Nazri: Bantuan segera ketika p'raya bukan rasuah

Pemberian bantuan segera kepada rakyat ketika kempen pilihan raya tidak boleh ditakrif sebagai rasuah, kata Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz.

Beliau berkata ini kerana pelbagai bantuan yang disampaikan kepada rakyat menjelang pilihan raya adalah sebagai memenuhi manifesto atau janji yang dibuat kerajaan jika menang pilihan raya.

"Kita dah berjanji kalau menang kita akan tunaikan (manifesto)...sebagai contoh bantuan mesin jahit, kalau kita tak bagi masa nak pilihan raya boleh segera bagi selepas pilihan raya, sama sahaja, adakah ini satu kesalahan?

"Kita juga tak boleh nak hentikan pemberian ini sebab kita akan bagi juga selepas itu (pilihan raya)," katanya ketika menjawab pertanyaan Ab Azizi Ab Kadir (PKR-Ketereh) pada persidangan Dewan Rakyat, hari ini.

Ab Aziz dalam soalannya ingin tahu sama ada pemberian bantuan segera ketika pilihan raya atau pilihan raya kecil merupakan satu bentuk rasuah dan adakah kerajaan bercadang menghentikan bantuan seumpamanya ketika kempen pilihan raya.

Menjawab soalan Ab Aziz mengenai jumlah aduan rasuah yang diterima Suruhanjaya Pencegah Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) ketika pilihan raya kecil bagi tempoh 2008 hingga 2010, Mohamed Nazri berkata sebanyak enam kes diterima dan disiasat dalam tempoh itu.

RM11j kos 16 p'raya kecil

Foto : Dun Pandungan - Siri Lawatan Anwar 29-3-2011

Rundingan PKR-SNAP di ambang kegagalan?

Rundingan untuk mewujudkan pakatan pembangkang untuk menghadapi pilihan raya negeri Sarawak tampaknya kini di ambang kegagalan dengan Parti Nasional Sarawak (SNAP) menyuarakan kekecewaannya terhadap tawaran empat kerusi yang dibuat oleh PKR.

SNAP sebaliknya, mahu diperuntukkan paling kurang 27 kerusi.

Parti itu memang menyokong penubuhan pakatan pembangkang
menjelang pilihan raya negeri Sarawak, kata pengarah operasi SNAP, Paul Kadang.

Bagaimanapun, tambahnya, kemungkinan mewujudkan pakatan tersebut nampaknya semakin merosot.

Dalam satu kenyataannya, Kadang menyalah PKR atas kegagalan mencapai persetujuan berhubung peruntukan kerusi, termasuk membabitkan tuntutan kerusi bertindih.

"SNAP enggan dipinggirkan dan bagi mempertegaskan keseriusan dan kemampuannya, ia telah mengisytiharkan secara terbuka 16 calonnya di 16 kawasan," katanya.

PKR juga perlukan kerusi majoriti Cina'

Walaupun PKR, DAP dan PAS telah dimuktamadkan pembahagian kerusi menjelang pilihan raya negeri Sawarak, namun PKR masih berharap dapat bertukar kerusi pada saat akhir dengan DAP.

PKR mahu bertanding satu kerusi di tiga bandar terbesar di Sarawak - Kuching, Sibu dan Miri.

Masyarakat Cina merupakan pengundi majoriti di kerusi dalam kawasan bandar, dan kerana itu, DAP mahu bertanding di sebahagian kerusi terbabit.

DAP hanya bersetuju PKR bertanding kerusi Senadin di Miri and Padungan di Kuching. PKR mahukan kerusi Dudong di Sibu, tetapi DAP enggan memberi laluan.

Hanya parti bertanding boleh pasang poster

Hanya calon parti yang bertanding pada pilihan raya Sarawak 16 April ini sahaja yang dibenarkan memasang logo, bendera serta sepanduk di kawasan yang ditandingi mereka, demikian ditegaskan Suruhanjaya Pilihan Raya.

Timbalan Pengerusi SPR Datuk Wan Ahmad Wan Omar berkata parti yang tidak bertanding tidak boleh mengambil kesempatan memasang logo dan bendera parti mereka bersama-sama parti bertanding.

"Hanya calon parti yang bertanding membayar deposit bagi pemasangan poster, banner (sepanduk) dan bendera. Oleh itu, parti lain tidak boleh sewenang wenangnya tumpang pasang bahan kempen," katanya kepada pemberita selepas menghadiri taklimat pasukan Penguatkuasa Kempen Pilihan Raya Zon Sibu di Sibu.

Sarawak election campaign: Here's how it should be done

Look, no splashing of money during election campaigns.
Now, why can’t the Malaysian Election Commission ensure the Sarawak campaign will be like this?
This is from the Times of India:

Chief Electoral Officer bans fund allocation from MLAs, MPs
PTI, Mar 5, 2011, 08.38pm IST
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the code of conduct coming into force in Kerala following announcement of the assembly polls on April 13, the Chief Electoral Officer has banned allocation of funds for developmental work from MPs and MLAs.
Work on projects for which funds had been already sanctioned but are yet to begin should not be started, an official release by the Chief Electoral Officer said.
However, it said work on projects that have already started could continue.
The parties in power, both in state and Centre, should take care that there should not be any complaint about them misusing their official positions, the release said.
The Chief Electoral Officer also issued guidelines to be followed by the political parties while engaging in the election campaign.

Mafrel : Jangan Halalkan "Rasuah" Pada Pilihanraya

SHAH ALAM 29 MAC : Pemberian projek yang lazimnya disebut mi segera semasa pilihanraya kecil menyalahi undang-undang dan tidak boleh dihalalkan atas alasan membela rakyat, kata Presiden Pemantau Pilihan Raya Bersih dan Adil (Mafrel), Syed Ibrahim Syed Noh.

Beliau berkata pemberian projek, majlis makanan dan lain-lain semata-mata waktu kempen pilihan raya yang bertujuan mendapatkan undi rakyat harus ditolak sebagai rasuah.

"Di mana dan apakah bantuan itu diberi dalam tempoh kempen?  Dalam keadaan kapasiti apa, bentuk bantuan yang bagaimana dan apakah ucapan dan kenyataan-kenyataan dibuat ketika (imbuhan) diberi harus diambilkira." kata beliau.   

"Kalau semuanya menunjukkan bahawa adanya unsur kempen dan menggunakan kapasiti pegawai kerajaan dan menteri,  maka ia boleh dianggap sebagai satu kesalahan mengikut akta kesalahan pilihanraya."

BM bibles: Christian group demands apology

The warning to the government is clear: If our demands are ignored, it could have serious repercussion in the next general election.
The Coalition of Malaysian Christians (COMC) today urged the government to apologise to the Christians in the country over the recent episode of impounding and stamping of 35,100 Bahasa Malaysia bibles.

The coalition said the government’s action was a gross travesty of religious freedom as enshrined in the federal constitution.
Apart from the apology, COMC urged the government to return the Malays bibles known as Alkitab to the publisher and replace them with new Alkitab.
The coalition also wanted assurances that:

• no Malay bibles are destroyed or further defaced;

• the government bears all costs and gives written assurance that such desecration will never happen again;

• the home ministry will not act on its own without due consultation with the relevant Christian representative organizations;

• due respect is given to the Alkitab by consulting the relevant Christian representative organizations before any external text is inserted in the bible; and

• 30,000 Malay bibles worth RM78,000 imported by the Sarawak branch of global Christian group, The Gideons, be unconditionally released from Kuching port.

COMC spokesman Ronnie Klassen outlined these demands after lodging a police report against the government at the Petaling Jaya Section 8 police station today.

A united Sarawak Pakatan still possible

Joseph Tawie
Despite an angry rebuke from DAP yesterday following a failed negotiation with deputy PKR president Azmin Ali, lawyer Baru Bian is confident that all will be well.

Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian has denied that negotiations over overlapping seats with DAP had collapsed.
Voicing his “one hundred percent confidence”, he said negotiation between PKR and DAP would be resolved amicably.
“It will be resolved in two or three days. In fact, PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim will arrive on March 29 to announce our list of candidates,” Bian told reporters here.
Bian was clarifying reports that negotiation between PKR and DAP had broken down.
“I am very optimistic that it will be resolved in a few days’ time. That was the assurance given to me by PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.
“Azmin informed me that negotiations are still on-going.

Rakyat hidup lebih selesa tanpa BN

KUALA LUMPUR, 29 Mac: Para pengundi Sarawak perlu bangkit menyanggah pemikiran lapuk dengan suatu persepsi baru bahawa tanpa BN rakyat akan hidup lebih selesa.
Pengarah Jabatan Pilihan raya Pemuda PAS Pusat, Mohd Firdaus Jaafar berkata, keadilan dan kesejahteraan tidak mampu lagi ditegakkan di bawah rejim BN.
“Jangan ada peluang buat BN memerintah buat sekian kalinya, kerana puluhan tahun mereka hidup mendera rakyat,” ujarnya dalam satu kenyataan.
Beliau yang juga ahli Parlimen Jerai menyeru supaya menjadikan tsunami politik tahun 2008 di Semenanjung sebagai inspirasi untuk berubah di Sarawak, kerana perubahan itulah yang akan mengubah nasib rakyat.
Katanya, rakyat di kerajaan negeri Pakatan Rakyat telah menikmatinya, kini tiba pula giliran pengundi di Sarawak.
Beliau juga memberitahu, pihaknya akan turun berkempen sempena pilihan raya negeri yang berlangsung pada 16 April ini dengan misi agar pengundi Sarawak memahami dengan lebih jelas penipuan dan penyelewangan yang dilakukan oleh Umno BN terhadap rakyat khususnya di negeri itu.

DUN Sarawak: Kerusi DAP, PAS selesai PKR, Snap masih runding

KUALA LUMPUR, 28 Mac – Perbalahan antara Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) dan Parti Kebangsaan Sarawak (Snap) berhubung pembahagian kerusi bagi pilihan raya negeri Sarawak pada 16 April ini berterusan apabila kedua-dua parti dilihat membuat tuntutan bertindih untuk 23 kerusi.

Timbalan Presiden PKR Azmin Ali berkata sebanyak empat kerusi telah diperuntukkan kepada Snap manakala PKR berhasrat bertanding di 24 kerusi lagi.
“Setakat ini sebanyak 24 kerusi sah akan ditandingi PKR, sementara Snap di empat kerusi dan senarai penuh hanya akan dimuktamadkan dalam jangka masa terdekat memandangkan perbincangan antara dua parti masih berjalan.
“Kedua-dua parti menunjukkan minat terhadap 23 kerusi, jadi kita perlu lebih memperincikan kepada calon boleh menang, penerimaan pengundi dan isu tempatan,” katanya ketika ditemui selepas mesyuarat majlis pimpinan pembangkang di bangunan Parlimen di sini hari ini.

Sarawak State Elections 2011

It's just going to cost RM52.00 per registered voter. The total registered voters is 976,796 voters including 18,363 postal voters. This is only some 40% of Sarawak's total population of 2,420,009 million Sarawakians [Est 2010 census].

Over an area (est 124,450 sq km) as big as Malaya (131,000 sq km) with transportation comparatively underdeveloped Sarawak is traversed by rivers and mountains. This alone will a great challenge for political campaigns particularly the Opposition. All contending parties will only have 10 days to do this.

Pekara ti amai, ngerindu ke ati maia bepilih Kunsil Nengeri ke-10

Ulih Stanley Bye Kadam Kiai
KUCHING – Baka ka udah dipelaba ke aku sebedau tok, kunsil nengeri Sarawak deka bepilih maia 16 ari bulan Empat, 21 ari udah bekau Kunsil Nengeri (DUN) dipadamkan ka 21 aribulan tiga arinya.
DUN dipadamkan ngam dua bulan sebedau abis kena 20 aribulan Lima, ngambi ka pengawa bepilih ulih digaga.
Ngena amai bepilih digaga maia tok tajapan pan perintah nengeri ulih megai menoa datai ba bulan Sembilan. Tok ngelai ke perintah bisi tanggungjawab serta mereti utai dikedeka rayat.
Ba sistem demokratik, perintah ti betanggungjawab deka ngaga pengawa bepilih maia ti ngena, ukainya terus bekuasa.

In Sarawak, Pakatan seat row still simmers

By Shannon Teoh

Anwar denied the West Malaysian leadership was dictating terms to its Sarawakian chiefs. — file pic

KUALA LUMPUR, March 28 — Less than 10 days before nomination for the state’s election, PKR has yet to resolve its dispute with the Sarawak National Party (SNAP) over seats in Sarawak.
Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced today that DAP would contest 15 seats in the April 16 Sarawak elections, three short of the 18 it demanded as of last Friday when its Sarawak state leadership said negotiations had broken down.
PAS will contest five seats while PKR deputy president Azmin Ali said it has 24 confirmed and SNAP, four.
But the Gombak MP said that the remaining 23 will only be finalised at the end of the month between PKR and SNAP.

Video : PRN Sarawak Anwar Sahkan Rundingan Kerusi PR Selesai

P/raya Sarawak : Anwar Sahkan Rundingan Kerusi PR Selesai

KUALA LUMPUR 28 MAC : Pakatan Rakyat berjaya menyelesaikan pengagihan kerusi untuk pilihan raya negeri Sarawak 6 April ini dengan DAP bertanding  15 kerusi, PAS, 5 kerusi manakala baki kerusi yang selebihnya tertakluk kepada rundingan antara PKR dan Parti Kebangsaan Sarawak(SNAP), kata Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Timbalan Presiden PKR,  Azmin Ali  mengesahkan PKR akan bertanding di sekurang-kurangnya 24 kerusi manakala rundingan masih berlangsung berhubung tuntutan bertindih di 23 kerusi dengan SNAP.
Anwar selaku Ketua Pembangkang menjelaskan kelewatan rundingan dengan SNAP adalah kerana parti Sarawak itu sendiri lewat membincangkan pembahagian kerusi DUN Sarawak.

Taib's subdued 30th anniversary

Sarawak Chief Minister Taib Mahmud hoped to hold on to the BN two-thirds majority in the council of states in the general election on 16 April. But as he watched 30 years as a key ministers today, his political future has never looked so uncertain.

A paper appearing in today's Asia Times:

Bellwether poll for Malaysia
With Anil net

Taib Mahmud, the main flamboyant minister of Sarawak state on Borneo Malaysia from the north, marked 30 consecutive years in power on Monday. But any celebrations were subdued by the selection of the test claim on 16 May, when close to one million eligible voters Sarawak to vote in national elections contested.

National council was dissolved on the date of 21 March. Almost as a keeper-blinds, former Malacca chief minister with ties to the powerful United Malays National Organization (UMNO), a businessman and activist rights of the Malays in Kuala Lumpur triumphantly played a "sex video" to invited journalists. Full storyhere .

Video : Stop Timber Corruption / Taib Mahmud Protest - Channel 7 News 25/3/11

Pakatan’s Sarawak seat row yet to be sorted out

Syed Jaymal Zahiid

 | March 28, 2011

The feud between PKR and SNAP over seat allocations has cast a pall of gloom over Pakatan's chances of beating BN in Sarawak.

KUALA LUMPUR: The dispute on seat allocations between Sarawak National Party (SNAP) and Pakatan Rakyat for the Sarawak polls has yet to be resolved.
However, Pakatan chief and PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim claimed that all three component parties – PKR, DAP and PAS – except SNAP have finalised negotiations on the seat allocation despite initial news of failed talks between DAP and PKR.
The result of the negotiation will see the DAP contesting 15 seats, PAS five and PKR the rest for the the 71 seats in the Sarawak State Legislative Assembly seats, Anwar said.
But later on, the opposition leader said that PKR would be contesting 24 seats while the remaining ones would be decided after negotiations with SNAP.

Taib bakal pertahan kerusi Balingian

Ketua Menteri meninjau keadaan dan persiapan PBB Balingian menjelang pilihan raya negeri.

MUKAH: Ketua Menteri Sarawak, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud memberitahu berkemungkinan beliau akan mempertahankan kerusi Balingian dalam pilihan raya negeri ke-10.
“Ya, sebab itulah saya datang ke sini hari ini,” katanya kepada pemberita ketika mengadakan lawatan singkat ke pejabat Pusat Perkhidmatan PBB N.51 Balingian.
Beliau yang ditemani isteri beliau Puan Sri Ragad Kurdi Taib berkata tujuan lawatan ialah untuk meninjau keadaan dan persiapan PBB Balingian menjelang pilihan raya negeri ini.
Ketika lawatan, Taib yang juga Presiden Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) diberi taklimat antara lain, tentang persiapan PBB