By Narinder Pal Singh

It is high time the leaders of PKR and Pakatan Harapan (PH) accept the fact that the public is generally just sick and tired of their antics.

The writing on the wall cannot be clearer. The leaders in PKR and PH are either totally too ignorant or just being arrogant to accept their declined popularity.

They sound so egoistic these days despite getting shamefully slapped by voters in Melaka and Sarawak in the recent state polls.

And yet they can’t secure an understanding among themselves whether they should stand under a single PH umbrella or go separate ways.

PKR’s decision to use its own logo speaks volumes of the fact that the party is on the verge of breaking ties with DAP.

PKR knows well that without the Malay votes they are doomed. And it can only get worse if it keeps clinging on to DAP.

Being Inconsistent

Voters may throw their support behind Umno/Barisan Nasional (BN) in Johor as a protest towards PKR for being inconsistent with its stand.

PKR is digging not only its own grave but has happily done so for the entire PH.

On the other hand, DAP also risks losing all the earlier seats it had won thanks to Malay votes.

This time around, the voters may not see the benefits of casting for DAP.

As for the first time young voters, I doubt it will make much difference.

They may well vote for Umno/BN as the opposition has hardly done them any favour during the 22 months rule.

They don’t have any good reason to reject Umno/BN.

On the contrary, they may benefit far more under Umno/BN as many are struggling with their education loans.

I think it would be wiser for Johoreans to vote Umno/BN for a stable state government and send a stinging message to the opposition.

It’s not that I personally favour Umno/BN, but what is the point of voting opposition parties that are already in tatters even before the games begin?

The logo imbroglio shows how confused and incoherent the opposition pact had become.

The public should not suffer further. We are already in hardship. – New Malaysia Herald

Disclaimer: Narinder Pal Singh is a New Malaysia Herald reader. This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of the New Malaysia Herald

The post Despite Being Smashed At 2 State Polls, PH Remain Arrogant first appeared on NMH.

KUCHING — The Election Commission (EC) announced at 8.45 pm that the Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) are the official winners tonight of the 12th Sarawak state election.

EC chairman Abdul Ghani Salleh said GPS officially won enough seats as of 8.45pm to form the next state government.

As of 9.45pm, the EC officially declared GPS the winner in 59 seats, while the Opposition Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB) had only managed to garner two seats – Ba’Kelalan and Engkilili.

DAP has also only won in two seats – Pending and Padungan.

Earlier, caretaker Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg captured the Gedong seat for the first time after moving from Satok –which he was the incumbent for the past nine terms – with 4,310 votes.

He beat Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s (PSB) Mohamad Sofian Fariz Sharbini who garnered 703 votes; Amanah’s Cikgu Kamal (94 votes); and Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s Tomson Ango (157 votes).

Newbie GPS candidate, Azizul Annuar Adenan is set to follow in his parents’ footsteps as the elected representative for Tanjung Datu. He won the state assembly seat with a majority of 4,502 votes after polling 5,423 votes.

His contenders trailed in the vote count with Parti Sarawak Bersatu’s Jery’in Fauzi managing to get 921 votes, Independent Cikgu Talip (261 votes) and Parti Bumi Kenyalang’s Goem Pijar (226 votes).

82 seats were up for grabs in this 12th Sarawak general election to elect the 19th Sarawak State Legislative Assembly. – New Malaysia Herald

The post Sarawak Polls: Landslide Victory For GPS, PH Thrashed first appeared on NMH.

Kuching: A total of 89 per cent, or 18,141 individuals, fulfilled their responsibilities as early voters on Tuesday (14 Dec) in the 12th Sarawak state election (PRN Sarawak).

According to Bernama, the Election Commission (EC) secretary, Ikmalrudin Ishak, in a statement, said the number of voters comprised military, police personnel and their spouses.

Early voting kicked in as early as 7.30 am and ended at 5 pm in 85 early polling centres, involving 111 polling streams.

As early voting ensued, the ruling Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), led by Chief Minister Abang Johari Tun Openg remains the frontrunner and the spotlight now falls on how many of the 82 seats it can take this time.

In 2016, the state government extended its rule by capturing 72 seats. On the ground yet again, the horde of opposition parties is seen to be lagging behind the formidable GPS election machinery.

Save for four straight fights, the rest of the contests are multi-cornered tussles as a disunited opposition trip over each other to deny GPS the numbers to form the State government.

Despite this, the main fight remains according to early forecasts, a GPS contest against Democratic Action Party (DAP) and debutante, Parti Sarawak Bersatu (PSB).

It is a “foregone conclusion” that GPS will continue to rule, Bernama quoted Oh Ei Sun, a senior fellow at Singapore Institute of International Affairs as saying.

“Realistically, the main players are still GPS, DAP and PSB. All the others including Parti Bumi Kenyalang and even Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), I don’t know if they can win any seats at all.

“The significant player to watch is PSB which is contesting for the first time but they appear to have plenty of resources.

“Let’s see how it would play out and if PSB can emerge as a significant political player in Sarawak after the election.” Oh said.

With election night looming around the corner, the likes of Parti PKR which retained three seats in 2016 and the lesser-known opposition including Parti Bumi Kenyalang which fielded the second biggest number of 73 seats, are unlikely to be spoilers.

Party infighting and a lack of substantive issues have rendered the campaign a quiet affair since the 6 Dec nominations.

“There is a lot of infighting which cuts across the political divide, such as parachute candidates who are not accepted by the local parties on the ground and they will not get assistance. There is also a lack of substantive issues,” said Oh, adding that calls for more autonomy were something remote to the average folks.

“The opposition doesn’t seem to have a grip on what are the relevant issues at play like the difficulty of livelihood under the pandemic, I don’t see this being played strongly,” he said.

GPS is contesting all the seats while DAP has 26 candidates and PSB is in the race for 70.

PKR has downsized its fight from 40 seats last time to 28. It had defended Ba’kelalan, Batu Lintang and Krian in 2016 but all three winners, Baru Bian, See Chee How and Ali Biju are no longer with the party.

The party will likely be routed, just as its fate in the recent Melaka state election.

Dr Lee Kuok Tiung of Universiti Malaysia Sabah also sees PKR as a non-contender without Baru who used to be the party’s chief until the “Sheraton Move” which dislodged the federal Pakatan Harapan as government.

Baru defends Ba’kelalan for PSB which he serves as a presidential council member. The party is led by seasoned politician and former state government member, Wong Soon Koh.

“Baru Bian is synonymous with PKR here. PSB can look at strengthening their fight for the Chinese seats, the rest will depend on Baru Bian because he has many hardcore followers,” he said.

This is the first time GPS has entered the state polls as a state alliance made up of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United Peoples’ Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP).

Dr Jeniri Amir, a senior fellow of the Malaysian Council of Professors, is optimistic that PBB would again maintain its record in the Bumiputera areas, after a clean sweep of 40 constituencies in 2016 and increasing its contests to 46 seats this time.

“GPS will get more than two-thirds again, my guess is between 65 to 70,” he said.

In the last polls, the ruling government also banked on the victories of 11 direct candidates who were not members of the four component parties.

Five of the direct candidates including Wong have since moved on to establish PSB as a rebranded political entity from Wong’s previous United People’s Party.

The EC has set the Sarawak polls to be held this Saturday. – New Malaysia Herald

The post With 89% Turnout, GPS Seen Leading In Early Polls first appeared on NMH.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) leader Fadillah Yusof has urged Sarawakians to come out and vote in full force to ensure the vision of the late Adenan Satem (Tok Nan) fulfiled.

Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB) senior vice-president Fadillah Yusof has also urged Sarawakians to spare “an hour of their precious time” to come and vote and secure the state’s stability and prosperity for the next five years

“Please come out to vote to support a strong Sarawak government that can continue providing the cheapest electricity and water rates in Malaysia and to ensure that the Pan Borneo Highway project and other critical infrastructure for the progress and the benefit of the rakyat are completed as soon as possible.

“Please ensure that the vision of the late Adenan Satem for a fully toll-free and ferry-free developed Sarawak is fulfilled,” he said on his Facebook page today.

He also called on Sarawakians to ensure the state’s development and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic continued uninterrupted.

“Sarawakians should ensure that the state would continue to have a strong and stable government which would protect Sarawak’s rights and its peaceful, multiracial way of life,” he said.

Adding on further, the federal works minister also warned that splitting votes would jeopardise the state government’s stability, resulting in the likely interruption of the state’s economic growth and the rakyat’s welfare.

Early voting started today, with more than 20,000 security personnel and their spouses expected to cast their votes at 16 polling centres in 11 state constituencies.

Voters will go to the polls on Saturday (18 Dec). – New Malaysia Herald

The post GPS Man Urges Sarawakians To Ensure Tok Nan’s Vision Fulfilled first appeared on NMH.

Sibu: The Housing Deposit Assistance Scheme (HDAS), offered to the B40 and M40 groups in Sarawak, is a way to help them own homes after being adversely affected by the Covid-19 pandemic, said Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg.

He said through the scheme, managed by Mutiara Mortgage and Credit Sdn Bhd, the state government will provide a maximum house deposit of RM10,000 for the purchase of affordable housing, thus helping those who are unable to make savings during the pandemic period.

“For example, if you buy a house priced at RM90,000, the state government will pay an RM10,000 deposit first, and the remaining RM80,000 will be paid by the buyer.

“This is a new method for us to help the people after the pandemic because we know their income is affected,” Bernama reported him as saying at the Rumah Spektra Permata (RSP) project when presenting house keys to recipients in Kemuyang, here on Monday (13 Dec).

Abang Johari said through the 2022 State Budget, a total of RM10 million had been allocated to implement the scheme.

Meanwhile, under the 12th Malaysia Plan (12MP), from 2021 to 2025, he said that the state government would build 1,819 RSP units to complement the existing number. During the 11MP (2015-2020) a total of 2,470 RSP units were built throughout Sarawak, costing RM258.6 million. – New Malaysia Herald

The post HDAS To offer Sarawakians Affordable Home Ownership Assistance – Abang Jo first appeared on NMH.

Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS) can repeat its big 2016 victory in the upcoming 12th Sarawak state elections, says a leader of Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB).

PBB’s vice-president Abdul Karim Rahman Hamzah said GPS was confident in winning a two-third majority of at least 55 seats was not an issue but agreed the big challenge would be to achieve the same results when the parties now in GPS were part of Barisan Nasional (BN) then and under the leadership of Adenan Satem.

“To win 72 seats as under Tok Nan (Adenan), we will have to work harder. We still have several days to reach that level of achievement. But it’s not impossible,” said Karim, who is contesting for the fifth term in Asajaya.

Karim expected the ban on big rallies and political talks, particularly in urban areas, to be a big blow to urban parties, pointing out that Democratic Action Party’s (DAP) massive gatherings had been able to cause a last-minute swing of votes in their favour in the past.

“This time, big rallies are not allowed and they can’t bring in good speakers from the Peninsula to bring in fence-sitters. So whether we can get 72 seats or more depends on how we build our campaign over the next few days.”

He believed that GPS chairman Abang Johari Openg’s performance since taking over as chief minister from Adenan in 2017 would draw voters. He cited how Johari fought for Petronas to pay state sales tax on petroleum products to Sarawak.

While urban areas are seen as DAP strongholds, he said people’s grouses with the party were becoming more apparent, while Pakatan Harapan’s 22-month tenure in Putrajaya was a blessing in disguise.

“Although many things were added to PH’s manifesto, they did not fulfil their promises. And this made Sarawakians feel like they were deceived,” he said.

Karim admitted there was concern that those in rural areas were unaware that four of the former Sarawak BN parties had formed their own coalition, especially since it was GPS’ first election under its banner.

He said BN had become an institution of its own in the state, adding that rural voters might not know what to choose if they do not see its weighing scale (dacing) symbol on the ballot paper.

GPS comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) (formerly known as Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) left BN following the coalition’s defeat in the 14th general election (GE14).

The four parties then formed GPS on 12 June 2018 and led the Sarawak state government.

Karim denied claims that GPS had rushed into calling for the state election because of Undi18, pointing out that the polls could have even been held last year if it was not for the pandemic.

Sarawak polls are set on December 18 and early voting is on December 14. – New Malaysia Herald

The post Sarawak Polls: We Will Win Big, says GPS Man first appeared on NMH.

A Democratic Action Party (DAP) candidate in the 12th Sarawak state election was slammed for using DAP’s rocket logo in a Christmas tree instead of the Star of Bethlehem or known as the Christmas star.

President of Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) Major (K) Huan Cheng Guan hit out at DAP’s candidate for N14 Batu Kawah Kelvin Yii Lee Wuen for using the rocket logo on a Christmas tree describing this act as insensitive towards Christians.

The Christmas Star symbolises the ‘Star of Bethlehem’ and according to the Biblical story, the Christmas Star guided the three wise men, to the baby Jesus. The Star also stands for hope for humanity.

“That is DAP. They are insensitive towards any race or religion. They will go towards any extent to garner votes just to come into power.

“Who do they think they are? God? Or they do not know the meaning of the star symbol on a Christmas tree? Are they that ignorant?” Huan questioned them in a statement today.

He demanded Kelvin and DAP to apologise immediately and not to involve religion in politics although Christmas is celebrated by every Malaysian, but to politicise it is unacceptable.

“Yes, Christmas is celebrated by everyone but bringing it into politics is unacceptable.

“This is a sensitive issue. DAP and the candidate should apologise immediately,” he demanded.

On Wednesday (Dec 8), DAP’s Kelvin posted a decorated Christmas tree in Batu Kawah with rocket logo replacing the Star in that tree in his Facebook posting.

This has created an uproar in Batu Kawah and many have complained to the local authorities over there to bring down the tree.

Sarawak polls are set on December 18 and early voting is on December 14.

The post PCM Slams DAP for Insulting Christians In Sarawak first appeared on NMH.

Sarawakians should be wary of DAP as the party leaders are prone to lies, slanders and empty promises, Parti Cinta Malaysia (PCM) president Major (K) Huan Cheng Guan warns.

He said the 360 degrees U-turn made by its party leaders after the 14th general elections (GE14) says it all.

“Before GE14, they made all kinds of promises but after that, nothing happened. Sarawakians should remember DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng’s promises to Sarawakians on oil royalty and taxes.

“Guan Eng promised if Pakatan Harapan comes into power, they would pay out 20% in oil royalty from Sabah and Sarawak’s respective oil revenue as well as return 50% of all taxes collected.

“Did that happen? No, It didn’t, that’s DAP. They will simply promise the sky and the moon but at the end, they give nothing,” he told New Malaysia Herald today.

Elaborating further, he pointed out a news report after GE14 Guan Eng as saying they can’t pay oil royalty to Sarawak because of the huge debt left by the Barisan Nasional administration.

“That was a lie. DAP used federal debts as an excuse for not paying Sarawak the oil royalty.

“It is proven that the debts DAP and other opposition parties were screeching over before GE14 was just a gimmick to hoodwink the voters. Sarawakians must be very careful with what DAP says,” the former Batu Kawan parliamentarian said.

Guan Eng, during the DAP National Leadership Retreat in March 2017 held at a hotel in Subang Jaya, Selangor, promised financial commitments to Sabah and Sarawak if PH takes over Putrajaya, would pay out 20% in oil royalty from Sabah and Sarawak’s respective oil revenue as well as return 50% of all taxes collected to the states’ coffers.

Subsequently, when they came into power, he made a u-turn stating they cannot afford to pay royalties to the two states due to debts inherited from BN.

Stressing further, Huan said Gabungan Parti Sarawak (GPS), comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) under Chief Minister Abang Johari Openg is good enough for Sarawak.

“GPS under the leadership of Abang Johari knows what is good for Sarawak.

“They (GPS) still remain fully committed to fulfilling the vision of its late leader, Adenan Satem, for Sarawak. So, vote wisely,” he reminded Sarawakians.

Sarawak is set for its 12th state election on 18 Dec. Early voting is on 14 Dec. – New Malaysia Herald

The post Ahead Of Sarawak Polls, PCM Warns Against Being Fooled By DAP’s Lies first appeared on NMH.

BN deputy chairman Mohamad Hassan said the leaders of GPS are more than efficient enough to handle the election without any outside assistance.

“But we are ready to assist, and we are always there if needed but at the moment, we feel GPS leaders are good enough to handle this election,” Mohamad or better known as Tok Mat told newsmen at a press conference here today.

Seen with him at the press conference were UMNO’s vice-president Mohamed Khaled Nordin and its secretary-general Ahmad Maslan.

Adding on further, the Rantau state assemblyman said, the purpose of this visit is solely on giving moral support to Abang Johari Tun Openg and hopes Sarawakians will give GPS a huge mandate in order to achieve stability, development and prosperity.

Tok Mat also said this is the first time BN would not be officially participating in the Sarawak state election and the use of its flags and logos are not allowed in any form of campaign.

“We will report to the Election Commission (EC) if any political parties or individuals are seen using BN’s ‘Dacing’ (scale) symbol in this campaign as apart from GPS, we do not have any friendly coalition or parties in Sarawak,” he said. 

GPS comprising Parti Pesaka Bumiputera Bersatu (PBB), Parti Rakyat Sarawak (PRS), Sarawak United People’s Party (SUPP) and Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) (formerly known as Sarawak Progressive Democratic Party (SPDP) left BN following the coalition’s defeat in the 14th general election (GE14).

The four parties then formed GPS on 12 June 2018 and led the Sarawak state government.

Nomination for the polls is set on Monday (06 Dec), early voting on 14 Dec and polling is on Dec 18.

The post GPS Is Capable On Its Own, No Need for Assistance From Others, Says Tok Mat first appeared on NMH.