Terengganu a battleground: Critical test for Umno-BN in state by-election

Malaysia's coalition government faces a by-election next month which analysts say will be a critical test of public reaction to its reform promises after disastrous polls in March. (ref Malaysiakini : BN faces critical by-election test –ed. )

The by-election in northern Terengganu state, a battleground between the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) and the Islamic opposition party PAS, was triggered by the death of a deputy minister.

Election Commission deputy chairman Wan Ahmad Wan Omar announced Friday that the vote would be held on January 17, with parties to declare their candidates on January 6.

After wrangles in the past over allegations of fraud and vote-buying, Wan Ahmad said that MAFREL (Malaysians for Free and Fair Elections) would be allowed to monitor the process.

"We like having MAFREL as observers as it boosts the confidence of people and transparency," he told a press conference.

The vote comes at an unfortunate time for the UMNO, which leads the Barisan Nasional coalition that was humbled in March elections -- losing a third of parliamentary seats and five states to the three-member opposition alliance.

Since then it has been in a state of disarray that is unlikely to be resolved until its annual assembly next March, when deputy prime minister Najib Razak is expected to replace unpopular premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Infighting and rivalries helped it lose an August by-election that allowed opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim to return to parliament -- a decade after he was sacked as deputy premier and jailed on sex and corruption charges.

Analysts said the UMNO faces a tough fight against the PAS, which along with Anwar's Keadilan party and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party, makes up the opposition alliance.

"It will be a classic battle between two Malay political parties in a Malay heartland," said James Chin, professor of political science at the Kuala Lumpur campus of Monash university.

"If PAS wins it means the people do not believe UMNO's reform programme. It means their sentiments against the ruling party since the March elections are still there," he said.

"It could also demonstrate that voters do not have confidence in Najib Razak's leadership and believe that UMNO is not capable of any reform."

Najib, who as deputy premier will direct the ruling party's election campaign, has promised to make good on Abdullah's promises of change, which were never realised after he came to power in 2003.

But there are doubts whether the UMNO, which has become plagued by corruption in the half-century it has dominated Malaysian politics, is capable of undergoing the changes that voters are demanding.

The party won the vacant seat of Kuala Terengganu in March, but only with the slimmest of majorities.

"There is no escape but face the Kuala Terengganu by-election, which is wholly unexpected and could not have come at a worse possible time for UMNO and Barisan," the Star newspaper said in an analysis.

It said that a major factor would be the 11 percent of Chinese voters among the more than 80,000 eligible to vote. Malaysia's ethnic Chinese and Indian communities abandoned the coalition in the March polls.

A victory would be a major boost for the PAS, which lost control of Terengganu state in 2004, after having held it for just one term and alienating voters with extreme measures such as enacting Islamic "hudud" laws.

Since then it has dropped its hardline rhetoric and tried to reach out to Malaysia's minorities who are alarmed over rising "Islamisation" in the multicultural country. -- Agence France-Presse - 12/5/2008 7:24 AM GMT

Malaysia PM's handover plan fails to silence critics

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's decision to step down in favour of his deputy in mid-2010 has not silenced calls for a prompt change of leadership after a drubbing in March elections.
Abdullah said Thursday he had struck an agreement with his deputy Najib Razak to hand over power, but first wanted the opportunity to implement reforms and projects promised since he came to office five years ago.
The premier has faced repeated calls to resign from within his ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), after unprecedented losses in the elections and a fuel price hike that triggered public outrage.
Although his announcement was aimed at silencing these dissident factions, and averting a challenge in UMNO leadership polls in December, rumblings from within have already begun. MORE

Malaysia's PM to stand down in mid-2010

Malaysia's Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Thursday he would stand down in mid-2010, after facing repeated calls to quit since disastrous March elections.
Abdullah said he had struck an agreement with his deputy Najib Razak to hand over power but first wanted the opportunity to implement reforms and projects promised since he came to office five years ago.
"I have decided to hand over my position to Najib to take over as party president in June, in the middle of 2010," Abdullah told a press conference.
The president of the ruling United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which leads the Barisan Nasional coalition, is traditionally prime minister.
"I have achieved an agreement with Najib that I will not lead the BN and UMNO in the next election... and also this means that a transition of power must take place," he said.
Abdullah had resisted calls to quit after general elections that handed the opposition unprecedented gains, and a fuel price hike that triggered public outrage and a series of protests.
"My wish is to strengthen the party and carry out the implementation of programmes and promises made at election time," he said as he stood alongside Najib and other senior UMNO leaders.
Najib pledged his support for Abdullah and urged the party to accept his decision and re-elect the premier in leadership elections in December where disgruntled UMNO elements had been expected to vent their feelings.
"Today starts the process of the transition of power in an orderly manner, following UMNO tradition, where he has given support for me to be his replacement," he said.
"I will continue to accept Abdullah as head of the party," he said.
"I urge members to support the candidacy of Abdullah Ahmad Badawi as president of the party in the upcoming elections and urge party members to accept this." MORE

Perdana Menteri humban rakyat ke arah hidup lebih terdesak

sumber: harakahdaily
KOTA BHARU, 4 Jun (Hrkh) - Terima kasih rakyat Malaysia yang memberi kuasa kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk bertakhta semula pada pilihan raya umum 8 Mac lalu. Hari ini BN membalas budi baik itu dengan menaikkan harga petrol sebanyak 41 peratus. Kerajaan telah menunaikan janjinya dan terimalah pengundi BN dengan dada terbuka.
Pengerusi Perhubungan KeADIlan Kelantan, Haji Abdul Aziz Kadir berkata, kerajaan BN benar-benar sudah membalas budi rakyat Malaysia dengan kenaikan bebanan hidup yang semakin mendesak sekarang. "Inilah hadiah istimewa kepada mereka yang mengundi BN pada pilihan raya umum lalu. Kerajaan membalas pengorbanan rakyat dengan menghumbankan mereka ke kancah kehidupan yang lebih teruk.
"Tidak pernah berlaku dalam sejarah tamadun Malaysia begitu teruk pengurusan negara di bawah Perdana Menteri yang hanya diselamatkan oleh wakil-wakil rakyat dari Sabah dan Sarawak pada pilihan raya umum lalu," katanya di sini.
Petang tadi Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi mengumumkan kenaikan harga petrol sebanyak 78 sen iaitu daripada RM1.92 kepada RM2.70. Ini bermakna kenaikan sebanyak 41 peratus. Manakala harga minyak diesel pula naik kepada RM2.58, naik RM1 berbanding harga sekarang sebanyak RM1.58 seliter. Kenaikan harga bahan api itu akan berkuatkuasa mulai tengah malam ini.
Sejak awal 2004, Abdullah sudah tujuh kali menaikkan harga petroleum dan ia ternyata berjaya mencecah rekod Perdana Menteri sebelum ini. Kenaikan harga itu merupakan sebahagian langkah kerajaan untuk mengawal subsidi bagi menampung kenaikan petrol, diesel dan gas, yang dijangka berjumlah RM56 bilion tahun ini.
Abdul Aziz yang juga anggota Parlimen Ketereh berkata, kerajaan BN cuba memujuk rakyat dengan membandingkan harga minyak dengan negara-negara lain di Asia Tenggara. "Kerajaan sebenarnya cuba memperbodohkan rakyat dengan statistik seperti itu, sedangkan negara terbabit bukan pengeluar minyak seperti Malaysia. "Lagi pun kos hidup rakyat di negara berkenaan seperti Thailand jauh lebih rendah berbanding di negara ini," ujarnya. Oleh itu beliau percaya masa untuk kejatuhan Perdana Menteri yang begitu lemah sudah tiba dan rakyat perlu bergerak seiring dengan Pakatan Rakyat bagi mengembalikan semula negara ke landasan yang betul.
Sementara itu, orang ramai mulai berpusu-pusu ke stesen-stesen minyak di sekitar bandar ini sebelum kenaikan 78 sen berkuatkuasa tengah malam ini. - mj/mks.

Malaysian opposition shrugs off defection to ruling party

source: text- AfP via MSN Malaysia News, pix - klpos
Malaysia's opposition on Thursday shrugged off a senior member's defection to the ruling party, which came as a rare victory for embattled Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

Ezam Mohamad Nor, a former member of opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party, was welcomed back into the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) on Wednesday.

He had left the party in 1999 after the sacking of Anwar, a one-time deputy premier who spent six years in jail on corruption and sex charges before being freed and storming back onto the political scene.

Ezam, who had served as Anwar's political secretary, quit Keadilan last year reputedly after a power struggle with another top party official.

"Ezam's decision will have little impact on the party. We are on an upward trend now. We have had people who left the party in hard times and we survived," said Keadilan information chief Tian Chua.

"I suppose we must thank him for joining UMNO only after the general election. At any other time it might have had some impact but now it will not stop our momentum," he told AFP.

The three-party opposition alliance dealt a severe blow to the UMNO-led coalition in March 8 general elections, seizing control of five states and a third of parliamentary seats in an unprecedented result.

Anwar has said he is confident of attracting enough defecting lawmakers to topple Abdullah's administration, which has been thrown into crisis by the election drubbing.

"There have been even worse betrayals. I don't think this will affect Anwar that much ... UMNO is a sinking boat," Chua said.

Ezam's return to UMNO was splashed in the government-linked media Thursday, with prominent photographs of him handing his membership registration form to Abdullah.

"No conditions are attached to Ezam's readmission. He does not get any special treatment or privileges. He has also not sought any position. He just wants to serve and struggle for the party," Abdullah reportedly said.

updates/kemaskini:
Ezam Ready To Go For Umno Youth Chief Post If There Is Support - PETALING JAYA, May 29 (Bernama) -- Former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Youth chief, Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor, said he was ready to contest the Umno Youth chief post if his leadership could help raise the status of the Malays as a respected race.
However, he said, being new in the party might not allow him to make such a big decision.
Still, Mohamad Ezam said, he would discuss the matter with other Umno leaders before making decision.
"I have to discuss first with the leadership and with friends. If the post is for party and national interests and in the interest of the Malays, I will seriously consider," he said.
He was asked to comment on the possibility that his entry into Umno was to fill the post to be vacated by current Umno Youth chief, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein.

Azmin Ali: We're not worried - KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) is not worried about former members joining Umno.
Commenting on the move by Anuar Shaari and Khairul Anuar Ramli, the two former PKR members who joined former PKR Youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Nor in submitting their applications to join Umno, vice-president Azmin Ali said they ceased to be PKR members a long time ago."This is irrelevant to me. I don't see this as a big deal as they were no longer party members." He questioned their credibility, saying that some of them were former Umno members who were with PKR, and then left to rejoin Umno."These characters kept on rejoining Umno. It is just a political gimmick," he said. He said the action of the three men was no indication that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, the de facto Pakatan Rakyat leader, had failed to get Barisan Nasional leaders to cross over. "The time-frame given was until Sept 16 and we are taking our time to ensure a smooth transition. "In between, if they want to have a sandiwara with non-PKR members, that is their choice. We are busy with our work in strengthening the administration of the five Pakatan states."