Holy Mockery

Death rituals seem to be a source of inspiration during the Malaysian election season. 

Kindly check out my July 09 blog post "Shamsul Iskandar Akin's Spook-tacular Stunt", where in the Johor polls last month, we saw a talqin twist in Pakatan Harapan’s campaign. 

Now, Anthony Loke has become the subject of a tahlil by UMNO members, allegedly to mock the DAP secretary-general’s "demise" in the Negeri Sembilan polls after he failed to defend his Chennah seat. 

DAP leader Sheikh Umar Bagharib Ali condemned UMNO Youth exco Wan Zuhir Wan Ghazali for posting a video of the tahlil – a prayer gathering for the deceased – that the latter took part in, with the caption: "Doing tahlil for Loke's burial in Chennah. Condolences". 

Calling the move “irresponsible”, Sheikh Umar stressed that religious ceremonies should not be exploited as "material for mockery, insinuation, or a political weapon". 

Wan Zuhir (left), however, denied he had insulted the sanctity of the religion, insisting that since the Islamic matters he mentioned were not part of the teaching’s fundamental principles, he did not disrespect Islam.

😏😏😏

Some People Remain as Assholes

Fun fact. Humans are deuterostomes. Which means that when we develop in the womb, the anus forms before any other opening. 

Indeed. During early embryonic development, the first opening that forms (the blastopore) becomes the anus, while the mouth forms later. 

Therefore, this basically means that, at one point, we were nothing but an asshole. 

What's even crazier is that some people never develop beyond this stage! 😁😁😁

On Saturday, Malaysia's Election Commission (EC) declared that Barisan Nasional won 18 of 36 seats in the 16th Negeri Sembilan election on Saturday. And their ally this time around, Perikatan National gained seven seats.

Meanwhile, Pakatan Harapan secured only eleven seats. The other contenders, Bersatu (which contested independently under their own logo), Barisan Jemaah Islamiah Se-Malaysia (Berjasa), Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (Asli), Parti Sosialis Malaysia (PSM) and four Independent candidates failed to win any.

Malaysiakini wrote today that the results indicate that BN and PN supporters from GE15 will vote the same way in current elections, with a near-perfect vote transferability between the two if they continue working together. 

In short, this blue wave will be disastrous for PH, with more defeats to come. 

Notably, their wins were all in seats where non-Malays made up more than 50 percent of voters, and none of their assemblypersons now are Malay. 

[Note: As I had mentioned on July 18, Bersama decided to sit out this election, preferring to focus on the Melaka one].

A total of 646,084 voters, or 72.64 percent, cast their ballots in Negeri Sembilan.

As in Johor, Barisan Nasional dominate as the largest single party. Not all change is good though!

Bersama Disclose Johor Election Accounts

On Tuesday, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama) publicly released their full financial statement for the July 2026 Johor state election campaign, establishing a self-imposed precedent for all their future election campaigns. 

Rafizi Ramli announced that the voluntary disclosure is part of piloting a "new political culture" in Malaysia. 

According to the party leadership, traditional anti-corruption rhetoric and legislative promises have failed to resolve deep-rooted political corruption. Bersama aim to tackle the issue directly by demonstrating total transparency in how their political funding is secured, spent, and maintained. 

The party highlighted a heavily volunteer-driven financial model to minimize standard election expenditures: 

Volunteer Operations. The entire campaign machinery operated voluntarily, meaning no payments or daily wages were handed out to campaign workers. 

Public Funding. Other logistical and campaign expenses were fully funded by three public sources, deliberately avoiding reliance on wealthy individuals or corporate interest groups. 

Full Bank Transparency. The published accounts outline exactly how funds were raised, where every ringgit was spent, and the remaining balances left in the party’s bank accounts. 

Rafizi previously criticized mainstream parties (he calls them 🦕parties) for running lavish, high-cost campaigns and allegedly utilizing federal and state government agencies to fund campaign-adjacent events. 

Bersama intend to use this continuous public auditing model to pressure the government into expediting a comprehensive Political Financing Bill for nationwide political reform.

Good job, Bersama!

La Roja Crowned World Cup Champs

I registered for the "Final World Cup @ HQ Bersama" gathering yesterday and early this morning (i.e., 03:00 AM Malaysian time), I watched my first and only 2026 FIFA World Cup event!

[Psst... I lost interest after both Scotland and Iran exited, following the group stage].

The crowning clash pitted defending champions Argentina against Spain.

La Albiceleste entered with the tournament's highest goal count (19), while La Roja boasted the tightest defense, having ⁠conceded just a single goal all tournament. 

I picked Spain to triumph. And they did! They won their second FIFA World Cup title by defeating Argentina 1-0 after extra time. 

Substitute striker Ferran Torres scored the decisive winning goal in the 106th minute, breaking the deadlock after a grueling, highly physical match. The Argies were bullies on the field.

I had dinner first in the vicinity. Nasi Kandar Mamak Kitchen, located at No. 32-1, Jalan PP16/2, Perdana Industrial Park in Taman Putra Perdana, Puchong, Selangor. It was only about 750 meters from HQ Bersama, and therefore, it was convenient for me. 

I had my usual. With extra rice, double portions. And air sirap ais. Altogether RM13.50.

At HQ Bersama, I had the privilege of being up close and personal with Bersama's Rafizi Ramli as he broke down the realities of modern Malaysian politics. Especially the shenanigans of the "dinosaur" parties.

The Purr-fect Workplace Solution

A Japanese company hired full-time office cats to reduce workplace stress, and it’s working. 

Tokyo-based Qnote Inc. first adopted a cat in 2004 and has since grown their feline staff to eleven permanent office residents. Employees say the cats boost morale, encourage short breaks, and create a much more relaxed and pleasant work environment. 

Each cat even has an official job title, such as “office clerk”, “manager”, or “auditor”, making them fully integrated into the company culture. 

The company love cats so much that “cat lover” is now listed as a requirement for human job applicants. 🐈

To accommodate their furry employees, Qnote renovated the office to incorporate cat toilets, climbing shelves, and scratch-resistant walls, allowing the cats to roam freely without causing damage. The result? Lower stress levels and stronger team bonding among staff.

Cats purr away work stress, ensuring a purr-fect workplace solution. 

In Malaysia, Bersama announced on July 15 their decision to sit out the sixteenth Negeri Sembilan state polls. 

This represents a calculated maneuver on their part because the state will witness an intense, localized showdown brewing between the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Pakatan Harapan (PH) camps. Moving ahead risked putting Bersama candidates in the crossfire, which will not benefit the young party. 

Instead, Bersama will channel their "full focus" into preparing for the Melaka state election expected later this year.

Considering everything, methinks, it is a prudent move.

BN Bag 48 Seats in Landslide Win, PH Retain 8

The volatile Malaysian political landscape is churning again.

On Saturday, Barisan Nasional successfully secured more than a two-thirds majority in the 16th Johor election. They decisively won 48 of the 56 seats, an increase of eight seats compared to the 2022 state election. 

BN wrestled eight seats previously held by incumbents from other parties, including five from PH – namely Johor Jaya, Perling, Bukit Batu, Jementah, and Tangkak – as well as three seats previously held by PN incumbents, namely Bukit Kepong, Endau, and Maharani. The remaining eight seats went to Pakatan Harapan. 

A total of 1,874,918 (out of 2,727,926 registered voters), or a 68.73 percent turnout, cast their ballots in the state election. 

Perikatan Nasional, Parti Bersama Malaysia (Bersama), Muda, Parti Orang Asli Malaysia (Asli), and Parti Sosialis Malaysia failed to win any of the seats they stood in. The six independent candidates also finished the election without any wins. 

NOTE: The numbers are not official – the Election Commission have yet to publish the granular, aggregated popular vote numbers or exact total counts secured by individual political coalitions across all 56 constituencies

Bersama had a disappointing debut in the Johor election after all 15 of their candidates failed to collect enough votes to even retain their election deposits. 

Tapi jangan kita berputus asa!

This is nothing to feel bad about. The fledgling kancil party, being only 56 days old (as at Saturday) managed to convince 28,816 Johoreans in the 15 state seats they contested to support them. 

And those 28,816 voters saw past familiar logos, entrenched politics, and tribal loyalties. They proved the old framework has failed us. Now, we disrupt it – one choice, one ballot, one unstoppable tremor.

Stay the course and continue building trust. This is just the beginning. Let us grow from here.

AI Graphic and Out-of-State Voters: The Latest Twist in Johor's Election

Rosmah Mansor, the wife of former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak, has lambasted Housing and Local Government Minister Nga Kor Ming over the DAP leader’s social media post using her image, calling it cheap propaganda. 

Nga’s post uploaded on his official X account Wednesday showed what appeared to be an AI-generated graphic of Rosmah pointing her fingers with text saying, “If you don’t come back, I’ll be back”. 

The graphic is believed to be a message for Johor voters to return to the state and cast their vote tomorrow. 

Tomorrow's election is going to be very interesting because it may be a bellweather for national elections next year!

Shamsul Iskandar Akin's Spook-tacular Stunt

Sadly, Malaysia remains shackled by a legacy of corruption. 

More so, its politics is just as contaminated, stained and tainted. Malaysians know all too well that our system is deeply rooted in systemic "money politics" and high-profile embezzlement scandals. 

Who doesn't know about the corporate mafia issue (highly publicized allegations first reported by Bloomberg on February 11, 2026, concerning a web of businessmen colluding with enforcement officials to launch hostile takeovers of public-listed companies). 

Or the Jana Wibawa government contracts scheme (introduced as a Covid-19 economic stimulus program for Bumiputera contractors that resulted in ongoing corruption and money-laundering trials involving former Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and other political figures). 

Or the Littoral Combat Ship scandal (the multi-billion ringgit ⁠defence procurement failure in which substantial public funds were spent but major delivery delays occurred. Severe mismanagement was reported, including "dummy" payments to shell companies, overlapping contracts, and the destruction of records to hide irregularities. Millions in project funds were diverted or misused). 

Or the monumentally infamous 1MDB (the gargantuan global kleptocracy scheme, leading to multiple corruption convictions and the imprisonment of former Prime Minister Najib Razak). 

This is just a very SMALL sample to get me started! 

Actually, I want to vent about something which is, in a way, relatable. I reckon it is the most ludicrous thing that just went down. You can't make this stuff up. Prepare yourselves for a very farcical story...

Keadilan (PKR) member Shamsul Iskandar Akin took a dark approach to campaigning for the Johor state polls (July 11), transporting voters into his macabre version of beyond the veil when he delivered a message talqin-style in hopes it’ll sink in. All very theatrical!

In a video posted on social media on Monday, Shamsul, clad in a white robe (jubah) under sombre lighting and with an echoing voice for the full effect, assured voters not to be afraid when approached by BN, Perikatan Nasional, and Parti Bersama Malaysia as they too are just God's creatures (makhluk Allah jua). 

The former senior political secretary to the Prime Minister not only encouraged voters to accept bribes from those parties, but to squeeze as much as they can, so long as they still vote for Pakatan Harapan come polling day. 

"When you are given RM100, ask for RM500”, he said.

[FYI, he, himself, faces a total of five corruption charges totalling RM241,753.03 linked to businessman Albert Tei (Tei Jiann Cheing)!] 

The video, however, did not go down well with the living. Many netizens and even politicians criticised what they saw as an insensitive take on the Islamic ritual traditionally held at a gravesite after a burial. The absurdity of this politician acting to make it as an election gimmick. A big fail!

He has since deleted the video.

Bersama: New Kid on the Block

The Malaysian political landscape is witnessing the arrival of a new kid on the block! BERSAMA! 

Former Malaysian economy minister Rafizi Ramli and former natural resources and environmental sustainability minister Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad announced on May 17, 2026, that they have quit Anwar Ibrahim’s Keadilan (PKR), vacated their Pandan and Setiawangsa parliamentary seats respectively, and taken over Parti Bersama Malaysia (Malaysian United Party), a small party founded in Penang in 2016. 

The move came the same day that Anwar’s coalition tried to project discipline at the Pakatan Harapan convention in the southern state of Johor, sharpening the sense that Malaysia is drifting into campaign mode before a general election that must be held by February 17, 2028.

And Bersama's first electoral test is the Johor state election! 

Only fifty-two days old, and their movers and shakers are already flexing their muscles with 15 candidates on the ballot. Their primary goal is to serve as an independent bloc that rejects traditional race-based and patronage-driven politics and putting power back into everyday citizens' hands. 

The party operate like a digital-first start-up. They challenge convention by eliminating the classic bureaucratic baggage that plagues mainstream political parties. This makes them fast and agile. Like a kancil.

FYI, the 2026 Johor state election is just two days away! All 56 seats in the State Legislative Assembly are up for grabs. This vote will decide if the current Barisan Nasional government, led by Menteri Besar Onn Hafiz Ghazi, keep their grip on power – or if opposition groups like Pakatan Harapan and Perikatan Nasional can swoop in to steal the majority. 

And Bersama have indicated they're more than happy to accept a legislative oversight role in Johor.

"Bersama memilih untuk tidak menyertai mana-mana gabungan politik. Kami mahu menjadi pembangkang yang berprinsip, kuat dan berkesan dalam menyemak serta mengimbangi kerajaan. 

Terlalu banyak parti politik hari ini lebih sibuk dengan percaturan kuasa sehingga suara rakyat semakin terpinggir. Bagi kami, politik bukan sekadar soal siapa memerintah, tetapi siapa yang sanggup memperjuangkan kepentingan rakyat".

Mark my words – it's just a question of time before Bersama own the news cycle!

A PAS Call to Wed Non-Malays to Woo Votes

A Malaysian women’s rights group have slammed a call by a PAS Youth leader for members to marry non-Malays to increase support for the Islamic party, labeling it not only archaic but derogatory. 

 

Sisters In Islam (SIS) also said such remarks trivialised a woman’s ability to think for herself.

 

"Marriage should not be politicised. Such a proposal only highlights the fact that PAS are patriarchal", SIS executive director Rozana Isa (left) told FMT.

 

She was responding to remarks by Selangor PAS Youth secretary Aubidullah Fahim Ibrahim on Thursday that such a mixed marriage "would not just be able to secure one vote, but hundreds from the non-Malay community".

 

PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden has since said the proposal was Aubidullah’s personal opinion and should not be taken seriously.

 

However, based on Aubidullah’s logic, Rozana said she wondered if the wives of PAS members could not think for themselves or were free to vote for their preferred candidate. 

 

"It’s really an old-fashioned view that speaks volumes of a woman’s freedom in the PAS community". 

 

Ro zana’s reprimand marks the second time SIS have taken PAS leaders to task over the issue of marriage in less than a week.

 

On September 09, the civil society organization chastised Kedah menteri besar Sanusi Nor (right) for joking about having "two more quotas to fill" after the PAS election director took a second wife. 

 

"Joking about polygamy belittles the real struggles women face in such situations and minimises the deep emotional toll it can take on families", SIS retorted.

 

Pearly Tan-Thinaah Muralitharan pulled off a sensational win over South Korea's Baek Ha Na-Lee So Hee today to secure a spot in the Hong Kong Open women's doubles final.

 

The world No. 8 Malaysians beat the world No. 2 pair 22-20, 17-21, 21-15 in a thrilling 74-minute semi-final. 

 

Pearly-Thinaah, will battle South Korea's Kim So Yeong-Kong Hee Yong or China's Liu Sheng Shu-Tan Ning for the title tomorrow.

China's GDP Expands 5% in H1

China's GDP expanded 5 percent to reach 61.68 trillion yuan ($8.49 trillion) in the first half of 2024, data from the National Bureau of Statistics showed on Monday, indicating the world's second largest economy has sustained the momentum of post-pandemic recovery, thanks to a continuous improvement in overseas demand, a pick-up in home consumption and stepped-up government policy support, despite facing internal and external uncertainties.

In the second quarter, the GDP grew by 4.7 percent year-on-year, slightly down from the 5.3 percent growth recorded in the first quarter.

 

"Though the GDP growth in the second quarter is lower than the first quarter, it's still a relatively fast growth among major economies, which builds a sound foundation for the achievement of the annual GDP target", Chen Fengying, an economist and former director of the World Economic Studies at the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations, told the Global Times.

Observers have positively pronounced that China is on a firm track to hit the annual economic growth target of around 5 percent in 2024.

 

In Malaysia, Bersatu secretary-general Hamzah Zainudin on July 13 gave notice of the mass sacking of more than a hundred party members. 

 

The announcement was made in a Facebook post and took effect immediately: “Their membership is hereby terminated and they are removed from the party’s membership roll”.

 

The six MPs who had declared support for Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim were among the one-hundred-and-twenty-three names. They are: Labuan MP Suhaili Abdul Rahman, Kuala Kangsar MP Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid, Gua Musang MP Mohd Azizi Abu Naim, Jeli MP Zahari Kechik, Bukit Gantang MP Syed Abu Hussin Hafiz Syed Abdul Fasal, and Tanjung Karang MP Zulkafperi Hanapi.

 

Portal Connects New York and Dublin via Live Stream

An art installation in New York, USA and Dublin, Ireland takes the form of a "portal" that allows viewers to visually connect across 3,000 miles. 

The Portal, an installation designed by artist Benediktas Gylys, live streams silent video between New York's Flatiron South Public Plaza and North Earl Street in Dublin. It is sponsored by the Flatiron NoMad Partnership, the New York City Department of Transportation's Art Program and the Simons Foundation, and it allows people in the two cities to look at each other in real-time across the 3,000-mile distance. 

"We provide an unfiltered meeting above all borders, all labels, and that would invite us humans to reconnect", Gylys told WABC-TV. 

Interactions witnessed through the Portal since it went live on Wednesday include the expected exchanges of rude gestures as well as at least one caught-on-camera attempt to flirtatiously exchange contact information. 

Another exchange in a photo shared by the University College Dublin featured a native New Yorker, Dakota Taylor who attends the school using the Portal to connect with her mother back home. 😮😮 [Whatsa matter? The phone isn't good enough?!]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

"We think just simple communication, whether it's a wave, a hi, a sign, a dance, that's what people are about", said James Mettham of the Flatiron NoMad Partnership. The Portal will continue to connect the two cities 24 hours a day for the next six months.

Malaysia's Election Commission have confirmed victory for Pakatan Harapan’s candidate, Pang Sock Tao of DAP, in the by-election for the Kuala Kubu Baharu state seat in Selangor. 

The victory comes in the coalition’s first major electoral test since the six state elections last August, and against a backdrop of a lacklustre turnout of 61.5% yesterday.

Official results showed Pang (left) won the seat with a 3,869-vote majority over her closest rival, Perikatan Nasional’s Khairul Azhari Saut of Bersatu. The others, an independent, Nyau Ke Xin, and Hafizah Zainuddin of Parti Rakyat Malaysia, lost their deposits. 

The Kuala Kubu Baru seat fell vacant following the death of its three-term assemblyperson, Lee Kee Hiong, on March 21 from cancer.

Malaysia's Opposition Still Aspire to Topple Government

On the Malaysian political scene, the opposition are still harboring aspirations of taking down Anwar Ibrahim's unity government.

 

Bersatu sec-gen Hamzah Zainuddin (left) yesterday maintained that the government haven't got a majority, and so, they can be toppled. 

 

[Note: This is, in spite of four opposition MPs, i.e. Zahari Kechik (Jeli), Azizi Abu Naim (Gua Musang), Suhaili Abdul Rahman (Labuan) and Iskandar Dzulkarnain Abdul Khalid (Kuala Kangsar ) – all from Bersatu – had pledged their support for the current government]. 

 

And to drive home his point, Hamzah claimed that the present government only have a 36.1% approval rating, whereas Perikatan Nasional, of which Bersatu are a member, had 49.3% when they were in power. 

 

Derek Chauvin (left), the former Minneapolis police officer who was convicted in the 2020 murder of George Floyd, was stabbed Friday in a US federal prison in Tucson, Arizona.

 

The office of Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison which prosecuted Chauvin in the Floyd case, said early Saturday they were notified of the assault and was told Chauvin is in stable condition. 

 

“I am sad to hear that Derek Chauvin was the target of violence”, Ellison said, according to the statement provided to CNN. “He was duly convicted of his crimes and, like any incarcerated individual, he should be able to serve his sentence without fear of retaliation or violence”. 

 

Chauvin, who is white, is serving multiple sentences for the black man's death, which triggered massive protests against police brutality and racism.

China's Space Garden

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

China's Shenzhou-16 astronauts are cultivating vegetables as part of their science experiment workload aboard the Tiangong space station. The trio have been using a "space garden" cultivation device designed by researchers of the China Astronaut Research and Training Center. The device controls temperature, humidity, oxygen and carbon dioxide levels to create environments tailored for plant growth. 

 

In the future, the "space garden" will not only provide food, oxygen and water for the astronauts, but also serve as an experiment platform to study the effects of special environments, such as space microgravity, on the growth of plants.

 

Actually, China had experimented with rice and other plants in space for more than 30 years, by sending seeds into orbit for brief trips during which they were exposed to the higher radiation environment of low Earth orbit. After this process of "space mutagenesis", teams then look for rice with genetic mutations that enhance their yield or resistance to disease.

 

The Shenzhou-14 mission crew grew thale cress (Scientific name: Arabidopsis thaliana) as well as rice (Scientific name: Oryza sativa) and other plants during their time aboard the Tiangong space station. They were farmed for 120 days, taking the seeds through the entire life cycle, from germination to reproduction. Chinese scientists are surely interested to study about the potential of growing vegetables and learn the intricacies of food production for deep space travel. 

 

Already, Tiangong currently harbors at least 100 types of seeds. These will be exposed to cosmic radiation and returned to Earth for study. Scientists hope to isolate beneficial mutations to improve crop strains. 

 

Mission commander Jing Haipeng and fellow taikonauts Zhu Yangzhu and Gui Haichao are expected to hand over control of the orbital outpost to the incoming, as yet unnamed Shenzhou-17 crew sometime in November.

 

On Monday, MUDA’s Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (right) called Anwar Ibrahim’s administration a “NATO” (No Action, Talk Only) government, claiming they had broken promises of reforms made during the run-up to Malaysia’s 15th general election. 

 

He launched the criticism after his party made the decision to part ways with the unity government.

Roti Canai is World’s No.1 Bread on TasteAtlas

Served and eaten for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the roti canai is truly a mainstay in Malaysian cuisine, enjoyed with a variety of curries and side dishes. 

 

Perhaps it is for this reason that TasteAtlas, an international food guide website, just declared roti canai the best bread in all the world, having secured the highest score of 4.9 out of 5.0 based on user reviews.

 

On September 10, the website posted its list “Best Breads in the World”, with the Malaysian classic sitting above fifty other breads from across the globe. Colombia’s pan de bono and India’s butter garlic naan, are in second and third places respectively. 

 

In Malaysia, MUDA’s decision on Sunday to withdraw their support for the unity government means leaving the ruling coalition with only 147 seats in Dewan Rakyat, one seat short of a two-thirds majority – just a day after Pakatan Harapan retained the supermajority by winning the Pulai seat in Johor in a by-election on September 09.

 

FYI, MUDA or Malaysian United Democratic Alliance only hold one parliamentary seat, Muar, represented by their president, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman.

Not surprisingly, Syed Saddiq has been told to quit his Muar seat since he only won it because of PH votes – but you can bet, he won't!

De-dollarization of Russia-China Trade

The de-dollarization of Russia-China trade is practically complete, according to Georgy Zinoviev, the director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s First Asian Department, as cited by RIA Novosti. 

 

The official said the share of the US dollar in mutual settlements between the neighboring nations has substantially shrunk over the past two years. And meanwhile, the share of national currencies in Russian-Chinese payments is growing at an extremely rapid pace.

 

Zinoviev shared: “At the beginning of 2022 it was hovering around 25%, now it is exceeding 80%”. Russian and Chinese businesses are “rapidly moving away from the ‘toxic’ Western currencies, opting for the ruble and yuan as more reliable and safe way of payment”, he had declared. 

 

The changes reflect Russia’s move away from transactions in the currencies of "unfriendly countries" against the backdrop of sanctions. Earlier this year, Finance Minister Anton Siluanov said the country no longer trusts the Dollar, calling it “a completely unreliable instrument”.

 

In Malaysia yesterday, the by-elections for the Pulai parliamentary seat and Simpang Jeram state seat in Johor were won by the Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN) unity coalition. 

 

PH candidate Suhaizan Kaiat won Pulai with 18,641 majority votes. He secured 48,283 votes while Perikatan Nasional candidate Zulkifli Jaafar gained 29,642 votes and independent candidate Samsudin Mahaman Fauzi received 528 votes.

 

And in Simpang Jeram, PH's Nazri Abdul Rahman won with 13,844 votes defeating PN's Dr Mohd Mazri Yahya who gained 10,330 votes while independent candidate, S Jegananthan obtained 311 votes. 

 

The seats became vacant, following the death of Salahuddin Ayub – PH component party's Amanah deputy president who had served as the domestic trade and cost of living minister – on July 23 due to a brain haemorrhage. He was 61. 

PAS Plotting and Scheming

Malaysia’s political opposition are busy plotting and scheming. 

 

As PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang (left) declared on Monday, it’s our right to plan to topple the government. 

 

And he added: "This is normal in a democratic country (such as Malaysia). We try to not only (form a government) through general elections, but also through parliament. This includes the no-vote confidence, statutory declarations and supporters withdrawing their support”. 

 

Dismissing the notion that attempts to bring down the government would go against the King’s decree for political stability, Hadi said the King does not have the "power" to prevent change from happening in a democratic country. 

 

It is a decree, (however) it does not become the final word to prevent change from happening in a democratic country. We still uphold democracy based on our constitutional monarchy".

 

Last week, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim (right) had, in fact, chided Hadi for predicting that his unity government would collapse before the end of their term, saying it was the PAS leader’s “right to plan and dream”. 

 

We can’t blame Hadi for desiring to oust the federal government. PAS were in the government under
both Ismail Sabri and Muhyiddin Yassin. Ismail served as Malaysia’s ninth prime minister for one year and 51 days, making him the shortest-serving Malaysian prime minister. He succeeded Muhyiddin, who served as prime minister for 17 months. 

 

PAS have tasted power at the federal level and now, they lust for it.

Malaysian Politicians Love Their Slogans

Malaysian politicians just love their slogans! 

 

As with previous prime ministers, Anwar Ibrahim (left) come up with a slogan, “Malaysia Madani”, for his government. 

 

Mahathir Mohamed had his “Wawasan 2020” to reflect his eagerness for development. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi came up with “Islam Hadhari” as a reflection of his vision, which he even tried to export to other Islamic countries. Najib Razak used “1Malaysia” on everything from sundry shops to cash hand-outs. Muhyiddin Yassin promoted “Kerajaan Prihatin” as struggling Malaysians hoisted white flags in pleas for help and Ismail Sabri Yaakob had “Keluarga Malaysia”. 

 

Predictably, on social media, sceptics are having a field day. Comments like “another slogan”, “slogans don’t work” to the more crude “Mad Anwar Ibrahim” have been made. 

 

The consensus is that it’s good policies that people want to see. Let’s see where Malaysia Madani goes from here.

Ahmad Zahid Hamidi Forgives

Barisan Nasional chairperson and UMNO president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has reportedly forgiven the 10 traitorous BN MPs – but adds that he will be keeping a close eye on them. 

 

(Kindly check out my post “The 10 BN Backers of Muhyiddin Yassin” published earlier today). 

 

For his own sake, let’s hope they don’t bite him again. The second bite may be fatal.

 

Uganda has declared the end of a nearly four-month Ebola outbreak it struggled briefly to contain but was then able to swiftly bring under control despite the absence of a proven vaccine against the viral strain in question. 

 

The World Health Organization says a country needs to pass 42 days – twice the maximum incubation period – after the last confirmed case for it to be declared Ebola-free. Wednesday’s declaration followed Uganda’s completion of that timeline. 

 

The outbreak killed 55 of the 143 people infected since September, according to health ministry figures. And six of the people who died were health workers.

The 10 BN Backers of Muhyiddin Yassin

At a special UMNO delegates’ briefing yesterday, party president Ahmad Zahid Hamidi (left) had called out the 10 BN MPs who signed statutory declarations on November 20, 2022, a day after the 15th General Election, backing Perikatan Nasional chairperson Muhyiddin Yassin as their prime minister candidate. 

 

It is understood that the session was attended by the political bureaus of each UMNO division. 

 

Supreme Council member Puad Zakarshi listed their names: 

• Hishammuddin Hussein (Sembrong) 
• Hasni Mohammad (Simpang Renggam) 
• Wee Ka Siong (Ayer Hitam) 
• Jalaluddin Alias (Jelebu) 
• M Saravanan (Tapah) 
• Wee Jeck Seng (Tanjung Piai) 
• Isam Isa (Tampin) 
• Adnan Abu Hassan (Kuala Pilah) 
• Arthur Joseph Kurup (Pensiangan) 
• Abdul Rahman Mohamad (Lipis) 

The FMT video on YouTube identifies them by name and parliamentary constituency:

 

Today, UMNO Youth and Puteri UMNO urged that party traitors be immediately sacked before they plague the party further. 

 

Youth chief Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki had used the Malay idioms of "api dalam sekam" and "gunting dalam lipatan" (enemies within) to describe the betrayers. 

 

He stressed that these "cancers'' were destroying the party, only prioritising their individual needs despite being given multiple chances to become election candidates representing UMNO. 

 

I suppose for the good of Barisan Nasional, these traitors should be axed and in the case of the backstabbing MPs from their partners, MCA, MIC and PBRS, it’s best UMNO dissolve BN. After all, four of their parliamentarians – of which, one is a party president and two are deputy presidents – willfully betrayed Zahid who is also the BN head honcho. 

 

I wonder if Zahid has the political will and courage to undertake the necessary cleanup. We shall see.