DAP submits to Malay supremacy. Or is NST printing bullshit again?

So which is it? Is NST misquoting the Perak MB in order to provoke the non-Malays or is The Star doing the same (albeit in the opposite direction) to provoke the Malays?

Whichever it is, DAP or Mohd Nizar should sue the NST or The Star. One of them shouldn't be allowed to get away with what looks (to a layman like me) to be outright lying with seditious intent.

As quoted by NST:

IPOH: Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin has assured the Malay-Muslims in Perak that the tripartite government of Pas, Keadilan and DAP will respect and protect the community's fundamental beliefs pertaining to Islam, Malay supremacy and the monarchy.

"The DAP representatives respect and accept the Malay supremacy, the institution of royalty and the status of Islam which are provided for in the constitution of the state.

"The establishment of the new state government shows that the 18 DAP state assemblymen have agreed to accept these beliefs," he said, adding that otherwise there would not have been a government of Pas, Keadilan and DAP.

As quoted by The Star:

Meanwhile, Mohammad Nizar clarified that the 18 DAP assemblymen, in accepting him as a Malay mentri besar, did not mean that the party had acceded to Malay supremacy.

“No, I think that the assemblymen were accepting what has been provided for in the state constitution, and are abiding by it,” he said.

Bernama left out any reference to this juicy soundbite entirely when reporting on the same news, here and here.

Racism is constitutional in this country

Here's some 20th century institutionalised racism for you.

Is there another modern democratic country on this earth (since the demise of Nazi Germany and Apartheid) which constitution specifies the race and religion of its elected leaders?

How can Malaysia be classified as a democracy when the laws itself specify that some citizens enjoy more 'democratic' rights than other citizens?

What's the use of holding elections when there is the possibility (how remote that possibility is, is beside the point. Laws operate in a universe of absolutes)... a possibility that the person elected will be prevented by law from taking up his/her elected office?

Is this any less outrageous and despicable than if women were legally and constitutionally barred from holding some positions or engaging in some professions simply because of their gender? Or if midgets, fat people and bald people were barred because of their lack of height, excess of weight or absence of hair?

Anyway, here's the reason for my rant.., coming to light now in the aftermath of the Perak MB farce.

According to a Abdul Aziz Bari, reportedly a lecturer specialising in constitutional law at the International Islamic University, the state constitutions prescribe that only Malay Muslims can be appointed Menteri Besar and State Secretary in Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan and Johor.

Being that, the sultan of each state however, has the authority to dispense with this requirement at his discretion.

This Malay-Muslim requirement does not apply to states without sultans ie. states with Ketua Menteri like Penang, Malacca, Sabah and Sarawak. And it does not apply to Federal appointments like the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary to the government.

... di Perlis, Kedah, Kelantan, Terengganu, Pahang, Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan dan Johor hanya orang Melayu dan Islam sahaja yang boleh dilantik untuk menduduki kerusi Menteri Besar dan Setiausaha Kerajaan Negeri.

Perlembagaan memperuntukkan syarat ini, kata Dr. Abdul Aziz lagi, untuk meneruskan kedudukan dalam negeri-negeri Melayu sebelum merdeka dan ini diteruskan selepas merdeka dan dilindungi oleh Perlembagaan Persekutuan sebagaimana yang tertera di dalam Perkara 8(5)(e). - Harakah in Malaysia-Today

And don't just assume that the office of the state palace will 'do the right thing' and make a colour-blind judgement either. However high the stature of one's birth, we're all only human at the end of the day. And to err and prejudice is indeed human.

Take this for instance... mosque openings! That's reportedly why the Selangor palace finds a Chinese Deputy MB to be contentious. A Muslim is needed just in case the MB is busy and his Deputy needs to cut the ribbon. Sheeeesh!...

In Selangor, Menteri Besar-designate Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim from PKR is expected to appoint a Chinese deputy from the DAP as part of a coalition agreement. But this plan has come under a cloud because the palace indicated some unhappiness with the arrangement.

Datuk Mohamad Munir Bani, private secretary to the Sultan of Selangor, has said the deputy should also be a Malay.

'He (the deputy) is normally a Malay because he is supposed to help the menteri besar, such as in the opening of new mosques. If the deputy is not a Malay, that can be a problem,' he said in response to a question at a news conference. - The Straits Times on Malaysia-Today

DAP to boycott MB swear-in. What the fuck for?

I would have respected DAP more if they had stood firm and insisted that one from their 18 state assemblymen be made MB or if they had just outright supported a Malay-Muslim from PKR or PAS. At least either of the two would be a clear, unequivocal stand of their position, whatever the outcome or consequences.

However DAP dillied and dallied. They didn't want to appear uncompromising to Malays (who were insisting on a Malay-Muslim MB), but they also didn't want to appear compliant (like MCA) in the eyes of the Chinese - who rather get their nipples frozen off than get a religious fanatic from PAS for a MB.

So, DAP gambled... agreeing to a ridiculous stalemate of one MB candidate each from DAP/PKR/PAS and letting HRH the sultan decide. Obviously they banked on HRH doing their dirty work for them. Well the gamble didn't pay off, and a man from PAS will become MB despite the party holding only 6 lousy seats in the state assembly.

Now that the decision in favour of PAS has been made, DAP has lost the Chinese audience. That goes without saying. But they still have a chance of salvaging some benefit from all this by endearing themselves somewhat to the Malays, by magnanimously accepting and maybe even embracing the appointment.

But what does LKS do? He spits the dummy and throws a tantrum after the fact, when nasi sudah menjadi bubur. All I can say is... "WHAT THE FUCK FOR?"

By boycotting the swearing-in, DAP loses both ways. Firstly, it's too little too late to regain the confidence and trust of the Chinese. And secondly, it reinforces the perception of Malays that DAP is still Chinese chauvinist. On top of that, you're dissing the sultan and raja muda.

Also, it makes DAP look really childish and petty. You gambled... you lost. Just suck it in and take one on the chin, dammit.

But having said that... I will say this to PAS MB-elect, Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin. If you even breathe the words 'NEP, haram, tutup aurat' when it comes to state policy or take any steps to make my pork noodles, Toto and Guinness Stout less accessible than usual, you'll be bitch slapped so fast that your head will spin. Shit like that is okay in 95% Muslim Kelantan, but not in 47% non-Muslim Perak.

PAS pips DAP & PKR for Perak MB

Hot off the press from Malaysiakini.

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 mentri besar (1) while an Indian candidate would be made deputy mentri besar (2).

The new mentri besar will be sworn in at 4pm tomorrow.

RPK points Opposition way forward, pledges to remain independent

RPK of Malaysia-Today has a cracker of a post-election article. And I reckon he brings up some good points to ground the new Opposition govts (lest they develop a big head) and recommends a few core initiatives. I particularly like his idea of an independent Ombudsman overseeing the performance of the 5 state govts, with the power to punish and remove even Menteri Besars. Nothing like a perennially convened Impeachment Committee at large to keep the state leaders on their toes.

A quick bullet point list of RPK's recommended initiatives below, and the text of his article below that:

• Ombudsman
• Meritocracy without marginalisation
  
• Develop and run states with no money
• Review ongoing projects
• Purge local councils

The aftermath of the 'bloodbath'
Monday, 10 March 2008
Raja Petra Kamarudin

Since yesterday I have been receiving a lot of phone calls from people who keep asking me what position I am going to hold in the government. I also have tons of e-mails in my in-box which I have either not read yet or have not replied to thus far. Firstly, can you please stop phoning so that I can get down to writing my article (anyway, I have switched off my phone so that I can complete this article). We can 'chat' about what the opposition needs to do later plus I will reply to all your e-mails once the dust settles.

Now, with regards to my 'position' in the government. No, no and no! I do not wish to hold any position in the government. I know some of you have threatened to 'protest' in front of the party headquarters if I am not offered at least a Senator's post. Hey, I do not want to be a Senator or Wakil Rakyat or anything at all for that matter. I just want to continue being plain Raja Petra Kamarudin, Editor and Webmaster of Malaysia Today -- so please drop all this talk of me 'holding a position in the government'.

Secondly, Malaysia Today is going to continue playing the role of watchdog and the conscience of the nation. We must continue to be the eyes, ears and voice of the rakyat and this must be done with me outside the government. Malaysia Today, which is already a nightmare for the ruling party, is going to now also be the nightmare of the five opposition-led state governments. And we are going to monitor these five states even closer than we watch the federal government.

Now, with regards to the talk floating around that Tok Guru Haji Abdul Hadi Awang has announced that Kedah is going to introduce Hudud laws; this is not true. Tok Guru confirmed he never made such an announcement. The trouble is, many of you wear these 'boycott the mainstream media' T-shirts yet you still read and believe what the mainstream media spins. Would you become terrible offended if I shout 'Bodoh punya orang!'? I really don't know what else to shout under these circumstances.

Let me repeat what I have said many, many times in the past. PAS does not have 150 seats in Parliament. In fact, PAS, DAP and PKR combined do not have 150 seats in Parliament. Read my lips. “PAS NEEDS 150 SEATS IN PARLIAMENT TO CHANGE THE LAWS OF THIS COUNTRY OR OF THE STATES!”

Anyway, 150 seats or no 150 seats, PAS does not intend to introduce Islamic laws, PERIOD.

Okay, can we now get down to some serious work? Our first task in hand is to set up an Ombudsman committee that will monitor all the five state governments of Kelantan, Kedah, Penang, Perak and Selangor. A man such as Tun Salleh Abas or anyone of his calibre must head the Ombudsman committee which will comprise of men and women of standing and with squeaky-clean reputations. They must be people like Gandhi and Mother Theresa both rolled into one. Yes, Malaysia does have plenty of such people.

The Ombudsman must be above the Chief Minister and Menteri Besar. It must have the power and authority to summon even the highest man in the state to come before the committee for questioning on anything at all that may be perceived as wrongdoing, transgressions, deviations, etc. And the Ombudsman must have the power and authority to recommend the removal of any public servant or politician who may have committed a breach of discipline, even if he is the Chief Minister/Menteri Besar.

This Ombudsman shall be responsible to the rakyat. The meetings and official inquiries it conducts must not be behind closed doors but shall be open inquiries where members of the public who may be interested in the goings-on can attend and witness the proceedings. Everything must be transparent and open to public scrutiny. There shall be no secrets. Public servants and elected officials work for the rakyat. The rakyat are the boss. So the 'boss' must be allowed to witness any public inquiry and proceedings convened to look into the conduct of their 'employees'. There must be no compromise on this issue.

The government must not be race-based, and certainly not religion-based. People chosen to head the agencies in any of the five states must be based on capabilities and not because that person is Malay, Chinese or Indian. Granted, the Federal Constitution of Malaysia may state who can be Menteri Besar while the election promise was, if the opposition wins Penang, then a Chinese shall be the Chief Minister. But that must be as far as race considerations prevail. For thereon no positions should be filled because we want more Malays or more Chinese or more Indians in the government.

If qualifications and capabilities become the criteria, then Malays, Chinese and Indians would automatically be represented at all levels of government. Just give him or her the job because he or her is the best person for the job and the racial balance would automatically happen. You do not even need to try too hard.

All ongoing projects must be reviewed. Those that have not taken off yet and which are clearly white elephants, projek mewah, above the recommended cost, etc., should be aborted. Of course, those that have contractual obligations will have to go on lest the state becomes embroiled in legal tangles. But they must be aborted not for the sake of aborting them or because they have been awarded to cronies of 'the other side'. This would smack of political persecution and witch-hunting, something the opposition has accused the government of perpetuating and something we should not do as well.

Take note that the federal government will certainly squeeze the states of funds so money will be very tight. The states will have to engage a high-powered team of financial consultants to advice them on how to run a state government and still develop the state with no money. Kelantan has done it for 18 years. They inherited a colossal amount of debt when they took over Kelantan in 1990 and yet still managed to pay off all the debts plus carry the cost of running the state in spite of no money.

The local councils are more corrupted than the infamous Royal Malaysian Police. This needs to be immediately addressed and many heads should be on the chopping block. The state governments must be ruthless with no quarters asked nor any given. Let there be a 'bloodbath' if necessary. And send the files of all these crooks to the Anti-Corruption Agency and demand that they be hung from the highest tree. The rakyat will gladly pay for the cost of the tree.

The Malays should stop talking about 'percentage of Malay representation', as should the Chinese and Indians as well. We certainly want a meritocracy rather than a race-quota-based system. Nevertheless, no race or community must be left out of the government. So a delicate balancing act between meritocracy, yet taking into consideration racial representation, has to be the game plan here.

Remember, the opposition won these five states plus denied Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in Parliament through promises and rhetoric. The consideration of the voters the next election will no longer be based on promises and rhetoric but on performance and delivery. Many promises were made this election. Now is the time to deliver them. Then, come the next election, the voters will either continue electing this same government into office or opt to change back to Barisan Nasional depending on how well or how bad the five state governments have performed.

If you think that winning these five states and denying Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in Parliament was difficult, then you do not know what difficult is. Winning five states and denying Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in Parliament was the easy part. The difficult part is going to be in maintaining the confidence and support of the voters. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi won 92% of the seats in 2004 based on promises and four years later got massacred when he did not deliver. The same thing can and will happen to the opposition as well come the 13th General Election if it does not perform and/or deliver its election promise.

Malaysia Today is watching. And we shall whack the daylights out of anyone and everyone who misbehaves or forgets his or her promise. The opposition won the five states and 82 seats in Parliament with the support of Malays, Chinese and Indians. It needed all the races to cross the finishing line. Just two races would not have achieved that. One race would have been even more impossible.

So remember who put you where you are today. Remember who gave you your job. The rakyat can hire and the rakyat can fire. We, the rakyat, made you and we, the rakyat, can break you. Just remember that and with God as our witness we shall not fail to do that if you fail to do what you promised to do.

Sg's Today newspaper on the 2008 Gen. Election

The following frontpage and articles are from Singapore's free Today newspaper. They carry more bite and less BN-positive spin doctoring compared to the sore-loser drivel from our local papers.

Three Menteris Besar From PAS, One Each From DAP And PKR

UPDATE 3: Another one about the Perak MB from Malaysiakini. Looks like they laid the difficult decision on the Perak Regent's lap. But I can think of no better person to make such a momentous decision than HRH Raja Nazrin 'a place under the Malaysian sun for all' Shah.

Whoever the MB of the Perak coalition govt is, I hope he will make frequent use of Raja Nazrin's counsel.

PKR offers itself for Perak MB post
Mar 10, 08 5:25pm

Representatives of DAP, PKR and PAS today sought an audience with the Regent of Perak to inform him that the coalition was ready to form a state government in Perak.

Malaysiakini learnt that a list containing three potential Menteri Besar candidates - one each from the parties - were submitted to the Regent to be extended to the Sultan, who is presently away.

It is also learnt that in an agreement between the opposition parties, DAP has agreed to give PKR the menteri besar post, and in return DAP would have seven representatives in the state exco. PAS and PKR will have two each, including the menteri besar.

Constitutional requirement

The state constitution however has a requirement that the Menteri Besar post be only given to a Malay Muslim, effectively making DAP's non-eligible for the post. However, there is a provision in the state constitution that allows the Perak Sultan to waive this requirement at his discretion.

At a press conference later Ahmad told reporters that party grassroots have been instructed not to deem the new state government a "PAS government" should the Menteri Besar post be given to a PAS assemblyperson.

"The Menteri Besar doesn't represent the party. He is a Menteri Besar of the coalition government," said Ahmad, who is also one of the four PAS vice-presidents.

Asked if the large non-Muslim population in Perak would react negatively should a PAS member be made Menteri Besar, Ahmad said that the public should not worry unnecessarily. "Don't worry. All decisions would be made collectively. We cannot make decisions unilaterally," he said.

Meanwhile, another PAS vice-president Husam Musa stressed that even if the Sultan chooses a Menteri Besar from PAS, there would not be drastic social changes that would affect non-Muslims. "It is more important that the new state government is run prudently and cleanly," said Husam, who is in Perak to pay a courtesy call to the new state government.

Husam said that the party would back the Sultan's decision on the choice of Menteri Besar even if the candidates were from DAP or PKR.

UPDATE 2: More reports of the horse trading going on for the Perak MB from Malaysiakini:

PKR offers itself for Perak MB post
Chan Kok Leong | Mar 10, 08 11:32am

While the leading opposition party in Perak, DAP met to discuss who they would support for the state's Menteri Besar position, PKR held theirs in Segambut, Kuala Lumpur. Although, it was not known what was discussed in the closed door meeting, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim told the media that there was a likelihood that the next Perak MB will be from PKR.

On the suggestion that DAP might have a problem with nominating one of their own as the next MB as there is a state criteria of having a Muslim as the head of state, Anwar gave a mixed answer.

"No the DAP is not troubled by the Muslim criteria. I've spoken to YB Lim Kit Siang, other DAP leaders and have been in communication with PAS leaders.

"DAP has the most number of seats in Perak but they think that for the smooth transition, we are considering having a Malay MB with a Chinese and Indian participation."

Asked if a PKR representative would be picked instead, he said, "There is a likelihood and we will discuss this further”.

In the fight for the Perak state assembly, DAP won all 18 of the seats in contested. PKR won seven and PAS took six, to make it 31 seats in total out of the 59 state seats available, winning with a simple majority to rule the state. BN won the remaining 28 seats.

It is also learnt that in an agreement between the opposition parties, DAP has agreed to give PKR the menteri besar post, and in return DAP would have seven representatives in the state exco. PAS and PKR will have two each, including the menteri besar.

UPDATE 1: From Malaysiakini:

Pesuruhjaya PAS Ahmad Awang memberitahu Malaysiakini petang ini, keputusan melantik Mohamad Nizar belum muktamad dan dijangka dapat dipastikan petang esok.

Katanya, calon menteri besar [Perak] itu mestilah seorang berbangsa Melayu dan boleh dipilih daripada sembilan wakil rakyat PAS dan PKR.

This changes the complexion of things considerably and I reserve the option to change (possibly drastically) my opinion of Mohd Nizar's appointment in my original post below. This ethnic primacy garbage was not what I and thousands upon thousands of Perak folk voted for. In fact this bigoted stupidity is exactly what we voted against. I don't mind a Malay from PAS becoming Perak MB, but not if the only reason is that he must be Malay!

I'll wait and see how this plays out. But I'd be very, very interested to hear the Opposition Coalition's reasoning why the MB must be a Malay. If I don't like what I hear, forgive me in advance if I use some fucking colourful language to describe some of the folks involved.

ORIGINAL POST: Hmmmm... the surprise is Perak where PAS has been given the Menteri Besar-ship. Personally I don't mind. Religious zealots though they are, (note that I used the term 'zealots' rather than 'bigots'... signifying zeal rather than bigotry), there is no denying that the PAS leadership has demonstrated hereunto, unparalled resistance to corruption and injustice.

I'm willing to give him a chance, and I hope all my fellow natives of Perak do the same. I think his performance might surprise all of us. Besides, DAP and PKR hold 25 seats in the state assembly compared to PAS' 6. He's not going to be passing Hudud laws through the halls of the state assembly or banning gambling and liquor anytime soon. This might turn out to be a masterful DAP move to change its reputation to the Malay masses as an uncompromising Chinese chauvinist party.

Here's the full story from Bernama below. Funny thing is that this story is not carried on Malaysiakini or NST, and though The Star has a report on Perak, it refuses to confirm the identity of the Perak MB.

Three Menteris Besar From PAS, One Each From DAP And PKR

KUALA LUMPUR, March 9 (Bernama) -- After leading the Kelantan state government for 18 years, PAS will have another two Menteris Besar from its ranks while DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) will have one each after the opposition's unpredecented sweep of five states in the general election.

The loose opposition front won Penang, Kedah, Perak and Selangor and retained Kelantan in the polls yesterday where the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) returned to power without its two-thirds majority.

Kedah PAS Commissioner, Azizan Abdul Razak,S 64, is expected to be sworn in as the state Menteri Besar today while the 77-year-old Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, PAS Spritual Leader, is almost certain to helm the Kelantan government.

PAS won an unexpected 16 seats in the polls, PKR four while DAP and an independent candidate one each. The ousted BN won 14.

In a surprise move, PAS, DAP and PKR took the first step towards forming a coalition government in Perak by nominating Perak PAS Liaison Secretary Ir Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin who won the Pasir Panjang state seat, as Menteri Besar.

This is despite the DAP holding the biggest share of seats won in the silver state. It won 18 state seats, against six for PAS and PKR'seven.

In Penang, Chief Minister designate, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng is going to achieve something his father Lim Kit Siang had only dreamt, fought and failed to accomplish with his few "Tanjong" projects to wrest the island state.

Guan Eng led the party to a stunning victory in the state, winning 19 state seats, which together with PKR's nine and PAS' one were more than enough to oust BN.

Former Permodalan Nasional Berhad's chief executive officer, Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim has emerged the front runner to be the new Menteri Besar of Selangor after the opposition party won 36 of the 56 seats at stake.

The PKR secretary-general won the Bandar Tun Razak parliamentary constituency and the Ijok state seat, which he had lost during a by-election last year.

PKR has called for a press conference later today to announce the formation of the state government and the new Menteri Besar to replace Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo.

-- BERNAMA

Has the Opposition bitten off more than it can chew? 5 state govts?

I was glued to the Malaysiakini websites (all 6 mirrors) until 4am this morning, refreshing the pages every 30 seconds to keep up with the results. Great initiative with the websites and blow by blow reporting, Steve. Even Channel News Asia was pulling the reports off the sites for their 'live' coverage.

But now... after the initial euphoria has been dulled by 6 hours of sleep... I'm like... OK, we've denied BN the 2/3 majority. But we've also won 5 states (including 3 out of the 4 largest, most complex and most developed). Have we bitten off more than we can chew?

I mean, railing against the government in Parliament and State Assembly is one thing. But to actually govern and become CEO of the state bureaucracy and machinery? And when the alliance between DAP, PKR and PAS is as loose as a pair of overwashed, overstretched panties?

I think from today onwards, the Opposition needs to show that it's truly a govt for all Malaysians. Their performance and policies in the 5 states, especially Penang, Selangor and Perak where there is a real mix of ethnicities, will be the true litmus test of whether the Opposition can be a viable Federal Govt one day.

Fail the state level test, and you can be sure the Opposition will be decimated in the next election. Pak Lah was sent to the firing squad yesterday for giving such great hope to the Malaysian public in 2004 and then failing them miserably thereafter.

Now PKR, DAP and PAS bear the burden of equal or even possibly greater hope and trust of the people. We have given them an unprecedented opportunity to walk the talk in 5 states. Fail us come the next election, and we will personally see to it that you are permanently buried in the cold depths beneath the Penang bridge and the murky bottoms of disused mining pools in Perak and Selangor. Such opportunities are not wont to repeat themselves.

I reckon the way forward now is to quickly decide on the Chief Ministers for each state. For Kelantan, it is clear. Kedah, less so because of the UMNO turncoats who delivered the state to PAS. Penang is also very clear.

Selangor and Perak will be most problematic. Although Perak has a clear DAP majority amongst the Opposition, Perak DAP has no strong, charismatic state leaders. In fact some of them were painted in pretty negative light over the Fong Po Kuan (Batu Gajah) resignation debacle.

In Selangor, there is a tricky balance of equals in terms of Opposition seats between DAP, PKR and PAS. Although PAS is clearly the junior partner, it is the king-maker if it lends it support to either DAP or PKR for chief minister.

So here's my take, if I were Anwar/Lim Kit Siang/Hadi Awang rolled into one.

Kedah - PAS MB
K'tan - incumbent PAS MB
Penang - DAP Lim Guan Eng as MB
Selangor - PKR Khalid as MB, to get the endorsement of PAS and Malay voters
Perak - having given S'gor to PKR, DAP for MB but install an Indian MB. Make Ipoh Barat MP Kulasegaran a state appointee if need be, for instance, if the Indian state assemblymen are not up to the job. This will bring the average Joe Indian into the Opposition fold for keeps, while avoiding the sting of 2 Chinese MBs in the minds of Malays but remaining an acceptable compromise to the Chinese.

Then it's the crucial matter of bringing Anwar into Parliament asap. PKR has the most seats in the Opposition, so it is only right that he becomes Federal Opposition leader. In addition, he is the only one with any CEO Malaysia Inc experience to steer the bureaucratic ship if the Opposition is to have a viable shadow cabinet. He'll also have the crucial task of keeping the Malay public invested in this new Malaysia, while being acceptable to the non-Malays at the same time. Last but not least, he has the unenviable task of bringing PAS and DAP together on a bread and butter, policy making level. In this respect, he is integral.

Good Morninnnng, Malaysia! Fajar baru menyinsing.

You did it! You did the right thing. You REALLLLLLY did the right thing. The Opposition has taken 82 seats in the parliament (well over 1/3) and wrested the state assemblies in 5 major states. Kelantan and Kedah to PAS, Selangor to PKR, Penang and Perak to DAP.

As at 9.15am, the SPR has these official results available, reproduced below. There's still 3 parliament and 2 state assembly seats undecided, but those are the pendalaman seats in Sabah and Sarawak and will in no way change the momentous result of the election.

Regardless, the unofficial has become official. The Opposition has become the govt in 5 states (Kelantan, Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Perak). Goliath has been slain and the turkey has risen from the ashes to become a pheonix.

And it seems to me that MCA, MIC and Gerakan have completely lost their relevance. MCA has less than half the federal and state seats compared to 2004.

MIC now has less than 1/3 compared to 2004. And they've lost virtually all their top leaders from President to Youth Chiefs.

Gerakan has been all but completely demolished. It only has, get this... 10% of the seats it held from 2004... and no President.

I think it's time they consider joining the Opposition.

20082004Source: The Star Online.

Source: Sun2Surf

Again, good morning Malaysia. A new Malaysia.

Stay Calm. Stay Cool. Stay Home. No victory celebrations!

With the tremendous 'unofficial' results of the Opposition fast becoming official, it's imperative that we learn from the past (you know what I'm talking about...). The incoming MP for Jelutong has some damned good advice on this. From Screenshots:

Makkal sakti! It's a TSUNAMI result for Penang.

Stay calm. No victory parade. Don't give any party the reason to declare an emergency.

Stay calm. Stay cool. Stay home.