FOR the week of 9 to 15 Feb 2009, the Chinese press highlighted the ongoing Perak political crisis. The press especially focused on state assemblyperson Hee Yit Foong, who left the DAP, and on party chairperson Karpal Singh, who had asked Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to step down as de facto Pakatan Rakyat leader. The […]
Umno
Mapping change
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon ShahKHAIRY Jamaluddin knows that he is still the underdog in the upcoming Umno Youth chief race. While Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir’s nominations rushed in from the very beginning, nominations for Khairy merely trickled. Even the nominations for former Selangor Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo saw quicker action. That hasn’t stopped the 33-year-old in […]
Umno firmly behind Rulers
JAKARTA, 16 Feb 2009: Umno, very much disillusioned with the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leadership’s actions of disobeying royal command and wanting to sue a ruler, vows to stand behind the rulers. The party’s information chief, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib, in stating this here reminded quarters which ridiculed the institution of the monarchy and challenged […]
“Rulers can be prosecuted because of Umno”
By Zedeck SiewPETALING JAYA, 16 Feb 2009: The legal amendments that made it possible to prosecute the Malay Rulers originated from an Umno-led government in 1993, Tan Sri Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah has pointed out. Razaleigh (Public domain; source: Wikipedia) Commenting on Karpal Singh’s call to bring the Perak Sultan to court and the charges that have been […]
Former Sabah CM withdraws from Umno MT contest
KOTA KINABALU, 16 Feb 2009: Former Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Salleh Said Keruak today announced that he was withdrawing from contesting for the post of Umno supreme council (Majlis Tertinggi or MT) member during the party’s elections next month. Salleh said he made the decision after considering the fact that many Sabah Umno candidates […]
Umno’s resistance to change
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon ShahWHO would be envious of Khairy Jamaluddin? Despite his meteoric rise within Umno and the doors that were presumably opened to him as the prime minister’s son-in-law, the changing political tide means the 33-year-old now has to swim against currents. And swim he does. With Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s exit as premier and Umno […]
Umno should reinstate Rulers’ immunity: Mubarak
KUANTAN, 12 Feb 2009: The Former People’s Representatives Council (Mubarak) has urged Umno as the pillar of the Malays to debate a motion on the immunity of the Malay Rulers during its General Assembly in March. Mubarak deputy president Datuk Seri Abdul Aziz Rahman said the monarchy institution seemed to have been made fun of […]
BN components must abide by decision on candidates
KUCHING, 12 Feb 2009: All Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties must abide by any decision made the coalition’s top leadership on the candidates chosen to contest under the BN banner at upcoming by-elections, Datuk Seri Najib Razak said today. The deputy prime minister and deputy BN head said there would be always be some differences […]
Hate speech is not patriotism
By Dr Farish A NoorNOTHING stirs the humbug soup better than spurious talk of patriotism and loyalty. The saddest thing of all is that more often than not, whenever there is the rallying call to demonstrate one’s patriotism and to show one’s love for the nation, it comes from the most narrow-minded, chauvinistic and intolerant quarters of society. This […]
“Perak Pakatan Rakyat unstable anyway”
By Shanon ShahPETALING JAYA, 6 Feb 2009: The Perak Pakatan Rakyat should find out what internal shortcomings led to its eventual collapse on 5 Feb 2009, said Umno veteran Datuk Shahrir Abdul Samad today. “Perak had been unstable for some months before this. For example, the internal bickering when DAP’s Ipoh Barat Member of Parliament M Kulasegaran […]