Under pressure Najib tells Guan Eng to 'pordah'

Embattled Prime Minister Najib Razak must be feeling the heat. Not only is he neck deep in the RM7.3bil Scorpenes corruption case now being heard in the French courts, he is trying his best to inject life into an all-but dead Barisan Nasional in Penang state, which is currently governed by the Pakatan Rakat.

Under pressure, the PM forgot himself so far as to tell DAP Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng to 'pordah' (or Tamil for get lost), now that the BN had elected a new state chief Teng Chang Yeow.

But Guan Eng, wbo is bracing for a fresh onslaught from the BN media which is already trying to stir up trouble amongst the Pakatan parties by pitting DAP against Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's PKR, is playing it cool.

"I will not exchange personal insults with the PM. If he thinks he will be happy by insulting me, i think let him have it. I will not dignify these remarks. I will go down to his level," Guan Eng told a press conference on Monday.

Oddly, Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali - known for his uncouth ways - had just last week praised Najib's 'refined' behavior and speech.

"We now have a prime minister who is urbane and open, especially in enhancing the electoral process but the opposition is still not satisfied. This is their political game," Bernama reported Ibrahim as saying during a debate in Parliament.

Fighter, really?

In a bid to get Penangites to accept Gerakan again, the BN-controlled has gone a publicity binge for the lacklustre Chang Yeow. He is the Gerakan national secretary-general but has always kept a low profile, seldom offering any commets on national or state issues.

Nonetheless, the BN press have decided to bill him as a "fighter".

"I think compared to Koh Tsu Koon, anyone would seem to be a fighter. But frankly, can anyone remember when Chang Yeow ever stood up or spoke out on any issue whether against or for the BN.

"I think he is quite a docile sec-gen and even in the way the BN press built him up, it is a big joke. It is clear they are hoping Penangites will give him a chance purely because his brother is Teng Chang Khim, the DAP Selangor speaker who is known his no-nonsense stand. That itself is actually a big compliment to Pakatan."

What say you, Soi Lek

Jui Meng was in Penang recently and met on arrival by 3 Chinese PKR members at the enang Airport.

"They were all ex-MCA. They said the majority of MCA members in Balik Pulau have already joined PKR. Chua Soi Lek, can u win 25 Parliament seats?" said Jui Meng.

He was referring to Soi Lek, the MCA president, who recently aspired to win 25 Parliament seats in the coming general election.

Like Gerakan, the MCA suffered tremendous rejection by the voters in 2008, winning only 15 seats in Parliament and 32 seats in the state assembly, less than half of what they won in 2004.

Malaysia Chronicle