projects. Certainly the nation has the money. In fact the country is flushed with more money than before the Mar 2008 general election simply because the federal government does not know where to pump the money to since the most developed states such as Selangor, Perak (was) and Penang are controlled by opposition parties."

source:kosong cafe

cheers.

12 February 2009

Nizar Jamaluddin ikon baru Pakatan Rakyat .........

Mungkin secara tidak langsung ada hikmah dengan hilangnya kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat Perak kepada Barisan Nasional. Mungkin kejayaan yang dijangka oleh Barisan Nasional yang diterajui oleh Najib Tun Abdul Razak dalam mengambil alih kuasa Negeri Perak bukan satu kejayaan menyeluruh. Mungkin implikasi dari tindakan tersebut memberi kesan yang lebih negatif kepada BN khususnya UMNO yang semakin ke tepi dalam membicarakan persoalan sokongan rakyat khususnya generasi muda.

Benar, Perak dapat di rampas dari Pakatan Rakyat. Namun hakikat sebenarnya adakah Perak menjadi peneroka jalan untuk mengembalikan sokongan rakyat kepada Barisan Nasional? Adakah ini akan menjadikan Barisan Nasional kembali diterima atau pengambilalihan Perak akan lebih menyulitkan Barisan Nasional.

Apa yang jelas dalam isu ini adalah kemunculan hero baru dalam Pakatan Rakyat yang mempunyai keserasian dengan mentor mereka Anwar Ibrahim. Kalau sebelum ini DAP ada Lim Guan Eng, hari ini PAS mungkin ada Nizar Jamaluddin yang mampu membawa arus Anwar Ibrahim dalam parti mereka masing-masing.

Nizar kini – dalam isu peralihan kuasa secara pintu belakang ini telah menjadi ikon perjuangan PAS dan Pakatan Rakyat. Sokongan semakin memuncak dan Nizar semakin rapat dengan apa yang penyokong Pakatan Rakyat definisikan makna pejuang. Nizar hari ini semakin popular dan semakin menampakkan diri dalam pembentukan ikon kepimpinan baru dalam Pakatan Rakyat. Nama yang sebelum ini tidak diketahui kini disebut-sebut di Perak dan negeri-negeri lain dalam Malaysia. Mungkin dengan populariti ini Nizar akan menjadi ikon pejuang baru yang mampu berdiri seiringan dengan Anwar Ibrahim di mata penyokong PR. Mungkin Pakatan Rakyat perlu berterima kasih dengan Najib Tun Razak kerana hari ini Nizar seakan popular dalam senario penyokong mereka sebagai pejuang dan Najib popular dengan kedudukan sebagai Timbalan Perdana Menteri yang akan menjadi Perdana Menteri.

Apa pun rakyat yang menjadi penyokong Pakatan Rakyat yang rata-rata di dokong oleh generasi baru ini khususnya PAS akan memperoleh seorang lagi ikon perjuangan mereka yakni Nizar Jamaluddin. Mungkin ketandusan persoalan yang sebelum ini meletakkan pengganti Anwar Ibrahim ialah Lim Guan Eng kini berubah dengan nama baru Nizar Jamaluddin. Mereka inilah, Anwar Ibrahim, Lim Guan Eng dan Nizar Jamaluddin akan menjadi faktor baru dalam pilihan raya ke 13 nanti. Adakah mereka ini dapat ditandingi oleh Najib, TS Muhyiddin Yassin atau Mohammad Taib atau Ali Rustam?

Ingat rakyat akan memilih pada PRU 13 nanti dan ini bukan macam pemilihan agung UMNO akan datang. Perbuatan BN khususnya UMNO akan terpahat menjadi pengukur rakyat untuk memilih siapa. Mungkin BN dan UMNO nampak berjaya menawan Perak tetapi Barisan Nasional masih dikerumuni oleh mereka yang retorik tanpa tindakan.- webmaster

source:umno reform 2

cheers.

Poll: 88% disagree with the Sultan's decision................

From the various protests and huge outcry over what many have called an undemocratic ousting of a legitimate state government, it would be safe to assume that a majority of Malaysians are unhappy over what has been going on in Perak.

A survey conducted by Malaysiakini saw an overwhelming majority of readers disagreeing with Sultan Azlan Shah's decision in the transfer of power in the silver state.

A total of 34,617 out of 39,411 readers, or 87.8 percent said they were against the sultan's decision in the four-day survey which ended yesterday.

Last Thursday, the sultan rejected the Pakatan Rakyat state government's request to dissolve the state assembly in view of defections by several of its state representatives.

The sultan, a former lord president, also asked Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin to resign as menteri besar, which the latter refused.

However, 3,862 (9.8 percent) survey respondents said they agreed with the sultan's decision while 932 readers (2.4 percent) answered "Don't know".

source: malaysiakini

Btw, can Karpal Singh sue a royalty? The answer is YES.

How? There was this law that was passed by Parliament, that allows ordinary citizens to sue royalty in a Special Court that will be determined by the judiciary.

Whose idea was this? UMNO and the BN gomen under Mahathir Mohamad off course.

So,who really is the 'Penderhaka' or 'Pengkhianat' here? UMNO.....sapa lagi......

Its like the pot calling the kettle black..........

Sementara itu sebanyak 97 peratus rakyat Perak mahukan Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dibubarkan iaitu sebagai cara terbaik mengatasi kemelut politik di negeri itu serta memberi peluang mereka 'meraikan' demokrasi. Demikian hasil kajian yang dilakukan oleh Penganalis Politik dan Pensyarah Kanan Jabatan Pengajian Media, Universiti Malaya, Prof Madya Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah terhadap penduduk di negeri itu yang bermula di Pasir Salak sehingga ke Kuala Gula. Baca di sini.

Read here, here, here and here .

cheers.

11 February 2009

Perak : 4 PR ADUN to join BN..............

WITH the dust barely settling on last week's defections, speculation is now rife that another four could defect.

The four, also from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition, are said to be ready to defect to the Barisan Nasional (BN), reported liberal news portal Malaysian Insider.

The report said that in text messages being circulated, four names are mentioned -

1.DAP's Keshvinder Singh of Malim Nawar,

2.DAP's A. Siva Subramanium of Buntong,

3.PKR's S. Kesavan of Hutan Melintang,

4.PKR's Tai Sing Ng of Kuala Sepetang.

The news portal said that 'well-informed sources' in Umno confirmed that discussions are ongoing with five more PR lawmakers. The sources were quoted saying that 'there is a good chance' that three of the five will cross over in the next two months.

'The timeline of two months could mean it could be tomorrow on in 60 days,' the Umno source said.

BN is said to be looking for Indian representatives to cross over in order to make its line-up more multi-ethnic.

The death of PAS MP for Bukit Gantang Roslan Shaharom yesterday means that a by-election may happen in Perak. The possible by-election will be a referendum on the political situation in Perak. And it will come at an awkward time for Umno, with the Umno general assembly due in late March.

Meantime, Kedah assemblyman V. Arumugam of PKR quit his seat and his position on the state's executive council yesterday afternoon. His resignation has sparked fears of defection, and of a similar scenario replaying in Kedah. Though he resigned amid allegations linking him to a 'marriage scandal', he said he has been under pressure to defect, claiming that he has received threats.

source:the electric newspaper,singapore

cheers.


UMNO offered PAS money for crossovers too........

As the ongoing political chaos in Perak shows no sign of abating, a Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) politician claimed Umno members had offered them money to defect last year. This happened last year, months after Barisan Nasional (BN), of which Umno is the leading party, suffered a crushing defeat at the March general elections, reported liberal news portal Malaysian Insider.

PAS commissioner for Perak, Ustaz Ahmad Awang(pic.left) told his party’s daily newspaper, Harakah: ‘At first, they offered a few PAS assemblymen millions of ringgit to cross over and join them.

‘The first person to get the offer was the Pasir Panjang state assemblyman who is now the Menteri Besar. But when this approach failed, they asked PAS Perak to form a coalition government with Umno and Barisan Nasional.‘

Mr Ahmad claimed that Umno used agents to meet him and party spiritual leader Nik Aziz Nik Mat to put forward this proposal.

He said: ‘They used a few muftis, senior government officials, NGOs and also a BN MP who is my relative… a senior Umno leader who hails from Perak and a senior government official whose wife is from Perak tried to meet me for discussions.

‘They were accompanied by a rector from a tertiary institution in Perak.’

He recalled: ‘This senior Umno official is a Cabinet minister who spoke to me on the phone and asked for a four-eyes meeting.’

When the meeting did not happen, Umno officials, including the minister’s delegation went to MrAhmad’s home, but was deterred by PAS volunteers. Mr Ahmad said that even after Mr Nizar was sworn in as the state’s chief minister, Umno agents continued to approach PAS members to leave Pakatan Rakyat (PR) and work together with Umno in the name of Malay unity.

Last July, The Straits Times reported how Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi revealed that he had held meetings with top leaders of PAS and discussed Malay unity. Datuk Nik Aziz was not among them.

Then, media reports pointed to a rift between Pas president Hadi Awang and Datuk Nik Aziz, who is against a return to a PAS-Umno coalition, which fell apart in 1978. These exposed a split in PAS over Mr Anwar Ibrahim’s role as the opposition coalition leader.

The PM had hoped to drive a wedge between the PAS leaders and bring about the collapse of the PR alliance, comprising PAS, PKR and DAP.

Better to merge

Last night, Mr Ahmad's revelation was followed by Mr Mukhriz Mahathir's calls for a unity government. The Umno Youth executive committee member said it is better for Perak PAS to join the BN to strengthen Malay unity, hence enabling a stronger state government, reported Bernama. Mr Mukhriz, a Member of Parliament for Jerlun, urged PAS to consider this as the combined seats of the BN, PAS and Independents in the Perak legislature would enable a strong government to be formed in the state.

At present, PAS holds six seats, PKR seven and DAP 18 out of the 59 seats in Perak's state assembly under the Pakatan Rakyat flag. The BN has 28 seats. However, defections from Pakatan Rakyat saw it losing its slim majority, enabling the BN to lead.

And with the death of PAS MP Roslan Shaharum of a heart attack yesterday, PR has another seat less.

source:the electric news paper,singapore

Malaysiakini reported today that the police have barred the holding of any political ceramah in Perak until the situation in the state is back to normal. Inspector-General of Police Musa Hassan said he has already informed Perak police chief Zulkifli Abdullah regarding this.

"The police chief will issue an order. The ban will be in effect until the situation is back to normal," he added. However, Musa said the ban is only for Perak and those who want to hold such ceramah in other states have to follow the necessary guidelines. Perak has been enveloped in a political turmoil after Barisan Nasional seized control of the state last week.

cheers.

Najib tidak disiasat dan keterangan tidak diambil.....

Nama Timbalan Perdana Menteri (TPM) Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak disebut dalam kes perbicaraan blogger Raja Petra Raja Kamarudin yang didakwa atas tuduhan menerbitkan sebuah artikel berbaur hasutan berhubung kes pembunuhan wanita Mongolia Altantuya Shaariibuu di Mahkamah Sesyen di sini, semalam.

Ini berikutan peguam bela Raja Petra, Gobind Singh Deo merujuk terhadap afidavit salah seorang tertuduh dalam kes berkenaan iaitu Abdul Razak Abdullah (Razak Baginda) yang kini bebas dari tuduhan di mana afidavit berkenaan menyatakan, pada 20 Oktober 2006, beliau (Razak) telah bertembung dengan Pembantu Khas ahli politik itu, Deputi Superintendan Musa Safri di pejabatnya.

Merujuk kepada siapa ‘TPM’ yang dimaksudkan itu, Deputi Superintendan Gan Tack Guan lantas memberitahu, individu terbabit adalah Najib dan selepas itu beliau kemudiannya diasak sama ada siasatan terhadap ahli politik berkenaan telah dilakukan pihak polis.

Penolong Pengarah Pusat Biro Nasional/Interpol itu bagaimanapun menjelaskan, Najib tidak disiasat dan keterangannya tidak diambil kerana hasil siasatan mengesahkan ahli politik berkenaan tidak terlibat langsung dalam kes yang sedang dibicarakan ini.

”Beliau (Najib) tidak dipanggil untuk memberi keterangan kerana hasil siasatan mendapati beliau tidak terlibat dalam kes ini,” kata Tack Guan.

Penyelia dalam siasatan kes pembunuhan Altantuya itu kemudiannya terus didesak dengan pelbagai soalan selepas Gobind menolak keterangannya dengan mendakwa Tack Guan tidak seharusnya menyatakan sedemikian sedangkan tiada sebarang keterangan direkodkan terhadap Timbalan Perdana Menteri itu.

“Kalau kamu tidak ambil sebarang keterangan daripada TPM tentang keseluruhan siasatan dan beliau (Najib) tidak disiasat langsung, bagaimana kamu tahu kandungan artikel ini (artikel ‘Let’s Send the Altantuya Murderers to Hell’) tidak benar?” soal Gobind.

Peguam itu menyatakan, selama 30 tahun berpengalaman menjadi anggota polis, Tack Guan seharusnya tahu, Najib merupakan saksi penting tetapi mengapa tidak disoal siasat secara menyeluruh bagi memperoleh kebenaran.

Beliau menyatakan saksi itu seperti hanya main-main sedangkan kes sudah teruk tetapi Tack Guan tetap pendirian dengan menyatakan tidak perlu untuk menyiasat atau mengambil sebarang kenyataan daripada Najib.

”Dalam proses siasatan kita perlu lihat pembabitan seseorang, semua saksi adalah penting tetapi dalam kes ini Najib tidak terlibat jadi tidak perlu untuk ambil kenyataan beliau,” kata Tack Guan yang merupakan pengadu terhadap kes yang dihadapi Raja Petra kini.

Beliau pada 30 April 2008 telah membuat laporan polis di Balai Polis Tun HS Lee mengenai artikel ‘Let’s Send Altantuya Murderers to Hell’ setelah mendakwa empat isu dalam artikel yang diterbitkan blogger berkenaan tidak benar dan diada-adakan.

Raja Petra, 59, kemudiannya dibicarakan selepas mengaku tidak salah terhadap tuduhan menerbitkan artikel berkenaan di laman web www.malaysia-today.net pada 25 April 2008.

Pada perbicaraan semalam, Timbalan Pendakwa Raya Roslan Mat Nor turut membantah apabila Gobind cuba mengaitkan kes berkenaan dengan campur tangan politik dan menegaskan saksi kelima itu tidak mempunyai sebarang kuasa untuk memberi jawapan terhadap perkara berkenaan.

“Saksi merupakan pengadu dalam kes ini bukannya pegawai penyiasat. Justeru beliau tidak ada bidang kuasa untuk membuat sebarang pendakwaan,” katanya.

Perbicaraan bersambung.

source:sinar harian

10 February 2009

P59 and N25 - Time for two referendums on Najib.....

Just when I thought that politics in Malaysia could not get more exciting, it does. Prime Minister in waiting, Najib Tun Razak, made a bold and successful maneuver to wrest the state of Perak from the Pakatan Rakyat coalition. He knew he would take a short-term hit to his popularity not only in the state of Perak but in other parts of the country as well. His strategy of buying time for now in hope that he can rebuild the support for Barisan Nasional in time for the next general elections, due in 2013, was contingent on exactly that - having time.

He did not count on an ‘act of God' on the one hand and an ‘act of indiscretion' on the other to throw two spanners into the works. The surprising death of PAS MP, Roslan Shaharum, in the Bukit Gantang constituency and the unexpected resignation of PKR assemblyperson, V Arumugam in the Bukit Selambau constituency in Kedah, has given voters an unique opportunity to, in effect, have two ‘referendums' on the recent events in Perak. It is likel
y that the BN and Najib will lose these two referendums, with perhaps larger majorities compared to March 2008.

The Election Commission will have 60 days to hold by-elections in both seats, which would likely occur before the Umno General Assembly at the end of March. With the events in Perak still fresh in the minds of voters, the issue dominating both by-elections would be the manner in which the BN formed the new state government in Perak and perhaps how the BN was trying to dislodge the state government in Kedah using similar tactics.

In a previous article, I wrote that BN's ‘coup' in Perak is actually advantageous to Pakatan from an electoral perspective. These two by-elections will put my assertions to the test. A closer examination of both seats will show the uphill task the BN faces in both of these seats.

When BN reigned
supreme

Before March 2008, it would have been ludicrous to even suggest that BN would lose these seats in any election. Even during the 1999 general elections, when Malay support for the BN fell dramatically, the BN managed to retain both Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau with a 5101 and 5984 majority respectively. The BN retained both seats with a 6702 and 7695 majority respectively in 2004. Both can be considered ethnically 'mixed' constituencies, the stronghold of the BN in previous elections save that of March 2008. Of the two, Bukit Gantang has a higher percentage of Malay voters at 63.4 percent, compared to 50.2 percent in Bukit Selambau.

Table 1 below shows the ethnic composition of both seats using data from the 2008 general elections.

BUKIT GANTANG

Malays - 63.5%
Chinese- 27.1%
Indians- 9.1%
Others- 0.2%
BUKIT SELAMBAU

Malays- 50.2%
Chinese-19.3%
Indians-29.5%
Others-1.0%

However, in March 2008, the BN managed to lose both seats with majorities of 1566 and 2362 respectively. The manner in which the BN lost both these seats is important in determining the results in the upcoming by elections.

Using results at the ‘saluran' level, I was able to estimate the level of Malay and non-Malay support for the BN in both seats in the 2008 general elections. The results are shown in Table 2 below.


BUKIT GANTANG

Malay BN support- 52.6%
Non-Malay BN support- 34.8%

BUKIT SELAMBAU

Malay BN support- 63.3%
Non-Malay BN support- 25.8%

In both seats, t
he BN managed to retain a majority of support among Malay voters. What caused the BN to lose both seats is the fact that its support among the non-Malay voters collapsed. This collapse is even more surprising given that the non-Malay voters in Bukit Gantang were voting for a PAS candidate and those in Bukit Selambau were voting for an independent candidate, who for all intents and purposes, was not that well qualified. (V Arumugam joined PKR when he won this seat). The hopes for BN to recapture any of these two seats rest on being able to win more of the Malay vote. The chances of BN recapturing any non-Malay support dissipated with the toppling of the Pakatan state government which was very popular among the non-Malays, many of whom were expecting a more relaxed attitude towards the renewal of land licenses.

BN ‘backlash'

The ISA arrest of popular DAP leader, Teresa Kok, will no doubt be used again by Pakatan in both these by-elections as will the more recent murder of A Kugan whilst under policy custody, whose case was not managed well at all by the Home Ministry. The non-Malay support for the BN will no doubt drop further in Bukit Gantang to perhaps as low as 20 percent, as may the level of non-Malay support in Bukit Selambau. It is unlikely that non-Malay voters in these two seats would repeat the voting behaviour of the non-Malays in the recent Kuala Terengganu by-election, where an anticipated swing against the BN did not materialise.

The non-Malay voters in both these constituencies have already shown that they are willing to vote for the opposition in large numbers. For example, in the new village of Kuala Sapetang in Bukit Gantang, which is 97 percent Chinese, the support for the BN in 2008 was 28.7 percent. Similarly in the polling station of
Bukit Rusa in Bukit Selambau, which is 71 percent Indian, the support for the BN in 2008 was 29.8 percent. No doubt the BN will attempt to ‘bribe' or perhaps ‘threaten' the non-Malay voters in Bukit Gantang on the issue of land licenses but it would be difficult to overcome the level of ‘betrayal' that many of these voters would be feeling after the ‘coup' in Perak.

The same strategy cannot be used in Kedah since the state government is still in the hands of the opposition, under a PAS-led government. There will not be the same kind of fear in facing a BN ‘backlash' in Bukit Selambau if the non-Malays there voted in an opposition candidate. Some may argue that the Malay vote in Bukit Gantang is fully capable of swinging at least a few percentage points in favour of the BN. The BN would campaign on the basis that the Perak government is now firmly back in the hands of the ‘Malays', making the not so subtle point that DAP was dominating the previous state government.

Furthermore, the rebellious actions of the former MB, Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin, and the threat by Karpal Singh to sue the Sultan of Perak may spur more Malays to back the BN candidate this time around. These campaign strategies may work but only if one believes the following: that the recently deposed Pakatan government was genuinely unpopular among the Malays, that Nizar himself enjoyed low approval ratings among the Malays, that the Malays in Perak are united in supporting the actions of the Sultan in the recent ‘coup', that the Malays in Perak were unambiguously supportive of how the two PKR and one DAP assemblypersons were ‘bought', all of which can be contested and challenged.

Who will be chosen?

And if Pakatan fields Nizar to run in this parliamentary constituency, which coincidentally is also where the state seat of one of the PKR defectors (Changkat Jering) lies, it will be difficult to stop Malay ‘sympathy' votes from going to the former PAS menteri besar. Thrown into this mix is the challenge of selecting a suitable BN candidate in the midst of an Umno election. This seat was ‘allocated' to Gerakan in 2004 in exchange for Gerakan ‘ceding' Taiping to PPP president, M Kayveas, and was ‘returned' to Umno in the 2008 elections.

This means that there is no ‘front-runner' within Umno to lay claim to this seat. If Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi, the cu
rrent Umno treasurer, runs again in this seat, the opposition will likely have a field day in playing up all the 'scandals' associated with him. If another ‘lesser' Umno leader is chosen, he or she has to face the potential of disgruntled factions within Umno not campaigning for him or her as was the case in the recent KT by-election.

BN's challenge to win back the Bukit Selambau seat is even more challenging. There, PAS will make full use of the fact that the BN is trying to destabilise the Malay dominant state government of PAS by employing some of the same tactics used in Perak. The BN will have its hands full trying to retain the Malay vote in this PAS governed state. PAS can easily peel away some of the Malay vote for the BN, which at 63 percent in 2008, has little upside and lots of downside. There is very little which Pakatan actually needs to do except to show up and campaign in both by-elections. This is very much a referendum (or two) on the BN rather than on Anwar and Pakatan even though there is ample room to criticise the strategies and coherence of the opposition coalition and its de facto leader.


In other words, this is as close to a ‘nightmare' scenario as you can possibly get, from Najib's perspective. After losing Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu, he faces the prospect of another two by-election losses, very likely with larger losses compared to March 2008. After the triumph of snatching back Perak, Najib and the BN will more than likely go into the Umno General Assembly ruing yet another political setback and loss of political momentum. - by Ong Kiang Ming

source: Malaysiakini

cheers.

Sah....PRK di Bukit Selambau..............

Selepas beberapa jam melepas jawatan exco kerajaan negeri Kedah, Menteri Besar Kedah, Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak mengumumkan malam ini bahawa V Arumugam turut meletakkan jawatan sebagai Ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri (Adun) Bukit Selambau. Menurutnya, peletakan jawatan Arumugam itu berkuatkuasa serta merta.Sehubungan, Speaker Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Kedah, Dr Abd Isa Ismail akan memaklumkan kekosongan kerusi tersebut kepada Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR) untuk membolehkan pilihanraya kecil diadakan dalam masa 60 hari.

Petang tadi, Azizan mengumumkan bahawa Arumugam telah melepaskan jawatan exco kerajaan negeri. Ketika dihubungi Malaysiakini malam ini, Dr Abd Isa berkata beliau telah menerima surat peletakan jawatan Arumugam pada jam 6 petang tadi yang dihantar oleh wakilnya. Menurutnya, menteri besar telah menyembahkan perkara itu kepada Sultan Kedah tadi. Menurut Dr Abd Isa beliau akan menghantar surat kepada SPR esok untuk memaklumkan mengenai kekosongan kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) Bukit Selambau itu.

Dalam sidang akhbar malam ini, menteri besar berkata Arumugam meletakkan jawatan akibat tekanan dari pihak Barisan Nasional. Katanya, tekanan itu agak berat sehingga mengancam dirinya (Arumugam) dan keluarganya. Oleh itu, katanya, Arumugam mengambil keputusan untuk melepaskan jawatan exco kerajaan negeri dan Adun Bukit Selambau. Keputusan Arumugam hari ini ekoran spekulasi sejak kebelakangan ini bahawa beliau akan menamatkan karier politiknya.

Baru-baru ini, beliau mendakwa berdepan dengan ugutan supaya meninggalkan Pakatan Rakyat untuk menyertai BN. Difahamkan Arumugam tunduk ekoran dakwaan tekanan hebat terhadapnya dan keluarganya supaya melompat menyertai BN. Awal bulan ini, Arumugam telah membuat laporan polis mendakwa, antara lain, terdapat percubaan untuk menculiknya. Arumugam juga mendakwa beliau dan pegawainya telah menerima banyak ugutan.

"Semua ini dilakukan untuk memaksa saya meninggalkan PKR dan menyertai BN," dakwanya dalam laporan polisnya itu.

Katanya, selain ugutan, beliau juga ditawarkan dengan tawaran lumayan untuk memujuknya meninggalkan PKR. Minggu lalu, desas-desus timbul semula mengenai Arumugam akan meninggalkan PKR, apabila beliau tidak dapat dihubungi. Rakan-rakannya dalam PKR berkata Arumugam sedang bercuti.Pakatan Rakyat memerintah selepas memenangi 22 daripada 36 kerusi di DUN negeri. BN pula mempunyai 14 kerusi. Daripada 22 kerusi tersebut, 16 dimenangi PAS, PKR (5) dan DAP (1). Arumugam yang bertanding sebagai calon bebas, kemudiannya menyertai PKR dan dilantik sbagai ahli exco kerajaan negeri.

Sementara itu, Bernama melaporkan Azizan berkata, beliau menerima surat peletakan jawatan Arumugam itu bertarikh 8 Februari dan diterima oleh beliau pada 5 petang tadi yang lengkap dengan tandatangan dan cop Pesuruhjaya Sumpah.

Ditanya mengenai sebab peletakan jawatan itu, Azizan berkata antara kandungan surat Arumugam ialah beliau mendakwa tidak lagi tahan dengan ugutan oleh pelbagai pihak, termasuklah kononnya terdapat individu tertentu yang mewakili pemimpin Barisan Nasional (BN) menawarkan habuan RM5 juta supaya beliau melompat parti.

"Saya hormati pendiriannya dan menolak habuan RM5 juta itu dan menurut surat itu, beliau (Arumugam) telah menerima pelbagai ugutan sejak Mac 2008 lagi dan disebabkan tidak lagi tahan dengan ugutan dan demi keselamatan keluarganya,

Azizan berkata beliau masih belum dapat menghubungi Arumugam sehingga sekarang dan beliau sedih dengan apa yang berlaku kerana menyifatkan Arumugam sebagai seorang wakil rakyat yang baik. Mengenai tindakan Arumugam yang meletak jawatan, Azizan berkata: "Ia adalah amalan biasa dalam kalangan ahli politik, ramai orang meletak jawatan dan ia bukanlah sesuatu yang baru."

Arumugam adalah pesara mekanik Tentera Udara Diraja Malaysia (TUDM) dan pada pilihanraya umum ke-12 tahun lepas, beliau bertanding atas tiket bebas serta memenangi kerusi DUN Bukit Selambau setelah mengalahkan calon BN S.Krishnan dengan majoriti 7,695 undi. Beliau muncul sebagai calon bebas di saat-saat akhir hari penamaan calon setelah borang pencalonan wakil PKR Saiful Izham Ramli ditolak oleh SPR atas masalah teknikal.

Arumugam kemudiannya menyertai PKR dan dilantik sebagai anggota exco kerajaan negeri dengan memegang portfolio pengerusi Jawatankuasa Perdagangan Dalam Negeri dan Hal Ehwal Pengguna, Hal Ehwal Masyarakat Siam, Perpaduan, Pekerja Ladang dan Hal Ehwal Masyarakat India.

source: malaysiakini


Bagi gomen Pakatan Rakyat di Kedah... hangpa jangan terlalu dok syiok sangat konon-kononnya ADUN-ADUN hangpa yang kejap-kejap dok menghilangkan diri tu, katanya pi makan angin....

Boleh nak caya kah? Betoilah depa pi makan angin,tapi makan angin kat mana? Putrajaya,Pekan...Oooooi la ni bukan boleh percaya lagi.......

Jaga-jaga sikit penyamun tarbus dari UMNO ni suka dok intai-intai dan depa boleh bawa lari macam tu saja. Depa bawa pi bagi kena psiko sikit,ugut, dan dilobi.... dengan duit bermillion-million..... Al-maklum sajalah ADUN-ADUN ini semua first-timer,asainya orang biasa saja, tiba-tiba nampak duit bergoni-goni, tup...tup lompat kapai, macam 3 ekor di Perak tu.......

Lepaih tu hangpa yang gigit jari.........

Najib berusaha sedaya upaya untuk memanipulai keadaan di Perak dan dengan bantuan tiga ekor jalang politik dari PR dan seekor ular kepala dua dari UMNO, dia berjaya rampas kuasa di Perak....

Najib pikiaq dengan menggelakkan diri daripada mengadakan pilihanraya kecil di Perak, maruah dia akan terserlah lah serta dapat menjadi PM dengan senyuman panjang lebar bulan Mac ini.

Namun takdir tidak memihak Najib dan UMNO kerana tiba-tiba Najib dan UMNO terpaksa menghadapi dua PRK di Bukit Gantang dan Bukit Selambau dalam jangkamasa terdekat. Bagi pengundi-pengundi di Bukit Gantang dan Bukit Selambau tiba masanya kau orang mintalah apa saja termasuk bulan dan matahari, semuanya dapat. Duit yang depa simpan untuk beli wakil rakyat masih berlambak lagi, bertimbun-timbun dalam bank.

La ni kita nak tengok apakah tindakan Najib terhadap gomen Pakatan Rakyat di Perak diterima oleh rakyat Perak dan Kedah?

Apakah maruah Najib ini akan tersungkur dan dikuburkan di bukit-bukit ini?

Pakatan Rakyat perlu calon Nizar Jamaluddin sebagai calon di Bukit Gantang.........

Baca di sini,dan sini.

cheers.