"Parliament has been dissolved and the people of Malaysia finally will have the opportunity to decide on a government of their choice. Pakatan Rakyat calls on all Malaysians to make use of this golden opportunity to choose a new government, one that is not just competent and effective to move the nation forward but also trustworthy and determined to cleanse this nation of corruption and power abuse.
"We ask all parties particularly our friends in the BN to adhere to democratic principles to ensure free and fair polls. We pledge to do the same and to defend the security and peace of the nation and warn against irresponsible elements out to create trouble and mischief," Anwar told a packed press conference on Wednesday.
"We remain committed to championing the cause of the common folk of all the racial groups and denominations. We therefore welcome the assurance by the caretaker prime minister Najib Razak to ensure a peaceful transition of power."
"We also appeal to the security personnel to remain very professional in their task to ensure a free and peaceful campaigning process. And I would reiterate my call to the prime minister to accept my call for a public debate on policies, economic or social, (for him to defend BN) and for me to take the opportunity to explain the Pakatan Rakyat's position."
Change through ballot box, not popular uprising
Prime Minister Najib Razak had earlier this morning dissolved Parliament after securing the approval of the King and briefing his Cabinet. Malaysia's Election Commission has 60 days from today in which to hold the 13th general elections.
At the question-and-answer session, Anwar expressed cautious optimism in wresting the federal government this time. In the 2008 general election, the PR had narrowly missed. Due to gerrymandering by past BN administrations, the Opposition won only 5 of the country's 13 seats despite having garnered more than 50% of the popular vote.
When asked how many states PR could expect to win this time around, Anwar declined to give an immediate response, saying the PR would meet first before issuing an official statement on its prospects.
He also said he believed the people were fed up of the BN, which has been accused of endemic corruption and criticized for pursuing a brand of racist and religious politicking in its bid to cling to power on the back of support from the Malay electorate, the largest in the country.
However, and perhaps to douse concerns fueled by accusations from Umno leaders such as Mahathir Mohamad, Anwar assured that the PR would stick to the rules and expects "change" to come via the "ballot box" rather than in the form of popular uprisings, such as in the Middle East which have all been violent and disruptive.
"We have worked hard and I am cautiously optimistic as seen from the massive response from the people especially from Sabah and Sarawak. That's why I welcome the rather surprising announcement by PM Najib that he would respect the decision and outcome of the election and ensure a peaceful transition of power. For the people, they would say enough of corruption, enough of racism, enough of abuse of power. I believe generally, Malaysians are prepared for change, change unlike in some countries, where it has to be in the form of popular uprising, it will be through the ballot box," said Anwar.
Malaysia Chronicle
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Anwar calls on Malaysians to dump BN
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Parti Keadilan Rakyat has reportedly hired the services of a well known pro-Israeli lobbying and PR firm to promote the party in the United States.
ReplyDeleteLeaked e-mails, according to web portal FMT, suggest that PKR may have hired Orion Strategies to lobby on their behalf in Washington DC and to arrange meetings in Congress.
ReplyDeleteMost recently, according to FMT, the firm appears to have been trying to arrange a lobbying visit to Washington for party councilor and Suaram director Cynthia Gabriel. The trip was due to take place in mid-March but was postponed.
ReplyDeleteOrion Strategies represent numerous right-wing politicians in the U.S. and are also one of the fiercest defenders of the Israeli government. They are infamous for launching smear campaigns against American politicians deemed critical of the Jewish state.
ReplyDeleteOrion’s Vice President, Michael Goldfarb, even launched a smear campaign against President Barack Obama during his re-election campaign last year, accusing the President of hanging out with critics of Israel.
ReplyDeleteRandy Scheunemann, a former advisor to U.S. Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld, heads Orion Strategies.
ReplyDeleteHe earned notoriety for helping to establish the ‘Committee for the Liberation of Iraq’, which promoted the case for war in the U.S. media just prior to the invasion of Iraq in 2003 – a war that led to the deaths of 120,000 innocent Muslim civilians.
ReplyDeleteMore recently, Scheunemann helped establish the ‘Emergency Committee for Israel’, a lobbying outfit which has close links to the hard right of Israeli politics and the Likud government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
ReplyDeleteThe leaked documents, reported by FMT, suggest that Orion has been soliciting meetings with U.S. Congressmen and Senators for Gabriel, who was originally due to travel with Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Centre.
ReplyDeleteOrion Strategies appear to have been briefing American politicians about the prospect of post-election violence and unrest in Malaysia.
ReplyDeleteHuh now you dump PKR as your wife is not contesting though.
ReplyDeleteThe government elected via the general election, whether at federal or state level, has the support of the majority of the people in accordance with the practice of democracy
ReplyDeleteBN government has worked hard and I expect a massive response of support from the people, regardless of what the opposition might say against the government.
ReplyDeletePM Najib said he would respect the decision and outcome of the election and ensure a peaceful transition of power.
ReplyDeleteMalaysia's Election Commission has 60 days from today in which to hold the 13th general elections.
ReplyDeletePM Najib had earlier this morning dissolved Parliament after securing the approval of the King and briefing his Cabinet.
ReplyDeleteAnwar declined to give an immediate response, saying the PR would meet first before issuing an official statement on its prospects.
ReplyDeleteSemua mahukan pemimpin dan kerajaan yang jujur dan ikhlas berkhidmat untuk rakyat. Soal siapakah piliha rakyat tu, biarlah rakyat tentukan sendiri.
ReplyDeleteSabahan youths in KL pledge support for BN
ReplyDeleteKUALA LUMPUR: Sabah-born youths in the city interviewed have pledged to maintain their support and trust for the Barisan Nasional leadership to lead and bring more development to the state.
Despite being far from home, they said, they never missed out on keeping track of news on the coming 13th general election, especially pertaining to their home state.
Some of them told Bernama that they could not wait to return to their respective constituencies and cast their votes like any other Malaysian citizen.
ReplyDeleteFaezrah Wahidah Rizalman, 26, a lawyer residing in Kota Damansara, said she would continue supporting the BN government to ensure unimpeded implementation of the development and transformation planned for the state.
Faezrah, who will vote for the first time, said any move to change the government would only have negative implications on the country as all development plans in the pipeline would be hampered.
“For me, there is no reason not to support the BN government because based on its proven track record and achievements, especially in Sabah, it is truly undeniable that it has brought so much development and transformation for the well-being of the people in Sabah,” she said.
Faezrah, who hails from Keningau, said that though the opposition had been trying to penetrate and gain control of certain constituencies in Sabah, she still believed that Sabahans would not fall easily for all the promises made by the opposition.
ReplyDelete“I believe the people of Sabah will not fall easily for those empty promises made by the opposition because we want to see significant and consistent changes there.
“Therefore, I hope Sabahans will be wise in selecting a government that can really fight for the welfare and well-being of the people,” she said.
Her view was shared by another Sabahan in Shah Alam, Awang Ashari, 28, who said the initiative and opportunity given to youths had proven that the BN government should be given a fresh mandate to run the country.
Awang, who hails from Kota Kinabalu, said the establishment of public and private institutions of higher learning, including polytechnics, in Sabah, reflected the government’s commitment to develop quality human capital.
ReplyDelete“In addition, for the past four years, I also see how the federal and state governments had been working closely to focus on developing the state based on the allocated budget, implementing national transformation policies in each of their programmes and listening to the voice of the youths,” he said.
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ReplyDeleteA private employee from Tawau who wanted to be known only as Farah, 24, said the transformation policy introduced by the BN government under the leadership of Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak was clearly successful in attracting many foreign investors to Sabah, and hence, boosting the country’s economy.
ReplyDelete“As Malaysian citizens, we should see this as a positive development and try to maintain the existing government because it is capable of boosting the country’s economy,” she added.-Bernama
Semua orang punya hak dan pilihan masing-masing. Terpulanglah pada mereka yang boleh mengundi tu untuk membuang undi kepada pemimpin yang mereka mahukan.
ReplyDeleteTransformation of the entire nation for the better, reaching out to all levels of society – this is what the Barisan Nasional manifesto for the 13th general election really amounts to.
ReplyDeleteFrom drawing a massive RM1.3 trillion worth of investments and creating 3.3 million new jobs with better incomes to harnessing the full potential and capacity of people with special needs and taking proactive steps to better care for the environment, the pledges in the document stand out in one major aspect. And what’s that?
ReplyDeleteAll the promises are realistic and can indeed be fulfilled by a government led by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak that over the last four years has shown its capability and capacity to deliver on all the commitments it had made earlier.
ReplyDeleteIn introducing the government and economic transformation programmes (GTP and ETP) during his term in office, he has ensured that these produce the desired results, and this is the foundation on which he can readily assert that all the 2013 election promises can be fulfilled.
ReplyDeleteThis is a first-ever for an election manifesto in this country – chockfull of specific projects, programmes and actions that encompass every aspect of the people’s lives.
ReplyDeleteThe 32-page manifesto titled “People First” which the Prime Minister launched at Putra Indoor Stadium, Bukit Jalil last night contains more than 150 commitments, most of them with specific projects and programmes.
ReplyDeleteThis is in sharp contrast to the opposition manifesto released recently, with DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng conceding that it only comprises general policies, directions and targets.
ReplyDeleteLim papered over the lack of details by saying the opposition “can’t put every detail in the manifesto, otherwise it will be too thick and people will not be interested in reading it.”
The BN, however, has managed to present a comprehensive manifesto that has all the particulars that the electorate would really want to know; in other words, commitments are spelt out in terms of specific projects and programmes that are realistic because the BN has been delivering on similar commitments over the past four years.
ReplyDeleteWhat stands out in particular in the BN manifesto is Najib’s insistence that “we must never leave anyone behind” in the national discourse and in pursuing the national agenda.
ReplyDeleteHe urges Malaysians to judge the BN on its merits, saying: “Please join my colleagues and me in fulfilling our potential towards developing a country that we can be truly proud of …
ReplyDelete“A country where the weak are protected, those in want assisted, the strongest protect, the young are loved, the elderly valued, those in need are attended to, and those with potential given opportunities to bloom.”
Some of the headline commitments to be realised over the next five years should the BN be returned to power:
ReplyDeleteIncreasing the value of BR1M to RM1,200 per household, book vouchers and schooling aid payments.
An automotive policy that will gradually reduce car prices by 20 per cent to 30 per cent and make the national cars more competitive.
Lowering broadband charges by at least 20 per cent with guaranteed bandwidth.
A host of consumer-oriented measures to help ease the cost of living.
Greater focus on dealing with the pronounced urban shift, including creating a new ministry and providing quality public housing.
Building a million affordable homes and assisting the poor and lower income group in rehabilitating their homes.
Quality healthcare for every Malaysian, discounted prices for specific medication for Malaysians with special needs, and palliative home care for the aged and terminally ill.
Bus, rail and taxi terminals in all towns and cities as well as ensuring more efficient bus services.
Expansion of the highway network, constructing the Pan-Borneo Highway.
Compelling service providers to ensure quality mobile phone service and reliable wireless access.
Implementing the 21st Century Village concept to spur rural transformation and bring the rural community into the mainstream of development.
Create 3.3 million new jobs, of which two million will be in high-income sectors.
Work towards achieving a per capita income of RM45,000 by 2020.
Implement a transformation programme for small and medium enterprises.
Reform the tax structure that is more broad-based and gradually cut personal and corporate tax.
Enhance the effectiveness of the bumiputera agenda by having a stronger support system and creating more business opportunities.
Having policies that are fair and equitable to all races.
Improving the education system so that it is among the best globally.
Developing further the thinking skills of students, enhancing performance in mathematics and science studies and making English a compulsory pass for SPM.
Bring about olice omnipresence so that people feel safer and more secure.
Have greater women participation in the national decision-making process.
Programmes to nurture quality leadership and creativity among youths.
Gazetting all native customary land and provide more income-generating opportunities for the indigenous communities.
Appoint a minister to deal with non-Muslim matters.
Public disclosure of contracts to enhance transparency in government procurement.
Compelling MPs and state assemblymen to sign the integrity pact.
Ensuring a fair mix of all races in the civil service and government-linked companies.
Improve the quality of the civil service through, among others, talent development.
Expand the urban transformation centres to all major cities and towns.
Seek a seat on the UN Security Council so that Malaysia can play a prominent role in regional peace and international security through the government’s policy of moderation.
Allocate space for green lungs within major cities, revitalise rivers and streams, further promote renewable green energy resources, and modernise waste disposal and management.
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengajak rakyat agar terus memberi mandat kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) dalam Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13) bagi membolehkan agenda membela nasib mereka dapat diteruskan.
ReplyDeleteMenurut Timbalan Perdana Menteri, untuk itu mereka perlu terus menyokong BN tanpa mengira siapa calon parti itu yang akan diketengahkan.
ReplyDeleteTak kira siapa calonnya, pergilah mengundi dan beri sokongan kepada BN. Yang penting, BN menang. Jangan terpedaya dengan dakyah pembangkang.
ReplyDelete"Tetapi rakyat tahu bahawa walaupun bertahun kita mentadbir negara, BN bukan parti tua. Kita lebih bertenaga dan ada wawasan serta memahami kehendak semua rakyat," katanya.
ReplyDeleteRakyat perlu terus memberi mandat kepada Barisan Nasional (BN) berikutan jaminan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak untuk memperbaiki kesilapan lampau perikatan itu bagi memacu kegemilangan negara
ReplyDeleteia membuktikan keikhlasan BN terhadap rakyat kerana tidak mudah bagi mana-mana perdana menteri atau presiden di dunia mengakui kesilapan dan kelemahan yang berlaku dalam parti pada masa lalu.
ReplyDelete