vox populi small thumbnail 'Thank you, Mr Brown, for your support. Sarawakians appreciate what Clare Rewcastle is doing. Her courageous effort will not be forgotten.'

Ex-PM Brown praises in-law's fight for S'wak

SusahKes: PM Najib Razak, do you get the point? Your rosy ‘stories' (read: 1Malaysia) isn't convincing the Western world. With these kind of reports - and not just anybody, but the ex-PM of Britain and individuals such as John Malott - do you really expect FDIs to come streaming in to support your NEM, ETP, GTP?

I mean, you need to do more than just depend on pump-priming measures, which is exactly what the NEM is all about.

Sarawakian_3ff9: Thank you, Mr Brown, for your support. Sarawakians appreciate what Clare Rewcastle is doing. Her courageous effort will not be forgotten and neither will your support.

One day, we Sarawakians hope that we'll be able to read in the papers that Clare was awarded the Noble Peace price for her untiring effort to save our natural treasures or whatever is left of it. We love you, Clare.

Petestop: The international community should ban Malaysian logs. Logging does not benefit the rakyat anyway, and it only goes to line the pockets of Chief Minister Abdul Taib Mahmud and his family. A few acres of forest are a lifetime of livelihood for the Sarawakian natives, but only meant a wedding reception for Taib and his new 28-year old wife. I wonder why Sarawakians keep voting him into power.

Anonymous_3f96: In the 1960s, Sabah was one of the richest states in Malaysia. Fifty years of rape and pillage and now Sabah is the poorest state in the federation. The same fate awaits Sarawak unless the people rise up and say enough is enough.

JBGUY: It is appalling that our local politicians, be they BN or from the opposition, are not doing anything about the dire straits facing the indigenous population in Sarawak as well as the rape and pillage of our Equatorial forests.

My heart goes out to the people who are fighting to make this known to the world at large. Kudos to Sarawak Report and in particular to Clare. People like Taib, Najib and the lot of government ministers should be arrested and charged in court.

Vijay47: I wonder whether Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein expects us natives to be cheering, now that he is investigating Radio Free Sarawak (RSF).

In Malaysia, the shoe is always on the other foot, the cart is always before the horse, the dance is always to the wrong tune, and yes indeed, Hishammuddin cannot see the trees for the forest.

Since you are so quick to verify the legality of RFS's existence and broadcasts, pray tell us why you are not pursuing with equal dexterity the numerous allegations of unimaginable corruption by a certain white-haired gentleman and his family in Sarawak.

No report has been made? You are being charitable in allowing him time to fully savour the delights of his new bride.

Dissecting BN's twin wins in by-election

Blackknight: I don't understand the Indians - they are a Umno/BN-neglected community and yet they are backing Umno/BN in droves. Just because S Samy Vellu has left the scene does not mean that BN is going to secure their welfare.

Just look at the dilapidated state of the Tamil schools and the acute poverty in large sections of the community. Has Umno/BN done anything in these areas to deserve the increased support they are enjoying?

Dev: I am an Indian and I am ashamed by the way the Indians of the country unashamedly vote the these scheming, corrupted racist politicians. Give the Indians another 50 years of racist divide, manipulation and oppression and I still firmly dare say that they will still be happily putting crosses next to the ‘dacing'. Sad, but true.

Hindraf, PKR, you guys really need to come together and create a bigger wave then 2008. Otherwise, the masses will be blind for another 100 years.

Kim Quek: It is incorrect to use the voting ratio of ‘buy-elections' to project onto the voting ratio of a general election. The reason is that BN's bribery and abuse of government machinery and resources are much greater and hence much more influential in swaying votes towards BN during ‘buy-elections' than in general election.

I would reckon an average correction factor of at least 5% will have to be applied, if ‘buy-election' results are to be used to project the outcome of the general election. Added to that correction factor is the magic of the general election fever when heightened dissemination of scandalous failures of BN can sway considerable fence-sitters.

Proof of this phenomenon is the last general election when Pakatan achieved a 50-50 share of popular votes - against all forecasts.

Gerard Samuel Vijayan: The Indians in the rural areas will never learn simply because of poverty, illiteracy and ignorance compounded by a very short-term memory. For them, it is all about bread-and-butter issues.

Bagan Pinang, Tenang, Merlimau and Kerdau have always been BN strongholds in the Umno heartland. Pakatan Rakyat can forget about making major inroads into Johor, Pahang and Malacca. The Malays there do not like or trust PAS and the Chinese are a small minority. National issues are not important. Given the incumbency of the BN in these states, the voters prefer to stay with the BN out of need rather than choice.

Besides, the outcome would make no difference since these states are firmly in BN hands. Pakatan does not have the resources to match the BN largesse. It should concentrate on the states that they already have and Perak, Terengganu and Perlis in West Malaysia and Sarawak in East Malaysia.

Sabah is already lost to BN. Pakatan must offer a viable and workable alternative with the right candidates.

Quigonbond: What does the voting trend really tell us?

1) Najib-Dr M combination of sodomy trial/encouraging frogs/Apco Worldwide and past Anwar ‘transgressions' have successfully discredited PKR.

2) Najib's economic programmes have been successful even if they only sound good so far.

3) It reflects the uncritical state of mind of many voters, over-expectation of what Pakatan can do even if effectively they are still minority - perhaps reflecting a poor to non-existent understanding of what democracy is.

4) Uncritical voters who don't see the value of ‘abstractions' like an independent judiciary, etc.

5) Voters perhaps misunderstand that after 2008, the press is making fair reporting when it still hasn't - that the news are still lopsided and propaganda against Pakatan Rakyat's rule.

6) The many flaws of PKR that have been successfully picked apart by BN.

The bottom line - Pakatan need to work doubly - no, triply hard - and stay clean just to compete neck-to-neck with BN.

 

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