Khalid as MB Selangor

News from MalaysiaKini:

Ki Mae Heussner Mar 12, 08 6:51pm

PKR secretary-general and Ijok state assemblyperson Khalid Ibrahim will be sworn in as the new Selangor menteri besar tomorrow. The ceremony will take place at 2pm at Istana Bukit Kayangan, Shah Alam.

He is then expected to name his exco members in the next few days.

While it has been known for some days now that Khalid will be the new menteri besar, the main problem faced by the PKR-DAP-PAS government-in-waiting has been the choice of the deputy menteri besar.

It has been agreed that a DAP candidate will be nominated, but the party seems to be undecided on its nominee. At the same time, there is also interest, especially from the Selangor palace, in seeing the post also going to a Malay.

Earlier today, the Selangor Sultan's private secretary Mohamad Munir Bani said state laws stipulate that only a Malay Muslim can be appointed as the menteri besar.

Similarly, he added, it is preferable that the deputy menteri besar should also be a Malay Muslim.

JAG supports Kok

While Khalid deliberates on whom to appoint as his deputy, a gender equality action group has called for the appointment of Teresa Kok, the Kinrara state assemblyperson and Seputeh member of parliament, to the post.

Although she herself is reluctant to comment on the issue, speculation is rife that Kok is a strong contender. She was even called in for an audienc with the Sultan yesterday.

The Joint Action Group for Gender Equality (JAG) today said that Kok's appointment to the post would signal a new "era of equality and non-discrimination" in the highly industrialised state.

JAG cited Kok's experience and diplomacy in supporting her nomination, and also emphasised the need to increase women's participation in higher-level politics.

"Apart from Teresa's undeniable knowledge, experience and boundless energy which by itself should be the basis of her appointment as (deputy mentri besar, her appointment would also make good some of the promises made by the component parties now forming the Selangor government," added JAG in a statement.

Other DAP frontrunners

JAG also called on the now-ruling parties to make good their 1999 endorsement of its 'Women's Agenda for Change' that included a 30 percent goal for women in key decision-making positions.

"Teresa's appointment will signal that the Selangor government is ready to embrace a new era [...] of equality and non-discrimination," said the group.

If appointed, Kok would be Malaysia's first woman deputy mentri besar.

In addition to being a state assemblyperson and MP, Kok is also expected to be a state exco member.

When contacted, Kok refused to confirm if she had been selected by her party.

Asked how she would balance four powerful positions, if appointed deputy MB, she referenced others who had juggled multiple responsibilities and said, "Why not?"

Other names on the shortlist for the deputy's post from DAP are Ronnie Liu who won the Pandaraman state seat and Teng Chang Khim (Sungai Pinang).

It is learnt that the party is still undecided on who to nominate despite intense discussions on the matter. The central leadership is believed to favour Kok.

Sultan’s constitutional role

Meanwhile, senior constitutional lawyer and former UN special rapporteur on the independence of judges and lawyers Param Cumaraswamy said the Sultan has no constitutional power to call for the deputy mentri besar to be a Malay.

“With respect, His Highness should not be seen reading into the constitution what is not there,” he said in a statement today.

While the Selangor constitution provides for the appointment of deputy mentri besar by the Sultan, yet such appointment is actually to be made on the advice of the mentri besar from among the members of the state executive council, said Param.

After appointing the mentri besar, the Sultan will then appoint not more than 10 legislators from the state assembly, on the advice of the menteri besar, to the state executive council.

“It is from among these 10 members of the executive council that the sultan will appoint a deputy mentri besar, again on the advice of the mentri besar,” he added.

MB of Perak Goes to PAS

A bit dissapointed with the result! At least the MB post goes to PKR, then i believe most of the Perakian can accept that!

News from MalaysiaKini:

Andrew Ong Mar 12, 08 5:49pm

Pasir Panjang state assemblyperson and Perak PAS secretary Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin was today confirmed as the new menteri besar of the state.

The decision was reached after the Regent of Perak Raja Nazrin Shah met with the three nominees for the post this evening.

The other two candidates for the post were state DAP chairperson and Sitiawan state assemblyperson Ngeh Khoo Ham and PKR’s Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.

Also decided today is that Ngeh would be made the deputy menteri besar (1) while an Indian candidate would be made deputy menteri besar (2).

Earlier, the Penang state government has announced a similar multiracial arrangement for its top leadership.

The Indian deputy MB will come from one of the five elected assemblypersons - four from PKR and one from PKR

They are DAP’s A Sivanesan (Sungkai), KS Keshvinder Singh (Malim Nawar), VN Sivakumar (Tronoh) and A Sivasubramaniam (Buntong) and PKR’s S Kesavan.

Nizar will be sworn in as the new menteri besar at 4pm tomorrow.

Under the state constitution, the menteri besar has to be a Malay Muslim, but there is a provision that allows the sultan to waive the requirement.

Of a total of 59 state seats, DAP controls 18 seats while PKR has seven and PAS six, making a total of 31. The remaining 28 are in the hands of BN.

A down-to-earth guy

Nizar apologised for causing some anxiety among the public in the late announcement of the post.

“I would also like to give my assurance that all state decisions will be made collectively,” he told reporters.

Nizar, 51, is one of the professionals who made it to the top echelon of the PAS leadership in the state.

An engineer who obtained his degree from United Kingdom’s Aston University of Science and Technology in Birmingham, Nizar was highly respected for being a Quran reading champion.

“He is the religious type and a successful businessman,” said cousin Shuib Hussin, 70.

Meanwhile, close friend Khalilul Rahman Abdul Samah described Nizar as a down-to-earth person.

“He has good rapport with the people. I was with him once when he stopped by the roadside to help some stranger fix his car.”

A potential political minefield

Nizar is expected to announce his two deputies tomorrow prior to the swearing in ceremony.

Under the Perak constitution, there are 10 state exco members and one menteri besar. It is understood that the two deputy menteris besar would have to hold exco portfolios as well.

Ngeh told reporters that all three parties have in principle agreed that the DAP would be holding the majority of exco positions as they hold the most number of state seats.

“In a normal democratic process, we would be invited to head the state. But in the special circumstances of Perak and to be sensitive to Malay Muslims, Mohamad Nizar was appointed menteri besar,” he said.

Newly re-elected Pantai Remis DAP assembly person Nga Kor Ming, who accompanied Ngeh, expects mixed reactions from all political parties to the latest development.

“But I stress that the appointment of the menteri besar is the prerogative of the sultan,” he said when asked if Mohamad Nizar’s appointment would go down well with DAP supporters.

DAP had vehemently rejected PAS’ conservative religious agenda in favour of a secular “Malaysian Malaysia” and had even left the PAS-PKR Barisan Alternatif coalition in protest in 2001.

With the appointment of a PAS menteri besar and DAP’s clout in the state exco, both DAP and PAS would be navigating through a political minefield due to their ideological differences and polar-opposite party makeup.

However, with the swearing-in ceremony confirmed for tomorrow, Perak residents can now sigh a breath of relief in the midst of protracted speculations over the menteri besar post and the possibilities of DAP-PKR-PAS members crossing over to Barisan Nasional.

MalaysiaKini: 2008 polls - interesting facts

From MalaysiaKini.com:

Barisan Nasional only gained about 51 percent of the popular vote from the 7.9 million ballots cast on Saturday.

However, it took 63 percent of the seats contested - or 140 of 222 seats in Parliament.

Interestingly, its peninsula-wide popular vote was only 49.79 percent, which effectively means that the opposition received the majority vote in this part of the country.

However, when converted to parliamentary seats, BN has 85 of the constituencies in the peninsula, while the opposition bagged 80.

Almost 40 percent of the BN's seats are in Sabah and Sarawak - 55 out of 140.

In 2004, BN won about 64 percent of the popular vote nationwide and 92 percent of the 219 parliamentary seats on offer then.

Key non-Malay parties in BN have been reduced to 20 seats (MCA - 15, MIC - 3 and Gerakan - 2), making the ruling coalition predominantly Malay. On the other hand, the opposition appears more multiracial with PKR (31), DAP (28) and PAS (23).

As the dust settles on the 12th general election, we highlight a number of quirky facts and figures.

Election trivia

- The youngest candidate was PKR’s Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad, who is 26. He defeated Seri Setia incumbent Seripa Noli Syed Hussin.

- The oldest candidate was grandma Maimun Yusuf, 89, who contested in the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat. She lost her deposit.

- 56 also-rans from opposition parties and independent candidates lost their deposits after failing to secure one-eighth of the votes cast.

- The largest majority was won by DAP’s Teresa Kok against BN’s Carol Chew, by 36,492 votes in the Seputeh parliamentary seat in Kuala Lumpur.

- The smallest majority was just 14 votes for BN’s Hamdi Abu Bakar who beat Abu Bakar Haji Hussain of PAS in the Pengkalan Baharu state seat in Perak.

- Four pivotal players in the Lingam tape scandal also won: Loh Gwo Burne (who recorded the footage), Wee Choo Keong (lawyer who represented VK Lingam’s brother during the inquiry) and R Sivarasa and Sim Tze Tzin (listed as witnesses but eventually not called). All four are from PKR. Anwar Ibrahim, the person who released the tape, was unable to contest due to his five-year ban in active politics. He will however be eligible after next month.

- There will be two ‘lone rangers’ in Parliament: Zulhasnan Rafique, the sole BN survivor in Kuala Lumpur’s 11 parliamentary seats - he took Setiawangsa; and DAP’s Chong Chieng Jen who won Bandar Kuching in Sarawak - the remaining 30 parliamentary seats went to BN.

- The biggest number of candidates was in the Sukau state seat, Sabah, where eight candidates ran, including five Independents.

Debutant politicians

Prominent blogger Jeff Ooi - whose campaign was done online and funds were raised through his website - won the Jelutong parliamentary seat in Penang for DAP.

Other bloggers are Tony Pua (DAP, Petaling Jaya Utara parliamentary seat), Elizabeth Wong (PKR, Bukit Lanjan state seat) and Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (PKR, Seri Setia state seat).

Civil society activists who succeeded were Charles Santiago (DAP, water-privatisation issues), Edward Lee (DAP, local community), Elizabeth Wong and R Sivarasa (PKR, human rights).

Biggest blows

The losses in BN component parties will result in vacancies in various ministries, forcing a cabinet reshuffle.

Ministers

- S Samy Vellu (Works Ministry)
- Shahrizat Abdul Jalil (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry)
- Zainuddin Maidin (Information Ministry)
- Abdul Aziz Shamsuddin (Rural and Territory Development Ministry)

Deputy ministers

- Chia Kwang Chye (Information Ministry)
- G Palanivel (Women, Family and Community Development)
- Tan Chai Ho (Home Ministry)
- V Veerasingam (Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs Ministry)
- S Sothinathan (Natural Resources and Environment Ministry)
- Donald Lim (Tourism Ministry)
- Fu Ah Kiow (Internal Security Ministry)
- M Kayveas (Prime Minister’s Department)

Parliamentary secretaries

- Chew Mei Fun (Women, Family and Community Development Ministry)
- P Komala Devi (Education Ministry)
- Lee Kah Choon (Health Ministry)
- Ng Lip Yong (Plantation Industries and Commodities Ministry)
- S Vigneswaran (Youth and Sports Ministry)
- Rahman Ibrahim (Home Ministry)
- Dr Mohd Ruddin Ab Ghani (Science, Technology and Innovation Ministry)
- Yew Teong Look (Federal Territories Ministry)

The full team from the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (minister, deputy minister and parliamentary secretary) all lost in the polls.

All top MIC leaders were wiped out - president, deputy presidents, two vice-presidents, women's chief and youth chief (one of the three vice-presidents, KS Nijar, did not contest).

Post-election quotes
Anwar Ibrahim, PKR de facto leader, quoted in Star today

Some mentris besar in the past spent half-a-million ringgit to renovate their offices. Such things cannot be an example in this new administration.

Nurul Izzah Anwar, Lembah Pantai MP at a press conference yesterday

(On whether she will vacate the seat to force a by-election so that her father, Anwar Ibrahim, can re-enter politics after a five-year ban): I have already started working in my constituency. The question does not arise.

PPP president M Kayveas, quoted in Star today

Prior to the elections, Barisan Nasional had kept on telling people to show their dissatisfaction through the ballot box. Now they have really shown it.

Sungai Petani losing BN candidate Zainuddin Maidin, quoted in Star today

It is not that they love PKR or PAS more that they voted against me.

The Chinese showed their resentment because of the economic backlash they often complained about. So, PAS and PKR should not be overly proud of their win (in Kedah).

The people may have to pay a price for their decision.

Lim: From ex-prisoner to Penang CM

From MalaysiaKini:

Beh Lih Yi Mar 11, 08 7:19pm

He has indeed come a long way - from the solitary existence as a political prisoner to newly-minted Penang chief minister.

DAP leader Lim Guan Eng, who was sworn in today, did not forget those lonely days when at his maiden press conference as chief minister, he urged political activists to persevere in their struggle.

Lim, 47, bagged the coveted chief minister post after the DAP-led opposition secured a more than two-thirds majority in the state at last Saturday’s general elections.

The new chief minister, who made his debut in Penang in his two-decade-long career as a politician, won the Air Putih state seat as well as the Bagan parliament seat.

This is the first time a DAP-led government will rule the state, which was under Barisan Nasional’s Gerakan since 1969.

Lim is believed to be the first former prisoner to hold such a high public office.

He was sworn in as Penang’s fourth chief minister this morning before the Penang governor Abdul Rahman Abbas at the governor’s official residence Seri Mutiara.

Also present at the ceremony were his father, Kit Siang - a party stalwart - and his wife, Betty Chew, herself a state assemblywoman for Kota Laksamana in Malacca, as well as their children and siblings.

Outgoing CM and Gerakan acting president Dr Koh Tsu Koon and wife were also present despite that his party was completely wiped out in the state, leaving it without any seat.

The DAP and PKR newly-elected representatives, including president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, were also at the ceremony but conspicuously missing were 11 elected representatives from Umno.

Both emotional and excited

At his press conference after the swearing-in ceremony today, Lim said his one-year experience behind bars over a politically-charged case has made him a much stronger person.

“When you are in jail, you lose all your humility. You have to fight everyday to stop yourself from turning into a mere digit. They want to suck you out completely but you must fight, persevere and come out stronger.

“When I was in jail, I never imagine that I will be CM one day. This is a huge transformation for me - from a jailbird to CM,” he told reporters after the one-hour press conference at the chief minister’s office in Komtar, Penang.

A jovial Lim, who is DAP secretary-general, conceded he was excited over the new post, which he described as a “rare and distinguished honour”.

“I am emotional and excited, that’s why I want to give my best shot possible. I want to bring positive changes which are permanent and have lasting effects,” he stressed.

In 1998, when he was Kota Melaka MP, Lim was imprisoned after he was convicted under the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act for alleging that former Malacca chief minister Rahim Tamby Chik of committing statutory rape.

Eleven years before that, he was held under the Internal Security Act for 18 months when the government launched a nationwide crackdown on dissents and activists, dubbed ‘Operasi Lalang’.

Lim unveiled a set of plans for the state government today, where he aimed to introduce a series of reforms ranging from doing away with the New Economic Policy in favour of a non-race-based policies to requiring government officials to publicly declare their assets.

“Today is the start of a new day. It has been raining for the last few days but when I woke up today, I saw that we have a new dawn,” he said, with his father Kit Siang sitting next to him.

Kit Siang: My birthday wish

Asked by reporters for his comment, Lim senior said the his son’s victory in this election was a birthday wish came true for him - Kit Siang celebrated his 67th birthday last month.

“This is a high point of my 42-year political career. During my birthday on Feb 20, I made a birthday wish that we can succeed in Penang and Guan Eng can succeed to become the CM to lead Penang. That birthday wish has came true,” he said to applause from party leaders present.

When asked whether he would offer any guidance to his son, the seasoned politician quipped: “Oh yes, I will tell him quietly.”

Kit Siang, who led the DAP in a failed bid to take over Penang in 1995, however politely declined to make any further comment: “It’s enough, this is the CM’s press conference, not my press conference.”

Guan Eng’s wife, Chew (right), meanwhile said she would leave it to the party to decide on her position on whether she should continue as a state assemblywoman or to assist her husband in Penang.

“He has gone through a lot, and this will make him a better CM,” Chew said when asked about her husband’s new role, adding that she would also need time to adjust to taking on her additional role as Penang CM’s wife.

Interestingly, the first bouquet sent to Lim’s office today to congratulate the DAP’s “historical win” was from the controversial RM25 billion Penang Global City Centre developer, Abad Naluri.

“So fast?” a surprised Lim said when told by a journalist on this. The new CM added that previously it had been very difficult for him to meet with the developer.

What Do You Think?

The rich UMNO talked again. Initially NEP was really good and meaningful, i believe. But throughout time, it become a tool for rich UMNO to become richer in shorter time. Do you ever think that all bumiputras who live and work in kampung know what is 30% equity all about? If a person afford to buy a bungalow house at RM1 and yet gets discount of 7%, do you think it is fair to help the rich bumiputra to get richer? This benefit should direct to the average bumiputras and all Malaysian, not the cronies UMNO-putras.

Please don't get me wrong, i don't object something policies that can help all Malaysians instead of only a particular race.

Time to think as Malaysian!

News from NST:

In an immeidate reaction, Penang Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim warned that if the new state government goes ahead with its plan to do away with the NEP's practices, it will anger Malays in the state.

"It will also result in unrest because they will face all sorts of hardship," he said.

Despite 50 years of Independence, Azhar said the Bumiputera's equity was still lacking by 18.7 per cent. The group has yet to achieve the 30 per cent target.

Penang: 2 Deputy CM

It is another historical moment for our indian brother who will takes the Deputy CM2 in Penang besides our Malay brother that will takes Deputy CM1.

It is indeed an honour to the Indian brother.

Keep on working for better Penang. Let's start from Penang!


News from TheStar:

PENANG: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has announced the appointment of two Deputy Chief Ministers for the state.

They are the Prai assemblyman from DAP, Prof. P. Ramasamy, and Penanti assemblyman from PKR, Mohammad Fairus Khairuddin.

Lim has not yet named the Speaker and Deputy Speaker of the state assembly, but said the two posts would be filled by representatives from PKR.

The Rocket Man

This rocket stand high and ready to shoot in Tanjong and i asked my friend to shoot the photo with my crutch and knee brace. You can see the YB Chow (Tanjong) and YB Lau Keng Ee (Pengkalan Kota) posters stick to the rocket.

Guan Eng the 4th CM of Penang

Air Putih state assemblyperson and DAP secretary general Lim Guan Eng was just sworn as Penang’s fourth chief minister. DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng took his oath of office as Penang chief minister at “Seri Mutiara”, the official residence of the Yang Dipertua Negeri, Tun Abdul Rahman Abbas.

Photo taken from TheStar
And the 1st thing he contribute to Penangite is to waive all summonses in MPPP & MPSP.

News from TheStar:

PENANG: Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng said Tuesday that the Penang Municipal Council and Seberang Perai Municipal Council will waive all summonses involving hawker licences and parking offences issued before March 11.

Lim made the announcement just hours after being sworn in as Chief Minister.

The government could not estimate how much this involved, but Lim said that the waiver would not affect the councils' operations as it was monies not collected yet.

He said that the new state government will also review the policy of political appointments in the councils, and would look towards restoring local government elections.

Lim also promised that open tenders will be held for all state government procurement and contracts.