Checkmate! (With Mandarin Translation)
"If any problems occur, we will resolve it through musyawarah, that is through discussions. All three parties must hold discussions. And if a consensus is not reached, it must be discussed again. This means, should PKR and PAS agree to implement hudud and DAP disagrees, then it cannot be implemented. Everything must be discussed until all three parties agree." – Lim Guan Eng
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
For the last week since Nomination Day, the government-owned mass media has been playing up the non-issue of Islamic laws or Hudud. Khairy Jamaluddin, the Prime Minister’s son-in-law, has been going around proudly telling his Umno Youth audience all over Kuala Terengganu that it was he who very cleverly trapped Husam Musa into making his (Husam’s) booboo statement on Hudud.
The Star, the New Straits Times, TV3, and any organ that may reach the Chinese audience, have been mobilised to challenge DAP and PKR on its stand on Hudud. They very carefully did not make any mention of Umno’s stand, though, lest the 89% Malay voters in Kuala Terengganu get an impression that Umno is hostile towards Islam. To undertake this ‘hatchet job’, Umno uses MCA, its running dog, while Umno keeps a deafening silence on the issue.
Yesterday, PAS, DAP and PKR made history by agreeing that any policy decision must be made through consensus. A simple majority is not enough. All three — PAS, DAP and PKR — have to agree on whatever policy matters. Even if there were one dissenting voice, this would mean the policy would not be accepted. It must be all three or nothing at all. And this will include matters related to Islam and whatever comes with Islam, Islamic laws or Hudud included.
Pakatan Rakyat has turned the tables on Barisan Nasional. It is now checkmate. The only issue that Barisan Nasional has in which to use against Pakatan Rakyat in the Kuala Terengganu by-election is Husam’s slip-of-the-lips. The Pakatan Rakyat candidate, Wahid Endut, is spotless. He has no baggage, unlike the Barisan Nasional candidate, Wan Farid Wan Salleh. So, in the absence of any tangible issues, the Hudud issue is the only thing they can use, however frivolous it may be.
It appeared like Barisan Nasional may have hit a home run on the issue. Some Chinese were beginning to believe the media spin and were asking what Pakatan Rakyat’s stand on the issue is. The number of doubters may be small. But in an election where a mere few hundred votes will determine the winner, every vote counts.
Then, yesterday, Pakatan Rakyat’s historic agreement that a consensus is required before any policy decisions can be made was reached. And, last night, in the Ocean Restaurant overlooking the South China Sea, in front of almost 1,000 ecstatic and applauding local Chinese voters, the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, announced the agreement reached between the three partners of Pakatan Rakyat.
Pakatan Rakyat has practically killed the issue of Hudud, not only for the Kuala Terengganu by-election but forever. Now that the issue has been buried, what is Barisan Nasional’s next move? There are only five more days till Polling Day. Can Barisan Nasional pull a rabbit out of the hat at this late stage of the campaign? Let’s wait and see. In the meantime, Malaysia Today too has a last Scud missile to fire at the Barisan Nasional candidate. But we shall wait to see what they do before we fire it.
Malaysia Today reporting from Ground Zero on the battlefield of Kuala Terengganu. Till we speak again, take care and stay tuned.
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《毫不留情》将军,死棋!
*"若有任何问题,我们会去musyawarah, 也就是商讨。所有三个政党一定要商讨。 若不能达致一致的意见,就需要再商讨。这就是说,
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自提名日以来的一个星期,政府控制的媒体都在炒作一个不存在的课题:回教刑事 法。首相女婿凯里,很得意地到处去告诉瓜丁巫青团的人,是他很巧妙地诱导 Husam Musa掉入他做的陷阱,让他做出有关回教刑事法的言论。
星报,新海峡时报,第三电视以及任何有华人利用的媒体,都被全体总动员,挑战 行动党和公正党有关他们对回教刑事法的立场。他们很小心地没有提到巫统的立 场,不然的话,在瓜丁占了总选民89%的马来选民会觉得巫统对回教存怀敌意。因 此,为了完成这份‘不光彩’的事,巫统利用了他的走狗马华,而巫统自己就在这课 题上保持沉默以自保。
昨天,回教党,行动党和公正党达致历史性的一致意见,说任何政治决定必须建立 在共识上。而简单的大多数意见是不足够的。所有三个政党必须一致同意所有施政 课题。若有任何反对的意见,就表示说有关政策是不能被接受的。必须是所有三个 同意,不然就不行。而这也将包括涉及回教的事情,包括回教刑事法。
民联如今扭转了局面,把国阵逼入死巷。将军,死棋!国阵在瓜丁补选唯一能够用 来对付民联的课题就是Husam的说溜嘴。民联的候选人Wahid Endut纯洁无疵。他也 没有包袱,不像国阵候选人Wan Farid Wan Salleh那样。所以,在没有任何实体的 课题下,回教刑事法是他们唯一能够利用的课题,就算是毫无意义的。
外表看来,国阵似乎在这个课题上押对了宝。一些华人开始相信媒体的歪曲,并开 始询问民联在这课题上的立场。这些质疑的人也许很少,但在一场以几百张票决定 胜负的选举中,每一张票都重要。
然后,在昨天,民联达致历史性的共识,说任何政治决定都必须是一致的。而在昨 晚,在面向南中国海的海洋餐厅,在约1000名欣喜的当地华人选民面前,槟州首长 林冠英宣布了民联三党的这项议决。
民联因此一了百了的解决了回教刑事法的课题,不只是在这场补选中。现在这课题 已经完结了,国阵的下一步是什么呢? 投票日还有剩下五天。国阵还可以在这竞选 末期耍出什么花招呢? 让我们走着瞧吧。与此同时,《今日大马》还有最后一个杀手 铨对付国阵候选人。但在此之前,我们要看看他们会出哪一招。
《今日大马》瓜丁战场的报导到此为止,我们下次再见,还请大家耐心等待。