East Malaysia: the REAL Third Force in Malaysian politics

Yes, whoever gets to form the next federal government and whether it will be with a simple majority or a two-thirds majority will depend on East Malaysia. And those in Sabah and Sarawak know this. So, expect some surprises from East Malaysia over the next month or so.

NO HOLDS BARRED

Raja Petra Kamarudin

Suspensions will give BN two-thirds majority

(Malaysiakini) - Pakatan Rakyat says the anticipated suspension of four of its MPs tomorrow will lead to BN regaining its two-thirds majority in Parliament. Rasah MP Anthony Loke said the implications of this are huge and the consequences dire for Pakatan.

"Maybe the BN will use this opportunity to amend the federal constitution or re-draw the electoral boundaries," Loke told reporters at the Parliament lobby today.

A motion to suspend Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim for six-months was tabled yesterday in a bid to censure him for claiming that Apco Worldwide - a public relations firm that advises the Najib administration - was linked to the Zionist regime of Israel. Following this, Anwar was referred to the rights and privileges committee, which recommended that Anwar be suspended, despite not giving him the opportunity to make his defence.

The committee's investigation has been criticised by three Pakatan MPs - Azmin Ali (PKR-Gombak), R Sivarasa (PKR-Subang) and Karpal Singh (DAP-Bukit Gelugor). They have been accused of breaking the embargo on the committee's report and a motion, to be tabled today, aims to suspend them for six months as well.

Loke said speaker Pandikar Amin Mulia had "allowed the federal government to use its majority as it likes. Tomorrow, they will pass a motion to suspend Anwar and now three more MPs from Pakatan. I see a hidden agenda here.”

“This will mean huge political implications for Pakatan in Parliament because now there are 76 MPs and if four are suspended for the next six months, we will lose our one-third strength in the House. We will only have 72 in MPs,” he said.

Read more here: http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/150861

Bersekutu dissolved, new party launched for Sabah

KOTA KINABALU: A new political party, the Sabah People’s Front Party (SPF), has been set up here.

Its president, Berman Angkap, who held a media conference upon arrival from Kuala Lumpur today, asserted his party’s stance as an opposition party but said they had no plans as yet to work with other opposition parties in the State.

However, he appeared open to the idea saying, “what is important is that their ideology is similar to ours”.

Berman also announced the dissolution of Parti Barisan Rakyat Sabah Bersekutu (Bersekutu) which he had helmed and which had been around for about 20 years despite being regarded as a “mosquito party”.

He said SPF, which was formally registered by the Registrar of Society (ROS) on Dec 8, was formed to fulfill the wishes of Sabahans who wanted to have the State’s rights restored.

Dr Jeffrey set to quit PKR Thursday, December 16 ?

By Ezra Haganez
Kota Kinabalu, SABAH: Sabah PKR strongman, Dr Jeffrey Kitingan is expected to quit PKR this Thursday, December 16, 2010 !

His supporters said the announcement is expected to be made at his scheduled press conference at Dowish Restaurant in front of the famous KDCA-owned Hongkod Koisaan building in Penampang.

The auspicious December 16 is the last day of Jeffrey's two-month leave. The date was also chosen, according to supporters, because it coincides with the Boston Tea Party revolt against colonialism power in USA long time ago.

An aide of Jeffrey, Philip Among, said his boss is holding the press conference "to explain his political destiny and the future of his struggle" and also "to announce the setting up of a movement".

Philip, who quit PKR weeks ago, is facilitating the press conference, where scores of Jeffrey's ardent supporters are expected to turn up.

Jeffrey has been tight-lipped on his plan. And so are his lieutenants Danial John Jambun and Mozes Michael Iking. Both Daniel and Mozes, are still under suspension in PKR for their involvement in the attempt to register a PKR-breakaway Parti Cinta Sabah (PCS) last year.

There had been talks also going round that he may lead a political party and work with a Sarawak-based party and AKIM, the peninsular-based party to be headed by Zaid.

Students fed with 'skewed' history, say textbook writers

KUALA LUMPUR - Malaysian students are being fed with a skewed version of our history, said two academicians who are contributors to history text books.

In a report by free morning paperThe Sun, Ranjit Singh Malhi and Ng How Kuen said history books were contaminated with factual errors and distortion to promote political interests.

Ranjit, author of secondary school history textbooks since 1990 and adviser to the Ministry of Education, claimed he had been labelled "anti national" for pointing out to officials about errors and distortions in the textbooks.

Freeze on native certificate: Govt flouting the law

By Charlie Rudai

KOTA KINABALU: The state government must lift the freeze on the issuance of native certificate as it is an infringement of the constitution and a burden to Sino-natives in Sabah.

VK Liew, the deputy minister in the PM’s department, said the constitution clearly states that a 'native' is a citizen if one is the child or grandchild of a person of a race indigenous to Sabah and born either in Sabah or to a father domiciled in Sabah at time of birth.

"It is a constitutional right of those who into this category. Such right cannot be denied because to do so is unconstitutional," he said, after officiating the Liberal Democratic Party's(LDP) 1Malaysia 1Hope Christmas celebration near here over the weekend.

Since the freeze on native certificate, which was to used to validate their status, Sino-natives in Sabah have been facing problems such as transferring properties to their children who do not possess the Native Certificate, said Liew who is LDP president.