KUALA LUMPUR, 17 March 2009: The Umno disciplinary board has found Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam guilty of breaking the party Code of Ethics and barred him from contesting the deputy president’s post in the upcoming party polls. Additionally, board chairperson Tengku Tan Sri Ahmad Rithaudeen told a press conference today that Umno Youth chief […]
Jacqueline Ann Surin
BN’s disrespect for democracy
By Jacqueline Ann SurinIN many ways, it was a privilege to be in the US when 9/11 happened. I was a journalist on a fellowship at the University of Maryland, College Park when the World Trade Centre came crashing down in an unexpected terrorist attack on American soil [1]. The privilege of being in the US then was […]
Bedroom antics and public outrage
By Jacqueline Ann SurinWhat principles are being defended on Elizabeth Wong’s behalf? OVER the past few weeks of intense political developments from Perak to Selangor, and the resulting flurry of news-making, one thing remains clear. We are a nation of leaders short on principles. Whether upcoming or high-ranking, whether from the Pakatan Rakyat or the Barisan Nasional, whether […]
Khairy: Sultan rules all
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon ShahIN recent interviews, Umno Youth-chief hopeful Khairy Jamaluddin has condemned party-hopping, and has been arguing strenuously for reform of Umno and the Barisan Nasional (BN). However, after the recent BN takeover of the Perak government by defections from the Pakatan Rakyat (PR) camp, Khairy apparently made an about-face. When addressing a crowd of Umno Youth […]
Proposed law against unfair public contracts
By Jacqueline Ann Surin(© Roland Maier / sxc.hu) PETALING JAYA, 19 February 2009: A constitutional and corporate lawyer has called for the enactment of an Unfair Public Contracts Act that will allow for lopsided concession agreements to be reviewed. Tommy Thomas said having such a law would make it compulsory for contracts which are against the public’s interest […]
Memo to S’gor MB over Wong’s quit decision
By Jacqueline Ann SurinPETALING JAYA, 18 Feb 2009: A group of concerned citizens handed in a memorandum to Selangor Menteri Besar (MB) Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim today, calling on him not to accept Elizabeth Wong’s resignation. The memorandum, which contained 450 signatures, said Wong had not committed any crime and the nude pictures of her which are being […]
Coming into his own
By Jacqueline Ann Surin and Shanon Shah(File pic by Danny Lim) ONCE it was clear that Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi would exit as both prime minister and Umno president in March 2009, the favour that Khairy Jamaluddin presumably enjoyed as son-in-law must have evaporated quickly. But the changing political fortunes and shifting political equations could very well be a blessing […]
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’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 […]
Who’s afraid of the rakyat?
By Jacqueline Ann SurinONE of the most lucid things I’ve read above the din of the political fiasco in Perak is Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat’s statement about respecting Sultan Azlan Shah’s decision. Following the Perak Ruler’s decision, the PAS spiritual leader and Kelantan Menteri Besar, who is himself of royal lineage, said, “I don’t question the […]
