No new township for Kuala Sepetang if PAS wins

Kuala Sepetang voters should give their mandate to Ismail to get a new township.

Kuala Sepetang (Port Weld)

Gerakan Wanita Chief Datuk Tan Lian Hoe promises a new township for the voters in Kuala Sepetang if Barisan Nasional candidate Ismail Saffian wins the Bukit Gantang by-election.

There are about 4,000 Chinese voters in Kuala Sepetang followed by Simpang with about 1,000 and Pasir Hitam and Sungai Rotan having some 500 voters each.


In 2004, 70 per cent of the Chinese supported BN but this dropped to 30 per cent in March last year.

The question arises: Can Pas build a new township for the voters in Kuala Sepetang if Nizar Jamaluddin wins?



Datuk Tan Lian Hoe was confident the people of Kuala Sepetang would give their mandate to Ismail, although the Bukit Gantang seat fell to the opposition in the last election,

She said the issue that most of the people in Kuala Sepetang are squatting on state land would be brought up at the state government level after the by-election.


Tan said, the issue will be resolved once and for all. It would be irresponsible if the government just gave them ownership because they live so close to the river, it is dangerous.


The only option is to create a new township, with houses, but nearby because their livelihood depends on the river, she said.

Tan said details on the township would be decided by the state government after the elections.

DAP-puppet Perak ex MB Nizar Jamaluddin

The political-chaos in Perak shown that former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin is the puppet of DAP.


Ironically, a puppet is a representational figure manipulated by a puppeteer. Although one should not too into conspiracies but obviously PAS seems to be the latest political puppet of DAP in Perak as PAS desperately needs help and assistance from DAP.

Unideniably, Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and his administration seem had been dominated by DAP. It is the authoritarian ways of the Ngeh-Nga cousins – Perak DAP chief Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and state DAP secretary Nga Kor Ming of pulling the strings from behind with Nizar as the puppet.

It is always claimed that the DAP had dominated all decisions made in the state executive council, it was claims that the Ngeh-Nga cousins, namely DAP’s Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham and Nga Kor Ming, both former exco members had been forcing their views upon the others during the council meetings.

It has been the DAP that has been dictating all the decisions of the state government.

For example, the decision to administer freehold titles to the new and planned villages in the state. The former PR Perak state government had approved 1,000ha of land to nine Chinese independent schools but only approved an initial allocation of RM1.3 million to the 18 religious schools which were in deplorable state.

It is understood that Perak DAP Chairman Datuk Ngeh Koo Ham mooted the idea of fielding of Nizar as the candidate for Bukit Gantang.

Although Pas spiritual leader Nik Aziz originally questioned the decision of fielding Nizar as the candidate in the Bukit Gantang by-election but suddenly made a u-turn and changes the decision to turn down his own decision by giving his blessing.

15 candidates for Bukit Selambau by-election

The Bukit Selambau by-election will be fought by 15 candidates, the biggest field of candidates ever for a by-election in the country's 51 year history.


State Election Commission (EC) director Zainal Abidin Zakaria said the 13 comprising 11 independents, the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) would make the by-election the most crowded ever.

He said the highest number of candidates ever to contest a parliamentary or state seat was eight.

The many candidates mean that the ballot paper could come in A4 size paper to fit the party symbols and those picked by independent candidates.

A normal ballot paper is usually pocket-sized and is folded into two to fit the ballot box.

At the close of nomination at noon both coalitions, the Barisan Nasional and the Pakatan Rakyat found themselves having to grapple with 13 Independent candidates for the April 7 by-elections.

The independents are: Husaini Yaacob, T. Chandraajan, Mejar (Rtd) Anuar Abdul Hamid, Vaneson Michael, Abdul Rahim Abu, S. Moganakumar, Mohd Fadzil Abdul Wahab, Md Radzi Md Lazim, Loganathan Ramanathan, Saralaloganathan, Tan Hock Huat and A.Jayagopal, Khamis Awang.

Straight fight in Batang Ai

The Batang Ai state by-election on April 7 is a straight fight between Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat-PKR. BN newcomer Malcom Mussem Lamoh, 49, will face PKR’s Jawah Gerang, 55, a five-term former Lubok Antu MP.

Malcom Mussem Lamoh

About 40% of the 22,270 Batang Ai residents from 238 longhouses and 15 houses rely on boats as the mode of transport. There are 8,600 registered voters, comprising 95% Ibans in the 1,341 sq km constituency where 24 polling centres will be opened.

Jawah Gerang

The seat fell vacant following the death of four-term BN incumbent Datuk Dublin Unting Ingkot, who was Sarawak agriculture and sports assistant minister and Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) vice-president on Feb 24.

Mussen, an Iban, is the candidate proposed by BN component Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) and endorsed by the state BN. Born in Engkilili, Mussen, 50, holds a Masters in Manufacturing Systems Engineering from the University Of Warwick, UK, and has been an engineer with the agriculture department since 1984.

Three-cornered fight for the Bukit Gantang

Three-cornered fight for the Bukit Gantang by-election; BN's Ismail Safian, PAS's Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and independent candidate Kamarul Ramizu Idris, 42, after turning in their nomination papers at the Dewan perbandaran Taiping.


The BN candidate Ismail Safian, 49, is the Manjung and Kuala Kangsar municipal council secretary, is active politically as Bukit Gantang (Umno) deputy chief.

Nizar, 52, is also the deputy PAS commissioner of Perak and state assemblyman for Pasir Panjang.
The by-election is necessitated by the death of its Member of Parliament Roslan Shahrom of PAS on Feb 9.

In the general election held in March last year, Roslan defeated the BN's Datuk Seri Abdul Azim Zabidi Roslan by a majority of 1,566 votes while an independent candidate, M. Mogan, secured only 882 votes and lost his deposit.

MCA and Gerakan look forward to working together with Khairy Jamaluddin

Khairy Jamaluddin has been elected as the head of Umno Youth. Oxford-educated, journalist, television show producer, and investment banker, Khairy Jamaluddin is clearly a man of many 'talents'.

Khairy Jamaluddin

This was the decision of Umno Youth and all BN component parties especially MCA and Gerakan need to support him unanimously under the spirit of BN unity.

The BN component parties ought not to contradict the will of Umno Youth delegates but to accept the decision that Khairy Jamaluddin is the head of Umno Youth and be ready to look forward to work together to sustain the success of BN.

Khairy Jamaluddin, the son-in-law of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has won the Umno Youth Chief post after defeating Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir and Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo where polled 304 votes.

He will take over the post from Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein, who is not defending the post as he is contesting for one of the three vice-president positions.

He is a democratically elected leader, Naturally KJ and his allies will dispute the point about an obsolete Malay nationalism. He chooses his life less ordinary because he wanted to stand up and be counted.

Unjustified to freezes Zambry's salary

The decision made by the Perak PAC to freeze the salaries of former and current MB is prone to errors and is unjustified as well as bias.

Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir

Ironically, BN took over Perak State Government is legitimate and constitutional. The BN was follow the process and rules of the Perak state constitution and get the His Royal Highness Sultan Azlan Shah's consent before taking over the state government.

The Perak PAC freeze the salaries of former and current MB thus seems to make the worst of a bad situation.


In fact, the PAC should freeze Nizar’s salary as Zambry is the legitimate Mentri Besar of Perak. It is reported that the Perak Public Accounts Committee froze the wages of former and current Mentris Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir with immediate effect.


Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin

The three advisors to Dr Zambry and state information chief Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar were also ordered to vacate their offices at the state secretariat building here.

The PAC, chaired by DAP’s Canning assemblyman Wong Kah Woh, was also to enquire into the appointments of the three advisers and the information chief with the status of EXCO by Dr Zambry.

Wong had said Dr Zambry, former Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, State Legal Adviser Datuk Ahmad Kamal Md Shahid, State Secretary Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Hashim, State Financial Officer Datuk Jamalludin Al Amini Ahmad, present and former excos would be called to the inquiry.