Can we believe election manifestos or are they just political gimmicks? (Updated)

Thinking it over, maybe that's a wrong title for this piece. It should have read, "Can politicians be trusted".  We have seen what happened to the manifestos brought forth in the 13th GE.  The minority winners had all but gone against their words.

Closer to home, after the PR N25 PRK win in Kajang, Kajang more-or-less remains much the same.  Both divide talk much about easing Kajang traffic congestion and the floods after massive downpours.  Meaning that whoever was elected will bring about the same change. However, these hopes went equally dead as per the election and winning excitements.  To this day, I for one would avoid Kajang town like a plaque unless for the VERY necessary.  Wondering what's happening to the promises.  Wait for another GE or PRK for a repeat of the same?

Today is Bukit Gelugor's turn to determine their representative to the Parliament.  With all but jokers trying to bid against Ramkarpal, the path is wide open for him.  It's not the win that is of concern, but the majority (difference).  I believe the outcome will be announced early tonight.  Yet again, whoever wins, will it make any difference to the life of the ordinary folks in Bukit Gelugor?  Will their worries, concerns and wishes be heard and acted upon in the August House?

Updated:
DAP (Ramkarpal) won with 41,242 votes, an astounding 37,659 majority.  All other candidates bungkus losing their respective deposits.  PCM only managed to garner 3,587 votes; Mohamed Nabi Bux, 799; and Abu Bakar Sidik, 225.  Spoilt votes, 539.

We will have another show come May 31st.  Dyana is indeed a change from the mundane and has made a few peeing in their pants.  Whoever wins, will it drastically change the life of the people in Telok Intan al beit Malaysia?  I wish I have the answer, but I dream that there will be.  I wish you well Dyana.  Do make your candidacy and win a landmark for Malaysia's future, InsyaAllah.

Update:

Dyana lost with a razor thin margin of 238 votes, garnering 19,919 votes in all.  Mah won with 20157 votes.  Spoilt votes, 550.

Personal note to Dyana.

Dyana,

Do not despair, losing in this PRK is no loss but a personal victory for you. You have the age benefit and this experience is of tremendous value for your political future as well as the country's. Time to restrategize and put more effort in this struggle and we'll see you as a winning candidate come GE14, InsyaAllah.

It has to be said - the Kajang by-election

Was texting a friend when asked to brief on the preamble leading to the Kajang by-election.  Without being influenced by any prior reading, what came to mind was "the need to pacify spoilt brat Azmin".  Seemed that only Anwar can make him toe the line.  Don't think Kajang needs either of these characters.  Rafizi can explain all he likes and so does former ADUN Lee.  Azmin said Kajang should be proud to have a world class leader.  Who are they taking us for?  Just put a shoe in the place and we will vote for the shoe!  Kajang do not need a bazooka to swat a fly.  Enough of being duped for change in government when it was all about fulfilling just one character's ambition.

For that matter I am wondering what Permatang Pauh folks has to say of their beloved Parliamentarian.  Has he been effecting change in town?  Kajang do not need another absentee representative.  We have been doing things that need doing ourselves, so why pay somebody to do it (when after all they won't be around to do it).  Time to show these dudes what the voters are capable of.

The GE13 Outcome

As anticipated the sick chicken was slaughtered and the carcass became crocodile feed.  Nobody wants to gulai the sick chicken.  My brother reported his election post indeed had grilled chicken to celebrate.  It was 23,724 for Kak Lah as against 17,488 for the aye sakit.  

Tok Heng of Pasir Mas was trounced 33,431 to his 25,384 by Nik Abduh.  Che Johe was hailed a hero for not putting in his nomination papers and to allow an independent to be in a straight fight.  Datuk Kamilia was booted out off the party for going in as an independent.  One becomes a hero and the other a traitor.  It's kind of tough for me to process this kind of rationale.

And so Datuk Kamilia has only 447 voting for her.  This figure glared compared to what was garnered by Tok Heng.  Wonder what contributed to the difference.  Datuk Kamilia's defeat is not a loss.  She is saved in the bigger context.  Being a person she is, she can still pursue her manifests on different platforms, InsyaAllah.

Nomination analysis - MP for Rantau Panjang

Was talking to my brother this morning on GE13 MP candidate nomination for Rantau Panjang.  Kak Lah (Siti Zailah Yusof) as expected was renominated for PAS.  Kak Lah is much loved by the rakyat to be replaced just by anybody.  She is the people's person.  Come what may, she'll be there by you.  Those assisting her have always wondered where her energy comes from.

"Who is contesting her?", I questioned my brother.
"Aye sakit!", he shot me the answer.
(A sick chicken!)
"What?", I exclaimed in surprise.
"Ore dio (UMNO).  2008 dulu masok calon woke pati bebah, guna lambe aye", he explained.
(Their candidate (UMNO).  Was the 2008 independent candidate using the picture of a chicken as his contesting logo). 

Kelantan is well known for UMNO infightings and polarity.  It has always been puok kite, puok demo (our team, their team).  I think the sick chicken will be slaughtered too this time around.  But nobody's eating a sick chicken.  He'll just go to waste.

"What's going on in Pasir Mas?"
"Che Johe dah jjadi jutawe doh!"
(Che Johan is already a millionaire!)
"Berapo?"
(How much?).
"Katanye duo juto!"
(They said 2 m!)
"Sapo bui?"
(Who gave?)
"Puok demo".
(Their team)
Case closed.

     Heil to Datuk Kamilia!  A lady of principle.  I can testify to that.  She has been that way since I got to know her way back in the 70s.  We were in the same school in Seremban back then.  I'll surely vote for her should I be a KK resident.  Hope she would give a thought to Kak Lah's invitation.  She had never fit the UMNO image and it had kept me wondering all this while.  The KK parliamentary seat will be much watched come May 5.  My doa is all hers.

Election Fever, I caught the bug too

This press statement is for keeps (Source: Harakahdaily, APRIL 19, 2013)

("Roket sudah sampai ke bulan. Anda masih nak guna timbang dacing?")

KOTA BHARU: "Kesediaan DAP menggunakan logo PAS ini saya sifatkan sebagai detik bersejarah dalam perjuangan PAS semenjak lebih separuh abad ia ditubuhkan," kata Mursyidul Am PAS, Tuan Guru Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat.

Beliau mengulas keputusan DAP menggunakan logo PAS setelah Pendaftar Pertubuhan memutuskan untuk tidak mengiktiraf barisan kepimpinan DAP yang ada sekarang.

"Saya ingin melahirkan simpati kepada DAP di atas tragedi yang menimpa mereka di saat-saat akhir penamaan calon besok hari.

"Sudah tentu tidak dapat dibayangkan kesedihan yang melanda ekoran terpaksa mengenepikan lambang rasmi yang telah digunakan zaman berzaman," kata Tuan Guru Nik Aziz yang juga Menteri Besar Kelantan dalam kenyataannya hari ini.

Berikut adalah kenyataan penuh Tuan Guru Nik Aziz.

Penggunaan Logo PAS Oleh Calon DAP: Akhirnya Roket Mendarat Di Bulan

Saya membaca kenyataan yang dikeluarkan oleh Pengerusi DAP Karpal Singh pada petang ini bahawa calon-calon DAP akan menggunakan logo PAS di Semenanjung Malaysia dan logo PKR di Sabah dan Sarawak di dalam pilihanraya umum 5 Mei ini.

Ini berikutan sehingga jam 3 petang hari ini, DAP belum mendapat mendapat sebarang respon penarikan balik surat penggantungan jawatankuasa eksekutif pusat (CEC) parti itu daripada Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) dan juga tiada tanda-tanda surat itu akan tiba.

Saya ingin melahirkan simpati kepada DAP di atas tragedi yang menimpa mereka di saat-saat akhir penamaan calon besok hari. Sudah tentu tidak dapat dibayangkan kesedihan yang melanda ekoran terpaksa mengenepikan lambang rasmi yang telah digunakan zaman berzaman.

Isu logo sekalipun mungkin nampak kecil bagi sesetengah pihak, tetapi ia melambangkan maruah dan harga sebuah perjuangan.

Dari sudut yang lain, kesediaan DAP menggunakan logo PAS ini saya sifatkan sebagai detik bersejarah dalam perjuangan PAS semenjak lebih separuh abad ia ditubuhkan.

Dalam melayari bahtera politik tanah air, PAS dan DAP sering dilagakan oleh UMNO/Barisan Nasional. Di hadapan bangsa Melayu, pemimpin UMNO menakut-nakutkan mereka dengan bahaya DAP dan begitu juga sebaliknya di hadapan bangsa Cina, mereka digembar-gemburkan dengan imej PAS sebagai taliban, radikal dan sebagainya.

Natijahnya, Melayu Islam dan bukan Melayu terus hidup dalam keadaan syak wasangka antara satu sama lain.

Hari ini, benteng tersebut telah runtuh sepenuhnya. DAP tanpa takut-takut lagi telah merobohkan persepsi ini apabila bertindak berani memilih logo PAS untuk bertanding di kawasan-kawasan yang telah diperuntukkan kepada mereka khususnya kawasan yang mempunyai majoriti pengundi Cina.

Saya kira, inilah saat di mana perjuangan PAS sudah tidak menjadi kegerunan lagi kepada bangsa Cina. Sekalipun ia masih belum diterima sepenuhnya, namun sedikit demi sedikit ia telah hilang.

Saya mengimbau kembali saat ketika Perjanjian Hudaibiyyah dimeterai antara Rasulullah SAW dan orang-orang Musyrikin Mekkah.

Kabilah-kabilah Arab di sekitar Madinah yang masih belum memeluk Islam mengambil keputusan untuk bernaung di bawah naungan kerajaan Islam Madinah.

Di saat itulah, sahabat-sahabat Rasulullah SAW diuji dengan rasa terhina akibat melihat secara zahir bagaimana perjanjian tersebut berat sebelah.

Namun kesabaran mereka segera diganjari oleh Allah SWT apabila perjanjian tersebut membuka peluang Rasulullah SAW menakluki kota Makkah apabila perjanian tersebut dilanggar di mana Bani Khuzaah yang masih belum memeluk Islam dan berlindung di bawah naungan Islam diserang oleh kaum Musyrikin.

Alhamdulillah, ketika UMNO masih menjaja keris tumpulnya merata-rata, perjuangan PAS sudah mula diterima di kalangan non muslim. Ketika UMNO main kayu tiga dengan perjuangan bangsa Melayu, PAS terus ke hadapan membawa misi dakwah dengan slogan PAS for All.

Non Muslim di sana sini tidak lagi segan silu membawa bendera PAS dan sebaliknya tidak pernah kita saksikan mereka membawa bendera keris tidak bersarung milik UMNO.

Saya yakin, benih Islamphobia yang disemai UMNO semakin mati tunasnya. Keputusan DAP ini insya-Allah satu rahmat besar buat PAS. Ia sebenarnya rezeki buat perjuangan Islam.

Mungkin Barisan Nasional merasakan langkah ini bakal membantutkan gerak langkah Pakatan Rakyat, namun sesungguhnya ia mengandungi rahmat yang sangat besar.

Jika Perjanjian Hudaibiyyah membuka jalan kepada pembukaan kota Makkah, maka tidak mustahil langkah kerajaan Barisan Nasional ini sedang membuka kepada pembukaan Putrajaya dan pembinaan Malaysia Baru.

Tidak mustahil tarikh 6 Mei 2013 nanti, perayaan besar-besaran kemenangan rakyat akan berlangsung di seluruh negara menyaksikan keruntuhan Barisan Nasional.

Yakinlah keputusan ini membuka pintu sejarah yang akan dikenang zaman berzaman. Inilah saatnya di mana akhirnya roket berjaya mendarat di bulan!

Salam hormat,

NIK ABDUL AZIZ BIN NIK MAT,
Al-Mursyidul Am,
Parti Islam Semalaysia (PAS)

Bertarikh : 8 Jamadil Akhir 1434H bersamaan 19 April 2013M

Milestone comments on the subject:

# .......the public has welcomed the decision by DAP, heralding it a turning point in Malaysia's new politics transcending race and religion.

# "The rocket has reached the moon, so let's look for the moon!"....................

# backfire in your face, huh? Checkmate, dude!

# Well, suddenly PAS and PKR who are predominantly Malay have so many Chinese members and supporters.

# A truely Malaysian party will be born. No more under racial lines.  When they win, they will have to stay together.  So it’s a blessing in disguise.

# Don’t lose heart, stay humble and fight on for the true Malaysia you have always longed for.  God is with you all in the fight for justice and the good.

What If

What if DBKL had allowed the Bersih 3.0 gathering be held at Dataran Merdeka, would still there be chaos and the need for the police to use the tear gas?

What if the police had been rakyat friendly and facilitate the Bersih 3.0 sit-in protest (after all it was just a sit-in), would there be the need to have them in doves in KL on 2804?

What if the present government not fear the rakyats' democratic expression asking for a clean election, would the present ruling party be displaced come GE13?

What if Bersih 3.0 not be hijacked by the few highly ambitious individuals, would the calm dispersion of the gathering and the carnival atmosphere be maintained come day end?

What if the electoral rolls be cleaned up thorough, would there be voices claiming that it is still rigged and dirty?

What if those in power recognise the rise in people's power, would they drive towards a fair and just election?

What if those in power recognise that they are getting obsolete, would they readily pass-on the baton?

What if the present government concede to all Bersih 3.0 demands, would Bersih N come up with other demands?

What if there no longer be corruption, the crave for power, the greed for more, can we really dream of such a scenario?