Save my country campaign

Only one day to go and it will be 12th General Election for Malaysia. I am here to ask a favour of you that support opposition (DAP,PKR or PAS).
Your effort alone of one vote doesn't help much. But if everyone that vote for opposition can ask and convince 2 persons that support BN or swinging votes to support opoosition may get a new life for Malaysia. Start now, as I know time is not enough.
Change swinging vote and BN votes of our friends or relatives to opposition favour. We have a last chance to save our country.
If you love Malaysia, change ourselves(for BN supporter) and change others people(swinging vote) as well. There are 30% of electorate still undecided!
Just Change it!

Michael Backman, Malaysia need a strong opposition!

This is what I quote from Michael Backman's blog. Think again and use your vote wisely. An Australian may have a better insights of Malaysia current politics condition than others.

Malaysia needs a strong Opposition
by Michael Backman
The Age
February 27, 2008

SHOULD Malaysians bother to vote? The corollary of this question is: does the Malaysian Government deserve to
be re-elected? The answer to the second question is no.

In the past few years, the Malaysian Government has presided over an extraordinary number of scandals that are
appalling by any standards: the trade minister's allocation of car import permits to friends, relatives and supporters;
the billion-dollar fraud at the Port Klang Free Trade Zone; the outrageous and much-flaunted wealth of ruling party
politician Zakaria Md Deros; the claims that a High Court judge allowed the lawyer representing a rich businessman
to write for him his judgement in a defamation lawsuit; an immensely rich chief minister in Sarawak state who is
allowed to rule as if it were his; and so on.

The Malaysian Government richly deserves to pay for all of this at the ballot box.

So the next question is: should the Malaysian Opposition be elected to office? Again, the answer is no.

The Opposition is a shambolic assortment of the disaffected rather than a competent, alternative government. In
no way is it ready to govern.

All these questions are pertinent because Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi has called elections for March 8.

Elections are fought tenaciously in Malaysia as if the South-East Asian country is a fully fledged democracy. But it
isn't. It is democratic in that elections are held, but they are not fair. The ruling coalition has been in power in one
form or another since independence 50 years ago. One reason for this longevity is that there are legal and
institutional biases that favour the Government.

Malaysian electorates are severely malapportioned. The smallest electorates are rural; the largest are
metropolitan. The largest have about six times the number of registered voters as the smallest. This means that
the votes of those in the smallest seats count for many times those in the larger seats.

This sort of bias meant, for example, that in the last general elections held in 2004, the ruling coalition won 198 or
91% of the parliamentary seats with just 64% of the votes cast. The Opposition won only 21 seats or 9.6% of the
seats compared with 36% of the popular vote.

Had the Parliament reflected voters' actual voting intentions, there would have been 79 rather than 21 Opposition
members elected.

Outright fraud is another way in which Malaysians are cheated when they vote. Tens of thousands of dead people
are believed to have voted in the 2004 elections. Exit polling is difficult, but it is assumed that these voters
overwhelmingly favoured the Government. Credit must be given when it is due — the Government did eventually
remove hundreds of thousands of deceased voters from the electoral roles. But the damage had been done.

Also at the last elections, thousands of Malaysians who turned up on polling day found that the electorates in which
they were registered had been changed without their permission or knowledge. Thousands of voters were shifted
into Opposition-held or marginal electorates. Absurdly, even family members living in the same house discovered
that they had been registered in different electorates. Most Malaysians do vote for the ruling coalition, so the effect
of this was to swamp the votes for the Opposition.

Multiple voting is another problem. Indelible ink is used to mark voters when they vote, but it is not compulsory.

Next month's election is being held a year early. Why? One reason is because Anwar Ibrahim, who was deputy
prime minister until he was charged and convicted of corruption and sodomy in the late 1990s, will only be eligible
to stand for election after April 8 because of the convictions. The sodomy convictions were overturned because of
uncertainty about the dates on which the alleged acts were supposed to have occurred, but the corruption verdict
stood.

Anwar is unfit to hold public office, regardless of the Government's manoeuvring against him. The sodomy issue is
irrelevant. The serious charges against him are the corruption charges, which relate to Anwar asking the police to
heavy two witnesses into withdrawing their statements against him. On this, Anwar was convicted with irrefutable
evidence.

That the deputy prime minister of any country should do such a thing is unforgivable and yet Anwar has his
backers, mostly in the Western media.

Most Malaysians found his criticisms of their Government shortly after he was removed from office to be
transparently opportunistic, given that he had been a senior minister in the Government for 15 years. But while
Anwar is more popular outside Malaysia than inside, he is still a rallying figure for the discontented.

So what should Malaysians do? Firstly, in a country where voting is not compulsory, they should vote. There's no
point complaining on internet blogs but not bothering to vote.

Given the Opposition's unpreparedness to govern, the Malaysian Government is best returned. But it does
deserve a good, hard kick. Even more, it needs a significant and strong Opposition to help it govern better. It
needs greater accountability and scrutiny, which a strong Opposition in Parliament will help provide. That is what
good governments everywhere have and need.

Of course, tiny Singapore is an exception but Singapore is a country in name only. The reality is that the Singapore
Government is a glorified city council.

Malaysia, on the other hand, is a diverse and complex country that wants to be modern. It needs to be governed
like one.

ends

Opposition can deny two third majority?

I received a forwarded mail form my Malay colleague which is regarding a talk of Anwar Ibrahim this this afternoon. He (my colleague) received JPA scholarships to further study in UK previously. Later in the afternoon again, another Malay colleague has asked me to support opposition in this General Election.
Frankly, I am quite surprised. I am thinking over 70% of Malay will cast their vote to BN government. May be I am wrong and I see the hope of opposition to deny a two third majority in the parliamentary seat in 12th general Election this time.
There are more and more young and educated Malays (as well as other ethnics of course) dissatisfied with the current government. This could be the challenge for BN this time round.
If 35 to 40% Malays vote for either DAP, PKR or PAS, 55% to 60% Chinese and 60 to 65% Indian vote for opposition, there is a chance for opposition to achieved 75 seats.
If DAP can win about 28 to 30 seats, PAS can win 25 to 28 seats, the weakest PKR (although competes in 92 parliamentary seats) can win of 22 to 25 seats, BN may be denied the two third majority in Parliament.
There are nearly 5 million citizens from 21 to 35 hasn't registered himself or herself as voter. This is really disappointed. They are given the chance to decide their country fate but they let it go. What a shame! We should always think you could do something top decide your country fate and your fate instead of just plain complaints.
It is time to change, change for a better tomorrow. And it starts by you and me!
Read this post as well.

If you love your country, please vote!

I have noticed a lot of young generation who is over 21 and eligible as a voter, never register himself or herself as a voter.
According to a survey, there are 70% of youth between 21 to 35 have not register themselves as voter.
Stop complaining this country if you are yet to registered as a voter (if you are over 21) as you not qualify to do so. You have a chance to decide the fate and direction of your country but you give up the right to do so. Of course voting does not mena you love your country but it certainly is an act to love your country.
You should read the article of the link below. It may change the mind that you should vote to change this country. I definately not here to teach you to vote which party as I believe you can judge it yourself.

Review of what your ministers said

An Australian comment of Malaysia

Hindraf and government, don't over the line

When I stucked in the traffic jam arund 6.30pm on Friday at the road towards PWTC, a police traffic has open the road to a black Proton Perdana which I supposed a minister was inside the car. About the same time same area on Thursday, several Mercedes Benz with Royal family members inside the car were opened road by several police tarffic. I don't know whether some people has misused the privillge to ask the police traffic to open road for them. Give ways when there is no emrgency like ambulance or police perform their duty, just make the road more congested and moreover it is in the peak time when everybody is rushing back to their home. No wonder Kuala Lumpur traffic jam and public transport never improve as the 'big flights' always smooth on their way to destination.

Hindraf and government are going too far
The same also apply to Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf). Hindraf has claimed that Malaysia practising 'ethnic cleasing' and demolished Hindu temple at a rate of 3 weeks once in an e-mail to Gordon Brown, British Prime Minister. This is a big wrong step for Hindraf leader P.Uthayakumar which I think he has gone too far. To claim Indian has been marginalised in Malaysia is acceptable and this will get more sympathy from international. Faking the truth to get more attention just bring more harm, even to Hindraf itself and local community which is neutral may turn their stand. Of course, to tarnished the image of Malaysia as the multiracial and multicultural country that live in harmony, Hindraf can consider they have succeeded.

On the other hand, police claimed that they believe that Hindraf is funded by terorist in oversea. Many would have think this is an action from government to stop the public to support the Hindraf action due to sympathy. However, how true it is? There is no evidence to Hindraf has done so and Hindraf has asked Police to show the evidence. Government till now has no sction to look into the matter the Indian community problems but put more effort to deny Hindraf claimed and bring the 31 Indians taht were caught during the demonstartion assembly to court and accused them of being attempt to murder.

Three scenarios but all is going too far of the line. Traffic Police should opened road when it is needed and not for a royal member or minister to attend a dinner. Hindraf should make a claim that reflects the truth so does the goverment.

Most importantly, New Economic Plan (NEP) that should be finished at 1991 was not execute to benefits the needed people and until today, the most beneficial people may be those holding a high post in the society (business, politics and etc).The facts is after 50 yeras of independent, we are not even equal. We have been born here and we are devide to Bumi and non Bumi after you born. Base on the constitution, you will have no privillege if you are non bumi. For foreigners to understand this, this is mean the people is devide to first class and second class in terms of the country privillege. I knw the world in unfair and so did many people in Malaysia. However, please name a country that in the constitution has automatically classified the people to be a second class residents, which he or she will not given discount to buy a house, less opportunity to enter local univerity as well as getting scholarships, no getting government tender or bidding projects, and many more?

And the solution for all this chaos is just euqality, help to solve the poverty with no racial issue. Everybody has an euqal chance and if you not appreciate the chance and continue to live in poverty, it is their own choice .
To see what Bangkok Post said of our racial problem, please click here

Hindraf and Bangkok Post

I get to read this columnist in The Bangkok Post while I was on the flight back to Malaysia from Bangkok on Friday. So I registered the website version in The Bangkok Post website to let you all reas the full version of the articles. Below is the full text article.
Malaysia's biggest liability is racial discord

The rise of China and India is forcing Malaysia to discover new sources of competitiveness; in such an environment, the policy of race-based discrimination is increasingly untenable. /

ANDY MAKHERJEE

For a country that abhors public protests and suppresses them with strict rules against illegal assembly, Malaysia has had two big demonstrations in Kuala Lumpur just this month.

With elections expected to be held next year, a certain rise in political temperature isn't surprising.

However, two large street rallies within a month may also be a sign that the 50-year-old code defining the rules of engagement between the state and the three main ethnic groups _ the ''social contract'' of Malaysia _ is fraying.

The biggest source of discontent is race, a four-letter word in a country where three-fifths of the 27 million people are Malays, about a quarter of the population is Chinese and 10% is Indian.

Many in the minority Chinese and Indian communities are disenchanted with economic policies that favour the Malays.

And while privileges granted to the Malay Bumiputras _ or ''sons of the soil'' _ can't be taken away abruptly, the case for separating entitlements from racial identity is building.

There are, of course, limits to how far Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi may be prepared to go and how soon.

To the extent that affirmative-action policies make Malaysia unattractive to foreign investors, Mr Abdullah has already shown a willingness to respond. The government has said that companies setting up tourism or logistics businesses in the Iskandar Development Region of Johor won't need to comply with a rule requiring foreign companies to have at least 30% ethnic Malay ownership.

This is a welcome step because Malaysia received just US$6 billion of foreign direct investment last year. Thailand got $10 billion and India received $17 billion.

Ending preferential treatment for Malays in lucrative government contracts is going to be more problematic.

Free-trade talks with the US and Australia have been delayed and the ones with New Zealand have had to be suspended primarily because Malaysia's policy of discouraging non-Malays _ including foreigners _ from bidding on government tenders is unacceptable to these countries.

The same issue might also jeopardise a free-trade deal between the Association of Southeast Asian Nations _ of which Malaysia is a member _ and the European Union.

The Federation of Malaya's 1957 Constitution, which was drafted as the British were leaving, recognised that the indigenous Malay community needed special help, including quotas in government jobs, business permits and university places, to improve their abject economic standing.

The acceptance of this arrangement by the minority Chinese and Indian communities _ ''foreigners'' in the land of the ethnic Malay Muslims _ was seen as the basis of their citizenship and participation in a grand political coalition that has ruled Malaysia uninterrupted since independence.

Following bloody race riots in 1969, the New Economic Policy of 1970 made it an avowed goal of state policy to lift the share of corporate ownership for the Bumiputras to 30% from just 2%.

There was an uproar last year when a Malaysian economist argued in a study that the goal may already have been more than met and it was time to dismantle economic policies based on race. The political rhetoric is still staunchly against any such dilution of affirmative action. At his party's annual congress this month, Mr Abdullah described Malay interests and the social contract between communities as ''sacred''.

However, the economic reality is different. Malaysia's annual per capita income has jumped an impressive 26-fold in the past 50 years to 20,900 ringgit (87,984 baht). But the decades of sustained, rapid growth in prosperity are now history. The rise of China and India is forcing Malaysia to discover new sources of competitiveness; in such an environment, the policy of race-based discrimination is increasingly untenable.

The area where Malaysia has paid the heaviest price is education. In the 1980s, government policy reduced national schools to ''Malay enclaves'', in the words of University of Sydney political scientist Lily Zubaidah Rahim; as a result, the Chinese opted out in large numbers. Thus, the ideal place to integrate the races became the starting point of segregation. While ethnic quotas in higher education were removed in 2002, university entrance norms for non-Malays are still significantly tougher. Talent that Malaysia badly needs to build a knowledge-driven economy is forced to migrate.

The Nov 10 protests called for an improvement in the electoral process so that the next polls are free and fair; the second rally, however, had an overt racial tone. The Hindu Rights Action Force, which organised the demonstration, is suing the British government for not protecting the rights of the minority Indian community at the time of independence. The colonial rulers had brought in Indians as indentured labour to work on rubber plantations.

The real purpose of the protesters is, of course, to draw attention to the unfairness of the 1957 constitutional arrangement and to show that the Malays aren't the only underclass in Malaysia.

The Tamil-speaking Malaysians, not counting the very wealthy businessmen such as pay-TV and telecommunications czar T Ananda Krishnan, remain rather poor as a community.

A renegotiation of the Malaysian social contract so that entitlements are realigned with real economic needs will be a slow, challenging process, though nothing short of it can really heal the wounds festering for half a century.

Andy Mukherjee is a Bloomberg News columnist. The opinions expressed are his own.