Pakatan Rakyat win in Bukit Gantang a strong signal to BN
Giam Say Khoon
TAIPING (April 7, 2009) : The Pakatan Rakyat convincingly retained the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat today with a “landslide” majority of 2, 789 votes.
Former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad, garnered 21, 860 votes in the three-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Ismail Saffian who obtained 19, 071 votes while independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris, received only 62 votes.
A total of 41, 626 voters or 75.1% of the registered voters casted their ballots which was higher than the 72.4% turnout during the general election last year. There were 456 spoiled votes.
The parliamentary seat which fell vacant following the death of PAS MP Roslan Shaharum, of a heart attack on Feb 9,
Roslan had secured the seat with a majority of 1, 566 votes also in a three-cornered fight against BN's Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi and independent candidate M. Mohganan during the general election last year.
Meeting the Press after the announcement of result was made by the Election Commission returning officer Datuk Mahmud Mursidi at 9.40pm, Mohammad Nizar, 52, said he was very happy that PR had won the by-election.
“As a MP for Bukit Gantang, I will do my job cleanly, proudly, justly and transparently…
“The result is a great signal to the federal government that the people do not want any more corruption and injustice. They want fairness, justice, good governance and a good democratic system,” he told reporters.
“I think this election, with the majority that I have been given by the voters actually sends a lot of signals to everyone..... even to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the people want good governance.
“In a way it (the by-election) is very much a referendum; it is a manifestation of the requirements and needs of the people in Malaysia and Perak.
“It is a referendum to show that we want pure democracy, the right to the people to elect their government on a fair and just manner.
“As a prime minister (Najib), he should have the unifying factor, which he is actually lacking at the moment, so the signal is that credibility is lacking on his side.
“Something needs to be cleaned before the whole Malaysia will unanimously agree that he is the prime minister and that is the message which is strongly sent to him now,” he added.
Mohammad Nizar said the people want the Perak state government to be dissolved to give them the right to choose the right government under an arranged democratic system.
“We do not want any policy made with racial elements and discrimination in governing Malaysia and Perak,” he said.
Asked as to his immediate concerns, Mohammad Nizar said he wants to unify the people of Bukit Gantang so that they can work with PR.
"We are going to request for a quick and urgent dissolution of the Perak government so that the constitutional crisis in Perak can be resolved and that will be my immediate action to stabilise the political scenario in Perak,” he added.
More than 5,000 of supporters from the PR had filled up the Jalan Kota in the Taiping town from 7pm to await the results of the election.
This is the third election for a parliamentary seat that the BN has lost to the Pakatan Rakyat after the Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu seat since the general election last year.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, through a phone interview, told the press that the by-election results sends a message that Malaysians want to change irrespective of the new prime minister.
“They (the people) are stronger in their support for PR,” he said.
Asked Pakatan Rakyat win in Bukit Gantang a strong signal to BN
Giam Say Khoon
TAIPING (April 7, 2009) : The Pakatan Rakyat convincingly retained the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat today with a “landslide” majority of 2, 789 votes.
Former Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad, garnered 21, 860 votes in the three-cornered fight against Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Ismail Saffian who obtained 19, 071 votes while independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris, received only 62 votes.
A total of 41, 626 voters or 75.1% of the registered voters casted their ballots which was higher than the 72.4% turnout during the general election last year. There were 456 spoiled votes.
The parliamentary seat which fell vacant following the death of PAS MP Roslan Shaharum, of a heart attack on Feb 9,
Roslan had secured the seat with a majority of 1, 566 votes also in a three-cornered fight against BN's Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Mohd Zabidi and independent candidate M. Mohganan during the general election last year.
Meeting the Press after the announcement of result was made by the Election Commission returning officer Datuk Mahmud Mursidi at 9.40pm, Mohammad Nizar, 52, said he was very happy that PR had won the by-election.
“As a MP for Bukit Gantang, I will do my job cleanly, proudly, justly and transparently…
“The result is a great signal to the federal government that the people do not want any more corruption and injustice. They want fairness, justice, good governance and a good democratic system,” he told reporters.
“I think this election, with the majority that I have been given by the voters actually sends a lot of signals to everyone..... even to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak that the people want good governance.
“In a way it (the by-election) is very much a referendum; it is a manifestation of the requirements and needs of the people in Malaysia and Perak.
“It is a referendum to show that we want pure democracy, the right to the people to elect their government on a fair and just manner.
“As a prime minister (Najib), he should have the unifying factor, which he is actually lacking at the moment, so the signal is that credibility is lacking on his side.
“Something needs to be cleaned before the whole Malaysia will unanimously agree that he is the prime minister and that is the message which is strongly sent to him now,” he added.
Mohammad Nizar said the people want the Perak state government to be dissolved to give them the right to choose the right government under an arranged democratic system.
“We do not want any policy made with racial elements and discrimination in governing Malaysia and Perak,” he said.
Asked as to his immediate concerns, Mohammad Nizar said he wants to unify the people of Bukit Gantang so that they can work with PR.
"We are going to request for a quick and urgent dissolution of the Perak government so that the constitutional crisis in Perak can be resolved and that will be my immediate action to stabilise the political scenario in Perak,” he added.
More than 5,000 of supporters from the PR had filled up the Jalan Kota in the Taiping town from 7pm to await the results of the election.
This is the third election for a parliamentary seat that the BN has lost to the Pakatan Rakyat after the Permatang Pauh and Kuala Terengganu seat since the general election last year.
Meanwhile, opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, through a phone interview, told the press that the by-election results sends a message that Malaysians want to change irrespective of the new prime minister.
“They (the people) are stronger in their support for PR,” he said.
Asked if the political tsunami still blows after the last general election, he replied: “Certainly.”
Anwar also said he was very satisfied with the results of the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections although PR did not expect to win in Batang Ai.
On the most important factor in winning the two seats, he said it was the result of three parties working cohesively as a team.
The total number of registered voters is 55,462, of which 63.5% are Malays, 27.1% Chinese, and 9.1% Indians. |
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he was very satisfied with the results of the Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau by-elections although PR did not expect to win in Batang Ai.
On the most important factor in winning the two seats, he said it was the result of three parties working cohesively as a team.
The total number of registered voters is 55,462, of which 63.5% are Malays, 27.1% Chinese, and 9.1% Indians. |
|
Muhyiddin, who is also Umno deputy president, said the BN would call for an independent post-mortem to be done on the by-election results to identify the the factors that influenced to voters especially in Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau.
"I will bring up this matter of an independent post-mortem with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Such a post-mortem would be more objective," said Muhyiddin, who is also International Trade and Industry Minister.
Asked if the date of the by-election was not favourable coming so close after Umno's polls, Muhyiddin said the date was set by the Election Commission.
Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir said the BN's defeat in Bukit Gantang would not break the spirit of the BN but will make it disappearfrom the face earth to continue with its agenda of 50million
"The people have made their decision. It is not a rejection of the BN in Perak" he said.
MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat, in accepting the by-election verdicts, also called for BN leaders to go back to the roots and work harder and get ready to face the next general election.
WHAT IS THERE TO WORK WE ALL ONEWAY OR OTHER COMMITTED TO UMNO ABSUSE OF POWER AND CORRUPTED
"We have a long journey ahead and there is much to be done as well as undone before we can firmly say BN is well grounded with the people to know how to serve the people.
"Tonight, we thank the voters for again telling us to change, to go back to our roots, be the nation builders we were known to be and be responsive to calls for greater openness, good governance and be more focused on building a One Malaysia. We must seize the opportunity to change or be forever silenced," he commented on the tri-election results tonight through his blog at www.ongteekeat.net.
Gerakan president Tan Sri Koh Tsu Koon also said BN should take the results as a reminder for the ruling coalition to effect reform more concretely.
Despite the results showing the BN had yet to turn the tide in regaining support from the people, especially the non-Malay voters, it could be a blessing in disguise for BN to work harder to win back the people's support, he said.
"If so, it might will be a blessing in disguise for BN in the long run. BN should learn lessons from these by-elections and retune our strategy and approach. This will be the great challenge for the next two years," he said in a statement. - BERNAMA
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Reading is a form of escapism. When you are reading, and if you are engrossed enough in the book you are reading -- the Malays call it kushuk -- you can transport yourself to somewhere you are not. And that was how I spent my time while in solitary confinement in the Kamunting Detention Centre. I read and read and read.
My wife arranged to send me loads of books when she visited me every week. If the book were about 200 pages or so I would finish it in a day. The thickest book I read was 1,400-pages and it took me about a week to finish. That was how I escaped from Kamunting. I transported myself into another world by shutting myself out from the miserable world that I was stuck in, the world of solitary confinement.
It was during one of these ‘escapes’ that I noticed a minor brouhaha had erupted outside my cell. One of the guards was on the phone and was summoning ‘reinforcements’. He wanted someone to relief him so that he could go to the next block.
My curiosity got the better of me and I put my book down to step outside and investigate what the commotion was all about. Three Internal Security Act detainees were in the midst of being released that morning, I was told. Who are they? The guards mentioned their names but I did not know them from Adam. After all, you do not quite have a social life when under solitary confinement and I had yet to make many friends from amongst the 60 or so detainees.
Hari Raya was around the corner and these were three of the lucky ones who would be going home to join their families forHari Raya. Maybe ten more or so will also be released around Hari Raya, the guards told me. I sighed. These people who are due for release had been under detention for up to eight years. I was barely two months in custody. I never dreamt I would be one of those lucky ones who would be going home for Hari Raya.
But the ten or so never got released for Hari Raya. Even the guards were puzzled. These people had already been slotted for release. Why were they not released? It did not occur to everyone, then, that they would be released, but they would only be released after Najib Tun Razak takes over as Prime Minister. This was so that Najib would be seen as spearheading reforms and the first ‘reform’ would be to release a few Internal Security Act detainees who had spent many years under detention.
“Would the HINDRAF 5 also be released?” I inquisitively asked the guards. Maybe two, they told me, but certainly not all five. Hmmm….why is that? Well, the guards told me, the HINDRAF 5 is no longer five. They are split into three. There are two in one group, another two in another, and the head honcho is all by himself and does not talk to the others. In fact, he has requested to be shifted to another block and no longer shares the same block with the other four.
What happened? I am one inquisitive creature. They have quarrelled, the guards told me. Two are in one gang, the other two in another, and the gang leader is separated from the rest. The head honcho is very ‘difficult’. He does not get along with anyone. Two more are also quite stubborn and continue to resist. But two are quite alright. They are very cooperative and regret getting involved with HINDRAF. In fact, they blame the head honcho for their predicament and this is one of the reasons they have split up.
So these two have a good chance of being released, I said to the guards. Yes, these two are actually no problem. In fact, we have recommended they be released. It is also good we release two of them and retain the other three under detention. This would cause HINDRAF to break up because some of the leaders would be seen as having sold out. Mereka akan berpecah kalau separuh bebas dan separuh lagi masih ditahan.
So, the 13 Internal Security Act detainees being released recently was no surprise. This was discussed as far back as October last year. In fact, they were supposed to have been released around September or October last year. For that matter, their release is already quite overdue and the delay was so that Najib, and not Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, could release them. And throwing the two HINDRAF leaders in for good measure was also a brilliant strategy. After all, they had already reformed and regretted their actions. And, as a bonus, this will create further friction amongst the HINDRAF leadership if two got released while the other three continue their detention.
The release of the two HINDRAF leaders did not, however, help swing the Indians back to Barisan Nasional in yesterday’s by-elections. The Indians are not that gullible and naïve. Why release the two ‘harmless’ ones who had repented anyway? Why not release the other three ‘hardcore’ HINDRAF leaders -- in particular the extremely stubborn and most uncooperative head honcho? If the government is serious about reforms, and if Najib is really that agent of change, release all five HINDRAF leaders. Don’t just release the two, who no longer have teeth, as a token gesture.
Well, that is as far as the story of the release of the 13 Internal Security Act detainees is concerned. I am sure you want to hear more, especially about Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s plans for Umno and Najib. That story will have to wait for another time. But we shall certainly continue this series of storytelling -- so stay tuned for more.
Till later, take care.
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