BN loss in Sungai Limau signals Dr M’s waning influence

PAS’s reduced majority in yesterday’s Sungai Limau by-election took no skin off the Islamist party but spells a setback for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) that had been banking on Kedah-born Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s name and his scion to sail through the polls, DAP leaders have said.

DAP Kedah interim chief Zairil Khir Johari and the opposition party’s adviser Lim Kit Siang insisted that PAS’s success in keeping the Kedah state seat was a major blow to the BN’s mighty machinery under the leadership of its Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, son of Malaysia’s longest-serving former prime minister, whom they claimed had followed his father’s style and pulled out all the stops in his bid to wrest Sungai Limau.

“It is clear that Mahathir’s influence has receded with this win,” Zairil, the son of a former Umno minister, told The Malay Mail Online last night after the official results announced a PAS victory by a lowered 1,084-vote margin.

He alleged that BN was free with its wallet on the campaign trail but claimed such tactics failed to dent Sungai Limau’s support of PAS despite what the ruling coalition had hoped for.

“Considering all the carnivals, programmes and resources they have put into the campaign, any kind of victory by PAS, against all odds, even with a lesser majority, is considered a great success,” Zairil said.

When contacted, Lim reiterated his previous statement that PAS’s latest win in Kedah was the third and probably final, setback to the election playbook he named “Mahathirism” in the six months after the May 5 general election.

“This is his third setback in six months and this showed that he has failed to make any mark even in this by-election in Kedah,” the Gelang Patah MP told The Malay Mail Online.

The veteran opposition politician alleged that Dr Mahathir had mounted a campaign of “lies, falsehoods and character-assassination”, which he added, had formed the staple ahead of polling day in Sungai Limau.

Lim noted that it was similar to the campaign his 88-year-old arch foe had initiated against him ahead of the 13th general election, citing Dr Mahathir’s accusations that he was contesting in Gelang Patah to make the Chinese “dislike and hate the Malays”, and claiming that DAP wanted to remove the Malays from political dominance to set up a Christian state.

According to Lim, Dr Mahathir and Mahathirism suffered the first setback during the May 5 polls when he (Lim) had won the Gelang Patah seat with a majority of over 14,000 votes.

The second setback was during the Umno party elections last month when his son, the Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, failed to win the Umno vice president post he had contested.

“This win by PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abdul Samat is very significant as it proved that despite the might of all of BN and its machinery, PAS and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) manages to maintain the seat,” Lim said.

Mohd Azam had managed to take the seat but with a reduced majority than his predecessor, the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, by garnering a majority of 1,084 votes in contrast to the latter’s 2,774 majority votes on May 5.

Mohd Azam had received 12,068 votes against BN’s Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who received 10,985 votes.

Out of the 27,222 registered voters in that constituency, only 23,249 or 85.5 per cent voters turned out to cast their votes today compared to 89.43 per cent voters during the 13th general election in May.

Lim termed the win as an inspiration for PR to march forward from the Sungai Limau by-election to Putrajaya in the 14th general election.

The setback for Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz is also a time for moderates to speak up and “not be held back by anyone,” he said.

Kedah PAS commissioner and PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar also attributed the reduced majority to the fact that polling day fell on a working day and that a total of 3,666 voters live and work outstation.

“About 1,000 voters were probably unable to vote due to various reasons, this is why we have reduced majority,” he said.

However, he said PAS will not be complacent and will take this as the first step for PAS to come back to power in Kedah.

“We hope Mohd Azam, like Azizan, will be able to retain the seat at every general election for at least another five terms,” Mahfuz added.

The late Azizan had first won the seat in 1995 and had retained the seat for five terms before it was vacated when he died on September 26.

PAS’s reduced majority in yesterday’s Sungai Limau by-election took no skin off the Islamist party but spells a setback for the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) that had been banking on Kedah-born Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s name and his scion to sail through the polls, DAP leaders have said.
DAP Kedah interim chief Zairil Khir Johari and the opposition party’s adviser Lim Kit Siang insisted that PAS’s success in keeping the Kedah state seat was a major blow to the BN’s mighty machinery under the leadership of its Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, son of Malaysia’s longest-serving former prime minister, whom they claimed had followed his father’s style and pulled out all the stops in his bid to wrest Sungai Limau.
“It is clear that Mahathir’s influence has receded with this win,” Zairil, the son of a former Umno minister, told The Malay Mail Online last night after the official results announced a PAS victory by a lowered 1,084-vote margin.

He alleged that BN was free with its wallet on the campaign trail but claimed such tactics failed to dent Sungai Limau’s support of PAS despite what the ruling coalition had hoped for.
“Considering all the carnivals, programmes and resources they have put into the campaign, any kind of victory by PAS, against all odds, even with a lesser majority, is considered a great success,” Zairil said.
When contacted, Lim reiterated his previous statement that PAS’s latest win in Kedah was the third and probably final, setback to the election playbook he named “Mahathirism” in the six months after the May 5 general election.
“This is his third setback in six months and this showed that he has failed to make any mark even in this by-election in Kedah,” the Gelang Patah MP told The Malay Mail Online.
The veteran opposition politician alleged that Dr Mahathir had mounted a campaign of “lies, falsehoods and character-assassination”, which he added, had formed the staple ahead of polling day in Sungai Limau.

In the Gallery

• 
  A little child wearing a hat with PAS logo passes by a polling station during the Sungai Limau by-election, November 4, 2013. — Picture by K.E. Ooi
• 
  Supporters for both Barisan Nation and PAS standing side by side with flags and banners to show their support at SK Bukit Besar in Sungai Limau, Kedah, November 4, 2013. — Picture by K.E. Ooi

Lim noted that it was similar to the campaign his 88-year-old arch foe had initiated against him ahead of the 13th general election, citing Dr Mahathir’s accusations that he was contesting in Gelang Patah to make the Chinese “dislike and hate the Malays”, and claiming that DAP wanted to remove the Malays from political dominance to set up a Christian state.
According to Lim, Dr Mahathir and Mahathirism suffered the first setback during the May 5 polls when he (Lim) had won the Gelang Patah seat with a majority of over 14,000 votes.
The second setback was during the Umno party elections last month when his son, the Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, failed to win the Umno vice president post he had contested.
“This win by PAS candidate Mohd Azam Abdul Samat is very significant as it proved that despite the might of all of BN and its machinery, PAS and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) manages to maintain the seat,” Lim said.
Mohd Azam had managed to take the seat but with a reduced majority than his predecessor, the late Tan Sri Azizan Abdul Razak, by garnering a majority of 1,084 votes in contrast to the latter’s 2,774 majority votes on May 5.
Mohd Azam had received 12,068 votes against BN’s Dr Ahmad Sohaimi Lazim who received 10,985 votes.
Out of the 27,222 registered voters in that constituency, only 23,249 or 85.5 per cent voters turned out to cast their votes today compared to 89.43 per cent voters during the 13th general election in May.
Lim termed the win as an inspiration for PR to march forward from the Sungai Limau by-election to Putrajaya in the 14th general election.
The setback for Dr Mahathir and Mukhriz is also a time for moderates to speak up and “not be held back by anyone,” he said.
Kedah PAS commissioner and PAS vice president Datuk Mahfuz Omar also attributed the reduced majority to the fact that polling day fell on a working day and that a total of 3,666 voters live and work outstation.
“About 1,000 voters were probably unable to vote due to various reasons, this is why we have reduced majority,” he said.
However, he said PAS will not be complacent and will take this as the first step for PAS to come back to power in Kedah.
“We hope Mohd Azam, like Azizan, will be able to retain the seat at every general election for at least another five terms,” Mahfuz added.
The late Azizan had first won the seat in 1995 and had retained the seat for five terms before it was vacated when he died on September 26.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/bn-loss-in-sungai-limau-signals-dr-ms-waning-influence-says-dap#sthash.Pq7d8P5B.dpuf

DAP gesa Zahid Hamidi hentikan permainan politik, tangani segera jenayah

Ahli Parlimen DAP Petaling Jaya Utara, Tony Pua mahu Menteri Dalam Negeri, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi menghentikan tindakan zalim kerajaan untuk mewajarkan membawa semula kewujudan tahanan tanpa bicara dalam usaha membendung peningkatan kadar jenayah.

Dalam kenyataannya hari ini, Pua yang juga Setiausaha Publisiti Kebangsaan DAP turut mengecam tindakan Zahid yang sengaja menakutkan rakyat melalui kebimbangan keselamatan akibat jenayah yang semakin tidak terkawal sebagai jalan untuk beliau memperkenalkan semula tahanan tanpa bicara di Malaysia.

“Pendirian kami mudah, kadar jenayah tinggi dalam negara tidak boleh diterima sama sekali dan jelas statistik polis yang amat mencurigakan serta dimanipulasi untuk menunjukkan kononnya kadar jenayah berada di tahap sederhana.

“Kami juga membantah usaha Zahid memanfaatkan rasa takut rakyat untuk membenarkan tahanan tanpa bicara yang zalim.

“Bercakap soal profesionalisme, kunci utamanya adalah dengan melakukan pembaharuan kecekapan dan organisasi polis serta penambahbaikan untuk memenangi peperangan membasmi jenayah,” katanya.

Beliau turut menggesa Zahid menghentikan permainan politiknya dan mencari jalan segera untuk menangani punca sebenar mengapa jenayah masih berada pada tahap amat membimbangkan.

Menurutnya, Zahid juga harus menerima kenyataan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang menyatakan ‘polis perlu melatih diri untuk mencari bukti bukan sekadar menangkap suspek dan mengheret mereka ke tahanan Ordinan Darurat (EO)’.

“Laporan bercanggah Zahid dan data Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN) berhubung jenayah sejak beberapa tahun kebelakangan ini memusnahkan kredibiliti pasukan polis,” ujarnya.

Katanya lagi, Zahid harus mengakui kesilapannya yang mendakwa jenayah meningkat dalam hujah beliau sebelum ini untuk membawa semula penahanan tanpa bicara melalui Akta Pencegahan Jenayah (PCA) 1959.

“Beliau mesti mengakui kesalahannya menyatakan jenayah semakin meningkat yang bermakna beliau sebenarnya dikelirukan Parlimen untuk tergesa-gesa meluluskan PCA atau menegaskan bahawa statistik polis sebenarnya adalah tidak benar dan tidak boleh dipercayai.

Zahid semalam pada sidang media di Lobi Parlimen mendakwa jenayah secara keseluruhan semakin berkurangan sejak 2009, tetapi jenayah berat meningkat selepas EO dan Akta Kediaman Terhad (RRA) dihapuskan pada 2011. -Roketkini.com

BN tidak hargai peranan wanita -Teo Nie Ching

Walaupun sudah lebih 50 tahun mentadbir negara, UMNO/Barisan Nasional (BN) hingga ke hari ini masih belum mampu memperkasakan wanita, malah mengabaikan peranan mereka dalam pelbagai sektor.

Ahli Parlimen DAP Kulai, Teo Nie Ching berkata, kewujudan Kementerian Wanita bermula pada 2001 juga tidak memberi sebarang manfaat kepada dasar dan hala tuju untuk mencapai kesaksamaan gender.

Menurut beliau, ini terbukti berdasarkan kedudukan Malaysia yang masih berada
di tempat ketiga terbawah di kalangan negara berpendapatan sederhana di Asia dan rantau pasifik.

“Kementerian Wanita ditubuhkan secara rasminya pada Januari 2001 dengan Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil bertindak sebagai Menteri pertama. Selepas Shahrizat meletakkan jawatan pada April tahun lalu, Najib pula mengambul alih peranan Menteri Pembangunan Wanita.

“Najib dan Shahrizat sepatutnya malu dengan ketidakcekapan mereka dalam merapatkan jurang gender serta memperkasakan wanita. Negara yang berdaya saing adalah negara yang mengiktiraf pembangunan rakyat tanpa mengira gender.

“BN ternyata gagal memahami bahawa kesaksamaan gender dalam pembangunan negara kerana mengetepikan wanita dalam bidang kemahiran dan tenaga kerja. Jadi bagaimana wanita di seluruh negara boleh mengharapkan esok yang lebih baik jika BN terus memerintah?,” tegas beliau yang juga Penolong Setiausaha Publisiti Kebangsaan DAP pada sidang media di Lobi Parlimen, hari ini.

Berdasarkan laporan Global Gender Gap Index tahun lalu, Malaysia menduduki tempat ke 100 daripada 136 negara dengan memperoleh skor sebanyak 0,6539.

Bagaimanapun, dalam laporan terbaru 2013 yang diterbitkan World Economic Forum, Malaysia menunjukkan perubahan skor negatif iaitu -0021 dan menurun ke tangga 102.

Global Gender Gap pertama kali diterbitkan pada 2006 bertujuan mewujudkan indeks pariti gender menyeluruh yang dapat mengesan jurang dari masa ke semasa dengan menyediakan maklumat mengenai kemajuan negara berdasarkan penyertaan wanita.

“Dari 2006 dan 2013, 95 negara menunjukkan kemajuan positif dalam tempoh lapan tahun, tapi Malaysia merupakan antara negara yang merekodkan kemajuan paling perlahan sedangkan sebahagian besar negara jiran seperti Singapura, Filipina, Kemboja, Thailand dan Indonesia jauh mengatasi kita,” ujarnya. –Roketkini.com

Pua: Sugar hike due to sweet new deal, not subsidy cut

Putrajaya’s sugar subsidy cut was a move aimed at concealing a deal it signed to import sugar at a price way above market rate in 2012, DAP leader Tony Pua said today.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP accused the government of lying about its justification behind the subsidy slash, claiming consumers could still buy sugar at a much lower price without the cuts if the deal was not inked.

The subsidy cut has raised sugar price by 34 sen a kilogramme. Presently the price stands at RM2.85 a kilogramme.

“The Barisan Nasional (BN) government had come up with all types of excuses to remove the balance of sugar subsidy of 34 sen, or RM521 million annually.

“But the reality is the rakyat have to ‘enjoy’ sugar at a pricier rate is because the government had signed a deal to import sugar at an exorbitant price,” Pua said in a statement.

He noted that the current world sugar price is US$18.91 (RM59.30) per pound but in 2012, Putrajaya revealed that it had inked a three-year deal to import sugar at US$26 per pound.

“Not only do the government not have to bear any subsidy, but sugar price would become much cheaper (if the deal was not inked),” Pua claimed.

At the current rate of global sugar price, taxpayers will have to pay an extra RM194 million a year due to the deal.

The DAP national publicity chief had in the past criticised the deal following its revelation in Parliament then, saying it would add to the government’s growing subsidy burden while maintaining the “duopoly” of Malaysia’s only two sugar producers, the purportedly well-connected Malaysian Sugar Manufacturing Bhd and Tradewinds Bhd.

Yesterday Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said sugar companies, including that of tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, who is seen to have close ties with the ruling BN, are expected to rake in a profit of RM1 billion from Putrajaya’s move to cut sugar subsidy.

The opposition leader claimed the move, introduced by the Najib administration to trim down spending and tackle its fast-growing deficit, would strengthen the monopoly of the country’s two main  players in the sugar industry by shooting their profit up by 100 per cent from before the cuts.

The gross profit of the sugar industry is RM4 billion annually. Normally, the profit before tax of these companies is around 9 per cent. After the entry of Tan Sri Mokhtar into the sector, the profit before tax jumped to 15 per cent.

“With the removal of subsidy, the profit before tax of the companies is expected to skyrocket between 20 to 25 per cent with the estimated returns of RM1 billion,” Anwar said in his speech on the 2014 Budget debate.

Pua said the Najib administration must bear the responsibility for a negligent decision that will hurt the average Malaysian.

“The government can no longer give all these lame excuses to justify the price hike… due to the deal, the people have to bear losses in the millions of ringgit. It must admit its mistake,” he said. - www.themalaymailonline.com

Putrajaya’s sugar subsidy cut was a move aimed at concealing a deal it signed to import sugar at a price way above market rate in 2012, DAP leader Tony Pua said today.
The Petaling Jaya Utara MP accused the government of lying about its justification behind the subsidy slash, claiming consumers could still buy sugar at a much lower price without the cuts if the deal was not inked.
The subsidy cut has raised sugar price by 34 sen a kilogramme. Presently the price stands at RM2.85 a kilogramme.

“The Barisan Nasional (BN) government had come up with all types of excuses to remove the balance of sugar subsidy of 34 sen, or RM521 million annually.
“But the reality is the rakyat have to ‘enjoy’ sugar at a pricier rate is because the government had signed a deal to import sugar at an exorbitant price,” Pua said in a statement.
He noted that the current world sugar price is US$18.91 (RM59.30) per pound but in 2012, Putrajaya revealed that it had inked a three-year deal to import sugar at US$26 per pound.
“Not only do the government not have to bear any subsidy, but sugar price would become much cheaper (if the deal was not inked),” Pua claimed.
At the current rate of global sugar price, taxpayers will have to pay an extra RM194 million a year due to the deal.
The DAP national publicity chief had in the past criticised the deal following its revelation in Parliament then, saying it would add to the government’s growing subsidy burden while maintaining the “duopoly” of Malaysia’s only two sugar producers, the purportedly well-connected Malaysian Sugar Manufacturing Bhd and Tradewinds Bhd.
Yesterday Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said sugar companies, including that of tycoon Tan Sri Syed Mokhtar Al-Bukhary, who is seen to have close ties with the ruling BN, are expected to rake in a profit of RM1 billion from Putrajaya’s move to cut sugar subsidy.
The opposition leader claimed the move, introduced by the Najib administration to trim down spending and tackle its fast-growing deficit, would strengthen the monopoly of the country’s two main  players in the sugar industry by shooting their profit up by 100 per cent from before the cuts.
The gross profit of the sugar industry is RM4 billion annually. Normally, the profit before tax of these companies is around 9 per cent. After the entry of Tan Sri Mokhtar into the sector, the profit before tax jumped to 15 per cent.
“With the removal of subsidy, the profit before tax of the companies is expected to skyrocket between 20 to 25 per cent with the estimated returns of RM1 billion,” Anwar said in his speech on the 2014 Budget debate.
Pua said the Najib administration must bear the responsibility for a negligent decision that will hurt the average Malaysian.
“The government can no longer give all these lame excuses to justify the price hike… due to the deal, the people have to bear losses in the millions of ringgit. It must admit its mistake,” he said.
- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/pua-sugar-hike-due-to-sweet-new-deal-not-subsidy-cut#sthash.9nTir46M.dpuf