Malaysian Opposition Politics for Dummies
FREEDOM COME FREEDOM GO
Malaysian politics is in high gear in the lead up to the impending 13th general elections. As a guide to newbies and reference for oldies, here are some facts to figure in a Malaysian Politics for Dummies.
For starters, newly elected Malaysian Bar president Christopher Leong as quoted in the The Malaysian Insider, “Bar Council: AGC has enough proof to reopen Altantuya murder file“,
“The revelations by Deepak Jaikishan, the late Balasubramaniam Perumal, and Americk Singh Sidhu raise sufficient concern to warrant further investigations by the authorities”
“Sufficient concern“, yes careful words, but alas concern and not sufficient proof. As a popular phrase goes, so where’s the beef?
He said, she said. The late PI Bala said what Altantuya said and what Najib Baginda said, what Deepak said and finally what Americk Singh Sidhu said Cecil Abraham said.
For the dummies, here is a tidbit as posted in the Malaysian Bar website, “A look at the role and significance of statutory declarations“,
“This means that if it refers to a fact which could be seen or heard, it must be the evidence of a witness who says he saw it or heard it. If it refers to a fact which could be perceived by any other sense or in any other manner, it must be the evidence of a witness who says he perceived it by that sense or in that manner. Therefore when a person makes a statement about what someone told him, it would only be primary evidence of the fact that someone told him so; it would not be primary evidence of what was told. This by itself would considerably devalue the probity or veracity of a statutory declaration“
And what has this got to do with politics? I would advise, unsolicited it may be, to the newly minted Bar president not to be a stooge because the Bar Council is nobody’s stooge, in the PKR heavily influenced PII Bala episode.
Then there’s the hot in the press Pakatan Rakyat assault on Barisan Nasional stronghold state, Johore, as announced by their would be PM, Anwar Ibrahim, announcing Kit Siang to contest in Gelang Patah parliamentary seat.
The dummy entry is not about DAP supremo, Lim Kit Siang. Its about the PKR supremo Anwar, the pornstar, Ibrahim.
In an interview with the Sundaily, DAP national organising secretary and Rasah MP, Anthony Loke, is quoted,
“People expect the MP to be accessible through social media. That is the basic expectation – if you have no FB or Twitter you are out of touch. You must be visible and accessible. It is no longer easy nowadays for a politician to say different things to a different audience anymore! If you are not consistent, you will be caught so easily. In those days, people say you speak to please the respective communities, but it’s not possible these days. Anytime people can tape your speeches and put it up on YouTube. If you are saying two different things, you will be caught so easily.”
It certainly sounds as if YB Anthony Loke is referring to the pornstar Anwar.
Apart from, “Plotting,” replies Mr Anwar, with a conspiratorial wink, this is what The Economist wrote of the DAP choice for PM,
This points to a trap waiting to catch the silver-tongued Mr Anwar, who deftly tells different audiences—religious or secular—what they like to hear.
And speaking of Anwar Ibrahim another another one for dummies. His daughter and smarty-pants Lembah Pantai MP, Nurul Izzah, has sued the election commission, in The Malaysian Insider “After Santiago, Nurul Izzah hauls EC to court on electoral roll,
“Nurul Izzah said that an additional 2,000 voters were expected to be registered in the Lembah Pantai electoral roll for the fourth quarter of 2012, totalling about 73,000 voters.
“We had 50,000 voters in 2008,” said the PKR vice-president.”
