Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Hi-Tea bersama Mohamad Sabu@ Putrajaya

Hi-Tea bersama Mohamad Sabu@ Putrajaya

Takbir bergema di P36 Kuala Terengganu
Event Info
Host:
PAS Kawasan Putrajaya
Type:
Other - Ceremony
Network:
Global
Time and Place
Date:
01 January 2009
Time:
16:00 - 18:00
Location:
Pusat Kejiranan Precint 9
Contact Info
Phone:
0193355357
Email:
pas.putrajaya@gmail.com

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Datanglah beramai-ramai untuk Hi-Tea bersama Sdr. Mohamad Sabu di Putrajaya. Insya Allah, Takbir akan bergema lagi di P36 Kuala Terengganu, Allahu-Akbar.Tiket: RM10/ Seorang Hubungi: Yaheya 0176552307Rosidi 0193355357Sharudin 0123943397

http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=51391492455

MEDIA NOTICE

MEDIA NOTICE
This is to inform you that DAP ADUN, PJU DAPSY Chief Lau Weng San and DAP MP for PJU Tony Pua will be presenting gifts to old folks in Sungai Way Old Folks Home at Lot 13559, Jalan SS9A/20, Seri Setia, Sungai Way, 47300 Petaling Jaya 31st December 2008 10:30am.
Your reporters, photographers and cameramen are very much welcomed to cover the event.
Thank you.
Lau Weng San, 016-323 1563.

Monday, December 29, 2008

3,000 apply to join PKR By Peter Boon


3,000 apply to join PKR By Peter Boon
SIBU: Ngemah assemblyman Gabriel Adit Demong received 3,000 new membership application forms to join Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) here yesterday.
NEW MEMBERS: Goh (right) hands over the membership application forms to Adit (second left) while Munan (second right) looks on at the launch of pro tem committees of PKR sub branches in the Dudong constituency.
Handing the application forms to Adit was Peter Goh, former deputy chairman of Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS) Nangka division.
Goh joined PKR together with former chairman of PRS Pelawan division Steven Kalai, Bukit Assek division chairman Tuba Aga, and Bawang Assan division chairman Bajai Serang.
Speaking at the launching of PKR protem committees of sub-branches in the Dudong constituency, Adit said that support for PKR throughout Sarawak was growing as people wanted change.
The sub-branches are Aik Dee, Naman, Pak, Menyan, Dudong, Salim, Lada and Usaha Jaya.
Meanwhile, met after the launch, Jimmy Donald, former MP for Sri Aman, said that he expected at least 20,000 former PRS members to join PKR.
Jimmy also said they were joining PKR because they wanted a change.
Asked about his presence here, he said he was in Sibu to render support to Goh.
To a question, he relied: “I will join PKR shortly,” but did not give a specific time frame for such a move.
Earlier, Goh, who was also the organising chairman for the event said: “Today, we announce we join PKR with 3,000 members.”
According to Goh, Dudong constituency has about 24,000 voters comprising 50 per cent Chinese, 45 per cent Iban and five per cent Malay.
Besides giving weight to the on-going membership recruitment drive, he said they would be drawing up programmes and activities to further strengthen the party.
More than 400 PKR supporters attended the function.
Among those present at the function were PKR Sarawak deputy chairman Wan Zainal, vice-chairman Nicholas Bawin, former MP for Lubok Antu Jawah Gerang and Munan Laja.

90109 JAMUAN MAKAN MALAM TERBESAR BAKAL DIADAKAN DI KUCHING

Monday, December 29, 2008
90109 JAMUAN MAKAN MALAM TERBESAR BAKAL DIADAKAN DI KUCHING

PKR Sarawak sedang giat merangka satu aktiviti bersejarah yang bakal dinobatkan Majlis Makan Malam terbesar pernah diadakan di Sarawak, atau mungkin pertama di Malaysia. Majlis yang akan berlangsung pada 9 Januari 2009 (90109) dijangka meliputi 510 buah meja.

Sebelum ini siri jamuan serupa telah diadakan di Sibu (320 meja) dan Miri (320 meja).

Majlis akan dihadiri oleh Ketua Umum Keadilan, Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Turut hadir ialah YAB Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, Menteri Besar Selangor serta beberapa MP Keadilan. Pemimpin PAS, DAP dan SNAP turut diundang. Kita berdoa agar tidak ada pemimpin PR yang dihalang masuk ke Sarawak kali ini.

Acara bermula jam 7.00 malam dengan siri ucapan pemimpin PKR tempatan dan wakil rakyat dari Semenanjung. DSAI dijangka bersama-sama lebih 5000 tetamu jam 8.30 malam.

Ahli dan penyokong PKR dan PR yang berminat hadir bolehlah membuat tempahan tempat duduk atau menghubungi saya dengan kadar segera. 014-886 0118, 082- 645 178 atau email
pieeling@yahoo.com

Saturday, December 27, 2008

Hukum Hudud – Jika UMNO tidak bersedia, mengapakah pula mencabar orang lain?

Kenyataan media oleh Setiausaha DAP Selangor, Ketua Pemuda Sosialis DAP (DAPSY) Bahagian Petaling Jaya Utara dan ADUN Kampung Tunku Lau Weng San pada 27hb Disember 2008 di Petaling Jaya:

Hukum Hudud – Jika UMNO tidak bersedia, mengapakah pula mencabar orang lain?

Desakan dan cabaran yang dilemparkan ke atas parti-parti komponen Pakatan Rakyat (PR) untuk menerangkan pendirian parti masing terhadap Hukum Hudud oleh parti-parti komponen Barisan Nasional (BN) merupakan sesuatu yang sangat ganjil dan tindakan hipokrit.

PAS dipaksa untuk menyatakan kedudukannya berkenaan dengan perkara ini oleh UMNO di mana kedudukan PAS ini bukan sesuatu yang baru dalam arena politik Malaysia.

Apa yang menghairankan ialah apabila UMNO mencabar PAS untuk menerangkan pendiriannya tentang Hukum Hudud, adakah UMNO sendiri juga ingin melaksanakan Hukum Hudud?

Jika UMNO sendiripun tidak bersedia untuk melaksanakannya, mengapakah UMNO pula mencabar pihak lain untuk melaksanakannya? Adakah ini bermakna UMNO sendiri akan melaksanakan dasar ini dan yakin dapat mendapat sokongan dan kepercayaan daripada parti-parti komponen yang lain di dalam BN?

Apa yang sepatutnya ialah parti-parti komponen BN harus bertanya kepada UMNO adakah Hukum Hudud akan menjadi sebahagian daripada dasar BN sehinggakan UMNO sanggup bertarung dan berlumba-lumba dengan PAS untuk melaksanakan dasar Hukum Hudud?

Oleh itu, cabaran dan desakan yang mereka lemparkan kepada parti-parti komponen PR merupakan satu tindakan hipokrit yang bertujuan untuk memesongkan perhatian rakyat terhadap isu sebenar yang terus meyelubungi tanahair kita seperti kemelesetan ekonomi yang bakal bertukar lebih teruk selepas bulan Februari 2009.

Sesuatu dasar itu tidak akan menjadi dasar PR melainkan mendapat persetujuan sebulat suara daripada kesemua parti komponen PR. Dalam kes ini, DAP berpendirian teguh bahawa Hukum Hudud tidak bersesuaian dengan masyarakat majmuk Malaysia dan oleh itu ianya tidak sesuai dilaksanakan di Malaysia.

Lau Weng San

Wednesday, December 24, 2008

PELANCARAN KEMPEN JOMSERTAI PAS

http://jomsertaipas.com/



PELANCARAN KEMPEN JOMSERTAI PAS
Written by webmaster
Pelancaran kempen "JOM SERTAI PAS" akan diadakan seperti berikut :

Tarikh : 27 Disember 2008 (Sabtu)

Masa : 3.00 Petang

Perasmi : YB Dato' Seri Tuan Guru Hj Abd Hadi bin Awang (Presiden PAS)

Turut Hadir : Ust Hj Ahmad Awang (Naib Presiden PAS)

YB Salahuddin Ayub (Ketua Pemuda PAS)


============================================
JOM SERTAI PAS
Written by rusli

Keputusan Pilihanraya ke-12 pada Mac 2008 membuktikan PAS diterima oleh rakyat pelbagai kaum di negara ini. Sokongan kepada PAS bukan sahaja daripada kalangan orang-orang Islam, malah terdiri daripada orang-orang bukan Islam.


Justeru itu pemuda PAS akan menggerakkan kempen "Jom Sertai PAS" yang bermula Januari 2009 sehingga Mac 2009.


Bersama dengan tema "Pas Untuk Semua", kami mengajak semua rakyat tanpa mengira jantina, agama dan bangsa bersama-sama dengan PAS, terutamanya golongan muda-mudi.


Melalui kempen ini, rakyat yang berminat untuk bersama dengan PAS boleh mendaftar menjadi ahli PAS. Pelbagai aktiviti dan program akan disediakan supaya rakyat dapat mengenali PAS dengan lebih dekat.


Kami mensasarkan 100,000 ahli PAS dan kelab penyokong PAS sepanjang tempoh Kempen ini.


http://www.jomsertaipas.com/

INVITATION TO ADUN KAMPUNG TUNKU CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE.

24th December 2008

Dear All,

INVITATION TO ADUN KAMPUNG TUNKU CHRISTMAS OPEN HOUSE.

You are cordially invited to attend ADUN Kampung Tunku Lau Weng San's Christmas Open House on 26th December 2008, 7pm in MBPJ SS3/14 Community Hall. Please brings friends and family members.

Yours truly,


Lau Weng San
ADUN Kg Tunku

Voucher Kasut Sekolah Untuk Murid-Murid Keluarga Miskin

Kenyataan media oleh Setiausaha DAP Selangor, Ketua DAPSY Petaling Jaya Utara dan ADUN Kampung Tunku Lau Weng San pada 24hb Disember 2008 di Petaling Jaya:

Voucher Kasut Sekolah Untuk Murid-Murid Keluarga Miskin

Oleh kerana kos sara hidup yang semakin meningkat, Pejabat ADUN Kampung Tunku akan mengedarkan voucher kasut sekolah untuk murid-murid keluarga miskin di kawasan DUN Kampung Tunku, iaitu mereka yang menduduki di Sea Park, Taman Paramount, Rumah Kos Rendah Taman Sri Aman, Kampung Tunku (SS1), SS3 dan Kampung Baru Sungai Way, bermula pada hari ini hingga 31hb Januari 2008.

Kami meminta supaya hanya isikeluarga miskin yang berpendapatan kurang daripada RM1500 membuat permohonan. Keluarga yang berpendapat melebihi RM2000 tetapi mempunyai tanggungan anak bersekolah melebihi 4 orang juga boleh memohon.

Mana-mana keluarga yang ingin memohon bantuan sila membawa bersama-sama salinan kad pengenalan, slip gaji atau boring E LHDN, surak beranak bagi kanak-kanak yang masih di bawah tanggungan ibubapa serta kasut-kasut sekolah yang lama untuk menuntut voucher ini.

Sila hubungi pejabat ADUN Kampung Tunku atas talian 03-78754724 atau layari laman web www.lauwengsan.com untuk maklumat lanjutan.

Lau Weng San

Kedai-kedai Bata Di Petaling Jaya:


IKANO
UNIT G8, GROUND FLOOR
IKANO POWER CENTRE
JALAN PJU 7/2,
MUTIARA DAMANSARA
Tel. 03-77253142

IOI MALL
G03 GROUND FLOOR
PUCHONG JAYA
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-58820268




SUNWAY PYRAMID
LL1.60-1.61, LOWER GRD FLOOR
SUNWAY PYRAMID
3 JALAN PJS 11/15
BANDAR SUNWAY
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-74929228

37, JALAN OTHMAN,
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-77829253





GIANT HYPMKT KELANA JAYA
G32, JLN SS6/12
SS KELANA JAYA
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-78042864

NO. 52, JALAN SS 2/67
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-78751105

THE ATRIA G.12,30-32,
JALAN SS22/23,
DAMANSARA JAYA TOWN CENTRE
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-77296690

NO. 7, JALAN 14/20,
PETALING JAYA
Tel. 603-79572442

Monday, December 22, 2008

PKR KUALA TERENGGANU



PKR KUALA TERENGGANU

http://prkkualaterengganu.blogspot.com/

========================================

DAP TERENGGANU



http://daptrg.blogspot.com/

MEDIA NOTICE

MEDIA NOTICE

This is to inform you that DAP ADUN for Kampung Tunku Lau Weng San will call for a press conference on 24th December 2008 3pm in No. 77, Jalan 20/9, Taman Paramount, 46300 Petaling Jaya, Selangor on free Bata shoes vouchers for Kampung Tunku poor children and various ongoing issues.

Your reporters, photographers and cameramen are welcomed to cover the event.

Thank you.

Yours sincerely,

Lau Weng San
(016-3231563)

“DAP and PKR” making Inroads in Sarawak

Oooh..!! ‘Kakus’ you better watch out we are coming. It seems that this Chrismas a lot of conversations will be on the inroads made by PKR and DAP into the interior and rural bastion of BN. This Malaysiakini report http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/95239 in which DAP largely seen as Chinese-based and Chinese-oriented, is moving into Dayak areas in Sarawak. Of course, its not a sudden decision as YB Wong Ho Leng ADUN Bukit Assek, who heads Sarawak DAP, said the plan was approved last month.

Now it seems that DAP is working closely with its partner in PKR as word has it that Anwar Ibrahim defacto leader of PKR will head SARAWAK as Chairman of PKR Sarawak and also oversees the selection of candidates in which DAP/PAS /PKR will go head on with BN Sarawak. There will not be anymore DAP/PKR/BN three cornered fight in any of the constituencies.

Now the internet will play a bigger role in the decimation of information to the rural areas. It seems that now PKR knows that the information technology will be used to inform the RURAL areas of the CHANGES happening in the world and ensure that the dayaks are no more ignorant of the FACTS. The TEAM has now looked into this strategy as all PKR information will be downloaded and PHOTOSTATED and DISTRIBUTED into the rural areas. Now with the influx of PKR dayak members into the fold these Valuable information will be an added PLUS. The PKR senior member sounds upbeat after talking to Natasha of audie61. “ALL IS AT A TOUCH OF THE BUTTON AND THE KEYPAD NOW”

When Wong said to Malaysiakini more DAP branches will be formed in rural areas in the coming months he is really looking at the bigger picture of working hand in hand not only with PKR/ PAS but also other local opposition parties in SNAP/STAR and yet to be registered MDC.”(This shows that) we are not (merely) content to work in Chinese areas. We are determined to go rural and to see improvement in the lives of all (communities), in particular the economically (challenged) Dayaks.

“These areas should have DAP Iban leaders to serve them. They should go for change (by booting out the Barisan Nasional).”Wong said the Iban leaders who addressed the branch meetings had dwelt on a common theme - that the state BN government has neglected their needs.

They also complained about “threats and intimidation by BN leaders” who have dissuaded them from joining opposition parties.

It seems that DAP has made their move and with the thought of Najib using the ‘HONEYMOON” period to call for the GE13 when he takes over as practised by former PM Mahathir and Abdullah, the DAP hierarchy has set their machinery into gear first in Sarawak. There seems to be a lot of activity in the opposition camps as after Anwar, Lim Kit Siang also descended into Miri last weekend.

The Pakatan group knows now that their archilles heels are Sarawak with 31 seats and 25 seats Sabah. If the GE 13 is called simultaneously with Sarawak the chances of Anwar and other leaders from the Pakatan group will not be able to lend a helping hand. They will be too involved in protecting and campaigning in their own seats in the Peninsula.

Will CHRISTMAS COME TOO EARLY for Malaysian Voters next year..? Read into the signals and Kuala Terengganu and Pensiangan Parliamentary seats will gives us all some indications. Anyway Sarawak elections are due to be called in 879 days. Will being too early backfire..??

==========================
http://audie61.wordpress.com/2008/12/22/dap-and-pkr-making-inroads-in-sarawak-ref-malaysiakini/

KUALA TERENGGANU - PAKAT UNDI PAS



PAKAT UNDI PAS

http://prk036.pas.org.my/

888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888888

Saturday, December 13, 2008

Pen N35 - Batu Uban: V Raveentharan


Pen N35 - Batu Uban: V Raveentharan

http://raveentharan.blogspot.com/

YB.Raveentharan

Adun Batu Uban N35 Pulau Pinang


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Pen N37 - Batu Maung: Abdul Malek Abul Kassim



Pen N37 - Batu Maung: Abdul Malek Abul Kassim

http://www.malikkassim.com/




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P047 - Nibong Tebal: Tan Tee Beng





http://media-nt.blogspot.com/
Following in dad’s footsteps

Tan Tee Beng

PENANG: One could say that Tan Tee Beng is merely following in his father’s political footsteps.

But unlike his father Datuk Tan Gim Hwa, who was once a prominent Penang Gerakan leader, the junior Tan will be contesting the polls under a Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) ticket.

Tee Beng, 36, is slated to contest the Nibong Tebal parliamentary seat in the next general election.

He graduated in law from Middlesex University, London, and works as a remisier. He joined PKR in January last year at the urging of his friend Jason Ong, who is also the Penang PKR deputy chief.

His decision to join PKR was a matter of some controversy for the family and his father is still coming to terms with it.

Tee Beng said that although his father was very passionate about politics, he had tried to discourage him from going into full-time politics.

“He would say that politics is so unpredictable. But I think he is getting tired of trying to discourage me,” said Tee Beng.

Gim Hwa, now 70, was a founding member of Gerakan and served as the party chief in Penang for 12 years before giving way to Chief Minister Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.

“I don’t really support his move but he has made up his mind. Besides, my wife tells me to let him decide what he wants. He has always been interested in politics even when he was studying in London. I remember he formed the Gerakan Club there,” said Gim Hwa.

Gim Hwa was as well known for his macho style of politics as he was for his shock of snowy-white hair and lanky frame.

He fell out with Dr Koh and was dismissed from Gerakan in 1999 after a party crisis of sorts. Tee Beng, who was then active in Gerakan Youth, was also dismissed at the same time.

Since then, Gim Hwa has completely retired from politics but Tee Beng has moved on to other pastures.


P047 - Nibong Tebal: Tan Tee Beng

======================================================

Thursday, December 11, 2008

Neg N29 - Chuah: Chai Tong Chai



http://dunchuah.blogspot.com/

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SELANGOR: N36 - Damansara Utama - Dr. Cheah Wing Yin




http://cheahwingyin.blogspot.com/

000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000

Tuesday, December 9, 2008

Not the time to point fingers, says Anwar

News @ AsiaOne

Not the time to point fingers, says Anwar

Anwar Ibrahim said all parties should not push the blame over the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide. -The Star

Wed, Dec 10, 2008
The Star

BUKIT MERTAJAM, MALAYSIA: Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called on all parties to stop the blame game over the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide tragedy.

He said the focus should be on finding out the cause of the tragedy and not point fingers.

"Now is not the issue of blame. We need to get to the bottom of the cause (of the tragedy) and the results of whatever findings should be made public for the people to judge.

"But instead, we now have an attempt to cover up by proportioning the blame to who is in charge now," he said to newsmen during a press conference at the PKR headquarters in Yayasan Aman yesterday.

The Permatang Pauh MP called the Government to launch a full and independent investigation on not only Bukit Antarabangsa, but also other hillside development projects in the country.

He said the Pakatan Rakyat government in Selangor had stopped approving all category three and four hillside development projects on Bukit Antarabangsa since March this year.

"For the last 15 years, the projects on Bukit Antarabangsa have been blatantly approved by the previous administration.

"Now, the Selangor Government has to scrutinise all 90 hillside development projects in the state that were approved by the previous government.

"It will be difficult for the current government to cancel the projects because it could lead to court cases," he said.

On the Kuala Terengganu by-election, Anwar said PKR and DAP would support any candidate PAS picked.

He was optimistic that Pakatan would make it in Kuala Terengganu if all its coalition parties worked hard to face the might of the Barisan Nasional machinery.

Anwar had a tight schedule yesterday when he visited sick constituents, distributed beef and attended kenduri Qurban at Telok Wang, Mengkuang Mak Sulong, Sungai Semambu, Kampung Paya, Permatang Rawa, Kampung Pertama, Sembilang, Tanjung Putus and Bukit Indera Muda.

Mujahid: Rift Does Exist Within PAS

2008-12-09 17:59 KUALA LUMPUR: PAS national unity bureau chief Mujahid Yusof Rawa said, other than facing the challenges of ideological struggles between the reformists and conservatives within the party, PAS must also try to woo both Malay and non-Malay voters.

Mujahid, who is also the MP for Parit Buntar, said there were indeed two different factions existent within the party--one interpreting Islam in a more conservative approach while the other holding more open views. He said this had resulted in an ideological confrontation between the two differing camps.

Realistic issue arising from ban of alcohol

Mujahid said the more radical people are the grassroots, who fail to understand that the banning of alcohol will entail some real-life issues, as we must take into consideration the feelings and opinions of other people even if we were to ban alcohol, citing the example of the major controversies arising from Selangor PAS councillors' suggestion to ban alcohol.

"The party is also encountering a certain level of dilemma. While on the one hand we must take care of Malay supporters, we must also look into the needs of non-Malays on the other hand. As such, PAS has attempted to protrude its multiracial image through the setting up of the PAS Supporters Club, and outsiders will have no reasons now to criticise PAS as a political party for the Malays."

Adherence to religious principles

Mujahid is the PAS leader instrumental in the establishment of the PAS Supporters Club. During an exclusive interview with Sin Chew Daily, he said many PAS MPs, including the MP for Kota Raja Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud and MP for Kuala Selangor Dr Zulkifly Ahmad, have defeated BN candidates mainly because of non-Muslim voters, and they therefore must know how to please non-Muslims.

However he said he would not forego Islamic principles just to please non-Muslims. For example, he declined the invitation from a political leader to sponsor a beer party celebration after his election victory.

Pakatan foundation still frail

Mujahid said, although leaders from the three Pakatan Rakyat parties have signed a joint agreement, the foundation of the opposition pact remains weak, and no powerful unanimous stand has been achieved on many fine details.

He said PAS advisor Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, DAP's opposition leader Lim Kit Siang and PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang agreed that the federal constitution has made Islam the country's official religion, and Malay as the official language, along with the statutory status of Malay rulers, Malays and bumiputras, when signing the joint agreement to establish Pakatan Rakyat.

"We still lack some solid substance, a common theme and principles that can be accepted by all, among the three parties."

He said, Pakatan Rakyat leaders have only agreed on the major directions, while many grey areas still exist, such as PAS does not agree to the setting up of multilingual road signs in Penang, as this will affect the status of Bahasa Malaysia as the country's official language. However he said PAS still accepted the decision eventually. (By LONG YAOFU/Translated by DOMINIC LOH/Sin Chew Daily)

MySinchew 2008.12.09

Bitter vindication

Bitter vindication
by Elizabeth Wong

ONE of the earliest policy decisions by the Pakatan Rakyat Selangor government was to throw out any housing and building applications for Class 3 and Class 4 hillslopes to preserve environmentally sensitive areas and prevent landslides. This was decided at an executive council meeting on April 2.
Selangor became the first state in the federation to have complied with the Federal Town and Country Planning Department’s Total Planning Guidelines 1997 (2nd edition, 2001) which states that no housing development should be allowed on slopes with 25° and above gradients.

Developers thought it was a late April Fool’s joke. Since our ban, they have used all means – the media, blogs, lobbying by state reps and MPs etc to change our minds. We were vilified as "anti-business" and "anti-development". I have even had some of our Pakatan MPs asking us to make exceptions for Class 3 slopes.

I was told they particularly disliked me and called me "lan-si" (arrogant) just because during a public meeting of developers, NGOs, residents and the exco, one of the key developers questioned how the state government could stop hillslope development, and I answered, "Because we can…" And none were too happy when I had to repeatedly wave the Total Planning Guidelines book at them.

And every couple of months, we have had to repeat our policy decision. Even as recent as last month, developers were insisting that they had the right to develop hill slopes and some had told a couple of exco members that they were planning to sue us. One of them said we would have to compensate them RM330 million (25% of our state budget) for possible loss of profits. Imagine the pressure of a lobby group whose combined income and assets dwarfs the state government!

Saturday’s tragedy proves the correctness of the decision of the state government. But vindication which comes after the loss of four lives and more homes is unspeakably bitter. There are some 5,000 residents living in the vicinity of the Bukit Antarabangsa landslide who face uncertainty and may have to vacate their homes.

We ask that developers stop pursuing and pressuring us to review our policy, and instead thoroughly go through every single technicality of their existing hillslope projects.

While Ikram and the Public Works Department are responsible for pinpointing the cause of the tragedy, the state government will immediately review all approved hillslope projects by the previous administration, whether standing or partially built.

Those where there is no construction yet but approved before March 8 should not be allowed to proceed, especially along the same range of Bukit Antarabangsa and Hulu Kelang – which should include Taman Hijau and Bukit Melawati.

We had come too late. Many of the hillslope projects have been standing for a number of years, some were half completed when we came into power. Without proper maintenance of slopes and drainage on these private lands, tragedy will strike after many years, always after the period of indemnity is over. Those areas shown to be prone to landslides such as in Hulu Kelang, where the Public Works Department had flashed its red card in 2005, more stringent conditions will be imposed on existing projects.

All developers and private land owners have to protect and reinforce their own hillslopes if they want to continue to prosper, own property and do business in Selangor. We recently received complaints from Ampang, Kajang, Cheras and Pandan where private landowners and developers have neglected to protect hillslopes and there are already signs of wear and tear. Some have used plastic sheets and some said they were bankrupt and don’t have the funds to repair their slopes. Whatever. If they do not do the necessary, we will blacklist them.

We ask that "people" be put ahead of "profits".

We are heartened that finally, after eight months of battling the housing industry, the federal government has come to our side to give Selangor, both the moral and policy support it needs, with both the prime minister and deputy prime minister calling for all hillslope development permits to be cancelled.

We can only hope the federal government doesn’t forget Dec 6, 2008 - like what had happened to Highland Towers (1993); Taman Hillview (2002) and Kg Pasir (2006) - which was less than a kilometre from Saturday’s landslide. Lest the lives lost would be in vain.


The writer is assemblywoman for Bukit Lanjan and state executive councillor in charge of the environment. Comment: letters@thesundaily.com

Saturday, December 6, 2008

How New Media Trumped Old Politics and the Road Ahead

Keynote speech by YB Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
Bloggers Buzz
Written by -
Saturday, 06 December 2008 10:00
How New Media Trumped Old Politics and the Road Ahead

by Yang Berhormat Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad
Seri setia state assemblyman / political secretary to Selangor Menteri Besar

5 december 2008



ASSALAMUALAIKUM AND GOOD EVENING, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN.

In May 2007, I was invited along with Tony Pua, Jeff Ooi and Soon Li Tsin to speak about blogging in Malaysia. I spoke about the battle between the New Media and Old Politics: how the old politics of divide and rule; command and control is unable to cope with the open nature of new media. The new media, I argued, with a combination of Web 2.0, greater functions and interfacing with mobile devices is becoming more powerful and potent than ever before.

PERSONALLY, I WAS INVOLVED IN THE INTERNET AS FAR BACK AS IN 1997, WHEN AS A 15-YEAR OLD I SET UP MY WEBSITE ON GEOCITIES. I STARTED WRITING IN MALAYSIAKINI IN 2001 FOLLOWING THE REFORMASI MOVEMENT, AND MY BLOG WAS UP IN THE SAME YEAR.

Of course, we have seen how effective NEW MEDIA has become across the globe. While Howard Dean failed in 2004, he paved the way for Barack Obama to make use of the Internet to emerge from being a junior senator with a funny name to the President of the United States. Closer to home, political consultant Douglas Schoen in Power of the Vote revealed how the netroots played an important role in the South Korean Presidential election as far back as 2002.

But we did not expect that it would play such a big role in Malaysia so soon that in less than a year after the function, Tony, Jeff and I all became Yang Berhormats. The 8th of March 2008 illustrated how new media has trumped old politics. It has changed how campaigns, even governments are run radically.

Before this, old politics reigned supreme. Since Independence, the majority OF Malaysians accepted the big tent of the Alliance Party and later Barisan Nasional as the one viable model of government for the country. This was considered ingenuous at that time: the Alliance leaders rejected Dato’ Onn Jaafar’s multiracial Independence of Malaya Party due to the perception that the country’s divided society was not yet ready for a truly malayan party. The Alliance allowed different communal parties to operate within the stratified structure; yet to convince the British administrators it provided for multi-racial co-operation among the elite.

This worked initially because the bulk of society lived separate lives, mixing but not combining – what JS Furnivall famously described as a ‘Plural Society’. This allowed the Alliance and their BN successors to perform feats of dubious duplicity in their discourse.

Their leaders appealed to communal sentiments when they operated at the grassroots level – in gatherings and through the vernacular media – but then spoke of unity and moderation to the wider public. It worked well, playing with our deepest fears and insecurities fostered by the huge inequality across racial lines that we inherited from our former colonial masters, while at the same time telling us that they were the only ones that could preserve our harmonious existence, even if it did not go beyond mere superficialities.

MEANWHILE, the Malaysian establishment maintained the colonial-era legislation that allowed for the muzzling of the press and suppression of public debate on what was called ‘sensitive issues’. Media ownership was narrowed and often in the hands of certain parties. This has contributed to the stagnant and limited nature of our press and public discussion.

This is why we see even the best and brightest of Malaysians believing that the status quo is the only route to power. This is why even the most honourable of politicians end up playing the politics of the lowest common denominator and pandering to age-old prejudices. This is why, they avoid promoting an enlightening and visionary brand of politics. As Tun Musa HItam once said: “a young Malaysian politician has to play the race card to the hilt even if there was not a single chauvinistic bone in his body.”Also, if Malaysians are susceptible to rumours and scare-mongering, it is because they do not have a free and open press to tell them otherwise.

But the emergence of a new media, amongst other factors, has changed the landscape. Here the ‘new media’ needs to be looked into its entirety, meaning not merely blogs and the Internet but also mobile devices and connectivity. Tiny, affordable mobile phones can take pictures, record videos and send out e-mails. The same content can be uploaded on the Internet at Starbucks to be shown on Youtube. This becomes a catalyst to viral communication as acknowledged by Jun E Tan and Zawawi Ibrahim. In fact, the uproar over the 2006 UMNO general assembly has illustrated to us how those used to old politics fail to even understand the most basic technology: the satellite TV. This was apparent when some in the ruling party replied that the racial rhetoric at the assembly was typical, without realising that this was the first time the Malaysian public was exposed to its antics.

Not only was the conference shown live on Astro, but it then provoked an excited debate in the blogosphere. Previously, the government could manipulate or simply silence the fallout over gaffes like this. The mainstream media would downplay, even refuse to report the incident; while the few independent publications had too small an audience and too long a production time to have a major or immediate impact. Now, what used to be idle Mamak shop chatter has now made its way to the Web, for all Malaysians to consume and discuss.

In the same year, a government minister announced plans to require the registration of blogs. This was another gross misunderstanding of new technology. A Malaysian blogger can still host his blog overseas while making the content available in Malaysia. In fact a blogger can reside anywhere in the world and still reach Malaysians. Indeed, it is a technical possibility to prevent content from reaching the public, but this is difficult, messy and imperfect. Furthermore, various ways exist to circumvent Internet censorship - as countries such as China have found out.

By the time the 12th General Elections took place, blogs were a force to be reckoned with in the urban constituencies. I set up a campaign website that solicited donations and showed my campaign videos. Several mainstream journalists contacted me to cover my campaign, but little, if any of their stories ended up being published. Instead, my team organised a “blog for Nik Nazmi day” during the run-up to the election to hype up the campaign as well as launched a Friends of Nik Nazmi page on Facebook. Keadilan sent out SMSes to millions of voters, customised for each constituency to get our message across.

When the results trickled in on 8th of March, it was clear that the urban voters, especially the younger generation, voted against the BN in a big way. Clearly, the new media played a big role in trumping old politics. Of course, other factors also came into play: a united Opposition led by Anwar Ibrahim, rising costs of living and a weak government. But the new media definitely had a key role, in that it helped bring out voters by the thousands, many of whom were voting for the first time in their lives.


What next?


While we have established that the new media played an important role in trumping old politics, the next question is: “What next?”

Politically, it is clear that new media has changed campaigning in Malaysia. UMNO has also recognised this fact and many of their leaders have entered the blogosphere despite having denigrated it in the past. Khir Toyo, Muhammad Muhammad Taib and Ali Rustam have all started blogs. Even Najib Razak has set up his own website. While this is generally a welcome development, we cannot forget that their sectarian, divisive and backward message remains the same.

We need to realise that while the last General Elections has breathed new life into Malaysian democracy, more needs to be done. More needs to be done for new media to succeed. More needs to be done to end old politics once and for all. More needs to be done for democracy to be entrenched in the Malaysian landscape.

We need to push the envelope, to consolidate the gains we have made and make them a permanent feature in our national life. Those opposed to a multiracial and democratic Malaysia are attempting to turn back the clock with every old trick in the book. Their most potent weapon thus far has been sectarianism.

Racism is still rife, and as the establishment comes undone further due to the discontent on the ground, the racial rhetoric will become more apparent. Samuel Johnson once said patriotism is the last refuge of the scoundrel. In Malaysia racism is the last refuge of the politicians. The use of arbitrary force, including the ISA continues unabated as we have seen in the manifestly unjust detentions of Raja Petra Kamaruddin and Teresa Kok.

Ironically, the new media was very much involved in these arrests: Petra is of course the editor of Malaysia Today while Khir Toyo made some accusations against Teresa on his blog that was picked up by Utusan in an attempt to stir up Malay sentiment. Not long before Teresa was arrested, photos that purportedly showed her campaigning against Jawi signboards made its rounds over the Internet. Furthermore, the BN-controlled mainstream media has attempted to exploit what they believe to be divisions in the blogosphere.

But the nature of the new media means that those standing up for democracy can use it to counter the slander and the spin. This was not possible before due to the dominance of the government-controlled media, but ICT and its tools now allow us to get our side of the story out to as many people as possible at the lowest cost available.

In my mind, we can advance our cause through the new media by pursuing the following five points:

1. First, unity is essential. It is important that practitioners of the new media respond with a united voice against the arbitrary use of the law or other, more insidious attempts in order to silence, intimidate or control them. Also, attempts to split the progressive movement in the country along sectarian or even ideological lines must be exposed and resisted. The fact is that there are only two groups in Malaysia today: those who want to change the country for the better, and those who do not want this.

2. On the other hand, however, the netroots must always keep in mind that we have to practice what we preach. We too, must exercise the principles of independence, free speech and critical thinking on our blogs or websites. We must allow views different from ours a free hearing. We too must be willing to accept criticism and the fact that some people will not agree with us no matter what.

The great danger in these times of transition is that we become too frustrated and resort to uncouth or even extreme methods in opposing the old politics. We cannot do that. We cannot allow the reactionary forces in this country to claim the moral high ground on any point. We must ensure that the new media always remains an avenue for free and open discourse. If there is something we disagree with, it is always better and more effective to come up with a proper rebuttal to it rather than censor or deride the holder of those views.

3. There is also a need for us to continue to expand the netroots. The greater Internet penetration, and the more tech-savvy Malaysians are, the easier the process of democratisation becomes. Part of our activism must therefore go to ensuring that access to ICT is expanded across the board in Malaysia. Part of our agenda must ensure that the people in the places with the least access to such technology gets it, and more importantly – they are given the resources to use such innovations critically and well. It is no accident that in Selangor, BN seats only remain in the rural areas.

This is, however, more than just about politics. Giving underprivileged Malaysians access to the Internet, especially young ones, also helps close socio-economic gaps. Knowledge is power. Someone with Internet access in today’s globalised; knowledge-based economy definitely has an edge over someone who does not. Spreading ICT will help to resolve the great inequalities that exist in our society.

The Selangor state government has introduced a wireless service in Shah Alam and hopes to expand it to over 90 percent of urban areas by 2010. Currently there are over 13 million Internet users in malaysia, half of the total population. As Jun-E Tan and Zawawi Ibrahim wrote in Blogging and Democratisation in Malaysia: A New Covil Society in the Making, bloggers are the new thought leaders of the younger generation.

4. New media practitioners should also maintain the highest journalistic ethics and standards. Blogs, regardless of what they were originally created for, are now public documents that are in the public domain. This is especially true for socio-political blogs and websites. Its owners, therefore, must ensure that their writing receives the same duty of care and professionalism that goes into other journalistic mediums.

Take note, the last thing that is being advocated here is for bloggers to ‘watch what they say’. Overcautious self-censorship and the lack of courage will doubtlessly compromise the new media the same way it emasculated its mainstream counterpart. Rather, what is alluded to is the undeniable fact that being ethical, transparent and professional in ones blogging gives one’s writing credibility amongst ones audience that is unbeatable.

5. This may be controversial, but perhaps new media practitioners should explore forming alliances with certain members of the mainstream media. It is true, as alluded to earlier, that most mainstream media outlets in the country have regrettably been reduced to becoming mere tools of the ruling party. We need to acknowledge however, after 8th of March, there has been some shift in the mainstream media in trying to become more credible, perhaps with the exception of Utusan Malaysia.

While during campaigning it was difficult to get my story published in the mainstream media, on 9th of March, I received a call from one of the journalists who told me today she will cover my post-election activities and the editor has promised her it will be published this time around. True enough, it was published immediately the next day

But there are many restrictions that continue to exist, and that many journalists ‘still in the system’ are growing increasingly frustrated with the restrictions imposed on them and desire a free press just as badly as their new media counterparts do. We must never forget that our goal is not to supplant or destroy the traditional media, but to free it from undue political influence and complement it as channels of public opinion. The netroots should therefore reaffirm its commitment to campaign to support mainstream media journalists who continue to uphold the principles of integrity in their reporting.

The Selangor state government has formed a taskforce on the Freedom of Information to look into ways on how the state can get around the OSA to promote a more transparent and accountable government through a freedom of information enactment

Malaysia has already come a long way through the new media. If the latter continues to be fully utilised courageously and shrewdly, then our country can progress further still. But old media will not disappear, and it is crucial that we get the old media to advance our cause. Even now, we see some changes from the mainstream media, but more needs to be done for lasting change to become a reality.

The new media has provided new possibilities and unleashed new forces. The new media has trumped old politics. The new media can be the vanguard for a new Malaysia.


Thank you.

Friday, December 5, 2008

Sel N42 - Meru: PAS Abdul Rani Osman



http://khidmatmeru.blogspot.com/


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Wednesday, December 3, 2008

A Letter To All Malays

Letters
by Allan C

I am a Chinese Malaysian male with diverse groups of friends - Tamils, Malayalees, Sikhs, Jaffna Tamils, whites, Eurasians, and Babas and Nyonyas.

The problem is I have very few Malay friends.

Umno tells them I am a threat to them..

Umno tells them I am undeserving of equal rights.

They might even believe it, and since I don’t want to think any less of them, I prefer to keep my own counsel.

Generally I don’t talk much about anything important with Malays, and certainly not about politics.

I think meaningful friendships between Malays and non-Malays are becoming rare in Malaysian society.

There is not enough dialogue between Malays and non-Malays at the ground level. Umno speaks from both sides of its mouth - telling the Malays the non-Malays are a threat to them, and then turning round to tell the non-Malays that their rights will be protected.

At other times it may say the reverse, the key denominator being what it needs to say to win votes at the time, and the ethnic composition of the audience. After 51 years of Umno’s divide and rule, it is no wonder that race relations are a joke.

With Biro Tata Negara, Khir Toyo and Ahmad Ismail to lead the way, only a fool will think Umno wants good race relations. Umno leaders wants good race relations only when it will keep them in power. Power and money are the real motivations for Umno’s political leaders.

After the twisted judicial treatments and twisted sentences meted out to the likes of Lim Guan Eng, Anwar Ibrahim, Teresa Kok and Raja Petra Kamaruddin, I think we can safely rule out any semblance of a sense of right and wrong and common decency as a meaningful guide to Umno’s decisions.

There are a number of things I want to put across to my imaginary Malay audience in cyberspace - you - particularly if you believe every racist, inflammatory, bigoted, and demonised stereotype, opinion piece and fabricated news that Ahmad Ismail, Khir toyo, Utusan Melayu, and Biro Tata Negara tells you about me.

If I were a Malay leader, this is what I would say. The Malays totally dominate the aristocracy, cabinet, parliament, judiciary, police, military, and huge government bureaucracy. The Malays have the highest birth rates.

You have benefitted from the racial quotas in education, commerce, licenses, contracts, jobs and promotions - funded by non-Malays. Therefore if you are feeling aggrieved, if you are feeling angry, and if you are feeling insecure, you need to ask yourself why…

If Umno tells you that your culture, language, race and religion is threatened by non-Malays and non-Muslims, i would suggest you think critically before you act. Umno has destroyed any hope of English literacy amongst the Malay masses.

Without English literacy the professions are out of the question for you. High-paying jobs will be hard to find. You will be handicapped in your career and business. Umno tells you that the non- Malays have advanced economically at your expense.

Umno loves to say that the non Malays have used unfair means to advance by cheating you.

The truth is Umno leadership has advanced economically and socially at your expense by destroying your competitiveness but to cap it all, they have succeeded in making you blame the non-Malays for their mistakes.

Umno makes you think that the way for you to reach global competitiveness would be to oppress and hamstring the non-Malays with steep racial quotas for jobs, licenses, and university places.

The truth is that it is the competitiveness and grit of successful Malays and non-Malays who compete in the open market in open competition that acts to provide every Malaysian - you and I - with the best goods at the cheapest prices.

You could buy a good quality, long lasting, reliable Japanese car in any other country for what you pay for a crappy Proton in Malaysia . Meanwhile, the AP scam that gives select Malays a license to smuggle in thousands of cars without paying duty will never be awarded to anyone other than the most overly privileged, wealthy and connected Umno elite insider - and definitely not to you if you are an ordinary decent Malay.

With Umno’s wholesale corruption, and racist propaganda that scapegoats and demonises the non-Malays to play on your fears and anxieties, our beloved country will come to resemble the uneducated, unproductive, expensive, impoverished countries like Burma , Indonesia , Philippines and Zimbabwe .

Umno leaders will do anything to stay in power and wealth, and that includes to divide and rule with lies, judicial abuse, and more. In the beginning the NEP picked the low-hanging fruit so there was an easy prosperity for everyone but now the signs of terminal decay are everywhere.

Economic and political reality has come back to roost, and if you are still poor, you need to ask why filthy rich Umno leaders are telling you that the non-Malays continue to cheat you of your rights and prosperity. The truth is that the success of any Malaysian in the open market that is subject to open competition will benefit all Malaysians.

Businesses, academics and professionals who have succeeded because of their competitiveness, innovation, hard work and determination bring prosperity to all Malaysians. Non-Malays and Malays who compete in the open market, if they succeed, it is because they offer everyone - you and I - a better product at a lower price.

Businesses and businesspersons who have succeeded because of a government-sanctioned cartel or monopoly that denies others the chance to compete will make all Malaysians poorer - that is, except the lucky filthy rich Umno-BN leaders who gave themselves or family or cronies the cartel or monopoly - APs, Proton, UEM, Renong, Bank Bumi - in the first place.

If you are reading this letter, I can presume that just like me, you did not get the exclusive contract, license, cartel or monopoly either. The truth is you and I and everyone else have been made poorer by the system that Umno has created.

If the economy is heading for a downturn, and if the financial crisis affected your business, and you are wondering why people in other countries don’t work as hard as you, and still earn much more money, then you will begin to understand that they live in a superior system.

Their leaders do not rob and abuse their citizens as much as in Malaysia . If you drive a Proton and they drive a Japanese car for the same price, then you are never going to be as well off as them.

Advanced progressive modern countries have achievement- based values, equal rights, open competition, meritocracy, and legislate against racism.

Such countries will have wealthier and healthier citizens who are not any smarter than you, and who will not be working harder than you, but they will be better informed than you, their kids will receive a better education than yours, and they will be earning lots more money than either you or me.

Umno will tell you that advanced countries like Singapore have prospered at your expense. The truth is that Umno will never give you a superior system. It cannot reform because it has an addiction problem. Umno leaders are addicted to huge amounts of easy money - your money!

Umno will tell you that their addiction to your money is in your best interests. Umno will say they only take money from non-Malays. Umno will say it is your fault if you are addicted to Umno’s Ketuanan Melayu policies and bumiputera privileges..

The truth is that Umno is addicted to your tax money, and Umno will try to weaken your will to succeed on your own by getting you mentally addicted to their falsehoods. Unless Umno can make you feel addicted to your privileges, and make you feel unable to compete, and frightens you with the non-Malay bogeyman (or bogeywoman like Teresa Kok), and that he or she is a threat to your safety, finances, future, race, language, culture and religion, then Umno knows it will lose your vote in open competition to PKR and PAS.

The biggest obstacles to Malay progress are low standards and low expectations.

Umno tells you that you cannot compete with the non-Malays. Yet there are so many parameters to what is better or not that it is impossible to measure them all. It is illogical to think that someone else is better than you.

To believe that you cannot compete is a very low expectation that guarantees very low standards, and it is the last thing you would ever want to leave to your children. The solution requires guts and faith - in you. You must insist on open competition, meritocracy, equal rights, and an end to all forms of racism.

You are not inferior, you can compete, and you control your own destiny.

If you allow Umno to brainwash you, and your children, then low standards and low expectations become a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The NEP has inevitably deteriorated to become a scam whereby Umnoputras will get all the benefits and be laughing all the way to the bank and everyone else gets poorer funding their excesses - mansions, wives, fat bank accounts, licenses, contracts, monopolies, APs. You get nothing, and I get even less than nothing - blamed for being the pendatang.

PAS and PKR want to change the NEP so that it will help the poor of all races but since the Malays form the bulk of the poor, then the Malays will automatically benefit exceedingly, and no one will feel left out or despised.

We must create a superior system of government that will be efficient, productive, progressive, competitive, and meritocractic - one that can hope to outperform Singapore - if we are to hold our heads up high, in open competition, and without prejudice.

The Malays will still totally dominate the aristocracy, cabinet, parliament, police, judiciary, military and government but in a country that is progressive, meritocractic, educated, progressive, prosperous and respects equal rights, human rights and freedoms.

This would be real legacy worth leaving to your children.

Choose wisely . . . . .

DARI TOK PEKONG KE MELAWATI

Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Nostalgia Hisham Rais...

DARI TOK PEKONG KE MELAWATI

Saya masih teringat lagi majlis perasmian pergabungan Parti Keadilan dengan Parti Rakyat di Dewan Perhimpunan Cina pada 3hb Ogos 2003. Tiga hari sebelum majlis perssmian, Kumpulan Teater Bukan Teater telah di minta untuk memberi persembahan yang mengintpretasi makna dan tanda pergabungan. Tiga hari? Iya, kami hanya diberi masa tiga hari sahaja.

Kumpulan Teater Bukan Teater tidak menolak. Kami lakukan persembahan kerana kami di bayar dengan harga yang bagitu mahal sekali - kami di bayar dengan api dan semangat perjuangan.

Saya juga masih teringat Kongres Pertama Parti Keadilan Rakyat pada bulan Disember 2003 di sebuah Tok Pekong di Ipoh. Iya, di sebuah Tok Pekong, bukan di dewan hotel atau gedung mesyuarat yang mewah tetapi di sebuah Tok Pekong. Pada bulan Disember itu saya telah memastikan diri saya ke Ipoh untuk bersama sejarah.

Ketika di Ipoh saya dapat merasakan ombak dan semangat juang membakar terus. Apabila Kongres pertama PKR di adakan di rumah sembahyang Cina maka implakasinya cukup dalam. Inilah tanda-tanda permulaan retaknya konsep Ketuanan Melayu. Inilah juga tanda keberanian sebuah parti politik untuk memulakan politik baru – politik yang bukan berasaskan sokongan bangsa atau agama.

Di Tok Pekong ini jugalah Anwar Ibrahim untuk pertama kalinya berkemungkinan untuk hadir sama setelah bebas dari penjara.

Saya ke Kongres PKR bukan sebagai anggota parti. Saya ingin melihat siapa yang datang. Saya sebenarnya tidak mengenali ramai para pemimpin parti sama ada gedebe nasional mau pun gedebe dari negeri atau bahagian. Untuk saya mereka ini tidak penting. Apa yang ingin saya lihat ialah muka dan rupa betuk rakyat mana yang datang ke Kongres.

Ada satu pekara yang wajib saya perhatikan. Saya hendak melihat apakah ramai anak anak-anak muda yang turut sama merayakan kongres ini. Untuk saya ini adalah kunci. Kekuatan satu satu gerakan – gerakan apa sahaja pun jika tidak ada anak muda yang meminatinya pasti gerakan ini akan gagal. Dalam semua pejuangan merebut kuasa politik tanpa anak muda tidak mungkin ruyung dapat dipecahkan. Sejarah dan pengalaman menjadi guru kita yang terbaik

Pagi Sabtu 29 Novemeber 2008 ini saya ke Shah Alam. Saya amat jarang meninggalkan bilik di hari Sabtu terutama diwaktu pagi. Pagi itu saya memaksa diri saya bukan untuk mendengar ceramah dan ucapan yang gah-gah dari para politkus. Saya datang untuk mencari ambience dan suasana. Saya hendak melihat suasana PKR dan Pakatan Rakyat satelah berjaya menawan 5 buah negeri.

Bila saya melintasi pintu gerbang di sebelah Universiti Malaya dan meninggalkan Wilayah untuk memasuki Petaling Jaya Selangor saya mula ternampak bendera, banting dan iklan Kongres. Hebat. Sepanjang Lebuh Raya Peseketuan hingga ke Stadium Melawati iklan-iklan terpasang di sepanjang jalan untuk menjemput sesiapa sahaja datang merayakan Kongres Parti Keadilan Rakyat.

Selangor negeri terkaya di bawah Pakatan Rakyat telah menjadi Tuan Rumah. Kerajaan Selangor telah menyediakan abang-abang berbaju hijau dari pasukan Rela untuk membantu keselamatan. Pekerja majlis Shah Alam yang beruniform siap sedia mengarahkan para tamu. Saya jangka tidak mungkin ada sesiapa yang akan tersesat mencari tempat Kongres walau pun untuk pertama kali turun ke Shah Alam. Persediaan kelihatan lumayan dan tesusun.

Nah… ini amat jauh sekali dengan apa yang berlaku di Ipoh. Di Ipoh dahulu para polis trafik ditugaskan untuk menyaman sebanyak mungkin apa sahaja yang bergerak. Malah ketika para wakil bersidang polis trafik telah datang untuk menyaman kereta yang terletak di pinggir jalan. Polis bersenjata pula tercacak disana sini bukan untuk mengawal tetapi hadir untuk memberi tekanan dan menakut-nakutkan orang ramai yang datang ke Tok Pekong. Di Shah Alam semuanya berbeza.

Ketika saya masuk ke dalam stadium seorang politikus sedang berucap. Sambil memasang telinga mata saya ingin melihat siapa yang datang. Saya tidak ambil pot muka-muka siapa yang duduk di atas pentas atau siapa yang duduk di barisan hadapan. Mereka ini semua pastilah para gedebe.

Apa yang ingin saya lihat ialah orang yang duduk di bawah pentas. Saya kagum apabila melihat rakyat biasa yang memenuhi stadium di pagi Sabtu itu. Mereka tidak berbatik lengan panjang seperti budaya gerombolan. Mereka juga tidak berdasi dan bertali leher. Majoriti dalam stadium adalah rakyat biasa yang mukanya sering saya temui di pehentian bas, di warung-warung atau di pasar malam.

Yang lebih mengkagumkan ialah kepelbagian bangsa-bangsa yang hadir. Untuk saya ini bukan kongres Melayu, bukan kongres Cina, bukan kongres Islam, bukan kongres India, Dayak, Iban atau Kadazan. Kongres di Stadium Melawati dihujung minggu akhir November ini jelas memperlihatkan ke Malaysian - kongres rakyat Malaysia - rakyat biasa.

Saya tidak nampak muka Mak Datin atau muka Minah cun a la Umi Ufilda yang datang berbedak dan bergincu. Atau Mak Datin yang datang dengan tas tangan Prada atau lelaki gendut berbaju batik bercincin besar seperti Ahmad Ismail dari Bukit Bendera. Tidak juga ada kelihatan bentuk Abang Zak yang memakai kaca mata hitam Gucci.

Saya senang hati apabila melihat bahawa Parti Keadilan Rakyat masih lagi dimiliki oleh rakyat Malaysia. Parti muda ini masih dalam keadaan selamat belum menjadi barang dagangan - masih belum lagi ( sic).

Bila sesi persidangan berhenti rehat saya menebeng di tepi pintu untuk memerhatikan muka-muka yang berkongres dengan lebih rapat. Ada Mak Cik berbaju kurung, Pak Cik bersongkok berbaju Melayu, Nyonya dan Amoi memakai gown, wanita India bersari, Pak Lebai dan Punjabi yang berserban rapi. Ada juga yang memakai baju batik berlengan panjang, saya menganggap mereka ini seperti tersalah masuk Kongres.

Di luar stadium pula makanan telah disediakan. Tidak lagi nasi bungkus seperti di Ipoh. Kini mereka yang berkongres dan sesiapa sahaja yang datang mencari ambience seperti saya akan di pelawa makan. Ada masakan Melayu, ada masakan India, ada masakan Cina dan ada masakan sayuran untuk yang tidak memakan hidupan – malah ada banyak pilihan.

Makan tengah hari ini bertambah lumayan kerana satu kumpulan pemusik terus menghibur para tamu dengan lagu-lagu keroncong untuk merehatkan kepala sesudah mendengar ucapan-ucapan dari para pemimpin.

Ketika saya hendak beratur mengambil makanan , saya melintasi satu khemah khusus dengan empat meja besar. Kipas angin terpasang ligat. Sudu dan garpu tersusun rapi. Terhidang indah di meja ini ialah makanan yang pastinya untuk para gedebe.

Saya hairan kenapa para gedebe ini tidak beratur sama seperti orang biasa untuk mengambil makanan. Nampaknya hegemoni budaya gerombolan United Malays National Organisation itu telah menyerap. Ada garis pemisah yang amat jelas diantara para gedebe dengan orang biasa. Lalu saya teringat beberapa minit tadi pemimpin parti telah berucap mengatakan bahawa kemenangan 8 March yang lalu adalah kerana sokongan rakyat bukan kerana kekuatan dan jentera parti.

Nampaknya menyuarakan retorik politik baru ini cukup enteng tetapi melakukan budaya politik baru ini masih amat jauh dari hati para gedebe. Mungkin mereka tidak memahami politik baru juga wajib membawa budaya baru yang bukan budaya feudal.

Setelah makan saya meleser untuk melihat gerai-gerai jualan. Tidak banyak yang menarik. Malah hanya ada satu dua gerai yang berstatus keilmuan menjual buku yang lainnya hanyalah warung-warung biasa yang menjaja khazanah Reformasi yang sering saya temui di ceramah-ceramah besar.

Anak muda ? Mereka kelihatan berkeliaran. Ini seakan-akan pesta untuk mereka. Malah ada yang agak terlalu muda untuk tahu apakah yang sedang berlaku di dalam stadium. Mungkin kerana becuti sekolah, ada anak-anak sekolah kelihatan menjual beg biru untuk dibawa pulang sebagai tanda kenang-kenangan ketika berkongres di Stadium Melawati.

Lalu timbul persoalan - apakah api dan semangat perjuangan masih membara? Jawabnya iya dan tidak. Ketika mendengar ucapan pemimpin di dalam stadium masih ada laungan reformasi kedengaran. Tetapi laungan REFORMASI tidak mengegarkan stadium. Mungkin kerana Angkatan Muda sedang sibuk mengisi borang melamar kerja atau mengisi borang kontrek dari 5 kerajaan Pakatan.

Kongres tahun hadapan saya bercadang untuk datang lagi kerana saya ingin bertanya apakah Angkata Muda telah mendapat pekerjaan atau telah mendapat kontrek. Jika telah mendapat ‘yang diminta’ pasti tidak ada lagi laungan reformasi.(TT)