Meanwhile, back at Eyjafjallajökull... (a flashback)

I'm glad to be living in Ulu Selangor (a name that easily rolls off the tongue) - where the only rumblings that can be heard are the sound of BN's imminent collapse!

CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPECTACULAR PHOTOS!

[First posted 22 April 2010]

The dreadful Umno sindrome (revisited yet again!)

What exactly is this fatal disease called the dreadful Umno sindrome (sic)? Is it contagious? How do we protect our children from it?

First the bad news: none of us is free from infection, because the dreadful Umno sindrome virus has been an integral part of the human gene pool for literally thousands of generations. Indeed, we may well have inherited it from our Makers, the Anunnaki “creator gods” who, according to recent interpretations of the Sumerian clay tablets, colonized the earth several hundred millennia ago. Of course, the disease wasn’t known as “the dreadful Umno sindrome” back then…

Back then it wasn’t even recognized as a disease.

Back then it was regarded as a survival program. It went by many other names: for instance, the competitive urge, the will to dominate, insatiable greed for power, or Us versus Them.

Today the disease manifests in many facets of human behavior: Domination and Submission – Master and Slave – Predator and Prey.


Deliberately maintaining a vast pool of subordinate humans to power the relentless juggernaut of illusory progress is another symptom of the dreadful Umno sindrome.

Those at the top of the food chain feed vampire-like off the suffering of the semi-conscious masses. Generation after generation. Stealing energy from a mentally shackled human population - unable to generate their own, devoid of creativity and totally incapable of originality.


It is undoubtedly a virulent form of parasitism. Leeches, Inc. Bloodsuckers & Tapeworms, advocates & solicitors. The dreadful Umno sindrome creates a shadowy, unwholesome power structure founded on deceit, hypocrisy, and violence.

There is a negative aspect of individuation which makes each of us unique – but at the same time isolates and traps us within our cultural, linguistic, and conceptual cocoons - or coconut shells, if you happen to be a local. In effect, the “skin-encapsulated ego” articulated by Alan Watts; the narrowest and most limited definition of Self. Everything outside my skin is not me – and therefore whatever I do to it or however I relate to it doesn’t impact upon me... so who gives a fuck?

The artificial boundary of skin is subsequently extended to include those of similar color - and whose manner of speech and daily behavior is most akin to our own.

Individuals with the strongest egos are the ones most susceptible to the dreadful Umno sindrome. Many rise to political prominence either by choosing to incarnate through royal bloodlines – or by brutally and ruthlessly seizing power. Thus was established the template of lord-and-ladyship, the habitual exercise of unquestionable power over others – at first by brute force, later via mass mind control.

Under the nefarious influence of the dreadful Umno sindrome, ordinary folks yearn to acquire the superficial trappings of power – big houses, big cars (the bigger the better), security guards, servants, personal cosmeticians and public relations consultants. They begin leading hypocritical, schizophrenic lives wherein the divide between their private and public personae eventually turns them into Dr Jekylls and Mr Hydes (or Smeagols and Gollums).

In effect, their public selves will reflexively deny whatever their private selves crave.

This perpetual conflict between inner and outer selves projects itself outwardly into a greater duality wherein the Devil is pitted against God in eternal competition. In Arabic and Hebrew the word shaitan means “opponent.”

Satan is whomsoever you’re competing or warring with.

Ultimately, the only enemy you face is your own dark side.

And now for the good news: the dreadful Umno syndrome is really just an atavistic, outdated survival program that can quite easily be deleted or uninstalled from our neural circuitry and deep psyches.

Indeed, detecting this viral program within our own operating systems and consciously deactivating it is the only way humanity will finally be free from its compelling dictates.

We’ve heard it said that people get the government they deserve. If you examine all the negative traits in a political entity like Umno and then take a long, honest look at the hidden agendas that drive us – you’ll see that the potential to be arrogant, greedy, deceitful, hypocritical, envious, devious, acquisitive, exploitative, and totally self-centered is actually latent in each of us.

That’s why it’s so easy to fear and loathe Umno – because it unabashedly embodies all the bad habits and shortcomings we detest in ourselves. Even if we succeed in reducing Umno to a puny, rapidly fading political opposition, we are still in danger of succumbing to the cancerous effects of the dreadful Umno sindrome virus hardwired in our DNA over countless generations.


So please take heed, ladies and gentlemen. If you wish to see honesty and openness in government, the only way is to become honest and open ourselves.

If you insist that your leaders be accountable and transparent, make sure that you yourself are equally accountable and transparent.

If you detest bribery, coercion and the use of crude force in modifying public behavior – then you must ensure that you yourself transcend the urge to manipulate others by corrupting or threatening them.

If you’re tired of being treated like a retarded child by the authorities, then quit treating your own retarded child like a retarded child. Instead, acknowledge that he or she is wired differently, that’s all, and cease to project your expectations on others.

This is how we can free ourselves from the dreadful Umno sindrome without having to poke our nose into politics.

Nevertheless, given an opportunity to vote, use that prerogative wisely against all known carriers of the dreadful Umno sindrome by kicking out the irredeemably rotten Barisan Nazional.

Let’s celebrate the dawn of a new era of enlightenment, compassion and wisdom in our public as well as private lives!


[First published 4 April 2010, reposted 12 May 2014]

Somebody to vote for - not just against! (reprise)

Batu Pahat in the early 1960s

As a kid growing up in a small southern town called Batu Pahat, in the seemingly halcyon 1950s, I recall seeing the entire town festooned with navy blue buntings bearing a white sailboat motif.

That was the symbol of the Alliance Party and, although I was too young to poke my nose into politics, I understood that it represented the newly-hatched Malayan government led by Tunku Abdul Rahman.

My father was a health inspector and, as a civil servant, he was expected to support the ruling party - but I suspect he rarely bothered to vote. In those days there weren't too many political alternatives.

The Labor Party of Malaya, registered in 1952, came up with a logo that featured a hoe crossed with a pen against a large gear on a blood red background. Far better than the hammer and sickle, I suppose - since the pen suggested literacy and a degree of intellectuality. Still, for most middle-class families, the hoe (or cangkul in Malay) was hardly in keeping with their aspirations towards ever greater gentility.

So I remained blissfully unaware of shifting undercurrents in local politics and - even after the eruption of violence that began on 13 May 1969 - I found myself far more interesting than the political milieu. To a certain extent that still holds true, I have to admit.

The introduction of the New Economic Policy in 1971, under the premiership of Tun Abdul Razak (right), followed swiftly by the National Cultural Policy, effectively turned me into a "second-class citizen" in the country my grandparents had opted to make their permanent home. I remember hearing a lot of bitter comments from my father - but he never translated any of his grievances into political action. As far as my dad was concerned, Lee Kuan Yew was the sort of leader he could respect - yet he was far too comfortable to consider moving to Singapore.

I was thus utterly indifferent when the Alliance Party reinvented itself as the National Front or Barisan Nasional, opting for the archaic weighing scale as its new party symbol. (Ironically, there's a neo-Nazi racist party in Britain which calls itself the National Front. I wonder if the Barisan Nasional is aware of this prophetic coincidence.)

Having grown up in an urban environment, I noticed that the NEP created an interesting phenomenon whereby there were suddenly a lot more Malays driving expensive cars than 10 years ago. I thought that was a positive development. It was a necessary phase, perhaps, to accelerate the proliferation of a Malay middle-class which would effectively bridge the cultural divide between urban and rural folks. One of the significant spin-offs of the NEP was that many Malays were able to send their children abroad for further studies - and many returned effectively bilingual, with Caucasian spouses in tow and a distinctly cosmopolitan worldview. What once was the exclusive prerogative of the Malay aristocracy now became available to a wider spectrum of Malay society.


Monolingual Malays - particularly the ones embedded in the deep rural constituencies - remained somewhat insular and prone to xenophobia. Umno was quick to realize that these grassroots members served the party best as an ignorant, emotional voter base that could easily be swayed by official propaganda piped through the mass media. There was really no point in ensuring that they had access to different languages and cultural templates.

Accordingly, the education system was designed to be strictly utilitarian - preparing the young for jobs in an industrial society, but not encouraging them to be curious about the larger world or to acquire a taste for knowledge. A well-informed, discerning voter base is an extremely volatile one.

I recall seeing Dr Mahathir's face for the first time in the newspaper. Even though he was only a deputy minister then and I knew next to nothing about the man, something in his demeanor made me shudder. It was a visceral reaction that has never entirely left me - and perhaps never will until I get word of his departure from this planet.

To avoid the feeling of mild nausea each time I caught sight of Dr M's sneer in the papers or on TV, I focused my attention and energies on the performing arts - specifically theatre and music. That was entirely therapeutic for me. Not only did such activities keep me (relatively) sane, they also won me a wide circle of friends and invites to endless parties.

It was becoming more than obvious by 1986 that Dr M had given a sinister twist to the word "entrepreneurship" with his misguided attempt to create a Frankenstein's monster called the Bumiputra Billionaire, aided and abetted by the ultimate Mafia don, Daim Zainuddin (right).

When people become exceedingly rich by inventing something universally popular and useful - or through the display of extraordinary talent, whether in the cultural or athletic field - one can only applaud wholeheartedly. However, fast bucks obtained through political skullduggery and financial shenanigans are hugely damaging to the moral equilibrium of a nation. What happens is that the horizon of decency quickly becomes obscured, to the extent that honest truth-speakers become a threat to the corrupt status quo.


In October 1987 Mahathir, acting in his capacity as home minister, invoked the obnoxious Internal Security Act and ordered the arrest and detention without trial of some 106 people - many of whom were my personal friends and none of whom could seriously be considered a threat to anybody except Mahathir himself. A couple of newspapers were shut down and a climate of fear quickly descended upon the nation. People became apprehensive about discussing politics in public places. Each time somebody uttered the dreaded name "Mahathir" people would immediately look around to see if anyone was watching.

The Special Branch of the Royal Malaysian Police (modeled after the British Special Branch) began playing a major role at the start of the so-called Emergency in 1948. Its prime target was to infiltrate Communist cells operating within the country and gather intelligence deemed necessary to safeguard the nation's security.

However, the definition of "Communist threat" soon expanded to include leftwing political parties with socialist ideologies and outspoken critics of the government. According to Umno and the Malay ruling elite, anybody concerned about social justice, human rights and a level playing field was potentially dangerous to the status quo and therefore had to be closely watched, harassed at every turn, and thwarted from ever attaining political power - even through legitimate and peaceful means.

At that point I was compelled to remove my head from the proverbial sand and start paying close attention to all the hanky-panky that was going on in the political Punch'n'Judy show.

For a start I decided to register myself to vote. And I'm proud to say I have voted against the Barisan Nasional at every opportunity.

Although it felt a little strange to occasionally have to vote for a candidate from the Islamic party, it was still far better than voting for any of the arrogant, greedy, hypocritical rogues in the ruling party. I wasn't entirely comfortable with the Chinese-dominated Democratic Action Party (I used to be a closet Sinophobe, despite my Chinese ancestry) - but their leaders were truly inspiring in their sheer tenacity and focus, especially veteran generals like Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh. All of them seemed ready to go to jail for their beliefs.

In 1999 when Wan Azizah inaugurated Parti Keadilan (Justice Party) to keep the spirit of reform alive while her husband languished in prison, I was prompted to join. Indeed, it was the first time in my life I actually felt drawn to committing myself to a political organization.

No opposition party on its own had the wherewithal to combat the firmly entrenched power of BN - but towards the end of 2007 Anwar Ibrahim finally succeeded in pulling together the tripartite political coalition now known as Pakatan Rakyat.

DAP's emphasis on sound financial management, PKR's focus on social justice, freedom and human rights, and PAS's spiritual foundation combine to forge a conscious, functional union of Head, Heart and Soul.

Finally we have somebody worth voting for - not just against!

[First published in April 2010]

Lady Baba meets Lord Greystoke III...

I only just viewed this third and final episode of Lady Baba's amazing adventures in Hulu Selangor... and was thoroughly thrilled, not least because I'm in it! :-)

Check out the first two episodes...

Kim Quek on Najib's "hollow victory"

Kim Quek's is by far the most lucid and eloquent analysis of the intense battle for Ulu Selangor which ended yesterday at 5:00PM...

The Malaysian Insider

WAS IT REALLY WORTH THE EFFORT, NAJIB?

Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak might have won the electoral battle at Hulu Selangor, but he sure has taken a giant step backwards in defending Putrajaya against the relentless advance of Pakatan Rakyat.

The orgy of election bribery indulged over those few days leading up to polling day on April 25 would have put any other pseudo-democracy to shame when comparing election excesses.

To induce votes, Najib and his colleagues made innumerable on-the-spot grants of cash and promises of goodies (many were conditional upon a BN win) that ran easily to hundreds of million of ringgit during that compact campaign period.

These include the construction of a university and several schools, an expressway interchange and many other infrastructures, several low cost housing projects, upgrading of mosques and temples, grants to community guilds and associations, and cash payments to individuals.

These election goodies were so many and so large that I doubt Najib and his deputy Muhyiddin Yassin can keep track of the number or total cost.

The single event that impacted most on the electoral outcome was perhaps the occasion of Najib himself handing over RM5 million cash to 100 Felda settlers in a highly trumpeted ceremony two days before polling. These settlers were among victims of a failed project committed to a private developer 15 years ago.

The greatest irony was that, amidst this spree, Najib made an impassioned last-minute plea to the electorate through an open letter bearing his signature, asking for another chance to institute 'change' in his administration so as to redeem BN's mistakes.

Was Najib not aware that this endless stream of impromptu election goodies constitutes a serious offence under Section 10 of the Election Offences Act 1954?

By committing these acts of corruption to such an unprecedented scale while simultaneously articulating his 'change' agenda, he was in effect telling the world: "This is what I mean by 'change' - I will not hesitate to escalate corrupt activities, and damn the laws, if my political interests so demand."

Reflecting on Najib's tenure since early last year, this philosophy of 'the end justifies the means' as exemplified by his conduct in the Hulu Selangor by-election seems to aptly explain the series of scandals that illustrate the ruling power's contempt for the constitution and the rule of law.

These include the unconstitutional power grab in Perak, the continuing persecution of Anwar Ibrahim via the Sodomy II trial, the awkward attempt to hide the real culprits in the show trial of Altantuya Shaariibuu's grisly murder and the tragic death of Teoh Beng Hock while in the custody of MACC and the subsequent inquest.

Disgraceful victory

In the aftermath of this sordid by-election, Najib and his cohorts have, as expected, hailed this disgraceful victory as the nation's endorsement of Najib's new policy and the shifting of support to BN.

However, removing the thin veneer of this pyrrhic victory, we find that the contrary is true. In fact, a cursory review of this by-election (many prefer to call it 'buy-election') has revealed trends and phenomena that should cause BN to be worried, very worried.

First, winning by 1,700 votes does not necessarily indicate an increase of support. On the contrary, it could mean a substantial drop of support, if we consider the fact that in the last general election in March 2008, BN's combined majority of the three state constituencies that made up the parliamentary constituency of Hulu Selangor was 6,300 votes.

If Umno can secure only a marginal victory (24,997 vs 23,272) after such heavy abuses of public funds and politically manipulated institutions, there is not the slightest chance that the same can be repeated in a general election, during which, Hulu Selangor will surely fall back to Pakatan, just as Ijok did previously.

Second, judging from the response of the electorate during the election campaign, Najib's 'lMalaysia' advocacy has failed to take root among BN supporters. This was prominently reflected in the respective finale of the two protagonists' election campaign on the eve of polling.

While the BN rally, estimated at 3,000, was attended almost exclusively by Malays, with a sprinkling of Indians; the 15,000 strong Pakatan rally was a colourful display of multi-racialism with a healthy proportion of the three races. It left one with the unmistakable impression that the coalition that has really succeeded in realising '1Malaysia' is Pakatan, not BN.

Third, the Chinese support to BN has dwindled to an even smaller minority (less than one third) despite the many carrots dangled before the community - particularly Najib's personal promise to grant a RM3 million grant to a Chinese school the very next day after polling, conditioned upon a BN win.

This indicates that the Chinese electorate has politically matured to the point that they are relatively immune to BN's election bribery. For them, nothing short of real reforms would do.

As Umno is not capable of instituting real reforms, this naturally spells the end of the political lifespan of the Chinese racial party MCA, and by corollary, that of Gerakan. With the Indian racial party MIC also having lost the support of Indians, the isolation of Umno in Peninsular Malaysia is complete.

Considering that they had been the bulwark of support to Umno in past elections, their eclipse means that Umno's political wings in the peninsula are clipped.

Eyes elsewhere

Hence, Umno's final grasp at power is now hinged to its relationship with the BN component parties in Sabah and Sarawak, which unfortunately are not in the best of terms with the Umno-dominated federal government.

Known for their strong regionalism and thrust to their king-maker position by the political tsunami of the 2008 general election, Sabah and Sarawak are now a hive of discontent and resentment against the exploitation and short-changing of their autonomous rights under the autocratic Umno-dominated BN leadership.

With a maimed Umno in the peninsula, and a resurgent Pakatan offering a just deal and restoration of autonomy to these two states, the people there for the first time have the real option of clinching the best political deal since the formation of Malaysia almost five decades ago.

Since the people in Sabah and Sarawak are less race-conscious than their peninsular counterparts and in fact rather irritated by the heavy racism practiced by Umno, for how long can Umno's race politics withstand the challenge for influence by the multi-racial Pakatan in these two territories, and by extension the political power over the entire country?

The Hulu Selangor by-election has given us a pointer, and it ain't looking good for Umno.

KIM QUEK is a retired accountant and PKR member.

It's enough to make heaven weep....

RESULTS OF THE ULU SELANGOR BY-ELECTION:

NAJIB = 1
MALAYSIA = 0

That's right, it has been a brutal loss for all justice-loving Malaysians - not just for Pakatan Rakyat. Once again, the wicked BN has triumphed with its blatant money politics and its obvious control of the Election Commission. What's worse, it would appear that a sudden surge in pro-BN votes late in the afternoon may have been the secret trump card up Najib's sleeve. Which might explain why he seemed so cocksure of a BN win this time.

Whatever the case, everybody (especially Zaid) is pretty much exhausted by now - emotionally and physically - and deserves a well-earned rest. We shall get to the bottom of whatever hanky-panky went down during the by-election and if there's suffiient evidence that the EC was in collusion with BN to win this seat for Najib "at all costs" - that alone would be grounds for BERSIH to revive its call for a clean-up of the EC. There may even be cause to take legal action against Najib for the shameless way he induced voters in Ulu Selangor to vote for BN through the offer of huge sums of cash.

We haven't forgotten how BN wriggled out of having to use indelible ink during the last general election. The campaign to reclaim our beloved nation from the clutches of BN proceeds apace.

To Zaid Ibrahim: all decent souls share your sadness and disappointment and we thank you for taking up the battle on our behalf. It was indeed a magnificent fight you put up and we continue to steadfastly back you up in all your political endeavors.


To the beloved leaders of Pakatan Rakyat: we fully appreciate your courage, determination and will to win this country back through peaceful means. We thank you sincerely for continuing to inspire and lead us against all odds.

Another skirmish lost - but the war has only just begun!

Here's to a walloping victory, Zaid!

Going to cast my vote in a few minutes... for ZAID IBRAHIM!

Thuggery on the eve of the by-election

We were at Pakatan Rakyat's closing ceramah at the KKB mini-stadium where at least 20,000 were gathered to mark the end of the intense campaign for the Ulu Selangor parliamentary seat. It was a heady, jubilant atmosphere charged with positive feelings about the outcome of this massively significant "referendum" on the nation's political future.

Because of the immense crowd, me and my friends opted to leave the stadium before Anwar had finished his fiery speech. When we got back to Kg Pertak, we were shocked to find the entrance blocked by a group of men who had parked a couple of motorbikes across the road.

A couple of Temuan youth had been assigned RELA T-shirts and flashlights and instructed to stop people from entering the village. A group of imported Umno heavies (some from Pekida it appears) stood around to provide additional muscle power.

They had no choice but to let me in since I live in Kg Pertak but friends in another car were prevented from entering. I got home and immediately informed Elizabeth Wong about the illegal blockade. Then I accompanied a few other friends back to the village entrance to persuade these idiots to stop their silly fascist game and let my overnighting guests through.

One of my friends started snapping photos of the situation and that riled up a white-haired guy wearing a silk batik shirt. He tried to punch him but his fist hit the camera instead.

Umno must be more desperate than ever to win this by-election if they can be bothered to encamp themselves in an Orang Asli village with no more than 62 registered voters.

What's utterly sickening is the vicious and violent energy Najib's goons have brought to Malaysian politics. Never have I witnessed such despicable strategies, born of abject fear of losing power.

All the more reason why voters in Ulu Selangor have little alternative but to whack BN good and proper at the polls. Let's give Zaid Ibrahim a whopping victory with at least a 3,000-vote majority!

EPILOG

Thanks to Elizabeth Wong's swift response, Umno's pathetic attempt to barricade the entrance to Kg Pertak was abandoned without a fight. Shortly after I posted the above report, Eli arrived at Kg Pertak escorted by three police cars and about 40 Pakatan Rakyat campaign staff. The Umno thugs disappeared into the darkness from which they had crawled out. Beautifully accomplished, Eli!

Primitive Pork-Barrel Politics & Mr Pink Lips

Courtesy of The Malaysian Insider

With Najib’s giveaways, BN must win big in Hulu Selangor

KUALA LUMPUR, April 24 — Barisan Nasional (BN) must win big in tomorrow’s Hulu Selangor by-election to justify Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s personal involvement in what he has called a referendum of his year-long administration.

In an unprecedented move, the prime minister himself has led the campaign to ensure MIC information chief, P. Kamalanathan, defeats PKR’s Datuk Zaid Ibrahim when night falls on Hulu Selangor tomorrow.

BN lost the seat for the first time in its electoral history by a razor-thin 198 votes in Election 2008, which saw the ruling federal coalition humbled in four states and 81 other federal seats.

BN has consistently won the seat with at least 8,500 votes majority since 1990, when Datuk G. Palanivel began the first of his four terms in the constituency the size of Malacca.

For the current campaign, BN has given close to RM60 million in a combination of projects and cash awards to win over the majority of the 64,500 voters in the traditionally pro-BN constituency, which comprises three state seats won by BN in Election 2008.

Anything less than a 3,000-vote majority, ironically predicted by independent Pasir Mas MP Datuk Ibrahim Ali, will be a slap in the face for Najib and BN.

[Read the rest here.]

Friends on the ground report that they found themselves within a few yards of Mr Pink Lips today in Kuala Kubu Bharu. The crime minister was emerging from the BN media center and walking towards his car. They were astounded at how low-key the unexpected encounter turned out to be. No jeers, but no cheers either for Mr Pink Lips. Truth is, his energy is DEADLY DULL... just like the entire BN campaign.

Guess who dropped by for a chat last night?

That's right... Nurul Izzah, Anwar's feisty princess, surprised everyone by showing up unannounced at an outdoor ceramah in Kg Pertak. The event was sponsored by a Pakatan Rakyat supporter to neutralize the vile and pernicious influence of the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Orang Asli - which has been used as a weapon to bludgeon the Temuan of Ulu Selangor into submission to more misrule under BN.

Izzah's enchanting presence at the Orang Asli ceramah was a poignant reminder to everyone present that the campaign was ultimately all about putting an end to gross injustice and abuse of power.

The Batin of Pertak, Bidar Chik, was visibly thrilled to be introduced to Izzah. "I greatly admire your father," he told Izzah. He had earlier had a long conversation with Selangor exco for environment and tourism, Elizabeth Wong, who spoke last in the program.

The event at Kg Pertak was notable for the spirit of fun and freedom that permeated the ceramah. A band from Pos Iskandar, Pahang, was on hand to provide lively joget numbers between political speeches. Jenita Engi, a young Temuan girl from Parit Gong, Negri Sembilan, was the emcee for the evening and she put everyone at ease with her easyflowing banter. An observer noted that many of the Asli tend to hang back in the shadows at ceramah hosted by the JHEOA. I guess they instinctively know better than to get too close to the density and darkness symbolized by the Dacing.

Many Orang Asli from other tribes were present to lend support to the Pakatan Rakyat campaign. They voiced their frustrations against the deeply entrenched arrogance, insensitivity and greed of the Umno/BN government and exhorted their fellow Orang Asli to awaken from slumber and vote them out.

P. Kamalanathan, Samy's phantom voter!

KAMAL A PHANTOM VOTER?

Selangor exco Xavier Jayakumar yesterday accused P Kamalanathan (pictured extreme left) of being a "phantom voter" in the Sungai Siput constituency, during his speech in Hulu Selangor.

The seat was a stronghold of the MIC's long time president Samy Vellu before PSM's Jeyakumar Devaraj seized it from him in the 2008 general election.

PKR Penang Pantai Jerejak state assemblyperson Sim Tze Tzin also levelled the same charge in his twitter while revealing Kamalanathan's IC number.

His twitter message read: "Shocking! Dr Xavier just revealed that Kamalanathan is pengundi Hantu in P62 Sungai Siput. Check for yourself 651018-10-XXXX".

Malaysiakini carried out a check on the Election Commission (EC) website with the IC data provided, and the result shows that it belongs to one P Kamalanathan, who is a voter in the Sungai Siput parliament constituency and Jelong state assembly seat.

The EC data also shows that this Kamalanathan address is Heawood Garden, and votes in Simpang Tiga.

Xavier later told Malaysiakini that Kamalanathan is living in Rawang, and his IC address is Rawang, and now he is a BN candidate for Hulu Selangor by- election, yet he votes in Sungai Siput, so it is clear that he is a phantom voter.

"I think a man who wants to be a member of parliament should be principled and accountable for what he has done before.

"It shows that he not to be trusted and is willing to break the law."

However, there is some doubt over this issue, as the relevant electoral law had been amended prior to the 2004 general election making situations like Kamalanathan's to be legal.

Malaysiakini called P Kamalanathan for clarification who said he will explain the issue when the time is right.

"I am now focusing on the election in Hulu Selangor, I want to meet the voters, I want to make friends with the voters, I will not comment it now.

"I will comment it at the right time. I want to go a meeting, bye bye."

Malaysiakini also SMSed the IC number to Kamalanathan for verification but there was no response.

At an earlier interview, Kamalanathan had admitted that in his younger days, he had stayed in Sungai Siput for a while, although he maintains that he has been a Rawang resident for 44 years.

CHECK IT OUT! Go to the SPR electoral roll checksite and key in 651018106495

Anatomy of an obsequious Hand-Kisser

"Kiss his hand? When did I kiss his hand? Show me where I did that!" ~ Kamalanathan, BN's candidate for Hulu Selangor

Kamalanathan loses cool over criticisms
By Clara Chooi | The Malaysian Insider

KUALA KUBU BARU, April 21 — As a public relations manager, P. Kamalanathan hardly loses his cool.

The calm exterior of the 44-year-old finally cracked yesterday when he was made to answer to allegations that his bid to win this Sunday’s Hulu Selangor by-election would be at the cost of his pride and identity as a member of the Indian community.

The Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate was asked to comment about his overdependence on Umno leaders to win the by-election race and how he was seemingly willing to sacrifice the community’s struggles by kowtowing to his Muslim leaders.

This, Kamalanathan was told, was illustrated once when he kissed the hand of Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and when he promised to deliver Hulu Selangor as a “gift” to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

Since being named as a candidate, he has also defended Malay rights group Perkasa, a move that earned him plenty of criticism.

A shocked-looking Kamalanathan immediately replaced his smile with a frown and quickly defended his move.

“Kiss his hand? When did I kiss his hand? Show me where I did that,” he exclaimed, looking miffed when asked at an unplanned press conference in Ladang Kerling near here.

He said that even if he had indeed kissed Muhyiddin’s hand, it was not a wrongful act but was merely a depiction of Malaysian culture.

When asked about how the act might show signs that he was willing to sacrifice Indian pride for the sake of winning the by-election, Kamalanathan looked further agitated.

“Oh my God! This is culture we are talking about. If someone can say that culture is selling pride then I do not know what they are talking about.

“I am shocked that people can compare culture to pride,” he said.

The MIC information chief insisted that it was in Malaysian culture to show such acts of respect to the elders.

“Every child is taught to respect their elders. I was taught the same thing,” he said.

Kamalanathan was also queried on Pakatan Rakyat’s (PR) occasional reference to how he, as a first-time candidate, had to hide behind the Umno top guns like Muhyiddin and Najib in order to win himself support.

Selangor Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim had pointed out yesterday how the by-election was really an Umno show in view of the large number of banners containing Najib’s face instead of Kamalanathan.

[Read the rest here.]

Kamalanathan wasn't lying. A close analysis of the photo above reveals that he was actually kissing his own hand. However, for public relations purposes, he wanted his gesture to look like subservience to the arrogant mud-faced Umno warlord....

Ah... Malaysian politics!

Zaid Ibrahim on the campaign trail

PLAYING TO WIN...

Zaid politely declines to join three future constituents for a quick drink. "Tapi teh tarik boleh," he quips ;-)

[Photos courtesy of Minaq-Jinggo]