Apr 25, 08 7:33pm
Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein today apologised for raising the keris “if it had affected the non-Malays”.
He said that he took full responsibility for his actions but gave no guarantees that he would not repeat the keris-waving again during this year’s Umno annual general assembly.
“I am sorry of it had affected the non-Malays,” he told reporters today after attending a BN Youth meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre today.
"I would also like to apologise to the Malays over my failure to uphold the Malay symbol (keris)," he added
Hishammuddin’s keris-raising act has been seen by many as one of the factors in the non-Malays voting away from Barisan Nasional in the March 8 general election.
Hishammuddin, also the education minister, had raised the keris during the Unmo Youth assemblies for the past three years, claiming that it symbolised the Malay supremacy and Umno’s role in defending that.
However many non-Malays felt that the act was highly racial in nature.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Hisham apologises for keris act
Apr 25, 08 7:33pm
Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein today apologised for raising the keris “if it had affected the non-Malays”.
He said that he took full responsibility for his actions but gave no guarantees that he would not repeat the keris-waving again during this year’s Umno annual general assembly.
“I am sorry of it had affected the non-Malays,” he told reporters today after attending a BN Youth meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre today.
"I would also like to apologise to the Malays over my failure to uphold the Malay symbol (keris)," he added
Hishammuddin’s keris-raising act has been seen by many as one of the factors in the non-Malays voting away from Barisan Nasional in the March 8 general election.
Hishammuddin, also the education minister, had raised the keris during the Unmo Youth assemblies for the past three years, claiming that it symbolised the Malay supremacy and Umno’s role in defending that.
However many non-Malays felt that the act was highly racial in nature.
Umno Youth chief Hishammuddin Hussein today apologised for raising the keris “if it had affected the non-Malays”.
He said that he took full responsibility for his actions but gave no guarantees that he would not repeat the keris-waving again during this year’s Umno annual general assembly.
“I am sorry of it had affected the non-Malays,” he told reporters today after attending a BN Youth meeting at the Putra World Trade Centre today.
"I would also like to apologise to the Malays over my failure to uphold the Malay symbol (keris)," he added
Hishammuddin’s keris-raising act has been seen by many as one of the factors in the non-Malays voting away from Barisan Nasional in the March 8 general election.
Hishammuddin, also the education minister, had raised the keris during the Unmo Youth assemblies for the past three years, claiming that it symbolised the Malay supremacy and Umno’s role in defending that.
However many non-Malays felt that the act was highly racial in nature.
Najib: BN serious about 'crossover threat'
Apr 25, 08 6:34pm
The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government is taking the ‘crossover threat’ of MPs seriously, said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.
"There are reports (of the crossover) but we cannot just dismiss the reports. Of course, there is an element of political gamesmanship, nonetheless, we cannot take things for granted," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Najib said this when asked to comment on a statement by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim that the opposition had 30 or more MPs who were willing to leave BN for Pakatan Rakyat.
Following the just concluded general election, the opposition won 82 seats in Parliament while BN has 140 seats.
If 30 or more BN MPs were to cross over to the opposition, the country would witness BN losing the federal government for the first time since the independence 50 years ago.
Asked if BN would take measures to ensure all BN MPs remained with the ruling coalition, Najib said: "We will do something but I won't tell you exactly what we will do, but we will do something."
"We hear rumours (of the crossover) but no one has come and said we are saying goodbye to BN," said the deputy prime minister.
"We have to deal with urgency. We have to take everything seriously, we cannot dismiss it as pure fabrication but as I said there is a strong element of political gamesmanship as well," he said.
'PM in three years'
On April 23, Anwar predicted that he would become prime minister in three years.
"I don't think we have established a definite clear time-frame when I will take over (as prime minister) but it certainly wouldn't reach three years ... much earlier than that," he was quoted as saying by the foreign news agency.
"(But) I am not in a rush," he added.
Anwar, heir-apparent to long-time former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad before being sacked and jailed a decade ago, has emerged as a serious threat to the ruling coalition after the opposition's strong showing in parliamentary polls.
He became free to run for office again last week, when a five-year ban stemming from his corruption conviction expired, and claims he has the support
The ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) government is taking the ‘crossover threat’ of MPs seriously, said Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak today.
"There are reports (of the crossover) but we cannot just dismiss the reports. Of course, there is an element of political gamesmanship, nonetheless, we cannot take things for granted," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Najib said this when asked to comment on a statement by PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim that the opposition had 30 or more MPs who were willing to leave BN for Pakatan Rakyat.
Following the just concluded general election, the opposition won 82 seats in Parliament while BN has 140 seats.
If 30 or more BN MPs were to cross over to the opposition, the country would witness BN losing the federal government for the first time since the independence 50 years ago.
Asked if BN would take measures to ensure all BN MPs remained with the ruling coalition, Najib said: "We will do something but I won't tell you exactly what we will do, but we will do something."
"We hear rumours (of the crossover) but no one has come and said we are saying goodbye to BN," said the deputy prime minister.
"We have to deal with urgency. We have to take everything seriously, we cannot dismiss it as pure fabrication but as I said there is a strong element of political gamesmanship as well," he said.
'PM in three years'
On April 23, Anwar predicted that he would become prime minister in three years.
"I don't think we have established a definite clear time-frame when I will take over (as prime minister) but it certainly wouldn't reach three years ... much earlier than that," he was quoted as saying by the foreign news agency.
"(But) I am not in a rush," he added.
Anwar, heir-apparent to long-time former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad before being sacked and jailed a decade ago, has emerged as a serious threat to the ruling coalition after the opposition's strong showing in parliamentary polls.
He became free to run for office again last week, when a five-year ban stemming from his corruption conviction expired, and claims he has the support
Groups want a trimmed-down Suhakam
Beh Lih Yi Apr 25, 08 3:49pm
Rights groups have called for the number of commissioners sitting on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to be slashed while full-time commissioner to be appointed.
Their call came in the wake of 12, out of 18, commissioners whose two-year tenure expired on Wednesday, including Suhakam chairman Abu Talib Othman who has at the helm of Suhakam for six years.
The government has yet to announce the new Suhakam line-up but it is expected to do so next week. Suhakam comes under the purview of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s office.
Nevertheless, NGOs have expressed their hope to see a ‘trimmed-down’ Suhakam to be unveiled to arrest the declining public confidence over the government-backed human rights organisation.
“If you have full-time commissioners, they can be more focus and effective because human rights is not a part-time matter,” National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said when contacted.
“When you are part-time, it gives an impression that they won’t do as much as the priority that it should be,” added Malik, also a lawyer.
Apart from that, he said the criteria in the selection process should be made clear that the commissioners must possess sufficient knowledge on human rights-related issues and laws.
Dumping ground for retirees
Leading local human rights watchdog Suaram echoed the sentiment for full-time commissioners.
“We have had cases where we have to wait for a reply from the commissioners depending on their availability to meet,” its coordinator John Liu said when contacted.
He supported the call for a transparent selection process on the commissioners and argued for the need to set up an independent search committee to appoint the commissioners, a practice which was done in certain countries in the region.
It can follow the footstep to that of the judiciary - where a judicial appointments commission was recently announced to be set up by the government after persistent complaints over the non-transparent selection process, Liu noted.
The activist, who presented a paper in Australia last September to draw a comparison between Suhakam and other regional human rights institutions, said the enabling act of Suhakam need to be amended.
“In the Suhakam Act, it is not stated that the experience and knowledge in human rights is a criteria to be appointed as commissioner. There is a need to amend the law on this otherwise Suhakam will turn into (like what some said as) the dumping ground for retirees,” he pointed out.
“There was one commissioner who doesn’t even know what Rela (people volunteers’ corps) was in one of the meetings,” claimed Liu.
Under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999, it is only stated that the commissioners shall be appointed from among “prominent personalities include those from various religious and racial backgrounds”.
The commissioners are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister. Although the act allows the appointment of up to 20 commissioners, Suhakam at present has 18.
According to commissioner N Siva Subramaniam, each of the commissioner enjoy a RM7,000 monthly allowance, petrol claims and given a Proton Perdana during their service at Suhakam.
Avoid waste of public funds
A Suhakam insider however argued that due to the part-time nature of the job, the commitment and efficiency of certain commissioners do not tally with the allowances and perks they enjoyed.
“Some just turn up once in a month as they usually said they are busy,” said the insider, referring to the commission’s monthly meeting.
The commission's system where two commissioners are placed on duty from Monday to Friday to deal with the Suhakam’s affairs, such as receiving complainants, are not being followed.
The insider argued that the allowances allocated to the 18 commissioners, amounting to at least RM126,000 each month, should be consolidated to hire full-time commissioners to enhance the commission’s efficiency and to avoid a waste of public funds.
“Five or six commissioners will do if they are real effective,” another Suhakam source stressed.
The source also revealed that a recent move by the commission to change about 10 of the Proton Perdanas - those in use for more than five years - for the commissioners have prompted grouses among some officers who argued it is unnecessary.
Suhakam secretary Ahmad Yusuf Ngah when asked on this however declined to comment.
Suhakam has a chequered history in defending human rights, with NGOs frequently complaining about its ineffectiveness.
Most of the commission’s recommendations over the past eight years have been ignored by the government, while repeated attempts to get the Suhakam annual report to be debated in Parliament have proven futile.
The government has previously stated that it has no intention of giving the commission any ‘teeth’, in terms of enforcement of recommendations. Suhakam only acts as an advisory body to the government at present.
Rights groups have called for the number of commissioners sitting on the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to be slashed while full-time commissioner to be appointed.
Their call came in the wake of 12, out of 18, commissioners whose two-year tenure expired on Wednesday, including Suhakam chairman Abu Talib Othman who has at the helm of Suhakam for six years.
The government has yet to announce the new Suhakam line-up but it is expected to do so next week. Suhakam comes under the purview of Deputy Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s office.
Nevertheless, NGOs have expressed their hope to see a ‘trimmed-down’ Suhakam to be unveiled to arrest the declining public confidence over the government-backed human rights organisation.
“If you have full-time commissioners, they can be more focus and effective because human rights is not a part-time matter,” National Human Rights Society (Hakam) president Malik Imtiaz Sarwar said when contacted.
“When you are part-time, it gives an impression that they won’t do as much as the priority that it should be,” added Malik, also a lawyer.
Apart from that, he said the criteria in the selection process should be made clear that the commissioners must possess sufficient knowledge on human rights-related issues and laws.
Dumping ground for retirees
Leading local human rights watchdog Suaram echoed the sentiment for full-time commissioners.
“We have had cases where we have to wait for a reply from the commissioners depending on their availability to meet,” its coordinator John Liu said when contacted.
He supported the call for a transparent selection process on the commissioners and argued for the need to set up an independent search committee to appoint the commissioners, a practice which was done in certain countries in the region.
It can follow the footstep to that of the judiciary - where a judicial appointments commission was recently announced to be set up by the government after persistent complaints over the non-transparent selection process, Liu noted.
The activist, who presented a paper in Australia last September to draw a comparison between Suhakam and other regional human rights institutions, said the enabling act of Suhakam need to be amended.
“In the Suhakam Act, it is not stated that the experience and knowledge in human rights is a criteria to be appointed as commissioner. There is a need to amend the law on this otherwise Suhakam will turn into (like what some said as) the dumping ground for retirees,” he pointed out.
“There was one commissioner who doesn’t even know what Rela (people volunteers’ corps) was in one of the meetings,” claimed Liu.
Under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia Act 1999, it is only stated that the commissioners shall be appointed from among “prominent personalities include those from various religious and racial backgrounds”.
The commissioners are appointed by the king on the recommendation of the prime minister. Although the act allows the appointment of up to 20 commissioners, Suhakam at present has 18.
According to commissioner N Siva Subramaniam, each of the commissioner enjoy a RM7,000 monthly allowance, petrol claims and given a Proton Perdana during their service at Suhakam.
Avoid waste of public funds
A Suhakam insider however argued that due to the part-time nature of the job, the commitment and efficiency of certain commissioners do not tally with the allowances and perks they enjoyed.
“Some just turn up once in a month as they usually said they are busy,” said the insider, referring to the commission’s monthly meeting.
The commission's system where two commissioners are placed on duty from Monday to Friday to deal with the Suhakam’s affairs, such as receiving complainants, are not being followed.
The insider argued that the allowances allocated to the 18 commissioners, amounting to at least RM126,000 each month, should be consolidated to hire full-time commissioners to enhance the commission’s efficiency and to avoid a waste of public funds.
“Five or six commissioners will do if they are real effective,” another Suhakam source stressed.
The source also revealed that a recent move by the commission to change about 10 of the Proton Perdanas - those in use for more than five years - for the commissioners have prompted grouses among some officers who argued it is unnecessary.
Suhakam secretary Ahmad Yusuf Ngah when asked on this however declined to comment.
Suhakam has a chequered history in defending human rights, with NGOs frequently complaining about its ineffectiveness.
Most of the commission’s recommendations over the past eight years have been ignored by the government, while repeated attempts to get the Suhakam annual report to be debated in Parliament have proven futile.
The government has previously stated that it has no intention of giving the commission any ‘teeth’, in terms of enforcement of recommendations. Suhakam only acts as an advisory body to the government at present.
MCA names 4 new state leaders
Apr 25, 08 12:54pm
MCA today announced a minor but significant change in its state leadership line-up by naming three federal ministers and a deputy minister to take over the mantle in Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Kedah.
Debutant ministers Ong Tee Keat, Liow Tiong Lai and Dr Ng Yen Yen have been tasked to head Selangor, Penang and Kelantan respectively. This is the first time they have been given the responsibility to head state leadership for the party.
Meanwhile, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung will head Kedah, taking over from Beh Heng Siong.
The announcement was made by party president Ong Ka Ting after a central committee meeting today.
These were the four states which fell into opposition control following the March 8 polls. However, MCA has decided to retain its secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan as the head in Perak which is also under opposition rule now.
In Selangor, Transport Minister Ong will be replacing Ch’ng Toh Eng while MCA Wanita head and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Ng Yen Yen will be taking over from party treasurer Lau Yin Pin.
Over in Penang, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai will assume the state leadership from deputy president Chan Kong Choy.
The announcement of their appointments were made today by the party.
It must be noted that these four states were captured by the Pakatan Rakyat in the March 8 general election. MCA was totally routed in these states.
Ong and Chor were the only MCA representatives to have won their Parliamentary seats in Selangor and Kedah respectively. The party won only two other state seats in Selangor.
MCA today announced a minor but significant change in its state leadership line-up by naming three federal ministers and a deputy minister to take over the mantle in Selangor, Penang, Kelantan and Kedah.
Debutant ministers Ong Tee Keat, Liow Tiong Lai and Dr Ng Yen Yen have been tasked to head Selangor, Penang and Kelantan respectively. This is the first time they have been given the responsibility to head state leadership for the party.
Meanwhile, Deputy Home Minister Chor Chee Heung will head Kedah, taking over from Beh Heng Siong.
The announcement was made by party president Ong Ka Ting after a central committee meeting today.
These were the four states which fell into opposition control following the March 8 polls. However, MCA has decided to retain its secretary-general Ong Ka Chuan as the head in Perak which is also under opposition rule now.
In Selangor, Transport Minister Ong will be replacing Ch’ng Toh Eng while MCA Wanita head and Women, Family and Community Development Minister Ng Yen Yen will be taking over from party treasurer Lau Yin Pin.
Over in Penang, Health Minister Liow Tiong Lai will assume the state leadership from deputy president Chan Kong Choy.
The announcement of their appointments were made today by the party.
It must be noted that these four states were captured by the Pakatan Rakyat in the March 8 general election. MCA was totally routed in these states.
Ong and Chor were the only MCA representatives to have won their Parliamentary seats in Selangor and Kedah respectively. The party won only two other state seats in Selangor.
Panelists: Review fuel subsidy schemes
Apr 25, 08 4:42pm
Several former government officials and economic experts yesterday called on the government to restructure its fuel subsidy schemes.
Speaking on a forum on the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, former minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit Effendi Norwawi said present fuel subsidies were unsustainable.
"Subsidies have reached RM30 billion. There is also a need to subsidies education and medical services. This list goes on and on. It is not sustainable," he told the a crowd of 50 people comprising of academics, civil society groups and government officers.
Similarly, former Energy, Water and Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik said present subsidies such as those for fuel were not reaching the target group.
"It is not the man on the street, which probably can only afford 1.2 litre Proton Iswara, that benefits. The rich people who drive fuel guzzlers like the 3.5 or 4.2 litre, they are the one enjoying subsidies," he said during his keynote address at the forum.
Institute of Strategic Analysis & Policy Research (Insap) director Fui K Soong during her presentation said it was an open secret that the present subsidy schemes, such as diesel and fertiliser subsidies for fishermen and farmers respectively, were open to abuse.
She said that even if the government cannot remove subsidies completely, the amount subsidised must be reduced.
Economic corridors under fire
Another government policy which came under the microscope during the forum was the launch of economic corridors throughout Malaysia.
Fui (photo) and another speaker Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua both said that the corridors do not appear to be drawing the kind of investment that was initially touted.
Pua, who is economic advisor to the DAP secretary-general, said the investments that are going towards such corridors appear to be limited to land acquisitions and property development.
"If a Middle-East fund comes and develop a piece of land, it is different from say (computer chip maker) Intel buying a land a building a factory.
"The type of value is different. They pump technology, create jobs and provide secondary industries. That is a huge difference. Concept wise, the corridors look good… but it does not appear to be focussing on knowledge development," he said.
Earlier, in his speech, Keng Yaik (photo) had also touched on the subject.
He said there was a need to ensure that foreign investors would be interested in the economic corridors.
"If there are too many corridors in the country, we might end up in a maze and face a blank wall," he said in jest.
The forum yesterday was jointly organised by the Centre for Public Policy Studies and the Wawasan Open University.
Several former government officials and economic experts yesterday called on the government to restructure its fuel subsidy schemes.
Speaking on a forum on the mid-term review of the Ninth Malaysia Plan in Kuala Lumpur yesterday, former minister in charge of the Economic Planning Unit Effendi Norwawi said present fuel subsidies were unsustainable.
"Subsidies have reached RM30 billion. There is also a need to subsidies education and medical services. This list goes on and on. It is not sustainable," he told the a crowd of 50 people comprising of academics, civil society groups and government officers.
Similarly, former Energy, Water and Communications Minister Lim Keng Yaik said present subsidies such as those for fuel were not reaching the target group.
"It is not the man on the street, which probably can only afford 1.2 litre Proton Iswara, that benefits. The rich people who drive fuel guzzlers like the 3.5 or 4.2 litre, they are the one enjoying subsidies," he said during his keynote address at the forum.
Institute of Strategic Analysis & Policy Research (Insap) director Fui K Soong during her presentation said it was an open secret that the present subsidy schemes, such as diesel and fertiliser subsidies for fishermen and farmers respectively, were open to abuse.
She said that even if the government cannot remove subsidies completely, the amount subsidised must be reduced.
Economic corridors under fire
Another government policy which came under the microscope during the forum was the launch of economic corridors throughout Malaysia.
Fui (photo) and another speaker Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua both said that the corridors do not appear to be drawing the kind of investment that was initially touted.
Pua, who is economic advisor to the DAP secretary-general, said the investments that are going towards such corridors appear to be limited to land acquisitions and property development.
"If a Middle-East fund comes and develop a piece of land, it is different from say (computer chip maker) Intel buying a land a building a factory.
"The type of value is different. They pump technology, create jobs and provide secondary industries. That is a huge difference. Concept wise, the corridors look good… but it does not appear to be focussing on knowledge development," he said.
Earlier, in his speech, Keng Yaik (photo) had also touched on the subject.
He said there was a need to ensure that foreign investors would be interested in the economic corridors.
"If there are too many corridors in the country, we might end up in a maze and face a blank wall," he said in jest.
The forum yesterday was jointly organised by the Centre for Public Policy Studies and the Wawasan Open University.
Anwar builds his Sarawak team
Tony Thien Apr 25, 08 11:49am
PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has started building on his own party's 'credible and committed team' in Sarawak as part of Pakatan Rakyat’s plan to win control of the state government from the Barisan Nasional in the next state election due in 2011.
Clearly buoyed by Pakatan's major victory in the recent national polls in Peninsular Malaysia, the former deputy premier took the first step in announcing at a press conference in Kuching yesterday the names of several Dayak professionals, intellectuals and activists who had decided to join the party's struggle.
Among them were three well known Orang Ulu lawyers Baru Bian, Paul Raja and Harrison Ngau, who is also a former Baram MP, former Snap secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol and his son, Iban lawyer and former Snap youth leader Walter Entrie, former Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) president and NCR land expert Nicholas Bawin and Iban lawyer Louis Jarraw, former Kapit wali kota (mayor) Frankie Badindang, Granda Aing, Talajan Lujoh and Cobbold Lusoi.
They were among a group of more than 20 Dayak professionals from the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu communities who turned up for the meeting during Anwar's half-day visit to Kuching. The PKR leader was on his way back to Kuala Lumpur after a visit to Sabah.
PKR has expressed confidence given the mood swing in Sarawak with all the unresolved issues, particularly NCR land disputes between native landowners and state authorities and beneficiaries of land leases issued by the government, corruption and cronyism, that Pakatan will be able to get a two-third majority in the next state election.
Presently, the opposition and Independents control nine out of the 71 seats in the state legislative assembly.
Promises for Sarawak
Anwar told a crowd of about 500 when opening PKR's new division in the predominantly Bidayuh parliamentary constituency of Mambong, 16km from Kuching, yesterday afternoon that a Pakatan Raykat-led federal government would adjust the oil/gas royalties for Sarawak, Sabah and Terengganu from 5% to 20% because they deserve more of what's due to them.
In the case of Sarawak, a four-fold increase in royalties would, on the basis of current prices, translate to as much as RM10 billion annually which would go direct to the state but subject to the expenditure following strict financial procedures, as the state was still lagging behind.
Anwar said the poor were found in all communities and that a Pakatan government would implement affirmative action based on merits, not race, and most critical is a policy catering to the welfare of the common folks and not to enrich cronies and political elites.
Anwar's visit came a day after a group of some 200 NCR landowners from throughout Sarawak had what was described as an open discussion on NCR land disputes and related matters in Kuching with a group of national and international NGOs.
During the press conference, he indicated his awareness that apart from NCR land being a major concern in Sarawak, other issues concerned matters of the civil service, abuse and misuse of power and corruption.
On reported differences between certain state PKR and DAP leaders, Anwar said Pakatan component parties generally enjoy a good working relationship, except for some skirmishes which were only to be expected.
PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim has started building on his own party's 'credible and committed team' in Sarawak as part of Pakatan Rakyat’s plan to win control of the state government from the Barisan Nasional in the next state election due in 2011.
Clearly buoyed by Pakatan's major victory in the recent national polls in Peninsular Malaysia, the former deputy premier took the first step in announcing at a press conference in Kuching yesterday the names of several Dayak professionals, intellectuals and activists who had decided to join the party's struggle.
Among them were three well known Orang Ulu lawyers Baru Bian, Paul Raja and Harrison Ngau, who is also a former Baram MP, former Snap secretary-general Edmund Stanley Jugol and his son, Iban lawyer and former Snap youth leader Walter Entrie, former Sarawak Dayak National Union (SDNU) president and NCR land expert Nicholas Bawin and Iban lawyer Louis Jarraw, former Kapit wali kota (mayor) Frankie Badindang, Granda Aing, Talajan Lujoh and Cobbold Lusoi.
They were among a group of more than 20 Dayak professionals from the Iban, Bidayuh and Orang Ulu communities who turned up for the meeting during Anwar's half-day visit to Kuching. The PKR leader was on his way back to Kuala Lumpur after a visit to Sabah.
PKR has expressed confidence given the mood swing in Sarawak with all the unresolved issues, particularly NCR land disputes between native landowners and state authorities and beneficiaries of land leases issued by the government, corruption and cronyism, that Pakatan will be able to get a two-third majority in the next state election.
Presently, the opposition and Independents control nine out of the 71 seats in the state legislative assembly.
Promises for Sarawak
Anwar told a crowd of about 500 when opening PKR's new division in the predominantly Bidayuh parliamentary constituency of Mambong, 16km from Kuching, yesterday afternoon that a Pakatan Raykat-led federal government would adjust the oil/gas royalties for Sarawak, Sabah and Terengganu from 5% to 20% because they deserve more of what's due to them.
In the case of Sarawak, a four-fold increase in royalties would, on the basis of current prices, translate to as much as RM10 billion annually which would go direct to the state but subject to the expenditure following strict financial procedures, as the state was still lagging behind.
Anwar said the poor were found in all communities and that a Pakatan government would implement affirmative action based on merits, not race, and most critical is a policy catering to the welfare of the common folks and not to enrich cronies and political elites.
Anwar's visit came a day after a group of some 200 NCR landowners from throughout Sarawak had what was described as an open discussion on NCR land disputes and related matters in Kuching with a group of national and international NGOs.
During the press conference, he indicated his awareness that apart from NCR land being a major concern in Sarawak, other issues concerned matters of the civil service, abuse and misuse of power and corruption.
On reported differences between certain state PKR and DAP leaders, Anwar said Pakatan component parties generally enjoy a good working relationship, except for some skirmishes which were only to be expected.
Khairy: There was no recount for Rembau
Apr 25, 08 11:41am
Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin has written to dispute Malaysiakini’s reports that there was a recount of votes on polling night of March 8 in the Rembau parliamentary constituency where he won by 5,726.
The following is his letter in full:
Thank you for Malaysiakini’s continued interest in and coverage of my career.
I wish to draw your attention to the fact that your reports asserting that I initially lost and that subsequently there was a re-count at the Rembau parliamentary constituency in the recent general election are a completely false and baseless. I never lost a “first count” and there never was a re-count. This fact was made clear by the Election Commission which was also reported in an article on March 13 of the The Star.
Your most recent assertion that I initially lost and subsequently won in a re-count was contained in Syed Jaymal Zahiid’s article ‘Ku Li: Power transition unconstitutional’ which was published. It contains the following statement which was attributed to me:
“They counted the postal votes first and not after the re-count. Even if the postal votes are not counted, I would have won by some 500 over votes,” he said.
The article also contains the following passage:
The Rembau March 8 results became controversial after the first count saw Khairy’s PKR opponent winning by some 800 majority votes. This result however turned after Khairy demanded a recount. Following this, he was declared a winner by a majority of 5,726 votes.
For the record, I wish to state that the quote that was attributed to me is completely incorrect. I would not have even suggested that there was a re-count knowing fully well, as I do, that there was none. I append herewith a transcript of the interview in which I was alleged to have made the above statement which clearly shows that the quote attributed to me is false. I will also furnish you with a copy of the audio recording should you require one.
I was present at the main counting centre on the night of March 8. At no point did I lose an initial count and, as such, at no time was there a need for a re-count. The total number of votes cast in favour of my opponent, Badrul Hisham Shaharin from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, did not at any time warrant a re-count as provided for under the Elections (Conduct of Elections) Regulations 1981. I was declared winner by 5,746 votes after the first and only count. In fact, I believe that Badrul was not even present at the main counting centre on March 8.
Having regard to the facts and in the circumstances, I cannot avoid the conclusion that your assertion that I initially lost and that subsequently there was a re-count of the votes in the Rembau parliamentary constituency, made by your news portal on the very night of the election itself is irresponsible and mischievous.
Equally, I find it difficult to avoid concluding that the continued assertion in your reports of the March 11 and April 18, of there being a re-count must perforce be malicious and published in bad faith.
This, I say, bearing in mind the Election Commission's public statement that there was no re-count and the fact that there was ample opportunity to verify the assertion. I also find it disturbing that you can attribute to me a statement which I never made, suggesting gross journalistic incompetence or mischief on your part.
Quite apart from undermining the legitimacy of my victory at the polls, your continued false assertion that I initially lost and that subsequently there was a re-count, and the innuendo attached to it, clearly undermines the integrity of the democratic election process that took place at the Rembau constituency.
Having regard to the foregoing, it is fair, proper and in the public interest, particularly the interest of the voters in the Rembau parliamentary constituency, that Malaysiakini forthwith retracts its assertion and publishes a correction with an appropriate apology.
Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar
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Editor’s note: On election night, we were informed by PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin that he was told by an EC official that there would be a recount. Our story on that night reflected this. In addition, on March 11 Badrul repeated that there was a recount at a press conference and this was reported by not only Malaysiakini but also a number of other newspapers. However, we have come to know now that such a recount did not take place. As such, we would like to apologise to Khairy Jamaluddin for publishing that assertion in our subsequent stories.
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