I couldn’t have said it better than Polytikus, re: today’s first session - lol!

I’m curious how the general public views YB Karpal’s recent statements and positions - constructive? not? Leave a comment, have your say :)

ps: the views expressed in the comments section are just that - views of the general public. they do not reflect my own, and most certainly not any institution. any seriously inappropriate comments will be deleted without second thought.

pps: no seriously, go read polytikus! hehe

Tags: little points by Nathaniel Tan
21 Comments »

It occurred to me, as they dissolve these associations in a super sketch fashion and funnel the money to Bakti, what happens if Pakatan truly takes over the federal government? Who to transfer funds to then? Or will it all be spent en masse these coming months? :P :)

Tags: Malaysian Politics by Nathaniel Tan
8 Comments »

Yes, the whole matter regarding the Dewan Rakyat’s Deputy Speaker could have conceivably gone better. But if you were to read the NST (see here and here), including their frontpages, you would think this was a crisis of epic proportions.

I suppose when one’s house is falling apart, one tries to do everything to divert attention, even if that means accusing other houses of having a patch or two of peeling paint.

To reiterate from my previous post, a number of those cracks include (and this is only the most recent selection) - Khir/Samy (marking the 2nd time in as many days Khir was called a liar), Shahrir/BN, KengYaik/Gerakan, Zaid/Koh, Donald/KaTing, and of course, the ongoing creme de la creme, Abdullah vs. most of the 2nd tier Umno leadership.

Measure those against one lost vote for the Deputy Speaker, and a few accidental votes for the 2nd Deputy Speaker.

Tags: Malaysian Politics by Nathaniel Tan
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It appears things are falling apart, as BN resorts to embarassing low brow politics.

The blame game is starting to fly; see Khir/Samy (marking the 2nd time in as many days Khir was called a liar), Shahrir/BN, KengYaik/Gerakan.

The latter of course due to the Lee Kah Choon saga, throughout which Guan Eng appears to have kept a cool head while Keng Yaik spits and spatters along like a disgruntled old man.

Tsu Koon and more importantly Zaid no longer toeing party lines, and Donald Lim talks nonsense about MCA not being able to defend other rights.

You have people like Shabery Chik who while espousing some progressiveness, shows that his only defence against Pakatan is helplessly inane and racist pig politics.

Equally low brow is Azalina’s tourism decision which has now been mirrored by Noh Omar, who is cutting off funds to state development corporations and channeling them through Mara instead (only for 5 states of course). Federal funding for Penang projects being yet another front in this ‘war.’

How they think that will win them more votes I really don’t know. It’s politically ridiculous, even from a self-interested point of view.

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In short, BN seems to be losing its grip on stately politics, and moving away from the centre into the fringes, where bickering and confused, desperate mud slinging are starting to dominate.

To mix metaphors, it’s like members of a sinking ship stepping over each other trying to grasp at straws.

Of course, not the whole scene appears to be losing their heads.

Pak Lah’s first (yet to be proven) steps towards reform could signal stateliness, and he’s refrained from saying silly things (almost the opposite, one has to note). Hisham’s apology, suspicions aside, I actually find noteworthy.

And yes, Karpal Singh alone is enough to ensure that we are reminded that there are differences left to iron out in Pakatan.

On the whole however, not all appears well with regards to BN’s structural integrity and the health of its political culture. The lack of a strong centre appears to be making everything fall apart.

Tags: Malaysian Politics by Nathaniel Tan
7 Comments »

Malaysiakini’s Q/A with Khir Toyo:

So what is the problem? Why is it that the party top leadership did not get the right information? It was impossible for Umno to predict the election outcome. You managed to identify eight hot seats in Selangor and MCA disagreed with you.

Perhaps the reports given to the leadership came from only one party, for example, the Special Branch officers.

These officers are often Malays and can only provide information regarding Malay voters and not the other races. So it’s hard for us to get real information.

Hey, wait a second. Why are the police providing Umno/BN with information on voting trends?

Is that part of their job? If those policemen had been tracking Nurin’s killer instead of advising Umno about where they were winning or losing, perhaps Sharlinie would still be with us?

Sounds like abuse of power to me.

Tags: Law Enforcement, Integrity by Nathaniel Tan
12 Comments »

theSun:

Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim says he finds the Internal Security Act (ISA), which has been regarded as draconian by the Opposition and the legal fraternity, unacceptable.

“I am against any unjust and harsh law, and ISA and OSA (Official Secrets Act) are unacceptable to me,” the de facto law minister said of his stand on the two Acts during an interview with Nanyang Siang Pau.

Ok. But you accepted a senatorship and a ministerial position. You are part of a government and a party that has wholeheartedly embraced the ISA.

Your choices and your being help legitimise the ISA and its use against Malaysians.

So, unless you consider the indefinite detention without trial of human beings a minor matter of little consequence, and thus only a minor difference, it would be best if you either get your PM to get rid of it, or rid yourself of this party and government.

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theSun:

Acting Gerakan president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon says Umno racism and PAS’ stand on Islamic theological state, which were subdued before the general election, are rearing their ugly heads again.

“Had they won big, it would have been more apparent, this is not right,” he said in an interview with Sin Chew Daily.

He said BN faces racism, which has persisted and is festering, and to counter it, the coalition’s component parties, especially multiracial Gerakan, must play the check and balance role.

Is he blind? BN does not face racism, BN is built on it. It is it’s founding principle.

If he wants to take the holier than thou route, then quit BN, and if you don’t want to, don’t join Pakatan. Be your own entity.

In a sense, Koh is following the correct Gerakan line. The only question is whether he will follow it to its rightful conclusion, or continue this incongruence between word and deed.

It looks like for BN, things fall apart, and the center cannot hold.

Tags: Despair by Nathaniel Tan
4 Comments »

Updated 1130pm:

It appears that the very thought of Anwar anywhere near Parliament is just too much to take :P

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Just some highlights from another Malaysiakini article:

“The arrangement of the questions during the oral question hour should be done accordingly to reflect the ratio between the Barisan Nasional (BN) backbenchers and Pakatan MPs.

“Since Pakatan has 82 MPs and BN has 77 backbenchers, we should be allocated six questions and BN four for every 10 questions that are usually raised during the oral question hour,” Azmin, who is the PKR chief whip, told Malaysiakini during an interview at his Petaling Jaya office last Friday.

Azmin, who is also Gombak MP, said a tentative arrangement on the questions list showed that Pakatan MPs were only given two to three questions during the oral question hour.

By convention, the House will use the ratio of the MPs from both sides to determine the number of MPs who will take part in the debate or during the oral question session.

Azmin also claimed that little respect has been shown for the new Parliamentary Opposition Leader Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PKR-Permatang Pauh), who is also PKR president.

This is because Wan Azizah was placed as the third MP during the oral question hour while the first question will be accorded to Razali Ibrahim (BN-Muar).

The opposition leader or the Backbenchers Club head will usually be the first MP to pose their question to a minister under the convention.

Hmm. Let’s see how far reform reaches.

Tags: Parliament by Nathaniel Tan
1 Comment »