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.

Khairy, Shahrizat and Rosnah win in party polls

A new era begin in UMNO Youth and Wanita when both went through the democratic process. The delegates think through carefully and vote in their likeable leaders.

Khairy Jamaluddin has won the Umno Youth chief's post after polling 304 votes out of the 793 possible votes, defeating narrowly Mukhriz Mahathir and early front runner Khir Toyo in the stiffest ever battle for the post.

Shahrizat Jalil trounced Rafidah Aziz to win the Wanita Umno chief's post, polling 507 votes against the loser's 280 votes. The defeat for Rafidah, 66, seems to be the closing chapter for her.

Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin has been elected the new Puteri Umno chief, polling 245 votes to beat five other candidates at the movement's elections.

Nik Aziz turns down his own decision by giving his blessing to Nizar

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


Nik Aziz

This is something that irks his supporters, who has all the while felt that he has a major influence on the party decision-making process.

Undeniably, the blessing had shown how inconsistency of the PAS spiritual leader is.

The political scenario seeming that he is totally removed from the party decision making process. This is merely a feed to give him the information after the decision has been made. The party had rejected the spiritual leader’s preferred candidate for the Kuala Terengganu by-election in January, caused tension among the party members.

Many of his supporters were unhappy over the Kuala Terengganu incident despite the Pas leadership having evidently made the right decision in not fielding Vice-president Mohamad Sabu as recommended by Nik Aziz.

It is reported that Pas spiritual adviser Nik Aziz has given his blessing for former Perak Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin to contest in the April 7 Bukit Gantang by-election. He said Nizar who is the party's deputy commissioner for the state was the right candidate to face Barisan Nasional in the constituency.

Nik Aziz who is Kelantan Menteri Besar said last month that he could not agree to the suggestion that Nizar be fielded in the Bukit Gantang by-election since the Pas and its opposition allies still regarded Nizar as Perak Menteri Besar.

"I have contacted Nizar and bless his nomination to contest," he told reporters after receiving a visit from Indian High Commissioner to Malaysia Ashok K. Kantha at his office.

PAS running the risk of angering Nik Aziz’s supporters

Former Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has been chosen as the PAS candidate for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary by-election on 7 April.

Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin

PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang made the announcement this evening at a ceramah in Simpang, near Taiping.

However, it is reported that Nizar’s candidacy is opposed by Nik Aziz as he should focus on getting back his deposed Perak state government.

The question remains: Is PAS running the risk of angering Nik Aziz’s supporters?

To political analysis the political landscape in Perak is changing drastically under new Menteri Besar Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir as the people had been upset with the PAS leadership for being the DAP's stooge.

Mohammad Nizar, who is Perak PAS deputy commissioner, is also the Pasir Panjang state assemblyperson. He is one of four potential candidates considered for the seat.

He was chosen as Perak Menteri Besar after the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) coalition wrested the state from the Barisan Nasional (BN) in the 8 March 2008 general election.

Nizar, 52, is also the deputy PAS commissioner of Perak a and state assemblyman for Pasir Panjang.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) has named Ismail Saffian, 49, the former Bukit Gantang Umno information chief, as its candidate for the by-election.

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.

Anwar Ibrahim announced Jawah for Batang Ai by-election

PKR has named former five-term Lubok Antu Member of Parliament Jawah Gerang as its candidate for the Batang Ai by-election on April 7, PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced in Kuching.


Jawah Gerang

Gerang, 55, is a degree holder in economics from Universiti of Malaya. The former bank officer joined PKR recently after he was dropped by the Barisan Nasional coalition in last year’s parliamentary election.

Gerang, who was a senior leader in the now defunct Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS), was chosen over PKR state deputy chief Nicholas Bawin.

Batang Ai is one of the two state seats in the Lubok Antu parliamentary constituency. The other is Engkilili.

Gerang will face Barisan newcomer and engineer Malcolm Mussen Lamoh in the contest.

Fairus quits as Penang Deputy Chief Minister shown Anwar’s inability

Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin has resigned effective April 8. He also quit his position as state executive councilor.

The incident shown Anwar’s inability and he is not fit to lead the Pakatan Rakyat.

Anwar Ibrahim

It was reported that his resignation is due to the state PKR’s internal investigations into allegations that two of their leaders were involved in illegal activities with quarry operators.

However, De factor PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim told reporters that Fairus, who has two Masters Degrees, had received offers for further studies and planned to take up one of those offers.

The resignation of Penang Deputy Chief Minister I Fairus Khairuddin is one of the latest embarrassments which have threatened the existence of opposition alliance.

Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin

It was reported that Fairus was known to have under allegations of under-performance, clashes with other PKR members and most recently, misuse of power. He enjoyed the trappings of power but did very little work as Penang state Deputy Chief Minister. He was frequently absent from state executive council meetings and had little to contribute. He hardly turned up at his constituency to serve the voters.

Ironically, of all the major problems faced by the Pakatan Rakyat since its formation last year, Parti Keadilan Rakyat would stand out as the source of much that ails the opposition alliance.

The scandals have seen PR lose the momentum it had gained against the ruling Barisan Nasional since last year’s March 8 general election.

From being on the cusp of power, the PR alliance is now faced with the growing pains it cannot afford if it is to have any chance of being a serious and viable alternative to BN.

It is crystal clear that PKR is the source of most of PR’s problems. It is the major challenges which threaten to derail a stunning political comeback by Anwar, who was sacked as deputy premier in 1998 under Mahathir and jailed on sodomy and corruption allegations that he said were politically motivated.

The above scenario clearly shown Anwar’s inability and he is not fit to lead the Pakatan Rakyat.

The question remains: Do we still want to support Pakatan Rakyat lead by Anwar or otherwise?