(The Malay Mail) - Who among the current crop of Chinese leaders would best be able to represent the community?

Following MCA's poor showing in the recent general election, the community is in dire need of leaders able to rise to the challenge and become the voice of the community at national level.

Though many from within and outside the party feel current deputy president Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai  would be able to shoulder the burden, there are concerns as to whether he would be able to do it alone.

Rumours have been rife that in recognition of this dilemma, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may just turn to former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat to once again jump into the ring, this time as a senator and help garner support.

Though sidelined for certain reasons, Ong is still seen as a credible and formidable figure who commands a certain degree of respect from the community.

"What is important here is that Ong is liked by the community, which was clearly evident from the support he garnered in the Pandan constituency. With this strong community support, he will be able to play his role in uniting the people.

"Ong is among those who has demonstrated an ability to place the people's interests at heart and work relentlessly for them," said a party veteran.

By offering Ong a senatorship, he would be able to work from the grassroots level to help rebuild the community's confidence.

"Though this process if rebuilding may take more than five years, it will be a strong start. Ong at the moment remains the best bet," said the insider.

When contacted, politicians from both BN and the Opposition agreed that from the fold, Ong has the best chance of reaching out to the people.

One BN leader, who declined to be named, said it was very likely that Ong would be made a senator.

"Look around...who else does MCA have? Liow will need all the help he can get and Ong is the only one who still commands respect in the community," he said.

Another name being touted as a people's favourite is Wangsa Maju MCA division chief Datuk Yew Teong Look who, although considered winnable, was also not among the candidates in the recent election.

Yew is another stalwart who commands strong support, which was clearly demonstrated in the tremendous backing he received from his dicision and constituents before the candidacy was named.

Both Ong and Yew have been singled out by party veterans who feel that these two should be given some role in helping to strengthen and unite the community.

"All hope is not lost. The community is still very receptive to good leaders and I am sure names like Ong and Yew will appeal to them.

"However, any move for Ong to take up a government position will put him in a quandary, as MCA has said its members will not take up positions. He will be going against his party if he accepts, so how he is going to juggle this will be interesting," the veteran said.

Prof Dr Chin Yew Sin, who was appointed by Najib to the MACC consultation and corruption prevention panel, has also been touted as someone with the potential and capability to play a formidable role.

Apart from his involvement in numerous NGOs, he also possesses the experience and education needed for such a position.

"What the community needs now is a role model. Someone they can look up to and respect...not merely a politician, but a genuine leader," said the party veteran.

Another frontrunner for a potential senatorship is former deputy highe education minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah, who, despite losing in the recent election, is someone well-liked and respected by all races.

Saifuddin is regarded as one of the most sensible, knowledgeable and credible politicians who possesses strong leadership qualities.

"He is someone who more than deserves to be part of the government. It would be a loss if someone with his capabilities and calibre is excluded," said a BN leader.

A massive street rally is being planned to overthrow the ruling government. “We will mobilise a big group and rally on the streets. This is not a threat, this is a promise,” he stressed.

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

Pro-Pakatan Rakyat groups have vowed to overthrow the Barisan Nasional government this year through a massive street rally.

Speakers at a forum held yesterday unanimously agreed that waiting for five years until the next general election was too long, and vowed to overthrow BN this year through “force”.

The street rally is rumoured to be as early as May 17 or 18 to overthrow BN and capture Putrajaya.

“We will take to the streets and take over Putrajaya. If we really want to overthrow them, there is no other way. Democracy does not work,” Haris Ibrahim from ABU (Anything But Umno) told the 1,500-strong crowd here.

“The people cannot wait anymore. We don’t want to wait another five years. We will take the streets,” he added.

PKR vice-president and Batu MP Tian Chua mirrored Haris’ cry to overthrow BN through force, and said it was the people’s choice.

“The decision to wait another five years or fight is not the right of Pakatan leaders, the results during the polls were not of Pakatan… but the rakyat’s,” he said.

‘This is not a threat, it is a promise’

Meanwhile, student leader Adam Adli Halim challenged the authorities to arrest him for urging the public to overthrow the government.

READ MORE HERE

Clara Chooi, TMI

After a week of speculation, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim finally received his appointment letter from Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah this morning and was sworn in for his second term as state mentri besar.

According to The Star Online, the PKR leader arrived at Istana Alam Shah in Klang at around 9.40am for the brief ceremony.

An official from Khalid’s office was yesterday quoted as saying that the dispute over who should be the next leader of the country’s richest state had ended with the latter’s name selected as the best person for the job.

“The exco line-up is already prepared,” Khalid was also quoted by state news agency Bernama as telling reporters at the Bukit Kayangan palace in Shah Alam yesterday.

“We target two weeks at the latest and a week at the earliest for the new exco to be appointed,” he added.

Khalid’s political secretary Faekah Husin later confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that his swearing-in ceremony would take place at Istana Alam Shah in Klang this morning.

The DAP and PAS have endorsed Khalid as Selangor mentri besar, amid claims by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali that Khalid’s candidacy had bypassed the democratic process.

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) won a two-thirds majority in the Selangor state assembly in the May 5 general election by taking 44 of the 56 state seats. PKR, however, won only 14 seats while the DAP and PAS took 15 each.

READ MORE HERE

Ida Lim, TMI

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will protect vernacular schools from being abolished after suggestions were made that their continued existence had affected national unity and contributed to Chinese voters overwhelmingly backing the opposition, the DAP said today.

The PR party’s secretary-general Lim Guan Eng was referring today to a recent call by Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad to abolish the schools where Mandarin and Tamil are the main languages of instruction.

Lim (picture) said the Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) pro-chancellor’s remark amounted to sedition.

“Abdul Rahman’s call for the abolition of Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools in favour of a single stream school is seditious and a BN MP, Mark Koding, was even convicted of sedition in 1982 for making the very same suggestion in Parliament in 1978,” Lim said in a statement.

He said the Federal Constitution protects vernacular schools and education in the mother tongue, citing Article 152 (1) (a) and (b) of the country’s supreme law.

“For this reason, PR and DAP are ready to fight legally in courts and seek support from all Malaysians — Malay, Chinese, Indian, Iban and Kadazan — to protect Chinese and Tamil vernacular schools from being abolished by Umno supporters like Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad,” the Bagan MP said.

Last Sunday, Abdul Rahman had reportedly said that vernacular schools presented a barrier to unity within the country, saying that the 13th general election showed that there was no unity in Malaysia and there was greater racism now.

He noted that the different ethnic groups did not mix around enough as most of the Chinese and Indian communities attend vernacular schools, while few of them are sent to national schools.

“It would be best that we have a single stream using Malay language in order to improve unity,” he was quoted as saying by Malaysiakini at a forum titled “GE13 post-mortem: Muslim leadership and survival.”

READ MORE HERE

(TMI) - An evangelical church group’s Facebook message calling Christians to pray for “Allah’s blessings” on the country has riled up a group of Muslim lawyers who are demanding state Islamic bodies act against what they have branded a “criminal” offence against their creed.

The Muslim Lawyers Society of Malaysia (PPPMM) today accused the National Evangelical Christian Fellowship of Malaysia (NECF) of committing “criminal” blasphemy against Islam by misappropriating the name of the Islamic god for their purposes, even as the dispute is being heard in the Court of Appeal.

“It is an offence for any party to deliberately and continuously use Allah and a few other words with roots from Islam in the context of a non-Islamic religious for any purpose.

“The NECF poster that has clearly misused the sacred name of Allah is obviously a criminal action and breaches the Schedule of (Section 9) Part I of the Enactment that forbids the use of the name of Allah as well as other Islamic terms by non-Muslims,” PPPMM president Datuk Zainul Rijal Abu Bakar said in a statement.

Claiming to have received numerous complaints from various non-governmental Islamic organisations, Zainul urged the respective state Islamic departments and councils to file police reports to pressure the government to act against the church.

In its Facebook page, the umbrella body representing the country’s evangelical churches urged, in the national language, all churches and Christians to “embrace, love and bless the country with Allah’s presence and power”. 

The same message was also carried in English and Chinese.

Under a project it called “Malaysia My Home”, the NECF urged believers in the faith to put prayer and action together for God’s blessing to institute “real and lasting change for our communities”.

READ MORE HERE

It accuses the tycoon of funding Pakatan Rakyat and practising racial discrimination.

K. Pragalath, FMT

The Muslim Consumers Association today called for a boycott of five businesses owned or partly owned by tycoon Robert Kuok, accusing him of racial discrimination.

Nadzim Johan, who heads the association, said the boycott would affect the Pappa Rich and Old Town White Coffee restaurant chain, Sri Murni oil, Marina fish products, Massimo bread and two flour brands produced by a Kuok company.

“It’s a selective boycott,” he said, adding that the action was endorsed by several other NGOs.

He accused Kuok of siding with Pakatan Rakyat in the recent general election and “contributing” to the deterioration of race relations.

“We have information from staff of certain companies that their companies have provided funds for Pakatan,” he said.

Nadzim appeared to be blaming Kuok and Pakatan for what he said was a souring of relations between the Malays and the Chinese.

“We spoke to former Malacca chief minister Mohd Ali Rustam who worked closely with the Chinese community. He said that during his election campaign they don’t even look at him,” he said.

He added that the boycott was also intended to prevent PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim from “further inciting the rakyat” and DAP from making use of Chinese Malaysians to “obtain power”.

READ MORE HERE

(Today Online) - The police reiterated that Singapore “does not take sides in the politics of other countries, and will work with whoever forms the government there”. 

The authorities are revoking the work pass of a Malaysian who was involved in both illegal gatherings over Malaysia’s election results at the Merlion Park on Wednesday and Saturday last week.

Out of the 21 Malaysians who participated in last Saturday’s gathering, the visit passes of two others have also been cancelled, the police said in a statement late last night.

“As for the remaining 18 persons, their work passes will be reviewed upon completion of further investigations,” it added.

The police will also be issuing “stern conditional warnings” to all those who participated in last Saturday’s gathering.

“Their employers will be informed of this. This follows the conditional warnings issued to nine persons who took part in the illegal gathering at the same location on May 8,” it said.

Read more at: http://www.todayonline.com/singapore/authorities-revoking-work-pass-malaysian-who-participated-illegal-gatherings 

One likely to make a comeback is Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor 

(TMI) - The new Cabinet to be announced tomorrow will have a familiar look and loaded with Umno lawmakers, with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak having one eye on this year’s party polls.

One likely to make a comeback is Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Mansor, the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno secretary-general who gained notoriety several years ago for allegedly fixing judicial appointments during the Mahathir era.

Also on the shortlist is Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh, the former Terengganu mentri besar who together with Tengku Adnan is a member of the BN war room that planned the coalition’s Election 2013 campaign.

Another member of the war room, Rompin MP Datuk Seri Jamaluddin Jarjis, could also be rewarded with a Cabinet post, sources said today.

But they said that no losers in the general election will be appointed to the Cabinet through appointments as a federal senator.

The Cabinet list is being scrutinised with interest on expectations that they have to be in line with Najib’s drive for reforms after getting his own mandate in the May 5 general elections.

There has been speculation that he would also opt for newer and younger faces to push his reform agenda outlined under the BN manifesto and various socio-economic initiatives since he took power in 2009.

One polarising figure in the discussion for a Cabinet position is Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin.The names of two state companies chiefs, Malayan Banking Bhd chief executive officer Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar and Khazanah Nasional Berhad’s managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar have also been bandied about but there is strong sentiment in Putrajaya that by virtue of winning 88 federal seats, Umno must be rewarded.

One polarising figure in the discussion for a Cabinet position is Umno Youth chief Khairy Jamaluddin with strong push back from the Mahathir camp, arguing that his baggage from the Abdullah years will be a liability.

In his corner is Najib who believes that Khairy, who tripled his majority from 5,746 votes in Election 2008 to 18,357 in this year’s polls, will be important in tackling social media and coming up with strategies to win the young.

Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/najibs-new-cabinet-to-have-familiar-faces-more-umno-men/ 

(Meld Magazine) - These days, it’s not just the celebrities who have fake followers on Twitter, if the figures that show up on the online application Fake Follower Check are true. 

HOW do our world leaders fare when it comes to online influence? Hayden Waugh delves into the Twittersphere and investigates the accounts of Barack Obama, Najib Razak, Julia Gillard and more. 

Mirror mirror on the wall, who’s the fairest of them all?

These days, it’s not just the celebrities who have fake followers on Twitter, if the figures that show up on the online application Fake Follower Check are true.

In our comparison of eight political leaders from the US, Australia, Malaysia, India, Thailand, Japan, Singapore and Vietnam, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak topped the list for having the largest proportion of fake followers.

A recent check using Fake Follower Check showed a whopping 70 per cent of Prime Minister Najib’s 1.41 million followers were fake.

He was followed by Thai Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at 55 per cent and 54 per cent respectively.

Comic: CW Vong 

Just under half of US President Barack Obama’s 13.1 million followers were found to be fake, and for Australian Prime Minister Julia Gillard, 36 per cent of her 130,680 followers were fake.

Those who have done well include Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong, with 62 per cent of his more than 25,000 following made up of engaged or “good” followers, and Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe whose engaged followers numbered at 58 per cent of 81,200.

These figures show that perhaps numbers tell only part of the story when it comes to determining popularity and influence.

Thomas Tudehope, social media expert from social@Ogilvy and former advisor to Australian Shadow Minister for Communications and Broadband Malcolm Turnbull, says Twitter users can easily purchase followers starting from 100 and upwards to 10,000 followers at varying prices.

Read more at: http://www.meldmagazine.com.au/2013/05/world-leaders-fake-followers/ 

(Bangkok Post) - Not content with insulting these people, he also threatened to have them locked up in police cells, or even thrown in prison, if they dare to protest at the site of the international conference or in its vicinity.

"Garbage", that's the exact word used by Deputy Prime Minister Plodprasop Suraswadi to label all the non-governmental organisations, environmental and civic groups which plan to protest in Chiang Mai over the next week, when some 1,500 delegates from 49 countries are attending the Second Asia-Pacific Water Summit in the northern capital.

Not content with insulting these people, he also threatened to have them locked up in police cells, or even thrown in prison, if they dare to protest at the site of the international conference or in its vicinity.

Here is his exact insulting, threatening remark. "I warn the protesters not to come, otherwise they will all be arrested. There will be no space reserved for the protest but only jails awaiting them. There will be no talk whatsoever, only arrests. And the Chiang Mai people should not let these people, who are like garbage, mess around."

The derogatory way he referred to NGOs and the environmentalists, and the implicit way he suggested the people of Chiang Mai, the bastion of the red-shirt movement and a hard-core red-shirt group known as the Chiang Mai 51, should deal with them and prevent them from staging a protest is a clear reflection of what kind of a man he is and also his mindset.

Mr Plodprasop may have, somehow, mistakenly thought for a moment he was in Malaysia, where a protest in public needs approval from the police.

His threat is exactly the sort of action that Malaysian police are considering against Malaysia's opposition leader Anwar Abrahim and his associates for unapproved protest rallies against the result of the recent general election there, or the "mother of all election frauds" as they charge.

Here in Thailand, even in the red-shirt fortress of Chiang Mai, every individual or group of people of any political colour or non-colour has the constitutional right to public protest in a peaceful manner. The NGOs and environmentalists have every right to rally anywhere in Chiang Mai, even outside the water conference, so long as they do not break any law, including not blocking traffic.

There is no need whatsover for Mr Plodprasop to be afraid of these protesters, or to insult them in advance. They are educated and mature people - and probably are more responsible and care more about protecting the natural resources of this country, including the environment, than Mr Plodprasop and his officials do.

I can only presume that Mr Plosprasop does not want a demonstration in the northern capital during the Water Summit because the protesters may say a lot of bad things - but, unfortunately, they are also the truths - about his pet project, the 350-billion baht water management scheme that he plans to sell to the visiting delegates.

The delegates - many of whom are not well-informed about what actually is happening in this country – will undoubtedly be captivated by the PR deluge they will be swamped with about Mr Plodprasop’s pet project, and his presentation, without learning anything about the other side, the dark side of the scheme, which they could hear only from the protesters.

But truth cannot be concealed and Mr Plodprasop seems to have forgotten this.

All the delegates should be mindful of the fact it will be in their own interests, and ensure they are properly informed about the water management problems in this country, if they keep their options open and also lend an ear to the other side of the argument - not just soak up the information flood packaged by the Thai government.

DAP chairman Karpal Singh says such protests, as proposed by Haris Ibrahim, could turn unruly if not handled properly. 

G Vinod, FMT

DAP chairman Karpal Singh today rebuked activist Haris Ibrahim for calling for street protests to topple the Barisan Nasional (BN) government.

Speaking at a press conference today, Karpal said that he could not accept the call for street protests despite agreeing that the recent general election was marred with irregularities.

“I agree there were fraud during the general election but we must address this using the court process,” he said.

Yesterday, Haris was reported as saying that pro-Pakatan Rakyat NGO’s would topple the federal government through massive street rallies.

He said that the people could not wait for another five years to dislodge BN as democracy is not working in Malaysia.

However, Haris qualified his statement by saying that he was not talking about violent street protests against BN.

Karpal, who is also Bukit Gelugor MP, said that his party is against street protests to topple a government.

Although he commended Haris for opposing violent demonstrations, Karpal warned that a street protest may cause unrest if it was not handled properly.

“I know Haris is a good man. Probably he got carried away by anger on the fact that Najib (Tun Razak) is leading a minority government,” he said.

Karpal also commended PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim for holding indoor rallies to create awareness among the masses on the electoral fraud that transpired during the general election.

“What Anwar doing is understandable and the police should cooperate by providing security to the participants, not like what happened in the Kelana Jaya rally where there were no police presence at all,” he said.

It’s official: Tee signing his appointment documents after taking his oath before the Sultan of Johor.

(The Star) - MCA national organising secretary Datuk Tee Siew Kiong may face action by the party after he was sworn in as a Johor executive councillor despite the party's decision to abstain from holding any government post.

Tee, who is Pulai Sebatang state assemblyman, took his oath of office in compliance with the command of the Sultan of Johor.

Nonetheless, the party may take disciplinary action against him.

MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek confirmed that the party central committee would deliberate on Tee's case and he might face disciplinary action.

“I would like to clarify that MCA has not recommended Tee to be a Johor executive councillor in keeping with the party resolution passed in 2011 that it would not accept any government posts,” Dr Chua said in a statement yesterday.

In 2008, MCA won 15 parliamentary and 31 state seats out of 40 parliamentary and 90 state constituencies it contested.

Great honour: Khaled Nordin being sworn in as Mentri Besar by Sultan of Johor Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar. 

In the May 5 elections, the party only won seven parliamentary and 11 state seats.

Dr Chua said: “The Sultan has the power to appoint the Mentri Besar and the state executive councillors because of the uniqueness of the State Constitution.

“It was also the Sultan's aspiration to have Chinese representation in the state government as I received a call from the Johor Palace's secretary that the Ruler wanted to appoint Tee as a state executive councillor.”

Dr Chua said he also consulted Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak on Monday about the royal command, and the Prime Minister advised him to follow it.

He noted that the Rulers of other states had not exercised their authority to appoint MCA elected representatives as executive councillors.

He said there were also some states which had kept vacant state executive councillor posts for Chinese elected representatives.

He appealed to the people and MCA members for understanding of “this unique situation in Johor as well as the Johor Sultan's power and authority”.

Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said Tee would be retained as a state executive councillor even if MCA decides to “disown” him for accepting the position.

“Even if the party disowns him, we will practise what some people have suggested at the federal level and appoint him as an independent or even as a non-governmental organisation head,” he said.

“Tee's appointment is based on the Johor Sultan's wishes to see that all communities in the state are represented in the new exco line-up.”

(The Star) - Pulai Sebatang assemblyman Datuk Tee Siew Kiong said he took his oath as state executive council member not in defiance of the MCA's stand but in compliance with a royal command by the Sultan of Johor.

“I am an MCA representative but I am also a Johorean. There is no easy way to go about it but I have to accede to the wishes of the Sultan,” he said.

Tee, the MCA national organising secretary, said the decision was made known to party president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek and Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Tee, who will head the state Tourism, Domestic Trade and Consumerism Committee, said both Dr Chua and Najib agreed that the party had to comply with the wishes of the Ruler.

Ahead of GE13, the MCA had made a stand that if it won less than 15 parliamentary seats, the party would not accept government posts at any level. Voters delivered only seven seats to the party on May 5.

Tee, met after his swearing-in, said the party was still steadfast in its decision, but had to make an exception in Johor because Sultan Ibrahim Ibni Almarhum Sultan Iskandar had made it clear that he wanted a Chinese representative in the state exco line-up.

“The Sultan made it clear during a luncheon event at Istana Pasir Pelangi on May 13 that he wanted a Chinese representative to promote togetherness.

“I am thankful he has selected me,” he said, adding that he would work hard and put forward the needs of the Chinese community to the state government.

Tee said being selected was a big burden and a huge challenge but he was prepared for his portfolio in the state exco.

Asked if a similar situation would happen in other states, he said: “This is highly unlikely as Johor is a special case. The Johor government was formed in 1895, even before the country's government was formed, and we have our own set of regulations to follow.

“That is why we have to adhere to the advice of the Sultan, as he has the authority and right to dictate what he feels is best for his people.”

Sabah MCA leaders will uphold the resolution of the presidential council not to accept posts in the state and federal government. 

(FMT) - Across Sabah, all state MCA members serving as councillors in municipal councils, Hospital Visitors Boards, State Prisons Board and as Health Clinic Advisors were told today to resign with immediate effect.

Sabah MCA chief Edward Khoo said this was in accordance with decisions made during the MCA presidential council meeting last Saturday.

Khoo, who met with he state MCA division leaders yesterday to convey the president council’s decision, said it was “unanimously agreed” at state level to uphold the presidential council’s decision.

“In this meeting we unanimously agreed that the 259 Sabah MCA members who are now serving as councillors in all municipal councils, Hospital Visitors Boards, State Prisons Boards and Health Clinic Advisors throughout the state should resign from their posts with immediate effect.

“This is the decision by the presidential council. It is in line with the 2011 and 2012 MCA annual general congress resolutions, ” he told reporters here after a state level meeting. Also present were the Sabah MCA Women and Youth wing leaders.

On Sabah MCA’s future direction, Khoo said the local chapter had decided to work with the central MCA leadership appointed task force.

“We also discussed the last election and explored the the direction that Sabah MCA should take now.

“We have decided that Sabah MCA will work with the MCA central task force.

“The central leadership has appointed Liow Tiong Lai to head the task force.

“The task force will chart the direction of the party and present its report at the next central committee meeting,” he said.

Sabah MCA ‘no where’

Meanwhile, when asked if the state MCA would accept a Senator’s appointment, Khoo replied in the negative.

“We will not accept. It has been the resolution in the past two central AGMs, not only for Sabah but the whole of Malaysia not to accept.

READ MORE HERE

Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar says they do not condone overthrowing government through street demonstrations. 

Lisa J. Ariffin, FMT

Pakatan Rakyat today said the coalition does not condone overthrowing ruling Barisan Nasional through mass street demonstrations.

Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim was responding to activist Haris Ibrahim’s statement that pro-Pakatan Rakyat NGOs would topple the federal government through massive street rallies.

“The proposal has never been submitted to us, it has never been discussed by Pakatan. Those are the views of some NGOs,” Anwar told a press conference here after a meeting involving Pakatan leaders.

He however did not fully disregard the idea of street demonstrations. Anwar maintained that street demonstrations should be held in a peaceful and orderly manner.

“We will confine purely to peaceful rallies at designated places.

“But we do not say no to peaceful rallies, we must let the people express their disgust at Umno-BN for stealing the election,” he added.

On Monday, pro-Pakatan Rakyat groups vowed to overthrow the BN government within the year through a massive street rally.

Speakers at a forum unanimously agreed that waiting for five years until the next general election was too long, and vowed to overthrow BN this year through “force”.

PKR vice-president and Batu MP Tian Chua had also thrown support behind their cry to overthrow BN through force, and said it was the people’s choice.

“The decision to wait another five years or fight is not the right of Pakatan leaders, the results during the polls were not of Pakatan… but the rakyat’s,” he said.

However, PKR secretary-general Saifuddin Nasution has since said Tian’s backing for the street rally was a personal stand and not reflective of Pakatan’s stand.

“The official decision must come from the top Pakatan leadership, not only theirs (Tian Chua),” he added.

READ MORE HERE

ABN NEWS

According to Dr Xavier Jeyakumar's detractors, PKR had received 29 memorandums of his wrongdoings and mismanagement during his tenure as state exco.

B Nantha Kumar, FMT

A large group of PKR Indian leaders today unanimously rejected the party’s decision to submit Sri Andalas assemblyman Dr Xavier Jeyakumar’s name for executive councillor position in the Selangor state administration.

They’re also planning for a series of protests against PKR if Jeyakumar gets the nod for a second term as an exco member.

In the last state cabinet, Jeyakumar helmed the Health, Estate Workers, Poverty and Caring Government portfolio.

“We were told that Jeyakumar’s name is in the PKR’s exco list for a second term which really shocked the Pakatan Indian leaders in Selangor,” said Dr S Streram from Petaling Jaya Selatan PKR division.

Speaking to reporters here, Streram added: “We are here today and want to send a strong message to PKR’s top leadership not to pick Jeyakumar for the exco post.”

Also present were several PKR grassroots leaders such as ‘OMS’ P Thiagarajan, who is a close ally to PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, P Krishnasamy (Klang), S Murali (Puchong), M Jayabalan (Lembah Pantai), Anthony Dass (Kota Raja), S Balan (Subang), P Maniam (Hulu Selangor) and Dr Neduchelian from Kapar.

Streram said if the PKR leadership was adamant about pushing ahead with Jeyakumar, then they should be prepared to face massive protests.

“We are not threatening the party, but we want the leaders to listen to our suggestions,” said Streram.

He said there was a general consensus among PKR Indian leaders to have DAP’s V Ganapathi Rao as the Selangor exco for Indian affairs.

“We Selangor Indians are disappointed with Jeyakumar’s quality of leadership. Apart from being a ‘postman’ on delivering Tamil schools allocations, he has done nothing for the Indian community,”   said Streram, adding that Jeyakumar had failed to empower the Indians in Selangor.

29 memorandums of wrongdoings

He said, on the other hand, Ganapathi Rao, a Hindraf activist and former ISA detainee, was well aware of the real situation of Selangor Indians.

Sharing Streram’s view, Murali and Anthony Dass claimed that so far PKR had received 29 memorandums of alleged wrongdoings and mismanagement on Jeyakumar during his tenure as state exco.

READ MORE HERE

(Bernama) - Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) chairman P. Waythamoorthy has been appointed to join the new Cabinet of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak. 

(Bloomberg) - “The Cabinet reflects a prime minister concerned about retaining the premiership and the presidency of UMNO,” said Edmund Terence Gomez, a professor at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. “I don’t see any move in the direction to talk about reconciliation and transformation and inclusivity in this cabinet.” 

Prime Minister Najib Razak stocked his Cabinet with party stalwarts, after the ruling coalition’s biggest ethnic Chinese partner said it wouldn’t accept ministerial posts following its poor election showing.

Najib tapped leaders of his ruling United Malays Nasional Organisation for key positions before party polls later this year that will determine whether he stays on as prime minister. He also gave posts to the heads of Malaysia’s biggest bank, a corruption watchdog and a Hindu rights group. Two of the new line-up are Chinese, compared with more than a dozen previously.

“The Cabinet reflects a prime minister concerned about retaining the premiership and the presidency of UMNO,” said Edmund Terence Gomez, a professor at the University of Malaya in Kuala Lumpur. “I don’t see any move in the direction to talk about reconciliation and transformation and inclusivity in this cabinet.”

Najib’s coalition retained power in the May 5 election even after losing a majority of the popular vote for the first time since 1969, which the prime minister attributed to a loss of support from Chinese voters. Besides an ethnic divide, his administration faces a weakening economy, with Malaysia’s growth slowing to less than 5 percent for the first in seven quarters.

“The recovery in terms of exports is quite weak” and will be determined by a growth rebound in developed markets, Ho Woei Chen, a Singapore-based economist at United Overseas Bank Ltd., said yesterday, before the release of economic data. “But consumption, investments will remain strong in Malaysia.”

GDP Misses

Gross domestic product rose 4.1 percent in the three months through March from a year earlier, after a revised 6.5 percent gain in the previous quarter, the central bank said yesterday. That’s lower than all 22 estimates in a Bloomberg Newssurvey. The monetary authority kept its full-year growth forecast at as much as 6 percent.

The ringgit slipped 0.4 percent before the GDP data was released. It has risen about 3.8 percent in the past 12 months, the fourth-best performer among the 11 most actively traded Asian currencies tracked by Bloomberg. The benchmark FTSE Bursa Malaysia KLCI Index has gained more than 14 percent and closed 0.3 percent lower yesterday.

Najib’s coalition won 133 seats, topping the 89 seats claimed by Anwar Ibrahim’s three-party opposition, which captured 51 percent of the popular vote. Anwar has said he’ll challenge about 30 seats, enough to swing the result, and has held rallies in different states after the election.

MCA Vote

Ethnic Chinese parties in the government won nine seats compared with 23 in the 2008 election. Chua Soi Lek, president of the Malaysian Chinese Association, said on on May 6 the party wouldn’t take up its allotment of Cabinet posts.

Najib said he has reserved the transport minister’s position for the party in case it changes its mind when it meets to select a new leader.

“We are a balanced cabinet and the transport ministry will be given to MCA once they have decided,” Najib said in Putrajaya, the country’s administrative capital.

Read more at: http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-05-15/najib-cabinet-rewards-base-as-chinese-sidelined-southeast-asia.html 

by Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani, fz.com

In Sinar Harian today, Umno leaders called on Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to fulfil his promise of leaving politics if he failed to win Putrajaya in the 13th general election.