jelas.info

In all seriousness, I never thought they’d actually do it :P

It really means only one of two things:

a) Umno was wrong in its earlier conviction of Isa for money politics – ie, he was unjustly victimised as part of an malicious political ploy.

b) In Umno, criminals and bribery are truly loved.

Najib can’t have been oblivious to this decision, which has repercussions that extend well beyond Bagan Pinang, in terms of how BN is viewed by the general public.

Almost all urban seats (where people talk politics a lot) in 2008 fell to Pakatan, and it appears Najib has little interest in retaining them by at least making some show of keeping to the straight and narrow & maintaining some honour in the coalition.

Another good sign is that this may well mean they are getting increasingly desperate in their bid to hang on to the seat – the winability of which may be becoming precarious.

Surely there must have been pressure from the local machinery, but it looks like Najib is far more concerned with appeasing local Umno warlords than building a BN based on integrity and principle (haha, did you choke reading that? my bad :)

That BN did this even after the disbarred lawyer scandal is ever the more telling.

Nonetheless, it will be a tough fight. For a seat like this, if we lose but close to even within 500-1000 votes (let’s not forget the massive postal votes), I’d consider it a thumping victory. An actual victory ain’t outta sight either, if you ask me.

As someone joked: anti-ISA shirts will be all the rage again, aheh.

There are no less than 5 articles on MIC and the Makkal Sakhti Party this morning on Malaysiakini – a large part of the interest garnered by how Najib himself is set to launch the party.

I suppose Ben Suffian is closest to the money:

“Perhaps this strategy is meant to stem the flow of Indian votes to the opposition. If it means diluting the vote (in a three-corner fight), then so be it.”

We might even look at this positively. Perhaps no less than the PM himself has seen the futility of winning back the Indian vote, and has opted to try and split it instead.

I think it’ll get real interesting if we see him starting to prop up alternative Chinese parties with the same goal :P

Well, I’ll always support the right of any group to organise politically and pursue their agenda.

It’s obviously a bit sad to see ex-Hindraf elements suddenly cosy up to BN, but I think in my ‘older’ age, these things become less unexpected.

It may be my ‘older’ age as well that has a better appreciation of how easily people fall to temptation.

This picture of spic and span, suit-clad Thanethiran looks so different from his orange street fighting days.

I know not the insides of any man’s heart, and will be the first to admit that the following is all pure speculation, but I somehow find it easy to imagine conversations in some cozy office, with Najib saying all the right things about the Indian interest (to put the perhaps slightly guilty feeling man more at ease), making vague allusions to sums that would be confirmed by underlings later.

After Perak and all, one gets the feeling that Najib is a master of this game. Many suspect sums of money that the individuals involved would never, ever have comprehended before in their lives. I guess it’s not an easy thing to refuse (often, along with the carrot, there is also the stick – think MACC investigations).

So, we have another community crusader who has likely fallen. It’s sad, but we leave them behind and press on I guess.

I think there can be no compromise – all race based political movements must eventually go if the country is ever to really be united. Anyone who genuinely hopes Najib, Umno and gang will give two hoots about the genuine interests of others (while being part of an entire generation steeped in supremacist thinking) beyond fishing for votes, is in for a sad awakening.

I know it’s often more difficult in the Indian community, being the smallest minority on the Peninsular – but purely defensive, siege-mentality communal instincts will never surpass a certain limit of achievement.

Needless to say, Pakatan could do a *whole* lot more to address issues concerning such minorities, and put their house in better order to build a more overreaching confidence in the coalition and its prospects.

Am still outstation due to a bit of a mix-up, but I really wanted to give a quick point to a nice post about an old friend, YB Chang Lih Kang on Sendiri Mau Ingat Lah :) I think it’s a great example of the wonderful spirit of Raya and I can’t say how proud I was to see it :)

It doesn’t stop there! Here’s another heartwarming Raya post on Mat Sah, one of the latest batch of ISA detainees :)

This Isa Samad business is so funny. After disbarred lawyers, they’re looking at fielding individuals found guilty *by Umno itself* (now there’s a yardstick :P ) of money politics and vote buying. Sigh.

The best part is, sounds like if they *don’t* field Isa Samad, they’ll piss a whole bunch of Umno people off.

A whole bunch of pissed off Umno flers running around could result in some interesting dynamics out in Bagan Pinang in the weeks to come :P

Well, let’s try not to deride our ‘honourable’ opponents when their down and caught between a rock and a hard place :P

This Malaysia day, my thoughts are with the Penan women crisis…

I don’t think I can make the Anak Bangsa Malaysia Launch, though I dearly want to (work), but all the best!

Happy Malaysia Day.. :)