Lahad Datu: Bukit Aman to interview Raja Petra over Sulu intrusion article

 

(The Star) - Bukit Aman is not revealing where police would record the statement of Malaysia Today editor Raja Petra Kamarudin pertaining to an article on the Sulu intrusion in Lahad Datu.

“We cannot reveal which country we intend to interview him as it might jeopardize our investigations.

“We are recording his statement pertaining to individual or groups involved in the Lahad Datu intrusion,” Federal CID director Comm Datuk Seri Mohd Bakri Zinin told The Star.

It is learnt that Raja Petra, now living in exile in the United Kingdom, had flown to another country. 

What it all boils down to

Now, if I were to bet RM100,000 on Pakatan Rakyat winning more than 100 seats, I might most likely win RM100,000. However, if I were to bet RM100,000 on Pakatan Rakyat NOT winning 100 seats, then I might lose my RM100,000 but, if I win, I will win RM1 million.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

The graphics below from The Malaysian Insider are very interesting. Malaysians understand pictures better than long cheong hei pieces so maybe you can look at those graphics to understand what is going to happen this Sunday, 5th May 2013.

Umno is contesting 120 out of the 222 parliamentary seats. The non-Umno parties in Barisan Nasional are contesting the balance 102 (60 in West Malaysia, 11 in Sabah, 31 in Sarawak, and 1 independent/Ibrahim Ali).

Assuming the 60 non-Umno/Barisan Nasional candidates in West Malaysia are going to get reduced to just 5 (MCA only), then Umno must win at least 70 of the 105 seats in West Malaysia.

That would give Barisan Nasional a total of 75 out of the 165 parliamentary seats in West Malaysia while Pakatan Rakyat would have 90 seats.

Then Umno needs to win another 10 seats in Sabah (losing 5) to make it a total of 85 seats.

Then the non-Umno/Barisan Nasional candidates in Sabah must deliver at least 6 seats (losing 5) and this would give the opposition 10 parliamentary seats in Sabah with Barisan Nasional controlling 16 of the 26 seats.

PBB in Sarawak must deliver 12 seats with another 12 from the other Sarawak coalition members giving Barisan Nasional a total of 24 seats and the opposition 7.

Hence the non-Umno/Barisan Nasional candidates in East Malaysia will deliver 30 seats combined to add to Umno’s 85 to make it a total of 115, with 107 seats going to Pakatan Rakyat

That is what the Chinese bookies are giving Pakatan Rakyat, more than 100 parliamentary seats.

And if you bet on Pakatan Rakyat NOT winning more than 100 parliamentary seats and they do not, then you will walk away with RM10 for every Ringgit that you bet, odds of ten to one.

Good money, no, if Pakatan Rakyat does not win more than 100 seats?

Now, if I were to bet RM100,000 on Pakatan Rakyat winning more than 100 seats, I might most likely win RM100,000. However, if I were to bet RM100,000 on Pakatan Rakyat NOT winning 100 seats, then I might lose my RM100,000 but, if I win, I will win RM1 million.

Hmm…if I were a gambling man which do you think I would bet on?

Musa denies being a Pakatan Rakyat Security Advisory Council member

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 – Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan today denied Pakatan Rakyat’s claim that he had joined the coalition pact and is a member of its Security Advisory Council.

Musa said he had periodically given advice on security matters at the request of the party in his capacity based on his experience in the field of security.

“I was only asked to give security advice, if needed, and am not officially involved in their security council,” he said.

Yesterday the media reported that Musa had joined the council as an advisor following several incidents involving political violence recently.

The coalition launched the Pakatan Rakyat Security Advisory Council on March 31. – Bernama

Two-thirds essential for decisive government, says Dr M

KUALA LUMPUR, April 30 – A two-thirds parliamentary majority is essential to create a more “decisive” Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad said today, lamenting that the present administration has had to pander to critics on issues like the New Economic Policy (NEP), because of its weak standing in Parliament.

He said his Vision 2020 targets was possible with such a strong government.

“Because of that weakness (from losing two-thirds), it appears as if it is difficult for the government to proceed with policies that were established before.

“It (the government) is exposed to threats and pressure from parties that oppose, particularly the NEP, and because the government is in a weak position, it has had to entertain some of these NEP critics,” he said during a discussion and book-signing session for his new release “Blogging to Unblock Book 2: A Citizen’s Rights” at the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) this evening.

“If we want a firm government, we must support the government so that they get more than two-thirds in Parliament,” he added.

Dr Mahathir(picture) has been going on the stump for BN across the length and breadth of the country, urging voters to stay with the ruling pact that he led for 22 years during his tenure as prime minister.

The veteran leader, who took time off from the campaign trail for this evening’s book signing, said the current government appears to be heading in the right direction despite using approaches that may be “different from what we hoped for”.

“I find that there was a time between 2003 and 2009 when leaders were not so interested in the plans made by those before them,” said Dr Mahathir, who was prime minister from 1981 to 2001.

“The current leaders still speak about 2020... and that alone places us on the right track to achieve this vision.

“For certain some efforts may be different from what we had hoped for... however, I am confident that Malaysia can still achieve Vision 2020,” he said.

Despite his advanced years, Dr Mahathir has been keeping a tight schedule recently, touring every corner of the country, including across the South China Sea in remote villages in the two Borneo states of Sarawak and Sabah as the face of BN’s fight to stay in power after Election 2013.

The fourth prime minister appears to be Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s campaigner-in-chief as he fronts the BN’s ceramah circuit to spread its power-sharing formula for stability as the world continues to be rocked by political and economic crises that have increased the number of jobless and created social unrest in Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Senior members of the Mahathir Cabinet also appear to be ditching their low-public profile after retirement from the government to pitch similar messages and swing voter support for Najib.

Former Finance Minister Tun Daim Zainuddin emerged from his political cocoon recently and advised Najib to axe the deadwood from within the current Cabinet.

The 74-year-old government pensioner’s remarks appeared to be sharp criticism of the present administration, but Daim was also reported to have said that Najib was doing a “fairly good job” as the country’s sixth prime minister and was confident the BN would win the elections.

Most recently, former Works Minister Datuk Seri Samy Velly was reported declaring himself a “winnable candidate” to stand for elections although he lost his Sungai Siput federal seat by a substantial 1,821-vote majority to political greenhorn and socialist Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj in Election 2008.

Southern College head apologises over BN do

Southern College president Thock Kiah Wah has publicly apologised over a raucous BN function which took place on campus grounds last night.

Eye-witnesses claim that BN supporters had swarmed the campus and behaved in an unruly manner, revving their motorcycle engines and storming the stage.

Two female student volunteers at the event claim told Malaysiakinithat they were molested by BN supporters during the event.

Following this, 200 students staged a protest on campus today and confronted Thock to demand an apology for allowing the function to take place.

When repeatedly questioned by the disgrunted students, Thock said that the students were not aware of the complexities involving society and politics.

He initially refused demands for him to "apologise to society" but later relented.

"Yesterday, I already apologised to (students in private). Today I'm apologising to everyone. Today, I am apologising again. 

"Over this incident, I'm deeply remorseful. I apologise to everyone and to society. Is this okay?" he said.

[More to follow]

Najib and Anwar turn up the heat in Saratok

GE13 WATCH SARAWAK The sleepy town of Saratok - some 60km south of Sarikei - experienced a starstruck weekend due to the appearance of both BN chairperson Najib Abdul Razak and PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim.

The duo were here to pour fuel into an already heated battle shaping up between BN's William Mawan Ikon, the favourite to win, and PKR candidate Ali Biju, who is one of Sarawak PKR's latest poster-child.

Ali Biju was a virtual unknown in Sarawak politics until he miraculously defeated long-time Krian state assemblyperson Peter Nyarok Entrie, the Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) deputy president, during the 2011 state elections.

This time round, Ali Biju is taking on the SPDP president William Mawan Ikon - a big name for Sarawakian politics - for the Saratokparliamentary seat, which is not being defended by incumbent Jelaing Mersat.

For PKR, what is at stake is the fact that it is having its first Sarawakian bumiputera enter Parliament and defeating one of BN's most prominent Dayak figure. Thus, it is no surprise that Najib was called for special reinforcement.

Anwar was in Kabong on Friday, where he spoke about how corruption in Sarawak had hampered development and that it is Pakatan Rakyat's goal to address the matter.

"This is the first time in history where we have a chance to defeat BN and replace them as the federal government.

"We want to ensure that the rights of the people are upheld, that you have land rights and that government contracts are distributed fairly," Anwar told a crowd of 1,000 people during a mid-afternoon rally.

Najib arrived a day later and spoke in the town of Saratok before a crowd of 1,500 people. He mostly stressed about how only BN can bring development and promised more cash handouts as well.

On paper, Mawan is a hot favourite because based on the 2011 state election results for Krian and Kalaka - the two state seats under the Saratok parliamentary constituency - BN has the upper hand.

However, a sizeable amount of votes went to an Independent named Ismail Hussein in the Kalaka seat, which Ali Biju's team hopes to capture.

Religion is a factor

Religion is believed to be a factor in Kalaka because it has a large Muslim community here. It is noted that Ali Biju is a Christian. The PKR candidate who contested for Kalaka in 2011 fared badly, coming in third against the Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) incumbent.

Ali Biju's team said they have to influence 14 key Malay villages to win and that they have been doing much groundwork there over the past 18 months.

They are also having some luck with the rural Dayak community, gaining entry to campaign in more longhouses than in 2011 to spread his message about the need for change.

He has an impressive resume to boot. He is an American-trained civil engineer and has corporate experience. He owns and operates a successful logistics company in Bintulu.

As for Mawan (left), his campaign has been centred on the fact that he is a local-born and has made many contributions to Sarawak as a state cabinet member.

However, Mawan's Achilles' Heel appears to be the fact that Jelaing, the two-term Saratok incumbent and caretaker deputy transport minister, was dropped.

When campaigning at the Roban longhouse yesterday, Mawan had to explain why he was being fielded there - despite being the Pakan state assemblyperson in the neighbouring Julau parliamentary constituency - and that Jelaing was not being backstabbed.

According to The Borneo Post on April 18, Jelaing said that he felt betrayed because Mawan had promised the former that he would be defending the Saratok seat.

Despite possible backlash from Jelaing's supporters, Mawan toldMalaysiakini that he had a reasonably good chance of winning after six days of campaigning.

In rural Sarawak, a personal touch is important and it would appear that this is where Ali Biju (right in photo) has a slight edge over Mawan, who was born in Saratok, but raised elsewhere.

Geramin Inyiu, a local from Baratong, said that Mawan was more inclined to deal with the longhouse chiefs directly rather than the residents, who many not necessary follow directions on who to vote.

Like many other Sarawakians, his biggest grief with the present state government was a lack of development and properly tarred roads in his area.

Udin Sidom, a SPDP member, said he was disappointed that an "outsider" was being fielded as a candidate and that he has spotted Jelaing's men campaigning against BN.

Sulie Jamtal, from Enjangkang Roban, said residents of his longhouse were more likely to vote based on the candidate's personality and do consider other matters beyond local issues.

"We listen to Radio Free Sarawak. Sometimes, we tune in at a public area together or in our own rooms," he said.

It is likely that the radio her longhouse used was among the 1,000 radios which Ali Biju had distributed throughout Saratok.

However, some voters are staunch BN supporters and do not mind whether Mawan is fielded, nor do they worry about state and national issues.

"I vote for BN ever since Malaysia was formed," said Rahmad Mut, a 68-year-old retiree, adding that only BN can bring development to Saratok and Kabong.

"Ali Biju is only a state assemblyperson, he's not a state minister, he can't bring development to the area," he stressed.

Ink used on voter's index finger is NOT indelible

Barely hours after ‘indelible’ ink was used for the first time in Malaysia, complaints have emerged that the ink is in fact removable.

This is contrary to the Election Commission’s (EC) assurance that traces of the ink would last at least seven days on the finger after being painted on with a brush.

One soldier, who had marked his ballot in advance voting this morning, said he had removed most of the ink with water alone - just six hours later.

"Only 30 percent is left, and I haven’t even used soap yet. 

"The standard is like stamp (ink) pads, which is not very strong.

"On the nail, it is 100 percent gone. It is a little difficult to remove from the seams. 

"On the skin, I think it would be gone with rigorous washing with soap," the soldier, who did not wish to be named, said in a text-message.

PKR vice-president Tian Chua said some 20 security personnel had approached him to demonstrate how the ink could be "entirely" removed with hand sanitiser gel.

"This is very disappointing," Tian Chua told Malaysiakini when contacted, adding that he had lodged a report at 2pm today at the Taman Koperasi Polis police station, Batu Caves.

“Even the police officer (receiving the report) herself had already washed it off,” he said. 

Chua also called for EC chief Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof’s resignation.

Another PKR vice-president, Nurul Izzah Anwar, tweeted that she had made a similar police report in Sentul after a military personnel showed how the ink could be removed with Dettol (a disinfectant brand) or hand sanitisers.

Asked by a Twitter follower how she knew that the claim was authentic, she replied, “Because the ink was slowly removed in front of us and the press.”

Photographs of index fingers stained with ink, matching the colour used in the advance voting today, have also been circulated onFacebook.

These show the ink in various stages of being removed. The captions state that thinner that is used to remove paint stains is an effective ‘indelible’ ink remover, while others claimed that soap works just as well.

In some images posted on the Internet, ink stains could still be seen on the edges of the fingernail after attempts to clean it off.

EC chief: Let the police investigate

Malaysiakini received a call from a person claiming to be a police personnel, who said the ink could be removed with thinner, but this could not be independently verified.

When contacted for comment, Abdul Aziz (left) said via text-message: 'If that is the case, let the police investigate whether this is true, since they have already lodged police reports.'

"According to testing by the EC, it cannot be removed (with soap, thinner or hand sanitiser) and can still be detected," he added in another message.

The use of the ink is among the demands made by Bersih, the coalition for clean and fair elections.

This was subsequently taken up by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reform as a move to deter ‘phantom voters’ from voting several times under a false identity.

Meanwhile, independent election observer Pemantau told a press conference today that their observers have reported three cases of voters being able to remove the ink.

One case has been reported in Sibu, one in Kelantan, and the other in the Batu parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.

Pemantau urged the EC to explain the situation as soon as possible and even replace the ink if necessary ahead of polling day on May 5.

Pemantau's steering committee member Maria Chin Abdullah (right) said that the latest development "tantamounts to cheating" as the ink was supposed to prevent double voting.

She said that the EC should hold a public demonstration on the indelible ink as well to explain the usage of indelible ink before polling day.

Maria said that a police report has been lodged in Batu over the ink and the matter has been communicated to the EC by incumbent Batu MP Tian Chua.

"But the EC chairperson wants us to write an official letter. There's no time for this kind of bureaucracy," she said.