Dr M : Choose Pak Lah For Defeat
Source : Malaysiakini
Dr Mahathir Mohamad has once again asked Umno members to desert his handpicked successor Abdullah Ahmad Badawi - in the aftermath of the Permatang Pauh by-election defeat.
In his latest blog entry, Mahathir said party members and leaders must accept that under Abdullah’s stewardship, support for Umno and Barisan Nasional has dropped even more than at its post-general elections nadir.
"You can continue supporting Abdullah as party president, but the people won't support Umno because it has become a tool for Abdullah and his family.
"When the 13th general election looms, the people will remove Umno and Barisan because it is the only way they can remove Abdullah... because Umno and Barisan is unwilling to act, the people would have to act," he said.
Yesterday, Umno's Arif Shah Omar Shah was trounced by PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim in a by-election preceded by tumultuous campaigning, which returns the former deputy prime minister to Parliament as leader of the opposition.
The seat was vacated by Anwar's wife Dr Wan Azizah Ismail earlier this month.
Anwar managed a higher majority than his wife, a clear signal that his support has not waned despite the best efforts of the BN election machinery and leaders.
Voters' dilemma
According to Mahathir, Malay and non-Malay voters did not want to vote for Anwar but were even less inclined to vote for BN.
This is the dilemma faced by Malaysian voters, he added.
“The BN candidate was good, but if he won, Abdullah would declare himself the winner and claim that support for BN and himself had returned. He would also claim that BN’s support was restored under his leadership.
“The message which the Malay, Chinese and Indian voters wanted to send were in vain, because Abdullah has no ears to listen, no eyes to see,” he said.
Mahathir said the Permatang Pauh result has left Umno members with only two options - stay loyal to Abdullah and risk losing the next general election, or stay loyal to the party.
"Umno must remember that votes from loyal members alone are insufficient to ensure victory. To win, Umno candidates need votes from non-party members, Chinese and Indians," he said.
Mahathir also predicted that the mainstream media would 'spin' the by-election results to Abdullah’s advantage and present a need for the prime minister to heal the party, by remaining in power. 
"Then Umno will unanimously re-elect Abdullah as the party president in December. This would weaken Umno and BN further," he added.
In a related development, Mahathir doubts that Anwar could be the next prime minister despite winning the Permatang Pauh by-election.
He believes that Anwar will not be able to get at least 30 Members of Parliament from BN to cross over to the opposition to form a simple-majority government.
"He (Anwar) may think that he can buy them but other bidders may have more money," he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Earlier, Pandikar Amin told reporters that he has not received any formal letter from the opposition recognising Anwar as their leader.
Anwar, a former deputy prime minister before his shock sacking in 1998 by former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, won the Permatang Pauh by-election yesterday with a much bigger-than-expected majority of 15,671 votes over Arif Shah Omar Shah, the candidate from the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition.
MCMC chief operating officer Mohamed Sharil Tarmizi, when contacted today, confirmed that the block was ordered by the commission.
This is believed to be the first time such curbs have been initiated against a non-pornographic website, posing questions as to whether the government is reneging on its no-Internet censorship pledge.
“I couldn’t be bothered to protest (against the move). What do you expect me to do? Do you think they would listen?” he asked when contacted.
Anwar won the vote to return to parliament despite an intense campaign mounted by the Barisan Nasional, which he has promised to unseat within a month with the help of defecting lawmakers.
Razaleigh said the coalition's by-election campaign, which was criticised for its racial overtones and focus on sodomy allegations against Anwar, has "embarrassed and divided the nation with its ugliness."
"Our leadership is rejected by the rakyat and, moreover, is rejected by our own members. BN's vote count was less than the number of Umno members in the constituency.
Mahathir's son Mukhriz, another senior Umno figure, who is vying for the top spot in the party's influential youth wing, also called for Abdullah's immediate resignation.
In response to Anwar’s challenge, the ruling coalition has unleashed money, patronage and the overwhelming control it has over the mainstream media to convince the 58,000 voters in this constituency that Anwar is simply unfit to be anything, let alone the next prime minister.
Despite the use of the sodomy allegation, Malays are flocking to his campaign rallies by the thousands and enthusiastically clapping and cheering as he slams government corruption and mismanagement of the economy.
"The BN campaign is focused on Anwar’s character, and systematically used character assassination as a means to reduce Anwar’s majority," she said.
Even within the opposition, by now it is clear that five months after the gains of the general election change means different things to the disparate political parties that form the opposition Pakatan Rakyat coalition.
Anwar has won over the minority Chinese and Indians voters with his promise to abolish corruption, apply special rights to all who need it and treat all citizens as equal.
He was met by reporters during a meeting and final preparation works by the EC workers at the Tuanku Bainun Teachers' Training College, which will be used as the counting centre tomorrow.
As the two parties insisted on their own stand, the meeting ended with the PKR agreed to submit the 868 names which they have found to be removed to EC this afternoon for verification.
However, strangely, the EC has decided to use the ‘updated' roll on July 31 - and yet to be gazetted - for the by-election tomorrow and led to questions over it.
The BN man faces PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim and Akim president Hanafi Hamat in a three-cornered fight. Polling is on Tuesday.
According to him, he had only sleep for two to three hours a day since nomination day last Saturday.
Though Hadi's ceramah only lasted 10 minutes, his final words should be enough for anyone doubting PAS’ commitment to PKR leader Anwar Ibrahim's campaign.
"These people are using Islam when it suits them," said the 68-year-old religious scholar-turned-politician.
Haron's defence just two days before polling is the best that PKR could wish for to help satisfy questions on why Anwar has not taken an oath to deny the allegation.
Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng made the announcement today in a press statement saying that the special holiday was to ensure a full turnout of the 58,459 voters for the critical by-election.
Come on, Mr Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng. This is your most ridiculous act yet in your first few months as Penang’s chief executive.
In recent times however, a datukship has almost become ‘valueless’. Palace hands have been alleged to be involved in ‘selling’ the honorific titles. Ask Dr Rais Yatim. Some years ago, he accused such people of being involved in corruption by acting as middle-men and surprisingly, none of the royal households came out to dispute it. So, we can form our own conclusion on Rais’ allegation.
A case in point is senior exco Ngeh Koo Ham, who was made a datuk. I don’t know how he feels when even his more senior and accomplished party colleagues like Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh, Dr Chen Man Hin and Dr Tan Seng Giaw are still ‘datuk-less’.
Of course, Ngeh could always sing the old, familiar tune of ‘it would be disrespectful to decline the award from the sultan’. But then, many of us are aware that before awarding a candidate with a title, the palace or the relevant department will write to inform the candidate and he or she can decide whether to accept or decline the award. It has been said that Kit Siang has turned down a datukship before and I think he genuinely feels good about it.
But to award the datukship to Nicole David and Lee Chong Wei is silly, awkward and un-chief minister-like. I describe them as ‘kids’ because they are viewed as such when weighed against the title which is normally given to senior citizens.
In future, Guan Eng should consider awarding permanent scholarships from the Penang government to the state’s high achievers in sports.
The protest began around 2pm, swelling to about 200 people by the time the arrests were made. The splinter group, which also claims to represent Hindraf, was carrying out a bonfire prayer at the temple.
Soon after that, the demonstration got out of hand and the arrests were made around 6.30pm.
These allegations coincide with Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin’s claim at a ceramah last night that he was privy to Anwar’s alleged discussion with the United States to open an airbase in Malaysia once the PKR leader succeeds in seizing power.
Anwar was not their sole target. His colleagues in Pakatan Rakyat were also not spared.
All the banners did not carry a party logo and the name of the printer. This breaches election laws and the Elections Commission can actually take action to have them removed.
The leaflets carried a ‘frontpage’ portraying DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh clad in a traditional baju Melayu alongside Anwar, Hadi, Guan Eng, Anwar’s wife Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and Karpal’s son Gobind Singh Deo. (photo)