Politician speak “The results show that the people have the full confidence in our two leaders. It is also a sign that voters, especially the Chinese and Indian [Malaysians], have now returned to support [the Barisan Nasional (BN)].” “My win is due to a combination of factors. People are now back with BN. They are […]
by-election
Winning the next elections
By Wong Chin HuatTHERE are three ways to understand the stunning outcome of the Bagan Pinang by-election: Najib, Isa and the Pakatan Rakyat (PR). If you believe that the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s victory is really about Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia, then you would have to accept that Tan Sri Mohd Isa Abdul Samad and the money politics […]
The myth of Malaysian diversity
By Shanon ShahHERE’S a statistic to think about: the nine by-elections since the March 2008 general election have seen a total of 36 candidates contesting. Only two, or less than 5.6%, of these candidates have been women. The two were L Sarala, who contested in the record-breaking Bukit Selambau by-election in April 2009, and Aminah Abdullah, who […]
Hantu Bagan Pinang!
Oleh Shanon Shah68 SAYA sudah mula serik meliputi kempen pilihanraya.Terlalu banyak misteri yang mengganggu perasaan semasa tempoh pilihanraya. Contohnya pengalaman saya di Bagan Pinang, Negeri Sembilan, baru-baru ini. Bukannya saya tidak minat mengikut calon, mendengar ceramah, memantau isu dan melaporkan keputusan pengundian. Itu semua sudah menjadi tugas setiap wartawan di arena pilihanraya. Tapi misteri di Bagan Pinang […]
The Bagan Pinang victory
By Shanon ShahAFTER losing in all of the by-elections it has contested in the peninsula since March 2008, the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s Bagan Pinang win must taste like ambrosia. The BN’s candidate from Umno, Tan Sri Isa Samad, polled 8,013 votes against the 2,578 votes garnered by PAS’s Zulkefly Omar. In fact, Isa’s majority of 5,435 votes […]
All eyes on Bagan Pinang
By Shanon ShahBAGAN Pinang initially awakened to light thunder and a drizzle on 11 Oct 2009; the kind of Sunday morning that is made for sleeping in. But today is polling day, the culmination of a week of bizarre and occasionally sluggish campaigning by both the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR). It is a tense […]
Balloting begins in Bagan Pinang
PORT DICKSON, 11 Oct 2009: Balloting for the Bagan Pinang by-election began as soon as polling centres opened at 8am. Most of the 13,664 voters, not including the 4,604 postal voters that had been cast earlier, were expected to vote early. They will be choosing a new state assemblyperson for the state seat which became […]
A bizarre week in Bagan Pinang
By Shanon ShahWorshippers at Masjid Qariah MASJID Qariah Bagan Pinang, Port Dickson, is sandwiched between a major Barisan Nasional (BN) operations centre and PAS’s main by-election headquarters along Jalan Pantai. On Friday, 9 Oct 2009, the mosque was bursting at the seams with worshippers. In his khutbah, the imam said Islam is a religion of unity and […]
Dishonesty in Bagan Pinang
By Shanon ShahStrange (and dishonest) BN math THERE is a ubiquitous campaign billboard in Port Dickson now. It says, “For 63 years, Barisan Nasional (BN) has protected you. Don’t destroy the country’s security.” The arithmetic is baffling. The BN was officially registered as a coalition in July 1974. As at October 2009, this would make the BN […]
Campaigning in Bagan Pinang
By Shanon ShahFROM day one, the Barisan Nasional (BN) has been pulling out all the stops in its Bagan Pinang by-election campaign. Sure, the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) managed to muster more than 4,000 supporters — more than double the BN’s — on nomination day. But since nominations closed, it is clear that the PR is struggling to […]