Jeffrey’s STAR blows hot and cold

By Calvin Kabaron

Leaders of local opposition, STAR, who recently
returned from the party's recent SWOT analysis
meeting are pessimistic about the party's direction.

KOTA KINABALU: Has the State Reform Party (STAR) peaked too soon in Sabah?

The party is seeing a slowdown in membership applications, it has failed to attract high profile former Barisan Nasional leaders who have quit the ruling coalition and its campaign is disjointed.

Tongues are wagging and party leader, maverick local politician Jeffrey Kitingan, is taking most of the flak. He is being blamed for being indecisive in the face manifold problems confronting the local opposition party that was formed 10 months ago.

Hints of despair in the party are surfacing and Kitingan who is no stranger to controversy may fall into a political abyss yet again by “refusing to listen to good and alert colleagues”, according to people with knowledge of the situation in the party.

Sabah opposition ‘magic’ number is 10

According to PAS, although 60% of the electorate
'favour us', only a one-to-one fight with BN
could ensure a win for the opposition.

By Luke Rintod of FMT

LONDON: Voters in Sabah will have to deliver at least 10 parliamentary seats to the opposition to end the over 50-year reign of the Umno-led federal coalition government.

PAS deputy president, Mohamad Sabu, more popularly known as Mat Sabu, reckons that voters in the east Malaysian state will have to make a complete turnaround compared to the last election to allow the opposition to march into Putrajaya.

While confident that Pakatan Rakyat would do even better in Peninsular Malaysia compared to the 2008 general election, the popular and down-to-earth PAS leader said Sabah voters would either swing it the opposition’s way or help maintain the status quo.

Virgin Mary image draws Catholics to hospital

A stain on a window that some Catholics believe to be an apparition
of the Virgin Mary is seen at the Sime Darby Medical Centre in
Subang November 11, 2012. — Picture by Choo Choy May

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 11 — Catholic Malaysians have been flocking to the Sime Darby Medical Centre in Subang Jaya to catch a glimpse of an image that has appeared on one of its windows said to resemble the image of the Virgin Mary, The Sunday Star reported today.

The mysterious image of the figure revered by Catholics who believe Mary to be the mother of Jesus Christ was reported to have been spotted a few days ago on a window pane at the hospital.

Sabah’s oil curse strikes again

Poverty-riddled Sabah is the sixth biggest contributor to
the national economy, contributing more than a quarter of
the total oil and gas produced in the country.

KOTA KINABALU: Sabah lost control of its oil wealth more than 30 years ago but the fallout of the widely acknowledged cock-eyed contract is continuing to roil business dealings in the state.

The state Barisan Nasional government is now facing more questions over how it is managing the Petronas-sponsored Sabah Oil and Gas Terminal (SOGT) project that began more than a year ago.

The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has accused Chief Minister Musa Aman’s Umno-led BN government of failing to safeguard the interest of the local companies in the ongoing multi-billion-ringgit project.

Melanie Chia, the party’s outspoken women’s wing chief, said there appeared to be no attempt by the state government to ensure locals get a bigger share of the spin-offs from the SOGT project.

Mengapa perlu ubah kerajaan?

Penulis berkongsi pandangan bersama rakan-rakan di
Facebook mengenai isu penting menjelang PRU-13

Menjelang Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-13 (PRU-13), usaha-usaha yang diambil oleh Barisan Nasional (BN) untuk “mempertahankan” Putrajaya semakin rancak. Begitu juga usaha Pakatan Rakyat (PR) “merampas” Putrajaya.

Dalam keasyikan kedua-dua pihak merebut kuasa, kita jangan sesekali lupa bahawa “kuasa” sebenar terletak pada tangan Rakyat (huruf besar disengajakan). Dalam sistem pemerintah demokrasi, Rakyat yang berkuasa dan berhak memilih wakil yang akan membentuk kerajaan.

Di tengah-tengah keghairahan BN dan PR berebut bola di tengah padang, usah kita lupa walau sesaat bahawa keputusan mutlak sebenarnya terletak di tangan kita sebagai Rakyat; khususnya individu yang sudah mendaftar sebagai pengundi.