Penang public to get first glimpse of golden chariot tomorrow

The golden chariot, at the centre of a dispute between two groups, will go on a trial run at 10am tomorrow.

GEORGE TOWN: The new golden chariot for the Thaipusam festival will go on a 3km trial run tomorrow.

It will proceed from the Arulmigu Balathandayuthapani Hilltop Temple at 10am to nearby areas and back to the temple within two hours. It will be pulled by 20 volunteers.

The Star quoted hilltop temple chairman R Subramaniam as saying the chariot would carry a golden kudam (pot) filled with holy water.

The report quoted Penang Hindu Endowments Board (PHEB) chairman P Ramasamy as saying special prayers would be held at the hilltop temple from 6.30pm tomorrow.

The actual procession will be on the eve of Thaipusam.

The introduction of the golden chariot by the PHEB has caused anxiety, even division, among Hindus in the state.

The regular silver chariot run by the Penang Nagarathar Thandayuthapani Temple, which is at the foothill, and is managed by the Naattukotai Chettiar community, will also go in procession on the eve of Thaipusam.

Devotees will now see the golden chariot leaving the Queen Street Mariamman Temple at 5am on Feb 8 and the silver chariot leaving Kovil Veedu on nearby Penang Street at 6.30am.

Since the golden chariot was annouced, words have been exchanged between both sides and their supporters, especially in the social media.

The Star reported that former Penang Hindu Youth Organisation president P Rajendran had lodged a police report claiming he had been attacked by three men and taken on a terror ride. He said the men had warned him not to criticise those behind the golden chariot. -FMT

Can PAS retain Kelantan?

The myth that PAS could be a national spoiler, as a third force, particularly to Pakatan Harapan, in GE14 needs to be examined closely.

COMMENT

By Liew Chin Tong

Is PAS really strong in Kelantan? Is Umno ready to retake the state? Or will there be a new government in Kelantan in the form of Pakatan Harapan and Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (PPBM) in the next general election (GE14)?

In my more than 20 visits to Kelantan since 1993, including several extended field research trips for my honours degree thesis on PAS between 2002 and 2004, I have been always amazed by the political sophistication of the people of Kelantan.

Kelantanese elected successive PAS administrations between 1959 and 1978, and since 1990 till today. A strong sense of Kelantan regional sentiment vis-à-vis the federal government is an important factor, then and now.

In all elections since coming back into power in 1990, the confident yet humble Tok Guru Nik Aziz was a constant positive factor for PAS. Alas, the wise ulama is no longer with us, since 2015.

The uniqueness of Kelantan includes the strength of its people to reject the ridiculous “Chinese bogeyman” fear mongering tactic created by Umno. In fact, the “fear of DAP” storyline that often works in favour of Umno in many Malay-majority constituencies, has never worked in Kelantan because Kelantanese are more secure with their identity.

However, with PAS being seen closely aligned to Umno in recent times, and with Umno being bogged down by Prime Minister Najib Razak’s unpopularity, PAS is slowly losing its regional/anti-federal party streak in the eyes of many Kelantanese.

Kelantan boosts a large diaspora of people living in the Klang Valley who continue to vote back home. Some researchers believe that more than 20% of Kelantan voters reside outside Kelantan.

Most of the time, they vote according to the national mood swing which currently does not favour Najib and whomever is associated with him.

Therefore, the myth that PAS could be a national spoiler, as a third force, particularly to Pakatan Harapan, in the upcoming general election needs to be examined closely.

Also, many political pundits have taken PAS’ strength in Kelantan for granted without much scrutiny.

A closer look reveals a very different scenario, perhaps even shocking to some people.

In the battle for the Kelantan state assembly in GE14, PAS may not be able to maintain its third force ambiguity. The fact is PAS may be compelled to form an electoral pact with Umno in Kelantan, whether by choice or expediency.

Assuming Amanah can pose a serious challenge to PAS in 10 of its 33 incumbent state seats while PPBM is able to do so in five of Umno’s 12 incumbent state constituencies, PAS and Umno may not have the luxury of contesting against each other in Kelantan.

Also assuming Amanah, PPBM and PKR does not contest against each other but form a formidable coalition – battling either PAS or Umno, or even both, in three or four corner fights – the major losers won’t be Pakatan Harapan and PPBM.

If PAS and Umno can’t find an agreement to form an electoral pact, and decide to fight each other – while Pakatan and PPBM form a coalition to put a single candidate in each seat – no one would be certain of the outcome of the seats, especially the marginal ones.

If PAS and Umno each suffers a 10% decline in their vote share and they still continue to battle in three-cornered fights, PAS may lose Kelantan while Umno can kiss goodbye its dream of recapturing the state.

In the 2013 general election, PAS and PKR both received a total of 425,291 votes (55.26%) while Barisan Nasional garnered 343,416 votes (44.62%). PAS won 32 state seats out of 45 while PKR has the state seat of Guchil which was won with only 49.9% of votes.

Of PAS’ 32 seats, 13 were won with less than 55% of votes. Of Umno’s 12 seats in the Kelantan assembly, 9 were won with less than 55% of votes.

In other words, 23 of 45 Kelantan seats – slightly more than half – are marginal seats which would be vulnerable for the PAS government if Pakatan Harapan and PPBM put up a formidable coalition while Umno and PAS fight it out against each other.

Never underestimate the political wisdom of Kelantan voters. I have met many Kelantanese throughout the years and I have high respect for them.

If the mood changes in Kelantan, PAS and Umno would be forced to form a pact. Thus, the myth of PAS being a strong third force may just be a farce.

Liew Chin Tong is Kluang MP and DAP national political education director. -FMT

‘Ringgit meningkat, minyak mentah turun, mengapa petrol naik lagi?’

DAP mahu kerajaan memberikan penjelasan terperinci bagaimana ia membuat perkiraan kenaikan terkini harga petrol dan diesel.

PETALING JAYA: DAP mempertikaikan harga baharu petrol dan diesel yang berkuat kuasa tengah malam tadi, dan berkata kenaikan kali ini tidak boleh diterima memandangkan harga minyak mentah sedunia menurun di samping kenaikan nilai ringgit.

Setiausaha Publisiti DAP, Tony Pua berkata kerajaan perlu menjelaskan bagaimana ia mengira kenaikan yang diumumkan malam semalam.

Mulai 1 Februari, harga runcit petrol RON95 dan RON97 masing-masing ditetapkan RM2.30 dan RM2.60 seliter, iaitu kenaikan 20 sen, manakala diesel naik 10 sen kepada RM2.15. Ia merupakan kenaikan kedua pada tahun ini.

Pua berkata kenaikan pada bulan Januari “mungkin boleh difahami”.

“Ia disebabkan kenaikan harga minyak mentah pada Disember,” kata Pua.

Katanya, sementara harga minyak mentah pada Disember 2016 naik daripada AS$51.48 kepada AS$56.73 setong, ia menyusut sedikit pada Januari kepada AS$55.86, kata Pua.

Beliau berkata kemerosotan ringgit, yang menurut Putrajaya merupakan antara punca kenaikan harga minyak, juga tidak boleh dijadikan alasan kali ini.

Ini kerana, menurut Pua, nilai ringgit pada Januari adalah di sekitar RM4.42 berbanding dolar AS, naik sedikit daripada RM4.48 pada Disember.

“Kami menuntut pendedahan penuh data, formula dan butiran tepat bagaimana kenaikan harga minyak dikira supaya rakyat Malaysia tahu mengapa mereka terpaksa tersiksa akibat dasar kerajaan,” kata ahli Parlimen Petaling Jaya Utara itu.

Disember lalu, Pengarah Komunikasi Strategik Kementerian Kewangan Datuk Lokman Noor Adam membayangkan kenaikan harga petrol pada tahun ini, berikutan peningkatan harga pasaran minyak mentah dunia dan prestasi lemah ringgit berbanding dolar AS.

“Dengan pengukuhan dolar Amerika berbanding ringgit Malaysia kini, ia mengakibatkan kos pembelian minyak juga meningkat. Ia memberi kesan kepada penetapan harga bahan api di Malaysia,” katanya. -FMT

Bersatu and Anak's Felda roadshow begin on Friday

A series of roadshows on the alleged wrongdoings of the Federal Land Development Authority (Felda) will kick off this Friday in Felda Jengka 8, near Jerantut in Pahang.

Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia (Bersatu) and Felda Settlers' Children's Association (Anak) are joint organisers of the roadshow, which is dubbed 'Jelajah Semarak Kasih Felda' (Love Felda Tour).

The roadshow is aimed at educating Felda settlers on alleged scandals, such as Felda's acquisition of Indonesia's PT Eagle High Plantation Tbk at above the market value and Felda Global Venture's losses, among other issues.

According to Anak president Mazlan Aliman, Bersatu chairperson Dr Mahathir Mohamad will take part in the roadshow at the Jempol leg on Feb 26 and in Tenggara, Johor on March 1.

Felda settlements have long been a vote bank for BN but recent controversies surrounding the agency have cast doubt that the settlers will continue to back Umno.

Pahang state executive councillor Shahaniza Shamsuddin warned Umno during its annual assembly last year that the party risks losing Felda votes if the government does not address the settlers' woes.- Mkini

How Donald Trump is helping China

United States President Donald Trump has, predictably, used his first few days in office to cast himself (and the United States) as a proverbial sun around which every other country orbits.

His expansive agenda of re-crafting the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (Nato), withdrawing from the Trans-Pacific Partnership Agreement, revising (or even eliminating) the North American Free Trade Agreement and undermining the One-China policy all have one thing in common: his belief that the US can control the world’s political and economic destiny.

Reality, unlike Trump’s scripted TV show, will almost certainly prove him wrong.

The “America first” policy that Trump emphasised in his inaugural address may sound pleasing to frustrated voters in Iowa and Idaho - the overlooked and ignored who now feel vindicated by “their” victory.

But it may sound most pleasing of all in a China intent on nurturing its own substantial gravitational force.

Indeed, China’s rise has provided a new orbit for many countries around the world - particularly developing and emerging economies. And indeed, China’s exceptional diplomatic skill across the African continent (and, increasingly, South-East Asia) has made it an alternative hegemonic force - one that comes without the West’s colonial baggage or moralising on democracy and human rights.

Trump’s presidency provides China with new opportunities to cement its role as a provider of investment and all manner of infrastructure and assistance to a host of countries eager to develop.

His unilateralist approach is likely to force the US into playing catch-up with a China left almost unfettered in its continued efforts to win over the hearts and minds of those whose countries it views as vital, economically and politically, to its strategic interests.

China the likeliest beneficiary

As Trump embraces isolationism, the other so-called BRICS countries - Brazil, Russia, India and South Africa - are preparing to fill the vacuum as well. But China is likely to be the chief beneficiary.

It already has the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank, the Silk Road Fund, and the New Development Bank, which it can use to fund its way to greater global power.

In this geopolitical context, “America First” will weaken the US role in shaping a new global order.

China’s diplomatic and economic push toward the developing world in recent years has featured efforts to introduce soft power into its arsenal of strategic options.

In the same week that Trump eschewed free trade, Chinese President Xi Jinping (photo) - addressing the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting in Davos for the first time - leapt to the defence of global openness.

And it is not only the Trump administration that could accelerate the shift in the global balance of power toward China.

Goodbye Project EU?

The European Union’s (EU) political uncertainty and the distressing rise of right-wing populist political forces in many of its member states may very well lead to similar nationalism and protectionism.

Certainly, a Britain with Brexiteers in charge is closer to the Trumpist camp than it is to the EU.

Meanwhile, populist gains in France, the Netherlands and Germany, all of which will hold national elections this year, could reduce the European project to ruins, as the Trump administration - in thrall to Vladimir Putin’s Russia - applauds.

At this point, as goes Europe, so goes the West’s geopolitical power. If multilateralism unravels in Europe, it will not disappear as a cohesive economic and political tool; its headquarters will simply move to China, the other BRICS countries and to emerging players elsewhere. Without Europe to provide a check on Trump, this outcome seems all but inevitable.

Trump can play tough at being a unilateralist. But when the uplift of developing countries’ citizens, the ravages of climate change, and the disruptive challenges of technological innovation and global trade dictate a different approach, he should not expect the US to have the influence it once had.

For Trump, all is not lost. The US can enter into direct trade negotiations with a variety of countries and attempt to split other incipient alliances in the process. But Trump’s dystopian vision of an America pitted against the world does not bode well.

In the meantime, China will continue to act - as the US once did - on the recognition that claiming and retaining the mantle of global leadership is a long-term proposition, one that often entails short-term financial costs.

For China, eager to find a soft-power niche in which it can gain a foothold of goodwill, Trump might be just the ticket.

- Project Syndicate

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DANIEL SILKE, director of the Political Futures Consultancy in Cape Town, is a former MP in the Western Cape legislature and the author of 'Tracking the Future: Top trends that will shape South Africa and the world'. This article was first published by Project Syndicate.- Mkini

Whether 1MDB or BMF, Umno's fingerprints are all over them

YOURSAY | ‘The gov’t would be spitting on its own face if it consents to probing BMF but not 1MDB…’

BMF, forex scandals to 'divert attention' from 1MDB, says Dr M's lawyer

Clever Voter: Expect more distraction as the tempo increases.

If all the scandals over the past few decades were to be brought to the fore, the entire Parliament would not have enough space to hold the documentation.

Recent cases of Teoh Beng Hock, Altantuya Shaariibuu, National Feedlot Corporation (NFC), Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ), and of course, 1MDB deserve special attention.

Whatever it is, the coming general election is for BN to lose. In order to make absolute sure on retaining power, there will be more propaganda to come.

BN will make sure it gets its way. After all, the billions are in their hands.

6th Generation Immigrant: Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Daim Zainuddin, Anwar Ibrahim, Musa Hitam, Najib Abdul Razak and many more should now all sue one another.

Cleanse Umno of 50 years of abuses. Let this be settled once and for all (hear ye! hear ye! all you so-called Umno nationalists who would like to join the bandwagon, the time has come and is now ripe).

All in all, whoever ends up the winner from amongst these top echelon leaders and members, Umno's true colours and philosophies will be an open book from there on.

Malaysians waiting on the sidelines are waiting to lament "we told you so". The rural Malays will finally be convinced that they had been taken for a real ride. Malaysia shall be saved.

The Analyser: Listed off here is every possible reason why Mahathir's crimes are less awful than Najib's... and some pretty damning evidence to suggest that they are as bad, if not worse.

The bottom line for people with flexible principles is that a scandal is a scandal, incompetence is incompetence. It is not a matter of scale, but a matter of fact.

While you are debating the pros and cons of financial scandals, you are overlooking the real crimes against this society. In that regard, Mahathir far outperforms Najib, who is a mere amateur who did not learn much from his mentor.

Crimes against the constitution, the royals, Islam, human rights, democracy, egalitarianism... even human dignity.

It is a measure of how truly shallow the Malaysian society is that one places money crimes above crimes against one’s democratic rights and one’s rights as human beings.

Pg People: Even if it is true that Mahathir is involved in the BMF (Bumiputra Malaysia Finance) scandal, that doesn't allow MO1 (Malaysian Official 1) a free ticket to whack the rest.

He should instead file a lawsuit against Mahathir without bringing up other scandals, as one plus one does not equal two.

Fiq Rayyan: I can see why people are very appreciative of Mahathir, especially when he vowed to fight PM Najib Razak.

There are so many things that we don't know about him because before this he controlled everything, including the media.

I don't want to be a person who support someone blindly. In my opinion, I think there are no one we can put our trust in right now.

Rick Teo: Twenty years ago, Najib was part of the cabinet. If there was any misdeed committed, he would also be an accessory to the crime.

Aziz Kader: Umno accepted the forex (foreign exchange) and BMF imbroglio from day one. Now they claimed they were scandals.

If 20 or 30 years from now, should Najib be still alive and support the opposition, 1MDB would also then become a scandal for Umno.

Res Ipsa: Do we really care since the prime concern of most Malaysians is the present state of affairs and how to get food on the table for our loved ones.

Of utmost concern is also the immediate future of our children. So, is it really necessary to dwell on past issues that are not going to have any effect on the current state of affairs?

Anonymous 2411361459930771: The cabinet would be spitting on its own face if it consents to probing BMF but not 1MDB, which is a clear and present danger.

Red Granite zips lips on claim by real 'Wolf of Wall Street' personality

Odin Tajué: Yes, Jordan ‘Wolf of Wall Street’ Belfort knew the 1MDB imbroglio was a "fu**ing scam" and called Jho Low, Riza Aziz and the rest of those involved "fu**ing criminals".

I agree with him, of course.

Gerard Lourdesamy: The Malaysian authorities are not interested in investigating 1MDB but rather are attempting the biggest cover-up in legal history just to protect MO1, his stepson and Jho Low.

The former attorney-general (AG) was sacked, Bank Negara and the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had their officers retired or removed.

The police were intimidating and harassing all the other agencies. The special task force on 1MDB was disbanded. And a new AG was appointed just to exonerate everybody.

Unfortunately, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and other foreign governments exposed the lies and the wholesale criminality of those involved. The rakyat know better whom to trust.

Rick Teo: Indeed, when you spend money without a care in the world, it’s likely that the money was stolen.

Anonymous_1377321471: MO1 is the root of all evil and becoming bolder and bolder by the day with the presence of his allegedly criminal cohorts at the expense of the rakyat and nation.

He is seen every day and night on the prowl and yet invisible to all of Malaysia's authorities of law and enforcement.

It must be the ‘honey coat’ he is wearing that makes him a ghost.- Mkini

Klang local council demolishes shrine resembling dome of a mosque

The Klang Municipal Council (MPK) demolished a shrine with a mosque-like dome in Jalan Makyong 5E/KU5, Bukit Raja near Shah Alamtoday after it was built without approval from the Klang District and Land Office.

MPK Corporate Communications director Norfiza Mahfiz said a notice was issued to the owner on Jan 24, to relocate or remove the structure but failed to do so.

"This shrine is built on government land... MPK had ordered the owner to relocate or demolish the structure, the owner had also promised to do so after Chinese New Year. However, no action was taken until last night," she said in a statement in Shah Alam.

As such, Norfiza said MPK and the district office, with the assistance of the police carried out the demolition in accordance with the Drainage and Building Act for building a structure on government land.

Previously, the structure went viral on social media after it drew a public furore as it was perceived as offensive.

- Bernama