Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim and his Pakatan Rakyat coalition are set to celebrate the September 16 Malaysia Day in Sabah and Sarawak. Not only will the resurgent Anwar and top Pakatan leadership sign a historic declaration in Kuching, he is expected to welcome another key Sabah Umno leader to the opposition side of the fence.
"Suffice to say that he is the former Sabah Umno treasurer and he will make the announcement himself on Saturday to leave the Umno-BN and join the fight for change in Sabah," PKR vice president Tian Chua toldMalaysia Chronicle.
"This is a very influential leader and it will shake Umno-BN. They can keep pretending everything is business as usual, but the fact is, despite all their efforts and counter-offers, their men are all running away.
Historic Declaration
In Kuching, Sarawak on Sunday at between 3 to 7pm, Pakatan leaders are due to unveil their Kuching Declaration, the details of which are still under wraps but according to PKR leaders will "take the nation by surprise".
"The declaration will be historical and will give meaning to Malaysia Day," Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen told reporters today.
Malaysia Day commemorates the day in 1963 when Sabah and Sarawak joined the Federation of Malaysia. Singapore too joined the Federation pulled out in 1965.
Unstoppable Exodus
Two Members of Parliament - Wilfred Bumburing of Tuaran and Lajim Ukin of Beaufort - and Senator Maijol Mahap are among the senior Umno-BN leaders to resign from their parties. Wilfred was the deputy president of Tuaran, Maijol the Upko vice president while Lajim an Umno supreme council member.
Their departure sent a shudder down the Umno-BN line with Prime Minister Najib Razak blamed for not nipping in the bud their grouses and allowing the power equation in Parliament to shift favorably in the Opposition.'s direction.
Sabah and Sarawak are key states, holding a combined 25% of the total 222 seats in the Malaysian Parliament. In the 2008 election, the Umno-BN managed to stave off the Opposition's attack but in the next general election, widely expected to be in November this year, both Sabah and Sarawak are expected to swing crucial seats to help the Pakatan topple the Umno-BN.
If Pakatan succeeds, it will be the first regime change ever experienced in the country since it gained independence from British rulers in 1957.
Ibrahim Menudin?
The 63-year-old Ibrahim is Chairman of Suria Capital Holdings Berhad, Deputy Chairman of Sabah Forestry Development Authority and the Chairman of Borneo Conversation Trust. He also sits on the board of oil firm SapuraKenchana Petroleum
Ibrahim began his career in the Sabah State Civil Service and became the Accountant General of Sabah from 1976 to 1979. In 1980, he resigned from the Sabah State Civil Service to become the Chief Executive Officer of Bumiputra Investment Fund of Sabah until 1985. During his tenure there, he had also served as the Chairman of Sabah Gas Industries Sdn Bhd, Deputy Chairman of Sabah Forest Industries Sdn Bhd and was a board member of other Sabah Government corporations involved in finance, forestry, manufacturing, plantations, hotel and property development.
Ibrahim was also Group Chief Executive of Malaysia Mining Corporation Berhad (MMC) from March 1986 to 31 October 2001. He was the Chairman of Malaysia Smelting Corporation Berhad from October 1985 to October 2001.
Ibrahim was the Special Advisor to the Chief Minister of Sabah from February 2002 until March 2004. He has been the Chairman of Borneo Conservation Trust (BCT) since 30 November 2009.
Dr M's unscrupulous 5-year anti-hopping ban
According to Tian, there will be more Umno-BN bigwigs quitting their parties soon due to frustration at the slow pace of change and reform, the rampant corruption and the arrogance of the top leadership.
He decline to give further hints, but took a shot at critics who have accused the Pakatan of encouraging party-hopping, which has been demonized due to several Pakatan leaders jumping ship ostensibly for money and benefits offered by the Umno-BN.
"Timing is critical in politics. All these are influential guys, so obviously they have to be very careful and be sure that what they are doing is the right thing and endorsed by their constituents. I know the sour grapes in Umno-BN will accuse us of reneging on our call for anti-hopping laws. But let's get the facts right. Lajim and Bumburing did not join the Pakatan parties but formed their own platforms," said Tian.
"Secondly, our anti-hopping law proposal does not try to prohibit freedom of association, which is guaranteed by the Constitution and a fundamental right. What we are saying is that those elected reps who leave their parties must also quit their seats and let a by-election take place so that the people can choose again. If the people still vote for them, like in the case of Shahrir Samad who at one time left Umno, what is wrong? The devil in the current law is that Mahathir Mohamad amended it to ban elected reps who resigned from contesting for 5 years. Mahathir did this after Shahrir won back his seat despite being sacked from Umno. Now, this is oppressive and typical of Mahathir. It is what we want to fight. Let the reps leave if they wish as it is not right for any party to try and tie up their membership for life. But protect the people by insisting on an immediate by-election."
Malaysia Chronicle
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.