The style of some men politicians

January 23, 2010 22:31 PM

Zul Nordin Lodges Police Report Against Khalid Samad

By: Ramjit

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 23 (Bernama) — The strained relations between Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s (PKR) Kulim Member of Parliament Zulkifli Noordin and PAS’ Shah Alam Member of Parliament Khalid Samad took another twist on Saturday with the former lodging a police report against the latter.

Zulkifli said the report was regarding Khalid’s statement that a Selangor enactment which prohibited non-Muslims from using the word “Allah” and other Islamic terms as outdated.

Speaking to reporters after lodging the report at the Masjid India police station here, he said he wanted police to take action against Khalid.

On Jan 21, Khalid was reported by new portal MalaysiaKini as saying the enactment was outdated and that when it was passed, Muslims’ understanding of Islam was probably too low that they needed to be protected.

On the differences between the two, whose parties are in the Pakatan opposition coalition, The Star newspaper today carried a report quoting Khalid as saying that during a recent discourse with Opposition leader and PKR de factor leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on the prohibition, Zulkifli had kept quiet while other leaders had expressed their views.

The report further quoted Khalid as saying: “There is an Arabic saying that the dog barks but the caravan moves on. I am not going to respond to his emotionally driven comments. I am just a caravan but I did not say he is the dog.”

– BERNAMA

Kecaman terhadap penyerang gereja

KENYATAAN MEDIA

UNTUK EDARAN SEGERA

Tarikh: 10 Januari 2010

Kami mengecam serangan ke atas saudara kami penganut agama Kristian dan ke atas beberapa gereja di Malaysia. Serangan terbaru ke atas All Saints Church di Taiping juga merupakan satu serangan terhadap salah satu warisan negara.

Sebagai sebuah negara kita masih bergelut untuk menjunjung semangat perpaduan yang dicita-citakan oleh pejuang kemerdekaan negara ini. Saya menyeru agar kita semua akur dengan Perkara 11 Perlembagaan Persekutuan yang menjamin kebebasan beragama dan hak penganut agama-agama itu untuk menjaga hal ehwal agama mereka masing-masing. Ketika ini semangat musyawarah dan dialog mestilah mengatasi suara-suara mereka yang mahu memecah belahkan kerukunan rakyat serta meniup api permusuhan di negara ini.

Rakyat Malaysia mestilah bersatu menentang mereka yang mahu memperalatkan sentimen perkauman sempit dan agama untuk menyemarakkan kebencian demi laba politik puak-puak tertentu. Kita mestilah memperkukuh tekad mempertahan kebebasan beragama.

Kejadian ini merupakan satu ujian terhadap keazaman semua agama dan kepercayaan yang mahukan keamanan dan rasa saling hormat menghormati. Kita seharusnya sedar Tuhan yang kita sembah merupakan, Tuhan yang sama, Allah SWT, Tuhan yang memelihara dan mentadbirkan sekalian alam.

Sejarah menunjukkan kepada kita selama 14 abad ini, Muslim yang bertutur dalam bahasa Arab, penganut Kristian dan bangsa Yahudi, masing-masing menyembah Tuhan yang dikenal sebagai Allah. Sementara diakui keresahan umat Islam di Malaysia terhadap penggunaan kalimah Allah di kalangan penganut agama lainnya,  tindakan seumpama menyerang gereja dan mengadakan protes hanya membantut usaha  mencari penyelesaian. Jalan terbaik adalah melalui rundingan dan dialog antara agama.

Saya mengajak umat Islam untuk kembali kepada ayat al Quran yang menyeru kita untuk hidup dalam kerukunan dan saling mengenali di antara agama.

“Katakanlah (wahai Muhammad): “Wahai Ahli Kitab, marilah kepada satu Kalimah yang bersamaan antara kami dengan kamu, iaitu kita semua tidak menyembah melainkan Allah ” (Ali-Imran, 3:64)

Dan sepertimana yang termaktub di dalam surah al- Ankabut:

Dan janganlah kamu berbahas dengan Ahli Kitab melainkan dengan cara yang lebih baik, kecuali orang-orang yang berlaku zalim di antara mereka; dan katakanlah (kepada mereka): “Kami beriman kepada (Al-Quran) yang diturunkan kepada kami dan kepada (Taurat dan Injil) yang diturunkan kepada kamu; dan Tuhan kami, juga Tuhan kamu, adalah Satu; dan kepadaNyalah, kami patuh dengan berserah diri (al-Ankabut, 29:46)

Nabi Isa al Masih merupakan antara Rasul Ulul Azmi yang begitu dikasihi umat Islam. Saidina Umar r.a yang melawati Gereja Holy Sepulcher pada tahun 638 masehi, menggesa umat Islam untuk menghormati tempat peribadatan dan suci penganut agama Kristian. Oleh itu adalah tidak munasabah apabila pihak Polis teragak-agak untuk memberi jaminan keselamatan kepada gereja-gereja di seluruh negara.

Api kebencian ini bolehlah ditudingkan kepada kegagalan Barisan Nasional yang diketuai Umno. Propaganda Umno yang berteraskan perkauman sempit terutamanya apabila berhadapan dengan isu penggunaan kalimah Allah serta retorika media yang dikongkong kerajaan, seperti Utusan Malaysia, yang meniupkan api kebencian,  sewajarnya dipersalahkan berikutan dari serangan tersebut. Provokasi mereka bukan sahaja salah dari sudut undang-undang malah menzahirkan kempen 1Malaysia yang tidak tuntas serta bermuka-muka.

Walaubagaimanapun saya terharu dan gembira kerana serangan tersebut dikecam keras oleh organisasi Islam dan pimpinan umat. Saya juga menyambut baik saranan wakil-wakil penganut Kristian yang menyeru agar sentiasa bertenang dan menolak sebarang tindakan pembalasan serta keganasan.

Kejadian mutakhir ini menuntut kita agar segera memberi perhatian terhadap keperluan dialog antara agama. Semangat persaudaraan yang disarankan agama kita serta Perlembagaan Persekutuan perlu disemarakkan. Pakatan Rakyat akan berusaha memastikan dialog dan rundingan diadakan di semua peringkat seluruh negara. Saudara kita yang beragama Kristian perlu merasa selamat dan aman serta sedar bahawa kebebasan mereka untuk beragama adalah dijamin di negara ini.

ANWAR IBRAHIM

Ketua Pembangkang

Anwar Ibrahim: Ubah sebelum parah, ubah demi maruah

Tarikh: 31 Disember 2009

Perutusan Tahun Baru 2010 Dato’ Seri Anwar Ibrahim

Kita menyambut kedatangan tahun 2010 dengan penuh harapan, agar keadaan menjadi lebih baik buat diri sendiri, keluarga, masyarakat dan negara. Tahun yang baru, secara simboliknya, menandakan, satu permulaan kepada yang lebih baik dan berusaha menyingkirkan segala kelemahan dan keburukan. Sudah tentu semua ini tidak bermakna sekiranya kita hanya berpeluk tubuh dan gagal melakukan sesuatu. Pendek kata, iltizam untuk melakukan Perubahan sahaja tidak lah mencukupi, ianya memerlukan satu tindakan yang jitu berasaskan kefahaman terhadap Perubahan yang ingin dilaksanakan. Rakyat sesungguhnya bijak serta berkemampuan untuk membezakan di antara intan dan kaca. Mereka sedar yang manakah program perubahan palsu serta satu agenda Perubahan berhasrat untuk membawa kemaslahatan kepada rakyat. Namun sekiranya kita gagal untuk menunaikan hasrat dan cita-cita baik tersebut untuk dikecapi rakyat, ianya akan kekal sebagai satu laungan kosong semata-semata.

Tahun 2009 menyaksikan Pakatan Rakyat berjaya melahirkan satu dokumen penting yang dikenali sebagai Agenda Bersama Pakatan Rakyat. Kita menyediakan suatu rencana dasar untuk membawa bangsa dan negara keluar dari kemelut yang mencengkam. Dokumen tersebut merupakan penzahiran kepada satu permuafakatan yang bukan otoritarian sifatnya. Ianya adalah permuafakatan berasaskan kepercayaan dan benar-benar jujur untuk membawa Perubahan. Kita akui sebagai satu permuafakatan yang muda, dalam proses pembentukan kepada satu permuafakatan yang lebih utuh, sudah tentu kita berhadapan dengan pelbagai pertanyaan. Ini adalah lumrah, kerana kita menuju kepada yang lebih baik, kita menawarkan satu yang baru buat rakyat dan kita berhasrat mahu sentiasa bersama mereka memastikan kesejahteraan negara ini terjamin.

Alhamdulillah rakyat menyambut baik kehadiran dokumen bersejarah tersebut. Mereka sedar untuk mengembalikan negara ini ke persada negara-negara yang sudah jauh meninggalkan kita seperti Singapura, Taiwan, dan Korea Selatan agenda pembangunan yang selama ini berasaskan perkauman sempit dan hanya membawa keuntungan kepada segelintir yang dekat dengan pemerintah mestilah diketepikan. Kini tibalah waktu untuk kita mendakap satu agenda Perubahan yang terperinci, cermat dan menyegarkan. Pakatan Rakyat menawarkan satu agenda yang seimbang; tidak hanya tertumpu memulihkan kembali ekonomi negara, akan tetapi juga berusaha mengembalikan hala tuju negara ini sebagai satu negara yang berasaskan Demokrasi Raja Berperlembagaan.

Pakatan Rakyat yakin untuk mengemudi negara ini ke taraf negara maju dengan memastikan pertumbuhan ekonomi yang sihat, agenda pembangunan yang adil untuk semua, institusi kehakiman yang bebas dari cengkaman pemerintah dan pembinaan sebuah masyarakat demokratik yang berteraskan kemuliaan insan. Dengan kepercayaan rakyat  yang kita perolehi, kita akan menggembeling seluruh tenaga dan keringat untuk memastikannya terlaksana. Keyakinan terhadap semangat rakyat, faith in the power of the spirit of the people, akan menjadi satu lagi sumber kekuatan kita, rakyat Malaysia.

Moga tahun 2010 merupakan tahun yang lebih baik buat semua dan negara ini. InsyaAllah, kita semua berusaha menjayakannya. Saya mengambil kesempatan ini untuk mengucapkan Selamat Tahun Baru 2010 kepada semua rakyat Malaysia.

Ubah sebelum parah, ubah demi maruah.
ANWAR IBRAHIM

Pakatan Rakyat Policy

19 Disember, 2009 21:35 PM

Pakatan Rakyat Tubuh Jawatankuasa Mekanisme Pelaksanaan Dasar

By: Ramjit

SHAH ALAM, 19 Dis (Bernama) — Pakatan Rakyat yang memperkenalkan dasar perjuangannya pada konvensyen sulungnya di sini hari Sabtu akan menubuhkan satu jawatankuasa untuk menyediakan mekanisme pelaksanaan dasar-dasar yang telah dipersetujui oleh ketiga-tiga parti yang menyertainya iaitu Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP dan PAS.

Penasihat PKR, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim berkata mekanisme itu akan dirangka bagi melaksanakan dasar Pakatan Rakyat menerusi proses demokrasi seperti mengukuhkan demokrasi di peringkat kerajaan tempatan.

Salah satu dasar Pakatan Rakyat ialah mengukuhkan demokrasi kerajaan tempatan dan meningkatkan kecekapan serta keberkesanan sistem penyampaian dan menjamin ketelusan di semua peringkat secara demokratik.

Beliau juga menafikan ketiga-tiga parti itu tidak komited untuk menganjurkan pilihan raya tempatan jika mereka memerintah kerana perkataan ‘pilihan raya tempatan itu’ tidak dimasukkan ke dalam dasar Pakatan Rakyat tetapi digantikan dengan perkataan ‘mengukuhkan demokrasi kerajaan tempatan’.

“Di antara tiga parti tidak timbul kenyataan kita menentang demokrasi, tidak timbul menentang proses pilihan raya.

Yang timbul cara dan kaedah untuk melaksanakan cadangan ini dan sebelum kaedah ini diputuskan kita jangan terburu-buru mengumumkan proses pilihan raya itu,” katanya dalam satu sidang media selepas berakhirnya konvensyen sehari itu.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas pertanyaan wartawan bahawa sebelum ini ada parti dari Pakatan Rakyat yang berjanji mahu melaksanakan pilihan raya kerajaan tempatan dalam kempen pilihan raya mereka pada pilihan raya umum lepas.

Ditanya sama ada Dasar Pakatan Rakyat yang dilancarkan membayangkan mereka akan bertanding pada pilihan raya akan datang sebagai satu barisan yang bersatu, Pengerusi DAP Karpal Singh berkata mereka telah bersetuju dengan dasar itu dan ia akan menjadi panduan mereka.

Dalam dasar yang dibentangkan pada hari ini, Pakatan Rakyat menolak politik perkauman yang sempit dan akan memperkenalkan Akta Hubungan Kaum, membenarkan had umur mengundi minima pada 18 tahun, mencadangkan skim pencen untuk pekerja swasta dan menubuhkan Dana Penamatan Kerja.

Pakatan Rakyat juga akan membangunkan ekonomi berprestasi tinggi yang mendukung cukai yang progresif dan menolak semua cukai yang mungkin membebankan rakyat seperti Cukai Barangan dan Perkhidmatan (GST).

– BERNAMA

Logo Konvensyen Pakatan Rakyat

Projek BN yang membawa derita kepada rakyat

Declassified: Details of huge abandoned housing project

Rahmah Ghazali
Nov 11, 09
8:17pm

Malaysiakini,com

The Selangor government today declassified and made public a set of documents relating to an abandoned housing project at Bukit Cherakah in Shah Alam that had begun in 1997.

 

The abandoned project, according to the document, started when the then BN state government initiated its Green Revolution Plan (GRP – Phase 1) in the 1970s through which agriculture land for oil palm would be distributed to eligible smallholders.

Under the programme, 648 participants were given a 1.2 hectare piece of land each to develop assisted by the Selangor Agriculture Development Corporation (PKPS) which however later transferred their responsibility to their subsidiary Ladang Bukit Cherakah Nominees Sdn Bhd (LBCN). [Above pix is file picture]

Two years later, however, in 1999, LCBN had come up with an offer to develop the land into a housing area and 383 of the original participants, who collectively held more than 490 hectares, agreed with the suggestion.

“All the 383 participants signed an agreement in order to give their land back to the Selangor government and they later transferred the land titles to LCBN Development. At that time, the land already two-year old oil palm plants,” said the document.

What enticed the participants the most, added the document, was that LCBN Development had promised to compensate the landowners with RM360,000 cash and a house worth RM180,000 each.

To proceed with the project, LCBN then entered into a joint-venture with Vega Builders Sdn Bhd to develop the land as the Bandar Alam Perdana housing project.

Project eventually abandoned

“But not only did the developers fail to compensate the participants, they also disappointed 3,436 home buyers who were supposed to move in to their homes in 2002,” said the document revealing that the whole project was eventually abandoned.

Providing lengthy details on the matter, the document also listed out the names of the victims, developers, politicians and the various public figures involved in the scandal and during which menteri besar’s tenure various stages of the project took place.

Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim (right) told the state legislative assembly sitting today the public could obtain the document from the state government’s website beginning tomorrow. The document is also available in a booklet form from the district offices or the Selangor Menteri Besar’s Office.

At a press conference later, Khalid said the information declassified by the state government could assist the victims in taking legal action against the developers.

“Action can be taken by the smallholders or the house buyers (victims). We know they wanted to take a legal action before this but they could not do so because they did not have enough information,” he said.

“But now that they have all the information, we will help them to proceed with the legal suit. We have a legal aide who maybe can assist them,” he added.

Second phase later

Khalid also did not rule out the possibility that the present state government would take over the land at Bukit Cherakah. However, this will be discussed ‘at the second phase’ of the state government’s action.

Yesterday at the state assembly, the menteri besar had promised to ‘reveal the truth behind projects that were supposed to benefit the state’ by declassifying records of the previous Barisan Nasional administrations.

Pakatan Rakyat Together

Keeping PR together

Posted by RAKYAT MARHAEN Isnin, 2009 November 09

By Deborah Loh

Datuk Zaid Ibrahim

DESPITE flare-ups in PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is on track to becoming a formal coalition, says Datuk Zaid Ibrahim who was tasked with developing a common manifesto for the opposition coalition.
PR’s application to be registered with the Registrar of Societies was submitted last week, and the manifesto has been given to the heads of PAS, PKR and DAP. The document is to be adopted by all parties at a PR convention scheduled for 18 and 19 Dec 2009. It is also speculated that Zaid will head the pro-tem committee of the registered coalition.
In an interview at his home in Petaling Jaya on 4 Nov 2009, Zaid tells The Nut Graph about the new political culture he hopes the manifesto will create. He believes it is such a manifesto that will set PR apart from the Barisan Nasional (BN).
Zaid, currently on leave from PKR, however, was reluctant to discuss the party’s problems. Instead, he stressed that the common manifesto was more crucial than ever to ensure that the PR coalition was based on policies and principles, and not a single party or individual.
On PKR

TNG: Do you aspire to have a more important leadership role in PKR?
Zaid Ibrahim: No. Absolutely not.
The word is that you hope to run for deputy president next year.
No. I’m not hoping to be number two or three or four or whatever. My role is to help Pakatan Rakyat. It’s beyond me to make anyone stronger. That’s for the party leaders to do. I don’t want to get involved in that. I’m only interested in putting together what all the parties want.
So your joining PKR is just a vehicle to strengthening Pakatan as a whole?
Yeah, if I don’t join one of them, they won’t trust me.
Even if you have no ambitions, are you facing pressure from groups within PKR who might want you to take a higher position?
No. There is no pressure. I don’t have supporters or groups in the party loyal to me. I’m happy enough if they support my ideas. I’m not interested in personal support.

Anwar’s position is uncertain

With Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim‘s position uncertain because of his sodomy trial, what kind of second tier leadership does PKR need to have in place?
That is for PKR to decide. I do not want to offer any suggestions because that will be misunderstood and misconstrued. PKR is a broad-based party; they have a lot of members. They must decide what’s best for them.
You’re saying you’ve been misunderstood in the party?
The Sabah issue. I was just an innocent bystander but people think I was trying to interfere.
Is the Sabah issue some sort of turning point in your awareness about PKR, that working in this party is more difficult that you initially thought?
No, there’s no new awareness of any kind. It’s just politics. I hope the things that have happened were not because of me (chuckles).
What does Anwar need to do for PKR to prepare for the possibility of [his being jailed]?
I think he knows. He’s a smarter politician than me.
Do you think he’s decisive enough? Party workers and members complain that he’s out of the country so often that he cannot attend to party issues in a detailed manner.
No, I wouldn’t want to comment on him.
What do you think the current problems in PKR indicate, for example the latest issue in Sabah?
Since the leadership says it’s not a problem, who am I to say that it’s a problem? But from the bloggers, and the news media, it would seem to be a problem.
You have nothing to lose in PKR since you’re not aspiring to any higher post.
Ya, but I don’t want to get into analysing PKR’s internal strength or weakness. My views on PKR at this point in time are really not that critical. It can be disruptive.
Have you heard from Anwar since you returned from Sabah? Did he tick you off for going against his wishes?
No, he didn’t. I’ve met him, it was cordial. I reported to him what happened. Every time I go somewhere, I come back and report to him.
PKR appears to be the most problematic party in Pakatan. There are a range of issues, from badly-chosen election candidates to slowness in taking disciplinary action. What does it lack compared to PAS or DAP?
Well, PKR is a new party and it will take time.
Is it the political culture, remnants of Umno politics?


I think that’s too simplistic. I don’t see remnants of Umno as necessarily destructive. It’s about why you left in the first place. Those who are disillusioned with Umno are potential assets to PKR. They are looking for something new. But if you don’t give them something new, then there might be problems.
But for those who left Umno and yet want more of the same stuff in a different setup, then that would be a problem. But I don’t know. I’m not expert enough about the party to analyse. I’m just saying that being ex-Umno doesn’t necessarily make it bad. In fact, it’s good that such people are aspiring for a higher level of politics.
Common manifesto
Moving on to Pakatan’s common manifesto, can you share some of the points you’ve proposed in it?
I’ve submitted it to the leaders and they’ve yet to respond. It’s been two weeks but I except they’ll take longer. I would not want to reveal the details until the leaders accept it and want to disclose it.
But generally, we have tried to cover as much ground as possible. It’s not a normal manifesto with motherhood statements like you want to be fair and just. No broad statements but very detailed statements on policy. What do we do with healthcare, the judiciary, oversight committees for parliament, education, what do we do with devolving more power to the states. The states need to be empowered because there’s too much concentration of power at federal level or in the prime minister. But giving the states more power involves the need to rise above politics because some states may not be under your control.

I’m trying to bring politics to another level, to talk about policy issues and to let the people have real choice. Let people debate Barisan policies vis-a-vis ours. Let people assess Barisan leaders vis-a-vis ours. That to me, is real choice. People can compare.
The public wants to see what our policies are. What do we do with privatisation, as opposed to the BN idea? What do we do with rural development, environment, people without birth certificates? Do we sell beer, do we not? What is our stand?
It comes down to that level, about moral policing and alcohol?
Sure, what are our social and moral policies? People want to know. I’ve proposed ideas and it’s up to the leaders to respond.
Does the manifesto address how the three parties will handle their differing ideologies, especially on an Islamic state?
No. I don’t want to tell each party what to do. But a common policy will bind them. If you cannot agree on a common policy, you’re not going to be strong.
At the moment, what we have is the willingness to work together based on an electoral pact. That is not enough to beat Barisan. You have to bring it to the next level. If they can agree on this common policy, that’s proof enough that they can overcome their ideological differences.
Will it be difficult for PAS to accept when it comes to social and moral policies?
To be fair to the party, PAS has already agreed on a very fundamental principle, that whatever they want to do, their partners must agree. Isn’t that a concession on the part of PAS? But people don’t appreciate PAS’s commitment. They have sacrificed a lot from their old position.
PAS, the party, is not the problem. It’s some of the leaders. One or two people. But you have these one or two problem people in all the other parties as well. From the short time I’ve been with Pakatan, I don’t see that PAS is genuinely interested in Umno. This is the party they’ve been fighting for the last 50 years, what has Umno become that they are so attracted to Umno?
What hurdles does Pakatan need to overcome for the manifesto to be accepted by all parties?

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail,
DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng

The leaders of the three parties must want it. In our political culture, members generally follow. Leaders like to think that their members want this or don’t want this. If you want change, it must be the leaders who want it.
Must all the leaders accept the manifesto before Pakatan can be registered?
We have submitted the registration earlier this week. But that alone is not enough without a common manifesto. It would be like a house with no occupants, no life. Registration is the easy part. What is important is the policy.
Before Pakatan, there was Barisan Alternatif and Gagasan Rakyat. Both failed to last. How is Pakatan different?
Parties evolve. The opposition realises that it can’t beat Barisan on its own as individual parties. But willingness to work together is not enough. You still need policies, strategies and resources. The opportunity is now. If this doesn’t work, then it’ll be a long time before anything can happen.
The people have shown that they are prepared to consider the opposition. Barisan themselves realises this, that’s why they’re doing cosmetic changes here and there because they know they have to respond to the people’s demands. So this is the time to move.
Will it become more incumbent on the individual parties to act more swiftly with regards to problematic members and politicians?
I think the leaders know what to do. I have to be careful with what I say; I don’t want to be seen as telling them what to do. These are all established politicians, old hands at the game. It’s not my place to tell them what to do.
But I can tell you what I would do.
If I had my way, of course, I would respond swiftly. I would have paraded my best people in front of Barisan by now. I would have paraded my policies, I would have taken on Barisan on every issue. But that’s easy for me to say because I’m speaking as one person. Leaders of political parties have to worry about a hundred and one things, so I don’t want to be presumptuous and say it’s as simple as that. But that’s what I would do.
Anwar is seen as the glue that holds Pakatan together. If he goes to jail, how might that affect the coalition?


Pakatan is a lot bigger than one person. It is a movement for change. The glue is not in the person. The glue is in the message, in the political ideals.
Will the Pakatan structure be anything like Barisan’s, in that the head of the lead party becomes the coalition’s leader?
No, the basic difference is that in BN there is only one boss. But in Pakatan, everything will be through consensus. This is a big concession on the part of PAS, DAP and PKR.
It might be more difficult to reach decisions because everybody has to agree, but you’re also forced to talk which fosters a different political culture. It will require a lot more work. Democracy is more cumbersome, but it’s better in the long run because you act on the basis of the views of many.

Perak State

Independent polls gaining influence

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 9 — When the Pakatan Rakyat government in Perak was unseated through defections in February, the local people were clearly unhappy.

But just how unhappy?

The independent pollster, Merdeka Centre, did a survey in the state to find out.

Its poll found that half the Malay respondents believed the palace’s decision to install a Barisan Nasional (BN) government, instead of calling for fresh polls, was in line with the people’s wishes. In contrast, a whopping 82 per cent of the Chinese said it was not. That would have been that, except for the oddest twist of fate.

A Perak MP died of a heart attack, triggering a by-election in Bukit Gantang two months later.

The election result tallied with the survey findings. The Malay vote for the BN came in at around 55 per cent, while the Chinese support was a low 22 per cent. It rarely happens as neatly as this, but this was one example of how polling can be a fair measure of the Malaysian political pulse.

Political polling is still fairly new in Malaysia, although there has always been some form of pulse-checking. Umno, for instance, had grassroots systems which had one party member taking care of 10 voters in their village. This used to be very effective. But that system broke down spectacularly in last year’s general election.

The BN did not have an inkling of the massive ground shift that dealt it the worst electoral showing in 50 years. Its village methods had failed in an urban setting — and more than 60 per cent of Malaysians now live in urban centres.

That was when independent polling received a boost as it appeared more reliable than in-house sources and party intelligence. Even before the general election, Merdeka Centre had published several surveys that revealed a sense of Chinese and Indian unhappiness. Not enough attention was paid to the findings, and the BN paid a heavy price in terms of seats.

“Polling is extremely important so that you don’t risk fooling yourself with internal bias. That said, it can still be a challenge to base decisions on poll results because of other pressures,” said Nelleita Omar, managing director of Vox Malaysia.

Vox Malaysia is the newest polling and consulting firm in the country. It is run by ex-policy staffers from former premier Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s office.

The interest in poll data is certainly noticeable now. Ibrahim Suffian, director of Merdeka Centre, said there was a surge of interest immediately after last year’s March 8 general election. Shell- shocked political parties were scrambling for answers, and the public also sought to make sense of the topsy-turvy landscape. This started to change public discourse.

“People were not clear about the mood before. But when we started to publish our surveys, it changed the debate because there’s now the ability to quantify sentiments,” said Ibrahim.

It does seep into the debate, going by the chatter online. People may not discuss surveys, but the data they provide helps shape arguments to some extent. But polling, which is still in its infancy in Malaysia, does not yet have the reach to influence public opinion. The impact on public policymakers is also relatively low, compared to, say, private companies which have wide experience with using polling data to position their products.

“In politics, it’s a lot harder. The span of products, if you like, is very wide. But it’s the same principle, you have to find the key issues and zoom in,” said Nelleita.

She said while polling had become more visible in recent years, there is still a gap between retrieving data and using it to structure policies.

It is the political parties that have begun to use the data strategically. DAP election strategist Liew Chin Tong said while they realise it is not an exact science, polls can yield useful information if they are properly done and interpreted. “It’s a snapshot at a particular time, and political sentiment is notoriously fluid. But if it’s consistently monitored, it can be a fair reflection of ground feeling,” he said.

In the last general election, Liew said, the opposition parties had taken several good decisions partly influenced by polling data.

One, the three parties decided not to form a coalition then but to work together in an electoral pact. Polling had indicated that voters were not ready for an official alliance but also did not want the opposition to fight one another. Two, the parties avoided campaigning on a platform of winning federal power because surveys showed that this would discomfit voters. Both strategies worked.

“It’s not good to be too dependent on polls as they are never accurate, but they can show part of the picture and be one of the many tools,” said Liew.

The accuracy of polling is always an issue, of course. That depends largely on the expertise with which it is carried out, the frequency, and the skill in reading the data. Still, it looks like political polling is here to stay — and grow. As Ibrahim noted, the 2008 election has changed the Malaysian mindset significantly. There’s a distinct loosening of what he called “brand loyalty”.

“People look for quality, and that has changed the way politicians have to react to them,” he said.

Malaysians have also become more vocal, and pollsters see far less of the frustrating blank looks and shrugs in response to surveys. Everyone has an opinion now; the question is how to read it. — The Straits Times

The other side of accounts of the PAS political seminar

Voters unconvinced with PAS leadership, favours Nik Aziz to Hadi

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

Pollsters identified a strong preference for Nik Aziz (left) over Hadi Awang. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 8 — The majority of voters are not convinced with the current PAS leadership and perceive its leaders as the most dominant problem in the party, a new poll shows.

The poll conducted by Zentrum Future Studies Malaysia from 20 February 2008 to 5 March 2009 showed that 50 per cent of the 2,100 respondents found the main issue to be PAS’ leaders while 27 per cent regarded the party’s ideology as a major stumbling block.

The survey showed that only 31 per cent of respondents were in favour of the current party leadership.

The Zentrum poll also suggests that more Malaysians were in favour of PAS spiritual leader Datuk Niz Aziz Niz Mat compared to party president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, with 83 per cent confident in Nik Aziz’s leadership compared to Hadi’s 33 per cent.

The survey showed that one in three respondents identified both Hadi and deputy president Nasharuddin Mat Isa as the weakness in the party leadership, while four per cent perceive Nik Aziz as the weak link.

The poll also indicates that 44 per cent of those surveyed viewed positively the leadership of PAS’ women’s wing, while the Youth wing and central party leaderships scored 25 and 24 per cent respectively.

Although the party leadership was popular among the age group of 41 to 50 years old, support from those between 21 and 30 was dwindling.

For PAS, getting the young is now a priority for the next general elections but Hadi’s low popularity with younger voters may be an obstacle, with 70 per cent of the 21-30 age group expressing a loss of confidence in the leader and 40 per cent considering him the weakness in the party. The survey also shows that 70 per cent of the age group are unhappy with the top two leaders in the party.

The poll suggests that Malaysians are wary of the hard-line stance that the party projects with the current conservative line-up led by Hadi and Nasharuddin.

The party now seems on course to further distance themselves from voters after 1,000 PAS delegates at a special seminar yesterday concluded that the party must stick to its Islamic line even at the expense of Pakatan Rakyat.

While Nik Aziz has endorsed the pact, many delegates remained suspicious of the role allies DAP and PKR could play in championing the Islamic cause.

They wanted the party to stick to its Islamic line, which has been blurred by Umno’s active Islamic campaigns that have included enacting laws such as caning for alcohol consumption.

The latest poll suggests that for PAS to become a mainstream political party, it needs to reform its hard-line stance to a more accommodating approach or risk not repeating the achievements of 2008 as the party can no longer rely on anti-Umno sentiments to support them.

University  Malaya (UM) professor Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah made that point clear when presenting the report at the seminar yesterday, saying that the trend to support the opposition could change in the next general elections.

“The days of ABU, Anything But Umno, are over,” he said bluntly.

————————————————————————–

Selangor MB slams PAS delegates

By Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani

KLANG, Nov 8 — Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said today he was disappointed with allegations made by PAS delegates yesterday that Pakatan Rakyat was not doing enough to champion Islam.

He told them to instead “walk the talk” themselves.

Yesterday at PAS’s special seminar, some party delegates accused PR of not championing Muslim rights and were suspicious what role Islam could play in its ties with allies DAP and PKR.

The Selangor Mentri Besar stressed today that Islam requires Muslims not only to preach but also to be proactive.

“Islam itself requires us to be proactive as a Muslim, it is not expecting other people or it is the Ummah (society) itself has the social responsibility but in Islam also it tells us that we must not only preach but also do.

“So if someone wants to complain that Pakatan Rakyat, then that Muslim has to say that he has spent 2,000 man hours promoting and there is nobody that has done it,” he said.

He added that the delegates must set a good example before making accusations.

“I myself am doing it, we don’t complain. We promote Islam,” he said.

Khalid also told PAS to earn its leadership role and not expect it.

“If you want to be a leader, people have to accept you as a leader. It is not you want people to say that you are a leader. No, you earn your leadership and respect,” he said.

Yesterday’s PAS seminar showed its members were now concerned over a blurring of lines and its future direction in PR.

Some 1,000 PAS delegates at the special seminar to strengthen the party and affirm its place in PR concluded that the party must stick to its Islamic line even at the expense of the federal opposition pact.

PAS Selangor were at loggerheads with PR when the party’s state commissioner Datuk Hasan Ali criticised the state’s select committee for competency, accountability and transparency (Selcat) for “bullying public servants” during a recent public inquiry.

The outburst by the PAS leader reignited discussions on Hasan’s loyalty and his party’s commitment to PR in Selangor.

Hasan previously clashed with PR colleagues over the sale of beer at convenience outlets in Shah Alam, and a plan to empower mosque committee members and workers to police immoral activities in the state.

PAS state liaison committee secretary Mohd Khairuddin Othman has also issued a statement of the party’s support for Hasan and warned that the party was considering pulling out of the state government.

Recently PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat wanted a special muktamar to rid the party of leaders whom he described as “problematic” and seen to favour working closely with Umno instead of strengthening PR.

He had named Hasan along with Nasharuddin and secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali as those who had made the party look inconsistent.

However, PAS central committee members recently unanimously decided not to call for a special muktamar but to hold yesterday’s seminar instead.

———————————————————–

PAS men slam unrepentant Abdul Aziz

By Debra Chong

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 7 – PAS delegates slammed Dr Abdul Aziz Bari (pic) for criticising the party leadership but the UIA law professor remained unrepentant, arguing that his criticism was constructive.

Abdul Aziz courted controversy last month with an article published in Sinar Harian and stirred it further today when he asked why PAS members wanted to be close to Umno.

He had criticised the PAS leadership, which he saw aligned to president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang, for allegedly pushing a merger with Umno.

The academic’s views formed the basis for PAS spiritual adviser, Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, to pursue an extraordinary general meeting (EGM) in an attempt to cleanse the party of “problematic” leaders, but which was replaced with today’s seminar.

Delegates present from all over the country loudly denounced Abdul Aziz as an “Umno agent” for publicly raising the issue of a “unity government” once again.

They repeatedly pressed the constitutional expert to reveal his sources for the allegations, noting that Abdul Hadi had this morning stressed that PAS is committed to the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) struggle to depose the ruling coalition and had shut the door on any more “unity” talks.

“Where did you get information to say that the president does not get along with Lim Kit Siang and Anwar Ibrahim?” a woman delegate asked, referring to the DAP and PKR leaders respectively.

The three opposition parties had joined forces after gaining major inroads among voters in the March 8 elections last year and had recently handed in their application to the Registrar of Societies to formalise their coalition.

Another delegate went further and called Abdul Aziz an “agent of the West” for forcing the concept of a two-party system on them.

The man, who did not identify himself, also likened the IIU don to an “agen nafsu”, which translates to a man with his own ulterior motives, for stirring up discord within PAS.

He received loud support from the floor, with cries of “Takbir!” and “Allahuakbar!”

Abdul Aziz took the verbal attacks in stride and explained that his criticism should be read constructively.

He added that he was only trying to stir the party’s imagination towards strengthening itself ahead of the next general election.

“Think for yourselves,” he advised.

“I did not insult the president or even mention his personal life. I only mentioned his post as the captain of this team,” he countered.

Likening the current political situation to a football match, Abdul Aziz claimed that he had the right as a “paying spectator” to comment.

Not all delegates found his views repugnant, judging from the way they leapt to his defence.

A woman delegate commended him for his willingness to share his bold views openly. She suggested that the leaders should note down his ideas because views from the grassroots which were conveyed through the proper party channels did not always gain traction.

Another delegate asked the rest of his partymen to keep an open mind and not take Abdul Aziz’s comments to heart.

“We must change. Medicine is usually bitter while food which taste sweet are the causes of sickness,” the young man said.

But many others remained unconvinced.

Two delegates from the Federal Territory slammed Abdul Aziz for failing to back up his allegations, unlike his fellow panellist, Universiti Malaya (UM) analyst, Dr Abu Hassan Hasbullah.

Abu Hassan had presented a detailed report predicting the future outcome of PAS based on a study carried out among 2,000 people.

“The more important thing now is to strengthen the party. Abu Hassan’s research will be good for our party,” said one man from the Kepong division.

The UM don’s survey results, backed by hard statistics, found greater favour among the delegates even though he shared the same ideas with Abdul Aziz.

Abu Hassan said that PAS must carry out serious reforms now if it wants to win the next general election.

PAS committed to strengthen Pakatan Rakyat

Although academicians and political analysts are of the view that PAS is facing a leadership crisis, party president Abdul Hadi Awang remains upbeat that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

Using an analogy of a football team, Hadi likened the party to a popular football team absorbing tremendous pressure battling on its home turf, watched by a huge number of supporters.

“Just imagine PAS as a football team. We have a manager and a coach guiding it. Then, we have the commentators who critique the way we play.

“The team is cheered on by vociferous supporters and provoked by rivals on the other end of the field. Some provoke us by throwing firecrackers on the field when we play.

“But we don’t resort to ever throwing the firecrackers back at them,” said Hadi during his winding-up speech at a party seminar in Kuala Lumpur today.

“Just like in the real world,” he added, “where there are biting criticisms hurled at the party, leaders should not reject their views totally but instead “accept them with a magnanimous heart”.

“It won’t do any good to to the team if the captain or the manager is fired during half time of the game as result of emotional responses.

“We need to be professional, we are not kampung football players. We should instead thank those who have made constructive criticisms,” said Hadi.

Earlier today, the PAS seminar saw many members retaliating against political analyst Abdul Aziz Bari for his stringent criticism of the party leadership.

We are like newly-commisioned ship

Later at a press conference, Hadi reiterated that PAS will remain in Pakatan Rakyat and vowed that the party will be consistent with its principles within the opposition coalition.

Likening the party’s partnership with PKR and DAP to “a ship that has just been built”, he said the ship needed to be tested and strengthened so that it could face challenges in the sea of democracy.

“We will face the storms with patience and prove to the people that we are committed to bringing changes to our country,” said Hadi.

To a question whether he felt offended by the criticisms the party received from the academicians today, he said: “It is normal to have that.

“There are constructive criticisms and there are not. So we will take into account the constructive ones and we rebut the ones that needs addressing,” he said.

Five resolutions achieved

Earlier, vice-president Salahuddin Ayub, who was also the seminar’s chairman said that the party has passed five resolutions at the seminar.

They are:

• To strengthen Pakatan and prepare for the next general election and to urge party leaders and members to be more proactive in administrating Pakatan.

• Get more non-Muslim supporters to be more active in PAS.

• Uphold and strengthen the party’s principles through research and information.

• Find ways to strengthen the Youth wing so that it could reach out to a wider audience of young voters.

• Develop an action plan and strengthen the national campaign of ‘PAS for all’.