CAMPAIGNING in the hotly contested state seat of Bukit Selambau, Kedah, has been relatively muted, with both the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) zooming in on each others’ Achilles heels in an escalating psy-war. The three parties in the PR — Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), PAS and DAP — have been attacking the […]
Avoiding issues in Bukit Selambau
By Shanon ShahShahrizat Abdul Jalil THE Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) both seem keen to avoid their vulnerabilities in their campaigns to win the state seat of Bukit Selambau in Kedah. For example, at BN press conferences and interviews, including by candidate Datuk S Ganesan, leaders refuse to address allegations that new Prime Minister Datuk […]
Election lethargy in Indonesia
By Farish A NoorSession of the Indonesian People’s Representative Council (public domain, source: wikipedia.org) WHILE Malaysians are excited by the prospect of three simultaneous by-elections on 7 April 2009, Indonesians next door are showing distinctive signs of electoral fatigue. A news report featured on Indonesia’s Trans7 TV channel summed up the prevailing mood when it reported on a […]
Trading barbs in Bkt Gantang ceramah circuit
By Deborah LohEntrance to the Chinese fishing village of Kuala Sepetang WET weather has put a damper on the nightly ceramah circuit in Bukit Gantang. In the past week, most Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Rakyat (PR) gigs drew crowds in the range of 150 to less than 500 by the time the night’s speeches were over. […]
The lone woman candidate
By Shanon ShahSarala (right) with her bicycle INDEPENDENT candidate L Sarala’s election campaign in Bukit Selambau has been a hoot. After being assigned the symbol of a bicycle by the Election Commission (EC), the 33-year-old marketing manager got herself a bike and started riding it to canvass for votes house-to-house. It would be easy to dismiss her […]
Obligations of media and govt
By Yip Wai FongWHILE the 12th general election had opened up some democratic space in the realms of media and freedom of expression, we are now watching it quickly disappear. The government’s censorship of the name of a certain murdered Mongolian looks absurd, as does the seizure of DVDs produced by the opposition. The fact that politicians choose […]
Najib is PM (Updated 12.10pm)
Updated 12.10pm on 3 April 2009 Najib (pic courtesy of theSun) KUALA LUMPUR, 3 April 2009: Datuk Seri Najib Razak was sworn in as Malaysia’s sixth prime minister today, taking over from Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi who stepped down after leading the country for over five years. Najib, 55, took his oath of office […]
Manikumar’s baptism by fire
By Shanon ShahS Manikumar S MANIKUMAR, 35, has many fires to fight. The Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) candidate for the Bukit Selambau by-election has to firstly compete against 14 other candidates for this state assembly seat. Secondly, there are the criticisms that he is too young, inexperienced and not media savvy. On top of this, despite strenuous […]
The last Rajah’s battlefield
By Wong Chin HuatPolice on guard during the Ijok by-election (pic by Danny Lim) THE 7 April Batang Ai by-election actually has more similarities with the 2007 by-election for the Selangor state seat of Ijok than to the other two by-elections in Bukit Gantang and Bukit Serambau that will happen on the same day. Batang Ai is certainly […]
Opportunity for BN in Bkt Selambau?
By Datuk Dr Denison JayasooriaTHE Hindraf movement captured the imagination of not only the Indian Malaysian community but all communities in Malaysia in their ability to mobilise mass protests against the Barisan Nasional (BN)-led government. This was reflected by a major swing against the BN and the MIC during the 12th general elections. At the heart of the matter […]
