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Why KKB by-election an opportunity to teach DAP, PH a lesson on managing racial and religious bigots
KUALA LUMPUR, April 22, 2024: Malaysians must use the May 11 Kuala Kubu Baharu (KKB) by-election as an opportunity to teach the DAP and Pakatan Harapan (PH) a political lesson.
Nomination for the KKB by-election is on Saturday (April 27) and the power equation in the Selangor State Assembly will not change even if the DAP loses.
But dumping the DAP and PH in the by-election will send a strong political message to DAP and PH - that Malaysians are extremely upset with the way the so-called Madani Unity Government (UG) is handling racial and religious bigotry in Malaysia.
What national unity is being spun by the Government? What action has been taken against the bigots - currently led by Umno youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh.
So, Malaysians, especially KKB voters - use the by-election to send a wake-up call to the DAP and PH! There is nothing to lose but all to gain if the UG is given a mighty slap, and hopefully it wakes up and change to show commitment to clamp down on bigotry and corruption (not about ‘freeing’ the world’s biggest kleptocrat, the disgraced and shameless former prime minister Najib “1MDB” Razak).
So, in the KKB by-election, vote anything but the Taliban-like PAS, the racist Perikatan Nasional (PN) led by the unpatriotic racist Muhyiddin “I Am Malay First” Yassin, DAP or PH!
After nominations on Saturday, hopefully Malaysians will have a choice (not necessary alternative) in Muda, Parti Rakyat Malaysia (PRM) or Independent/s.
Pick one that is prominent and professionally capable to voice for Malaysians in Parliament on socio-economic issues.
No News Is Bad News reproduces below news articles on why DAP and PH must be taught a lesson in the KKB by-election before it is too late for multiracial Malaysia:
End of the rainbow for Malaysia?
Joe Samad-22 Apr 2024, 08:00 AM
While the transition of power in Singapore is going on smoothly, Malaysia is still grappling with succession issues and self-serving politicians.
If you say that something is at the end of the rainbow, you mean that people want it, but it is almost impossible to obtain or achieve. This is the situation we are in right now.
Malaysians aspire to live in a society characterised by peace, harmony, prosperity and progress.
However, in the wake of Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh’s clash with convenience store chain KK Mart, and former prime minister Najib Razak’s reduced sentenced, along with distressing news of a single mother becoming the first woman to be whipped in Terengganu for khalwat, concerns about where Malaysia is heading have resurfaced.
Across the causeway, we are witnessing a remarkably smooth transition of leadership in Singapore. Guided by level-headed individuals, prioritising the nation over personal interests, the announcement that Lawrence Wong will succeed Lee Hsien Loong as prime minister on May 15 has been met with widespread approval.
The same welcoming excitement when Tharman Shanmugaratnam was elected the president of Singapore.
Heartwarming videos showcasing Wong’s cultural embrace, such as playing “Selamat Hari Raya” on a gambus with fellow Malay musicians, and charming the audience by strumming the guitar while singing Eric Clapton’s timeless hit “Wonderful Tonight”, added a personal touch to his leadership journey.
Indonesia’s recent presidential election is another good example of peaceful transition for Malaysia. Prabowo Subianto did his signature dance move as seen in a video after claiming victory. Singing, dancing and playing instruments are ways to bridge the gap between top leaders and the public.
After Dr Mahathir Mohamad stepped down as prime minister for the second time on Feb 24 2020, there was uncertainty for several days regarding his successor.
This prompted the intervention of the king, a constitutional monarch, who played a crucial role in resolving the issue.
He met with each MP to assess their preferences, and ultimately made the final decision on who would become the next prime minister. Even the appointment of Ismail Sabri Yaakob as the ninth prime minister was mired in controversy and required the king to step in.
Malaysia’s prime ministerial post is filled with uncertainty, which begins with a guessing game on who has the numbers, followed by sworn statements to prove political allegiance, and the to-and-fro to the palace for special interviews – nothing heartwarming.
The rakyat will get another tonne of promises, and the country reverts to the 3Rs, of race, religion and royalty, soon after.
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, when asked about Najib’s bid to serve the remainder of his sentence under house arrest, responded tersely: “I prefer not to be embroiled in Najib’s ‘supplementary order’ issue.”
It is apparent that Anwar is not the type to sing.
While some say Singapore is boring and predictable, it has a well-managed economy and succession planning. The new prime minister is 51 years old, and the president, who is an economist, is 67. Malaysia has no succession planning and Anwar is 76.
Since no political party has an outright majority to form a government, it will be dependent on common sense, goodwill, loads of money, and promises of position, plus a lot of sworn statements to form a Malaysian government.
Former minister Khairy Jamaluddin, at 48, may fit the bill to compete with the incoming Wong.
Khairy, who now hosts the “Keluar Sekejap ” podcast, plays the guitar in a band, is Oxford educated, and is tall and handsome.
He can give Wong a run for the money. If Khairy becomes the prime minister, then he and Wong can form the Malaysia Singapore rock band to promote unity. After all, we had Malaysia Singapore Airlines before.
Many are concerned in Malaysia about the rule of law. There is a strong perception that while our judiciary has meted out justice according to the Constitution, there are still people who feel that laws are not applied equally across the board.
This is the case in point for Akmal, who seems to be handled with kid gloves by the authorities over statements made.
At the recent launch of a book titled “My Country and I, The Malaysia Agreement 1963”, guest speaker Prof Shad Saleem Faruqi, who gave a talk on “Sabah and Sarawak: Special position in the Malaysian Federation”, was asked by the audience about the right to secession following Singapore’s footsteps.
The question of secession or separation has cropped up more and more as Sabah and Sarawak try to shy away from the destructive politics of Peninsular Malaysia. The people of the Borneo states have disassociated themselves from the self-serving Malay politicians who will only end up destroying Malaysia.
The Rukun Negara’s principles of belief in God, loyalty to the king and country, supremacy of the constitution, rule of law, and courtesy and morality as our guiding principles are being challenged openly. None is being followed by our political leaders.
If this situation continues, we will eventually see a separation of the Borneo states from Malaya. Former foreign minister and Umno member Anifah Aman has backed the call for Sabah to ban Akmal from entering the state. Umno members in Sabah should be ashamed for inviting a divisive figure to the state. The state election is around the corner and people will remember.
The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of FMT.
Malaysians’ worries over country’s direction could hurt Anwar, says analysts
A studyA study by global market research firm Ipsos found that more Malaysians are getting pessimistic over Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's government. PHOTO: AFP
Azril Annuar
Malaysia Correspondent
UPDATED
APR 19, 2024, 09:12 PM
KUALA LUMPUR – The latest survey by global market research firm Ipsos on “What Worries Malaysians” points to persistent concerns over not just bread-and-butter issues but also graft, despite Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s ongoing message against corruption, say experts.
The poll result raises questions about how effective his government is after 15 months in power. A previous study by pollster Merdeka Centre in November 2023 also found that his approval rating had dropped to 50 per cent from 68 per cent in December 2022.
The Ipsos study, which polled 500 Malaysians via an online portal system, found that 47 per cent of Malaysians believe the country is headed in the wrong direction in March 2024 compared with 26 per cent in January 2023, right after Datuk Seri Anwar took office.
Of that 47 per cent, their primary concerns are financial and political corruption, inflation and unemployment, followed by poverty and social inequality, and taxes.
Politically, analysts say these concerns could have a direct impact on the upcoming Kuala Kubu Bharu by-election in Selangor on May 11.
“The results should be worrying to the Anwar government, as the issues which people are most concerned about pertain to socioeconomic ones, which they expect the government to resolve, as opposed to racial and religious issues that are beyond any government’s capability to resolve.
“So, if Anwar cannot rein in inflation, control corruption and hold off on the new taxes fast enough, he risks losing more votes in the by-election and the next (general) election, and thereby possibly losing his government,” Dr Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at The Singapore Institute of International Affairs, told The Straits Times.
ST Asian Insider: Malaysia Edition
Dr Oh said that dissatisfied supporters of the ruling coalition Pakatan Harapan (PH) are likely to sit out the by-election, as the alternative is voting for the opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) which is dominated by Islamist party Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS), based on his observations of Malaysia’s by-election voting patterns over the years.
Mr Anwar’s supporters are usually ethnic Chinese, Indians and progressive urban Malays. In Kuala Kubu Bharu, the racial breakdown is 46.4 per cent Malay, 30.7 per cent Chinese, 18 per cent Indian and 5 per cent others, out of 40,015 eligible voters recorded in 2023.
PAS and their allies in PN have been gaining ground among the Malay voters. If more Malays than non-Malays head to the ballot box, there is a risk of the government losing the seat.
The Selangor state assembly seat was vacated after the death of its three-term PH assemblyman Lee Kee Hiong on March 21.
A study by Asean+3 Macroeconomic Research Office on Feb 20 found that Malaysia’s inflation is cooling.
But economist Paul Anthony Mariadas, who lectures at Taylor’s University, said on March 7 that the ringgit’s steady depreciation versus the US dollar since the start of the year has left many Malaysians feeling the pinch as imported consumer products cost more as a result.
It does not help that there is a perception among some that Mr Anwar is favouring his allies when it comes to corruption, despite his electoral promise to combat graft. His deputy Ahmad Zahid Hamidi received a discharge not amounting to an acquittal over his corruption charges in September 2023.
Similarly, the reduction in sentence from 12 to six years for convicted former prime minister Najib Razak by the Pardons Board in February also did not go down well, especially with Mr Anwar’s supporters.
The graft probes by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission into former finance minister Daim Zainuddin and his wife, as well as former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad’s sons – Tan Sri Mokhzani Mahathir and Mr Mirzan Mahathir – have also caused a stir.
Dr Bridget Welsh, an honorary research associate at the University of Nottingham Asia Research Institute-Malaysia, said the increased discontent is no surprise as Mr Anwar’s traditional base of support has become less optimistic and holds a negative perception of the country’s economy.
“Sadly, one of the problems is that the government is not listening – such as moving ahead in programmes such as Padu that received a lot of resistance, seeing that it was poorly implemented,” said Dr Welsh, referring to Malaysia’s Central Database Hub (Padu).
The database is a key component of a wider plan by Mr Anwar to reduce government subsidies – estimated at RM64 billion (S$18.2 billion) a year – by starting targeted subsidies and direct cash transfers based on metrics such as household income, family size and monthly expenditure.
But there are concerns that the system, which stores personal details including identification card numbers and home addresses, can be hacked. This resulted in the registration of only 10.6 million out of Malaysia’s 30.4 million population.
Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia’s Institute of Ethnic Studies deputy director Kartini Aboo Talib pointed out that Mr Anwar has a lot of work to do to convince the public that he can bring Malaysia to greatness.
“The increase of the Sales and Services rate from 6 per cent to 8 per cent across sectors such as finance and leisure, unemployment, rising cost of living, increased mortgages and continuous inflation are the challenges that Anwar has to overcome, or at least reduce the inevitable tensions on consumer goods.
“With these issues, the confidence that Malaysians used to have has been withering gradually,” said Professor Kartini.
In order to reverse the current trend, Dr Welsh said that the government needs to reverse the tax increase, offer a small economic stimulus and postpone programmes such as Padu until it can be better implemented. - ST
KKB by-election: An opportunity for Malaysians to teach DAP, PH a lesson
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No News Is Bad News
Opportunity for Malaysians to teach DAP, PH a lesson, and to wake them up from their comfort zones.
KKB by-election: An opportunity for Malaysians to teach DAP, PH a lesson
KUALA LUMPUR, April 9, 2024: Muda should field a respectable candidate in the coming May 11 Kuala Kubu Baru (KKB) state by-election.
This will provide Malaysian voters in KKB the opportunity to teach DAP and Pakatan Harapan PH) a lesson. That PH cannot continue to take the support of voters for granted.
Continue to do so at your political peril when the next general election is held in 2027.
Give all the racial and religious bigots a shock by rejecting them - be it the Taliban-like PAS, the racist Perikatan Nasional (PN) led by the unpatriotic Muhyiddin “I Am Malay First” Yassin or the conniving Umno Baru.
Dumping the DAP in the by-election makes no difference to the power equation in the Selangor State Assembly.
But it will certainly jolt all political parties and politicians to wake up - that law-abiding-peace-loving Malaysians do not approve of the so-called Madani Unity Government UG)’s meek handling of racial and religious bigots who continue to threaten national unity and harmony.
Really, what national unity is the UG talking about with its super tolerance of bigotry, selective persecution and prosecution of those who violate the 3R (Race, Religion, Royalty).
Politicians from both sides of the political divide, now especially the DAP, will just continue to “talk cock”, and it is time for Malaysians to show who are their boss:
No News Is Bad News reproduces below a news report on the spat between former Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman and DAP’s Hannah Yeoh (Youth and Sports Minister):
I worry for Malaysia, I hope you do too, Syed Saddiq tells Hannah
FMT Reporters
-09 Apr 2024, 05:30 PM
Former Muda president attacks what he sees as DAP’s silence on several issues, including the ‘muted’ fight against corruption.
Former Muda president Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman today put youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh on the spot, after her interview with Malaysiakini yesterday in which she said his criticism of DAP was hurtful.
PETALING JAYA: Muda’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman said youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh should share his concern about Malaysia’s current state of affairs.
“I worry for Malaysia’s future, I hope you do too,” he said to Yeoh in a statement released today.
Syed Saddiq highlighted the issue of corruption, in particular the littoral combat ship (LCS) scandal, which he said had been “muted by the very people who spoke against it previously”.
Similarly, he said dropping corruption charges against certain key political figures was “unconscionable”.
Syed Saddiq further accused the government of having no principles, no red line and no shame, repeating the statement he had made last year during a clash with DAP vice-president Nga Kor Ming.
“If today, the once-upon-a-time fighters for meritocracy stay silent and tolerate mediocrity, tomorrow they will witness the death of Malaysian unity, drowned in a sea of hypocrisy,” he said a day after Yeoh said his criticism of DAP was hurtful.
Yeoh told Malaysiakini that she feared the impact of harsh words and criticism from former allies, especially Syed Saddiq.
She added that she valued her relationships across political lines and believed in a multiracial Malaysia, noting that her aspirations were similar to those of Syed Saddiq.
However, Syed Saddiq appeared to distance himself from this, saying the government was more concerned with “pure Machiavellian politics where power trumps everything else”.
He said racial and religious issues were further driving a wedge between communities nationwide.
“If today, issues about socks and shoes can burn the fabric of Malaysia’s unity, and those firebrands continue with impunity, tomorrow they’ll burn our children’s future in perpetuity,” he said.
“This is not about me, nor our friendship; this is about the future of Malaysia.”
Muda was previously aligned with the unity government but withdrew its support in September last year, ostensibly over its disagreement with the government’s handling of the LCS fiasco.
Meanwhile, Syed Saddiq is appealing his conviction for corruption, having been found guilty of misappropriating more than RM1 million in Armada funds when he ran Bersatu’s youth wing three years ago.
Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election on May 11
Early voting fixed for May 7.
Updated 1 hour ago · Published on 04 Apr 2024 12:34PM
Kuala Kubu Baharu will vote for a new representative on May 11 following the death of its assemblyman in March. – The Vibes file pic, April 4, 2024.
THE Election Commission today set May 11 for the Kuala Kubu Baharu by-election.
EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said nomination of candidates for the state seat will take place on April 27.
Early voting is fixed for May 7.
The by-election for the state seat in Selangor is held following the death of its three-term assemblyman, DAP’s Lee Kee Hiong.
Lee died on March 21 after a battle with cancer.
In the state elections last year, Lee held on to the seat for the third term with a 4,119-vote majority ahead of Perikatan Nasional/Gerakan’s Henry Teoh. – January 2, 2024.
For image info, go to https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2023/05/03/guan-eng-nine-lawmakers-deny-speaking-to-news-portal-about-alleged-push-to-oust-penang-cm/67504 
KUALA LUMPUR, April 26, 2024: Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow was again ticked off by his party chairman Lim Guan Eng hos the state missed the opportunity to boost its semiconductor credentials.
Lim Guan Eng says Penang should find out how it lost out despite the advantage it has as a regional tech hub.
