Malaysian govt in showdown with Islamic party over key state

The battle flags are fluttering in Malaysia's northern Kelantan state, as the federal government campaigns to dislodge fundamentalist Islamic leaders from their last stronghold in March elections.

The hotly contested district of Pasir Mas near the beaches of the state capital Kota Bharu has been festooned with hundreds of blue government banners which face a sea of green flags for the Pan-Malaysia Islamic Party (PAS).

Coffee shops are abuzz with talk of the fight for the hearts and minds of Malay voters in March 8 general elections in which the Barisan Nasional coalition is intent on claiming the only state left in opposition hands.

A victory would be a huge morale boost for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, whose United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) leads the coalition which is expecting to lose some of its majority in federal parliament.

"The coming election will really see whether Malays have lost faith in PAS's religious and development agenda or whether they think UMNO will make a better alternative," says political analyst Shahrudin Badarudin.

"Either way, it is going to be a tough call in Kelantan as the battle between religion and development continues," he says.

While the Barisan Nastional is dangling billions of dollars in development projects, PAS is offering its own brand of pious values and sedate economic growth in the state which is dominated by Muslim Malays.

Currently, PAS holds Kelantan by just a one-seat majority and the vote will be keenly watched as an indicator of the appetite for fundamentalist Islam in Malaysia, which is also home to large ethnic Chinese and Indian communities.

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Awang Adek Promises Victory For BN In Kelantan: Incumbent Bachok Member of Parliament Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, who has been entrusted to lead the Kelantan Barisan Nasional (BN) machinery for the March 8 general election, regards it as a duty for him to ensure victory for the coalition.Touched by the trust and confidence placed in him, he promised to deliver and put an end to PAS' 18-year rule in the state.This, he said, would be possible with the choice of candidates fielded by BN in Kelantan.

ELECTION 2008: Awang Adek promises RM1 billion Federal aid for Kelantan if BN wins state - Kelantan might get up to RM1 billion in allocation from the federal government if Barisan Nasional wins the state in the general election. Deputy Finance Minister Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussin, who could be the next Menteri Besar if this happens, said he had brought up the matter to the Prime Minister.

Feb 23, 2008:

ELECTION 2008: Two 'reluctant' candidates in Kelantan BN - Changes to the Kelantan Barisan Nasional line-up are a possibility until nominations close tomorrow, after it emerged that at least two "reluctant" candidates were among the 59 picked. Although the party had confirmed the candidacy of academician Dr Abdullah Sudin and Datuk Abdul Halim Ahmad in the Pengkalan Chepa and Pasir Mas parliamentary constituencies, party sources said the two did not want to contest.

Dua calon BN Kelantan tarik diri petanda BN tidak diyakini – Husam: Dua calon Barisan Nasional (BN) yang diumumkan Pengerusi BN Kelantan, Dato' Seri Annuar Musa semalam menarik diri dari bertanding pada pilihan raya umum kali ini, kata Naib Presiden PAS, Dato' Husam Musa. Dalam satu sidang medianya di Global Media dekat sini hari ini Husam berkata, beliau mendapat maklumat yang boleh dipercayai, calon BN di Parlimen Pengkalan Chepa, Profesor Madya Dr Abdullah Sudin dan calon Pasir Mas, Dato' Abdul Halim Ahmad menarik diri. "Ini adalah satu petanda yang menunjukkan keyakian rakyat terhadap BN di Kelantan sangat rendah," kata Husam yang akan bertanding di Dun Salor setelah berpindah dari Dun Kijang. Beliau juga melihat pengurusan penyenaraian calon BN di Kelantan ini tidak kemas. "Bila berlaku penarikan diri ini ia satu 'set back' menunjukkan calon tidak ada kepercayaan kepada BN atau yakin kepada BN,"ujarnya lagi.

ELECTION 2008: Two Kelantan BN candidates pull out, coalition forced to do minor reshuffle: Barely a day before nominations for the 12th general election, two candidates pulled out from the Kelantan Barisan Nasional list, causing a minor reshuffle in the line-up. The last-minute changes were due to the reluctance of Datuk Abdul Halim Ahmad and Dr Abdullah Sudin Abdul Rahman to stand in the Pasir Mas and Pengkalan Chepa parliamentary seats respectively.State BN and Umno chairman Datuk Seri Annuar Musa said the Pasir Mas seat would now be contested by the division’s Umno youth chief, Rosdi Mahamad, who was earlier slated for the Chetok state seat.He said Pasir Mas division chief Datuk Abdul Rahim Abdul Rahman, who was not on the list, would stand in Chetok while Pengkalan Chepa Umno division vice-chief Rahim Othman would contest in place of Abdullah Sudin.

Feb 29, 2008:

PM OFFERS THE BEST DEVELOPMENT TO KELANTAN: BACHOK, Feb 29 (Bernama) -- Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said the Barisan Nasional (BN) has the capacity to make the best offer including the best development in the history of Kelantan and it is now up to its people to make the right choice in the general election. He said as the Prime Minister, he was sincere in wanting to see Kelantan, which has various potentials, develop and be on par with the other states under BN rule. "I personally want Kelantan to be a developed state, but we want the development to be implemented together with a government which shares the same views and ideology as ours (federal government)," he said in his address at the groundbreaking ceremony for the Universiti Malaysia Kelantan (UMK) Campus in Bachok, Tangok, here today. He said the federal government had no ulterior motive in the efforts to assist Kelantan except to see that the state was more developed than it was now. "What the Kelantan people had for the past 18 years...I believe the Kelantan people themselves know better," he said at the function attended by more than 10,000 people in the state.

Egyptian Police Detain Scores From Muslim Brotherhood

Egyptian police have arrested more than 70 members of the Muslim Brotherhood early Thursday, the latest in a wave of arrests that the banned Islamist group says is connected to upcoming local elections. VOA Correspondent Challiss McDonough has more from Cairo.

Police raided the homes of Muslim Brotherhood members in five provinces at dawn. Accounts differ on the exact number of people detained.

The Muslim Brotherhood's deputy leader, Mohammed Habib, told VOA more than 500 of the group's members are now in detention, with nearly 180 of them arrested during the past week.

He said the arrests are linked to the upcoming municipal election. He said the ruling National Democratic Party is unable to compete with the Brotherhood in a fair poll, so members of the group are being detained to clear the way for the ruling party.

Habib said he expects more arrests before voting day.

The elections are scheduled for April 8.

Although the group is officially banned in Egypt, its members run for office as independents. more here

Presiden PAS lancar manifesto ‘Negara Berkebajikan'

KUALA LUMPUR, 21 Feb (Hrkh) - Manifesto PAS 'Kerajaan Beramanah, Adil dan Bersih Menuju Negara Berkebajikan' yang diuar-uarkan sebelum ini akhirnya dilancarkan oleh Presiden PAS, Tuan Guru Dato' Seri Abdul Hadi Awang di Pejabat Agung PAS, Jalan Raja Laut petang tadi.

Dalam pelancaran manifesto itu, PAS menonjolkan Negara Berkebajikan sebagai satu tawaran untuk menunaikan keperluan rakyat dalam menghadapi penderitaan dalam semua aspek termasuk politik, ekonomi dan sosial.

Menurut Abdul Hadi dalam ucapan pelancaran, tanggungjawab menunaikan Negara Berkebajikan ini adalah lebih luas daripada istilah yang difahami di politik Barat 'welfare state.'

"Walaupun sebahagiannya dilaksana oleh negara-negar Barat, objektif yang dimaksudkan oleh PAS dalam negara ini adalah lebih luas," katanya.

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Manifesto: Teaching of Mathematics and Science in mother tongue languages

Malaysia's Islamic opposition unveils policy platform: Malaysia's Islamic opposition said Thursday it would use the country's oil profits to pay for healthcare and retain controversial fuel subsidies if it ruled the nation. In a policy platform unveiled ahead of March 8 general elections, the Pan Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) said it hoped voters would back its proposals and deliver a win in three conservative northern states.

The full manifesto and list of PAS' candidates can be accessed at pru12.pas.org.my.

Malaysia's Islamic opposition drops theocracy from platform, promises racial equality: Malaysia's Islamic opposition has dropped from its election platform a pledge to create a theocratic state, and is instead promising to slash the cost of living and ensure racial equality. The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, will campaign in the March 8 general elections with the slogan "a nation of care and opportunity," party President Abdul Hadi Awang told reporters Thursday. He said the party is promising lower fuel prices, a minimum wage, free university education and more affordable health care.

ELECTION 2008: Pas drops Islamic state principle in manifesto, signaling push for non-Muslim votes - Pas is changing their tactics for this polls. No more push for an Islamic state to placate non-Muslim voters. With their main targets the Malay voters in Northern states, Pas also openly declared their cooperation with Parti Keadilan Rakyat to win the Malay support but are non-committal in its previous alliance with the DAP. “The party realises its mistakes during the last polls in Terengganu. The party wants to keep with the changing times,” Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang told reporters during the launch of the party’s manifesto themed “Trustworthy, just and clean Government: A nation of care and opportunity.” he said. “One way is not to openly back the Islamic state.”

ANWAR IBRAHIM ON OPPOSITION STRATEGIES IN MALAYSIA ELECTION

Malaysia’s three main opposition parties, the Democratic Alliance Party, Parti Islam SeMalaysia and Parti Keadilan Rakyat have agreed to cooperate with each other in the upcoming March 8th general election.

They have decided to field single candidates in most constituencies in Malaysia to avoid contesting with one another and to provide a viable alternative to the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.

In an exclusive interview in Kuala Lumpur with former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim from Parti Keadilan Rakyat, RSI’s Shereena Sajeed asked about the extent of the opposition’s preparations for the contest so far.

AI: We negotiated separately with PAS in the Malay heartland, with the DAP in the Chinese areas because we are able to at least engage with them. We have covered almost all seats except for one or two contentious ones with PAS. We’ve virtually resolved everything with the DAP except with Sabah and Sarawak which we hope to resolve by today.

In terms of Keadilan, which areas are you contesting and how many seats are you looking at?

AI: Keadilan is focused mainly on the mixed seats. We are a multi-religious, multi-racial party so therefore we cover the main middle ground. Although we do take a few predominantly Chinese majority seats and also Malay majority seats in the East Coast and the North. I can’t say for sure because discussions are still ongoing but I think we will exceed 70 seats, both in the Peninsular and the Sabah, Sarawak constituencies.

And what issues will Keadilan be focusing on?

AI: The main issue is governance and accountability. We’ve said that due to corruption, mismanagement and lack of leadership, the country has fallen in terms of competitiveness, foreign direct investments and the economy is of course faltering. We cite the example of Singapore, mainly because we started off as a country with relatively slight differences in economic standing. But Singapore has surpassed us in terms of per capita income by almost five times. There is something really wrong either with policy or governance and lack of accountability and massive corruption that has led to this state of affairs. MORE HERE

Anwar Ibrahim's party to lead opposition in general elections in Malaysia: Former deputy prime minister Anwar Ibrahim's opposition party will contest about half of the 222 parliamentary seats in Malaysia's general elections in a bid to make a strong comeback after its stinging defeat in the last polls when it won only one seat. The People's Justice Party is looking to challenge the ruling coalition in about 100 parliamentary seats in the March 8 elections, though no final numbers have been announced yet, party general secretary Khalid Ibrahim said Thursday. He said the party expects to win at least 30 seats with the help of campaigning by Anwar

Malaysias opposition to contest every seat for first time: Malaysia's opposition parties will contest every seat in upcoming general elections for the first in the nation's history, the party of opposition figurehead Anwar Ibrahim said Thursday. The opposition parties are nearing an agreement to field just one candidate in each seat, avoiding the three-cornered fights that have hampered their chances against the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition in previous polls.

Malaysian opposition aiming for seismic shift at the polls: As Malaysia heads for elections dominated by seething ethnic tensions, an invigorated opposition is hopeful of making unprecedented gains against the coalition that has ruled for half a century. Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi scored a thumping victory in 2004, a year after taking over from long-time leader Mahathir Mohamad, but since then he has been criticised as weak and ineffective. His government has been rocked by a series of public protests -- unthinkable during Mahathir's era -- accusing the government of discriminating against Indians, electoral fraud and failing to cap rising prices of food and fuel. In the latest protests Saturday police fired teargas and water cannons to disperse ethnic Indians who had defied a ban and attempted to gather in Independence Square in downtown Kuala Lumpur to protest alleged discrimination. Support from Malaysia's ethnic Indian and Chinese minorities is thought to be melting away due to anger over the system of positive discrimination for Muslim Malays, who control government and dominate the population.

Courts: Truth and Justice for All – Raja Nazrin Shah

"It (the courts) needs to know only one language -- truth and justice for all.” Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, Regent of Perak

Lawyers must 'uphold sanctity of the courts'

Nazrin: Courts not opera houses

Raja Nazrin: Courts are not theatres

Legal Practitioners Duty Bound To Uphold Sovereignty Of Judicial System, Says Raja Nazrin

'Jangan biarkan mahkamah dilihat sebagai teater'

Mahkamah bukan teater bangsawan, titah Raja Nazrin

'Jangan biar kehakiman dipersenda'

Hurriyyah – freedom: Hurray!

Congratulations oh you Hur! You are Hur (free) as your mother named you.

Long live the banner of Islam which was saved by the Martyrs in Karbala whose blood nourished the tree of Islam.

“What remains with Allah is better for you if you are believers, and I am not a keeper over you.”

[11:86]

Sabbaghi, a renowned Muslim scholar, in his book "Fusul al Muhimmah", has related the following tradition about the signs of the reappearance of Imam al Mahdi al Qaim on the authority of Imam Ja’far bin Muhammad al Sadiq.

The Imam said: "When the last of us will come, there will be only 313 faithfuls with him. Leaning on the wall of Ka’bah he will recite verse 86 of Hood. All people will address him as Baqiyyatullah.”

Let’s give the team a big hurrah.

Freedom and Justice for All

Found this Q&A post on ELECTION & REFORM and related message. It covers a direction we have been wrestling with lately. Sheikh thought it would be a good idea to post here.

daripada David:

If the general election were to be held today, are the oppositions capable to win enough seats to form a majority government? This is because in recent months, we had seen a general feeling of dissatisfaction on many issues towards the current administration, but is that enough to woo voters to have this huge swing towards oppositions?

If the oppositions do form the government, what sort of system will the administration embrace? Apart from PAS which is fighting to form their Islamic state, PKR and DAP generally embrace a non-communal political system. Is Malaysian ready for such new system after living under race-based system for 50 years? Is the oppositions really different from BN, since we have DAP catering for the Chinese and Indians, whereas PKR and PAS cater for mainly malay voters, the eventual outcome will be the same as race-based and communal system?

David,
We are confident, with your support, to deny BN’s two third majority and will endeavor to achieve a simple majority.
KeADILan is multiracial party, working together with DAP and PAS on a clear reform agenda - freedom and justice for all.
Please do not be deluded by an incessant BN propaganda about PAS!

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Thanks a lot!

Kembali kepada Islam, rujuk Ulama - Tun Mahathir

GOMBAK, 16 Feb (Hrkh) - Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menyarankan umat Islam belajar daripada Ulama untuk mendapat pemahaman yang betul tentang ajaran Islam yang sebenarnya.

Kenyataan itu membuatkan hadirin memberi tepukan gemuruh kepada Penaung UIAM itu.

Semasa memberikan ucaptamanya di satu Program 'Global Peace : Crisis In Islamic World' di Universiti Islam Antarabangsa Malaysia (UIAM) pagi tadi, Dr Mahathir turut berkata, tanpa Ulama umat Islam sukar untuk memahami Islam yang sebenarnya.

Beliau dijemput memberi ucaptama di UIAM sempena program Minggu Ummah 2008. Turut hadir ialah, Pengerusi UIAM, Tan Sri Sanusi Junid; kepimpinan akademik UIAM serta mahasiswa dari pelbagai negara yang menuntut di universiti tersebut.

Berucap lanjut Dr Mahathir mengingatkan supaya ummah merujuk kepada Ulama untuk memilih pemimpin termasuk dari sudut politik.

Malah, beliau mengingatkan peranan Ulama sejak 1400 tahun lalu yang dijadikan sumber rujukan dan beliau turut menyeru semua kembali kepada asas Islam merujuk kepada Al-Quran dan Hadis.

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