Archive - 8 March 2004

The fate of ISA detainees on hunger strike loomed as an election issue as the son of the opposition party's spiritual leader was hospitalised.

The Keadilan vice-president however scotches rumours that Lunas incumbent Saifuddin Nasution Ismail is defecting to either Umno or PAS.

Gerakan's non-Chinese members are unhappy over their low representation among the party's election candidates over the years - and plan to demonstrate this visibly if their demands are not considered.

Parti Gerakan akan umumkan senarai calon parti itu bagi kerusi Dewan Undangan Negeri (DUN) dan Parlimen pada hari Rabu atau Khamis ini.

Election watchdog Mafrel has claimed to have found discrepancies in voter details in the electoral roll, as at September 2003, suggesting that 'phantoms' have yet to be exorcised.

The confirmation of Karpal's seat resolves one of the two big secrets in DAP's seat allocation. Will chairperson Lim Kit Siang be moved to an unexpected location?

Polis Kedah tidak akan mengeluarkan permit jika parti-parti politik yang bertanding dalam pilihanraya kali ini mengadakan ceramah pada masa dan tempat yang sama.

Former PAS (now Umno) members have gone on the offensive against the opposition party in its strongholds of Kelantan and Terengganu. At a recent ceramah (political talk), they hit out aggressively at PAS policies.

Party president Edwin Dundang says 'half the battle has been won' and that they are overjoyed with the decision.

There is no doubt that Barisan Nasional will emerge victorious in the coming general election just like how the movie The Lord of the Rings made a clean sweep at the Oscars recently.

The three want the court to declare them as being eligible to contest in the general election. The question is whether the decision will be made before nomination day on Saturday.

Malaysiakini's News Roundup picks out anecdotes on the lighter side of the elections, as reported in Chinese and Malay dailies.

Both the ruling coalition and the opposition rely on their respective surveys to claim that they will win big in this general election.

Transparency International (TI) reckons that a survey will unearth the extent of support for Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's pet project.

Parliament's loss may be Kelantan's gain, if PAS gets its way in election results involving Husam Musa, currently the Kubang Kerian MP, amidst talk of wider changes in the party hierarchy.

The Chinese-centric party's future depends on broadening its support base among the various races. This requires internal reforms and stronger cooperation with other opposition parties.

The jailed ex-deputy premier is the best man to lead an alternative government. However, V SIVAPALAN says he must learn how to forgive his enemies first.

The opposition party is focusing only on Malay/Muslim and Chinese-majority seats, leaving the rest to its more veteran counterparts.

Sabah round-up The return of PBS into the BN fold two years ago has seriously eroded the strength of the opposition in Sabah. With no credible alternative, the winner on March 21 is a forgone conclusion.