Can PKR continue as the glue that binds Pas and DAP in a formal coalition?

The defection of 10 of PKR parliamentarians and state assembly representative is the worst thing that has ever happened in the political history of Malaysia.

For Pas and DAP, this cannot be an asset but a liability. Although the political circumstances are different today, yet it dealt a damaging blow not only to PKR but the opposition coalition as a whole.

Clearly, it serves as the evidence of an increasing degree of unacceptable behavior in the opposition coalition. The attacks on the coalition and internal degradation seem to cause the parties to fall apart and mark the beginning downfall of the opposition.

Politically, major party defection is extremely rare and the defection took PKR by surprise. It was a crushing setback for opposition parties, instantly reducing what limited power opposition has in the Dewan Rakyat. The ability of the opposition to stop legislation or to block BN agenda is now crippled if not eliminated in some instances.

The engineering for political defection has long been heavily criticized for being unethical but no effective public effort being made to exert pressure over the issue and especially on the defectors. Typically, PKR too has been criticized for ineffectiveness in its basic mission which needs to bear the political consequences and be prepared for the worst political wave. On the other hand, it’s interesting to take note on the numbers of defectors that have we seen in the other direction.

Apparently, it frees people up to question what they really believe the relevancy of the PKR elected parliamentarians and state assembly representative.

The political climate is more unfavorable for PKR now and the opposition leader’s popularity has dramatically fallen. Several studies concluded that the opposition coalition do not have any takeover opportunity in the Dewan Rakyat, in fact the studies show no indication that the government of the day could be collapsed.

It is skeptical of the urgency of the defection of the PKR parliamentarians and state assembly representative problem. After all, there is some precedence for PKR high leaders changing their minds.

There need to wonder how many more PKR high leaders will be outing themselves as skeptics? Ironically, they may never constitute a majority, and many of them have differing views emanating from contrasting political ideologies in coalition parties, it only need to take few of them to be right for the deflection for PKR to collapse.

The question therefore is not whether Anwar Ibrahim will retain as the Opposition Leader and PKR de facto leader, instead the deteriorating political influence caused by the political defection of 10 of PKR parliamentarians and state assembly representative.

The critical question remains: Can PKR indoctrinate to retain its parliamentarians and state assembly representative as well as continue as the glue that binds Pas and DAP in a formal coalition?

Chinese still Support BN

The victory of DAP in Sibu parliamentarian by-election does not represent Sibuan support for opposition but it does implicate that the Sarawakians are no longer fixed deposit for the Barisan Nasional.

The impact of the defeat means the beginning ultimate down fall of SUPP should no remedy is taken seriously.

Other than national and local issues, how much SUPP can fight for the Chinese interests remains questionable.

Ironically, Chinese are not voting opposition parties, but they are protesting the policies being implemented. The protests are actually a protest against the policies that are unfavorable to them. The by-election voting pattern clearly reflects this social attitude.

The assumption by the Chinese that the government had neglected the community in terms of education although was unfounded but is increasingly being seen as the result of the Chinese base party is not fighting for the Chinese.

In the many by-elections held after the 12th general election especially the latest in Sibu, the strategy used by BN is to allocate special allocation for Chinese and mission schools.

Unsurprisingly, this strategy doesn't seem to be working well out for BN, it did not swing their votes as expected. The BN is most unlikely to benefit from an increase but managed to prevent the decrease further in its support as the Chinese did not seem to increase their support to BN either.

On the other hand, should the strategy not being used, there might be more swing in the Chinese votes towards opposition.

The RM18 million benefited the schools are as follows:

RM10 million for 60 Chinese Medium primary schools,
RM5 million for Chinese Medium Secondary Schools,
RM2 million for SMK Sacred Heart
RM1 million for St Mary

Undeniably, the RM18 million special by-election allocations is timely and it does help to ease the financial burden of Chinese medium schools in Sibu, but the electoral result shown that it did not swing the votes back to BN.

Although in appreciation, but the voters in Sibu did not express their gratitude by voting SUPP over the RM18 million allocations given by Najib. It seems that the event is overtaken by issues.

The crux of the matter is that though it is true that the allocation is timely and by far needed by Sibu Chinese community, but how about other schools in other areas? It was claimed that it does; however, appeared that the government had neglected the community especially in terms of education.

The allocation strategy during the by-election claimed to be implicated that the government constantly show negative allocations, it is one-off during by-election and not a consistent allocation.

The allocation provided a good opportunity for the opposition parties to exploit the issue that the ruling party is often than not using their power monopoly to misuse public money to gain votes and not otherwise as reflected in the tactics employed by opposition in public campaigns to garner the support of voters.

On the other hand, though there are many more good policies that the ruling party had implemented but mostly the ruling parties were seen to practice double standards among the people and within SUPP.

BN candidate Robert Lau comes from elite SUPP and it was claimed that the elite SUPP families become very rich while ordinary Chinese need to struggle hard to make ends meet.

The KTS group is belonging to the family of the BN candidate. Practically, in our democratic system, there is nothing wrong for the group to control timber business, retailing, plantation, reforestation and print media, but the ongoing court case due to the refusal to settle NCR land taken by the company cause him to suffer no meaningful political damage.

Politics is the art of the impossible, in winning the election, strategy is important. Political parties especially politicians need starting to really stress now as the next general election are coming closer.

Sibu : DAP wins by 398 vote majority

DAP's Wong Ho Leng won the by-election by 398 votes, garnering 18,845 votes to beat BN's Robert Lau Hui Yew (18,447). Independent Narawi Haron polled 232 votes.

DAP (Wong Ho Leng) ： 18,845 votes
BN (Robert Lau Hui Yew) : 18,447 votes
Independent (Narawi Haron) ： 232 votes
Majority ： 398 votes

Sibu won Sibu by-election by majority 398 votes

DAP has won this closely fought by-election by majority 398 votes.

Sibu By-election Voter turnout: 59.86%

Voter turnout: 59.86%

Voters : 32,742

Sarawak govt imposes Lowest Premiums Policy

Good news from Chief Minister to Sarawakians.

Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud announcing a flat rate on premiums for residential, commercial as well as agriculture properties. The new policy will take immediate effect.

The new policy has done away with the old system of calculating premium based on a percentage of the market value of the property.

The new policy will cover renewals for 60 years.

For residential properties. the new rates are RM1,000 for a terrace house, RM3,000 (semi-detached) and RM6,000 (detached).

For shophouses, the rates are RM40,000 per unit in Kuching, Sibu, Miri and Bintulu; RM20,000 for Sarikei, Sri Aman, Kapit, Limbang, Mukah, Betong and Samarahan, and for rural towns of Lundu, Asajaya, Niah, Marudi and the likes, RM10,000 per unit.

The rates for agriculture land, RM5,000 per acre for town land, RM2,500 per acre for suburban land, and RM200 per acre for country land.

Taib said the state was implementing the new system to make it easier for the people to understand.

“I have always said the state government is sensitive and responsive to the people. The rates are the lowest compared with other states,” he said.

Rais Yatim breakfast with members of Chinese Chamber Of Commerce, Sibu

Minister of Information Communication and Culture, Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim breakfast with members of the Chinese Chamber Of Commerce, Sibu.