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No toll promise by Pakatan, unrealistic, says economist

Apr 29th, 2013
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No toll promise by Pakatan, unrealistic, says economist

KUALA LUMPUR:The Pakatan Rakyat coalition has always pride itself with ideas that is for the rakyat and ways to ease the burden of Malaysians. Some of its major plans include, the promise of cheaper cars, reducing oil prices and to abolish tolls.

 

Pakatan’s strategy director, Rafizi Ramli also took the trouble to simplify the ideas so that it can be understood better by laymen who do not have economic backgroud.  In three Youtube videos uploaded about two weeks ago, Rafizi explained how Pakatan was going to ensure that their plan for the said matters materialise.

 

As enticing as it sounds, promises are made to look and sound good and at the same time soothes those who want to be soothed. Many of us who are not well-versed in economics would automatically be impressed. 

 

The Mole was recently contacted by an economist who was concerned about the simplistic views brought forward by Rafizi in his explanations.  

 

Speaking on the basis of anonimity, the economist gave a rebuttal to each point that was highlighted in the video focusing on abolishment of tolls.( Rafizi’s proposals are in bold)

 

 1. Toll increases transportation cost and which makes price of goods more expensive.

 

The toll price for the North-South Highway has not been hiked since 2005, but the price of goods continued to increase due to CPI (consumer price index) which increases at 2.6 per cent every year.

 

There is also no direct correlation between food prices and toll. Never in any article by professional/economist mentioned that the cause for food price increase is toll imposition.

 

Based on table below, transportation cost in 2011 increased by 4.4 per cent, but toll for PLUS remain unchanged in 2011. F B prices also increase every year.

 

 

2. Every year the rakyat is estimated to pay about RM5 billion to toll concessionaires.

 

The amount is not accurate. It’s much, much lower than that. But one tends to forget that toll is pay-per-use model – how different is this from paying for Astro, use of mobile phone, Internet etc.? Thus it’s a choice by motorist. 99 per cent of PLUS’ highways have alternative roads.

 

Revenue for Celcom alone in a year is RM7.2bil. DIGI’s revenue is RM5.9bil in 2011 – we pay so much for mobile services but we still get / endure dropped calls. 

 

3. Taking over of tolls which already have its return on investment

 

Apart from the initial construction cost, huge money has been invested and spent on maintaining and upgrading of expressway network and facilities. For example, 4th lane widening at cost of RM1.6B is fully funded by PLUS for the rakyat.

 

UEM and EPF acquired PLUS at RM23bil. Reason for the acquisition is to reduce toll for the benefit of rakyat, but at the cost of the concession company through loan obligation of RM30B.  

 

4. Taking over of tolls in stages and staggard payment is done yearly for the takeover cost.

 

Takeover on stages basis is illogical and unfounded from commercial point of view. Lenders would definitely not agree to such a deal whereby the borrower is one entity without ANY source of revenue and hence, no security against the borrowing. Severe impact to the entire bond market of Malaysia as well as global debt market, as PLUS Sukuk is the biggest global Islamic Sukuk. There would also be implication to the FDI and Islamic financing market.  

 

5. PLUS is owned by government strategic investment fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd and the Employees Provident Fund

 

As PLUS is owned by “badan rakyat”, any profit will flow back to the rakyat either via EPF or others.

 

6. Pakatan will discuss with Khazanah and EPF on the amount of yearly payment to be given to bondholders.

 

This is unprecedented. Never has there been a stake acquisition that involves annual payment of takeover cost! Will not bode well with investors and bondholders

 

7. The estimated cost to take over PLUS in order to abolist toll is RM4 billion each year

 

Where will the funds come from? National income will be affected and how would this expenditure address the country’s budget deficit?

 

Would it be fair to takeover of a highway located in West Coast Peninsular Malaysia at the cost of other rakyat especially those living in Sabah, Sarawak and East Coast? Amount used for takeover could deprive Sabah Sarawak and East Coast of good infrastructure

 

8. The breakdown given by Rafizi for yearly payment are:

 

 

 

    – RM1.473 billion to buyover bonds owned by Khazanah and EPF at the rate of 50 per cent of the yearly toll collection

 

What is the basis? Why based on 50 per cent of annual toll collection? How could equity acquisition use 50% revenue as the acquisition cost and payable on an annual basis?! The takeover cost of PLUS for Khazanah and EPF was RM23 billion. Divestment would definitely affect both Khazanah and EPF’s investment return.  

  

The RM800 million figure is just on maintenance. Why is there a need to expand the highway? Where would the cost come from and who is to bear this cost if without any toll income? PLUS’ 4th lane widening project cost RM1.6billion is fully funded by PLUS.

  

With free-toll, more people will be using the highway and this will jam up the highways even more quickly – coupled this with the fact that PR plans to reduce car prices, double whammy!

  

With more motorists on the road, more pavement maintenance work would be needed, more lane widening projects would have to be undertaken to ease traffic, more cost to maintain the RR and more complaints from the rakyat! All these cost will escalate significantly over the years and, who to bear?   

 

 

    - RM1.5 billion to be used to repay for bond/sukuk loan which is left behind by Umno/BN amounting up to RM30 billion

 

The Sukuk was issued by a corporate entity under a comprehensive regulatory framework with good governance. Malaysia continuing to dominate as the destination choice for Sukuk issuances in the global Sukuk market.  

 

Based on RAM report in 2013, Malaysia issued US$97.1 billion of Sukuk last year, accounting for 69.7 % of the total globally. Continuous development plans especially in the infrastructure sector ensured the growth of the Sukuk market. 

 

     - Will save RM1.1 billion to pay for Sukuk bond loan made by Umno

 

Changing the Sukuk terms will dampen investors’ confidence and ultimately, the future of Sukuk and debt market in Malaysia

 

 

9. When toll is abolished the government will save up on several yearly expenses such as :

 

- RM800 million compensation paid yearly to PLUS

 

PLUS had in 2011 announced the restructuring of toll — with no increase for 5 years and rate of increase for future years has alsobeen reduced from 10% to 5% every 3 years) and no compensation payable to PLUS.

 

-  RM50 million saved from operational cost

There won’t be any savings, in fact, operations and maintenance cost will increase with the sharp rise in traffic volume on a toll-free highway. 

  

Whether this saving eventually benefits the right group of people? The ones who are paying toll are those who can afford to own a car, and pay for the road tax and fuel.   

 

 

10. Every year Malaysians pay RM3 billion to PLUS and the government uses the rakyat’s fund to pay a compensation amounting to RM800 million to PLUS. The cost borne by Malaysians every year is RM3.8 billion 

 

Again, no compensation payable to PLUS. During the corporate restructuring of PLUS, both UEM Group and EPF agreed to waive RM2.9bil compensation owed by Government.

 

Yesterday it was reported that, Pas president, Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had admitted  the opposition’s promise to abolish toll was difficult to be carried out.

 

Hadi said, ”Pakatan needs to make detailed research before abolishing tolls to avoid any financial burden to cover the cost of managing a highway.”

 

Responding to this deputy prime minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin stated that Malaysians are not a gullible lot and won’t be easily duped by the Opposition manifesto. 

 

Meanwhile, in another report several state BN leaders have called Pakatan bluff over a towering promise it made to build a toll-free Pan Borneo highway, calling the promise bewildering, especially since PR is still grappling with unresolved issues in the states under its administration.

 

“Many promises were made in Selangor and Penang and what do we see now? Only 15 per cent of those promises were fulfilled.

 

“Now, they want to do the same thing in Sarawak. So far, we have seen several PR members elected into Sarawak DUN. What did they promise the people before they got elected? said Sarawak BN youth chief Datuk Fadillah Yusof in the report. 

 


Source: MOLE

Samy ‘magic’ may not work in Sungai Siput

Apr 28th, 2013
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GE13 WATCH PERAK Former MIC president S Samy Vellu has picked himself up from his 2008 elections fall in Sungai Siput to morph into polls commander behind the scenes to help BN to wrest back the parliamentary seat.

NONESamy is the Sungai Siput BN chairperson co-ordinating the polls campaign for the parliamentary seat candidate SK Devamany (MIC), Lintang state seat candidate Zolkafly Harun (Umno) and Jalong state seat candidate Liew Yew Aw.

His work day starts at 8.30am arranging the campaign schedule for the candidates and planning the entire campaign strategy and activities for the respective constituencies

However, Samy (right) avoids the routine walkabout sessions of meeting the people on the ground in person.

Instead, he only appears in public for official dinners or nocturnal activities of a political nature.

“I’m here as a BN chairperson, everyday I’m here from morning right up to 9 at the night. So we feel it will be a tough battle but we still have a chance.

Mixed reactions to Samy, MIC

“The walkabout is not my job. My job is to sit down and discuss with them (the candidates), he told  Malaysiakini when met in Sungai Siput two days ago.

azlanTwo nights ago, he had a noon meeting with the candidates at the Sungai Siput MIC service centre and only attended the dinner hosted by Sungai Siput MCA division that night where he delivered a short speech.

Sungai Siput is one of the most watched parliamentary seats in Perak.

It is a three-way fight as the incumbent Dr Michael Jeyakumar (PSM-PKR) crosses swords with Devamany and Independent SP Nagalingam.

Samy was the MP for Sungai Siput for 30 years, but was felled by Jeyakumar in the 2008 political tsunami by a 1,821 -vote majority.

Before the general election, Samy declared himself  a “winnable candidate” if asked to contest again, but Malaysiakini found mixed reactions from the local Indians on Samy and the MIC.

Some did not like the ‘development’ brought by Samy and Devamany, some preferred Jeyakumar’s approach in solving their problems despite lacking government allocations.

Hindraf alone didn’t ‘slay’ Samy

Malaysiakini interviewed some  of them two days ago, all requested anonymity as they did not want to invite unnecessary problems from certain parties.

NONEA 54-year-old said that if Devamany (right) is accompanied by Samy in his walkabout sessions, his votes will take a dive.

“He (Samy Vellu) had been here for so long, but spent little time here, ” said the middle-aged man who is a member of a local society.

In his view Samy’s defeat five years ago was not solely because of the Hindraf factor, but local people being ” not happy when seeing the BN”.

However, he said that he will consider voting for BN this time as Devamany had helped his society to get a government allocation.

Similarly a young hawker also harbours negative feelings against Samy and the MIC as they did not help in his applications for educational aid and  a business loan.

“He didn’t pay attention to me at all, he only pays attention to those he knows. If he doesn’t know you, he will not notice you,” he said, adding that Samy will not be much of a help for MIC in this polls.

However, on the question of Jeyakumar’s inability to initiate any development as MIC could, should he  be re-elected, the 24-year-old said: “He doesn’t have money now, so doesn’t know what to do. But if he has money, then he can do something, right?”

Thumbs up for Jeyakumar

A housewife concurred with him, liking the way Jeyakumar provided a way to solve her problem.

“(MIC) always gave different excuses, sometimes they said they were not free, even sometimes when I reached the service centre, the staff members would tell me that they were not free.

NONE“Although he (Jeyakumar, right in photo) doesn’t give away money, but he will provide us the way to solve the problem,” he said.

Nevertheless, some interviewees still recognised Samy’s past contributions to Sungai Siput.

A 25-year Sungai Siput resident, a firm supporter of Samy still remembers how he received help from the former minister and praised the BR1M programme initiated by caretaker prime minister Najib Abdul Razak.

However, he reserves his view on Devamany because when he sought help at his service for a broken arm, he was rejected.

“In any case, Samy will help, but Devamany, I don’t know,” he added.

When asked about the grouses from the ground, Samy’s simple reply was: “no, no criticism”.

He also said that the people had already forgotten his defeat which happened five years ago.

Devamany also refused to comment on this matter, stressing that “nobody is perfect”.

Gov’t machinery spotted

Although the duo are facing Jeyakumar whose resources are relatively smaller than theirs, both described the contest as being a “tough battle”.

NONEAnd government machinery was spotted in Sungai Siput two days ago in the form of chief secretary to the government, Ali Hamsa, having lunch with public servants from Sungai Siput and Kuala Kangsar.

He then attended an event organised by the Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Ministry and handed over on its behalf RM300 in financial assistance to each of 30 selected Sungai Siput residents.

Three of the BN candidates were also present at the event.

The same night, the Sungai Siput MCA division organised a dinner for local Chinese, providing a platform for BN candidates to deliver short speeches.

During the event, Sungai Siput Umno division’s chief Zolkafly, donated RM55,000 to a local Chinese primary school to repair its water pipes and another RM10,000 to a local Chinese society to help in the maintenance of its premises.

Vote wisely for a better Malaysia, says M'sian Investors Association

Apr 28th, 2013
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Vote wisely for a better Malaysia, says M’sian Investors Association

JOHOR BAHARU — Malaysia is fiscally and economically healthy with very good sovereign rating of A- accorded by Standard Poor’s while many countries’ sovereign ratings went down recently, says Malaysian
Investors Association (MIA) Founder and President Datuk Dr P.H.S. Lim.

“We are the world’s top 15th largest economies as rated by the World Bank, achieving an average of 6.4 per cent gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate for the 1970-2011 period. This year, we may see a 5.1 per cent GDP growth in spite of global economic weakness in Europe and other regions.

“We have an international foreign reserves of RM432 billion comprising 9.9 months of retained imports and is 4.6 times the short-term external debt, he told Bernama in an exclusive interview.

According to him, the Malaysian government intends to maintain a budget deficit of four per cent of GDP against 4.5 per cent in 2012.

In 2009, the budget deficit was 6.9 per cent due mostly to RM800 million for several stimulus plans simultaneously moved with the United States (US) to lift the depressive global economy.

The US financial crisis was due to over-financing of houses which sparked the global crisis.

With the 13th General Election (GE) confirmed for voting on 5 May, both parties, the Barisan Nasional (BN) and the PR (Pakatan Rakyat) had launched their respective manifesto recently.

To win the hearts of the voters, manifesto tends to contain many sweeteners.
 

Lim said the upcoming elected government to carry out the intents of the manifesto has to spend lots of money to help the lower and middle income citizens.

He said the government spends as much as RM50 billion a year in various subsidies for petrol prices to food including sugar and cooking oil besides medical subsidies.

“The next elected government may opt to give more direct cash aids to the lower income people and reduce subsidies,” he said.

With such moves, Malaysia is headed towards a socialistic government to look after the welfare of its citizens.

To reduce the national budget deficit on the one hand, and to spend more money for welfare expenditures on the other, the next government might have to resort to increasing taxes via the Goods and Services Tax (GST), within the next two years.

Such taxes initially may increase inflation but it is more broad based.
 

According to Lim, the government has moved towards ‘The People First’ policy.

He said it is the right move as a result of the 2008 election tsunami where the BN won only 50.3 per cent of the popular votes.

In terms of Parliament, the BN won 66 per cent (140 of the total parliamentary seats) and the opposition had 82 seats in the 2008 GE, against 90.4 per cent in the 11th GE in 2004.

BN has actually declined in popular votes and parliamentary power over these years. 

The 13th GE has 13.1 million voters with 2.9 million new voters and this election is a very crucial one with many independent candidates contesting.

With cyber wars and hatred mails moving, it may turn out to be a closed result for the 222 parliamentary seats or a bigger swing for BN.

Unlike the US elections, parties fight on economic and social policies.
 

Although some Malaysian voters are rather emotional, many are today more affluent and better educated.

However, Lim stressed that the PR is not solidly united due to differences in ideologies, policies, power sharing and religious matters.

He said the Chinese voters may not be too happy with the Hudud law as strongly advocated by PAS.

“BN has been working very hard with the Economic Transformation Programme and People First policies.

“Malaysia has really changed and BN should be able to move “forward” as the country is blessed with rich resources.

“With good management of national wealth and income, less economic waste,  less perception of corruptions, coupled with economic prosperity, peace and national harmony, Malaysia can be a model nation to the world.
 

“Vote wisely for a better Malaysia -– peace, stability and progress in a competitive world.

“It is a citizen’s duty to vote though voting is not compulsory in Malaysia. Love Malaysia,” he added. -BERNAMA-

Source: MOLE

Penang : Pakatan’s Potemkin Paradise

Apr 27th, 2013
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Penang : Pakatan’s Potemkin Paradise

In an email to the Editor, Calvin Sankaran wrote:

 

One of the most stunning examples of the power of propaganda can be seen in a documentary by the National Geographic called “Explorer: Inside North Korea”. This documentary chronicles the adventures of a Nepalese eye doctor who performs cataract surgeries on North Koreans who had been blind since birth due to the abject poverty wrought by the policies of their totalitarian government.

 

When their bandages were finally removed and the Koreans were able to see for the first time, instead of thanking the doctor and his team who performed the surgeries, the Koreans fell to their knees and profusely thanked their Dear Leader and the North Korean President Kim Jong Il. This incident is a powerful and eye-opening demonstration that while modern medicine can cure blindness of the eyes, nothing can remove blindness of mind caused by the extensive and skilful application of political propaganda.

 

It is a mistake to think that such all-pervasive propaganda only exists in dictatorships. Noam Chomsky astutely observed that “Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state”. In Malaysia, too, the rakyat are being bombarded on a 24/7 basis with a highly-focused and intense propaganda blitz — not by Biro Tata Negara (BTN) or the Main Stream Media (MSM) as most people seem to think, but by the PR-savvy Opposition using social media and the alternative online news portals.

 

One of the most elaborate and beautiful lies that Pakatan has carefully and painstakingly constructed over the last five years is the myth that the DAP-led state government has turned Penang into a Utopian Super State where good governance reigns while poverty and corruption have been totally eradicated. Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister, is relentlessly heralded and branded as a Superman and a Global Statesman in the mould of Lee Kuan Yew, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln.

 

In truth, Penang’s much-lauded “success” is a mere mirage and the CM’s superhuman leadership abilities are as real as the Loch Ness monster, as the analysis below will clearly show. Like the Russian Minister Grigory Potemkin who constructed a fake settlement to deceive the Empress Catherine II, Penang’s image as a Super State is a fake wonderland constructed by the DAP leadership, ably supported by their horde of Cybertroopers.

 

1. Eradication of poverty

 

The greatest liars and the most successful salesmen know that the most convincing way of lying is by mixing lies with half-truths. One of the DAP’s proudest boasts is the claim that they have magically eliminated poverty in Penang. What they cleverly and cunningly conceal from their audience is that back in 2008 (when they assumed power) the incidence of hard-core poverty was a mere 0.1% and that Penang was already the second-richest state in the country.

 

Reducing the hard-core poverty from 0.1% to 0% by 2012 is hardly an achievement that is worth crowing about, especially since there were three other states that achieved “zero hard-core poverty” well before Penang.

 

2. Open tender

 

Guan Eng never fails to boast about his Open Tender policy in every ceramah, debate, forum, interview or newspaper column when he speaks about the DAP’s management superiority over BN. He credits this policy with eliminating corruption and cronyism in Penang and saving millions in public funds. Unfortunately there is a massive gap between this fiction and the reality on the ground.

 

Penang’s Open Tender policy has been so discredited, decimated and mired in endless controversies that it is seen as the DAP’s greatest liability by Penangites. The only thing open about the Open Tender system is that it is being openly abused by Lim and his minions to award multi-billion ringgit projects to their favoured developers and contractors.  

 

No one is quite sure how the system works but it has produced numerous controversial and highly-suspicious contract awards. For example, the Bayan Mutiara deal, the eSpice exhibition centre contract, and lately the Tunnel-Highway mega project have all created so much confusion, anger, opposition, bitterness and controversy in the state despite the CM claiming to have awarded the contracts via the Open Tender system. Despite being pressured by the rakyat, political parties and NGOs, the CM steadfastly and mule-headedly refuses to reveal the details on how these contracts were awarded. These contracts clearly enriched the private companies who stand to rake in billions in profits at the expense of the rakyat and the long-term benefit of the state.

 

3. Debt reduction

 

Another of Guan Eng’s Jesus-like miraculous claims is that he reduced the state’s debt by 95% from RM630 million on 8 March 2008 to RM30 million at the end of 2011. However his claim was soon to be exposed as a sham. It was revealed that the debt was reduced not due to any efforts by Guan Eng or his administration but due to a payment of RM655 million by the federal government to the state as compensation for taking over Penang’s water assets. Despite being exposed, Guan Eng continued to conceal the truth and kept up his claims on the ceramah circuit, which were lapped up by the adoring and swooning Pakatan supporters.

 

4. Anti-Corruption

 

Penang is presented as a shining example of a state free of corruption and ruled by a state administration which has “zero tolerance” for bribery and cronyism. Guan Eng markets himself as a tireless anti-corruption crusader. However, as with other claims, the reality is vastly different. What DAP leaders conveniently neglect to mention in their ceramahs is that the state’s first Deputy Chief Minister 1 (DCM1), Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, was forced to resign in 2009 when the MACC started investigating him for corruption.

 

More recently an aide of the current DCM1 was arrested and charged for offering a bribe to a complainant to cover up a sexual harassment case. Another shocker was the arrest of Roslan Yahya, the District Offer for Seberang Prai Tengah and one of the most senior officers in the state, by the MACC.   

 

5. Asset Declaration

 

Much has been made of the public asset declarations by Guan Eng and his exco. However, this move again was heavily criticised and mocked for a lack of sincerity. Firstly, the state government took almost four years to make the asset declaration. If Lim Guan Eng and his administration are really sincere they would have done this within weeks of assuming the state’s reins back in 2008.

 

Secondly, the rushed and abrupt manner in which the declaration was made seems to indicate that it was made for political expediency and with an eye on the coming 13th General Election.

 

Thirdly, the declaration did not include the councillors’ spouses and family members. It is well known that corrupted politicians escape detection by transferring their assets to their spouses and family members.

 

Finally, it was claimed that the declaration was verified by a leading audit company. However the online version of the asset declaration did not carry any indication of this verification

 

6. Financial Management

 

Another oft-quoted and much-hyped “achievement” of Penang under Guan Eng is the state’s supposedly superior financial skills and prudence. Guan Eng even claimed that the Auditor-General (AG) had commended Penang as the best-managed state in the country. The only problem with the statement is that the AG never made the commendation, nor has Penang been shown to be the best-managed state in the nation.

 

In fact, the DAP government conveniently omits some very worrying points highlighted and uncovered in the 2011 AG’s Report. The most stunning revelation was that the state government’s spending has ballooned by a shocking 84 percent over the last five years! Such reckless wastage and uncontrolled spending of public funds is certainly not a mark of a prudent and responsible government at all. At this rate, the state’s spending will overtake its income. At the current rate of spending increase it is estimated that in another four years the state will go bankrupt!

 

Another major expose in the AG Report was the sources of income for the state. LGE has been in chest-beating mode about how Penang has increased its income by leaps and bounds. However the AG’s Report lays bare this claim by revealing that most of the state’s income is derived from land-related sales and tax-related matters. This means by selling off state land, increasing development costs and other land-related fees, the state has managed to hike up its revenues rather than as “the dividends of anti-corruption measures”.

 

Another of Guan Eng’s so-called achievements was the surplus budget of the state for the last three years. Of all the CM’s boasts, this is the only valid claim – on the surface. However, a budget surplus does not by itself equate with financial skills but very often indicates accounting chicanery. The trick that Guan Eng employs to fool people is easy to spot since it has been often utilised in financial shenanigans in the business world to defraud investors. What he does every year is to table a huge deficit budget – for example for the year 2013 he is planning for a deficit budget of RM213million. And then he spends less than the monstrously inflated budget and then claims to hit a surplus at the year’s end and voila! He’s a genius!

 

7. Investment ranking

 

Guan Eng has been quick to congratulate himself for the fact that Penang was ranked number one in Malaysia for the year 2009 and 2010 in attracting investment. While there is no disputing this fact, the real question is about who is actually responsible for this feat. It is a known fact in the industry that the state’s investment procurement was entirely due to the efforts of the federal government and MIDA as well as Guan Eng’s predecessor Koh Tsu Khoon. It is also a known fact that Lim’s administration has failed to attract even a single major investor to the state during the last five years. As such it was no surprise that Penang fell to number six in the investment ranking in 2012 and will likely plunge further this year. The drop in the amount of investment received was a shocking 73 percent!

 

8. Good Governance

 

One of the key themes of the Pakatan coalition and the DAP is democratic rights. Winning Penang gave the DAP a perfect opportunity and platform to introduce democratic practices and policies in administrating the state. Instead of looking at the best practices of the more advanced democracies, Guan Eng has elected to Look East and has copied the North Korean model of dynastic dictatorship. The CM runs the state like a despot with him as Penang’s Dear Leader controlling every aspect of the government. The Deputy CMs and the rest of the Exco are mere puppets and rubber stamps to the CM. He has cultivated a cult of personality and bulldozes his decisions through the rubber-stamp State Assembly and Exco. Anyone who dares to question Lim is hounded and mercilessly attacked by the DAP’s highly-organised “Brown-Shirts” – the thuggish supporters and cyber-troopers.

 

9. Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT)

 

Guan Eng’s mantra of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) has been his trademark since he first assumed the post of CM. While he has been ceaselessly promoting this CAT slogan, it has remained a mere marketing gimmick and political rhetoric rather than ever being put into practice. We have seen the numerous blunders of LGE’s government that completely negated his claim of “competency”. Guan Eng’s penchant for quickly claiming credit for the achievements of others while blaming his predecessor, BN/UMNO and the Federal government is a well-known fact. 

 

There has never been a case where Guan Eng has admitted to his mistakes and apologised. In transparency, too, he has failed to live up to his hype. Despite his promise of making government records public, he has so far only released partial minutes of meetings, and even that is only the records of the previous government. He has refused on many occasions to release minutes of his exco meetings, contents of contentious contracts or other details. As such, CAT remains as a mere political marketing slogan with a bite.

 

10. Local council elections

 

Despite promising to restore the local government elections in their manifesto for the 2008 General Election, the DAP administration failed to carry out its pledge by employing its typical modus operandi – dishing out excuses and playing the blame game. First it formed a Working Group (WG) to study the feasibility of holding the polls. Why the state government would need to conduct the study is a puzzle since the DAP had been claiming for years that the law allows local council elections and even included it in the election manifesto. Unsurprisingly the WG concluded that the law doesn’t allow for such elections and ridiculously recommended that the state government should pass the motion in the state assembly urging the federal government to enact laws to allow it.

 

In another equally asinine and laughable move, Guan Eng wrote to the EC requesting it conduct the elections. The EC replied, unsurprisingly, that it couldn’t do so legally so under the existing law but told Penang to go ahead and hold the polls themselves. However, in order to confuse people and avoid holding the election, Guan Eng kept giving excuse after excuse. When he ran out of excuses he went ahead and passed a law at the state assembly on local government elections, knowing full well that this was against not just the law but also common sense.

 

A few weeks ago, when it was clear that the GE was around the corner, he dramatically filed a petition in the Federal Court to allow the state the right to hold local council elections. That Guan Eng has no intention of ever restoring the Third Vote is crystal clear. If he were really serious in his intentions he could have done it long ago. It is a shocking fact that there are more political appointees in MPPP and MPSP (the local councils of Penang) now under Guan Eng’s administration than during his predecessor’s reign. In fact Guan Eng treats MPPP and MPSP as his personal fiefdom and an extension of his administration, which can be seen from numerous episodes. As such, independently-elected local councils would not serve his interests and political games.

 

I am sure that many Penangites will agree with the following personality analysis that seems to describe the leadership style of the Penang Chief Minister very succinctly and accurately: “His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

Source: MOLE

Penang : Pakatan’s Potemkin Paradise

Apr 27th, 2013
by admin.
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Penang : Pakatan’s Potemkin Paradise

In an email to the Editor, Calvin Sankaran wrote:

 

One of the most stunning examples of the power of propaganda can be seen in a documentary by the National Geographic called “Explorer: Inside North Korea”. This documentary chronicles the adventures of a Nepalese eye doctor who performs cataract surgeries on North Koreans who had been blind since birth due to the abject poverty wrought by the policies of their totalitarian government.

 

When their bandages were finally removed and the Koreans were able to see for the first time, instead of thanking the doctor and his team who performed the surgeries, the Koreans fell to their knees and profusely thanked their Dear Leader and the North Korean President Kim Jong Il. This incident is a powerful and eye-opening demonstration that while modern medicine can cure blindness of the eyes, nothing can remove blindness of mind caused by the extensive and skilful application of political propaganda.

 

It is a mistake to think that such all-pervasive propaganda only exists in dictatorships. Noam Chomsky astutely observed that “Propaganda is to a democracy what the bludgeon is to a totalitarian state”. In Malaysia, too, the rakyat are being bombarded on a 24/7 basis with a highly-focused and intense propaganda blitz — not by Biro Tata Negara (BTN) or the Main Stream Media (MSM) as most people seem to think, but by the PR-savvy Opposition using social media and the alternative online news portals.

 

One of the most elaborate and beautiful lies that Pakatan has carefully and painstakingly constructed over the last five years is the myth that the DAP-led state government has turned Penang into a Utopian Super State where good governance reigns while poverty and corruption have been totally eradicated. Lim Guan Eng, the Chief Minister, is relentlessly heralded and branded as a Superman and a Global Statesman in the mould of Lee Kuan Yew, Mahatma Gandhi and Abraham Lincoln.

 

In truth, Penang’s much-lauded “success” is a mere mirage and the CM’s superhuman leadership abilities are as real as the Loch Ness monster, as the analysis below will clearly show. Like the Russian Minister Grigory Potemkin who constructed a fake settlement to deceive the Empress Catherine II, Penang’s image as a Super State is a fake wonderland constructed by the DAP leadership, ably supported by their horde of Cybertroopers.

 

1. Eradication of poverty

 

The greatest liars and the most successful salesmen know that the most convincing way of lying is by mixing lies with half-truths. One of the DAP’s proudest boasts is the claim that they have magically eliminated poverty in Penang. What they cleverly and cunningly conceal from their audience is that back in 2008 (when they assumed power) the incidence of hard-core poverty was a mere 0.1% and that Penang was already the second-richest state in the country.

 

Reducing the hard-core poverty from 0.1% to 0% by 2012 is hardly an achievement that is worth crowing about, especially since there were three other states that achieved “zero hard-core poverty” well before Penang.

 

2. Open tender

 

Guan Eng never fails to boast about his Open Tender policy in every ceramah, debate, forum, interview or newspaper column when he speaks about the DAP’s management superiority over BN. He credits this policy with eliminating corruption and cronyism in Penang and saving millions in public funds. Unfortunately there is a massive gap between this fiction and the reality on the ground.

 

Penang’s Open Tender policy has been so discredited, decimated and mired in endless controversies that it is seen as the DAP’s greatest liability by Penangites. The only thing open about the Open Tender system is that it is being openly abused by Lim and his minions to award multi-billion ringgit projects to their favoured developers and contractors.  

 

No one is quite sure how the system works but it has produced numerous controversial and highly-suspicious contract awards. For example, the Bayan Mutiara deal, the eSpice exhibition centre contract, and lately the Tunnel-Highway mega project have all created so much confusion, anger, opposition, bitterness and controversy in the state despite the CM claiming to have awarded the contracts via the Open Tender system. Despite being pressured by the rakyat, political parties and NGOs, the CM steadfastly and mule-headedly refuses to reveal the details on how these contracts were awarded. These contracts clearly enriched the private companies who stand to rake in billions in profits at the expense of the rakyat and the long-term benefit of the state.

 

3. Debt reduction

 

Another of Guan Eng’s Jesus-like miraculous claims is that he reduced the state’s debt by 95% from RM630 million on 8 March 2008 to RM30 million at the end of 2011. However his claim was soon to be exposed as a sham. It was revealed that the debt was reduced not due to any efforts by Guan Eng or his administration but due to a payment of RM655 million by the federal government to the state as compensation for taking over Penang’s water assets. Despite being exposed, Guan Eng continued to conceal the truth and kept up his claims on the ceramah circuit, which were lapped up by the adoring and swooning Pakatan supporters.

 

4. Anti-Corruption

 

Penang is presented as a shining example of a state free of corruption and ruled by a state administration which has “zero tolerance” for bribery and cronyism. Guan Eng markets himself as a tireless anti-corruption crusader. However, as with other claims, the reality is vastly different. What DAP leaders conveniently neglect to mention in their ceramahs is that the state’s first Deputy Chief Minister 1 (DCM1), Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin, was forced to resign in 2009 when the MACC started investigating him for corruption.

 

More recently an aide of the current DCM1 was arrested and charged for offering a bribe to a complainant to cover up a sexual harassment case. Another shocker was the arrest of Roslan Yahya, the District Offer for Seberang Prai Tengah and one of the most senior officers in the state, by the MACC.   

 

5. Asset Declaration

 

Much has been made of the public asset declarations by Guan Eng and his exco. However, this move again was heavily criticised and mocked for a lack of sincerity. Firstly, the state government took almost four years to make the asset declaration. If Lim Guan Eng and his administration are really sincere they would have done this within weeks of assuming the state’s reins back in 2008.

 

Secondly, the rushed and abrupt manner in which the declaration was made seems to indicate that it was made for political expediency and with an eye on the coming 13th General Election.

 

Thirdly, the declaration did not include the councillors’ spouses and family members. It is well known that corrupted politicians escape detection by transferring their assets to their spouses and family members.

 

Finally, it was claimed that the declaration was verified by a leading audit company. However the online version of the asset declaration did not carry any indication of this verification

 

6. Financial Management

 

Another oft-quoted and much-hyped “achievement” of Penang under Guan Eng is the state’s supposedly superior financial skills and prudence. Guan Eng even claimed that the Auditor-General (AG) had commended Penang as the best-managed state in the country. The only problem with the statement is that the AG never made the commendation, nor has Penang been shown to be the best-managed state in the nation.

 

In fact, the DAP government conveniently omits some very worrying points highlighted and uncovered in the 2011 AG’s Report. The most stunning revelation was that the state government’s spending has ballooned by a shocking 84 percent over the last five years! Such reckless wastage and uncontrolled spending of public funds is certainly not a mark of a prudent and responsible government at all. At this rate, the state’s spending will overtake its income. At the current rate of spending increase it is estimated that in another four years the state will go bankrupt!

 

Another major expose in the AG Report was the sources of income for the state. LGE has been in chest-beating mode about how Penang has increased its income by leaps and bounds. However the AG’s Report lays bare this claim by revealing that most of the state’s income is derived from land-related sales and tax-related matters. This means by selling off state land, increasing development costs and other land-related fees, the state has managed to hike up its revenues rather than as “the dividends of anti-corruption measures”.

 

Another of Guan Eng’s so-called achievements was the surplus budget of the state for the last three years. Of all the CM’s boasts, this is the only valid claim – on the surface. However, a budget surplus does not by itself equate with financial skills but very often indicates accounting chicanery. The trick that Guan Eng employs to fool people is easy to spot since it has been often utilised in financial shenanigans in the business world to defraud investors. What he does every year is to table a huge deficit budget – for example for the year 2013 he is planning for a deficit budget of RM213million. And then he spends less than the monstrously inflated budget and then claims to hit a surplus at the year’s end and voila! He’s a genius!

 

7. Investment ranking

 

Guan Eng has been quick to congratulate himself for the fact that Penang was ranked number one in Malaysia for the year 2009 and 2010 in attracting investment. While there is no disputing this fact, the real question is about who is actually responsible for this feat. It is a known fact in the industry that the state’s investment procurement was entirely due to the efforts of the federal government and MIDA as well as Guan Eng’s predecessor Koh Tsu Khoon. It is also a known fact that Lim’s administration has failed to attract even a single major investor to the state during the last five years. As such it was no surprise that Penang fell to number six in the investment ranking in 2012 and will likely plunge further this year. The drop in the amount of investment received was a shocking 73 percent!

 

8. Good Governance

 

One of the key themes of the Pakatan coalition and the DAP is democratic rights. Winning Penang gave the DAP a perfect opportunity and platform to introduce democratic practices and policies in administrating the state. Instead of looking at the best practices of the more advanced democracies, Guan Eng has elected to Look East and has copied the North Korean model of dynastic dictatorship. The CM runs the state like a despot with him as Penang’s Dear Leader controlling every aspect of the government. The Deputy CMs and the rest of the Exco are mere puppets and rubber stamps to the CM. He has cultivated a cult of personality and bulldozes his decisions through the rubber-stamp State Assembly and Exco. Anyone who dares to question Lim is hounded and mercilessly attacked by the DAP’s highly-organised “Brown-Shirts” – the thuggish supporters and cyber-troopers.

 

9. Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT)

 

Guan Eng’s mantra of Competency, Accountability and Transparency (CAT) has been his trademark since he first assumed the post of CM. While he has been ceaselessly promoting this CAT slogan, it has remained a mere marketing gimmick and political rhetoric rather than ever being put into practice. We have seen the numerous blunders of LGE’s government that completely negated his claim of “competency”. Guan Eng’s penchant for quickly claiming credit for the achievements of others while blaming his predecessor, BN/UMNO and the Federal government is a well-known fact. 

 

There has never been a case where Guan Eng has admitted to his mistakes and apologised. In transparency, too, he has failed to live up to his hype. Despite his promise of making government records public, he has so far only released partial minutes of meetings, and even that is only the records of the previous government. He has refused on many occasions to release minutes of his exco meetings, contents of contentious contracts or other details. As such, CAT remains as a mere political marketing slogan with a bite.

 

10. Local council elections

 

Despite promising to restore the local government elections in their manifesto for the 2008 General Election, the DAP administration failed to carry out its pledge by employing its typical modus operandi – dishing out excuses and playing the blame game. First it formed a Working Group (WG) to study the feasibility of holding the polls. Why the state government would need to conduct the study is a puzzle since the DAP had been claiming for years that the law allows local council elections and even included it in the election manifesto. Unsurprisingly the WG concluded that the law doesn’t allow for such elections and ridiculously recommended that the state government should pass the motion in the state assembly urging the federal government to enact laws to allow it.

 

In another equally asinine and laughable move, Guan Eng wrote to the EC requesting it conduct the elections. The EC replied, unsurprisingly, that it couldn’t do so legally so under the existing law but told Penang to go ahead and hold the polls themselves. However, in order to confuse people and avoid holding the election, Guan Eng kept giving excuse after excuse. When he ran out of excuses he went ahead and passed a law at the state assembly on local government elections, knowing full well that this was against not just the law but also common sense.

 

A few weeks ago, when it was clear that the GE was around the corner, he dramatically filed a petition in the Federal Court to allow the state the right to hold local council elections. That Guan Eng has no intention of ever restoring the Third Vote is crystal clear. If he were really serious in his intentions he could have done it long ago. It is a shocking fact that there are more political appointees in MPPP and MPSP (the local councils of Penang) now under Guan Eng’s administration than during his predecessor’s reign. In fact Guan Eng treats MPPP and MPSP as his personal fiefdom and an extension of his administration, which can be seen from numerous episodes. As such, independently-elected local councils would not serve his interests and political games.

 

I am sure that many Penangites will agree with the following personality analysis that seems to describe the leadership style of the Penang Chief Minister very succinctly and accurately: “His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong; people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people will sooner or later believe it.”

Source: MOLE

Pas risks losing Kota Raja due to hudud

Apr 26th, 2013
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Pas risks losing Kota Raja due to hudud – Uthayakumar

KUALA LUMPUR: Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) de facto leader P.Uthayakumar says non-Muslims in the Kota Raja parliamentary seat are afraid that hudud will be implemented if Pakatan Rakyat wins the 13th General Election.

 

Speaking to The Mole, Uthayakumar said: “I have spoken to many Chinese voters here in Kota Raja and many are afraid to vote for the Pas incumbent as they don’t want hudud and Pas’ president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang to become Prime Minister if Pakatan wins in the general election.”

 

“The Chinese voters sentiment came as a surprise to us because Pas won in the 2008 general election. Even as an underdog we are still quite confident in winning the seat, maybe with a slim majority.”

 

He was commenting over a statement by Pas deputy spiritual leader Datuk Dr Haron Din who said the party will proceed to implement hudud despite DAP’s opposition over the law.

 

“I’m confident that DAP will accept hudud because of its willingness to contest under the PAS symbol.


However, this can only be done after Pakatan is given the mandate to rule the country,” Harun said.

 

DAP chairman Karpal Singh however said that although the party’s choice initially was to use Pas’ logo does not mean that DAP has shifted its stand on Hudud law.

 

“PAS allowing us to use their party logo does not mean we have shifted our stand on the establishment of Islamic state or hudud laws,” Karpal was reported as saying today.

 

DAP initially contemplated using Pas and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) banners in the general election when the Registrar of Societies (ROS) did not recognise its central executive committee (CEC) line-up elected in the party elections last December.

 

ROS however stated although it does not recognise the DAP’s CEC, it still allows the DAP to use its own logo in the election.

 

Uthayakumar who is Hindraf’s candidate for the Kota Raja seat will face a five-cornered fight against incumbent Dr. Siti Mariah Mahmud, MIC’s Datuk S.Murugesan, Parti Kesejahteraan Insan Tanah Air’s (Kita) KS Kottapan and independent candidate Azmi Idrus.

 

Dr Siti Mariah won the seat in 2008 with a 20,751 majority. 

 

He will also contest the Sri Andalas state seat also in a five-cornered fight against incumbent Dr Xavier Jeyakumar from PKR who  won with 10,203 majority. Other candidates include MIC Youth chief T.Mohan, Kita’s Kottapan and independent candidate Hanafiah Husin.

 

Meanwhile, Uthayakumar said Pakatan’s refusal to allocate one seat to Hindraf is a “political grief’ and disappointment to the party.

 

“They forgot that we helped them win big in the 2008 general election, however we make it clear that we are not associating ourselves with Pakatan, nor are we having any hope that they will champion our 18-point demand, “ Uthayakumar said.

 

On April 19, Barisan Nasional and Hindraf signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) for the betterment of the Indian community.

 

The memorandum was signed between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and Hindraf chairman P.Waythamoorthy at the Vivekanda Tamil School in Brickfields which Najib said was a ‘historic day’ for the Indian community.

 

Uthayakumar had objected the MoU stating the ‘‘union has nothing to do’’ over the memorandum signed by “Hindraf Hijackers”. 

Source: MOLE

PKR candidate agrees to withdraw to save Pakatan's image

Apr 25th, 2013
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PKR candidate agrees to withdraw to save Pakatan’s image

KUALA LUMPUR: One of the PKR Terengganu candidates who was asked to withdraw from the 13th General Election, said he accepted the party’s decision so as to save Pakatan Rakyat’s image.

 

Mohd Shamsul Mat Amin told The Mole: “It is our sacrifice for Pakatan Rakyat.”

 

“I believe the decision is best made not only to avoid losing the people’s support, but also to save the coalition’s image.”

 

Mohd Shamsul, whose name is up for contest in the Bukit Besi state seat added: “We do not want to be seen as if we are fighting against each other in the polls.”

 

He said this in response to the statement made by PKR state leader Azan Ismail that the decision to withdraw its candidates for three state seats in the May 5 elections is a sacrifice for Pakatan. 

 

In a press conference Azan reportedly announced that PKR has decided to withdraw its candidates for the three seats and urged PKR supporters to vote for Pas instead.

 

Those three state seats, Bukit Besi, Seberang Takir and Kota Putera will see a three-cornered fight between Pas, PKR and Barisan Nasional.

 

When asked to comment on the remarks made by Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang that some of the candidates fielded by PKR a drug peddler while some subscribed to Marxism and communism“, Mohd Shamsul said:

 

“Our candidates are not involved in any of those activities.”

 

“If it is true that any of us are involved, I think the police will be the first to investigate us.”

 

Abdul Hadi, in justifying the reason why Pas fielded its candidate in the seats which are contested by its ally in Pakatan said that the party wants to save the coalition from defecting members.

 

In a talk on Sunday night Abdul Hadi also said: “We received information that one of the candidates was a drug dealer who sold pil kuda (methamphetamine). We (PAS) cannot work with such candidates.”

 

Mohd Shamsul said he does not know the basis of Abdul Hadi’s remarks against PKR candidates.

 

“Everyone knows that the candidate selection process will go through various levels and discussions before it is approved by the party leadership. No party will field any candidates with flawed characters,” the 28-year-old candidate explained.

 

He added: “I am not sure what leads the Pas president to say that. I think our party leaders should discuss the matter with Pas because it will give bad impression on our party.”

 

Penang Pas youth won’t campaign unless asked

 

Meanwhile in Penang, Pas candidate for Sg Aceh, Mohd Yusni Mat Piah said the party youth wing election machinery will only focus on the party’s victory for the upcoming polls as Pas had decided to withdraw from Labuan parliamentary seat, Sg Aceh and Panti state seats..

 

“I don’t have any problem in giving way to the PKR candidate in Sg Aceh, but I don’t think there’s the need for us to campaign for them unless if they ask us to,” said Mohd Yusni.

 

Explaining his reason, Mohd Yusni said: “At this rate our priority is to ensure the victory of our youth party candidate, Afnan Hamimi for the Kepala Batas state seat.”

 

Asked about Abdul Hadi’s remarks on PKR candidates, the 39-year-old state leader said: “That you have to ask him yourself.”

 

“But for as long as I know Cikgu Bard (PKR candidate Badrul Hisham Shaharin), I don’t see he has any of those traits.”

Source: MOLE

Is PKR fielding lawmakers or lawbreakers?

Apr 25th, 2013
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Is PKR fielding lawmakers or lawbreakers?

KUALA LUMPUR:  A Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate says Pas should demonstrate civic responsibility and submit the name of the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate whom they alleged is involved in drug peddling.

 

In a press statement, BN candidate for the Pandan constituency Gary Lim Chin Yee said: “If Pas knowingly holds such information which involves criminal elements of anyone, Pas should demonstrate civic responsibility and submit the information to the police.”

 

“After all, this allegation did not hail from Barisan Nasional’s special branch, but from within Pakatan Rakyat.’’

 

“If Abdul Hadi’s (Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang) revelations are genuine, we fear that a PKR candidate maybe breeding generations of addicts, breaking up families and ruining lives. This illegal activities must be prevented and halted,” Lim added in the statement.

 

On April 24, Abdul Hadi in a news report launched an attack on several PKR candidates, labelling them as drug dealers and communist sympathisers as well as “devils and troublemakers”.

  

“There was information, I cannot say from where, of one of them being a methamphetamine dealer (tukang edar pil kuda), Pas cannot work with people like this, even PKR’s people cannot accept this,” he was reported as saying.

 

Lim who is also MCA Pandan legal bureau head said the allegations made by Abdul Hadi are extremely serious and warrant immediate investigations.

 

“As a public figure, the PKR candidate must set positive examples, especially to youths who, at an impressionable age, can be easily influenced to adopt vice activities since this is already practised by the wannabe “wakil rakyat,” (people’s representative),” said Lim.

 

Lim however said: “But if what Abdul Hadi says is slander, then PKR should sue him and Pas as their tattered credibility has just been shredded further.”

Lim called on Abdul Hadi in the name of transparency and accountability to furnish further details about the source and facts about this alleged PKR narcotics dealer such as where did the candidate obtain the narcotics and where are his distribution networks.

 

“PKR must be rebuked for not conducting a thorough background check although they cunningly announced to the public that all their candidates undergo a vetting process.”

 

“Perhaps this is the reason why Pakatan allies refused to sign the Transparency International’s Election Integrity Pledge as a loophole to avoid subscribing to transparent and ethical practices,” he said.

Source: MOLE

PKR Terengganu dismisses Hadi's allegations of Marxist and drug-peddling candidates

Apr 24th, 2013
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PKR Terengganu dismisses Hadi’s allegations of Marxist and drug-peddling candidates

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Terengganu leader Azan Ismail dismissed allegations that certain party candidates are drug-peddlers and leftists.

 

“I deny all allegations that our candidates have such issues. PKR have a stringent process in selecting the election candidates.

 

“The vetting process was not only done for Terengganu candidates, but also nationwide,” said Azan when asked to comment on Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang remarks that some of the candidates fielded by PKR a drug peddlering while some subscribed to Marxism and communism.

 

In justifying the reason why Pas fielded its candidate in the seats which are contested by its ally in Pakatan Rakyat, Abdul Hadi reportedly said: “Pas wants to save Pakatan because we do not want the same incident in Perak to happen again, where we could only rule the state for a short period because some members defected.

 

“We received information that one of the candidates was a drug dealer who sold pil kuda (methamphetamine). We (PAS) cannot work with such candidates.”

 

Azan, who is contesting for the Bandar state seat in Terengganu added: “I don’t know why such remarks were made…whether it is based on hearsay or not, I don’t know.”

 

The incumbent MP for Indera Mahkota parliamentary seat had announced that the party withdrew its candidates in Seberang Takir, Kota Putera and Bukit Besi to avoid three-cornered fight with Pas.

 

Azan asked PKR supporters to vote for Pas instead during the May 5 polls.

 

Abdul Hadi’s remarks raised several doubts from bloggers on the unity of the opposition coalition.

 

A blog post at Sahabat Gunung stated that Abdul Hadi’s remarks had indirectly expressed Pas’ doubt on the loyalty of PKR leaders.

 

In commenting on Abdul Hadi’s statement, a pro-opposition blog at Warta Shubhi had a posting which wondered if Abdul Hadi was referring to PKR candidate for Sg Acheh, Badrul Hisham Shaharin.

 

Cikgu Bard will face Pas candidate Yusni Mat Piah and incumbent Datuk Mahmud Zakaria from Barisan Nasional (BN) for the Sg Acheh seat come polling day.

 

Following PKR’s withdrawal, Abdul Hadi reportedly announced that the party will withdraw from Labuan parliamentary seat, Sg Aceh and Panti state seats.

 

However Penang Pas commissioner Salleh Man when contacted said he had yet to receive any news on the matter.

Source: MOLE

Sacrificing for Pakatan, PKR T'ganu withdraws candidates

Apr 24th, 2013
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Sacrificing for Pakatan, PKR T’ganu withdraws candidates

KUALA LUMPUR: Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Terengganu chief Azan Ismail said the decision to withdraw three of its candidates who are vying for state seats in the May 5 elections is a sacrifice for Pakatan Rakyat.


Despite having filed their nomination papers on April 20, Azan when contacted by The Mole on Monday said: “You must get the concept clear. We are not giving away our seats to Pas.”

 

“We are withdrawing ourselves for the sake of Pakatan Rakyat.”

 

When asked why PKR nominated their candidates in Kota Putera, Seberang Takir and Bukit Besi in the first place, Azan said: “Actually those seats are indeed allocated for PKR.”

 

“But for the sake of our relationship with Pas and to avoid greater loss for Pakatan, we make this sacrifice.”

 

In a press conference Azan reportedly announced that PKR has decided to withdraw its candidates for the three seats and urged PKR supporters to vote for Pas instead.

 

Those three state seats will see a three-cornered fight between Pas, PKR and Barisan Nasional.

 

Apart from the seats in Terengganu, Pas will have a face off with PKR in Labuan parliamentary seat, Sg Acheh, Panti, and Kota Damansara state seats.

 

Meanwhile Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang reportedly said that Pas will withdraw its candidates from Labuan parliamentary seat, Sg Aceh and Panti state seats.

 

In a news report Abdul Hadi said Pas is contesting against its Pakatan partner PKR in seven seats to “save” the coalition.

 

The Star reported Hadi as claiming that Pas discovered some of the candidates fielded by PKR had moral issues while some “subscribed to Marxism.”

 

The Mole had also reported that Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) chairman Dr Nasir Hashim who said that the party should not be blamed for the tussle for seats with Pas. 

 

“He (Hadi) should know the difference between socialism and communism and why PSM exists in Malaysia,” Dr Nasir said.

 

His fellow colleague in PSM, Dr M. Jeyakumar reportedly criticised Abdul Hadi for his remarks labelling Karl Marx as the devil was a wild accusation without understanding the principle and struggle of of socialism.


Dr Nasir who is defending the Kota Damansara seat under the PKR banner will face Ridzuan Ismail from Pas, Halimaton Saadiah Bohan from Barisan Nasional (BN) and three independents – Edroos Abdullah, A. Suppiah and Halmi Omar.

 

Election Commission (EC) deputy chairman Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar reportedly said candidates who announced to withdraw themselves after nomination day will still be contested and their names will be printed on the ballot paper.

Source: MOLE

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