Monday, December 29, 2008

Political fireworks before the New Year


One week is a long time in politics, the saying goes, but in Malaysia, even 24 hours can be a long time. It has been only about four days since I took a break from blogging but the political scenario has been getting hot. Even the holiday season has not taken away the heat. Pakatan Rakyat leaders in Selangor seem to be in a fighting mood - against each other, that is.

The Kapar MP S. Manikavasagam has threatened to quit from the party. He is scheduled to call a press conference on New Year's Eve. Within the DAP, Charles Santiago and Teng Chang Khim are at each other's throats. Meanwhile, I am told that another senior leader from Pakatan Rakyat has quit.

But the surprise of the day is in Ipoh where MB Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin has fired two salvoes at two defiant PKR assemblymen. The MB is upset that the two state assemblymen are going ahead with elections for village heads although the state has decided that they would be appointed. It appears that the fireworks have been fired even before the New Year party begins. What ever happen to the promise of elections at local government level? Looks like even at village level, it's still no elections.

20 comments:

BlueMoon said...

These are what the politicians are for. They get tough when the tough get going - so to speak. No politician can survive a single day without contraversy. The happenings in PKR are as expected. The so called multiracial approach drummed-up by which their chieftains or Undangs survive less than 12 months. There are many desperados in PKR particularly the indians. They hope that things will get better under new Undangs only to find out that there aren't any different if not worst. So desperate and feeling down throdden, the new Kapar MP has threatened to leave PKR and form a new party in the interest of indians. But can his new party do what MIC, PKR, DAP or even PAS has failed to do?

Anonymous said...

Ask the minister of Local Housing and Government...it is on the Federal government - they said no!

Anonymous said...

I think it is normal to have disagreements but the most important thing is agree to disagree! It is also quite sickening to see politician keep threatening to quit party when things dont go their way. It is a childish act and no good for the people.

Vesu said...

you missed one political news - samy vellu calls for anwar's stand on hudud laws and he 'nyanyoly' support his argument that his supporters in Kuala Trengganu complained to him that freedom of playing religious songs,music etc is being controlled by authority... this grandpa must remember that Trengganu is in BN control ..so pose the question to PM or DPM not to anuar ibrahim//

amoker said...

Datuk,opportunistic writting. Seemed that the star is taking a wind on the sail for this.

For all the charades, at least the pakatan folks are able to stand up for what they believe in. and speak out. MCA still keeps quiet like a rat. kekek.

9 months on and you expect PR to work out that election part so fast? Come on...

Anonymous said...

Well looks like its spring-cleaning time again... need to kick out deadwood & rubbish.

*dollah-on-crack

Anonymous said...

WCW,

Before you take pot shots at the PR to run them down with your mischievous spins so as to bodek your UMNO/MCA bosses, as Editor of Star, you have the responsibility to chide your editors for malice as pointed out by the Selangor MB's press sec. I see you have clearly done that, neither have you apologized. Speaks volumes of the credibility of your paper which deserves to be boycotted in and burnt in public



Khalid never said 'MP free to go'
Arfa'eza A Aziz | Dec 29, 08 3:02pm

We refer to the reports 'Rift in Pakatan' and 'Kapar MP free to go, says Khalid' published in The Star dated Dec 28.

The said reports were based on a short press conference held by Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim on the evening of Dec 27 at the Curve, Kota Damansara after launching the state’s Christmas celebration.

We would like to state that:

1 At no time during the press conference did the menteri besar say that ‘he was not interested to meet Kapar MP S Manikavasagam or ask him to reconsider his decision to quit PKR as stated in the Page N1 article.

2. When the menteri besar was asked if he was willing to meet the Kapar MP, he replied that as a parliamentarian, it would be a better avenue for MP to meet the party’s leader.

We would also like to stress that there was nothing mentioned on ‘Kapar MP is free to go’ as suggested in the of the page N6 article.

During the press conference, the menteri besar was asked and he had stressed that the Kapar MP was free to make his decision and that he was mature enough to make a good decision as a representative to more than 100,000 voters in his constituency and being a member of PKR.

The ,enteri besar also repeatedly stated that the best forum to thrash out the issue would be the party’s political bureau.

We take a serious view of the distortion of facts by the said publication and hope that it will be more responsible and accurate in its coverage of the state government and the Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

The writer is represents the Press Secretariate, Selangor Menteri Besar Office.

Anonymous said...

Dear WCW,

Happy New Year to you and your readers. Must say 2008 has been a grest year for Malaysians for all the changes we see happening around us. Change is never bad, its just the journey may sometimes be full of obstacles and disruptions.

Really, I feel your reporting in The Star and even the blog as one sided, in favour of the establishment. I only speak for myself, but my mind is already made up, Pakatan Rakyat is good for Malaysia!!!

The troubles facing PKR can be easily explained and rectified by the next elections. Prior to March 8, no one took PKR seriously and you can see in the calibre of their candidates. The truth was not many "quality" candidates were interested then and this has now changed with the influx of ex-Gerakan, MCA, MIC and UMNO memebers joining PKR.

You can be sure that when the next GE comes, PKR will have an abundance of quality candidates to choose from. And you will not have soem childish politicians threatening to quit their parties because some wishes were not fulfilled.

Anonymous said...

The Indians need to take an objective assessment of their position. What they should not forget is that they have made progress by their alignment with Pakatan Rakyat. They should not forget their previous hell hole when they aligned with MIC/BN. There is no denying there are a lot of teething problems in Pakatan Rakyat. Every party and segment within Pakatan Rakyat has their own problems and as yet unfulfilled desires. If the Indians pull out from Pakatan Rakyat, they will be in limbo. BN will not forget what happened in the 3/08 GE, and will not trust them again. And on their own, the small numbers of Indians in the country will mean they have little clout. SO rather than crying in public and threatening to quit here and quit there, they should get to work and prove themselves as worthy partners. After all they are represented in higher numbers as Assemblymen and MPs in the the Pakatan Rakyat than their population percentage. Com'on, even the Malays and Chinese in PR have unfulfilled desires too. Like Tun MM said, if one single segment is completely happy, then it means the other segments are short-changed and unhappy.

Anonymous said...

Most of the politicians are of the same crap. What we must remember is to have BALANCE. I don't like the corrupt and arrogant BN(especially UMNO), but I think Pakatan Rakyat will become the same crap when they get into power. So the best way is to keep them 50/50, so that we can toss out the incumbent at the next election so that the new broom who comes in can dig out the dirt from the previous broom. So at this juncture we should vote in Pakatan Rakyat so that they can bring the corrupt BN politicians to court and make them pay back the Rakyat's stolen money. Then the following round we bring BN back. But having said all this, I do think there are some very honest politicians who have sacrificed potentially lucrative earnings to fight for justice and thus did not become rich, even though they could: a) Karpal Singh: a very very talented lawyer who could have made tons of money, but instead chose to fight for justice, (b) Lim Kit Siang, who made a lot of sacrifice to fight for the rakyat. Sure, sometimes he open his mouth more than he should, but then we should forgive his minor misdeeds and remember the great things he did for us, (c) Lim Guan Eng; Hey this dude went to jail fighting for the rights of a Malay girl. So don't any of the Malays tell me he is a racist. How many of the Malays stood up for the poor Malays who were infringed upon by the UMNO putras? And going to jail in the fight for justice of another race!
(d) Wan Azizah:This lady is something altogether. Sorry I cannot stand up for Anwar untilhe prove himself. But his wife deserves our respect. She is one selflessand dedicated lady.No greed.Strong.Intelligent. "F" the rest whether BN or PR, all the same old sh!& .
OldXaverian

Anonymous said...

The Indians need to be realistic and look at the broader perspective. With PR they have more representation than they ever had under BN. Things cannot rctified overnight, especially after so many years of damage under the BN govt. Rather than "bitch" about it in public, the elected representatives should work hard to be the agents of change. The alternatives they have are worse. If they go back to BN, it is back to the same old rubbish of being neglected like in the past 50 years. If they go "independent", remember the Indians are a small minority, and nobody will take you seriously since your votes count for little. The Indians' best bet is still with PR. So those Indian elected representatives, please go and prove you have the "mojo" to be a "YB" or whatever title suit you, that you are worth being elected.

Anonymous said...

WCW, I know you have a dim view of PAS because of their backward thinking.And yes I do agree with you, and share the same view as you. But having said that, I don't agree with you on the rest. Unlike you, I would still vote for PAS (I am Chinese and NOT Muslim too) if PAS stand for election in my constituency. Why? Because I know PAS will never ever get enough support to govern the country. It will remain a minor member in any coalition whether PR or BN or whatever. BN as led by UMNO is so corrupt and so arrogant, the time is long overdue to have a change of government, and PR for all its short comings, is our only real alternative. It does not matter whether it is Anwar who leads PR,or whether it is Azizah, or Nurul, or Lim, or Singh, or whoever. The idea is to have a two-party system in Malaysia to keep corruption in check. If PR gets into power to govern malaysia, then I will start to root for BN. Like I say, the idea is BALANCE.
Socrates

romerz said...

Well said Socrates!

Anonymous said...

Brother Chun Wai, the following is my cynical view of the types of government, laws, etc:
a) Democracy: a system whereby the majority bully and marginalise the minority.
b) Dictatorship: a system where one man plunder the whole nation, and bullies everybody else.
c) Theocracy: a system where a dictator blames all his misdeeds on God.
d) Free country: a system where the small special interest groups dictates to the silent majority.
e) Communism: a system where everybody tries to work less than the other guy, and share equally the same meagre output, after the top honcho has got his lion share of the small output.
f) Hudud laws: The big VIP thief gets away scot free, but the small thief gets his hands chopped off.
g) Malaysia Boleh style: The VIPs steal millions and billions, then blame it on the people of other races.
KLite

Anonymous said...

WCW,this is a busy season for you to bash the Pakatan leaders,cos of KT byelection.Please don't be a coward by hitting below the belt comments on your papers and yet not let the other parties response in the papers.A bloody coward don't you agree?

Bangsa Cina Malaysia said...

there is not a place in this country that is clean tidy and orderly.

rubbish is everywhere from the drain, pavement the market , housing estate whether its the front or back lane, the food court , the industrial area.

apart from all these nonsense the electrical pole , traffic light pole, telephone pole , signboard pole are all in slanting position.

why is it all those majlis perbandaran from the bottom to the top are not sacked when it is proven they cannot perform all these years.

employ only those who really care about cleanliness and love the environment and reward them dearly.

we voted for change and changes are what we want to see.

Anonymous said...

wcw,

your taiko from MCA, who happens to be Minister of Local Housing, has clearly stated he will not allow local elections. That is his jurisdiction.
Be fair lah WCW and dont just try to hantam PR. If you believe in local elections, you dare to openly defy your MCA taiko, who happens to own the STAR paper which is paying your salary and perks?

Anonymous said...

Aneh Manicka, you betray the rakyat who voted for you. Based on Hindraf votes alone, do you think you can win? If you quit PKR and go lie with the MIC snakes, then we will never forgive you. You will never win any election again. Every party has problems,and you should solve it quietly within the party,behind closed doors.By making theatrics to the press, you have screwed PKR. Maybe that was your hidden agenda, and you are making an exit to lie in bed with MIC.
Snake.

ChengHo said...

Pakatan have the classic case of sickness ie Managing success..the new power becoming their new toy...

Anonymous said...

If Manicka wants to feel like a big fish in a party, he should join the minnow PPP. But then PPP is a nobody in the country! Manicka, we voted for you on PKR ticket, so be swollen headed.We will remember your betrayal and vote you out in the next election. Instead of helping to solve problems, you just throw problems at DSAI's feet. You remind me of employees who just go to the boss and throw the problems there,and and not offer possible solutions. I always got an answer for them: I hire you to help solve problems. If you can't do it, please leave. I will hire somebody else.