I told you so

[Please click the newsprint to see enlarged version]

On April 6 2009, my blog read that there was no chance that MCA could have their wishes granted for having a Deputy Prime Minister II post given to them. The Sun, on April 7 2009, confirmed my statement of UMNO's "no way, jose" to MCA. If that was not bad, they claimed that MCA was weak and should not make such demand. What about UMNO itself? Aren't they equally weak after the March 8 2008 thrashing? And yet, being weakend by the opposition, how could they still occupy key positions in the cabinet? Oh, I forgot. It's UMNO we are talking about. To avoid embarassment, One Kee Teat has to apply the usual "the press has misquoted' excuse, and he went as far as that he never made such a request at all. When will they ever learn?

Although the federal constitution allows it and old man Mahathir said it's okay to have a non-malay as a prime minister, do you honestly think for one moment these goons in UMNO is going to allow it? Naaah!

Starry, Starry Night

Aiyah, Vincent, want to bodek also bodek with a little bit more class and finesse. "Lady of Charity"? Charity of what? May I know what she has done for the poor irrespective of their race. Perhaps you should not make it so obvious that you are so pally-wally with UMNO. First, you were always seen with Mahathir and now you want to be buddy buddy with Najib? Or the advertisement is a subtle showing of your being starry-eyed over "the first lady"? Anyway, the photo looks more like cut and paste job to me.

The Chinese coming to terms with PAS

When campaigning for the Bukit Gantang by-election was in full swing in a rural Chinese fishing village, one enthusiastic PAS supporter was a Chinese man wearing a kopiah, a white skullcap worn by Malays. He was urging passers-by to vote for PAS.

That scene perhaps says it all. The Chinese may not adore PAS, which wants Islamic laws to be implemented, but they like Umno even less.

When the Chinese vote for PAS surged at Tuesday's by-election, it signaled an increasing acceptance among the community for the party they once feared because of its religious rhetoric.

“They used to be afraid of PAS, they thought we would maim their limbs, cut their organs, but now they know... PAS is more open than Umno,” said Perak PAS deputy chief Asmuni Awi.

About 75 per cent of Chinese voters in the Malay-majority seat of Bukit Gantang voted for PAS, rejecting Premier Datuk Seri Najib Razak's Umno party. It was a significant increase from the 65 per cent who did the same at the general election last year.

Over at the fishing village of Kuala Sepetang, the only district within Bukit Gantang that is 97 per cent Chinese, some 80 per cent of voters backed PAS's Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin, up from 64 per cent last year.

For a long time, Chinese residents in Perak have been wary of PAS's dream of an Islamic state. Fears of the implementation of strict syariah laws were enough to keep them voting for the Umno-led Barisan Nasional. But now, the Chinese view of PAS is clearly changing.

“They can identify with the more moderate personalities like Nizar,” said PAS strategist Dzulkefly Ahmad.

Apart from peppering his speeches with Chinese phrases, Nizar — the former mentri besar who was ousted by BN — has also been credited with resolving problems faced by the Chinese, such as those involving land titles.

PAS has also appeared to have changed its image of one comprising only clerics and non-professionals.

“PAS used to be seen as purely theological, as a 'parti kampung' or village party. But now, they see it is full of professionals, lawyers, engineers. We have become a threat to BN,” said Asmuni.

Chinese voters, however, still appear to be wary of PAS leaders whom they see as more hardline, such as party president Datuk Hadi Awang and cleric Datuk Harun Taib, who belong to the party's more conservative faction. In an earlier by-election in Kuala Terengganu in January, PAS clinched only 68.4 per cent of the Chinese vote.

What it all means is that non-Malays have become the kingmakers. Strong backing from Chinese and Indian voters helped Nizar trounce his Umno rival Ismail Saffian in Tuesday's by-election.

“The perception is that the non-Malays are not being treated as equals under BN. That's how the opposition benefited,” said Universiti Sains Malaysia's school of social sciences' deputy dean, Dr P. Sivamurugan. — The Straits Times

[Source: The Malaysian Insider]

'David' vs 'Goliath' and 'David' won

The moment was exciting, tense and foreboding as the results were slowly announced, and to everybody's exhiliration, Datuk Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin of PAS/PKR won the Bukit Gantang parliamentary seat The BN 'assaulted' with all weapons they had in their arsenal like, spins from the government-controlled television stations and the printed media, the distribution of money, Mahathir, Najib, Samy Velu, Putri UMNO, half-naked dance girls and busload of suspect "phantom voters", and still 'goliath' fell, and fell hard he did.

The final results

Bukit Gantang
Mohd Jamaluddin Nizar (PAS)
21,860Ismail Saffian (BN-Umno) 19,071
Kamarul Ramizu Idris (Ind) 62
Majority - 2,789 (In 2008, the majority was 1,566)

Bukit Selambau
Manikumar wins Bukit Selambau. With all 22 polling boxes counted, Manikumar retained the seat for PKR by winning with a 2,396-vote majority, a slightly higher margin than in the 2008 general elections.
Manikumar is already celebrating at the official counting centre SM Teknik in Sungai Petani. Along with him is Kedah Menteri Besar Azizan Abdul Razak, PKR president Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and PKR vice-president Azmin Ali.BN candidate S Ganesan is not in the hall. Other MIC leaders are also not present.

Batang Ai
BN's Malcolm Mussem Lamoh (3,907 votes) has beaten PKR's Jawah Gerang (2,053). The majority is 1,854.

With this result, BN has increased its majority from the 806-vote margin at the 2006 state election.

Congratulations to all the winners and may you now start serving the rakyat diligently.

As the voting comes to a close

From: Malaysiakini

Polling at Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai started at 8am this morning. Both Bukit Selambau (Kedah) and Batang Ai (Sarawak) are state seats while Bukit Gantang is a parliamentary seat. Counting began at 5.30pm and results are expected after 10pm. However, counting for some ballot boxes in Batang Ai started at 3pm.

5.25pm Batang Ai More unofficial results from the on-going vote count: Gugu - BN 59, PKR 149, Krang Mong - BN 88, PKR 15. BN is still leading.

5.20pm Batang Ai The high water level in the Lemanak river resulted in a lower voter turnout. Of the 448, only 366 registered voters cast their ballots. According to elections watchdog Mafrel, several boats capsized when ferrying voters.

5pm POLLING ENDS in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai. Counting of votes for the two Bukits is expected to commence at 5.30pm. For Batang Ai, counting started at 3pm.

4.50pm Bukit Selambau The voter turnout was 67 percent as at 4pm.

4.45pm Bukit Selambau The situation in several areas is quite tense with supporters from BN and Pakatan having a go at each other. In certain places, only a heavy police presence is keeping people calm.One focal point is Sungai Lalang where the supporters are trading insults and hurling plastic water bottles at one another.State MIC chief V Saravanan was subjected to intense heckling by the Pakatan supporters when he arrived at Sungai Lalang. The police had to intervene quickly to stop the BN supporters from starting a fight as a result of this.There is a similar situation at Taman Ria, with both sets of supporters insulting each other. The police are keeping a close watch on the BN supporters, largely made up of Puteri Umno members, and the Pakatan crowd.A strong FRU force is present, while a police helicopter is hovering above. Heavy rain has failed to disperse the supporters.

4.35pm Batang Ai BN has taken the lead after ballot boxes from four polling stations - Ng Delok, Dewan Serbaguna Batang Ai, Kerangan Mong and Ulu Engkari - were counted. PKR won in Sempang. BN is leading with 908 votes against PKR’s 356, or a majority of 552. About 20 percent of the votes have been counted so far.

4.30pm Bukit Selambau It is raining heavily.

4.23pm Bukit Selambau According to elections watchdog Mafrel, a commotion erupted at SJK Chung Hua, Sungai Lalang when DAP stalwart Karpal Singh and Kedah MB Azizan Razak passed the area."Unhappy MIC members threw water bottles at their cars. According to observers, passers-by were also hit. It is not clear what caused the commotion."

4.20pm Batang Ai Counting has begun for the ballot boxes from the 14 polling stations in remote areas of Batang Ai. Counting kicked off at 3pm at the main tally centre in Lubok Antu’s sports complex.Based on the early count, BN and PKR are neck-and-neck. BN is leading PKR by 331 to 300. Unofficial results from the following polling stations:
Ulu Engkari - BN 42, PKR 33Bertik - BN 107, PKR 47Sempang - BN 37, PKR 52Delok - BN 86, PKR 21Mengiling - BN 59, PKR 147
Vote counting for polling stations which are due to close at 5pm will begin at 6pm.

4.05pm Bukit Gantang Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin, after his making his rounds of polling centres, said he is satisfied with the voter turnout so far."The response is quite positive. I think the sign is quite encouraging," he told Malaysiakini.He blamed PAS supporters for the chaotic situation outside the SMK Pengkalan Aur polling centre in Air Kuning, Changkat Jering where the police had to fire a teargas to disperse the clashing sets of supporters this morning."It is the opposite side that seems to act rowdy by not following the rules set by the Election Commission. They had encroached into the BN territory," he said.It is also learnt that the teargas was fired by the police at the Umno crowd.

4pm One more hour to go before polling closes at Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai.
3.40pm Bukit Selambau The EC says the turnout of voters was 61 percent at 3pm. Kedah EC chief Zainal Abidin Zakaria says he believes a 70 percent turnout or more can be achieved by the time polling ends at 5pm.

3.25pm Bukit Gantang Blogger Anil Netto has put up a video clip on the teargas incident at SMK Pengkalan Aur polling centre in Air Kuning, Changkat Jering.An eyewitness told Malaysiakini that the FRU moved in to disperse the crowd following an altercation between the two sets of supporters. They threw bottles and chairs at one another. The incident happened between 11am and 12.30pm.The teargas affected many elderly people in the crowd. Some appeared shaky after inhaling the gas.

See the video clip here.

3.24pm Batang Ai Ballot boxes from 14 polling stations arrive at the main tally centre in Lubok Antu’s sport complex. These boxes are from remote areas of Batang Ai’s constituency and were flown in by helicopters. These polling stations closed early to enable the bozes to be taken to Lubok Antu town.According to an election officer, counting will begin at 6pm after the plast few stations are closed at 5pm.

3.14pm Bukit Selambau The EC announces that the voter turnout up to 2pm was 55 percent.

3pm Bukit Gantang The situation turned tense for a while at SK Panglima Bukit Gantang polling station when a school bus bearing a Kuala Lumpur registration number stopped in front of the school at 1.15pm. The bus had about 30 women passengers, believed to be phantom voters.As they were about to alight, the passengers were stopped by PAS supporters who asked if they are voters. They did not respond.
A commotion then erupted between supporters of BN and PAS and the bus left the scene with its passengers. The vehicle was later found at the compound of an Umno operations centre.
In the commotion, a PAS supporter was hit by a bottle thrown by a BN supporter, and he fainted.Six trucks of FRU were deployed to restore calm at about 1.30pm. The situation returned to normal at about 2pm.
The police also reprimanded BN supporters for showing obscene signs at their PAS counterparts.
2.40pm Bukit Gantang EC chairperson Abdul Aziz Yusof says the turnout at Bukit Gantang stood at 58.15 percent at 2pm.

2.30pm Bukit Selambau Independent candidate M Vinsen complained of discrepancies in the ballot paper at the Institut Kemahiran Mara polling centre in respect of his name and logo.He said his name has been placed next to someone else's logo, and that his name has been misspelt on the ballot box which will be used during the counting process.
Saying the election officers were not aware of the matter, he lodged a police report in Sungai Petani and promised to take action against the EC.

2.25pm Batang Ai Although polling has ended in many of the remote districts, the counting of ballots will not be done at the respective polling stations as in the past.
According to the EC, for reasons of logistics and weather, the ballot boxes will be transported either by boat or helicopter to the main tallying centre at the sports complex in Lubok Antu. The votes will be counted there. The boxes represent about 45 percent of the ballots cast.PKR had earlier lodged an official protest because it is concerned about the possibility that the boxes could be switched in transit. The opposition also complained about the 'over-bearing presence' of police even in the most remote districts. PKR leaders described this as an act of intimidation. According to initial unofficial exit polls, BN is trailing in a number of polling districts. The main reason is due to the unpopularity of Deputy Chief Minister Alfred Jabu, who heads Salcra, a state government agency involved in projects affecting native customary rights to land. Many are unhappy with the agency.

2.20pm Bukit Selambau Police detained two men aged 37 and 54 at Kampung Bukit Lembu this morning for stopping a bus carrying BN election workers.According to Berita Harian, the election workers were on their way to their respective outposts around the constituency. The police said the two men, driving a Toyota Avanza, overtook the bus and forced it to stop. They then boarded the bus and prevented the driver from continuing the journey.2.15pm Bukit Selambau Elections watchdog Mafrel observers spot two more buses suspected to be ferrying phantom voters. One bus was seen at Taman Ria Jaya and another was heading towards Tasek Apong. The passengers claimed to be BN supporters from Alor Setar. Mafrel said the observers have taken photos of the buses.

2.05pm Bukit Selambau EC deputy chairperson Wan Ahmad Wan Omar calls on supporters and vote canvassers outside the polling stations to keep their emotions in check in order to avoid any untoward incidents."Things are smooth inside the polling stations but it appears to be unruly outside," he tells reporters.

2pm Batang Ai With voting in some polling districts closed by now, the trend suggests an unexpectedly high voter turnout. In the three fairly sizable polling districts of Sebangki, Mepi and Batu Kaya, the turnout was good in the morning and with two hours to go before closing, it has already exceeded 70 percent. The unusually high voter interest has been attributed to several factors. The by-election is seen as crucial to both PKR and BN in Sarawak as well for issues such as native customary rights to land.

Both BN and PKR leaders have expressed confidence of winning. Political observers feel that this could end up a close fight.

The voting is on!!!!!

From Malaysiakini :

Polling at Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai started at 8am this morning. Both Bukit Selambau (Kedah) and Batang Ai (Sarawak) are state seats while Bukit Gantang is a parliamentary seat.

There are almost 100,000 eligible voters in the three constituencies. Voting ends at 5pm and results are expected after 10pm.

1.50pm Bukit Gantang The sun is up again and the traffic is also clearing up.

1.47pm Bukit Gantang Elections watchdog Mafrel reported that a bus suspected of carrying phantom voters has caused disturbance in Sek Keb Panglima Bkt Gantang polling centre. The police are trying to bring the situation under control."Our observers are on-site monitoring the situation," added Mafrel.

1.45pm Bukit Selambau Kedah EC chief Zainal Abidin Zakaria says that the voter turnout rate stood at 50 percent at 1pm. He expects the turnout to be higher than what was achieved during the last general election, which was 73.7 percent.

1.45pm Bukit Gantang Fatimah Osman, 74: "I always vote for Barisan Nasional, because it is the party that will ensure the future of my children and grandchildren. And I don't want the country to be in chaos.”Sahra Mat Noor, 61: "This government is full of corruption. Perak now has an illegal government," said opposition supporter. This will be a stiff competition, but God willing if there is no cheating, we will win."Beh Lin Huat, 55: "I voted for PAS, my four family members also voted for PAS, the opposition is strong here, we want a change."

1.26pm Bukit Gantang Changkat Jering state representative Mohd Osman Jailu complains that he was heckled by PAS supporters who called him a traitor and a ‘frog' when he went to cast his ballot at the SK Changkat Jering polling centre this morning.However he was not physically threatened. He also said that he was not jeered by PKR supporters.Mohd Osman defected from PKR to become an Independent in February along with two others. Their defections allowed BN to take control of the Perak government from Pakatan Rakyat.At the Taman Kaya religious school polling station, heavy rain is not preventing BN and Pakatan supporters from engaging in a verbal spat. There are about 50 BN supporters as opposed to PAS' 30.

1.25pm Batang Ai At the Sebangki polling district - where former Batang Ai representative, the late Dublin Unting, hailed from - 340 of the 479 registered voters (71 percent) had cast their ballot by 12.30pm. This polling station will close at 3pm.

1.01pm Bukit Selambau It is learnt that Kedah police chief Syed Ismail Syed Azizan is expected to call for a press conference in Sungai Petani soon on the 'phantom bus' incident.
1pm Bukit Gantang Traffic has come to a standstill, with main roads such as Jalan Changkat Jering and Jalan Simpang the worst affected. The latter is the main junction to Changkat Jering, Kuala Sepetang, Matang, Simpang and Taiping.The rain is also getting heavier, prompting fears that it could affect the turnout rate, especially for the voters who would have planned to come out to vote during the lunch hour.

12.57pm Bukit Gantang Reports are coming in stating that the police have fired teargas at the crowd at the SMK Pengkalan Aur polling centre in Air Kuning, Changkat Jering. However this could not be confirmed.When contacted, Taiping district police chief Raja Musa Razak said he had no information on the matter. However, voting is proceeding smoothly, except for a bad traffic jam in the constituency.

12.55pm Batang Ai Election watchdog Mafrel is worried that the turnout in Batang Ai may not beat the 69 percent figure in the parliamentary elections in March last year. While the parliamentary elections were held on a Saturday, voters in this by-election are required to cast their ballots on a weekday, a burden to self-employed farmers and fishermen who constitute the majority of Batang Ai’s 8,129 electorate. Mafrel’s Henry Gerijih says that, based on early morning voter turnout trends, he does not expected the figure to be more than 64 percent.
“Holding an election in these parts on a weekday is no way to garner a high turnout,” he says.

12.52pm Bukit Gantang It is raining in Bukit Gantang. Traffic is bad along all major roads.12.28pm Bukit Gantang Pakatan party workers are reporting good turnout in the Chinese areas of Kuala Sepetang and Kampung Baru Simpang.

12.18pm Batang Ai Blogger Lina Soo reports that Lemamank polling station was only opened at noon, due to earlier floods.

12.05pm Bukit Selambau Chief Inspector Mohammad Shofee Tayib from Kuala Muda district confirms that a bus suspected of carrying phantom voters was stopped by opposition supporters at Gurun, some 20km from Sungai Petani, about 10am. He says the bus is now at the Gurun police station.He adds that the police are not sure if the passengers are supporters or voters. The police are checking on their status now, using the electoral roll.

12.00 Bukit Gantang weather report - rain looks set to fall soon but as it stands, it is still sunny.

11.55am Bukit Selambau EC deputy chief Wan Ahmad Wan Omar says that the voter turnout rate at Bukit Selambau was 40 percent as at 11.50am and is expected reach 50 percent soon.
However, according to PKR's Pantai Jerejak assemblyperson Sim Tze Tzin, who is at Bukit Selambau, the number of young voters who have come out to vote so far is very small.He says that, as at 11am, the turnout rate for young people in all voting districts was only at about 20 percent.This low figure could be due to work commitment, he says, adding that the rate could rise later in the day.

11.46am Batang Ai Blogger Lina Soo reports that the EC has decided to transport ballot boxes from 14 of the 26 polling stations by river and helicopters to the counting centre. Polling agents are not allowed to accompany these ballot boxes.Mafrel said that this could encourage fraud, and that there is a possibility of ballot boxes going missing or being switched.

11.45am Batang Ai The weather remains sunny. At the Mepi polling station, which is part of the resettlement village near the Batang Ai dam, about 290 of 437 voters (66 percent) had cast their ballot by 11am. The polling station will close at 2pm.

11.36am Bukit Selambau The first report of alleged phantom voters has emerged. Blogger Haris Ibrahim reports that a bus was sighted at Bukit Lembu at 10.20am, carrying 29 occupants "who appear to be phantom voters".He says the bus was escorted by police cars all the way to the Gurun police station."The gate was closed but one PKR representative was allowed to go in. A small group gathered outside the police station," he has blogged.

11.28am Voter turnout According to EC, as at 10am, the turnout stood at 17.77 percent at Bukit Gantang, 21.92 percent at Bukit Selambau, and 32.41 percent at Batang Ai.11.26am Bukit Gantang Perak EC chief Ismail Yusof says everything is under control at Bukit Gantang, with no reports of physical violence. However, there is tension at Taman Kaya, Changkat Jering.
11.25am: Batang Ai At Sekarok polling station in Batang Ai dam resettlement area, 250 of 356 voters, or about 70 percent, had cast their votes by 11am. This polling station will close at 2pm.The whole resettlement area, which has more than 1,700 registered voters from 21 longhouses and represents the biggest group of voters in the constitutency, has traditionally been pro-opposition.

11.22am Bukit Selambau Mafrel reports that the FRU has been deployed at SM Aman Jaya after a stand off between BN and PKR.PKR campaigners were unhappy when BN tried to move one of its two tents closer to the polling centre. PKR has only one tent here.

11.15am Bukit Selambau Both BN and PKR are using sample ballot papers to show voters how to vote. This is being done as the Election Commission has reformated the ballot paper due to the big number of candidates.There are also about 40 BN campaigners here, most of them from Puteri Umno.Meanwhile, reports say that roads in Sungai Petani, especially in Sungai Lalang and Bukit Selambau old town, are badly congested.

11.11am Bukit Selambau Wanita Umno chief Shahrizat Abdul Jalil arrives at the SMK Taman Ria Jaya poling station at 11am and is greeted by BN supporters.Taman Ria Jaya polling district has the largest number of voters, at 5,122 voters.

11.10am Bukit Gantang Voter turnout at the SK Changkat Jering was only around 30 percent at 11am. Of 2,410 voters, only about 600 have voted so far.

11am Bukit Gantang Earlier, about 10am, PAS candidate Mohd Nizar Jamaluddin's vehicle was blocked and kicked by BN supporters at the SK Ayer Puteh polling station. Nizar had wanted to visit this Malay area but had to cancel his plan due to this disruption.The BN supporters' actions prompted PAS supporters to retaliate but timely intervention by the FRU stopped the tension from escalating.Nizar's visits to the polling centres, especially in Malay areas, are causing tension, with both sets of supporters exchanging insults.This has resulted in Nizar not staying too long at any of his stops.

10.39am Bukit Selambau Mafrel reports that an argument has erupted between PKR and BN supporters over the location of their tents outside the SJK (Tamil) Palanisamy Kumaran polling centre.The source of the complaint is that BN has been allocated a spot on a tar road while PKR has beem given place on a dirt road.Some PKR party members have entered the BN tent to argue with those inside. The police tried to stop them but to no avail.

Meanwhile, at Bukit Gantang, blogger Bernard Khoo reports that BN and Pakatan supporters were seen throwing chairs and water bottles at one another at the Pengkalan Au polling station. The riot police stepped in to calm the situation.

10.33am Bukit Gantang Blogger Bernard Khoo notes that there appear to be more women voters than men at the Pengkalan Au polling centre.He says there are several wheelchair-bound voters, and that PAS supporters are holding umbrellas over senior citizens.PAS and Umno supporters are mingling on same side of the road, which he sees as unusual. His observation is that PAS cheer groups seem more upbeat than their BN counterparts.

10.30am Batang Ai The weather is fine in Lubok Antu, the main town of Batang Ai. Voter turnout is brisk, according to a Malaysiakini correspondent. There are a total of 1,340 voters.
The Lubok Antu and Kutai polling stations will close at 5pm, the last of 26 to do so. Others with fewer voters are to close earlier. Menyang with 75 voters will be first to close at noon.

10.23am Bukit Selambau Elections watchdog Mafrel reports that there is no EC yellow-tape to mark the 50m restricted zone outside the SM Aman Jaya polling centre in Sungai Lalang.It adds that the police are asking observers to stay a distance from the school gate, where the two major parties have pitched tents. One independent candidate has also put up a tent, but further away.

10.18am Bukit Gantang PAS candidate Mohamad Nizar: "God willing, there is a good chance (for a win)."He spent some 15 minutes with his supporters at Sek Keb Changkat Jering polling centre.As he was walking to his car, BN supporters shouted Penderhaka (traitor). PAS supporters reacted by shouting Hancur Umno, Hidup Nizar.

10.15am Message from Pakatan Rakyat leader Anwar Ibrahim"On April 7, Malaysians in Bukit Selambau, Bukit Gantang and Batang Ai will return once again to the polls to vote for change and for a brighter future for Malaysia.
"Vote if you can. If you are registered to vote in these elections but live outside the constituency, we ask you to make the effort to go home and vote."

10.10am Bukit Selambau Elections watchdog Mafrel reports that the unprecedented A3 size ballot paper is slowing down the voting process in SK Sg Lalang.The EC has reformatted the ballot paper for this by-election to accommodate 15 candidates.

10.01am Bukit Gantang PAS candidate Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin visits SK Changkat Jering polling centre. He is welcomed and mobbed by the PAS supporters and booed by the BN crowd.

10.01am Bukit Selambau Independent candidate T Chandrarajan, after voting: "The response for me is very good and many people have praised my manifesto."He says that being an independent candidate could affect his chances of winning, abut that he will continue to serve the people irrespective of the outcome.

9.59am Batang Ai The Menyang polling station will close at noon while the Lubok Antu station will close at 5pm. Election officials are confident of at least 70 percent voter turnout.There are 8,129 registered voters in Batang Ai, of whom 95 percent are Ibans living in 150 longhouses. There are 43 postal votes.

9.53am Bukit Selambau Independent candidate T Chandrarajan and wife M Suguna Devi vote at Sek Men Teknik Sungai Petani.Chandrarajan is the only independent candidate who is a registered voter in this constituency. A total of 13 independent candidates are vying for this seat along with PKR's Manikumar and BN's Ganesan.

9.45am Bukit Gantang Supporters from PAS and BN are exchanging insults at the Sek Keb Changkat Jering polling centre. About 300 PAS supporters are chanting Hancur Umno, Hancur BN to which the 100-odd BN supporters responded by shouting PAS munafik (PAS hypocrite).
PAS supporters are singing songs about Altantuya. Voters are streaming in to cast their ballots.

9.35am Bukit Gantang A PAS supporter was chased by two policemen after he was seen wearing an Altantuya mask at the SK Changkat Jering polling centre. The supporter got away.

9.28am Bukit Gantang BN's Ismail Saffian: "I am confident people will vote for BN and me."
Asked if defeat would mean people's lack of confidence in Najib, he said: "I leave it to the people". Earlier this morning, he had said his victory would be an endorsement to Najib as the new PM.
He also claimed that his opponents had been up to their dirty tactics again this morning by sending out fake SMSes claiming to be from him to voters, asking them not to vote for him.

9.25am Batang Ai Polling started at 8am in 26 polling stations across the sprawling constituency. With only 8,000 registered voters and no traffic jams, residents are taking their time to vote.In some far-flung polling stations, voting will close earlier to enable the ballot boxes to be flown by helicopter to the main counting centre in the border town of Lubok Antu.

9.20am Bukit Gantang Heavy traffic at the main junction in Taiping as voters and party workers get down to work. Police are monitoring traffic.

9.16am Bukit Gantang BN's Ismail Saffian said it has been a tough contest but that he is confident of winning by a thin majority of between 1,000 to 3,000 votes. He said his victory would be an endorsement of Najib Abdul Razak's premiership.""Based on my observation I have confidence that I can win, I have met the voters and the response is good.
"But it's going to be a tough fight. I'll leave it to the voters," he said, adding that he only slept at 3am after attending 10 ceramah sessions at the last minute and was up by 6am.Both sets of supporters meanwhile are still having a go at each other outside the SK Dato Panglima Gantang voting centre. PAS supporters are shouting Hancur BN to which the response from the other side is Hidup BN.

9.15am Weather report It is a fine morning in Bukit Selambau while the weather is also looking bright in Bukit Gantang after a slight drizzle. Heavy rain is expected in the afternoon in Bukit Gantang.

9.07am Bukit Gantang The Larut Matang and Selama Hired Car and Taxi Drivers Cooperative is providing free service to ferry voters to polling centres.Chairperson Ismail Mat Isa said 25 taxi drivers started picking up voters from 7am until polling stations close at 5pm."It is our social responsibility to help the government by increasing the voter turnout," he said, adding that the free taxi service is also in support of BN's Ismail Saffian.

9am Bukit Selambau PKR's Manikumar, who is visiting the various polling centres, arrives at Ladang Perbadanan Kedah Tamil school where his opponent Ganesan is still waiting after having cast his ballot. They exchanged pleasantries.The by-election here has created history with the number of candidates contesting the state seat - 15 in all, with 13 independents.

8.59am Bukit Gantang BN's Ismail Saffian arrives at the SK Dato Panglima Gantang voting centre and proceeds to cast his vote.

8.47am Bukit Gantang Taiping police chief Raja Musa tells reporters that the Light Strike Force units have been sent to all polling centres to maintain order and ensure security. Traffic outside the SK Dato Panglima Gantang voting centre is almost at a standstill with motorists slowing down to see the two sets of supporters in action.BN's Ismail has yet to arrive to cast his vote.

8.42am Bukit Selambau BN/MIC's Ganesan, after voting: "I am relaxed. Now it is up to the voters. Tonight I will sleep well. I leave it to the voters and god now. I am a familiar face to them. We want to win to serve the people and not for glory."

8.40am Bukit Selambau PKR's Manikumar (photo), after voting: "Today is a historic day. I am confident of winning this seat, maybe with even a majority of more than 2,000. There is a huge support for me here."

8.37am Bukit Gantang BN/Umno supporters have started retaliating against the noise by the PAS supporters at the SK Dato Panglima Gantang voting centre in Changkat Jering.The police Light Strike Force unit is on standby and have formed a line outside the polling centre to separate the opposing supporters.

8.35am Bukit Gantang Of the three candidates vying for this parliamentary seat, only BN's Ismail will be voting today.PAS' Mohamad Nizar is a registered voter in Pasir Panjang state constituency where he is the assemblyperson while independent candidate Kamarul is not registered as a voter.There are 55,562 voters, including 136 postal voters, in the constituency.The Election Commission will open 32 polling stations with 111 voting streams.

8.30am Bukit Gantang A crowd of about 100 are at the SK Dato Panglima Gantang polling centre. This is where BN's Ismail Saffian will be voting. The crowd is divided equally between Umno and PAS supporters. They are all waving their respective party flags and posters in support of their candidates.PAS supporters are shouting Allahuakbar and singing religious songs.This by-election is a three-way fight between Ismail, PAS' Mohamad Nizar Jamaluddin and Independent Kamarul Ramizu Idris.8.24am Bukit Selambau BN's Ganesan and his wife R Vatsala have cast their votes.

8.18am Bukit Selambau PKR's candidate S Manikumar voted at SMK Taman Ria Jaya.8.15am Bukit Gantang Voters are queuing to vote at SK Dato Panglima Gantang. BN candidate Ismail Saffian is expected to cast his vote here soon.8.07am: Bukit Selambau BN/MIC candidate S Ganesan arrives at Ladang Perbadanan Kedah Tamil school to cast his vote. About 30 police personnel are stationed here.

A sight for sore eyes!!

These photos were taken at Simpang, Bukit Gantang, last night. A sight to behold. Thanks Anil for the fine photos.

A Pakatan supporter waving a DAP flag to welcome the crowd to the party's dinner.

Chinese attending a dinner hosted by PAS.

Deputy Prime Minister II

Sometimes I find that habits die hard as far as the Barisan Nasional is concerned. To begin with, MCA has always been begging and not getting. What makes it this time that UMNO will accede to MCA's request for a DPMII post? They would have better chances praying to their dieties and asking them to grant them [MCA] a 4-D or 3-D win. I could see that the new DPM will not feel comfortable with a chinaman sitting next to him who appears to be smarter than him. Heaven forbids! If such a precedent is set, one can imagine Gerakan (which they have already done) asking for a DPMIII post, PPP asking for a DPMIV post and those fellas in East Malaysia will start demanding for DPMV, VI, VII, VIII, VIX and X posts after all our East Malaysian brothers will insist that they deserves such "promotion" as they were the ones who saved UMNO from total annihilation from last year's general election.

So my solution to the problem, just forget it. No way Jose is UMNO going to even consider this request. MCA will definitely presents itself as a threat to UMNO and its DPM as after this, the next promotion will be the prime minister of the country. Quite frankly, it will not even be in the KIV tray that's for sure.

Let's vote for a better future

This is to our fellow Malaysians residing in Bukit Gantang, Bukit Selambau and Batang Ai - Happy voting on the seventh and may you wisely elect the right candidate to establish a new, clean and just order to our beloved country.

We are counting on you!

Hidup Malaysia!

Najib's 1Malaysian or One Malaysia

Okay this is for my friends who have an elementary understanding of UMNO jargons whenever they used such statements when it finally dawned upon them that "Hey Brother. It's time we must stay and work together and not go on separate ways! Otherwise the country will split up. We can't have that happening can we?"' And voila .... 1Malaysian was born on 3rd (or is the 4th) of April 2009. But hold on a minute. Whenever these UMNO fellas start tinkering with the good feeling of 'unity', there must be something more than meets the eyes. Quite frankly, we must always look on the other side of the coin, so that we can see a different picture, in a holistic way, that is. So, 1Malaysian could mean .....

1. Demolish more Hindu temples so that the Indians will have no choice but to migrate back to India to be closer with their God.
2. Keep on denying the Chinese entries into local universities and colleges. More so, make sure they will not enjoy the privilege as a civil servant or rise up in the ranks in the military. Business permits will also be limited. The rightists in UMNO will make sure that all Chinese schools are closed, period. The Chinese will be so frustrated that many of them will start migrating to countries like China, Australia, Canada, USA and Europe. After all they are doing it since the seventies. So what UMNO has to do is simply to speed up the pace.
3. The natives of Sarawak and Sabah will have all the ancestral lands gobbled up and in due time, the Ibans, Bidayus, Kadazans, Dusuns, etc will just fade away through inter-racial marriages, just to stay alive.
4. The Negritos and the Senois in Peninsular Malaysia will continously be where they are, the jungle, so that they will not start a demonstration to claim that they are the prince of the soil [bumiputra].

So after accomplishing all the above, what do we have ..... VOILA!! 1MALAYSIAN!