IPOH, Feb 5 — Perak plunged deep into crisis today after Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin refused to resign on the orders of Sultan Azlan Shah, desribing the situation as a coup by Barisan Nasional, while the Umno-led coalition prepares to be sworn in as the new government.

Umno leaders, including Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi, are already gathering at the Istana Kinta here, even as Pakatan Rakyat leaders seek a last-minute reprieve from the ruler.

"We are not rejecting the decision of the Sultan. We are pleading to ask for the dissolution of the assembly.

"The Sultan told me that BN has 31 to 28 but I told him that was inaccurate as three have vacated their seats.

“I asked for consent to dissolve to protect the rights of the people,” he told reporters at the official residence of the MB here.
He said the Sultan had asked him to resign, and he told the ruler he would not.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the PR alliance of Pas, PKR and DAP fully supported Nizar, and wanted the matter “returned to the court of the people”.

“BN has twisted it as if we are committing treason. But we are merely pleading.

“The leadership council of Pakatan will seek an audience with the Sultan,” he told reporters at the same press conference.

Pakatan Rakyat leaders were earlier locked in an emergency meeting following Sultan Azlan Shah’s refusal to grant a dissolution of the Perak state assembly and his order for Nizar to resign.

This decision to not to resign will lead PR on a collision course with the Sultan, whose decision has been greeted with immense criticisms even on his own website where visitors have been expressing their disappointment.

It is understood letters have been sent by fax to the MB's and all state executive councillors, asking them to vacate their offices.
The police have also set up road blocks around the state secretariat here.

Many offices have also closed early for the day, with employers asking their staff to go home early.

It remains unclear if a planned public rally tonight will go ahead but Barisan Nasional leaders are already going ahead with plans to form the next state government.

Earlier, Sultan Azlan Shah announced his refusal to give his consent for the dissolution of the Perak state assembly, and asked Nizar to resign in a statement carried by national news agency Bernama.

And if Nizar refuses to resign, the post will be declared vacant.

This will pave the way for BN to form the next state government.

The office of the Sultan of Perak, in a statement, said that after meeting all the 28 BN assemblymen and the three independents, the Sultan was convinced that Nizar had ceased to command the confidence of the majority of the state assembly members.

"If YAB Datuk Seri Ir Mohammad Nizar bin Jamaluddin does not resign his post as Perak menteri besar together with the members of the state executive council, the posts of menteri besar and state executive councillors are considered vacant," the statement said.

It is understood that a candidate for the MB's position has already been proposed to the Sultan, who has given his approval.

Umno president Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi is also expected to meet the Sultan at 6pm today to confirm the formation of a new state government.

A mammoth gathering has been planned tonight, originally to be held at the MB's residence, but which has apparently been shifted to the Perak Stadium.

Earlier, the Sultan concluded a busy morning of talks with both Nizar and Umno deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak in a bid to break the political impasse in the state.

He met Najib twice before summoning Nizar to his palace as well.

"Signs are good," Nizar told reporters as he left the palace.

But Najib was equally optimistic that the Sultan would rule in his favour and allow BN to form the state government.

In his second audience with the Sultan, Najib brought along the 28 BN state legislators and the three independents backing the coalition to see the Ruler to make his case for a new government.

"A second audience with the Sultan was arranged. It was attended by all 27 Barisan state assemblymen and Datuk Nasarudin Hashim, who has returned to BN, together with the three state representatives who left their parties and are now supporting Barisan.

"All of them pledged their support to Barisan, and the person to be appointed as the menteri besar later, before the Sultan," he told reporters before chairing the state Umno liaison committee meeting.

He said the final decision now rests with the Sultan.

Najib added that BN would respect and abide by the Ruler's decision, even if meant the dissolution of the state assembly to enable fresh state elections to be called.

Nizar's Pakatan Rakyat government has filed a suit to declare three state seats vacant after their representatives turned independent. The three — from Behrang, Changkat Jering and Jelapang — have thrown their support behind BN, which also accepted back the Bota assemblyman who had defected earlier.

Pakatan Rakyat had hoped this move would persuade the Perak Sultan to accede to a request to dissolve the 59-seat assembly and pave the way for snap polls.

Earlier, Najib was granted an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah this morning a day after he declared BN has enough support to form the state government.

Najib was seen entering Istana Kinta here around 10am accompanied by Bagan Datok MP Datuk Seri Zahid Hamidi and other BN officials.

The cheerful-looking Najib and the state Umno deputy chief Zahid left the palace about 30 minutes later.

When met later Najib said that he had informed the Ruler that BN has the majority in the state assembly and intent to form the new state government.

He added that the Sultan had expressed his wish to meet all 31 BN supporters in the assembly before the decision on the new state government can be made.

"We will respect whatever decision made by the Sultan as it is his discretion," Najib told reporters at the state Umno building.

The deputy prime minister, who is also the Perak BN chairman, announced yesterday the coalition now enjoys the support of 28 of its assemblymen and three independents in the legislative assembly with 59 members.

The state BN's success in toppling the PR government would give legitimacy to Najib's leadership as he is slated to take over the premiership by the end of March, after suffering a blow with the defeat in the Kuala Terengganu by-election. - The Malaysian Insider

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Perak Menteri Besar’s refusal to resign despite the request by Sultan Azlan Shah did not mean Pakatan Rakyat was on a collision course with the Perak palace.

“Considering the spirit of constitutional monarchy and Parliamentary democracy, this takover if allowed will be a disaster to the democratic system,” Anwar told reporters after a meeting with PR leaders.

He added that only a dissolution of the state assembly and a state-wide election would solve the problem.

On the order by the state secretariat for the leaders to vacate the building, Anwar described the action as abnormal.

“The MB has not resigned, has not been dismissed. It is abnormal under the so-called democratic system,” he added.

DAP’s Lim Kit Siang described the takeover attempt by BN as a coup led by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“A month before Najib becomes the sixth Prime Minister, but today he has launched a coup de etat,” said Lim adding that Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin was still the Menteri Besar.

“The PR government is still legitimate. This takeover is illegal and unconstitutional,” said the Ipoh Timor MP.

Earlier today Nizar was ordered to resign by the ruler as he was deemed to have lost the support of the majority of the state’s lawmakers.

The government has however refused to step down saying that BN has no majority in the assembly, claiming that the three independents who back the coalition have resigned as legislators. - The Malaysian Insider

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said a large section of the public will be angry if the Perak Ruler does not dissolve the state assembly and invites Barisan Nasional to form the state government on the basis of dubious crossovers.

Writing in his blog, the Gua Musang Umno MP cautioned that taking control of Perak without getting the mandate of the people will spell disaster for BN in the next general election.

"Our taking control without resorting to elections would cement the enmity of the very people we should be trying to win back.

"Come the next general election, they are going to reject both our state and parliamentary candidates with greater vehemence, and not just in Perak."

The former finance minister said contests in a democracy are not a fight for survival where anything goes but a competition to serve and BN must reform to improve its ability to serve with distinction.

He said this was a long-term goal which required immediate focus, adding that BN did not need questionable victories which he described as distractions but needed to upgrade itself to win elections again, fair and square.

Tengku Razaleigh said this was the only sustainable way for BN to win back the public.

He said Umno was in critical condition because of ethical failures and its biggest challenge was tackling corruption at every level.

"We are under close public scrutiny and unless we implement radical reforms and are seen to be doing so, we are finished politically come next elections".

However, he said, BN was embroiled in "winning back" Perak with the crossover of who he described as low-calibre individuals.

"The two assemblymen whose allegiance we have suddenly gained are under investigation for corruption, while the Bota assemblyman's justification for his record-breaking 10-day double-hop is an insult to the public's intelligence and nauseating in its insincerity."

He said this open abuse, for personal gain, is what caused people to hate Umno.

Tengku Razaleigh also lashed out at the circumstances surrounding the defections.

"The mysterious disappearances, sudden reversals, and weak explanations, show ample signs of illegal inducement.

"No matter what the truth of the matter, let us not fool ourselves. People will not believe that these crossovers were honest. This mistrust will taint any government formed on the back of these crossovers."

He said the celebrations over the Perak takeover were premature because the defections may or may not topple the state government.

"The Constitution and the role of the Ruler in such crises must be respected because defections are not a basis for the formation of a government. Elections are."

He said the Constitution spells out a formal process for the formation of a government and the Ruler is sworn to uphold and protect this constitutional process.

"The menteri besar has sought the Ruler's consent for the dissolution of the State Legislative Assembly. The decision now rests with the Ruler." - The Malaysian Insider

A Barisan Nasional (BN) government in Perak is looking all but certain after a PKR state assemblyman defected back to Umno while three independents pledged their support for the coalition.

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin also failed to secure consent from Sultan Azlan Shah to dissolve the state assembly in his last ditch attempt to have fresh polls and head off BN's attempt to seize power.

“The decision is now with the Sultan,” Nizar told reporters after an audience with Sultan Azlan Shah.

At a press conference in Putrajaya earlier, Deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak announced to reporters that Jamaludin Mohd Radzi, Osman Jailu and Hee Yit Foong would back a BN government while Datuk Nasarudin Hashim, who had just two weeks earlier defected to PKR, would rejoin Umno.

“BN now has the majority to form the next government. We will seek an audience with the Perak Sultan.

“BN has 28 seats now, which is equal with Pakatan Rakyat, but we have three exxtra who are friendly to Umno and BN,” Najib said

He added that the three independent lawmakers had also informed the Sultan in a letter sent yesterday that they had quit their parties.

All four assemblymen appeared at the press conference with Najib.

Jamaluddin, Osman and Hee had earlier turned independent while Nasarudin had defected to PKR less than two weeks ago.

“The situation in the state is critical. I have to make sacrifices,” Nasarudin said when asked why he had decided to rejoin Umno.

The other three did not speak to reporters.

With their defections, it is looking likely that BN will get to form the state government.

More PKR lawmakers are also expected to defect to BN.

Najib said BN representatives would meet the Sultan as soon as possible to seek his consent to form the next state government.

With the defections to BN, the Pakatan Rakyat will only have 28 seats to Barisan Nasional’s 31 in the 59-seat assembly.

Nizar is now resting PR’s hopes on the Sultan in the hope that consent will still be granted for fresh polls.

The PR alliance of PKR, Pas and DAP are confident of winning fresh polls with a bigger mandate.

But with a four seat majority, and more defections likely, the Sultan looks likely to accept BN’s offer to form the next government. - The Malaysian Insider

Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin is meeting Sultan Azlan Shah for his consent to dissolve the state assembly in a bid to head off attempts by the opposition Barisan Nasional to form a new state government.

Nizar’s abrupt move comes amid amid swirling rumours more Pakatan Rakyat assemblymen are defecting to BN, on top of the three who have turned independent.

The menteri besar told reporters at 3pm that he would be seeking an audience with the Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.

He also said that Bota assemblyman Datuk Nasharudin Hashim, who had defected to PKR from Umno less than two weeks ago, has now gone missing, adding that he had heard unconfirmed reports that the lawmaker had been “abducted”.

The MB added that he had been informed by the assemblyman’s wife that her husband was taken by Umno assemblymen Datuk Ahmad Pakeh Adam and Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar to Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s house in Kuala Lumpur.

Nizar’s announcement that he would seek an audience with the Sultan also comes amid news that the DAP’s Hee Yit Foong had just quit her party.

“I am on my way to the palace now to get consent from Tuanku to dissolve the state assembly after the loss of two PKR assemblyman and the uncertainties surrounding the Jelapang assemblywoman.

“Even though we have governed well and done good work there have been attempts to rob the right of the people who have chosen a Pakatan Rakyat government,” he said.

Nizar added that if BN were to accept the two PKR men into their fold, it would reflect a government weak in morals.

BN is expected to make an announcement this afternoon that Nasharudin has defected back to Umno and that it is offering to form a new state government in Perak.

Najib has called for a press conference in Putrajaya today at 4pm, and speculation is rife that he will be making the announcement on behalf of BN.

A number of senior BN assemblymen are already making their way to Putrajaya.

It is not clear when BN officials will seek an audience with the Sultan.

Earlier, political circles were buzzing with talk that Sultan Azlan Shah had asked Nizar to form a unity government.

Hee’s exit from DAP means she now joins the two PKR state assemblymen who have declared themselves independent and makes Nizar’s administration a minority government. The Pakatan Rakyat government now holds 29 seats to Barisan Nasional’s 27 in the 59-seat assembly.

If Nasharudin rejoins Umno, BN’s representation will go up to 28. If the three independents back BN, the coalition will then have a three-seat majority.

Nizar is now resting PR’s hopes on the Sultan in the hope that consent will be granted for fresh polls.

The PR alliance of PKR, Pas and DAP are confident of winning fresh polls with a bigger mandate.

The BN coalition is hoping, however, to be able to secure the support of the three renegade PR lawmakers who have now turned independent to form the government.

With their backing, BN will hope to attract even more PR lawmakers to defect.

Constitutional experts have said calling for snap polls is the only way out of the Silver State’s political quagmire with the Election Commission refusing to call for by-elections in Behrang and Changkat Jering.

The Pakatan Rakyat government has already given the Election Commission 48 hours from yesterday to reverse its decision.

Social pressure group Aliran has added its voice to objecting the Election Commission’s decision, saying it has no inherent powers to decide whether a vacancy has occurred in a constituency.

“Legally there exist no doubts as to the vacancies of these two seats but there are clearly doubts as to why the Election Commission chose to take this decision which is without doubt ultra vires,” Aliran president P. Ramakrishnan said in a statement.

He lamented that the decision will perpetuate the problem of party hopping plaguing Perak, saying the razor-thin majority will ensure “the uncertainties of governance will continue to exist to the detriment of the people and their welfare”.

“Aliran would also like to appeal to His Royal Highness, the Sultan of Perak, in all humility, to kindly consent to the dissolution of the state assembly as a way to overcome this deadlock,” Ramakrishnan said. - The Malaysian Insider

IPOH, Feb 3 — Perak plunged deeper into crisis today when the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government declared today that it would give the federal Election Commission (EC) 48 hours to review its decision not to hold the Behrang and Changkat Jering by-elections.

Senior executive councillor Ngeh Koo Ham told reporters today that if the EC does not change its mind, the Perak government would take necessary action.

He declined to say what action would be taken but it would likely involve challenging the federal authority’s decision in court.

“The EC is usurping the function of the speaker and has misconstrued its role. It is there to conduct elections not to decide whether or not there should be an election,” said the Perak DAP chief.

The Perak government appears determined to force polls for the two state seats in order to bring an end to the political uncertainty which plagues the state now.

Perak state assembly Speaker V Sivakumar had declared the two seats vacant after receiving resignation letters from two PKR lawmakers Jamaluddin Radzi and Osman Jailu, who had gone missing last week and were expected to defect to the opposition Barisan Nasional (BN).

But the two renegade PKR men now claim the said resignation letters were undated documents they signed after PR parties won the state in last year’s general election.

The expected defection of the two will result in the state government being left with only a wafer-thin one seat majority in the state legislature.

State PR officials are hoping to use by-elections, which the allied parties are confident of winning, to make the defections moot.

But the EC announced today that the two men had written to the Speaker to say their resignations were not valid, and this has cast doubt in the matter.

The political intrigue in the state looks set to continue as both PR and BN are understood to be actively trying to lure each other’s assemblymen.

With this scenario, the Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin is likely to be also considering the possibility of dissolving the assembly and calling for fresh elections.

In a press conference at the Perak DAP headquarters here, Ngeh added that it was not up to the speaker nor the EC to conduct any enquiry into the validity of the letters but to act on them.

“A dispute can be taken up in court. We are not saying there should be no avenue for redress but that grievances should be taken to the courts,” he said.

He added that while PR did not want to pursue the matter in court, it would have to weigh up its options once the 48 hours were up.

He said that the EC’s refusal to call by-elections clearly showed biasness against the PR government although he sidestepped questions of whether the EC was siding with BN.

Ngeh however said that the accusation of bias would be retracted if the EC reversed its decision. - The Malaysian Insider

(The Malaysian Insider) It is confirmed. The controversial KLIA East project is off, stillborn at the drawing board because it had become too costly politically for the administration.

But it was not all bad news for Air Asia, the region’s largest budget carrier and the promoter of the idea to build the RM1.6 billion airport in Labu. The carrier managed to extract some concessions from the government, namely that Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad (MAHB) build a new terminal by 2011 and consult Air Asia on the design and other issues pertaining to the operations of the facility.

Several government officials told The Malaysian Insider that MAHB was told to lower charges for the budget carrier, complete the construction on time and make the new terminal an energy efficient complex.

Today’s meeting was chaired by Finance Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and attended by Air Asia’s Datuk Seri Tony Fernandes, officials from the Ministry of Finance, Economic Planning Unit and MAHB.

When contacted, Fernandes said: “It was a positive meeting and we got a good hearing from everyone.’’ He declined to go into the specifics of the meeting.

Najib called for today’s meeting as a result of the firestorm of criticisms which followed an announcement last month that the government had approved a plan by Air Asia to build a new LCCT in Labu. Critics assailed the government saying that this decision would hurt KLIA’s ambitions of becoming a regional hub. They also argued that if a new facility had to be built, it should be built within KLIA.

Air Asia countered by saying that MAHB was unable to build a new LCCT by 2011 to cater for its growth. It pointed out that MAHB was only able to build a new LCCT by 2014.

The government fearing a political backlash and unwilling to test its popularity in this more challenging political climate began sending out feelers a couple of weeks ago that it was looking for a compromise solution.

It received a helping hand from Sime Darby Berhad, the government-linked company which informed the government that it was only willing to sell a tract of land in Labu to Air Asia and was not providing any financing for the project.

This move threw into doubt whether Air Asia could raise the financing for the RM1.6 billion terminal and the RM700 million connectivity infrastructure.

Government officials, who were briefed about today’s meeting, said that MAHB and Air Asia will have to come back in two weeks with firm plans for the new LCCT.

“The DPM played the role of an honest broker. He did not take sides but wanted to make sure that national interest was served. This could only happen if the new LCCT was built in KLIA but Air Asia’s legitimate interests and concerns were addressed,” a government official told The Malaysian Insider.

It may have been a happy ending for all parties but this episode certainly raised some serious questions over decision-making in the government.

And begs the question on why MAHB and Air Asia could not be forced to the negotiating table earlier.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 30 — In the weeks following Pas's win in the Kuala Terengganu by-elections, there has hardly been a whisper about hudud or the supposed split among Indians within Pakatan Rakyat.

It appears that the gamble taken by Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to bite his tongue and sidestep those issues during the campaign has paid off.

The PKR de facto leader did not have to isolate any group of supporters by making a definite stand despite calls for him to do so.

In the end, the euphoria of victory has allowed the last embers of dissent on these matters to die out.

This has perplexed Barisan Nasional leaders, who believed that the "infighting" would have caused votes to leak from the opposition.

The governing coalition ended up losing the seat by a majority four times that which it had itself won by in the March 2008 general election.

Analysts believe that PR made gains by allowing each party the freedom to speak on issues.

"By allowing DAP and Pas to continue to beat their drums on hudud, they are given a cause to champion to their political constituents," says political consultant Khoo Kay Peng.

By conventional wisdom, such issues, when left to fester, can result in deep cracks in a coalition.

But the only conventional wisdom that Malaysian politics has had has been from BN.

PR appears to have a different idea about dealing with consensus building within a coalition.

When BN's Ketuanan Melayu or Malay supremacy achilles' heel starts to blight it, its supreme council, the highest decision-making body in the coalition, stops the rot by virtually issuing an edict on such matters.

When then Bukit Bendera Umno division chief Datuk Ahmad Ismail referred to Chinese Malaysians as "immigrants," the fierce spat between component leaders and Umno ultras saw grassroots members from both Umno and Gerakan asking for Gerakan to leave BN.

The supreme council had to step in with the final word on the matter and allowed Umno to suspend Ahmad for three years.

But while PR has an informal leadership council made up of Anwar, Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang and DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, the body has existed in most part only to sign off on agreements designed to pledge allegiance to the coalition or on principles such as Malay rights.

Under the proposed PR charter, a presidential council made up of the top leadership of each party will be established as its highest decision-making body.

But leaders from the tripartite coalition told The Malaysian Insider that it will not operate in the same way as BN's supreme council as PR prefers to recognise different ideological stands and allow an open debate on issues to reach a consensus before implementing any policy.

"The idea to establish it is there but only to deal with major issues and not on ideals and political differences," said DAP Socialist Youth chief Anthony Loke, who is a member of the coalition's joint secretariat.

Anwar, when pressed on hudud during the Kuala Terengganu campaign trail, had maintained this line by saying: "We abide by our Constitution, but we should allow Muslims to articulate their views. I have no objections discussing it within PR."

Meanwhile, several Pas and DAP leaders such as the former's spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat and the latter's chairman Karpal Singh had voiced their opinions on the matter loudly, leading to dissent within PR supporters.

But the opposition does not see it necessary to muzzle such public disagreements.

"It takes time to reach a consensus, so we should be prepared to engage in discussion," said Khalid Samad, Pas's Shah Alam MP.

Yusmadi Yusoff, MP for Balik Pulau, added that for PKR, it was interested in real harmony not an artificial one imposed by BN.

"BN is about homogenising any dialogue and creating taboos. But in the PR setup, when Karpal or Hadi make a stand, it is based on principles and democratic convictions," he said.

In short, while both Khalid and Yusmadi agree that a BN supreme council-based mechanism would be politically expedient, it would not achieve "real reform." - The Malaysian Insider

PETALING JAYA, Jan 29 — Umno disciplinary board chairman Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithaudeen’s call to abolish Umno’s Wanita, Youth, Puteri and Putera wings to curb money politics in Umno is insufficient but the entire party should be done away with, says DAP Parliamentary Leader Lim Kit Siang.

“Just as no one expects Rithaudeen’s proposal would be taken seriously by an Umno leader, nobody believes that it is possible to eradicate corruption in the country’s most corrupt institution, Umno, because of the sheer absence of such political will,” the opposition stalwart said.

“Rithaudden’s sense of despair and futility in the impossible battle against corruption and money politics in Umno caused him to make the radical proposal to abolish the various Umno wings.

“When will an honest and upright Umno leader make the next logical proposal – that UMNO be abolished altogether?” Lim asked rhetorically in a press statement.

Rithaudeen’s proposal has met immediate objection from vice president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, Wanita chief Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz and Puteri chief Datuk Noraini Ahmad.

Today, the top two in the party also rejected the idea as deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak said that Umno will not abolish any of its wings as they are important in nurturing future leaders of the party while president Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi said that money politics would be dealt with other means.

“If Rithaudeen is right — and he is right — that the many elections for the Umno Youth, Wanita, Puteri and Putera wings created opportunities for money-making, all that Najib meant about ‘nurturing future leaders of the party’ is to give them opportunities to be adept in the art of corruption in Umno party elections,” Lim added.

The DAP supremo also questioned Rithudeen’s justification for not allowing the newly-minted Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) full jurisdiction over alleged corruption in the party.

In a New Straits Times report, Rithaudeen used the analogy of a doctor trying to operate while drunk, stating that the doctor can be charged for criminal negligence but also sued in a civil suit and stripped of his ability to practice by the Malaysian Medical Council.

In the same way, Umno’s disciplinary board conducts its investigations with the option of suspending a member independently of any action by the MACC.

Investigations by the MACC and the board will be done separately by each body and any sharing of information will be done on a case-by-case basis, he said.

However, Lim stressed that the board would be violating the law and committing crimes themselves if they withhold from the MACC any case of Umno money politics — which MACC Chief Commissioner Datuk Seri Ahmad Said Hamdan had categorically called “corruption” in a separate New Straits Times interview on Jan 25.

(The Malaysian Insider) - Following the defection of Perak state assemblyman Datuk Nasarudin Hashim to PKR, Umno representatives in the state are now complaining of being sidelined by the party leadership.

They told The Malaysian Insider today that the Umno leadership must keep the people’s interest ahead of the party if it was serious about taking over Perak from Pakatan Rakyat.

They said infighting in Perak Umno has led to some of the party’s representatives being unable to perform their duties effectively.

The rift within the state Umno started soon after the party’s divisional meetings late last year, where some assemblymen lost their positions and it became public with Nasarudin’s defection.

The crossover also came as a blow to Perak Umno chief Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali, who was said to be having problems working with some of the party’s assemblymen, as he had promised to topple the PR-led government through defection, by Aug 31 last year.

“I am disappointed with the leadership at the divisional and state level as they are not doing anything for the next election.

“We will end up like Kelantan, where they are very happy to lead the divisions, but do not want to win elections,” said Pengkalan Baharu assembyman Datuk Hamdi Abu Bakar.

The former Beruas Umno chief who lost his post in the party election last October, however, denied that he was thinking of crossing over, adding that the situation in Perak has calmed down after a meeting with party deputy president Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“But they must not be complacent,” said Hamdi.

Another assemblyman, Hamidah Osman, said the sidelining of elected representatives in favour of division chiefs would further erode the people's confidence in the party.

“There should be more room for the people, for their representatives. What is going to happen if the people’s confidence in Umno continues to decline?” said the Sungai Rapat assemblyman, who is Barisan Nasional’s (BN) sole representative within the Gopeng federal constituency.

“If they want to win the people’s support, they should not be focussing only on Umno members,” she told The Malaysian Insider, admitting that she has been contacted by a PKR official to defect but had rejected the offer.

Hamidah added that Umno divisional leaders were only interested in protecting their positions within the party instead of focussing on strengthening the party.

Lintang state assemblyman Datuk Ahamad Pakeh Adam claimed that many Umno representatives in the state are facing the same problems, but he added that they were not ready yet to defect to PR.

Still, he did not rule out the possibility.

“There will be more,” said Ahamad on Perak Menteri Besar’s remark that three Umno assemblymen would be joining PR.

Soon after Bota assemblyman Nasarudin joined PKR, Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin claimed that three more Umno representatives would defect to one of the PR parties.

The defection of the former Parit MP brought the number of PR representatives to 31 against BN’s 27.

The Malaysian Insider understands that the police have completed their probe into his comments about Malaysians of Chinese origin and the veteran politician is likely to be charged with sedition.

This move is going to be applauded by many Malaysians who were upset at his boorish behaviour in the wake of that episode but will upset Umno members who believe that his three-year suspension from all positions in the party was sufficient punishment.

His court date could also reignite the debate on race and religion in the country, and polarise the country further.

Ahmad became the talk of the country when he allegedly said that Chinese were immigrants and squatters and therefore could not expect to have equal rights as the Malays.

His comments were reported in Sin Chew Daily and sparked off a furious debate on the position of non-Malays in the country.

It led to several component parties in the Barisan Nasional calling for Ahmad to be disciplined.

Ahmad remained unrepentant and warned Chinese not to “try the patience” of the Malays.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak tried to calm the tense situation by apologising on Ahmad’s behalf to the Chinese.

In September, the Umno Supreme Council suspended Ahmad from all party positions for three years.

But that was not the end of the drama.

The Sin Chew journalist who reported Ahmad's allegedly seditious comments was detained under the Internal Security Act. The government defended the move by saying that it was for the protection of the reporter.

Following public outcry, she was released after 18 hours in the lock-up.

This detention only served to frame the episode in them versus us terms, with several commentators wondering why the police were quick to act against the messenger and not the individual who uttered the allegedly seditious comments.

Those found guilty of sedition in Malaysia can be jailed up to three years, face a RM5,000 fine or both. The law classifies speech or comments as seditious if it, among others, promotes ill feeling between the races.

The Malaysian Insider

A second autopsy on suspected car thief Kugan Ananthan has found external injuries caused by blunt force trauma, sources told The Malaysian Insider.

The 22-year-old, who died while in police custody on Jan 20, was said to have died of cardiac arrest following the injuries, the sources said.

Initial findings also revealed Kugan was asthmatic, and his condition had caused phlegm to accumulate in his lungs.

The full report is expected to be issued within days after Universiti Malaya Medical Centre pathologists carried out the autopsy that lasted nearly 10 hours on Sunday following a dispute over earlier findings that he had died of "water in the lungs".

The Attorney-General’s Chambers have classified the case as murder and 11 policemen from the Subang USJ Taipan police station have been reassigned to desk duty pending investigations.

It is understood that closed-circuit-television-cameras (CCTV) were not placed in the police station’s lock-up despite a directive years ago that was intended to prevent claims of police abuse.

Kugan was said to be part of a syndicate involved in stealing luxury cars but his family said he has no criminal record and worked as an insurance claims executive.

Kugan will be cremated at the Puchong Batu 14 crematorium on Wednesday.

Fearing trouble, police have warned his family and friends not to turn the funeral into a protest following unconfirmed reports that a procession with banners and placards are being planned.

The police are now questioning some 21 people, including two deputy ministers, for allegedly barging into a hospital mortuary to view Kugan’s body last week. The family and the two politicians dispute the police and hospital version of events, saying they had a right to see the body.

His death is the latest over the years of suspects, mainly Indians, who had died suddenly in police custody.

Political parties across the divide have asked for an independent probe into his death and others in the past.

His family has also criticised the police for hiding behind a wall of silence over the death.

“The police never informed us that he was arrested and we only heard about it from an anonymous caller,” Kugan’s uncle V. Raviroy told The Malaysian Insider.

The 42-year-old businessman said no matter what Kugan was accused of doing; he did not deserve to die.

“Kugan was only 22, he had his whole life ahead of him, why did he end up dead in the lockup?” he lamented.

The Malaysian Insider

Datuk Seri Tajol Rosli Ghazali will quit as Perak Umno chief soon while three Barisan Nasional state reps have hinted at following Datuk Nasarudin Hashim into Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) as discontent grows over Umno’s recent divisional polls, The Malaysian Insider learnt today.

The state Umno is in turmoil now after the Bota state assemblyman repudiated the party to join his Universiti Malaya campus mate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim on Sunday and revelations by Perak Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin that he is negotiating with the trio to cross over to Pakatan Rakyat.

Among the trio are state representatives within the Larut and Bruas parliamentary constituencies, sources told The Malaysian Insider.

“Tajol Rosli has indicated to the party leadership that he will relinquish his post soon,” a source said today.

Tajol Rosli, who was Perak Menteri Besar before BN lost the state to Pakatan Rakyat in the March 2008 polls, had met with Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak yesterday to discuss Nasarudin’s defection.

He alluded to problems within the Parit Umno division that led to the former Parit MP’s decision to quit.

It is learnt that the other state assemblymen mulling their future in Umno voiced out concerns about similar problems within their divisions.

They are also unhappy that the national leadership have ignored their problems and felt that several national leaders are behind moves to oust them from party politics. Politicking and jockeying for key posts have increased since Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s exit plan was brought forward to this March.

Najib has been elected unopposed as Umno’s new president and will have to face a party rife with factional interests and ambitious warlords conspiring for their own interests rather than that of the dominant Malay party that has led the nation since Merdeka.

“Its a zero-sum game. When some lose party positions, they lose everything. The only way up could be through another party,” an Umno leader said, alluding to Nasarudin’s loss in party division elections a few months ago.

The veteran Perak leader has seen his influence diminish when he was moved from the Parit parliament seat constituency to the Bota state seat in the last elections. While he won the state seat, he lost his Felcra chairmanship, a position normally given to an MP.

The Parit Umno deputy chief’s failed challenge for the divisional top post was the last straw, sources added.

Several other divisions are facing similar problems, with the most prominent being Larut Umno’s imbroglio between current chief Datuk Raja Ahmad Zainuddin Raja Omar and challenger Larut MP Datuk Hamzah Zainudin.

Raja Ahmad has charged that Hamzah, who is Deputy Housing and Local Government Minister, is ineligible to contest for the division post due to procedural issues but Tajol Rosli has referred the matter to the party supreme council for a decision. No decision has been made and the division has yet to hold its elections.

Anwar, who is Parliamentary Opposition leader, yesterday also hinted of more cross-overs but Najib has denied it, calling it “rumours”.

Nasarudin’s defection is seen by many as a blow to Najib just weeks before he assumes the party presidency as it reflects a lack of faith in his leadership.

“It’s a blow to Najib as some don’t think he can handle the party well. Nobody will attribute this to Pak Lah as he is already on the way out,” a Umno veteran said.

While Perak Umno is in turmoil, Tajol Rosli maintained yesterday that the party was confident of wresting back the state from the Pakatan Rakyat electoral pact in the next elections.

“We have three years to do it and the BN has put in motion all measures especially to get the votes of the youth,” he said.

Tajol Rosli also said he has yet to meet Nasarudin, who has been avoiding his calls.

The Malaysian Insider

The score is 0-3 and the threat of more embarrassment being piled upon him, the party and ruling coalition he will soon lead, grows by the day.

Defeat in Permatang Pauh. Defeat in Kuala Terengganu. Cross-over in Bota.

But he is still the calmest man in the room. Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak has told Cabinet minister, senior politicians and government officials that he does not believe that the setbacks suffered by Umno/Barisan Nasional since March 8 2008 are signs that Malaysians want the ruling coalition out of power.

He does not believe that Umno is on a death watch.

He does not believe that the country is ready to flick away, like an annoying piece of lint, the government which has held the reins of power since independence and transformed a largely agrarian society to one of the top trading nations in the world.

Najib, who will become leader of the party and be installed as the prime minister of Malaysia by March 31, is confident that with some meaningful reforms and a steady stewardship of the economy, he will be able to staunch the bleeding of support for Umno/BN and put it on the right path to recover lost ground at the next general elections, scheduled for 2013.

But …

But first he will have to convince his party men that phase of change does not end when Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi steps down from power in March. Indeed, the changing of guard at the top should signal the beginning of a period of sustained change in the party. The first step

should be the composition of the Cabinet.

Every Umno president has been forced to “respect’’ the wishes of the 2,000 Umno delegates and reward successful candidates at party elections with Cabinet positions.

So it did not matter if you were corrupt, incompetent, average or a chauvinist. If you snared a senior party position, you were a shoo-in for a Cabinet seat.

Shaken by the results of Election 2008, Abdullah flirted with the idea of loading his Cabinet with at least four or five top Malay professionals.

He finally buckled to pressure from the party and only selected Amirsham A. Aziz and Zaid Ibrahim. He loaded the Cabinet with politicians, considered heavyweights in Umno but average by the rest of the country.

Najib has drawn up a list of credible individuals who have the brainpower and stature to be ministers but is already being told that he should not be too adventurous.

In short, stick to the old formula of promoting Umno politicians who bag the most number of votes at the party elections.

There are several problems with sticking with the old tried and discredited formula.

Even Umno politicians concede that vote buying and corruption is rampant this time around. What message will Najib send Malaysians if he loads his Cabinet with politicians who purchased their positions in Umno?

But…

But first he will have to oversee an economy that will be in the doldrums for between 12 to 24 months.

In the days ahead, the government will tweak its official position and acknowledge that the growth forecast of 3.5 per cent for 2009 cannot be met.

Research houses and analysts say that Malaysia will be in recession, with the economy contracting by between 1 per cent and 2 per cent.

Government officials told The Malaysian Insider that they still believe that economy will expand this year, perhaps by 0.5 per cent. That is the best case scenario and is anchored on this important assumption: that the RM7 billion stimulus package is implemented in a timely fashion.

The Malaysian Insider has learnt that some RM5 billion has been released to individual ministeries but the money has not flowed down to projects earmarked under the stimulus package.

The biggest challenge Najib will face is to keep Malaysians in their jobs.

The second stimulus package to be announced soon will include measures to reduce the cost of doing business, including a possible corporate tax cut.

The government hopes that by cutting down cost for businesses, employers will not cut jobs. If this gambit proves unsuccessful and the rate of retrenchment increases, Najib and the BN government will have to face the prospect of between 200,000 and 300,000 Malaysians out of work.

What then? How do you inspire people when their confidence has been sucked dry, sapped by the loss of the one thing that keeps them and their loved ones going?

But…

But first he will have to make sure the more trying economic times and more fractious political scenario does not further weaken the frayed ties between Malaysia’s races.

Looking back, one of the biggest disappointments of the Abdullah era has been his paralysis in tackling racial and religious issues.

The PM hoped that if you left tricky issues alone long enough, they would sort themselves out.

They don’t. They just become festering sores.

Just after the Hindu Action Rights Force persuaded 30,000 Indians to take to the streets in November 2007 and pushed the marginalisation of Indians to become a national issue, Abdullah convened a meeting of Indian community leaders in his office.

He was given an unvarnished account of the crime situation among Indians; the economic deprivation and cautioned that the despair in the community was like a ticking time bomb.

Abdullah promised action but there was little follow-up. In a separate meeting, he was told by non-Muslim religious leaders that there was restlessness among Buddhist, Christians and Sikhs over the perceived encroaching on their freedom to worship by the government.

Today, these complaints are as loud as ever. Abdullah found himself caught in a dilemma: he wanted to be fair to the non-Muslims but he was concerned about upsetting his power base in Umno and among the Malays.

So he did nothing.

The option of doing nothing will not be available to Najib. Indeed, the option of following the old playbook will not be available to Najib.

By Neville Spykerman

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 — The family of Kugan Ananthan, today, lashed out at police for hiding behind a wall of silence, over the death of the 22-year-old suspected car-thief.

Kugan’s uncle V.Raviroy said the police have yet to offer an explanation or apology over what had happened and have continued to keep the family in the dark.

The 42-year-old businessman said the family’s anguish started when Kugan disappeared on Jan 14.

“The police never informed us that he was arrested and we only heard about it from an anonymous caller,” Raviroy told The Malaysian Insider.

Even then, the police refused to disclose where he was being detained.

Raviroy claims that Kugan died at 11am on Jan 20 at the Taipan USJ police station but the family was only informed at 9pm by a group of plain-clothed detectives who came to their home in Kinrara, Puchong.

“All they said was that he had died and his body was at the University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC).

However when the family arrived at the mortuary at UMMC, they were told Kugan’s body was at the Serdang Hospital.

“Look what they have put us through,” he said.

Raviroy said whatever Kugan was accused of doing; he did not deserve to die.

“Kugan was only 22, he had his whole life ahead of him, why did he end up dead in the lockup,” he lamented

He said Kugan worked for an insurance claims company and did not have a police record.

Raviroy said the family had lost confidence in the police force, which did not want to allow them to have a second post-mortem.

He was especially critical of the Selangor police chief Datuk Khaild Abu Bakar who he claimed kept issuing statements to the Press but never once came to meet the family or offer an explanation.

“What we know so far about the case is what we read in the newspapers, neither Khalid nor his officers have come to see us.”

Raviroy said they will claim Kugan’s body on Wednesday and he will be cremated at the Puchong Batu 14 crematorium at 2pm.

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 26 – As many as 3,000 Umno members or supporters in Kuala Terengganu may have abstained from voting during the recent by-election – in protest against the choice of Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh as the candidate, and as a result of factionalism in the state.

This startling information was thrown up during a study by Umno following the defeat of its candidate to Abdul Wahid Endut of Parti Islam SeMalaysia (Pas) by 2,631 votes. Some 79 per cent of the electorate turned out to vote, down from the nearly 83 per cent during the general election in March 2008.

Umno officials were surprised at the lower turnout on Jan 17, believing that they would have retained the parliamentary constituency seat if their party members and supporters had come out in full force.

Even Pas had said any turnout more than 85 per cent would be in Umno’s favour.

Since then, an internal survey has shown that some members boycotted the polls because of factionalism in the party. They did not agree with the choice of Wan Ahmad Farid as the candidate because he was perceived to have been:

a) Unfriendly to Datuk Razali Ismail, the popular incumbent whose death from a heart attack made it necessary for the by-election to be called.

b) Close to former Terengganu Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh. This was an issue with supporters of the current MB, Datuk Ahmad Said.

c) Aloof.

This is not the first time that Umno members have been prepared to see their candidates fail in an electoral contest with the Opposition over internal issues.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi blamed internal sabotage as one of the major reasons why seats fell to Pakatan Rakyat in the Malay heartland in Election 2008.

He noted that party members were unwilling to rally around candidates selected by the national leadership, preferring instead to show their displeasure by not voting for the Umno candidate or not going out to campaign.

Abdullah and other Umno leaders warned party members that if they continued to adopt this approach, the Opposition would continue to make inroads in territory held by Umno/Barisan Nasional.

The message was lost in Kuala Terengganu. And yet it could have been worse, much worse.

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in a posting on his blog, said that he held back publishing a damning article on Abdullah and Umno in the run-up to the by-election for fear of being accused of influencing how the electorate voted. He posted the article six days after the by-election.

Dr Mahathir noted that Umno had lost its way, with members no longer putting the party’s struggle above everything else. He took aim at his favourite target – Abdullah, rattling off a litany of accusations against him, his son-in-law Khairy Jamaluddin and his team of advisors.

He noted that, under Abdullah, Umno had become so weak that other races were openly criticising the political party.

“After being chastised, Umno leaders apologise and bow down to their critics. On the other hand, when Umno members criticise other parties, they are suspended,” he said, referring to Penang Umno warlord Datuk Ahmad Ismail.

“All the signs point towards Umno being defeated and destroyed in the next general elections. Just because I was a former Umno leader does not mean that I must continue to support Umno,” he said. “Umno has now become a party owned by the corrupt.”

Imagine how damaging this article would have been if it had been posted a few days before the by-election. - The Malaysian Insider