Political Tsunami hits Malaysia

[Eokboy]

Malaysian politics turned upside down
Sat Mar 8, 2008 3:39pm EST

By Mark Bendeich

KUALA LUMPUR (*******) - Malaysians awoke on Sunday to a vastly altered political landscape after voters suddenly and unexpectedly questioned five decades of political status quo and decided it was time for a change.

Malaysians from across the country's deep racial divide deserted the ruling coalition in droves at general elections, handing control of its north to Islamists and its industrial hub to leftists.

The result from Saturday's elections were still being counted on Sunday morning, but the protest vote looked to hand an unprecedented five state assemblies to the opposition and cut the coalition's majority in federal parliament to a record low.

"It's bad," said a source close to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, attributing the massive protest vote to a raft of concerns focusing on rising prices and religious tensions.

"It's a perfect storm."

The result has raised security fears: the last time the multi-racial Barisan Nasional (National Front) suffered a big setback, in 1969, race riots and a state of emergency ensued.

"The only other time this happened was in 1969 and that's why everybody is very nervous now because of the uncertainty," said Bridget Welsh, political analyst with Johns Hopkins University.

Malaysia's streets were largely quiet, and political experts said they doubted there would be racial violence this time, noting that all of Malaysia's major ethnic communities -- Malays, Chinese and Indians -- had deserted the government. Continued...

http://www.*******.com/article/worldNews/idUSL0813254620080308


Huge thanks to my countrymen who were brave enough to stand up to BN :)

Also thanks to Al Gore for inventing the internet. Without it Malaysians would still be deceived by traditional media.

[Tempest]

God bless Malaysia & Al Gore!woot

[4_tune]

i am a BN supporter by nature and grew up in a family of BN supporters. i felt quite sad for the vast defeat on some parliament seats. but at the same time, i am also very greatful that at last we as malaysian understands what democracy really is. it's a great lesson learnt by BN, not to take things too easily into their hands. thank you brothers and sisters

[Tempest]

i am a BN supporter by nature and grew up in a family of BN supporters. i felt quite sad for the vast defeat on some parliament seats. but at the same time, i am also very greatful that at last we as malaysian understands what democracy really is. it's a great lesson learnt by BN, not to take things too easily into their hands. thank you brothers and sisters

There are definitely many people south of Johor observing this sea change with awe. Congratulations

[LazerLordz]

Same here.

Congratulations to our friends and neighbours up north. Cherish the democracy you have exercised.

[Eokboy]

M'sia's opposition Islamic party pledges to respect minority rights
Tuesday, 11 March 2008

(The Straits Times) KOTA BHARU - MALAYSIA'S Islamic opposition party said on Sunday it has no plans to immediately shut down nightclubs and gambling dens, or ban alcohol in a northern state where it won elections.

The Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, or PAS, also pledged to respect ethnic minority rights and said it would not unilaterally implement strict Islamic rules.

PAS retained its stronghold in northeast Kelantan state and wrested control of mainly Muslim Kedah state from Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's coalition in Saturday's general elections.

An Islamic cleric, Azizan Abdul Razak, 63, was named to lead the government in Kedah, said PAS president Abdul Hadi Awang.

He said Mr Azizan will not impose Islamic laws of the kind in force in Kelantan, including segregation of sexes in public places and a ban on gambling, alcohol, cinemas and nightclubs. Such places flourish in Langkawi, a popular tourist resort island in Kedah state.

He said PAS would consult its two political allies - the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party or DAP and the multiracial People's Justice Party known by its Malay acronym PKR - before implementing such rules. He said PAS will also seek feedback from the local community.

'We will first discuss with our non-Muslim friends. We all have different faiths. Whatever activities that are allowed by other religions, even though they are banned in Islam, we cannot disturb. That is their right,' he told reporters.

'We will ensure freedom of religion, freedom of worship and the right to carry out their daily affairs,' he said.

PAS, the DAP and PKR captured three other states - Perak, Penang and Selangor - which have large ethnic Chinese and Indian populations.

Penang, which is the country's only Chinese-majority state, will be governed by the DAP. Mr Hadi said the three parties were still deciding who would lead Perak and Selangor.

PAS, which has ruled Kelantan since 1990, had alienated ethnic minorities and liberal-thinking Muslims with its call for a hardline theocratic state in the past. An earlier cooperation with the DAP collapsed over its Islamic agenda. But PAS dropped its call for a theocratic state in these elections and toned down its Islamic rhetoric.

Malay Muslims make up about 60 per cent of Malaysia's 27 million people, while Chinese and Indians jointly account for about a third of the population.

The opposition gains are seen as a protest vote against Mr Abdullah's government amid complaints over the rising cost of living, growing crime and religious and racial tensions.

Mr Hadi attributed the opposition's strong gains - which eroded the ruling coalition's two-thirds parliamentary majority for the first time in four decades - to support from Chinese and Indians in urban areas.

'We praise Allah for our victory,' he said. 'It shows that Malaysians want a development policy that is fair and does not lead to abuses. We will support development that is beneficial for the people but we will reject corruption, cronyism and nepotism.' -- AP

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/03/09/asia/AS-POL-Malaysia-Elections-Islam.php