This is perhaps a follow up to our earlier post on some Yang Berhormats who are not quite yang berhormat as stated by HRH Sultan Perak during his recent birthday ceremony.
We now have a new Yang Berhormat in Hulu Selangor just elected to Parliament yesterday 25 Arpril 2010. He has won it in what has been reported as a free and fair democratic process and he deserves to be called Yang Berhormat, in the tradition of the democratic system of addressing elected representatives in this country. We believe he is not the kind who would stand up on the table and shout in the august debating hall.
But let’s consider the process that took place for him to get there. What kind of Yang Berhormats were involved and what kind of words and actions they displayed to help get the man a Parliamentary seat. Of course, we at Kempen SSS (Satu Sekolah Untuk Semua) wish to highlight the issues pertaining to single-stream schooling and the creation of a united and cohesive Bangsa Malaysia through only one system of schooling (sekolah kebangsaan) instead of the present three (including sekolah Cina and Sekolah Tamil).
Here are what have been said concerning those, including by Yang Amat Berhormat Perdana Menteri. All these have been in the attempt to get their (coalition) man into Parliament and become a Yang Berhormat. They seem to want to get votes by what they said and did. Irrespective of whether or not what they said and did (promoting schools that have Mandarin as the medium of instruction) were contradicting Article 152 of the Constitution on the position of Bahasa Malaysia as the National Language of the country. Yet those areas with the majority comprising those they try to placate did not give their votes to the new Yang Berhormat.
See if you agree with they have said in the articles reproduced below (some by way of extracts), what they have asked, what have been promised, have the promises been too much considering the votes delivered in Chinese majority areas, etc. And, most importantly, where is the hormat (respect) for Article 152 of the Constitution on Bahasa Malaysia as the National Language.
When officiating the 12th sitting of Selangor State Assembly, HRH Sultan Selangor asked that all parties understand and respect the Constitution, and use it as a basis in managing (political) problems. The Sultan hoped that all State Assembly Yang Berhormats can provide a clear message on this to the rakyat.
We understand that the new Hulu Selangor Parliamentary Yang Berhormat is fluent in Bahasa Malaysia and hope he will show support for SSS and provide a clear message to his constituents and others of Article 152 on Bahasa Malaysia.
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http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2010&dt=0424&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Terkini&pg=bt_25.htm
PM tolak tanggapan kerajaan tidak bantu sekolah cina
24/04/2010 5:15pm
HULU SELANGOR 24 April – Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak berkata, tanggapan segelintir masyarakat Cina bahawa kerajaan mengabaikan mereka terutamanya dalam aspek pendidikan adalah tidak benar.
Beliau berkata, pada tahun 2008 sahaja kerajaan telah memperuntukkan sebanyak RM145 juta khusus untuk pembangunan Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SJKC).
“Kerajaan dah buat banyak perkara untuk sekolah Cina. Buktinya, kita telah peruntukkan sebanyak RM145 juta menerusi dua pakej ransangan ekonomi pada 2008,” katanya.
Beliau berkata demikian ketika berucap di Sekolah Rendah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina (SRJKC) Rasa di sini sempena tinjauan mesra kempen Pilihan Raya Kecil bagi kerusi Parlimen Hulu Selangor hari ini.
Hadir sama, Presiden MCA, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek, Menteri Perumahan dan Kerajaan Tempatan, Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, Datuk Dr. Wee Ka Siong dan Timbalan Menteri Kewangan, Datuk Seri Chor Chee Heung.
Pada majlis itu Najib yang juga Menteri Kewangan meluluskan peruntukan sebanyak RM3 juta untuk pembinaan bangunan baru SRJK (C) Rasa yang telah berusia lebih 80 tahun.
Najib berkata, peruntukan itu diberikan selepas beliau mendengar taklimat daripada Pengerusi Lembaga Pengurus Sekolah yang memerlukan peruntukan pembinaan sekolah itu.
“Setelah mendengar penerangan panjang lebar dari pihak sekolah, saya dengan ini mengesahkan kerajaan bersetuju memberi peruntukan sebanyak RM3 juta kepada sekolah ini,” katanya.
Beliau berkata, pemberian itu adalah dengan syarat iaitu kerajaan negeri Selangor tidak mengambil alih tapak asal sekolah ini sebaliknya ia perlu dikekalkan di bawah pentadbiran lembaga pengurus sekolah untuk tujuan kemasyarakatan.
“Kalau esok Barisan Nasional (BN) menang, saya sebagai Menteri Kewangan akan mengeluarkan surat peruntukan dan RM3 juta itu akan dimasukkan ke dalam akaun Lembaga Pengurus Sekolah dan wang itu boleh diambil keesokan harinya (Isnin),” katanya.- Bernama
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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/24/hulu_selangor/6125841&sec=hulu_selangor
Saturday April 24, 2010
Wooing the Chinese voters
By FOONG PEK YEE
pekyee@thestar.com.my
The Chinese vote in the Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election will be crucial to the outcome. With that in mind, the MCA has been going all out to help ensure a Barisan Nasional victory.
THE ball is in your court now – that’s the message from Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek to the Chinese community after almost a week of heavy campaigning in Hulu Selangor.
By now, Hulu Selangor residents perhaps are more well-versed with Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s 1Malaysia concept and the New Economic Model (NEM) than many others, he said, before pointing out that it was just the beginning.
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Citing examples, he said, the Chinese have always asked for fairness and Najib had stated that the NEM would be “merit and not race-based.”
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The forthright MCA president has told the Chinese that it is really up to them to put Najib on the path to delivering his promises.
“He cannot do it alone,” said Dr Chua.
Chinese voters comprise 26% of the 63,953 electorate and are regarded as crucial. In the last general election, PKR won by a 198-vote majority and no one has dared to predict the outcome of the race this time.
Chinese voters are perceived to be more inclined towards Pakatan Rakyat with the MCA pushing hard to win them over with just 24 hours to go before voting.
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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/24/hulu_selangor/6125752&sec=hulu_selangor
Saturday April 24, 2010
PTPTN loans for Chinese students
KUALA KUBU BARU: National Higher Education Corporation (PTPTN) loans have been made available to students from Chinese independent schools, said MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek.
The Government gave the green light after a meeting last week between party leaders and Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin. Also at the meeting were Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong, Deputy Higher Education Minister Dr Hou Kok Chung and Hulu Selangor MCA division chairman Wong Koon Mun.
“We are happy the Higher Education Ministry has given its approval,” Dr Chua told reporters after visiting the wet market in Kalumpang new village near here yesterday.
PTPTN loans are currently open to students in private colleges and universities in the country.
Those from independent schools will be eligible only if they are pursuing studies in local and private institutions of higher education.
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On another matter, Dr Chua said the MCA had succeeded in getting land for schools from property developers. “We need more in areas such as Sungai Long, Serdang, Kajang and Puchong.”
Dr Chua said although PKR had made many promises to voters in the previous general election, such as granting land for Chinese schools, no such approval had been done so far.
He added that Pakatan had also claimed sand would be an important source of revenue. “In fact, they quoted RM150mil sand revenue per year, but in 2008-2009, the revenue in Selangor did not exceed RM10mil.”
As for the by-election, he urged the Chinese to support the Prime Minister’s initiatives based on need, merit and market-friendliness.
Later, at a 1Malaysia dinner in Ulu Yam Baru, Dr Chua said the government was in the midst of expediting the process to get the Unified Examination Certificate recognised.
It is offered by Dong Jiao Zong for students completing six years at independent schools.
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http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2010/4/24/hulu_selangor/6116599&sec=hulu_selangor
Saturday April 24, 2010
Malay ground will be the decider
ANALYSIS
By JOCELINE TAN
The vast Malay ground will be crucial in deciding the winner in the Hulu Selangor by-election tomorrow
THE Malay vote will decide whether Hulu Selangor will remain with Pakatan Rakyat or return to the Barisan Nasional.
The Malays make up 54% of the 63,593 voters and their sheer numbers will now determine where the seat will swing.
The Chinese make up 26% of the electorate and Indian 19%. But with almost 70% of Chinese votes said to be leaning towards Pakatan and the Indian vote showing a slight advantage to the Barisan, it is now up to the Malays to call the shots on Sunday.
Top leaders from both sides have trained their spotlight on the Malay voters the last two days, reaching out to them whether they are deep in the interior in Felda schemes or residing in semi-urban settlements.
For instance, the endless harping about American ties and Israeli links are aimed largely at a Malay audience. The non-Malays are not worked up over these sort of issues.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak made his second high-profile visit yesterday, with a string of activities after performing Friday prayers in Sungai Buaya.
Some said Najib, who is also Selangor Umno chief, was confident of a win and that is why he has been moving around. But Umno politicians insisted they are taking nothing for granted.
“That the PM is on the ground shows how seriously he is taking the whole thing. He is not interested in feel-good reports. He wants to know the real situation,” said state Barisan treasurer Datuk Faisal Abdullah.
Umno workers completed their third and final round of house-to-house campaigns yesterday. The door-to-door canvassing is Umno’s biggest strength in a contest of this nature.
They have a comprehensive database of Malay households, whose political sentiments are colour-coded as black (hostile), grey (fence-sitter) and white (supporter). Their aim is to dilute the black into grey, turn the grey into white and keep the white on their side.
Pakatan is reaching out to voters mainly via the ceramah circuit.
Huge billboards showing PAS spiritual leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat against a green backdrop have appeared in Malay areas with the words, “Berdoalah untuk kemenangan Datuk Zaid,” appealing to voters to pray that Zaid will win.
“It is very tough. We are hoping Nik Aziz can turn the tide for Zaid,” said Selangor Speaker Teng Chang Khim.
Both Nik Aziz and Zaid are fellow Kelantanese. Apparently, Nik Aziz had been a guest at Zaid’s Kota Baru home a couple of times even when they were on opposite sides of the political fence.
But there are no permanent friends or foes in politics. They are now on the same political platform and the elder politician has made a passionate plea on Zaid’s behalf.
Pakatan started out with a clear-cut message to the electorate Selamatkan Malaysia – Save Malaysia. Their candidate, the erudite and well-known Zaid, was meant to epitomise the saviour role that Pakatan sought to play in Malaysia’s new politics.
But as some have pointed out, the campaign might as well have been themed Selamatkan Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, given the way Pakatan had to defend him against allegations about his lifestyle.
Pakatan knew from the start that it had limited support among the Malays even though he is legislator material.
He had occupied the moral high ground but slipped in the Malay ratings after being mired in controversy over his alcohol consumption and race-horses ownership – both big no-nos among Muslims.
The issue has not affected the Chinese support but the cost on the conservative Malay vote is exerting its toll. He would be a very worried man if he knew what the Umno house-to-house canvassers are saying about his views on issues like the Lina Joy apostasy case and the Allah issue.
By mid-week, Pakatan leaders, already hit by the defections among middle-ranking officials, decided that Zaid’s situation was so indefensible that the best way to deal with it was to stop responding to the accusations.
Leaders like Datuk Seri Hadi Awang have detoured to talking about the Government’s role in tackling poverty while Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim stuck to tested favourites like missing jet engines, Apco and Israel, corruption and cronyism.
Both coalitions have been evenly matched and are equally hungry for a win.
Barisan candidate P. Kamalanathan had to take his share of personal hits with questions raised about his education credentials and other personal issues.
Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s appearance with Kamalanathan on Thursday night was aimed at sealing in the Umno-Malay vote. The picture of Dr Mahathir with his hand on Kamalanathan’s shoulder had only one message – the candidate has the blessing of the former prime minister.
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Pakatan reckons it has about 45% of the Malay support and is depending on Nik Aziz to swing things around for them.
Barisan is ahead among the Malays and conservative estimates have 57% of Malays on its side while more optimistic estimates go as high as 65%. Barisan needs to increase its share of the Malay vote to make up for lost ground among the Chinese.
The Malay vote has never been more important for either side.
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Monday April 26, 2010
It’s a wake-up call, says Chua
KUALA KUBU BARU: The voting pattern among the Chinese in the Hulu Selangor by-election is a wake-up call for MCA leaders that the community is no longer just concerned with basic needs but also national issues, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said.
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Results from polling stations showed that there was strong support for PKR from areas where the community formed the majority.
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Dr Chua also reckoned that the internal problems in the Kuala Kubu Baru division had contributed to the weak support from Chinese voters.
“Infighting exists in all parties but we will have to talk to the people concerned,” he said.
He said the 1½-year party crisis had also affected the Chinese support in the constituency.
“This is a wake-up call for all leaders to put aside their personal differences and work for the good of the rakyat.
“Otherwise, we will be consumed by the political dustbin and be called a political dinosaur,” he said.
On Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak’s comment that the by-election was an acid test for MCA, he said Najib had made the reference not just to MCA but also himself and Pakatan Rakyat.
“If it was just a reference to MCA, there would not be so many big guns coming here to campaign,” he said.
Party secretary-general Datuk Seri Kong Cho Ha said the party would conduct a post-mortem to find out the reason behind the voting trend of the Chinese in the constituency.
Ask whether the poor response from the Chinese voters would make it more difficult for MCA to deal with Umno, Kong said Malaysia was a multiracial country and all component parties must work together.
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Kempen SSS 
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