Anwar plays political poker in Sabah

Sabah Pakatan Rakyat is yet to consolidate its list of
candidates as it toys with STAR and SAPP.

KUALA LUMPUR: With nominations just days away, speculations are rife that Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim is engaging Jeffrey Kitingan’s State Reform Party (STAR) in a 11th hour bid to find a solution to what promises to be a crippling election for Pakatan Rakyat if it remains adamant and uncompromising on Sabah seats.

Nomination is set for April 20 and by tomorrow all state Barisan Nasional component parties would have announced their list of candidates.

GE13: Ong Tee Keat may stand as Independent candidate in Pandan

Former MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat

KUALA LUMPUR, April 16 — Will former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat contest the Pandan Parliamentary seat as an Independent candidate?

“Just wait for nomination day,” Ong was quoted as saying by Chinese daily Nanyang Siang Pau today.

MCA yesterday named Garry Lim Chin Yee, 39, the division’s legal advisor to step into the fray against PKR’s strategic director, Rafizi Ramli, in the May 5 polls in the Malay-dominated area.

Pandan Wanita MCA chief Cindy Leong Siew Kam, who had known Ong for over 20 years, said it was unlike Ong to end his political career without a fight, and and she would not be surprised if he stood as an independent.

PBS retains incumbents

The selection of PBS candidates for the 13th general election
left observers surprised and supporters disappointed.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

PENAMPANG: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS), Umno’s staunchest local ally, will field all its incumbents in the May 5 general election much to the disappointment of its supporters and political observers.

The party has three MPs and 12 assemblymen.

The only new faces on the list are former school principal Mary Yap who will contest in Tawau and Fung Fen Lui who is slotted for the Tanjung state seat.

I am still young and capable: Pairin, 73, to contest two seats again

PENAMPANG: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Joseph Pairin Kitingan said he would defend his Keningau parliamentary and Tambunan state seats in the 13th general election.

The Sabah Deputy Chief Minister who had been politically active since 1975 described his bids as his last battle to retain both constituencies for the Barisan Nasional in the interest of the people.

On the party’s other candidates, he indicated that there would be new faces in the line-up.

Silence of KDM giants disappointing

Come Sunday, the full list of candidates for all constituencies in the 13th General Election, will be known. Between nomination day up to voting, more crossovers from opposition parties to BN component parties or vice-versa can be expected starting with the ‘ditching’ of DAP by two Kadazan leaders in Sabah.

The purported reason behind the crossovers was due to KDM’s main leaders launching a so-called ‘Gelombang Tataba” a vision that would bring golden opportunities for the people through the unity of the three KDM BN component parties.

Anwar after Hindraf over Ministry of Orang Asal and Minority Affairs (Moama)

By Joe Fernandez

Is Jayathas of Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), allegedly Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim’s newly-recruited political mandore from Hindraf, trying to say the NGO should not be registered just because his boss doesn’t like it?

It appears to be so judging from his song-and-dance act on Sat at a press conference, for his 15 minutes of fame, on the subject.

Hindraf, or any organisation, has a right to be registered. It's the Registrar of Societies (ROS) which plays politics with registration, on the instructions of Umno, until the matter ends up in Court. Umno doesn't own the ROS.

Lu Kacau Gua, Gua Kacau Lu – Hindraf under Star symbol and flag in Malaya!

By Joe Fernandez
It’s confirmed! Hindraf Makkal Sakthi will be fielding candidates in Malaya under the Borneo-based State Reform Party’s (Star) symbol and flag in the forthcoming 13th General Election on May 5. Star is a national party.

Star chairman Jeffrey Kitingan, in a text message a little while ago said: “Let Hindraf be a big surprise.”

Hindraf chairman P. Waythamoorthy in a text message confirmed: “We are still finalizing the list.”

Tataba Wave emboldens Mahathir and UMNO to strangle the nation

By Ezra Haganez
KOTA KINABALU : Opposition State Reform Party (STAR) has accused that the Gelombang Tataba promulgated by PBS, UPKO and PBRS is nothing but to propel UMNO's "ketuanan Melayu" over Sabahans.

STAR Sabah deputy chairman, Daniel John Jambun, said Sabahans must realise that the Gelombang Tataba was nothing but the idea of UMNO to empower Mahathir Mohamad to help perpetuate "ketuanan Melayu dan UMNO" to overlord Sabahans.

Taib’s our ‘chief campaigner’, says opposition

The Barisan Nasional lives on corruption and all PM Najib Tun Razak
can do is to condone such wrong doings, says Sarawak DAP

KUCHING: If Sarawak opposition wins its targeted 16 parliamentary seats in the May 5 general election, it will be due entirely to Chief Minister Taib Mahmud.

Describing Taib as the opposition’s “chief campaigner”, state DAP said “if he does not step down as promised” the likelihood of an opposition win was very high.

In the 2011 state election, allegations of corruption, land grabs and power abuse by Taib and his cronies saw the opposition wrest an unprecedented 15 seats.

Post-election analysis had pointed out a more than 40% swing in voter support for the opposition in the once strong Barisan Nasional frontiers.

Opposition ‘spoilers’ giving Sabah BN quiet wins

By Luke Rintod of FMT

STAR and SAPP have reminded Sabah DAP and Sabahans that
voting for Pakatan would be a case of jumping from the
frying pan into fire situation.

KOTA KINABALU : Opposition parties DAP, SAPP and STAR have a common enemy in Barisan Nasional. Yet they seem unable to hold it together, constantly kniving each other instead of plotting against their enemy.

This in itself is intriguing and is telling of Sabah’s layered opposition politics which runs deep on distrust.

Yesterday, DAP’s sole parliamentarian Hiew King Chew, accused both State Reform Party (STAR) and Sabah Progressive Peoples Party (SAPP) of being “useless” parties that cannot do anything.

“It is a waste to vote STAR or SAPP,” he had said in statement that lumped the two parties as “spoilers” in the 13th general election.