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For Justice, Freedom & Solidarity PP3739/12/2010(025927) ISSN 0127 - 5127 RM4.00 2010:Vol.30No.5 Aliran Monthly : Vol.30(5) Page 1 COVER STORY Sleepless in Sarawak Whichever way you put it, the political outlook does not look rosy for Taib and the other component party leaders who are so dependent on his patronage by Abang Benet t was not meant to hap- II pen this way. After all, III the government media’s script for elections in Sarawak is that it’s the BN’s ‘fixed deposit’, the parliamentary vote- bank that delivers again and again and again, come rain or shine, through thick and thin. And just to make sure that this re- occurred as per the official script, PM Najib Abdul Razak, DPM Muhyiddin Yassin, CM Abdul CM TaibTaibCM PM NajibNajibPM Taib Mahmud and other BN min- isters openly abused public re- sources and poured millions of ringgit of public funds into the by- election. Even the Methodist Church in Sibu, despite their sup- posed embrace of ‘Christian’ val- ues, unashamedly pocketed a ‘badly timed’ mega-handout! It was a vulgar and unabashed dis- play of electoral bribery. The Sibu contest was little more than a ‘buy’ election. DPMDPMDPM DAP'sDAP'sDAP's Except that the Sibu voters (and Muhyiddin Lim Kit Siang especially those from the urban Chinese community) had other ideas. And notwithstanding the by a wafer-thin margin of 398 slap in the PM’s face but it also Election Commission’s shenani- votes. thwarted Najib’s not-so-secret gans of delaying the result in a plan of holding snap general elec- failed attempt - if DAP’s Lim Kit Loss a major blow tions had the BN emerged victori- Siang is to be believed - to cook ous. The BN’s loss of Sibu, hith- the results, the voters handed the The loss was a major blow for the erto a SUPP/BN bastion, only seat to DAP/PR’s Wong Ho Leng BN. Not only was the defeat a threw a major spanner in the Aliran Monthly : Vol.30(5) Page 2 EDITOR'S NOTE Some people are probably having sleepless nights. In our cover story, Abang Benet zeroes in on the situa- CONTENTS tion in Sarawak. The political outlook there does not look rosy for Taib Mahmud and the other BN compo- nent party leaders who are so dependent on his pa- COVER STORY ••• Sleepless In Sarawak 222 tronage. The same writer then discusses the 1Malay- ••• 1Malaysia Hypocrisy In Sarawak 888 sia hypocrisy in Sarawak and the plan to reduce or remove subsidies floated by cabinet minister Idris Jala. FEATURES Also touching on Sarawak, Anil Netto discusses the ••• BN: Hollow And Hypocritical 999 ••• Excuse Me, Idirs! 101010 likelihood of an early general election. But for deep- ••• Cock-Eyed View Of What Constitutes rooted change to take place, he says a society’s value Non-Muslim Rights 121212 system has to be transformed and its institutions re- ••• Why I Oppose Legalising Football vamped. Expect more defections when polls draw Gambling 131313 ••• Tukul Besi 151515 closer. Hishamuddin Yahaya likens such political ••• In Memory Of Gan Teik Chee 212121 defectors to tukul besi or hammers. These surface only ••• Eulogy To Gan Teik Chee 222222 when there is a hatchet job to be done but are then ••• Who Is My Boss? 232323 discarded or tucked away in a tool box. ••• MIC, Maika Deserve To Be Cursed For 10 Gemerations 252525 ••• Maika: Bleeding Again 262626 Elections are also expected in Myanmar, but these ••• The Upcoming Myanmar Election Is will not be positive for democracy in the country, writes Not For Home Democracy 323232 John Smith Tang. The military regime there clearly ••• Ibn Taymiyyah And His Fatwa On TerrorismTerrorismTerrorism 343434 aims to maintain its grip on power and shows no ••• An Early General Election? 404040 interest in building a genuine democracy. In a real democracy, elected reps are accountable to the people. It is the same with town councillors. Penang Island REGULARS Municipal Councillor Lim Kah Cheng, who is the ••• Thinking Allowed 191919 ••• LettersLettersLetters 373737 NGO representative in the council, asserts that her ••• Current Concerns 383838 real boss is the Rakyat and not the state government. As elections approach, scandals and controversies OTHERSOTHERSOTHERS invariable surface or resurface. We carry a couple of ••• Subscription Form 181818 articles by P Ramakrishnan, who looks back and re- flects on the Maika debacle. The raging sports betting controversy, meanwhile, draws the attention of Francis Loh and Toh Kin Woon, who contribute to Published by the debate. Persatuan Aliran Kesedaran Negara (ALIRAN)(ALIRAN)(ALIRAN) 103, Medan Penaga, 11600 Jelutong, Aliran is an organisation for ‘social democratic reform’. We advocate freedom, justice and Penang, Malaysia. solidarity; comment critically on social issues, offer Tel: (04) 658 5251 Fax: (04) 658 5197 analysis and alternative ideas keeping in mind Email (Letters to Editor): the national and global picture based on universal [email protected] human rights and spiritual values. We are listed on the on the roster of the Economic and Social Council of Email (General): [email protected] the United Nations. Founded in 1977, Aliran Homepage : http://www.aliran.com welcomes all Malaysians above 21 to be members. Contact the Hon. Secretary or visit our webpage. Printed by Konway Industries Sdn. Bhd. Plot 78, Lebuhraya Kampung Jawa, 11900 Bayan Lepas, Penang Aliran Monthly : Vol.30(5) Page 3 works for Najib, who now has to within the party, their self-serving laysia.) continue governing the country attitude and the party’s inability like the lame duck, flip-flop PM to renew itself let alone represent And who is going to bury forever that he is; without any personal general Chinese interests within major ‘corporate mistakes’ like 1st mandate from the electorate and the BN. Silicon, Sarawak Medichem, and at the mercy of a fractious and in- Sarawak International Medical creasingly right-wing Umno/BN. Unfortunately, after three decades Centre? And who is going to en- of near feudal governance of the sure that public finance excesses Similarly, it was a big blow to Taib state with a weak and fractured involving numerous state infra- Mahmud’s stature as the opposition, Taib and his coterie structure projects and state land strongman of Sarawak politics. of BN political hanger-ons are just allocation to plantation compa- After all, if anyone loves electoral plain blind to this view. nies, political supporters and busi- clean sweeps, it is Taib who has ness associates remain buried always prided himself on being Regardless, even if Taib did want deep within the state civil service able to win (nearly) all seats con- to step down, the interlocking na- files? tested in any Sarawak election. It ture of politics and business in was bad enough that he had to Malaysia means that there is a real The ostensible ‘lack’ of any ‘ca- play second-fiddle to Najib dur- possibility that Taib, his extended pable’ successor within PBB to ing the by-election in his own family, relatives and corporate as- take over as CM is clearly ham- state. But to lose?!? Well, that was sociates stand to lose much if he pering Taib’s ‘succession’ plans a bitter pill. did leave centre-stage - just like even if he wants to go. His son, how his uncle, former CM Abdul Sulaiman Abdul Rahman Taib, Losing his grip? Rahman Yakub and his political recently bowed out of politics com- hangers-on did after he retired. pletely for ‘health’ reasons. Taib’s Hence, is Taib losing his iron grip brother, Mohamad Ali Mahmud, over Sarawak? Some like Prof. To whom would he entrust the who is the state assembly mem- James Chin of Monash University care and nurturing of companies ber for Muara Tuang, is politically Malaysia noted that losing Sibu closely associated with or directly inactive. His niece, Norah Abdul only showcased the increasingly linked to his extended family, rela- Rahman, is a junior parliamentar- widespread public perception that tives and business proxies like ian and may yet play a major lead- Taib has overstayed his welcome Cahya Mata Sarawak, Sarawak ership role at some stage in and should go. Not only are ur- Cable, Putrajaya Perdana, Loh & Sarawak’s future. But for now, ban Chinese voters fed up with Loh, Titanium, Quality Concrete, despite the presence of various Taib, they are also tired of SUPP’s Kumpulan Construction, other long-serving PBB leaders ageing leadership, the hypocrisy Kumpulan Parabena, Borsarmulu like Abang Johari, Adenan Satem, Resort, Majupun, Awang Tengah, Alfred Jabu and Naim Cendera, Ta Effendi Nawawi, neither Taib Ann, UBG, Hock Seng Mahmud nor the PBB membership Lee, KKB Engineering, has been able to identify a succes- Sarawak Energy, sor. Hence, for now, there is no Sarawak Plantations, transition planning within PBB/ Eksons Corporation, BN. Dayang Enterprise, mLabs Systems, Consequently, given his ‘sense of Sarawak Capital, duty’ to Sarawak, Taib is ‘unable’ Lanco, Achi, Saradu to leave centre-stage and will en- Plantation, Sanyan deavour to remain in office for as and Samling? (Note long as possible. Put it down to that this is only a his burning desire and commit- shortlist! There is more ment to ‘bring development’ to the and not only in Ma- people of the state. Lost by a wafer-thin margin of 398 votes Aliran Monthly : Vol.30(5) Page 4 Cracks in the loss of Sibu to ‘an uncreative Umno, MCA, MIC, PPP or the coalition? and unenergetic BN election ma- Gerakan) come to Sarawak to chinery [which] had still followed campaign? Are SUPP and PBB But times they are a-changin’. So the old way of campaigning’.