Cadangan "Tiada Pertandingan" Dari UMNO Besut

• UMNO Bahagian Besut dalam mesyuarat semalam telah membuat cadangan agar ''TIDAK ADA PERTANDINGAN'' untuk jawatan TIMBALAN & NAIB Presiden UMNO, di bulan March nanti. UMNO bahagian tersebut memutuskan perlu adanya kompromi.

• Cadangan ini dibuat untuk mengurangkan kemelut pertandingan di peringkat pusat & mengatasi masalah politik wang.

• UMNO perlu memberi ruang yang lebih untuk mengatasi masalah dalaman & bukan untuk merebut jawatan.

• Dalam menghadapi kemelut masakini, pemimpin UMNO perlu menunjukkan pengorbanan mereka untuk parti.

• UMNO Bahagian tidak memberi apa-apa cadangan cara perlaksanaan, tapi menyerahkannya kepada kebijaksanaan kepimpinan pusat (MT UMNO) untuk menentukannya.

Itu berita yang saya terima dari Besut, Terengganu. Apa pandangan anda pula?

Dikemaskini 28/1/2009- 4.08pm

Nampaknya sudah ada satu dua calon jawatan yang dicadangkan di atas tidak bersetuju.

KUALA LUMPUR 27 Jan. - Cadangan UMNO Bahagian Besut supaya calon-calon Timbalan Presiden dan Naib Presiden berkompromi pada pemilihan parti Mac ini kurang dipersetujui.

Walaupun atas alasan demi mengukuhkan parti - calon yang bertanding berpendapat masih banyak cara lain untuk melakukannya.

Calon Timbalan Presiden UMNO, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd. Taib berkata, dalam UMNO terdapat pelbagai cadangan yang dikemukakan oleh ahli-ahlinya untuk memantapkan parti.

Bagaimanapun katanya, usaha murni itu tidak sepatutnya menjurus kepada satu cadangan sahaja kerana terdapat pelbagai aspek yang perlu diberikan penelitian.

''Dalam UMNO sesiapa sahaja bebas beri pandangan, sekarang semua orang bagi petua untuk pulihkan UMNO.

"Saya berharap UMNO dapat memilih jalan terbaik kerana apabila seseorang memberi pandangan, tidak bermakna ia mewakili pandangan majoriti," katanya kepada Utusan Malaysia ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.

Baca seterusnya Bukan pandangan majoriti - Muhammad

Kuda Kepang juga ada menulis berkenaan cadangan dari Besut itu, antara lain beliau berkata;

Saranan Idris seperti di atas memang pragmatik dan relevan dengan suasana siasah UMNO mutakhir ini. Tetapi, berapa ramaikah calon yang sudi berkongsi pandangan dengan beliau. Contohnya, kajilah sendiri kenyataan-kenyataan berikut:

MELAKA 27 Jan. - Datuk Seri Mohd. Ali Rustam tidak bersetuju dengan cadangan UMNO Bahagian Besut supaya calon-calon Timbalan Presiden dan Naib Presiden parti itu berkompromi pada pemilihan Mac ini.

Naib Presiden UMNO itu menegaskan, sebagai calon yang telah dipilih oleh ahli untuk bertanding, tidak ada sebab untuknya berkompromi atau menarik diri.

"Saya ucapkan tahniah kalau ada yang memberi cadangan untuk berkompromi tetapi saya tidak akan tarik diri. Kalau ada calon lain yang menarik diri... Alhamdulillah," katanya.

Baca lagi KOMPROMI ELAK PERTANDINGAN UMNO: APA REAKSI ABDULLAH?

Pandangan Muhyiddin & Hishamuddin mengenai cadangan dari Besut ini pula adalah seperti berikut;

"Saya menghormati pandangan daripada UMNO Bahagian Besut."

"Mengambil kira senario politik sekarang, tidak bermakna musyawarah tidak boleh diamalkan. Yang penting ialah kepimpinan yang kuat, perpaduan parti serta imej parti di mata rakyat," katanya ketika dihubungi Utusan Malaysia di sini hari ini.

Beliau mengulas cadangan Ketua UMNO Bahagian Besut, Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh supaya calon-calon Timbalan dan Naib Presiden berkompromi dan memberi keutamaan kepada mereka yang mampu meningkatkan kekuatan parti.

Menurut Idris, tanpa pertandingan bagi kedua-dua jawatan itu ia mampu membendung gejala politik wang, mengelak perpecahan dan membolehkan ahli UMNO menumpukan usaha untuk mengukuhkan parti.

Sementara itu, Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein menganggap saranan itu tidak mustahil dilakukan tetapi perlu perbincangan mendalam.

Baca lagi Muhyiddin serah kepada MT

Apa Khabar UMNO Perak?

Apa khabar Tajol Rosli?

Baca Umno Perak assemblyman defects to PKR

KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 25 – Datuk Nasarudin Hashim, Umno Perak’s assemblyman for Bota, has quit the party with immediate effect and crossed over to PKR.

Baca juga di sini dan sini. Kenyataan media rasmi ADUN berkenaan boleh di baca di sini.

Apa khabar Perak? Apa khabar orang Bota?

Anwar kate oghang di Bote suke. Iye ke deme suke? Ate bebenor ke sentimen rakyat ke sentimen si wakil rakyat?

“The decision of Datuk Nasarudin is critical, reflecting the sentiment of his voters, primarily the Malays in his constituency,” Anwar told a press conference at the party headquarters today.

The PKR de facto leader said that this reflected the demand of the pulic and saw it “as the beginning of a new wave,” when quizzed over the significance of the move"

Dikemaskini 5.21pm

Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru Cina

Kepada semua sahabat saya dan pembaca yang berbangsa Tionghua, Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru! Semoga tahun lembu ini akan membawa kesejahteraan & kebahagiaan kepada saudara dan saudari sekelian serta keluarga.

Gong Xi Fa Cai!

Kepada yang lain selamat bercuti!

The Pledge, The Turn & The Prestige

“Every great magic trick consists of three parts or acts. The first part is called "The Pledge". The magician shows you something ordinary: a deck of cards, a bird or a man. He shows you this object. Perhaps he asks you to inspect it to see if it is indeed real, unaltered, normal. But of course... it probably isn't.

The second act is called "The Turn". The magician takes the ordinary something and makes it do something extraordinary. Now you're looking for the secret... but you won't find it, because of course you're not really looking. You don't really want to know. You want to be fooled.

But you wouldn't clap yet. Because making something disappear isn't enough; you have to bring it back. That's why every magic trick has a third act, the hardest part, the part we call "The Prestige." - Cutter - Michael Caine (The Prestige, 2006)

Now this was what Paklah said in Dubai yesterday;

DUBAI, Jan 24 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Umno would institute changes and a renewal to strengthen the party after its new leadership takes over following the party elections in March.

The Umno president said the party would adopt measures aligned to the members' aspirations to become a party with greater integrity and one which served the people in keeping with the pledges made.

Read Abdullah: Changes for new Umno leadership to make

Paklah, thanks for that assurance but please bear in mind, the people are in no mood for a magic show treat. We are not clapping now not because we want to be fooled later. Though we have heard & seen "the pledge", we are about to see the completion of "the turn" but know this, we are not waiting for "the prestige", come this March.

The people want to see changes and they want it to be real.

Kalaulah...

Lawyer Kampung (Front Row, 3rd from right) with friends

in front of Senior Common Room (Big School)
circa 1989 AD

Saya bermain bolasepak untuk pasukan sekolah di MCKK dahulu. Pernah di dalam satu perlawanan akhir peringkat daerah pada tahun 1989, kami telah bertemu dengan sebuah sekolah dari Padang Rengas, tidak silap saya Sekolah Menengah Tun Perak, yang membawa sehingga ke sepakan penalti. Walaupun saya bermain posisi sebagai penjaga gol, saya telah mengambil sepakan penalti terakhir yang akan menentukan juara daerah bawah 18 tahun bagi daerah Kuala Kangsar tahun tersebut (nak bangga diri sedikit saja ye, MCKK juga adalah juara bertahan bagi bawah 17 Kuala Kangsar pada ketika itu dan ramai antara kami yang mewakili daerah dan memenangi kejuaraan peringkat negeri bagi bawah 17 tahun ;-) kira favourite-lah dan ramai "star-star"nya dalam pasukan tersebut).

Sudah 9 orang mengambil sepakan dari kedua-dua pasukan dan kedudukan terikat masa itu dengan 7-7. Memandang hari sudah hampir mahghrib pihak-pihak telah bersetuju untuk tidak melanjutkan lagi sepakan penanti ke 11 sekiranya kedudukan masih terikat. Maklumlah main di padang perbandaran, manalah ada flood lights, dan hari sudah semakin gelap.

Pemain lawan yang ke 10 mengambil sepakan penaltinya, saya sepantas kilas (maklumlah pada masa itu 30 kilogram ringan dari sekarang) berjaya menyelamatkan sepakan tersebut. Bersorak sakan satu padang. Itu adalah tendangan penalti yang ketiga yang saya selamatkan petang itu. Kira gempak jugalah. Kembang-kuncup sakan hidung saya. Bagi menambahkan ke'glamor'an saya sebagai 'hero' perlawanan petang itu, saya dengan penuh yakin, walaupun tak pernah melakukannya, mahu mengambil sepakan ke 10 tersebut (yang akan memberikan kejuaraan mutlak kepada MCKK), walaupun ada seorang lagi rakan saya, seorang "outfield player" (thousand apologies ku eng! hahaha) yang belum mengambil sepakan tersebut. Saya menjadi "tamak" glamor ;-)

Saya dengan penuh yakin serta bergaya, mengambil tendangan penalti tersebut. Saya sepak ke kanan, penjaga gol lawan terbang ke kiri. Bola menuju ke gawang gol. Saya yakin bola tendangan saya akan masuk gol. Penonton & penyokong bersorak lagi. Bola hampir ke gol, dan akhirnya melewati tiang gol sebelah kanan. Sipi, missed, "tak cukup hoon" (kata kami orang kedah) dalam 3 cm sahaja. TAK GOL! Senyap semua penonton, penyokong tergamam, pasukan lawan berteriak sakan. Begitulah akhirnya, setakat jadi johan bersama sahajalah kami pada tahun tersebut.

Pic: Knizam94

Kalaulah.... kalaulah tiang gol itu boleh diubah 4 cm ke kanan, mesti masuk gol. Mesti Gol, mesti kami menang mutlak pada hari tu, bukan? Kalaulah, kalaulah....

Betul kan? hahaha.. itulah alasan yang paling tak masuk akal tapi boleh merawat jiwa saya yang gundah akibat kegagalan menyepak masuk tendangan penalti tersebut.. hahaha

Lebih kurang macam dia inilah juga;

Mengulas lanjut, Ahmad yang juga Menteri Besar Terengganu berkata, salah satu punca kekalahan calon BN dalam pilihan raya itu ialah pengundi yang tinggal di luar negeri itu, tidak pulang untuk mengundi.

Katanya, faktor tersebut menjadi antara penyebab kekalahan BN kepada Pas dengan majoriti 2,631 undi.

‘‘Penyokong Pas semua keluar mengundi tetapi kita kurang. Kita tak tahu di mana mereka berada sama ada dalam atau luar negeri.

‘‘Peratusan keluar mengundi kurang 84 peratus, ini bermakna pengundi berkurangan sebanyak empat peratus iaitu kira-kira 3,000 pengundi dan kalau semua ini penyokong BN, tentu kita akan menang,” katanya.

Baca Nafi pengundi Cina tak sokong

Cerdik sungguh alasan yang diberi.

Poor guy!

Someone is oblivious of the facts and what is happening around him, read below.

Yes, we all know that money politics has to be tackled in Umno and that there cannot be any half measures.

But the party may not recover in time for the next elections if our leaders are pulled in one after another.

"Not only will the public image of the party be affected badly but there could be adverse reaction in the party, " said an Umno Youth exco member.

Read Umno supreme council member facing graft charge

He just doesn't get it, ...kan? Poor guy. Sad, really. My condolence to the UMNO Youth for having this guy as an exco member.

Anyhow, except for the above fella, permit me to congratulate others in UMNO for taking a step towards the right direction with this.

It's not over yet

High Court deputy registrar Ahmad Faizadh Yahaya made the order with costs in chambers after allowing Umno's application to set aside the judgment, issued on July 17 last year, ordering the party to pay Elegant Advisory Sdn Bhd RM218 million, interest and costs. The company sought the judgment after Umno failed to respond to its suit. Datuk Mohd Hafarizam Harun, counsel for Umno, told reporters that he would file a conditional memorandum of appearance to enable him to apply to strike out the company's writ of summons and statement of claim.

Read more Umno gets to set aside default judgement

Don't jump for joy just yet. Today you set aside the default judgment, by tomorrow the plaintiff could be filing an application to amend the writ & statements of claim, if not appealing against the decision that is. If at all you are able to strike out the suit, there's no issue estoppel here. Meaning the plaintiff can always file a fresh suit against UMNO and make good on the procedural aspects of the action, this time with the correct parties being named together with the proper service of the same.

Penang: Free Wifi & Guan Eng's Deputy 1

Mr CM, I want my free wifi. Place those test hotspots here in Bayan Baru. Never mind those health "overly" conscious dudes & dudettes, I want mine. You have my support for this initiative!

But this? What's up with your Deputy 1? The people pay your salaries, you know. By the way, is this guy for real? I read this & boy, does this bloke has some serious issues with himself or what?! But seriously Mr. CM, what's the deal with this guy anyway? No more suitable Pakatan leaders for the job, huh? Poor, poor Penang if all that turns out to be true.

UMNO: The Way Forward

Here I go again. Whether foaming at the mouth or not, whether they want to listen or otherwise.

UMNO & the way forward.

1. Move on, don't procrastinate. Enforce necessary changes where & when it must. Do not hesitate. After 3 defeats (GE & 2 By-E's) you guys should know by now what's in & what's not, who's hot & who's not.
   
2. Know the difference between UMNO the political party & UMNO that lead the BN led government for the nation. Show the people that you know the difference.
3. Attract & give way in order to supplement the apparent current brain drain at various levels of UMNO hierarchy (one very unpopular oxford guy at the top will just not do). Simultaneously dazzle & woo the younger generation to UMNO.
   
4. Be modest.
5. Be honest to yourself first before anyone else.
   
6. Know your priorities. Walk the talk. Go back & read the constitution of UMNO out loud. You'll know what I mean.
   
7. Play your own game but respect your opponent. Do not dance to the tune of the opposition all the time.
8. Burn the bridge with those that make UMNO looks filthy & corrupt.
9. Respect the intellect of the masses. Don't go overboard with cosmetic changes & reforms. It's the substance that matters.
   
10. Go back to basics. Politics 101. Listen more, talk less and work harder.
    

That should cover it for now. Maybe others can further elaborate and add to this.

"..greatness is never a given, it must be earned.."
Barack Hussein Obama (Inaugural Address-20th January 2009)

Updated 12.55am

Dah berbuih mulut dah...

UMNO perlu berubah, UMNO perlukan anjakan paradigma, UMNO perlukan transformasi, UMNO hendaklah melakukan reformasi... bla, bla, bla...

Berbuih mulut dah. Dah berbuih mulut kita semua bercakap, dah lenguh jari-jemari mengetuk keyboard. Dari bulan March 2008 sampailah sudah hendak hampir masuk bulan March yang baru, tak berubah-ubah. Berapa kali "wake up call" yang diperlukan?

Macam-macam dah disarankan, macam-macam pandangan, cadangan dan tindakan oleh semua lapisan masyarakat, masih juga ditakuk lama. Kenapa?

Bila saya menulis semalam bahawa perlu ada yang mengambil tanggungjawab atas kebobrokan prestasi UMNO, itulah yang cuba saya sampaikan.

Cukuplah dengan menyalahkan sistem dan parti tuan-puan. Kenali kanser yang mencengkam, yang menghalang proses pemulihan ini dan buang terus jauh-jauh. Kalau kanser-kanser ini sedar merekalah yang dikatakan sebagai kanser itu, cepat-cepatlah mengaku dan bertanggungjawab sebagai penyebab penyakit dan lakukanlah yang sewajarnya secara sukarela. Lagi afdal kalau dilakukan serta-merta. Sekarang. Masa itu emas. Masa tidak boleh disogok, ianya tidak menunggu sesiapa termasuklah UMNO, parti keramat dan yang teramat kuat itupun.

Jangan terus-terusan begini, nanti terus tiada harapan diselamatkan dan jadi begini.

The blame game

updated

There's a misconception hovering around UMNO camp & it's leaders nowadays. They fail to appreciate the concept of accountability. The leaders are quick to say to others to stop pointing fingers when they are at fault. The followers defended these top individuals and tend to always push the blame to the party & the system itself, as if that is the noblest thing to do. Maybe it's the "in" thing now, I don't know. One or two times, it's alright, but all the time? Why keep blaming the system wh en it is pretty obvious that the leaders themselves should be faulted? Never mind the feeling of those grassroot that were hoodwinked when these individuals were first elected but are powerless to do anything now in order to remove these imbeciles. Never mind them. You can always blame the system, blame their party. Let's rob the party members of their own self-respect and dignity.

Why the blame game and especially the don't-blame-him-game? Maybe there's some power play behind it, I don't know, I am no politician. Maybe it's an UMNO thing, that also I don't know, I am not a member. But didn't they realize, for ordinary folks like me, by trying to absolve some of these top *guns (or "goons" whichever you fancy) from blame, they have but make their own party more and more distasteful to the public. Instead of luring people to them, they are chasing people away. What kind of an organization is this if the leaders can't even accept personal accountability? It is always the system's fault and not theirs. This kind of organization would scare the bejeezers out of ordinary folk like me. Who wants to be in an organization where your leaders never wrong and it always the party that is at fault.

There can be no power without accountability

They are making a mockery out of the principle of accountability. Accountability is a key aspect of any political organizations. There can be no power without accountability. When you are up there, whether as the President or the Deputy President or even as the Deputy Youth Chief, you have an obligation to bear the consequences for failure to perform as expected of your position. It is called accountability, it came with the power, ring any bells? You can't always get away with those goody-two-shoes-hey-I-am-not-to-be-blame-and-let-us-shoulder-the-blame-together kind of excuses whenever mishaps happen.

When you have leaders who are not fit to be leaders & it is visibly clear that they are the one at fault, please don't say otherwise. They may be easy meat (and as such some would argue that it would be unjust to crucify them all the time for each mishap that have happened) but what the hell are they doing up there and continue making the same bad judgment calls if they can't even shoulder the blame personally. Some leaders are prone to bad judgment and mistakes; they are simply called "bad leaders", no sugar-coating needed. While some leaders are making mistakes by just being there and fail to see that people wanted them to go, & I'm seriously running out of vocabs on what to call these type of leaders. And as long as these people are still up there, and until the system and the party itself are allowed to bring them down back to where they belong, they must shoulder that responsibility, no matter what. There's no two way around it. They must say "I am responsible, I am accountable, not the party!", no matter how many times, as long as they cling to that position. That's accountability 101.

If you are a designated driver of a car for a group of people and you keep crashing the car one time after another. You can't always blame the car for your own recklessness, can't you? To other people, there must be something wrong with the driver, no? If there are claims for those accidents, it is not the car that's going to court, it's the driver.

P/s
In current UMNO situation; to adress party woes by going to the root of the problem or witch-hunting for scapegoats (if there are whipping boys in the case of P36, I am sorry to say, they deserved it-lah) in order to remove perception of arrogance & elitism, it's kind of "chicken & egg", don't you think? Nanti orang kata sudah gaharu cendana pula...

Complicated issue, really?

“In Umno and Barisan Nasional, be it difficult or otherwise, it must be a cohesive responsibility shared by everybody because many factors contributed to the Kuala Terengganu by-election defeat.

“To just say that the defeat was due to the candidate picked by BN, it would be an easy conclusion. If people blamed the candidate for the defeat and if that was the only factor, that our job will be much easier,” he told reporters here today.

“I view it as a very complex issue that must be overcome in the full context. What we have learned from the Kuala Terengganu defeat must be put to good use by starting comprehensive preparations early, study the current political scenario, review the campaigning and local issues.”

Read more Khairy: Much to learn from KT defeat

Much to learn from the defeat? You think? Oh, I hope you do brother. I really hope, for you & your band of brothers ( & sisters) sake, you can pick up a thing or two from all that.

Then again brother, at hindsight, don't you think the issue was never that complex. Could it be that it was you people who made it so, by your own follies and own doings?

Updated 8.23am

"Reform skala kecil" UMNO yang tidak menjadi

Bila Chedet & majoriti daripada kita mengatakan UMNO adalah tersalah langkah dalam pemilihan calonnya, hampir serentak dengan itu kita disanggah dengan serta merta oleh segolongan *pencinta-pencinta (*baca sebagai: perosak) UMNO.

Semalam sekali lagi suara golongan marhaen terbukti berasas. Pilihan Presiden UMNO serta Badan Perhubungan UMNO Negeri Terengganu telah gagal samasekali untuk pertahankan kerusi yang dimiliki oleh Barisan Nasional baru 10 bulan yang lepas.

Walaupun ada yang akan cuba mencari konsolasi atau saguhati dengan tekaan dan cakap besar pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat yang lain (daripada DAP umpamanya) yang mengatakan BN akan kalah sehingga 7000 undi ternyata meleset, ianya tidak sama-sekali menukar fakta bahawa rakyat masih menolak UMNO terutamanya dan BN secara amnya. Hatta menang 1 undi majoriti sekalipun, ianya adalah kemenangan mutlak, inikan pula kemenangan selesa 2, 631 undi.

Bila taktik reformasi dan transformasi imej calon secara ekspres yang dijalankan (kerna terpaksa), UMNO dan BN ternyata tidak sedar dan peka bahawa rakyat jelata adalah lebih bijak dari itu. Apa yang cuba dilakukan oleh UMNO ke atas imej calonnya dan jawapan pengundi KT melalui keputusan PRK P36 semalam adalah satu mesej jelas penolakan apa jua bentuk reform yang dilaung-laungkan seandainya ianya bersifat kosmetik semata-mata. Keikhlasan itu penting.

Politik adalah berkenaan persepsi dan pucuk pimpinan UMNO masih lagi gagal memahaminya.

What's up KT?

Spoken to the mantan MB who is there in KT just now at about 5.30pm. "Mixed feeling, hard to say really" he said.

Sakmongkol AK47 has a prediction here from an invisible man from ground zero & Pade Doh! is asking Adakah PAS berjaya Di’Kluk Klek’kan?

Zubli is also asking, P 36 Kuala Terengganu - Apahal Plak Husin Lempoyang Terjerit-jerit Tu..? Meanwhile OpEd wrote K.Terengganu - "PAS takes two DUNS"

What do you think?

Updated 8.05pm

For an online report from ground zero, check out notoumno's site, here, Penarek Beca's here and Tok Mommy's here.

Updated 8.47pm

• 8.20pm: Official tally after 85 out of 144 boxes counted, BN 18,364 votes, Pas 18,532, Ind 119. Majority 168.
• 8.10pm: Pas Hq says: “Our man is leading by 2,026 votes after 70 per cent of the boxes counted.”
• 8pm: BN 15,385 votes, Pas 15,189, Independent 92. Majority 196. Seventy of 144 boxes so far counted.
• 7.45pm: After 50 boxes, BN 11,120, Pas 10,802,

From The Malaysian Insider, read Pas officially in the lead by 168 votes


Updated 10.36pm

Pas takes KT in convincing win

Congrats PAS!

Blogosphere’s Battle of Kuala Terengganu & Making sense in a frenzied sphere - NJ Ahmad (Malay Mail)

Blogosphere’s Battle of Kuala Terengganu

By NJ AHMAD January 16, 2009 Categories: Cyberspot



There is a tactical withdrawal when it’s hopeless to fight. Then, the legendary 101st Airborne Division parachutes in, driving a wedge between enemy lines. Heavy artillery pummels the ground, which leads to a final assault and victory.

No, this is not a scene from World War II, but something from the fertile mind of an imaginative blogger – ‘Wenger J Khairy’ of the Pade Doh! blog ( padedoh.wordpress.com ).

The Kuala Terengganu by-election is tomorrow and, by some people’s account, the Barisan Nasional appears to be trailing. But Wenger is unfazed: “…tactical superiority and resources” will see the BN carving out a win – of how “the ‘Flying Wedge’ will split open the Pas bases”. And he has the diagrams to show how this BN manoeuvre is executed.

But many others would beg to differ; they too have their own theories and permutations of how things really are and how they will be when the dust settles in what has become the Cyber Battle of Kuala Terengganu.

Among them is the most well-known group in the local Blogosphere – the “Barisan Rakyat Bloggers”. Now this is a formidable group that comprises “blogosphere war veterans” – bloggers who had played a significant role in the general election last March, and also during the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Some of the original members had left this group after the GE for various reasons, but a few of the betterknown ones are still around.

They include the high-profile and controversial Raja Petra Kamarudin of Malaysia Today ( mt.m2day.org ) fame, Haris Ibrahim of The People’s Parliament ( harismibrahim.wordpress.com ), Din Merican – The Malaysian DJ Blogger ( dinmerican.wordpress.com ), and Bernard Khoo – Zorro Unmasked ( zorro-zorro-unmasked.blogspot.com ).

Their mission: To ensure a win for Pas candidate Abdul Wahid Endut by securing most of the constituency’s 10 per cent Chinese votes. And the setting up of an Operations Room at a hotel in Kuala Terengganu from the first day shows how serious and organised they are. It is from here that first-hand accounts of their activities, pictures and video clips are distributed throughout blogosphere.

However, things had seemingly not started as smoothly for Barisan candidate Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh in Cyberspace.

In ‘the off-line world’, there were apparently some within Umno who were not pleased with the leadership’s choice, and had made known their disappointment. (Incidentally, independent candidate Azharuddin Mamat has been entirely ignored by almost everyone)

One of them is Datuk Ariff Sabri Abdul Aziz, better known as Sakmongkol AK47 or ‘Mat Tomoi’ in Cyberworld ( sakmongkol.blogspot.com ). And Sakmongkol is a blogger no politician would want to antagonise.

Ariff, with his often blunt criticisms of Umno, might sometimes possibly be mistaken as a “Pakatan supporter” by readers who are not familiar with the SoPo (socio-political) cyber-setters. This isn’t so; in fact, he is a former Umno representative in the Pahang State Assembly!

With his sharp and savvy analyses and his candour, Ariff is among the most respected and influential commentators in Blogosphere; his posts are often picked up by other bloggers and expanded upon.

A fair bit of his analyses and evaluation were in fact, from early on, dissected and shared by many other bloggers. When the choice of candidates was made known, Ariff openly acknowledged that Pas’ selection method i.e. of having 72 party stalwarts reportedly to “stalk” the grassroots concerning their preference – was “superior” in this particular by-election.

He also warned the BN about its tendency to make a wrong analysis of the opponent’s psyche: “If you try to analyse Pas through Umno’s eyes, you get spurious results. They don’t think as Umno people do,” Ariff wrote.

“Umno will never win if it doesn’t understand how a Pas operative works.

Always, the common denominator is religion. That is a constant. No Pas member ever disputes if the decision taken is done according to religion.”

After having to deal with the apparent initial internal dissent and criticisms, the Barisan election strategists finally got their campaign moving.

A few bloggers believe that the Barisan, which they initially considered the underdog despite winning the seat last March, has steadily picked up momentum.

Although the impression is that blogs are generally supportive or in favour of the Pas candidate, there are certain aspects in campaigning that the “realists” concede are best done the old-fashioned way – like door-to-door canvassing for votes, for instance.

The Pakatan netizens also admit that their perceived “lead” is not to be taken for granted. Both sides are expressing anxiety, knowing that the moment of truth is near.

Despite things generally remaining the same in Parliament regardless of the result, the rival coalitions nonetheless convey that a fair bit is at stake. For either one, a win could be used as capital for plans in the near future.

But whatever the outcome, both Barisan and Pakatan could be proud of one thing – the run-up to this byelection has been very peaceful so far, with none of the viciousness and occasional “isolated” incidents as seen during Permatang Pauh.

Despite the rhetoric and dramatics, especially in Blogosphere, and the high psychological stakes and claiming rights for the winners in this “Battle for Kuala Terengganu”, it’s a comfort to think that Malaysians might actually be on the right track towards a more mature democracy.

● NJ Ahmad, former mainstream journalist and now a freelancer, would like better broadband connection so that he can meet “professional observers” keen on the politics of blogging.

Making sense in a frenzied sphere

The Kuala Terengganu by-election: Who’s going to win it, and why?

These are the questions many people are asking. If you can’t wait until tomorrow to find out, reading the SoPo blogs should give you an idea. Or it might not…

In fact, you might actually end up being even more confused! Well, that’s the hazard of having access to so many opinions.

If you persevere, you’ll find quite a few bloggers who have a certain consistency and intelligence in their writings – people who seem to make sense most of the time. There are many others, of course.

But since space is limited, we’re forced to be selective: How about the self-deprecating blog name of Lawyer Kampung? ( lawyer-kampung.blogspot.com ).

Yes, this blogger is a real lawyer (everyone seems to be one nowadays) – Mohd Sarisffuddin Ismail, 36, who is based in Bayan Baru, Penang. He started to blog at the end of 2005. His output for the first 30 months? All of six posts.

But the 12th general election left an impact on him – he suddenly felt compelled to write. How compelling was it? Well, in the month of April alone, he wrote {50} posts! And the bi-lingual Sarisffuddin has not looked back since.

Quite a number of readers find his writings interesting, judging from the number of official and public “followers” he now has – 32.

All the bloggers with a following have their own unique abilities. With this young lawyer, the blog’s slogan might give some clue: “Where law meets common sense!”

Actually, Sarisffuddin doesn’t write so much about law – it’s in the area of “common sense” that he stands out. Have a look at all his posts related to the Kuala Terengganu by-elections. Then ask yourself:

“Does he make sense?”

Well, some people seem to have it a lot easier than others and this Lawyer Kampung is one!

Source: Malay Mail 16th January Cyberspot Section

Thank you, Malay Mail!

NJ Ahmad of Malay Mail made a mention of this blog today at Page 20 (titled as "Making Sense In a Frenzied Sphere" - really? hahaha) of the same as part of a story about Blogosphere's Battle of Kuala Terengganu. Dato' Ariff Sabri of "Sakmongkol AK47" & Wenger J. Khairy of "Pade Doh!" fame were mentioned in the main article, alongside the usual suspects, the formidable bloggers from the Barisan Rakyat team. Go get your copy! I'm going to picture frame mine ..hahaha! NJ Ahmad, Thanks a heap!

Wanted: A Strong & Stable Government

Muslims are in dire need of a strong and stable government that can administer efficiently and wisely, the Raja Muda Perak, Raja Dr Nazrin Shah, said on Wednesday.

He said they also needed a government with a strong background, understanding and sympathy for the needs of the ummah to be able to devote attention to efforts to bring prosperity to them.

For Malaysia, in the 51 years since independence, the socioeconomic achievements among a segment of Muslims had risen and, in fact, the number of Muslims getting higher education opportunities had increased by leaps and bounds, swelling the ranks of Muslim professionals and technocrats in the country.

Read more Raja Nazrin: Strong and stable government is important

Why is that so? Why is he emphasizing on the need for a "strong & stable" government?

Will a wobbling coalition delivers the above? Instead can a coalition of clueless dinosaurs currently hanging to whatever shred of dignity and respect they have left, deliver as what was preached by the Regent?

Do you have the answer? Or are we now stuck between the devil and the deep blue sea? Do we run when chicken little says the sky is falling and end up as supper to Foxy Loxy or should we soldier on and ensure what Raja Nazrin has said did not fall on deaf ears?

Should we change horses in midstream? Folks in KT, should they?

Too many questions, no real solution?

I know it's kind of trendy nowadays to identify yourself as anti-establishment. This will make the solution finding process easier. Just be that voice of dissent. But don't just do so without having any proper regards to something that is obvious. Wobbling coalition gelled together only by common hatred will not last long. And so will the dinosaurs from the other coalition. One of these days, they too will become extinct and hopefully those left behind will have what it takes to evolve into a better species.

To all would be voters of P36 KT, happy voting! Show the world that you want a strong & stable government to serve you. Translate that through your votes. Whatever the outcome  this Saturday, let's hope that the real winner will be the people of KT themselves.

Updated

Karpal is out of order? No problem!

Pakatan Rakyat can always take PKR as an example to remedy their "latest predicament" brought up by the DAP Chairman. Just adopt PKR's approach in solving internal squabbles. Common hatred is the answer. That's the elixir, read Despite problems, PKR says common hatred for BN will hold party together.

Common hatred is indeed a valuable commodity in this wobbling coalition. They may not be able to see eye to eye on most fundamental issues but that shouldn't be a problem. Gone are the days when common basic principles and civilized visions are the backbones of an association. Who needs decent objectives in a coalition when you have common hatred as the utmost pertinent principle of the group? "When the lines of camaraderie gets blurry, common hatred will bring us together", no worries man! That's the mark of a great coalition. That's brotherhood 101 for Pakatan Rakyat.

All together now, let us hold hands, its Kumbaya time once again!

BN terdesak atau sebaliknya?

Adakah perkhabaran dibawah adalah tanda BN sedang terdesak;

baca Perubahan besar di Kuala Terengganu jika BN diberi mandat

ataupun merupakan permulaan kepada suatu pertandingan yang lebih menarik dan bermaya di antara kedua pihak di dalam membeli jiwa rakyat di Kuala Terengganu?

Adakah janji umum ("perubahan besar di KT") sebegini boleh dijadikan umpan kepada pengundi P36 kelak? Walaupun bukan masyarakat metropolitan, pengundi di KT kita percaya adalah mereka yang cukup dengan informasi dan maklumat untuk membuat perhitungan. Jika kita berhenti sejenak di sini, dan menyuakan kaki meranduk lautan maklumat daripada blog-blog yang kebanyakannya adalah pro Pakatan Rakyat, pasti kita akan menyimpulkan bahawa P36 hampir pasti akan menjadi milik PR mulai dari tarikh 17hb Januari 2009 kelak.

Tambahan pula bila penghulu kepada operasi BN sendiri mula melaungkan janji-janji yang dianggap resam setiap pilihanraya kecil dan bersifat cliché bunyinya. Janji untuk membawa "perubahan besar kepada KT" adalah seakan-akan sama dengan janji paklah pada tahun 2004 dahulu di mana beliau melaungkan kepada anak negeri Terengganu bahawa "Terengganu akan menyaksikan pembangunan yang tidak pernah dilihat sebelum ini".

Sebagai penghulu operasi, kita tidak boleh menyalahkan Najib bila membuat tawaran demi tawaran yang indah-indah kepada pengundi di KT. Ini adalah satu pertandingan dan semua yang bertanding berhak menawar dan menabur janji dan terpulanglah kepada pengundi untuk menerima atau sebaliknya. Semua dari kita berhak untuk diberikan "benefit of the doubt". Kemungkinan untuk orang KT menikmati apa yang dijanjikan seandainya tawaran diterima tetap ada. Sepertimana pembangunan pesat yang disaksikan di Terengganu amnya dan KT khususnya selama ini akibat dari janji paklah kepada orang Terengganu apabila Idris Jusoh dan rakan-rakan beliau berjaya mengembalikan Terengganu kepada BN pada 2004.

Walaupun mungkin tidak memuaskan semua pihak, tetapi secara umumnya, rakyat Terengganu tetap berpuashati dengan pentadbiran BN dari 2004 sehinggalah sekarang. Kalau tidak masakan Terengganu boleh masih kekal dengan BN walaupun tsunami politik melanda negeri-negeri lain di PRU ke 12 yang lepas.

Tindakan untuk cuba memberikan penjelasan mengenai isu-isu yang ditimbulkan seperti di bawah ini juga tidak boleh dianggap remeh. Sekurang-kurangnya ada percubaan di pihak Najib, walaupun agak umum penjelasannya, untuk isu wang royalti dan halatuju dana tersebut k difahami oleh mereka yang berkaitan; baca Terengganu bakal nikmati royalti minyak cecah RM3 bilion

Mungkin dengan ditambah sedikit keinginan dan keterbukaan di dalam merayu undi dan pematahan hujahan pihak lawan secara yang lebih bersistematik dan berkoordinasi, kem BN boleh melonjakkan sedikit cabaran dan tentangan terhadap pihak lawan yang begitu ghairah dengan dengan tahap keyakinan diri yang teramat tinggi untuk menang mudah Sabtu ini.

Dengan menggunakan sedikit lagi usaha dan akal, calon dan mereka yang berkempen untuk BN juga akan boleh menerangkan sebab-musabab kos dan keperluan mengapa KT menjadi tuanrumah kepada Masjid Kristal dan Taman Tamadun Islam. Sebagaimana Raja-raja Melayu boleh tertawan dan menunjukkan apresiasi mereka terhadap mercu tanda baru bercirikan islam negeri Terengganu itu, begitu juga kemungkinan besar pengundi di KT. Syaratnya, visi dan misi kewujudan kedua-duanya diperjelaskan lagi kepada mereka sebagaimana penerangan dilakukan kepada raja-raja melayu di atas.

BN juga boleh dengan secara rendah diri mengingatkan pengundi bahawa seandainya wujud korupsi dan sebagainya di dalam penganjuran Piala Monsun, kenapa pula pihak BPR setelah siasatan dijalankan mendapati bahawa tidak wujud elemen-elemen korupsi seperti yang digembar-gemburkan?

Bagaimana pula dengan isu wang royalti? Umum telah mengetahui bahawa "teka teki" pengiraan wang royalti daripada tahun 2004-2007 adalah lebih merupakan masalah pentabiran longlai di peringkat pusat, dan bukannya di peringkat kerajaan negeri. Jumlah yang diterima telahpun didedahkan. Seandainya diperjelaskan kenapa perlu BN negeri dipersalahkan, nescaya ramai pengundi yang akan faham dan bersimpati.

Isu harga barang naik? Itu perkara mudah untuk pakar-pakar ekonomi BN yang sedang berkempen terangkan. Lihat sahaja di negeri-negeri yang ditadbir oleh Pakatan Rakyat. Tidakkah mereka juga mempunyai masalah yang sama?

Nah, sudah diperjelaskan hampir kesemua isu yang dikatakan berkait rapat di hati pengundi-pengundi KT. Kata orang hendak seribu daya, tidak mahu seribu dalih.

Mahu diperkembangkan lagi pematahan hujah pihak PR? Cuba lihat SMS yang saya terima ini. Datangnya daripada insan yang sebenarnya sedang berpenat lelah berkempen bersama rakan-rakannya yang lain untuk calon BN. Ada bunyi-bunyi bahawa akan wujudnya "boikot dan pertelingkahan" di dalam kem BN negeri Terengganu. Rakan-rakan saya yang baru pulang dari KT menceritakan kepada saya sebentar tadi bahawa si polan yang dikatakan akan memboikot itulah di antara manusia yang bekerja keras berkempen siang dan malam di KT untuk calon BN. Lihat sahaja antara usaha-usaha beliau menghantar sms-sms di bawah, hatta kepada saya yang tidak mengundi sekalipun. Orang yang bertelegah dan memboikot tidak akan menghantar maklumat sebegini mempertahankan rakan dan taulan.

SMS pertama berbunyi begini;

received from xxxxx xxxxx (8:00 PM):
PELANCUNGAN TERENGGANU:
Jumlah kedatangan Pelancung ke negeri Trg telah bertambah 24 peratus. Kedatangan pelancung hingga Oct'08 ialah 3.1 juta (2.5 juta di 2007).

Monsoon Cup, Taman Tamadun Islam telah berjaya menarik lebih ramai pelancung ke Trg. (HARD FACTS......).

Tq

SMS kedua pula berbunyi;

Received from xxxxx xxxxx (8:01 PM):
KADAR KEMISKINAN Terengganu:

1. KADAR TURUN: 15.4 peratus (2004) kepada 6.5% (2007). Penambahbaikan Kedudukan dari tempat ke 2 termiskin ke tempat ke 4.
2. PENDAPATAN PURATA isu rumah bertambah, RM1984 (pada 2004) ke RM2,463 (tahun 2007).
   

Sila maklum. TK

Statistik telah diberikan, jengok sahaja ke Wisma Darul Iman untuk meneliti dokumen-dokumen yang saya percaya adalah diklasifikasikan sebagai "public document" untuk tentukan samada benar atau tidak. Kesemuanya ada di sana. Cuma yang sudah tertutup hati sahaja yang enggan membuat pengesahan fakta-fakta di atas.

Seandainya isu-isu yang timbul seperti di atas diperjelaskan dengan penuh keikhlasan dan berlandaskan fakta, pasti akan berlaku kejutan terhadap anggapan ramai pada tarikh 17 hb Januari kelak.

Tonton Buletin Utama 8 malam semalam? Berusaha sungguh Wan Farid untuk menangkis persepsi negatif yang ditimbulkan ke atasnya. Senyum meleret, mata bertentang mata dan bersembang sakan dengan bakal-bakal pengundinya. Sekurang-kurangnya beliau cuba memperbaiki diri bukan?

Usaha-usaha sebeginilah yang walaupun mungkin tidak akan memberikan kesan kepada undi yang telah diperolehi dahulu oleh Md Sabu semasa PRU 12, sekurang-kurangnya akan memastikan bahawa undi yang telahpun diraih oleh Allahyarham Datuk Razali dahulu akan tetap memihak kepada BN pada hari Sabtu akan datang.

Resam manusia tidak suka menyebelahi mereka yang dianggap favourite, dan sering mendambakan kemenangan kepada pihak yang dianggap lemah ataupun bukan pilihan. Kita akan teruja dengan kisah-kisah bilamana mereka yang dianggap lemah dapat membenam pihak yang dianggap kuat. Daripada pembacaan saya di alam siber, di blog-blog sosio-politik, yang dianggap kuat dan akan menang oleh kebanyakan weblog-weblog ini adalah calon dari Pakatan Rakyat. Saya percaya ramai yang membaca cerita-ceriti keyakinan terlajak mereka di internet setakat ini, sudah mula mengimpikan kemenangan kepada pihak yang digembar-gemburkan akan tewas.

Namun begitu, saya masih ingin bertanya, siapa sebenarnya yang terdesak? Kalau selesa kenapa perlu berdrama sebegini hanya kerana mahu memastikan undi masyarakat Tionghua dan India diperolehi calon Pakatan Rakyat? Baca ‘DAP will pull out if hudud laws implemented’ (updated). Maaf ya, taktik "divide & conquer" begini sudah lapuk. Ini bukan tahun 40an, 50an. Kepada yang tidak tahu, kita sudah berada di abad yang ke 21.

Drama dan terus berdrama. Sampai bila?

P36: Isu di KT dari orang KT untuk orang KT

A crowd of about 2,000 people attending a Barisan Nasional ceramah at Cabang Tiga, Kuala Terengganu. Former mentri besar Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh was among the speakers exhorting the people to vote in Umno's Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Salleh come Saturday, Jan 17. – Photo by Choo Choy May (The Malaysian Insider)

Terimakasih saya ucapkan kepada saudara dinturtle sekali lagi kerana memberi lintas-langsung sebenar isu yang benar-benar diketengahkan bagi penentuan pilihanraya kecil P36 ini tidak lama lagi. Seperti yang dijangkakan, pilihanraya kecil ini tidak bertumpu sangat kepada isu-isu peringkat nasional dan sebaliknya lebih bersifat tempatan.

Seperti yang beliau utarakan sebelum ini, 4 isu utama yang dibawa adalah, isu wang royalti ( Wang royalti dan perincian perbelanjaan wang tersebut dari 2004-2007. Samada kerajaan BN dahulu membazir atau sebaliknya. "Kejayaan" Mat Said mengangkat cek replika dari kerajaan pusat tidak menjadi penawar), isu Monsoon Cup & Masjid Kristal (Berbaloi atau pembaziran, itu yang dipersoalkan), isu personaliti calon sendiri (ianya bukan sesuatu yang remeh-temeh bagi sebuah bandaraya yang merupakan hanya satu kampung yang besar sebenarnya kata dinturtle lagi) dan yang terakhir isu harga barang naik.

dinturtle telah sudi menambah komentar beliau sebelum ini di atas dengan memperincikan lagi seperti berikut:

dinturtle said...

salam Tuan Lawyer,

Malu saya tuan hightlight my comment ! But thanks, semoga mendapat perhatian sewajarnya dari pihak UMNO. Komen saya berdasarkan exposure saya sendiri dan apa yang dalam fikiran saya. Mungkin berlainan dengan orang lain. Terserah pada orang lain membuat penilaian.

Nak tambah lagi sikit, dengan izin..

- kenapa Ahmad Said terlalu senang kata - kes tutup! bila ditanya hal Royalti ? bagi beliau mungkin dah selesai tapi selagi rakyat masih mengetuk pintu takkan taknak buka ? Maaf, tapi janganlah berlagak 'gedebe' begitu. Mungkin beliau malas nak layan kerana semuanya terjadi semasa zaman Idris, tapi apapun janganlah senang je kata 'kes tutup'

- sembang2 kedai kopi ramai yang mempersoalkan pendirian Ahmad Said sendiri yang dikatakan dah berubah. Ingat lagi semasa mula2 jadi MB, beliau sendiri mempersoalkan ketelusan royalti, monsoon cup dan mesjid kristal, siap cabar ACA supaya siasat. sekarang ?

- Kenapa perlu diungkit lagi hal 'pengorbanan' wan farid melepaskan jawatan timb menteri/senator nya? (dlm akhbar hari ini) Sejak BN umumkan namanya sebagai calon, hal 'pengorbanan' ini diulang2. Hello Mat2 UMNO - wan farid 'korban' jawatan/kerja itu hal personal dia. Itu bukan korban namanya, tapi mengambil risiko untuk sesuatu yang lebih besar. Lainlah wan farid dari keluarga miskin, perlu menyara 10 orang adik yang masih sekolah, mak ayah terlantar sakit, nak beli kereta pun tak mampu sebab duit gaji semua buat menanggung keluarga .. - itu baru korban ! Pleaselah UMNO, nak muntah dengan 'korban' wan farid ni..

- Apapun isu2 nasional, tempatan, royalti, pembaziran maupun yang melibatkan ugama atau kaum, pada pendapat saya yang insignifikan ini, hanya satu isu yang benar2 akan mempengaruhi majoriti pengundi Melayu KT, terutama yang dari kampung. (Bandaraya Kuala Terengganu hanyalah sebuah kampung yang besar). Tak lain tak bukan isu Wan Farid sombong !

Bunyi amat kebudakan tapi percayalah, ia amat rapat dengan orang kampung. anggaplah macam personal. Isu2 besar lain mungkin hangat bila dibincang, tapi lama kelamaan ia macam hilang kesannya bila bersendirian. Tapi yang lekat dihati - Wan Farid sombong ! Bagi mereka yang terpelajar disini mungkin susah nak percaya. Takkanlah nak lantik Ahli Parlimen, satu perkara yang agung dalam konsep demokrasi, kita perlu memperkatakan hal remeh tentang peribadi seseorang ? I'm just stating a fact as i see it.

Jadi macamana nak perbetulkan persepsi sombong ini? Bukan dengan ucapan2 pemimpin2 yang cuba membersihkan nama wan farid. Ini hal personal, jadi tuan diri sendiri yang kena buat. Wan Farid kena pergi setiap rumah dan jumpa setiap pengundi yang ada di KT, Tak pun lawatlah setiap warung yang ada,salam, senyum dan tegur setiap yang ada. minum teh sama2biar kembung perut, jamah walau sedikit kuih2 yang ada, biar makin tembam pipi yang cute tu. Kalau benarlah wan farid nak bersihkan nama, itu saja cara yang saya nampak. Ada 5 hari lagi..sempat lagi kot. Oya, janganlah pergi ramai2, naik kereta besar, pakai escort polis... cukup 3-4 orang, naik kereta kancil je..

Kematangan berpolitik ? hehe.. maaflah tuan lawyer, saya tak mahu hipokrit. Biarlah politik saya tak matang, tapi saya berpijak dibumi nyata...bukan di awan.

5:59 PM

Bagaimana orang KT? Bagaimana orang UMNO dan BN di KT? Sempatkah perbaiki keadaan? Terpulanglah samada ingin mengambil berat atau tidak saranan dan nasihat komentar di atas. Lagipun kalau berpeluk tubuh, tidak berbuat apa-apa tidak akan mendatangkan kerugian bukan? Baru hilang satu undi dari dinturtle, tak rugi bukan?

Ramai lagi seperti saudara dinturtle kita ini di KT, dan mereka ini tergolong di dalam golongan 87 peratus pengundi keseluruhan di P36 kelak. Tidak perlu ambil pusing sentimen mereka ini? Cubalah, dan lihat hasilnya di hari mengundi kelak.

Kemaskini 8.35pagi

Komen tambahan dari saudara dinturtle di dalam ruangan komen di bawah ini. Terimakasih. Kepada orang-orang di KT yang belum kesempatan, baca juga nukilan terkini Dato Sak, di sini, ada juga mesej dari orang KT di dalamnya.

Of course we are currently in dire need of another airport in Labu...

..... & it is not for Melaka. No, sirree, JMD! This is for Seremban & surrounding area in NS only. After all Seremban is just like the cities of London & New York, where there exist Heathrow, Gatwick & London City for the former & J.F.K, Newark, LaGuardia for the latter.

This is not for Malaysia, this is to cater demand for Seremban & kawasan-kawasan yang sewaktu dengannya only, you know? Don't play-play. Still Che Det, you want to ask, "How many airports do we need?" In 5 years time, Malaysian will commute for balik kampung etc not using buses & trains anymore. This is our vision. We want them to travel using only our, oopss, the readily available fleet of airbuses of competing carriers. Jangan terkejut, if the next one for these bustling cities of NS will be in Rembau, no?

Why-lah Che Det bising-bising? Bikin kacau daun only! Maybe the other non visible 100 million KLIA passengers yearly encompasses of orang bunians etc. That's why Che Det did not notice them, but only heard "voices" in his head. Bunianlah tu! Furthermore it will be privately funded & we can use those bunians to be stationed there instead of the usual government officials, hence no actual salary needed. The government can pay them using dry leaves what??! Last I heard that was the currency of them bunians. It's a win-win situation, cannot rugi one. So Che Det, please don't kacau daun-lah!

Next (presumably after the P36 By-E), they'll justify the need for the Labu airport, stating tourism boost, segregation of traffic, breaking unhealthy monopoly & healthy competition between the airports for the best price & services that will bring immense benefits to the carriers (which particular carrier, eh?). Masuk akal atau tidak ataupun good timing or not, that's another story-lah! It's not yet March, what?

P36 KT: Kematangan berpolitik?

Baca Fiery words back to haunt Umno

"It's alive, well & kicking" kata mat saleh. Bila PAS dan sekutunya mengalih tumpuan untuk menghasilkan poster & banner sebegini hanya demi undi yang ingin diraih, saya kira mereka tidak boleh menyalahkan BN untuk terus mengatakan bahawa keperluan berpolitik berteraskan ras harus diteruskan di negara ini.

Bila kita lihat banner seperti di atas, soalan bagi mereka yang masih rasional adalah siapa sebenarnya yang memainkan isu politik berteraskan ras ini? Siapa sebenarnya yang "bertambah matang" dalam berpolitik?

Tiada gunanya warkah sebegini diutuskan, kerana rakyat marhaen di Kuala Terengganu lebih arif dalam menilai yang mana mainan politik, yang mana realiti kehidupan. Ada miskin dan ada kaya, yang pentingnya peluang yang diwujudkan untuk keluar dari sesuatu kelompok sentiasa cuba diberikan. "Tiada halangan, hanya peluang", bukan begitu orang Terengganu? Kalau jawapannya negatif, biarkan rakyat KT menghukum tetapi jika tidak, tepuk dada tanyalah selera.

Siapa sebenarnya yang ketandusan isu sehinggakan isu "atap rembia, atap genting" hendak dimainkan? Lainlah kalau rumah yang tersergam indah di Bukit Segambut ini pun beratapkan rembia....

P/s: Saya tertarik dengan komen saudara dinturtle dalam posting saya sebelum ini. Datang dari orang yang bakal mengundi, inilah isu yang perlu dibangkitkan dan diperjelaskan oleh pihak-pihak yang bertanding sebenarnya. Komen beliau ada di sini.

P36 KT: Pakatan Rakyat, Anwar & Hudud

حدود (read: hudud) law shall be enforceable as against the muslim only & shall not be binding as against the non-muslim. Boleh ke macam tu? Heard that Anwar Ibrahim said "boleh", if & when he becomes the Prime Minister of Malaysia lah that is. Cuba kita tanya Haji Hadi pula, boleh ke tuan guru, buat separuh-separuh macam tu? What about Islamic State? What about "perjuangannya untuk menegakkkan Islam yang syumul merangkumi keseluruhan aspek kehidupan"?

This is what wikipedia said about hudud:

The punishments vary according to the status of the offender - Muslims generally receive harsher punishments than non-Muslims, free people receive harsher punishments than slaves, and in the case of zina', married people receive harsher punishments than unmarried. Read more wikipedia on hudud here.

To know more about hudud, just google away. One example is here. Another one is here. Mari kita sama-sama belajar. Kalau masih tidak faham, ramai alim-ulamak di negara ini yang boleh kita rujuk. Bak senikata lagu M. Nasir, "Tak faham, bertanya. Jangan main hentam keromo, takut-takut nak tarik ular lidi, tertarik naga!"

Back to KT & the conundrum facing Pakatan Rakyat currently. Maybe the establishment of Islamic State for this nation is no more the top agenda of PAS. Then again won't that be in contravention of their own constitution, Article 5, as highlighted in Penarek Beca's Anwar berjalan atas tilam. So how la?

Maybe Unker Kit knows how to solve this issue in the name of Pakatan Rakyat's solidarity & brotherhood! What say you Unker? Tambahan pula semenjak-dua menjak di KT ini DAP pun sudah pandai berkempen dengan slogan "Membangun Bersama Islam".

Read OpEd's K.Terengganu polls - Anwar plays hudud card. Pakatan Rakyat, sebenarnya pun "macam-macam ada!" juga. As per Reme Ahmad & P. Ramlee, permit me to say this also, "How nice!" Read also what the ex-MB of Terengganu has to say about the upcoming battle for KT. Among others, he has this to say:

“Pas adalah satu parti *‘loklek’ (tiada pendirian yang teguh)...kita lihat dalam perjuangan Islam sendiri, dulu dia (Pas) kata nak memperjuangkan Islam tetapi sekarang kita lihat Pas sudah tidak bercakap tentang negara Islam...dia juga tidak berani memperkatakan tentang hudud.

*(Pembetulan: Bukan "loklek", tetapi "kluk klek" sebutan sebenarnya kata pembikin kenyataan)

Read more here.

Kepada yang cuba berdiplomasi terlajak demi kepentingan politik dan untuk berkempen semata-mata, dalam berbuat demikian hukum Allah janganlah pula dipersenda dan diperdagangkan. Loopholes duniawi mungkin boleh dicari, tetapi tidak di akhirat kelak.

Wallahualam.

P/s Selamat berkempen kepada semua di KT. Don't get over-excited ya! Siasah duniawi sahaja semua itu.

P36: It's only a local derby match, not the World Cup-lah!

Unker Kit, enough-lah with this "basi" rhetoric already. Unker says;

The voters of Kuala Terengganu have a historic national mission on polling day – to speak up not only on behalf of themselves but of 26 million Malaysians and future generations in endorsing the March 8th political tsunami and sending a clear and unmistakable message of a national “sky change” in next general election as UMNO and the BN have failed to learn the lessons of the March 8 political tsunami in the past 10 months.

Harping on & on with regard to "sending clear message" is so 70s. It could be hip & cool during the P44 by-election but now it is out of date lah. The people have already voiced it out last 8th March 2008. How many time kita mau hantar message daa? Inbox full already! For us normal folks, message sent & being received already-lah unker. Just look at the IJN issue. See, they do listen, except for the few less fortunate ones lah, their ears ada a bit tersumbat. Most in UMNO and BN should have received that message already, just that they are a bit confused when it comes to which direction that they should be heading to due to present leadership. Slowly but surely, with the right kind of leadership, they'll get there. Never underestimate them!

Unker Kit, "sending clear message" is not only a one way route, you know. Cakap mau serupa bikin jugalah. With all the chaos at your topsy-turvy end, I think it's about time the people send you guys messages too. Don't be too cocky!

Unker, don't get confused, ya! What "historic national mission" you were talking about? It's more local than national when it comes to the upcoming p36. It is not something like the presidential election of the United States where national issues played a dominant role in determining the ballots. The outcome won't even be a stamp of approval for anyone nor is it a referendum as against whomever at national level. It's about local issues, more at the state level. Go ask the pakciks & makciks keropok lekor, kain tenun & nasi dagang of KT, you'll see what I mean. Whoever wins this by-election, they do so by influencing the local folks on local issues. It is not so much of Paklah & Najib. That has been settled on 8th March 2008, & maybe a lil' bit more during the time of P44 last year. P36 is more of Haji Hadi of Ru Redang versus Mat Said of Kijal. For your information, the nation is not voting this time around. It is just the friendly folks of KT re-exercising their civic duty. To unker who is still in a daze of what this by-election means go and read nobisha's KALAH DI P36 KUALA TERENGGANU PUN OK! and DSN's Wan Farid sombong?

It's just another local derby, a KT derby, between the only two heavyweights of the East Coast, PAS & UMNO (no offense to the independent candidate). That's all. You can bring thousands of RPKs and his gang of so-called liberal minded company to the battle ground, but my bet is that they can't do much there in KT. Just look at the last general election. What effect did the political tsunami has on the outcome of the general election in Terengganu. If memory serves me right, it was still a resounding two-third majority win there for BN the last time around.

Oh, "message of a national Sky Change" you say? How high up is that? Ozone layer high? The height of our angkasawan's space rendezvous? Why stop at that when all the while , if not the yellow moon with the keris, it's the "white moon" that the locals have been aiming for & landed upon. When it comes to Terengganu, they don't need a "rocket" to make it to the "moon" lah! If they do manage to land the majority voters on the white moon, it is solely done by the people in green own initiatives coupled with the opposing side's follies while on the ground. Vice versa.

By the way unker, why so unfriendly-lah?! Not nice-lah like that.

Wan Farid a bad choice?

Che Det did it again said The Malaysian Insider here. He'll jeopardize the BN's chances in winning the upcoming P36 battle by making the above remark. In other word what they meant is the spoiler is back. With that they have a scapegoat in hand, an insurance in the event of a very much foreseeable calamity.

Excuse me, sir! The grand old man is merely vocalizing what is already in everyone's mind as soon as the candidacy was announced, except maybe for few diehard fans of UMNO who refused to put their feet on the ground and still in denial of the political tsunami that bulldozed them just recently.

There must be a reason why Wan Farid and the likes were not fielded as candidates in the last General Election. There must be a reason why, despite experiences & qualifications, the previous MB and the state BN machinery did not see fit just yet for these people to stand for election then. And that reason must be good enough for the Terengganu folks that they have returned the BN state government to power rather handsomely despite other BN controlled states were hard-hit by the 8th March 2008's political tsunami.

Sometimes I wonder if they'll ever learn from anything.

IJN: Najib v Paklah?

Save IJN, say NO to Sime Darby!

The plot thickens... Read Newsbreak: MOF oppose, EPU insist with IJN privatisation to SD. In a nutshell, from what A Voice has posted, it boils down to EPU v MOF. According to his sources, EPU wanted the deal to follow through while MOF opposed to the same. EPU is directly under The Prime Minister's Department while MOF is of course under the DPM, our Finance Minister. Paklah v Najib? Hmmmm...

Another interesting angle, read SatD's Heartless Darby. As such, tit for tat, could the address for the new (relocated) IJN be in NSVC? Hmmmm....



IJM Current Location (Source: IJN Website)

Prime land for sale?! Brokers needed urgently! Quick bucks, anyone? Could that be it?

Among those "things that make you go hmmm...."

Hmmm.... me & my "suspicious mind".... tiru che det sikit ya! Che Det says;

Institut Jantung Negara

9. I don't know who came up with the idea of privatising Institut Jantung Negara. It is DUMB! My suspicious mind tells me someone wants to make money.

Read more of che det's latest post here

Sheer Arrogance

“We have many, many targets,” Israeli army spokeswoman Maj. Avital Leibovich told CNN.

“To my estimation, it will be a lengthy operation.”

Read Israel invades, biggest military ops since Lebanon War

While we are busy preparing our kids today & tomorrow for their first day at school, the parents of these kids are busy preparing theirs for burials...

The (many, many) Targets?

BANDAR GAZA 3 Jan. – Sekurang-kurangnya 13 orang terbunuh termasuk dua kanak-kanak apabila jet pejuang Israel mengebom sebuah masjid ketika umat Islam sedang sembahyang di bandar Jabaliya, hari ini.

Serangan di Masjid Ibrahim Al-Maqadna turut mengakibatkan 60 cedera termasuk 16 cedera parah. Kanak-kanak yang terbunuh itu masing-masing berusia 10 dan 12 tahun.

Read more 13 terbunuh jet pejuang Israel mengebom masjid

UN Security Council (& OIC), what's up? Enjoying Bush's final legacy to the gaza folks before handling the baton to Obama, is it? Enough is enough!



Brothers & sisters, make du'a for Gaza...



Updated 4.31pm

Lawan Wan Farid nanti di P36

Kemaskini 7.26am

Bukan Mat Said ye, tetapi ADUN PAS (ADUN Wakaf Mempelam) yang sedang dilawan "hujah" oleh ADUN Kijal (as he was then), yang merupakan MB Terengganu sekarang, di dalam *video youtube di bawah ini.

Terimakasih kepada Penarik Beca kerana informasi ini, di sini dan sini. Baca juga OpEd di sini.



Bakal Calon PAS nanti walaupun kurang dikenali di peringkat nasional, beliau bukanlah muka baru bagi politik negeri Terengganu, baca di sini.

*Video Youtube ihsan deansama (Video lama sebelum perlantikan MB sekarang).

Selamat Menyambut Tahun Baru 2009

Selamat menyambut tahun baru 2009 kepada semua. Semoga 2009 akan membawa kejayaan dan kecemerlangan kepada kita semua.

God bless us all!