TMI - Umno needs help for voter support, party leaders admit

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 22 — Umno needs to be “calculative” and befriend as many groups and organisations as possible to gain voter support in time for the upcoming polls, party leaders have said.

Top Umno leaders said the party could not afford to be “picky” about which groups to align itself with, and that everything must be done with only one goal in mind: winning the next election.

Some appeared to agree with remarks made by former Umno president Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed, who said the party could not afford to make enemies of groups like Perkasa if it wanted to regain crucial Malay votes.

“We need to be calculative with whom to associate ourselves with; the criteria is those who can bring more support to the party,” Tangga Batu MP Datuk Idris Haron told The Malaysian Insider.

“Anything we do must have a political dividend.”

The Umno supreme council member said there was no point ignoring or marginalising certain groups when these could help Umno gain voter support, especially among the Malays.

“We cannot be too particular. What is important is that we win the elections,” he added.

Kota Belud MP Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahlan said that Umno had over the years proven that it fought for not just the Malays but for other races as well.

“Umno is the single largest party and it’s the backbone of the government. So whatever we say will impact the nation,” he told The Malaysian Insider.

The Umno leader said that although Malays should always be prioritised, the party needed to be mindful of its actions as these could affect the future of Barisan Nasional (BN).

“We are friendly to everybody,” said Abdul Rahman.

Another Umno leader, Datuk Bung Mokhtar Radin, said that it was crucial for Umno to cosy up to groups like Perkasa, and that such a move would strengthen Malay support for Umno before the upcoming polls.

“Yes, we need to be friendly to Perkasa, but Umno also needs to be friendly to everybody,” he added.

read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

FMT - Dr M’s ‘befriend Perkasa’ riles Kita

PETALING JAYA: Kita is disappointed with Dr Mahathir Mohamad for asking the Malays to “put their heads in the sand” by urging Umno to befriend Perkasa to win the next general election.

The former premier yesterday warned Umno that it needed allies in Malay rights groups like Perkasa to recoup crucial Malay votes and pinned Barisan Nasional’s 2008 electoral losses on the lack of Malay support.

But Kita described Perkasa as an “organisation that clearly advocates racial hatred and bigotry”.

In a statement, the Zaid Ibrahim-led party pointed out that Mahathir’s winning formula for Umno is about the Malays inwardly huddling together and defending the values espoused in 1946 against outsiders.

It however added that it believes the Malays know better as they have seen how the “Malay-first-Malaysian second” policies have only helped those in power.

“They have seen how those that represent the ‘old Malay order’ trample on their civil and human rights,” Kita stated. “They’ve seen how these policies are an excuse for corruption, nepotism and the abuse of power.”

Kita further tore into the practice of government subsidies as well as the “Hidup Melayu” mantra. It scorned the former as an “opiate for those addicted to voting BN” and the latter as having no place in their children’s future.

“Kita believes that Malays recognise that their future is not in maintaining this fortress mentality. Instead, it is to embrace universal values which include integrity, hard work and tolerance, without losing one’s identity as a Malay.”


read more at FreeMalaysiaToday.com

Video - Perkasa calls for Ambiga's arrest under ISA

MC - Lawyers group slam Dr M, Rahim for bad attitude over Human Rights

Lawyers for Liberty, as an organization that stands for human rights is appalled by recent statements made by former PM Mahathir and former IGP Rahim Noor. It seems that these well-known figures are getting away with making absurd and irresponsible statements such as likening the human rights struggle to communism.

Indeed it comes as no surprise that Rahim Noor – who was once the country's highest police officer would make such remarks. During his time in office, Rahim Noor was guilty of widespread human rights abuses carried out by his police force under his directions, particularly during the reformasi period.

Nobody in their right minds can fathom his poor analysis in trying to dismiss human rights as a communism-like wave. However, a key prominent figure, former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir has joined the fray in support of Rahim Noor, who has been heavily criticised for his outrageous remarks.

Moreover, Mahathir himself was another blatant violator of human rights during his tenure as PM. One clear example is the mass arrests during Ops Lalang and police brutality during the early years of Reformasi.

We should also not forget that it was under Mahathir's orders to destroy Anwar Ibrahim and the rakyat's reformasi movement that Rahim Noor beat Anwar close to death on the night of 20 September 1998. Mahathir immediately covered up Rahim’s crime by suggesting Anwar had beaten himself up just to get sympathy. Rahim later confessed to his crime and was convicted.

read more at MalaysiaChronicle.com

TMI - Curb ‘fascist’ Perkasa, Rahim Noor, Pakatan MPs tell Najib

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 28 — The federal opposition has called Perkasa and Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor “fascist monsters” after the former top cop likened the rise of human rights movements to communism during the Malay rights group’s general assembly on Wednesday.
Pakatan Rayat (PR) lawmakers said today that Datuk Seri Najib Razak “must immediately put a stop to this fascism movement and openly condemn the former IGP and Perkasa... if he is sincere about his political transformation programme.”

“The latest attacks against the human rights movement is clearly an attempt to reverse Najib’s capitulation to civil society movements such as Bersih,” said DAP publicity chief Tony Pua, referring to the electoral reform movement which saw tens of thousands take to the streets of the capital on July 9.

The Petaling Jaya Utara MP said Perkasa, comprising many hardliners from Umno, opposed the prime minister’s parliamentary select committee to improve the electoral system and a raft of reforms that include the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA).

PKR vice-president Nurul Izzah Anwar also told The Malaysian Insider that “the tragedy lies not in Rahim Noor’s archaic, irrelevant and misguided views, but in the fact there remain organisations that prop up and bring new life to such monsters.”

The Lembah Pantai MP also accused Perkasa and the former IGP of “a hidden, dangerous agenda... an affront to common sense and should be rejected by all peace loving Malaysians.”

read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

TMI - Ibrahim Ali disappointed by Himpun turnout

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 26 – Perkasa president Datuk Ibrahim Ali has expressed embarrassment over the poor turnout at the Himpunan Sejuta Umat rally, despite the Malay rights movement earlier shrugging off the low attendance.
Only 5,000 people filled the 100,000-seat Shah Alam Stadium where the rally against the alleged Christianisation of Malaysia took place last weekend.

“Even as late at 4pm, there were fewer than 10,000 people... I was embarrassed as a Malay and a Muslim. Where are our Malays?

“But when there’s a conference or an assembly, why this, why that?” Ibrahim said in his winding-up speech at the 2nd Perkasa general assembly here.


read more at TheMalaysianInsider.com

FMT - Perkasa tidak mahu calon anti-Melayu, Islam

KUALA LUMPUR: Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) memberi amaran ahlinya tidak akan mengundi mana-mana calon pilihan raya umum ke 13 (PRU13) yang bersifat anti-Melayu dan Islam, serta tidak menghormati Perlembagaan Persekutuan.

Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali berkata pihaknya kini sedang memerhatikan calon PRU13 yang sering mengeluarkan kenyataan sensitif sedemikian.

Selepas itu, katanya arahan akan dikeluarkan kepada setiap ahlinya di setiap kawasan Parlimen dan Dewan Undangan Negeri (Dun) melalui pelbagai medium termasuk sistem khidmat pesanan ringkas (sms) supaya tidak mengundi calon tersebut.

Katanya, tindakan itu akan dilakukan tidak kira calon parti politik Pakatan Rakyat mahupun Umno dan Barisan Nasional (BN) sendiri.

“Perkasa akan nyahkan mana-mana calon yang anti-Melayu, anti Islam dan menentang Perlembagaan, jadi mereka takkan dapat undi.

“Ingatlah mana-mana pihak yang nak jadi calon hati-hati bila bercakap.

read more at FreeMalaysiaToday.com