On Police 'birds' swoop in on campaign

Dorai Dubai: The BN is using all kinds of tactics to swing the vote from Pakatan. However, their mission will not be successful as Permatang Pauh voters are more brainy than the ruling BN leaders.

The BN campaign team can even use F15 fighter jets to fear voters, but please take note that fear doesn’t obstruct the noble mission of forming a new government for our future generations.

Malaysian-thru-and-thru: At spots close to Umno-BN operation centres, large screens are playing the video of Anwar's sodomy accuser Mohd Saiful Bukhari Azlan swearing on the Quran.

Believe me, there are more than enough stunts like the above in this country to keep all of us entertained for a long time to come. Haven't the BN any better strategic approaches than these infantile efforts or have they got nothing to show for their nearly half a century in power?

Densemy: Of course this is a fear tactic. The police used the same strategy during the anti-fuel price hike rally in the Kelana Jaya Stadium.

The helicopters kept people away in droves and when they flew over the stadium there was a palpable reaction of fear from the crowd.

This government is renowned for using fear to manipulate Malaysians. It is a tactic you expect from cowards.

On 'I voiced it, but I don't support it'

Ipohwood: Gerakan Wanita Chief Tan Lien Hoe is a disgrace. A totally spineless being. If you watched her on the news on Monday night, you would wonder who on earth voted for her in the last general election.

There were also pictures of her trying her best to make up for her comments with the prime minister and his deputy. However, both gave her the cold shoulder. Is this the best Gerakan can offer? If they know what’s good for them, they should close shop now and join PKR!

On MARA is progress not fascism

A Dejected Malaysian: An excellent write up by a very sensible Malaysian. Without competition, no country can advance in a globalised world. Even with all the other races shipped out, our fellow Malay brothers and sisters will still have to face the citizens of the world in competing in the world market.

Fortunately other liberal societies such in the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, etc, can accept our students based on merit for education. Imagine if these students were subjected to such unfair treatment in other countries?

Many lecturers in our public universities obtained their masters and doctorates from foreign universities. What if they had been stopped from doing so by unfair policies?

Ex-UiTM: The issue has been taken out of proportion. Who actually started it? It was not the Selangor menteri besar but actually the Vice Chancellor of UiTM Ibrahim Shah. During a Gabem meeting recently, he brought up the issue, then called for a press conference indicating that UiTm should not be opened to non Bumis.

Only after that did the MB give his opinion. Ibrahim set the trap. Why? He wanted to be a hero and get attention. His aim is probably an extension to continue as VC.

Dont blame Umno, the prime minister or others for Ibrahim Shah’s actions in instigating the students. I hope the Higher Education Minister takes disciplinary action against this publicity seeker. We don’t need people like him bringing disunity among the races for the sake of self glorification.

Number 15959: This whole issue of the Selangor MB's proposal on UiTM opening its doors to Malaysians is really funny to say the least. They say history repeats itself and anyone who has read history would know that this exact drama unfolded in the US in the 1960s when the whites protested when black students were allowed into universities. It also happened in South Africa during the apartheid rule.

And where are we today? Barrack Obama is at the treshold of becoming the next President of the US. Nelson Mandela is a free man and a fine example of a man fighting for what he believes in.

And then we have Malaysians who claim they are going to be an industrialised nation by 2020 which includes being a globalised nation.

You can’t have your cake and eat it too. You either open up your doors to the world and take advantage of what the world has to offer or keep yourself under the tempurung (coconut shell) which we so often hide under. There is no two ways about it.

I was really flabbergasted when I caught the Vice Chancellor speaking on TV. He said thousands of students in UiTM branches nationwide, including their families at home, were on stand by ready to take to the streets to defend their rights.

Now if this is not sedition, I don't know what is. He could be forgiven if he was a man on the street making a statement at a teh-tarik stall. But no, he was in coat and tie at a press conference shooting his mouth off, making racially explosive statements.

I really relish these kinds of opportunities when our so called leaders. department heads and officials come out and open their mouths. It shows the whole world what they are really made of.

We the people of Malaysia want and need a change. We have worked 50 years for racial unity and harmony. Let’s not give up now.

Well Wisher: I am very sorry to see that UiTM students and their Vice Chancellor are not prepared to face the truth. Hiding behind a short-sighted, insulated and backward institution, later hiding behind the sheltered walls of government offices and institutions, will never see the Malay race come out of their cocoon.

You can get violent and you can shout abuse at Khalid Ibrahim and many other learned fellow Malaysians for their well intended suggestions. But you can never lie to yourself. The perpetual reliance on government handouts and not having to be self-reliant under the NEP and not taking on challenges will only see the Malay race go more and more backwards.

I wish you are just as brave facing up to the truth as you are hiding behind it. Like it or not, you will have to face it sooner or later. You can lie to others but you can never lie to yourself. When will you be brave enough to compete with others if not now?

Broken Hearted: The bumiputera students in UiTM should consider themselves very fortunate to have someone like Khalid Ibrahim advising them to open up UiTM to non-bumiputera.

They should look at the suggestion from a positive angle. Here we have a successful bumiputera giving his genuine opinion with the thought of improving his fellow race. Khalid Ibrahim’s good intention is to challenge the bumi students so that they become successful, brilliant people who are highly respected.

Why do the students need to protest? Are they afraid that the 10 percent of non-bumi students will threaten their intelligence? Are they happy with UiTM’s current standards?

My advice to UiTM students: Don't get mixed up with politics. Be smart about your future and don’t be manipulated by certain parties bent on making trouble in the country

On Saiful, don’t hide behind religion

Pity: It is such a pity what is happening to the political situation in Malaysia. While most political debates or contests in progressive countries touch on policies to improve the well being of the people, economic growth, freedom of speech, etc, the current hot political subject in Malaysia, and indeed the future of the government in Malaysia, is sodomy.

It took the much younger man eight sessions of the ‘non-consensual’ act before he decided to report it to the police. And then he tries to persuade the public that his act of swearing on the Holy Book on the eve of the Permatang Pauh by-election was not politically motivated! Please give the people a break!

It would have been more convincing if the ‘victim’ had at least pretended to look hurt or displayed a sense of shame for being ‘violated’ – as most rape victims do – rather than carry a confident smirk with a sense of arrogance while in the public eye.

The one thing clearly violated here is the intelligence of Malaysian public. What a shame if indeed this whole sorry episode was engineered by the very people voted in to protect the interest of the rakyat.

I am very glad to note that most Malaysians see this as a show, and not a convincing one at that!

John Johnson: Well, well, well. When all else fails, bring in religion and everyone will be too terrified to say anything. As much as I respect religion and hold it in high esteem, please do not use it as a weapon to get votes. We all know this is BN’s last resort to wrest back power in Permatang Pauh.

If this is what religion has been reduced to, woe be to us all.

On Nazri: Postal voting to stay

Mustafa Ahmad: The minister in the prime minister’s department rejected the opposition's call to abolish postal voting because according to him, the rakyat has the right to vote. And to further manifest his responsibility towards the constitutional rights of the rakyat to vote, he conceded that his BN-Umno regime may improve the system.

If the minister is co concerned with democratic gestures, why is the by-election at Permatang Pauh being held on a weekday, when people have to work? Wouldn’t it be more convenient for Permatang Pauh folk to cast their votes on a weekend?

It is very clear that the main purpose of holding the election on a working weekday is to drastically reduce voter turnout, hopefully to the advantage of the BN-UMNO regime.

Despite this childish attempt, PKR is more likely to win the election.

Sin Yoong Cheong: If postal voting is here to stay, why is it limited to only government and military officials and students overseas and not legitimate Malaysian citizens who are working overseas? Would appreciate if someone could explain this!

On Don't stir hornet's nest, Rais warns S'pore

Mustafa Ahmad: Had it not been for your incompetent and inconsistent representation at the World Court, we would not have lost Pulau Batu Puteh to Singapore. Compared to the Singaporean team, you and your team were very ill-prepared. Critical documents were also not available to prove our ownership of Batu Puteh.

Now you want to show your ‘guts’ when dealing with Singapore. You and your team should have done that during the trial to claim Malaysia's right. To do it now, proves that you are nothing but a sore loser who resorts to threats, just like the typical BN-UMNO regime.

Rais, what do you intend to do if Singapore continues with its right to claim an exclusive economic zone off Batu Puteh? Can you apply ISA to the prime minister of Singapore? Can you charge the leader with sodomy? What can you do? You know you can’t do a thing because you and your team lost when it mattered the most. Whatever you do now is irrelevant.

On Zulkifli defends his action at Bar forum

Lilian Tan: PKR MP Zulkifli Noordin should have spared us his heroics and said, "I'm a racist first, a Muslim second."

Ranjeet: Zulkifli should resign from the party because as a people’s representative, he should put the people first. The Muslims in this country are not under any threat from the other communities. We all have rights as Malaysians. Zulkifli would do well to remember that he is an elected member of Parliament who is responsible, equally, to both the Muslims and non-Muslims who voted for him.

On MAS profits fall 65% in second quarter

Garry Khoo: Surging fuel costs didn’t cause the loss of profits in MAS. In my opinion, it was caused by ineffective and inefficient management. All airline companies have regulations in place to deal with drastic increases in operational costs. The management must have been over spending on unnecessary things.

On Arif distances himself from brother's scandal

Garry Khoo: Scandal or not, we really cannot blame Arif for his brother’s actions. Please do not waste taxpayer’s money digging up dirt on politicians just for political mileage.

Scandals are mere distractions. The rakyat need change. Change that will unite all Malaysians.