600+ majority on March 8, 2008 GE, then you must chiefly credit Raja Petra K, OK! Of course, his bandwagon of fellow mates like angel A and zorro et al. Today I'll give agent 001 a rest -- Cut&Pastrying from a Carolyn Hong, away from the NST to the ST...and you know why, don't you?:) This is a rhetorical q, K! when you are NOT expected to answer. Butt if you wish to, you thnk Des cares? This is democrazy vve are promoting via Blogsworld -- especially to the 8o,000+ strong KT electorate. Vote VVisely, for CHANGE! You owe it to thyself chiefly, and to the rest of us ardent fans as a bonus!:) -- DesiFOOLofErrata, I sent off 2 emails dating today as Jan 12, 2008, can you imagine? Yes, that's rhetoric Q2...:(
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Raja Petra stumps for PAS
Posted by admin
Monday, 12 January 2009 08:56
Other bloggers join in to woo Chinese voters in Kuala Terengganu
By Carolyn Hong, The Straits Times
Raja Petra (in his trademark beret -- use thy Godgifted imagine-nation, K ~~ Desi OR surf to malaysia-today.net-lah, you lazy BUMmers! -- YL) after handing PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang a campaign T-shirt. The blogger says he is neutral but supports 'certain aspects' of the opposition.
Controversial blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, recently released from detention, is such a famous figure, he gets curious stares everywhere he goes in Kuala Terengganu.
Some locals even ask to be photographed with the blogger, sporting his trademark beret and pipe.
Raja Petra is in town to campaign for Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) candidate Abdul Wahid Endut, ahead of the Kuala Terengganu by-election on Saturday.
Mr Wahid is up against Umno's Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh and an independent. The by-election was called after Umno MP Razali Ismail died in November last year.
'I am neutral, but I subscribe to certain aspects of the opposition such as bringing reforms to Malaysia,' said Raja Petra, 58, who does not belong to any political party.
He runs the Malaysia Today website, which publishes his hard-hitting columns that take on the most powerful politicians in Malaysia.
Three other political bloggers have joined him in campaigning for the opposition in Kuala Terengganu as well as in cyberspace.
Although Kuala Terengganu is too rural to be Internet-savvy, Raja Petra said he has met voters who are familiar with his writings. His postings are frequently distributed as leaflets in the villages.
The opposition's focus is the 8,000-plus Chinese voters said to hold the key to this election, as the Malay vote is split.
Raja Petra speaks at one or two rallies nearly every night, and also to smaller groups of voters, to whom he talks about PAS and the Islamic state.
'When the voters see that we are not Taleban and we support PAS, it gives us a chance to explain things to them,' he said.
His message blends well with the opposition campaign, which is focusing on recent controversies such as those raised by Umno Youth chief aspirant Mukhriz Mahathir's call to turn vernacular schools into national ones, and a Penang Umno leader's description of the Chinese as immigrants.
A PAS banner has gone up in the Chinese area labelling Umno as extreme. Leaflets have also gone out showing a picture of Penang Umno leaders tearing up a poster of Gerakan president Koh Tsu Koon after he protested against the description of the Chinese as immigrants.
Still, it is not certain to what extent this will mean more votes for the PAS candidate. In the March general election, 65 per cent of the Chinese votes went to Barisan Nasional (BN).
But this time, the Chinese are turning up at opposition rallies by the hundreds. At the rally last Saturday, many were seen stuffing RM50 (S$21) notes into the donation boxes.
They cheered for the PAS candidate in his robes and skull cap, and were wowed by the star speaker, Ms Nurul Izzah Anwar, the daughter of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim.
There is some euphoria in the opposition camp, which believes there has been a swing in its favour. But it is also aware there is a week still to go.
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Ah, after BF, there's always brunch, so here's another serving from fellow writer KIM QUEK, based in Johor Bharu, butt like RPK, (how about Desi2 by aRsEsciation?) spreading the word throughout the NegaraKu. You better remember such folks in your knightly prayers -- such Malayains are a gem, Okay 2 gems, mayhaps 3!
from cpiasia.net:)
Will The Kuala Terengganu Electorate Vote for Change?
Columnists
Written by Kim Quek
Monday, 12 January 2009 09:53
In the most daring act to bribe the electorate of Kuala Terengganu (K.T.) to date, Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak dished out 583 government contracts in a “lucky draw” fashion to each and every Class F contractor present at the Wisma Darul Iman in Kuala Terengganu on Jan 10, 2009 -- the fifth day of the K. T. by-election campaign . These contracts (valued between RM30,000 to RM200,000 each), which were claimed to be for infrastructure works in the local township, were distributed (in random lottery draw!) by having the contractor to come on stage to click on the computer. And upon pressing the button, a contract would be awarded to the contractor, details of which – nature of works and contract price - would instantly appear in a big screen in the hall. Thus the contractor would walk home with his “prize” (a contract with a pre-determined price), with no question asked on his track record or suitability for the works assigned.
Najib Razak, who launched these innovative awards, proudly claimed this as “a world record”, saying that “In this lucky draw, everyone wins. Every one gets a contract.” He further added that if Barisan Nasional wins in the coming Kuala Terengganu by-election, there would be more and bigger such contracts, so that the Class F contractors (confined to Malays, for small contracts) would “continue to make money and the country’s economy would continue to grow”.
While Najib may be entitled to claim he has scored “the world’s first” for having satisfied every one of the hundreds of contractors present, few can share his pride over such a bizarre method of dispensing government infrastructure projects.
For a start, contracts for infrastructure works are usually awarded gradually over a period of time, as and when the needs for such works arise, as determined and initiated by the engineers and the local authorities. These contracts are never awarded in a torrent of hundreds within a single day anywhere in the world. Granted that this may be part of the stimulus package announced earlier to counter current economic hardship, there is no possible justification to cram such a staggering number of projects at one go, especially when these are confined in a small township like Kuala Terengganu. Needless to say, massive wastages and redundancies will be the inevitable consequences.
Then, what about the track records and skill compatibility of the contractors with respect to the projects at hand? Without proper interview and scrutiny of the applicants, how can the government be certain that the projects are awarded to the right contractors?
Next, there is the question of price. Without tenders or negotiations, how can the government ensure fair pricing? In fact, over-generous pricing is expected, or else Najib would not have said: “I see everyone present here is jubilant and clapping his hands, every one has got a government contract, how can they be not grateful to the government and not strongly support Barisan Nasional?” (Sin Chew, Jan 11)
It is clear that this “lucky draw” award of contracts is an irresponsible act of public squandering aimed at inducing voters to support BN. For this move, BN was promptly condemned by the National Institute of Electoral Integrity as abusing government machinery to dish out financial benefits during election campaign.
Deplorable as the act is, this is but one of an endless series of similar monetary inducement amounting to tens of millions of ringgit in the form of cash payments and allocations handed out by BN in the K.T. constituency since the run up to polling which will be held on Jan 17.
In fact, on the same day (Jan 10) as Najib handed out the “lucky draw”, he also handed out RM8 million to 20 religious schools, which are mainly located in Terengganu state.
Recognizing the minority 8,787 Chinese votes (11% of total) as pivotal in this election, the Chinese community has been bombarded almost daily with allocations and cash payments totaling no less than RM12 million, such as:
* RM3.3 million for construction of a new community hall.
* RM2.8 million for furbishing a completed hall in a Chinese school.
* RM3 million for 10 Chinese schools
* RM2.7 million cash distribution to 9,000 Chinese residents for the coming Chinese New year (this annual payment was brought forward to reap the goodwill of Chinese electorate for the coming poll).
* Miscellaneous payments to temples, guilds and other communal bodies.
All these financial bonanzas, handed out within the few days since nominations on Jan 5, are clearly intended to induce voters to vote in favour of the BN candidate, and therefore constitute “bribery” as defined in paragraph 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954, for which the culprits are punishable as prescribed in paragraph 11 of the same Act. Regrettably, the Election Commission under the new chairman Abdul Aziz Yusof, who vowed to ensure clean and fair elections, has remained silent over these BN offences. Neither has the newly formed Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), which prides itself as a replica of the famed Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) of Hong Kong, appears to have been stirred from its slumber by such glaring corrupt practices.
Such monetary assault on the electorate, combined with the daily brainwashing by BN’s propaganda machines, also known as the mainstream media (local newspapers and TV channels), has once again made a complete mockery of our election as a cornerstone of a democratic system of government.
With all the institutions tasked to uphold the rule of law either unwilling or incapable of fulfilling their constitutional roles, it is now left to the 80,000-strong electorate of Kuala Terengganu to act as guardians to uphold justice and democracy by disciplining the wayward ruling party by rejecting the BN candidate.
In this connection, it is heartening to take note of how the neighbouring Kelantan state has valiantly fought off similar corrupt assault by UMNO/BN for the past two decades. Under the corruption-free administration of PAS, the people of Kelantan, who are almost completely Malay Muslims, have proven themselves to be people of high moral fibre as they have successfully overcome the persistent coercion and temptation presented by the UMNO/BN federal government through abuse of federal authority and improper monetary inducement. No doubt, their devotion to Islam, which abhors corruption as a grave sin, must have been an important factor that contributes to their moral courage.
Will the Terengganu Muslim constituents, who form 88% of the K.T. electorate, prove to have the same moral strength as their Kelantan brothers by rejecting the decadent values of UMNO/BN?
And will the minority Chinese constituents gaze beyond the immediate monetary gains to vote for change – a change that would mean the rejection of a dysfunctional political power and one step closer to turning a new leaf for the nation?
Coming at a time of power transition following the political tsunami of the 8 Mar 2008 general elections, the outcome of this K.T. by-election will have significant impact on the future direction of country’s political development. It is therefore earnestly hoped that the people of K.T. will rise to the occasion to make the right choice for the nation.
Kim Quek
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