Good morning. Here are our picks for today.
Key Highlights
Poll: PN trailing in Pelangai
‘Water turns to tea’
A draconian laws reminder
Poll: PN trailing in Pelangai
A survey by Akademi Pengajian Melayu Universiti Malaya (APM) revealed that Pakatan Harapan-BN has the edge in Saturday’s Pelangai by-election in Pahang.
The survey indicated that virtually all respondents have decided which candidate they are voting for - 55.5 percent will vote for BN and 43.2 percent for Perikatan Nasional.
Asked if the current administration in Pahang should be maintained, 58.6 percent of respondents agreed while 27.9 percent were unsure. Only 13.5 percent disagreed.
The majority of respondents from three Felda settlements - Chemomoi, Sungai Kemasul, and Sungai Kemahal - were satisfied with the state government while a minority were not.
These three Felda settlements were where PN performed best during the 2022 general election and are expected to be key battlegrounds for the Pelangai polls.
Yesterday, Pahang Menteri Besar Wan Rosdy Wan Ismail refuted PN’s claim that the coalition can trigger a change in the state government if it wins the Pelangai seat.
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‘Water turns to tea’
Orang Asli villagers near Bukit Galla in Nilai, Negeri Sembilan, are upset that their water source is being polluted.
“Whenever it rains, our water supply turns into the colour of tea. We drink, cook, and shower in this polluted water,” lamented Panjang Pandak, the spokesperson for Kampung Orang Asli Sungai Mahang.
The villagers are blaming logging activities for their predicament and want the authorities to put a stop to it.
Panjang said he wrote to numerous agencies including sending a letter to Negeri Sembilan Menteri Besar Aminuddin Harun as well as a memorandum to Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
However, the Negeri Sembilan Forestry Department said in a letter sighted by Malaysiakini that the logging activities carried out in compartments 15 and 16 of the Galla Forest Reserve are legal.
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A draconian laws reminder
Former PKR deputy president Syed Husin Ali has reminded his party colleagues of their obligation to ensure draconian laws that allow for detention without trial must be repealed.
Though generally positive about the performance of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s administration, he took note of criticisms regarding independent preacher Wan Ji Wan Hussin’s sedition charge and imprisonment.
The government also said it has no intention of abolishing the Security Offences (Special Measures) Act (Sosma) - which allows detention without trial for 28 days.
“They should do something more but they haven’t done enough on this, which is disappointing to me. In the past, they have been critical about such acts which are open to abuse of power,” said Syed Husin.
Syed Husin himself was detained for six years without trial under the Internal Security Act from 1974 to 1980. The legislation, which has since been repealed, earned notoriety as a weapon to silence dissent.
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Views that matter
 | By S Thayaparan |
 | By Wong Yan Ke |
 | By Bridget Welsh |
Other news that matter
Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered a postponement of an eviction notice issued to residents of Kampung Sungai Baru, Kuala Lumpur, which was initially supposed to take effect on Oct 5.
The Health Ministry assured it is prepared to tackle the next pandemic, even if it arises from an as-yet-unidentified threat. It advised against “excessive anxiety” over “Disease X”.
PAS denied finalising its candidate for the upcoming Kemaman by-election. This followed claims that former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad would be fielded.
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