The real work has just begun

Editorial: The real work has just begun
Malaysia Votes - 12 March 2008

UNTIL January 2008, Loh Gwo Burne was an unknown in the Malaysian public space. Today, the 34-year-old, who barely speaks Bahasa Malaysia, is the newly elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Kelana Jaya who will have to brush up on his command of the national language to speak up in Parliament.

Running under the Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) banner, Loh contested against Datuk Lee Hwa Beng (Barisan Nasional), who has been the local Subang Jaya state assemblyman for three terms and, who to many local folk, has worked hard to attend to their problems (although some quarters would argue that he has failed in some areas).

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Guan Eng sworn in as Penang CM

A story of hope

A story of hope
Malaysia Votes - 12 March 2008

A wonderful story can now be told. Last Saturday (March 8), Malaysians emerged in droves to make their voices heard, to make their decisions count at the ballot box. The Barisan Nasional (BN) government was ultimately returned to power, but with a shocking failure to retain its two-thirds majority – shocking because, even though armed with an array of repressive legislation, ownership of various mainstream media outlets and finances, they still could not convince a sizeable number of Malaysians to sign the BN a blank cheque.

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Malaysia's King Lear

Malaysia's King Lear
The Economist - 12 March 2008

LIKE an emperor from a bygone age, Mahathir Mohamad, Malaysia’s former prime minister, has left a legacy you can walk through, or at least gaze at in wonder from a high-rise window: Kuala Lumpur, with its soaring Petronas Twin Towers, its sweeping expressways, state-of-the-art monorail and metro; the still emerging new cities of Putrajaya and Cyberjaya; and indeed, Malaysia itself, with its 21st-century infrastructure and rapidly growing prosperity.

Yet that is not enough for the grand old man. He also wants a political legacy. He seems to want his party, the United Malays National Organisation (UNMO), and the coalition it dominates, the Barisan Nasional (BN), which he led for 22 years, to remain in power indefinitely.

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That night in Penang...

That night in Penang...
The Malaysian Insider - 12 March 2008

It's just gone past 1am and the streets of Georgetown, Penang, are unnaturally silent. A few late-night kopitiams and mamak joints stay open but are largely devoid of the usual Saturday night clubbers that patronise the eateries at this hour.

You could, if you cared to, lie down on any one of the main thoroughfares – Jalan Burmah, Jalan Macalister, Jalan Sultan Ahmad Shah, Jalan Kelawai, even super touristy Persiaran Gurney – and not land so much as a scratch from a passing vehicle. The two-wheeled mosquitoes that plague the island state 24/7 are conspicuously absent.

Then again, this is no ordinary night.

The people are all shut away in their homes, parked in front of the TV and/ or computer screens and are following zealously the results of the 12th General Elections.

It was a scene straight out of The Twilight Zone. Alien invaders could have landed and beamed the vocal citizenry back to their mothership – except they didn’t. The only incident of note was that the Democratic Action Party and Parti Keadilan Rakyat have just made a killing at the 12th General Election and together formed a new state coalition government.

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Lest We Forget: Mahathir's Misdeeds II

More Malaysians dismiss Mahathir's call for Badawi to resign.

On Dr M calls for Pak Lah to resign vox populi - Malaysiakini 12 Mar 2008 TS Su: I totally disagree with Dr M’s call for Pak Lah to resign. The people did not vote to get rid of BN, much less Pak Lah. They want BN to stay in power and continue to rule, albeit, without a two-thirds majority. The point is to ‘teach’ BN, and in particular, Umno, a lesson. To stop them from being arrogant and corrupt. Many BN politicians are. They treated our country like their own backyard. The people can feel their corrupt practices, but few can prove. The people prefer Pak Lah to Najib any day. Pak Lah has allowed the corrupt cases such as VK Lingam tape to surface. He allowed mass rallies during the election, which we never had under Dr M’s administration. Now, this reduced majority for BN is actually a mandate for Pak Lah to eliminate corruption and arrogance among the BN leaders. He should get rid of those leaders. If he does not, the BN won’t be a ruling party anymore come next election. ***** Mr Positive: Dr M left Abdullah Ahmad Badawi a technically bankrupt country after his ‘global warming’ project in Brazil incurred the wrath and ‘financial attack’ by you-know-who in 1997/8. The resultant bad economic situation in Malaysia sprouted discontent and dissension among the populace especially the Indians and Chinese. The election results reflect the sentiments of the rakyat. Therefore, the present PM is not to be blamed. The facts point to the former ‘big mouth’ premier who brought the country to its pinnacle and downfall. Things could be a lot worse. Syabas Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for winning this election. ***** Bigben: We should be grateful to Abdullah for allowing dissenting views and allowing a free and fair election. This would not have happened with that hypocrite Mahathir. ***** Loh: I would like to say that instead of blaming Abdullah for BN's failure, Mahathir should admit that BN itself is has been a failed proposition since the very beginning and made worse during his tenure, and that the people have simply now woken up and said ‘enough is enough’. Malaysia has survived BN's rule still intact not because of the brilliance of it's leaders like Mahathir seems to believe, nor Abdullah, but because of the resilience of the rakyat who have worked hard and contributed to the nation despite BN. So perhaps instead of pointing the finger at Abdullah for destroying BN, he should take some of the credit himself. ***** Jason Khaw: PM Abdullah Badawi has contributed to the nation’s maturing process by allowing freer discussions on sensitive topics. He has allowed people to discuss and think. Only wished it had happened sooner and changes were made quicker. Now, Abdullah's government and a stronger opposition, will truly test our ability to really grow-up and I think this combination is the right one for all our people. Let's evaluate the whole process with a balanced view. Dr M's comments are unfair, as far as I am concerned. When I read it, it sounded like a description of the government he had once ruled himself. ***** A Patriot: Tun Dr Mahathir, I remember you recently said that you were confident that BN would obtain two-thirds majority. You were wrong! I think you have been wrong in the past about many things and you are still getting it wrong. I am so shocked that you still want BN and Najib around. Of course you want them around, this is part of your legacy. You are not really interested in the welfare of our country, but your own name and pride. So leave the administration of our country to the new generation. Don’t try to meddle anymore, you are a ‘has been’.You are retired so stay retired. ***** Jimmy Wong: What Mahathir is trying to do now is disturbing and is already beginning to darken the horizon of a new dawn in the political landscape following the vote for change by Malaysians. Mahathir is rallying his cronies and sycophants to blame the outcome of the election solely on Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. He is hijacking the Malaysian voice that clamoured for a change from the race-based, crony, authoritarian politics of BN that Mahathir had spawned all these years. For all Malaysians committed to not allowing this kind of politics to pollute Malaysian politics and society, let's be vigilant. The next big challenge for Malaysian netizens is to expose such vestiges of Mahathirism and expunge it from Malaysian politics, culture and society. Onward with the struggle for real change. Enough-lah, Mahathir: Can Mahathir come to terms and confess once and for all that all the corruption, lack of transparency, poor governance, unequal treatment of citizens, the manipulated judiciary, the Umno hegemony etc all started and was perpetrated by him during his reign? The only difference is that TDM is super-crafty and able to sweep issues under the carpet. And issues are not the only things he sweeps - he concocts baseless lies to put away his challengers. Tun Mahathir, stop manipulating with immediate effect. We don't need your fabrications to achieve only your manipulated ends. ***** Korrupt-ajar: Yes, yes, yes. l fully agree with Dr Mahathir that PM Abdullah should resign to take full responsibility for BN's poor polls showing. But, wait a minute, isn't this the same arrogant BN which Mahathir led and misused to systematically destroy and corrupt the various institutions of democracy? Therefore, before resigning, PM Abdullah should now do the right thing by charging Mahathir for misuse of public funds, cronyism, corruption and blatant abuse of powers. ***** Paramount Consolidated: I totally disagree with Mahathir's call for Pak Lah to step down. Mahathir's cronies are the biggest losers this time around. Mahathir has no shame. Pak Lah was God-send and did right things by going against Mahathir’s many mega projects. It is best for Pak Lah to remain than to let Najib come up what with his his unexplained lifestyle, alleged corruption in the submarine deal and others. Pak Lah is our best PM ever with his humble and liberal concepts and as such the rakyat should respect his Wisdom. ***** HL: Who is Mahathir to ask Abdullah to resign? Wasn't Mahathir the person who created the monster Malaysia Corrupted Inc.during his 22-year reign? Abdullah just so happened to be continuing his legacy. Why is he so unhappy with that? During Mahathir's 22 years of governance, there were many many occassions when many of us would have liked to stand up and heckle him loudly to resign. Abdullah gave us a voice. Gave back to us some of our freedom and dignity. My hats off to Abdullah and company. You have your place in history. Rest assured, quite different from that of Mahathir's. You can make a comeback. Do not worry. ***** E LIM: At this point, Pak Lah should be given a fair chance to lead for another term. Pak Lah should not be blamed for outcome of the results for after all he inherited a great deal of ‘challenges’ to deal with. Dr M should stop making snide remarks or degrading comments about Pak Lah if he honestly cares about our country. Unless they are sincere positive feedback for the good our Malaysia, Dr M should just focus on enjoying his retired life. So, now that the people of Malaysia have said their piece', let's give Pak Lah at least another chance to lead Malaysia with his key mission being to eradicate or if required, amputate all the rotten ills. Allah be with Pak Lah and may Pak Lah look to his Allah for leadership. ***** Ragunathan: I wish to make a clarion call to the prime minister not to step down. To be fair to the man, it is his brand of democracy that worked for the Malaysian electorate. Leaving aside the missteps, one must put things into perspective. Mahathir's call for him to step down reeks of a dastardly move to come back into the political scene and wield his influence through the back door. I doubt very much if Mahathir would have the maturity to accept the will of the people they declared on March 8. Pak Lah should not step down, but take decisive measures to prevent people with selective memories from making any come-back, and reviving projects that benefit no one but their legion of cronies. El Mark: What's all this about Pak Lah resigning? Pak Lah did not 'engineer' himself to be a PM. He was plucked and placed there. One cannot really blame him solely for what has transpired. I am sure Pak lah is now more aware and learning and will change his 'choir and repertoire'. And, with a new team in the government and with better advice, he’ll do better. Give the old chap a chance, he been thru' only a term. Let's evolve for a better Malaysia hand-in-hand but not emotionally. ***** Sandra K: Dr M has always been making a lot of noise - very unproductive. Just imagine, if it was him, and not Pak Lah who was the PM, what would have happened with this outstanding win by the opposition? Most likely, locking everyone up under ISA (I Simply Arrest!) Pak Lah was at least a gentleman, in accepting defeat, with his comment that this was how democracy works. Maybe Dr M should just leave the new government alone to do their work - I believe they do not need his interference, nor his scalding remarks. Tanpa Kepala: As far as I'm concerned Dr M is nothing but a hypocrite. He would certainly not have resigned had this happened to him. Although I consider Pak Lah and BN as the enemies of the people, I must say that, at least, with the current administration we see an improvement in media transparency. This could not have happened with Dr M at the helm. ***** Michelle Lim: The poor result for BN at the 12th general election is not Pak Lah's fault alone. It is a cumulative problem that Pak Lah took over since he came on board. All the BN leaders should rise up and give their support to our PM during this hard time. They should sit down and revisit all their policies and makr sure that they are fair and just to everyone in the country.And I really hope that others would rise up and tell Dr M to keep quiet! ***** M Lim: I feel the defeat of Barisan should not be solely blamed on our PM. The whole unfairness thing started from Dr Mahathir's time. Unfortunately, our PM inherited this and has to pay for it. I believe our PM Abdullah is a good man. He has done a lot for us like looking into daily problems. Times have changed. If Dr M was still in power today, Barisan would still have faced this exact defeat as people today are more educated and want their rights to be heard. So, don't just blame our PM. I believe our PM is a good man. ***** Kam Noris: Dear Pak Lah, no matter what, please do not step down. It’s not your fault anyway. ***** Puru: There is a lot of unfair blame on Pak Lah. Let us face it, it his openness (compared to the previous administration) allowed the people to voice their opinion. Take all the marches - do you think this would have happened in the past? I see him like the Gorbachev of Russia. He is setting the pace for reform and taking a hell of beating for it. In some ways, we need to be grateful that he allowed democracy in the country. ***** Alvin Lau: I strongly feel that Abdullah should not lose faith in himself and step down as suggested by all. This is not the true reflection of a credible leader. So, he has now been sworn in as the new PM. While I am not a fan of his, he has been entrusted to run the country (again) even if he is anything but useful. I must say that the damage has now been done, so who better to get it resolved apart from himself? If this will be his last chance to redeem himself, he must ensure his new term in the office is being run as clean as possible. Take out the rats, if it means all of them, put his personal pride and interests aside, and start working with all parties on all fronts to rise the country once again. Because you are the PM, you are the one person who can now make a difference. ***** Lilian Tan: When Dr M declared that Pak Lah should take 100% of the responsibility for Barisan's appalling performance in this election, a friend of mine declared that he was a fine one to talk. Barisan's rot set in a long time ago and Dr. M played a big role in accelerating it during his tenure. However, we should be very thankful that the voters' massive turnaround happened on Pak Lah's watch and not on Dr M's. Pak Lah is weak, ineffectual and a pathological promise-breaker, but he conceded defeat and sincerely asked that there be no trouble or violence in the streets. That there have been no ugly incidents of riots, homes burned down, people hurt or killed in the election aftermath is something we can be thankful for and proud of. I am not so sure that Dr M – legendary for his oppressive, vindictive character – would have responded likewise. ***** Lim Swee Bin: Speaking up for Pak lah, shall we never, ever forget he inherited a rotten legacy left him by his predecessor. All the things critically wrong today in our country were put in place during that long reign of 23 years, including the latest judiciary joke. There wouldn't be a March 8 and today without our present prime minister. He allowed freedom of speech like we never had for nearly a quarter of a century. He allowed an alternative press and he allowed peaceful demonstrations. He allowed competitors to roam free. He allowed us to have our say. Instead of vilifying him, let’s salute him for having the courage to let that happen. Pak Lah may not be a warrior but he has shown this greatness as a leader, in facing seeming collapse and in sticking around for the resurrection. ***** PL: It is time that Tun Mahathir gracefully retire and concentrate on his coming memoirs. Abdullah may be weak but he is not beaten. Malaysians still love him. As far as Malaysia is concerned, he was indeed a gentleman. He admitted gracefully his defeat and asked the IGP to ensure the graceful transition of power in the five states. Would you, Tun, have done the same? I don’t think so. ***** Woody Ooi: I agree that Pak Lah should go to make way for others, but not for Najib who has serious moral and integrity problems. Perhaps Shahrir Samad. To be objectively fair, the rot in system did not happen over the last four years, but cumulated over the past 22 years during Dr M’s stewardship. Perhaps Dr M should shut up and apologise instead to BN and the people of Malaysia.

Lest We Forget: Mahathir's Misdeeds

It may be easy for Mahathir to forget the numerous misdeeds committed during his 22 years of iron-fisted rule.

However, Malaysians must never forget. They must never forget that many of the problems facing the country today originated from his administration of the country.

For Mahathir to come out to blame Badawi for "destroying" BN, the day after the momentous 2008 elections is totally uncalled for. His outburst is certainly not for the interest of the country nor even for the interest of UMNO or BN. Malaysian should never be fooled by what he or his sycophants say.

The following is a sample of what Malaysians think of Mahathir.

Dedicated to Dr M - The People’s Parliament January 31, 2008 (Although this was posted before the elections it is a fitting "dedication") Too late, Dr M, too late. Too late to cover up your dark deeds by blaming the Badawi administration. How I had wished, when you were in your hospital bed in IJN recuperating, that you would do the decent thing - repent and admit all the wrongs you had done towards this nation and its people, all too numerous to enumerate here. True repentance would have led you to speak the truth at the VK Lingam session, would have caused you to open up and apologise and attempt to make things right, would have been medicine for this suffering nation. But you did not. True repentance means you are willing to do all that it takes to undo the harm you caused. But you are not. Your selective amnesia is so you. Some people say your performance before the Royal Commission was vintage Dr M. I say it was wastage. You wasted a great moment where you could have helped expose the truth. You chose self-preservation instead. Why complain and condemn BN now, Dr M? You were their best teacher and they were ready pupils to emulate your ways. So, Dr M, leave the affairs of this nation to others. Sit in your armchair, think of your deeds and sing this song dedicated to you to the tune of ‘I Started A Joke’. I started the rot That sent this nation crumbling But I wouldn’t see That the rot was in me. I took all the power And had the nation crying But I didn’t care That my rule was unfair. I started it all Caused all this mess And people had less But I, I’m on my throne I don’t care two hoots I can go it alone. I’ve started a scheme That’ll make you want me back A pity you can’t see That Malaysia needs me.

Should Pak Lah quit? Are you insane? Hell NO! - blog.thestar.com.my Posted by: aput83 Tuesday, March 11, 2008 I like Pak Lah as a person. He's a genial old man with a wicked sense of humor. When I saw him announce the simple majority win, I almost felt sad. Almost. Then suddenly I get news that the grumpy old retired ex-PM has already started criticizing him, going so far as demanding him to step down. And, oddly enough, there are those who actually agree with Tun M. Are you kidding me? Do people not know why the Opposition could never have gotten their win if Mahathir was still Prime Minister? Do you think the EC would have been under as much pressure to make sure the elections were fair? Do people actually think that if Tun M was still Prime Minister, we would not see another Ops Lallang, with all the Opposition leaders being rallied and locked up? Do you think BERSIH and HINDRAF would actually get any attention at all? I have respect for Tun M, but this is one time he should just shut up. He ruled with an iron fist, misleading the non-Malays into thinking that he was on their side, when he never did anything of the sort. I think we all should be thankful to Pak Lah for actually allowing the Opposition to prove themselves in 5 years to the people in 5 states. True, he is not the best example of good leadership in terms of winning elections, but he has proven himself to be a gracious, humble, accepting and transparent leader, which I have never yet managed to see in my lifetime. Which is more than I can say for that grumpy, old, begrudging predecessor of his.

'Operasi Lallang 2' on Sunday if Dr M was still PM - Malaysiakini Letter Abdullah Junid Mar 11, 08 5:52pm I refer to the Malaysiakini report Dr M calls for Pak Lah to resign. Well, well, well, now! Look which pot we have calling the kettle black. Our ‘beloved’ retired - though I'm sure he wish he wasn't - ex-prime minister Tun Mahathir Mohamad is accusing Pak Lah of destroying the Barisan Nasional and asking him to step down. I laughed so loud, I almost fell out of my chair. Dear Tun, Pak Lah did not destroy the BN. He just inherited the destruction process you had started during your 22-year dictatorship. The corruption, the arrogance, the obscene megaprojects towering over slums populated by hard-done-by Malaysians, the brutal treatment of those who had an opinion contrary to yours - these are all things that were your legacy. The thoroughly discredited judiciary, the instant-billionaire children of ‘Umno royalty’ - including your own - these are all your legacies. The cronies who looted the country's treasury, the constant purges of Umno opponents, the shameful beating up of your most feared opponent - these are all part of what history will remember you for. In fact, we all know what would have happened to leading opposition figures this past Sunday if you had still been prime minister. It would have been Operasi Lalang II. Let's go back a bit further. It was your agitation during the late 1960s that played a big role in putting Malaysia on the racist path that has led to today's overwhelming problems. The sheer arrogance of the man. Not only did he decide personally who would succeed him, but he even decided who would succeed his successor. Now that the prospects of his blue-eyed boy Najib look shaky, he's crying foul. Well, cry me a river! Mahathir's sycophants drool over his supposed charisma. But the fact is, he's been nothing more than a lifelong opportunist who could always sense which way the wind was turning, and then used his oratorical and political machinations to take advantage of them. Well, it looks like age hasn't diminished his ability to smell an opportunity. He knows Pak Lah is at his weakest now, and he has pounced right out of the gate to try and get his boy Najib installed in Putrajaya. Trouble is, he still needs to learn that loyalty in Umno is as fleeting as the post you hold. If he thinks Najib will be his hamba, he's sadly out of touch. But I'm sure many Malaysians wish Mahathir nothing less than a long, long life - long enough for him to be around and watching when Anwar Ibrahim takes the oath of office as Prime Minister.

Whatever it is, don't listen to Mahathir - Malaysiakini Letter Al Tugauw Mar 11, 08 5:40pm I refer to the Malaysiakini report Dr M calls for Pak Lah to resign Before anyone gives any credence at all to anything that Dr Mahathir Mohamad may say, I would just like to say a few words of caution. I am quite sure that Mahathir knows that it all started when he went against Tunku Abdul Rahman (who was until then by his (Tunku’s) own admission ‘the happiest Prime Minister in the world’). That was what they wanted after all, power and money. It was not just him alone, but a whole group within Umno at the time who went by the name of the ‘Contras’ and who supposedly advocated an anti-Chinese stand (but nevertheless all had some Chinese tow kay or another behind them). Even today with their Hidup Melayu! while at the same time siphoning off as much money as they can through sheer abuse of their positions, both within and outside of government. This marked the real start of money politics in Umno and Umno's foray into business and the corporate sector - so that not very long after the implementation of the NEP, the first victim of Umno’s greed was the very bank set up to ‘help’ bumiputeras, Bank Bumiputra. Many other scandals involving enormous waste of government funds and mismanagement followed, all of which could be covered up under the guise of the NEP and through control of all mass media. Mahathir himself and his Umno (also MCA and MIC) cronies who got rich from all the money which they siphoned out of the system through sheer abuse of the NEP - and which was partly used to place him in power to take over as PM and to keep him there for 22 years, as well as to keep the BN in power for so long under Umno - are largely to blame for all these abuses. Abdullah and Najib, who followed that lead and as inheritors of that systemic abuse are also responsible as serial abusers themselves. The evidence is clear - if only ACA was given a free hand to investigate. It really does not matter whether Abdullah stays on or is replaced by Najib, as Mahathir wants. We all know that Mahathir is a man with his own agenda - national interest certainly being not a part of it. If they have not learnt their lesson and continue to abuse their positions, that will certainly be the death knell of Umno and the BN with it. Then again, perhaps that will be better for this country. Mahathir talks as if things would have beeen different under him or perhaps even under Najib (and the BN would not have lost so badly) and that Abdullah's arrogance and misplaced faith in his son-in-law was to blame. Perhaps this may be true, but that is the system which they inherited from Mahathir (and of course continued to abuse). I doubt if Abdullah's arrogance could out-do Mahathir's anytime. All I can say now is that if Umno and the BN and their leadership and members do not undertake the necessary self-reform at the federal level, they can expect to be overthrown in the next general elections. However, if Sabah and Sarawak desert the BN now, which they should, the people will not have to wait for the next general elections for at least some hope of reform to begin so that all Malaysians can get on with life under more just, equitable and fairer conditions instead of letting all these elites continue to bleed the country dry while the rest of us and the country's resources pay for it. Whatever it is, don't listen to Mahathir.

Stop attacking Abdullah, Dr M told - Malaysiakini Mar 11, 08 6:43pm The National Union of Bank Employees (Nube) has told off former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad for rebuking his successor, Abdullah Ahmad Badawi. In a statement today, general secretary J Solomon said Mahathir should not be vindictive or hit out at Abdullah. “Stop being a traitor to our government and the people. The current situation in the country did not suddenly arise over the last 4-5 years,” he said. “It is years and years of pent-up frustration across the nation that has grown as a result of the ‘Mahazalim’ reign.” On Sunday, Mahathir had lashed out at Abdullah, after Barisan Nasional (BN) recorded its worst ever election results. Mahathir had led Umno and BN for 22 years before stepping down in October 2003. "My view is he has destroyed Umno, destroyed the BN and he has been responsible for this," Mahathir told reporters. "I think he should accept responsibility for this. He should accept 100 percent responsibility. I am sorry but I apparently made the wrong choice.” BN lost five states - Kelantan, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Selangor - to the opposition. It also lost its two-thirds grip on Parliament, winning only 140 of the 222 seats. Nube described the 12th general election as a true reflection of people’s power. “The result of the elections is proof of a clean and transparent election. There was no malice; otherwise the results would have been different,” the statement read. The union also advised those elected for the first time on the BN ticket to focus on fulfilling their promises to the people instead of making premature demands of Abdullah. Nube expressed its support for Abdullah’s ability to make the right decisions. “Let sour grapes whine in frustration while (Abdullah) works with the elected representatives in various states to build this nation for Malaysians. “We believe (Abdullah) is the best leader to unite and build Malaysia with the various state governments.” The union also said it hopes that those who won in the elections will ‘walk the talk’.

Vote Against Gerrymandering

There is a general expectation that there will be a swing of votes in favour of the Opposition in the 2008 elections due to a long list of issues such as the Lingam video, PKFZ scandal, Auditor-General Report revelations of misuse of funds, Hindraf issue, Bersih rally, etc.

However, despite this expection almost all political observers and even the most optimistic Opposition leaders and supporters concede that the BN will most probably be returned to power after the 2008 elections. Why is this the case? The answer is gerrymandering or the delineation of the boundaries of the parliamentary constituencies to give unfair advantage to the BN coalition.

The smallest parliamentary seat for the Federal Territory Putrajaya has only 6,608 voters while the parliamentary seat for Kapar in Selangor has 112,224 voters! What this means is that one vote in the Putrajaya parliamentary constituency is equivalent to 17 votes in the Kapar constituency. This is grossly unfair. The usual justification given for the difference in voters in different constituencies is a "rural weightage". But Putrajaya can hardly be considered a rural area! Of course, the real reason for this discrepancy is obvious. The voters in Putrajaya are mainly civil servants and pro-BN which almost guarantee that this seat will be won by BN.

Such disturbing large discrepancies is also seen in the average voters per parliamentary constituency for the different states. For Sarawak, a state where a large number of parliamentary seats have been won by the BN in the past elections, the average voters in each parliamentary constituency is only about 29,000. However, in Selangor the average number of voters per constituency is about 71,000. To make matter worse, 3 additional parliamentary constituencies have just been created in 2006 for Sarawak which now has 31 seats for the 2008 elections - the largest number of seats for any state. If the population of the states is taken into consideration, and using Sarawak's population as the baseline then Selangor should have 53 parliamentary seats instead of 22 and Trengganu should have 18 parliamentary seats instead of only 8 seats which it currently has.

One must appreciate that such a situation should never be allowed in fair and democratic elections. The equality of voting strength must be recognised as one of the fundamental principles of fair elections. The following are extracted from guidelines from the UN Committee on Human Rights and the European Commission for Democracy Through Law.

The UN Committee on Human Rights, General Comment 25, “The Right to Participate in Public Affairs, Voting Rights and the Right to Equal Access to Public Service”: "The principle of one person, one vote must apply, and within the framework of each State’s electoral system, the vote of one elector should be equal to the vote of another. The drawing of electoral boundaries and the method of allocating votes should not distort the distribution of voters or discriminate against any group and should not exclude or restrict unreasonably the right of citizens to choose their representatives freely."

European Commission for Democracy Through Law: Code of Good Practice in Electoral Matters Guidelines and Explanatory Report Adopted by the Venice Commission, October 2002 "2.2 Equal voting power: seats must be evenly distributed between the constituencies. i. This must at least apply to elections to lower houses of parliament and regional and local elections: ii. It entails a clear and balanced distribution of seats among constituencies on the basis of one of the following allocation criteria: population, number of resident nationals (including minors), number of registered voters, and possibly the number of people actually voting. An appropriate combination of these criteria may be envisaged. iii. The geographical criterion and administrative, or possibly even historical, boundaries may be taken into consideration. iv. The permissible departure from the norm should not be more than ten percent, and should certainly not exceed 15 percent except in special circumstances (protection of a concentrated minority, sparsely populated administrative entity). v. In order to guarantee equal voting power, the distribution of seats must be reviewed at least every ten years, preferably outside election periods."

In our original 1957 Constitution there is a provision for differences in the voters in different constituencies to provide for "rural weightage". However,the discrepancy is limited to no more than 15% from the average constituency electorate in each state. Unfortunately, due to the stranglehold the BN has in the parliament, constitutional amendments were made in 1962 and 1973 which have removed this crucial 15% restriction. In the 1973 amendments the power of the Election Commission to apportion parliamentary electoral constituencies among the various states was also removed. Both the number of constituencies and their apportionment among states were to be specified in the constitution which means that at any time the ruling coalition with its two-thirds majority in parliament can make amendments to the number of parliamentary constituencies in each state.

Such blatant gerrymandering must not be allowed to continue and major reforms of the electoral system must be carried out after the coming elections. However, the BN coalition cannot be expected to voluntarily undertake such reforms. For this to happen a stronger opposition must be voted into parliament.