BN’S INTERNAL QUARREL REFLECTS ITS INSTABILITY

BN’S INTERNAL QUARREL REFLECTS ITS INSTABILITY

Sabah sabahdaily   8:39 AM

THE recent hot issue on Sabah and Sarawak will not be the ‘Fixed Deposit’ for BN, and this was raised by the LDP Vice President Datuk Chin Su Phin concerning and over other various matters within the Barisan Nasional was refuted by many BN component leaders who think Chin is totally wrong and his statement cannot be accepted. The BN components do share his view and termed his view as anti-BN.

Today, many statements were issued by LDP leaders which included their Youth chief and Women chief to protect and stand together with Chin. They said that they are not against the BN but merely do not agree with some of the leaders, and further to highlight the various issues like poor hospital services, uncompleted railway system, delayed flyover construction in Tanjong Aru, illegal immigrant, power woes, long delay in the KKIA runway project etc..

The wanita chief also hit back on Datuk Tham Nyap Sing, the previous CM technical advisor by saying that why he did not helped to solve the problem on power cuts and shortages all these while, especially he was an employee of Sabah Electricity Board and a deputy president of the then BN-SAPP.

Dr. Hiew King Cheu the Sabah DAP chief commented on the matter by saying that it is true that the BN’s ‘fixed deposits’ in Sabah and Sarawak is diminishing at a very fast rates and it is no longer secured.

The statement from Datuk Chin already served as a strong warning and a reminder to the BN components, but his kind gesture had been refuted with cannon bomb shells fired from the components. This reflected the elegance and blinded attitudes of the BN not to accept criticism even from their counterpart.

Dr. Hiew said he admires people like Datuk Chin Su Phin and others like him who dare to speak out especially on matters that is affecting the interest of the Sabahan and Sarawakian as a whole. This is good leadership by example, who has no fear to speak out, why these people choose to be silent?

The cases like the billion ringgit money laundering which was put out in the open now, and some names were mentioned and the investigation by MACC is in progress, why all of them (BN) kept total silence, as if the case had been swept underneath the carpet.

Sabah DAP welcome those good people in BN to join DAP to work towards a new government in order their voices can be heard, and their views be recognized and put into full use. We need to build up a strong team and a genuine team for the people in order to bring about “Save Sabah, Save Malaysia”.

-Sabahkini

DAP takes Sibu

DAP takes Sibu

Sarawak sabahdaily   6:26 AM

The DAP pulled off a surprise win in the Sibu by-election today, defeating Barisan Nasional’s (BN) SUPP by 398 votes in a hard fought race.

DAP’s Wong Ho Leng polled 18,845 votes compared to BN candidate Robert Lau’s 18,447 votes.

The margin of victory was just a little more than the 395 spoilt votes. The independent candidate garnered 232 votes.

“Thank you Sibu. Thank you Malaysia. One small step in winning Sibu, one giant step to winning Putrajaya, “ Wong said after he was declared the winner.

BN had earlier been expected to retain its Sarawak stronghold but lost despite the best efforts of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

The Sibu vote is seen as a bellwether for the Sarawak state elections which must be called by next year.

Asked by reporters today what he thought today’s result would mean for impending state polls, Wong said “Sarawak is ready for change.”

DAP is the biggest opposition party in Sarawak and is expected to put up a serious challenge in the next state polls.

Today’s result is also significant in that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has snapped a streak of successive defeats to BN in recent by-elections.

The count now is 8-3 in favour of PR in terms of wins in by-elections held since Election 2008.

Today’s result is also a setback for Najib who had personally campaigned for BN and had placed his own reputation on the line.

Najib has been counting on Sabah and Sarawak as BN’s fixed deposit, but today’s result shows a major swing from 2008 when BN won the seat by more than 3,000 votes.

Today’s result also raises two thorny issues — how to deal with the Tan Sri Taib Mahmud factor and whether to push for state polls which sources say had been slated for October this year.

Taib, who has been at the helm for more than two decades now, was absent from most of the Sibu campaign because BN had anticipated DAP attacks against his leadership.

The white-haired chief minister known as “pek moh” among Chinese voters has been heavily criticised for alleged abuse of power.

He has to call state elections by next year and Najib and BN had been hoping a resounding win would provide the ruling coalition the momentum needed to go into the next general elections.

The victorious Wong called his win tonight a miracle.

“It is a miracle we have created together. For those who did not vote for me I now want to be your friend,” he said. -TMI

Kit Siang says Najib's RM15 m goodies in Sibu not enough

Kit Siang says Najib's RM15 m goodies in Sibu not enough

Sarawak sabahdaily   10:35 AM

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang said the RM15 million given by prime minister Najib Razak to Chinese schools in Sibu was hardly enough, especially when compared to RM77 million paid to secure a meeting with US president Barack Obama and the writing-off of RM320 billion-worth of oil to Brunei recently.

Najib was in Sibu on Wednesday to campaign for the Barisan Nasional in the by-election this Sunday. At a gathering of some 1,000 Chinese educationists and school teachers, he presented financial allocations of RM15 million for 65 Chinese primary schools and five independent Chinese secondary schools in Sibu.

"This means that the five independent Chinese secondary schools gets RM1 million each while the 65 Chinese primary schools will get RM153,846 each.

"The people of Sibu are thankful for Najib’s RM15 million for Chinese schools in Sibu but the Prime Minister should be reminded that it should be at least RM30 million if not RM150 million cheques," said Lim.

Lim reminded that funding from the government to all schools was a citizens’ right, "not a gift from the government, as the government funds are derived from the people’s taxes."

Saying government funding for schools to institutionalized rather than personalized and timed for by-elections, he called on Najib to give an undertaking that the RM15 million allocation will be channelled anually.

He however said the figure should be higher, as Chinese schools in Sibu had contributed to the nation by producing highly-qualified human resources, "many of whom are forced to leave Sibu and even go overseas to find a living".

"What the Federal Government should allocate annually should be in the region of RM1 million for each Chinese primary school and RM2 million for each independent Chinese secondary school – which will work out to RM65 million for Sibu’s Chinese primary schools and RM10 million for the five Sibu independent Chinese secondary schools, i.e. RM75 million. For two years of Najib’s premiership, this will work out to RM150 million," said Lim. -Harakah

The politics of booze and kampua mee

The politics of booze and kampua mee

Sarawak sabahdaily   10:29 AM

Coupled with lurid details of Anwar Ibrahim’s purportedly unlawful sexual preferences to illustrate the perforations in Pakatan Rakyat’s facade, Barisan Nasional seems to think it’s got it made for the country’s 11th and hopefully final, by-election.

It is sad and frankly quite pathetic to see that we have regressed to using such petty frivolities as means to win a by-election in a reasonably mature democracy.

It started with booze in Hulu Selangor and moved on to a local noodle dish called ‘Kampua Mee’ in Sibu.

Coupled with lurid details of Anwar Ibrahim’s purportedly unlawful sexual preferences to illustrate the perforations in Pakatan Rakyat’s facade, Barisan Nasional seems to think it’s got it made for the country’s 11th and hopefully final, by-election.

It is sad and frankly quite pathetic to see that we have regressed to using such petty frivolities as means to win a by-election in a reasonably mature democracy.

How much inroad did the BN really make when it called PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim an alcoholic during the April 25 Hulu Selangor by-election?

Does a person’s preference for a few swigs off a bottle truly mirror his ability to serve a constituency?

While alcohol was used as campaign fodder to stave off the Muslim voters’ confidence in the PR, today, the BN has chosen another little gimmick to protect its five term-held Sibu fort — the township’s signature Foochow kampua mee dish.

A huge billboard erected by the SUPP camp at the Brooke roundabout in Sibu shows a picture of the noodle dish with a little caption in Chinese characters.


DAP candidate Wong having Kampua mee with his family. - Picture by Jack Ooi
The message they seek to disseminate is simple, albeit a tad dubious: Kampua Mee will not taste the same if one changes its recipe. Vote for BN to retain its orginal flavour.
In simpler, more explanatory terms, BN has returned to stone-age politics by hoping to instil fear in the Chinese by saying that a vote the DAP is a vote for PAS and a vote for an Islamic state.

This means separate queues for women in the public areas, a blanket ban on the sale of alcohol and of course, no pork meat in Kampua noodles!

Apparently, a DAP MP in the BN-ruled state of Sarawak (which by the way, is en route state elections in the next few months) would have enough clout to stop restauranteur from serving pork in their kampua mee or in any dish, for that matter.

SUPP Sibu’s publicity director Daniel Ngieng made a feeble attempt to defend this campaign gimmick by saying the noodle analogy was to illustrate DAP’s agenda of “change”.

DAP’s “change”, he said, meant a change in the Chinese community’s favourite kampua mee since the party’s affiliation with Islamist PAS would not allow pork in the noodles.

It is hard to tell if the BN machinery truly believes that stooping to such an elementary level would help it recapture Chinese support.

When the voters for DAP face the ballot boxes on polling day, will their minds paint pictures of winged bowls of kampua mee, fluttering away and out of their reach?

Or perhaps BN just prefers the anaesthesia of ignorance to numb the painful truth that try as they might, holding the “Islamic state” threat like a guillotine above the heads of the Chinese is a sorry sign of only one thing — desperation. -MT

Kedah will not dissolve assembly, says MB

Kedah will not dissolve assembly, says MB

Kedah sabahdaily   9:30 AM

The Kedah Pakatan Rakyat government has ignored independent MP Zulkifli Noordin’s warning of a “second Perak” and will not seek to dissolve its state assembly.

Its leaders, however, are “extremely on guard” and will keep a close watch on all its 20 PR assemblymen to ensure they remain loyal to the coalition, unlike in Perak where three lawmakers turned independent and caused the collapse of the pact’s government in February 2009.

Kedah Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Azizan Abdul Razak confirmed with The Malaysian Insider that he had no immediate plans to seek a dissolution of the state assembly since none in his team of lawmakers had indicated plans to defect.

“I just had a discussion with them last night and I am very confident of their loyalty.

“There is no problem in the PR. The only problems are the assemblymen from Barisan Nasional,” he said when contacted.

The PAS leader scoffed at Zulkifli’s prediction that “a certain PR government” would soon fall like Perak had because of the closeness in the seat distribution between PR and BN in the state assembly.

“If he said that the Kedah majority is small, then how did the Kelantan (PAS) government manage to stay in power with only a one seat-majority?

“If other PKR members think like Zulkifli, then not only a few will jump — he cannot declare that a few will jump like him because we are all on good terms in PR,” he claimed.


Azizan believes his assemblymen will be steadfast. — file pic
Azizan also went further to challenge Zulkifli to step down as an MP and re-contest his Kulim-Bandar Baharu parliamentary seat if he felt he was influential enough.
“The people no longer support him... he is no longer credible in Kedah. If he is brave then he should resign and stand for re-election.

“If he really thinks that he has influence then he should resign and we will let our branch leader to go against him,” he said.

Zulkfili, who was sacked from PKR, issued the purported warning on Wednesday and advised a “certain PR state government” to quickly seek for a dissolution.

“It will be a shocker,” he warned, but did not name which state government he was referring to.

He also claimed that two PKR MPs and one assemblyman would soon leave the party.

Kedah PKR chief Johari Abdul admitted that all PR leaders in the state were presently “extremely on guard,” and at the slightest indication of another defection, the state assembly would be dissolved.

“I am an ex-Umno guy myself and I have plenty of friends still in Umno. We are keeping our eyes and ears open, but for now, there is still not indication of anything.

“One thing is for certain, there is no way that any one of the PAS assemblymen will jump. They are bound by the bai’ah (pledge) that they have taken,” he said.

He pointed out that even if all three of PKR’s remaining assemblymen left, the BN would still not have enough assemblymen to form a government.

“Do not forget that the validity of the Kota Siputeh seat is still in question in court. They cannot use that for now,” he said.

PR holds 20 seats in the 36-seat assembly with PAS holding 16, PKR three and DAP one, while the BN has 14. The assembly’s two independents — Radzhi Salleh (Lunas) and Tan Wei Shu (Bakar Arang) — are, however, said to be pro-BN.

The High Court had ordered the Election Commission to call a by-election for the Kota Siputeh state seat in Kedah after the assemblyman Datuk Abu Hasan Sarif twice went absent without leave from the state legislative assembly meetings.

The decision is currently being appealed by the EC.

Meanwhile when contacted, PKR’s assemblymen Tan Show Kang (Sidam) and S. Manikumar (Bukit Selambau) both denied there was any rift in the PR and assured The Malaysian Insider that they were loyal to their party.

“That Zulkifli is a bad man. His job is merely to spread lies and rumours in order to shake the foundation of Kedah’s government.

“We are not going to fall — you have nothing to worry about. If we wanted to leave, we would have left a long time ago. All those who wanted to defect have already left and those remaining will never leave,” he claimed.

Manikar said that Zulkifli was “heading towards insanity” for his predictions.

“Kedah is stable and there will be no negative action. It’s a blatant lie, nothing to worry about,” he said in an SMS.

DAP’s sole assemblyman, Lee Guan Aik (Kota Darul Aman), agreed with his colleagues and insisted that the Kedah PR government was very strong.

“There may be some problems in the PKR but I do not think it will come to that level.

“I believe this is just the work of our opponents who are plotting to create this sense of uneasiness in hopes of destroying us,” he said.

He agreed that he, along with many other PR assemblymen in Kedah, had been offered bribes to defect to BN after Election 2008 but denied the offers had been renewed recently.

“In any case, we will reject the offers outright,” he said confidently.

The third PKR assemblyman, Kulim’s Lim Soon Nee, could not be reached for comment.

A PKR source told The Malaysian Insider that of the three remaining PKR assemblymen in Kedah, Lim was the likeliest to leave.

“He was good friends with Tan Wei Shu (Bakar Arang),” claimed the source, an assemblyman from another state.

Tan resigned from PKR last month, citing his dissatisfaction with the party leadership and his removal from the state executive council.

Najib’s lightning temple visit riles Kit Siang

Najib’s lightning temple visit riles Kit Siang

Sarawak sabahdaily   11:11 AM

Datuk Seri Najib Razak became the first prime minister to attend a celebration in honour of a Chinese deity tonight but the historic visit opened him to criticism from the Pakatan Rakyat for being all too brief.

The Tua Pek Kong procession, held every three years, became a venue for leaders from both Barisan Nasional (BN) and PR’s DAP to charm the Chinese voters who form about 67 per cent of the 54,695 Sibu voters.

The festival is one of the major events in Sarawak’s tourism calendar and the four-day celebration ends tomorrow with a dinner to be attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

About 7,000 participants from more than 100 Chinese cultural and religious organizations from across the country took part in the procession which lasted more than two hours.

Roads around the seven-storey Sibu Tua Pek Kong temple, which is one of the town’s major landmarks, was repaved last weekend in preparation for Najib’s visit.

The state DAP took part in the celebration and the delegation was led by its candidate in the May 16 by-election, Wong Ho Leng.

The Sarawak DAP chief along with Lim Kit Siang, DAP Youth chief Anthony Loke started gathering outside the temple as early as 6.30pm, an hour before the procession started.

Thousands of people also lined the streets of Sibu town to watch the procession.

Announcements were also made via the temple’s public address system for the crowd to give a thunderous applause upon Najib’s arrival.

About ten minutes before the start of the procession Najib arrived with the BN candidate, Robert Lau Hui Yew, for this Sunday’s by-election and he was quickly ushered to the temple entrance to sign a plaque to commemorate his visit.

Najib was then ushered back to his car before a temple official could present him with a picture of the temple as a souvenir.

With a lot of pushing and shoving and shouts of “Don’t push!” from the crowd, Najib was finally escorted to his car.

Via twitter, Lim who held on to his Blackberry while the minor commotion was going on, described Najib’s appearance as a “three minutes lightning visit.”

“If in vital Sibu by-election Najib can only spare 3mins 4 120yr TuaPekKong Temple after so much publicity what does it imply?” asked Lim.

Najib had earlier handed RM15 million in financial assistance to 65 Chinese schools as part of his attempt to win the Chinese votes.

The community had backed DAP in Election 2008 and BN lost six Chinese-dominated state seats in the Sarawak election held two years earlier.

In Election 2008, the late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew retained the seat for BN with the help of Malay/Melanau and Iban voters who form about 33 per cent of the constituency’s 54,695 voters. -TMI

'No reason to remove Selangor MB'

'No reason to remove Selangor MB'

Selangor sabahdaily   11:04 AM

Political observers have disagreed with political blogger Raja Petra Kamaruddin's recent call for Anwar Ibrahim to make a choice between keeping Khalid Ibrahim on as Selangor Menteri Besar and saving Selangor.

Raja Petra made the call on his blog earlier this week following Kapar MP S Manickavasagam's allegation of corruption in Kumpulan Semesta, a Selangor-owned sand mining company.

According to him, “keeping Khalid around means Selangor is doomed... if Khalid stays, then that is the end for the Pakatan Rakyat government of Selangor”.

Both Professor James Chin and Wong Chin Huat strongly disagreed with the latter saying that Khalid hasn't made any grave mistakes that would warrant his removal.

While acknowledging that Khalid isn't the ideal leader, Wong also argued that his government hasn't failed miserably.

“Removal of a leader should only be done during an election and based on his performance and competence,” he said. “These are the democratic rules that people should follow. It is unacceptable for political power to be decided upon by a supreme leader or behind-the-scene negotiations instead of a transparent process.”

Wong also challenged the justification of removing Khalid based on his unpopularity.

“If this is their reason, then my question is, what structure is being put in place to ensure the popularity of his successor? And who among the current PKR leaders are guaranteed to win that measure of popularity? Remember that PKR is a party with factions that will go out of their way to destroy it just to settle their own score.”

Chin, meanwhile, doubted that Pakatan would take a tumble anytime this year but predicted that it may likely fall in the next general election. He added that should that happen, Pakatan would not have another chance at victory for the next decade.

However, he said that there was another even more interesting question: “Why is RPK suddenly attacking Khalid whom he had once strongly supported?”

“RPK backed Khalid even when he wasn't Selangor's first choice. And now he is suddenly pushing for Khalid's removal. This is very intriguing.”

Written by Stephanie Sta Maria, Free Malaysia Today

Win is possible, but Hadi warns BN's 'unnatural democracy'

Win is possible, but Hadi warns BN's 'unnatural democracy'

Sarawak sabahdaily   2:59 PM

PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Awang (pic) is confident that should the tide of support for Pakatan Rakyat among the Chinese continue in Sibu, the DAP candidate will be able to win in the upcoming by-election this Sunday.

Hadi said Chinese voters have made a major shift in the Peninsula by supporting Pakatan Rakyat candidates since the last general elections as well as in by-elections.

"If such a support reaches Sibu, we will win," said the Marang member of parliament.

The by-election in Sibu sees a three-way contest involving DAP's Richard Wong Ho Leng, BN's Robert Lau Hui Yew and independent candidate Narawi Haron.

Asked on Barisan Nasional's campaign by playing up the Islamic state issue to the Christian electorate, Hadi said the people in Sibu were not ignorant of Malaysia's democractic and political realities.

However, he warned against what he called BN's 'unnatural' democractic practices.

"Malaysia's is unnatural democracy, there are just so many malpractices and so much misuse of power during a by-election," said Hadi.

He said any win in Sibu will be historic and a major event in the history of the opposition. However, he added, a defeat would be something normal.

"They (BN) are using the entire government machinery. If they win with a small majority, it would be shameful," he said. -Harakah

Taib: Opposition Relying on Propaganda

Taib: Opposition Relying on Propaganda

Sarawak sabahdaily   2:58 PM

Sarawak Chief Minister Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud today likened the Sibu by-election as a battle between the propaganda of the opposition and the service record and commitmment of the Barisan Nasional (BN).

"We in the BN, our struggle is to continue to serve the people.

"Our challengers do not speak of any service plan. They are only bringing up issues," he told a gathering at the Malay/Melanau Community Hall in Kampung Hilir here today.

Calling on the people of Sibu to reject the opposition, Taib said they were raising all kinds of issues including those foreign to the state and on religion.

These could be detrimental to the existing harmony and unity of the people, he said.


Taib also described the on-going campaigning for the Sibu by-election as very "panas" (intense).

"We seldom experience this kind of situation. We are used to more localised issues.

"The situation is different now with people exploiting issues from the Peninsular and bringing Peninsular-style politicking here," he said.

He reminded the people of Sibu that if the BN won, they would stand to benefit.

"So my advice is to reject the opposition, support the BN so that it may continue to uphold its struggle to always serve the people," he added. -MD

SAPP: THE FACT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

SAPP: THE FACT SPEAKS FOR ITSELF

Sabah sabahdaily   8:21 AM

TODAY’S news reported that Putatan MP Datuk Dr. Marcus Mojigoh boasted his expertise on exclusive economic zone. Based on his simplistic view, Malaysia would have lost Sipadan and Ligitan islands to Indonesia and Layang Layang Island to Vietnam or China or the Philippines.

In contrast, his UPKO boss Tan Sri Bernard Dompok saw it fit to leave this to the Prime Minister to explain. Earlier, the Sabah Chief Minister, Datuk Musa Aman, has simply brushed aside the public’s anger over the loss of 3 million acres of maritime territory in oil blocks L and M. He did not even bother to explain.

The facts remains that, on 16 Jan. 2003, Murphy Oil Corporation of the United States of America announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary company Murphy Sabah Oil Co. Ltd. has been awarded two new Production Sharing Contracts (PSC) covering Blocks L and M, offshore Malaysia.

Murphy Oil has 60% interest in Block L and 70% in Block M. Petronas Carigali Sdn. Bhd. holds the remaining 40% and 30% respectively. Each block covers 1.5 million acres. The total is therefore 3 million acres. The awarding authority was Petroleum Nasional Berhad (Petronas).

Pursuant to the Petroleum Development Act 1974, the “entire ownership in, and exclusive rights, powers, liberties and privileges of exploring, exploiting, winning and obtaining petroleum whether onshore or inshore of Malaysia” has been vested in Petronas. (Refer to Section 2 of the Act and the “Grants of Rights, Powers, Liberties and Privileges in respect of Petroleum” dated 26 March 1975 signed by the then Prime Minister Tun Haji Abdul Razak Bin Datuk Hussein on behalf of the Government of Malaysia).

On 14 June 1976, the State Government of Sabah, represented by the then Chief Minister Datuk Harris Mohd. Salleh and witnessed by then assistant minister Datuk Joseph Pairin Kitingan, signed the petroleum agreement with Petronas surrendering the ownership and rights, powers, liberties and privileges in petroleum in Sabah to Petronas in return for 5% royalties of the petroleum.

Petronas is subject to the control and direction of the Prime Minister “who may from time to time issue such direction as he may deem fit” (Section 3 (2) of the Act). This is the Petronas, vested with the powers and authority of Parliament by virtue of the Petroleum Development Act 1974 and the Prime Minister, over offshore petroleum development in Malaysia, that awarded the 3 million acres in Block L and M to Murphy Sabah Oil Co. Ltd. on or before 16 Jan. 2003.

Petronas and the Prime Minister at the time (Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed) have seen it fit, proper and legal to award the said maritime territory to Murphy Oil, an American company. All these point to the fact that, in the legal opinion of Petronas and the federal government at the time, Malaysia has sovereign rights over the maritime territory contained in Blocks L and M.

The Deputy Prime Minister at the time was Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. This is against the back drop of Malaysia having won the Sipadan/Ligitan case at the International Court of Justice the month before (December 2002).

Murphy Oil Corporation has two other subsidiaries in Malaysia, namely – Murphy Sarawak Oil Co. Ltd., and Murphy Peninsular Malaysia Oil Co. Ltd. for the respective geographical regions. The subsidiary company used to operate Blocks L and M is the one for Sabah, not the one for Sarawak or Peninsular Malaysia. We have to assume that the Americans and Petronas know where Sabah is.

The Chief Minister admitted (news 5 May 2010) that the Sabah State Cabinet was briefed TWICE. If Blocks L and M have nothing to do with Sabah, then there is no need to take up the precious time of the Cabinet. The fact that there were TWO briefings suggests that there was a need for follow up, updating and issues that require the Cabinet’s attention. If not, then why would a Cabinet that sees no need to renegotiate the 5% royalty petroleum agreement with the Federal Government, busy itself with maritime territories that are outside Sabah? What was the briefing about and did the Cabinet give its consent?

Similarly, ex-Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi covered himself by saying that his Exchange of Letters with the Sultan of Brunei was approved by his Federal Cabinet in February 2009. Did our Sabahan Ministers in the Federal Cabinet agree to the surrender of Blocks L and M to Brunei?

On April 22, 2010, Murphy Oil announced to the New York Stock Exchange that their PSC to Blocks L and M have been terminated because “following the Exchange of Letters between Malaysia and the Sultanate of Brunei on March 16, 2009, the offshore areas designated as Blocks L and M are no longer a part of Malaysia”. Since this follows the Petronas letter of 7 April 2010 to Murphy Oil Corporation, it means that before the exchange of letters, the areas were still a part of Malaysia.

This announcement was picked up by The Edge, a Malaysian business paper, on 22 April 2010. The Brunei Times triumphantly reported this on April 23. This was an issue waiting to explode. Ex-Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, who must have been irked by the loss of national territory and Petronas profits, at his blog lambasted another ex-PM, Tun Abdullah Badawi for this loss. Tun Dr. Mahathir’s anger is understandable because it was during his tenure as PM that Blocks L and M were awarded to Murphy Oil Corporation. He said that these blocks are Malaysian territory.

Tun Abdullah Badawi later (1 May 2010) defended the loss of the oil blocks by claiming that Petronas is given a 40-year commercial right to operate the same oil blocks but under Brunei sovereignty. Wisma Putra on 4 May 2010 exposes this sell out of maritime territory in return for Petronas’s commercial operations in Brunei.

Some questions that the government should answer are:

(i) Negotiations over territorial disputes in the South China Sea are alive and active. Where was the pressing need for Malaysia to surrender any territory to any country just three weeks before a change of Prime Minister?

(ii) The surrender of blocks L and M was kept a national secret until the Murphy Oil announcement on 22 April 2010 in the New York. Why did our government and Petronas keep this secret?

(iii) If the areas in blocks L and M were Brunei’s sovereign rights in the first place, the why did Malaysia award the blocks to Murphy Oil in 2003?

(iv) In March 2009, the then Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Badawi chose to announce only that Brunei has dropped the Limbang Claim but remained silent on the loss of Blocks L and M. If Brunei already owned Blocks L and M, then why was there a need for an Exchange of Letters between Tun Abdullah and the Sultan of Brunei? Has treason been committed?

(v) Why was the need for the Sabah Cabinet to be briefed twice? If the oil blocks do not belong to Malaysia in the first place, what was the need to brief the State Cabinet?

(vi) Kelantan and Trengganu are fiercely fighting for their rights to oil revenues. Trengganu, a BN-UMNO State, still has unfinished litigation with Petronas and the Federal Government over oil royalties. Why should Sabah, a BN fixed deposit state, choose instead to defend the blunder of losing territory and oil revenues? Tengku Razaleigh, a Kelantanese BN MP heads the Parliamentary caucus on oil royalties. Why are our Sabahan BN MPs, like Marcus, unwilling join the fight for Sabah?

As for sovereign rights, the Article IV of the Malaysia Agreement of 9 July 1963 transferred sovereignty over Sabah (then North Borneo) from London to Kuala Lumpur. Prior to 1963, Kuala Lumpur did not possess any territorial sovereign rights east of Johore. Malaysia as a nation then acquired all territories that came with Sabah by way of legal title or historic right or treaties or effective control.

The Sipidan/Ligitan islands case at the ICJ is clear on this point. By definition (Article 1 of the federal constitution) Malaysia’s territory consists of the territories of all the States of Malaysia as at 1963 (minus Singapore after 1965). Sabah, like other states, was not carved out of a larger country Malaysia. Instead, Sabah, together with other states, formed Malaysia.

International conventions, be it on continental shelf, Law of the Sea and the 200 nautical mile EEZ limit affecting Sabah do not nullify the historical fact that Malaysia acquired these maritime territories with the entry of Sabah into Malaysia. It is the duty of Malaysia to protect the sovereignty of these areas over which Sabah has an interests. For instance, would Sabah not have a say if the Malaysia government were to cede Labuan FT to a foreign country?

Sabah has lost enough. If the BN State Government fights for Sabah’s rights and interests, then the people will support the government. But if the government fails, the people will speak through the ballot boxes. Then, no quantity of money politics, phantom votes or coercion will be able to save this BN government.

By: DATUK YONG TECK LEE

Najib, Kit Siang in race to charm Chinese voters

Najib, Kit Siang in race to charm Chinese voters

Sarawak sabahdaily   8:14 AM

Datuk Seri Najib Razak will tomorrow begin his first visit to Sibu since the start of the campaign period to work his charm on Chinese Malaysian voters ahead of this weekend’s key by-election here.

The community backed the DAP in Election 2008 while Sarawak Barisan Nasional’s (BN) SUPP lost six state seats in state polls held two years earlier.

The prime minister will join a Chinese cultural procession tomorrow evening organised by a temple here.

Najib is set to be the first prime minister to take part in such a procession which is held in honour of Tua Pek Kong, one of the major Chinese deities worshipped in Malaysia.

Roads around the seven-storey Sibu Tua Pek Kong temple, which is one of the town’s major landmarks, have been repaved in preparation for the prime minister’s visit.

DAP leader Lim Kit Siang will also be attending the procession. His party’s candidate, representing Pakatan Rakyat (PR), is facing off with BN’s SUPP man.

“It is a great day for Sibu. I will be glad to participate as well,” said Lim.

He expressed hope that Najib would continue the practice of engaging non-Malay voters outside the election season.

“Don’t just do it when there is a by-election. He must do it all the time,” said Lim.

Some 20,000 devotees from across the country are expected to take part in the procession, which is held every three years.


The Sibu Tua Pek Kong temple, which is one of the town’s major landmarks. – Picture by Jack Ooi
The Tua Pek Kong Festival is one of the major events in Sarawak’s tourism calendar and the celebration will last four days, starting today.
“The event has been planned for the last six months. Since PM is here on the 12th of May, upon the invitation from the temple, so he said he will drop by,” said Sibu SUPP publicity chief Daniel Ngieng.

Early this year, Najib made history by becoming the first prime minister in 30 years to visit the Batu Caves temple near Kuala Lumpur on the eve of Thaipusam celebrations.

Since taking over the government over a year ago Najib has been promoting his 1 Malaysia concept in an attempt to win the support of the non-Malays.

“We can only say it is a good thing,” Ngieng said when asked if Najib’s participation in the procession would boost Chinese support for the ruling coalition.

In Election 2008, the late Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew retained the seat for BN with the help of Malay/Melanau and Iban voters who form about 33 per cent of the 54,695 voters.

Hoi Chew’s cousin Robert Lau Hui Yew is now contesting against the DAP’s Wong Ho Leng and independent Narawi Haron.

BN’s popularity among Chinese voters nationwide has not improved since Election 2008, which saw the coalition losing most of the urban constituencies dominated by the community.

In last month’s Hulu Selangor by-election, fewer than 30 per cent of Chinese voters supported BN despite Najib’s last-minute financial pledges to Chinese schools and associations. -TMI

PAS hits out at May 13 event over racist tones

PAS hits out at May 13 event over racist tones

Terengganu sabahdaily   8:10 AM

Terengganu PAS Youth has criticised a programme organised by the state's Institute for Integrity called ‘Melayu Bangkit’ (Malays Arise).

Saying the programme smacked of racism and a threat to racial harmony in the country, youth head Ustaz Mohd Nor Hamzah said fuelling such a suspicion was the fact that the programme will be held on May 13, 2010.

PIC: A billboard in Kuala Terengganu showing the event's special guest.

"Even more suspicious is that the programme will be held on May 13, a date which is synonym with the 1969 racial riots," he said.

Nor, who said PAS will lodge a police report over the move, urged the organisers to cancel the event.

The event will be held at the state's Sports Complex in Kuala Terengganu at 9.00 am on Thursday. A billboard announcing the event shows a large portrait of former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who will be the special guest.

Nor, who is also Bukit Payung state assemblyman, said as a state-owned body, the Terengganu Institute for Integrity should not allign itself with political parties and politicians, such as Gerakan Kebangkitan Rakyat (GERTAK, or People's Awakening Movement), which is headed by Marang UMNO's division chairman.

“It seems that the Institute for Integrity has lost its own integrity," he added.

Nor said the theme 'Malays Arise' was a racist slogan and could not fit into prime minister Najib Razak's '1Malaysia' agenda, adding that the same theme had been used by UMNO in Penang to generate opposition against the Penang state government.

"Such a slogan creates discomfort among the people, especially the non-Malays and those Malays who are not UMNO members," he stressed.

'Uncivilized'

Meanwhile, PAS vice president Salahuddin Ayub described the event as "unhealthy" and not suitable at a time when Malaysians were struggling to achieve greater unity.

Referring to a statement by Gertak chairman Razali Idris that May 13 was chosen to create awareness among Malays and remember the bloodshed in 1969, Salahuddin described the action as "uncivilized".

"This statement (by Razali) is serious and clearly shows the intentions behind the choice of the date. PAS views it as something that is very uncivilized," he told newsmen at the PAS headquarters in Kuala Lumpur. -HD

Guan Eng sells Penang’s success to woo Sibu

Guan Eng sells Penang’s success to woo Sibu

Sarawak sabahdaily   8:39 AM

Lim Guan Eng promised that Pakatan Rakyat will implement Penang’s poverty eradication programme if the pact wins Sarawak, telling Sibu voters they could hasten the change by voting DAP on May 16.

The Penang chief minister had toured two rural Melanau villages and an Iban settlement an hour’s boat ride from the town, boasting of the success of his government’s policy and pledging to do the same for Malaysia’s largest state.

“If you support ‘rocket’ on May 16, we can start the process of change in Sarawak,” declared the DAP secretary-general in his campaign stops to support the party’s state chairman, Wong Ho Leng’s, fourth bid to be Sibu MP.

The Bukit Assek assemblyman is contesting against Barisan Nasional’s (BN) Robert Lau Hui Yew and independent Narawi Haron for the support of Sibu’s 54,695 voters. This is the first by-election contested by DAP since Election 2008. Sibu is also the 11th by-election since the last general election.

The rural villages in Sibu are said to be BN strongholds. In Election 2008, the ruling coalition retained the Sibu seat with the help of Malay/Melanau and Iban voters from villages as it was defeated in the Chinese-dominated town centre’s polling districts.

But Lim received a warm welcome and, at the Rumah Rassau longhouse, sat on a hand-woven screwpine mat, an honour reserved for important guests.

The riverside village has some 400 voters and was home to a small group of active DAP members.

“I am Lim Guan Eng, the chief minister of Penang,” the baby-faced politician introduced himself at all the campaign stops

During his 30-minute visit to the Iban longhouse, Lim said it is time for the community to switch their support to DAP.

Lim (far right) pledged to export Penang’s success story to Sarawak if PR takes over. — Picture by Jack Ooi “You have been under the same administration, under the same party for so many years. It is time for a change,” said Lim.

He described the May 16 by-election as the start of the process of taking over the Sarawak government in the next state election, which must be held by July next year.

Lim also spoke of how the rural community in the state had been neglected by the government despite its vast natural resources.

“This state has timber, oil but unfortunately there are a lot of crocodiles also,” he said to laughter from some 50 villagers who attended his talk.

“You see for yourself who catches the crocodiles, who have been protecting them,” added Lim in reference to corrupt government officials.

He then promised the villagers that Penang’s poverty eradication programme would be carried out in Sarawak if PR took over the state.

“In Penang, when I became the chief minister, the first thing I did was to eradicate hardcore poverty. Similarly here, I don’t want hardcore poverty in Sarawak,” said Lim, adding that his state government handed money to the poor every month.

The Penang has also begun giving RM100 to senior citizens annually, a gesture that has drawn criticisms from BN politicians who called it political bribery.

Lim has countered by saying that BN had spent more in by-elections to win over people, and pointed out that the ruling federal government had spent an estimated RM170 million in a combination of projects and cash handouts in last month’s Hulu Selangor by-election. The Sibu seat was vacated following five-term MP Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew’s death on April 9. He was deputy transport minister.

In Election 2008, Lau won the seat with a 3,549-vote majority, beating Ho Leng and Lim Chin Chuang of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) in a three-cornered fight.

Sibu has 54,695 voters, comprising 52,158 ordinary voters and 2,537 postal voters made up of 1,910 military and 627 police personnel.

According to the electoral roll, updated as of April 9, Chinese voters make up almost 67 per cent of the total number of voters, followed by Malay/Melanau (10.5 per cent) and Sarawak Bumiputeras (22 per cent). -MI

DAP Launches Manifesto for Sibu By-Election

DAP Launches Manifesto for Sibu By-Election

Sarawak sabahdaily   8:32 AM

The Sarawak DAP today launched its manifesto for the Sibu parliamentary by-election which touches among other things the issue of employment in the state.

Its candidate Wong Ho Leng, who launched the manifesto here, claimed that there were not enough jobs for the state's youths, forcing them to seek employment elsewhere.

He also listed seven other agenda including a promise to solve Sibu's perennial flood problems within two years.

Wong said the party would invest in human capital and infrastructure to make the town a hub for shipping industry, marine engineering and tourism.

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng, who is DAP secretary-general, was among those present.

The by-election on May 16 will see a three-way fight between Barisan Nasional's Robert Lau Hui Yew, Wong and independent candidate Narawi Haron.


- Bernama

BN Candidate Wants to See Sibu Develop Further

BN Candidate Wants to See Sibu Develop Further

Sarawak sabahdaily   8:31 AM

The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate for the Sibu by-election has a vision.

Should he be elected, Robert Lau Hui Yew wants to further develop the parliamentary constituency.

"My vision is clear... I want Sibu to change, in terms of having better infrastructural developments, living standard and business opportunities to generate jobs and income.

It is my hope to make the town a better place for all, in terms of getting high income salaries and attracting more investments," he told a media conference here today.

Lau, 48, a University of Hull graduate, said although he was new to politics, as compared to his opponent, DAP Wong Ho Leng, 50, a veteran, he was well-nurtured in the field by his late cousin and five-term incumbent Datuk Robert Lau Hoi Chew.

"I have followed him for a long, long time. We were like brothers and at times, like son and father.

"I know how he had operated, his aspirations and uncompleted works politically, socially and in education development.

"But, this does not mean I am still walking in his shadow. I am my own. Although I want to continue with his good works, I have my own ideas and I belong to the new generation, as well," he said.

Lau, a lawyer, said like other leaders, he would rely on Facebook to interact with the new generation, in particular, and his supporters in general.

"I can get feedback from them, with regard to their aspirations, hope and grievances. In return, I can also use it to convey my message to them," he said.


- Bernama