Dr M’s lust for power is surreal, voters must reject him!

Focus Malaysia:

Dr M’s lust for power is surreal, voters must reject him!

By Arif Bakhtiar

As if we needed any further confirmation, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad is showing time and time again that he cannot let go.

In an interview on Facebook, Mahathir candidly said “I not want to contest, but my supporters are difficult. If I say I do not want to run for election, they may get angry. I do not know what to do” in reference to GE15.

Is Mahathir’s lust for power is so great that he will not turn down any opportunity to seize power?

While his ever-shrinking cadre of supporters have camouflaged it as a way to save Malaysia (once again) – why have none of them brought up the infamous legacy he has already built?

Mahathir is infamous for stating that he would never allow his children or wife to do business with Government, in his words, as “a matter of principle”.

Let’s all remember Mahathir’s RM 1.7 bil bailout of his son Mirzan Mahathir’s shipping interests in 1998. What about the complaint filed by Mahathir’s own supporter, Wan Mohammad Ashraf Nasjaruddin?

During the runup of GE14, many claimed that there were close to 500 companies registered under Mahathir and four of his kids’ names.

And this is not the full list of those who benefitted from his rule.

Many can still remember the small group of “bumputera capitalists” that became extremely rich quickly, including those close to former Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, prior to his downfall in September 1998.

Their claim to riches? The unnecessary privatisation of public assets on top of the various megaprojects such as the North-South Highway, water and sewerage, Bakun dam, Light Rail Transit System (LRT) and the National Train Service (KTM).

The Mahathir dynasty

With little business experience at helm and propped up by political capital – these companies inevitably failed and bailed out to the tune of billions, using taxpayers’ funds.

So excessive were these bailouts and failed businesses, that they were used as anti-Mahathir fodder for decades to come.

Now when Mahathir was sworn in as Pakatan’s Prime Minister, one would have hoped that he would have spent his limited time to reform the monster he had created.

Instead, Malaysians found out that Opcom Cables, a company with links to Mokhzani and Mukhriz Mahathir was awarded a RM11.16 mil contract by Telekom Malaysia (Opcom shares rose nearly 40% after this announcement).

A few months later, a letter of appointment that addressed as Petron Fuel International Bhd as one of the fuel suppliers for Government vehicles went viral on social media. Mirzan is a director of Philippine-based Petron Corporation, which owns Petron Malaysia.

How about Mukhriz’s tenure in Kedah as a Pakatan’s Menter Besar? It seems that the Mahathir clan was trying to shore up as much contracts in the state as possible, with the planned airport in Kulim, the industrial parks and even durian plantations designed to displace indigenous inhabitants.

Given the long and sordid family legacy which Mahathir has left us, we need to reject any overtures he is making to return to power.

The price paid by the rakyat will go far beyond any the longest bridge, the tallest building, the grandest airport, the most awesome dam – remember the destruction of the aspirations and hopes of entire generations of Malaysia.

It’s time to say no to Mahathir. Once and for all. – May 11, 2021.

Liew Chin Tong: The road to Putrajaya is via Johor

Focus Malaysia:

The road to Putrajaya is via Johor, DAP’s Liew Chin Tong says

CEMENTING his fourth term as Johor DAP chief, Liew Chin Tong calls for his party members to unite and reach out to fence-sitters to win federal powers in the 15th General Election.

“Johor has 26 Parliamentary seats, in which Pakatan Harapan won 16 of them in the last polls. For Peninsula Malaysia alone, our coalition won 98 seats out of 165.

“Therefore, the road to Putrajaya is through Johor. It’s important for Johor DAP to work with our allies and consolidate our support, especially with fence sitters to chart the path to winning federal and state powers,” the former deputy defence minister told FocusM.

In the party polls held last week, Liew retained his post at the state party elections, which saw his team winning 10 of the 15 committee seats.

His challenger, Skudai state assemblyperson Tan Hong Pin, failed to make the cut after coming in at the 16th position.

Liew came in third place in the polls, with Bakri MP Yeo Bee Yin winning the most votes, seconded by former Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching.

Following the win, his fellow rival, former Johor DAP chief Dr Boo Cheng Hau urged Liew and Teo to get rid of the mindset that they owe former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad their allegiance, if they are sincere in uniting the party.

“It was the people, DAP and Pakatan Harapan as a whole that gave them the opportunity to become deputy ministers.

“Remember that you serve the people. Please work towards preserving Pakatan’s solidarity, especially in Johor,” Boo told FocusM then.

Focus on winning polls

On that note, Liew said that with Pakatan having some governance experience, people’s expectations on them have become higher and leaders have to change their mindset to meet that challenge.

kt notes: The 'big tent or catch-all party' phrase is used in reference to a political party's policy of permitting or encouraging a broad spectrum of views among its members. Isn't that the same as having the possibility of even Mahathir back as coalition leader, a snub to Dr Boo's reminder? 

Thanks Liew - Dei all, I may yet be back, hehehe

He added that a “big tent” Pakatan has a chance of winning if they conduct themselves as a Government-in-waiting, while constructing a vision to inspire Malaysians in building a better nation.

“We need to become a coalition of ideas, issues and concerns with like-minded parties to present good policies to voters.

“The pandemic has shown that people want solutions backed by science, not ad hoc policies made through press conferences.

“And beyond presenting a prime minister candidate, Pakatan needs to create a team of maybe 20 to 30 leaders who will champion these polices and we do have such personalities in our coalition,” he stated.

Whether DAP is open to working with Perikatan Nasional parties if there is no clear winner, Liew said his party should aim to win first and not think about post-election scenario for now.

“If we win outright, then there is no such need for cooperation with Perikatan parties,” he remarked. – May 10, 2021.

A strict four-times-a-night sex schedule

There's someone in Zimbabwe to give some Malaysians (especially those on the East Coast, wakakaka) a run for our money in regards to one Malaysian official policy, and I am not talking about "someone's" good buddy, the late Robert Mugabe, who passed away in a Singapore hospital in late 2019.

I am referring to Mr Misheck Nyandoro who believes in our official policy of 'polygamy is required by Islam, among others, due to the husband’s “incredible sense of sexual desire” that the wife cannot fulfil', as posted in MyGovernment, a “single gateway to all government online services”. Mind you, I don't think Mr Misheck Nyandoro is a Muslim.

At this stage, I would like to recall for your perusal a related matter, also in Kelantan. Fifteen years ago in 2006, the Mufti of Kelantan, Mohamad Shukri Mohamad (who was then only the deputy mufti of Kelantan) told Berita Harian that wives would be deemed to be unjust and abusive if they cannot satisfy their husbands' sexual needs.

In his (note ‘his’ and not 'the') most brilliant exposition of Islamic doctrines, he explained that in a marriage, it's not always the wives who were abused as it could also happen to the husbands. He advised that Islamic laws protect both women and men.

He warned: "Thus wives who do not provide proper care for their husbands, including not fulfilling their sexual needs, can be considered as being unjust and abusive towards their husbands."

"These women can be charged under Section 128 (1) of the Kelantan Islamic Law Enactment 2002, which provides for a fine of RM 1,000 or jail of up to six months or both upon conviction."

But in a manner not unusual of either important big shots (CEOs, ministers, etc) or impossible big bullshitters, he skipped the details, yup, by neglecting to elaborate on how the courts would determine any husband’s claims of his wife failing to satisfy his sexual needs as per, wakakaka, Section 128 (1) of the Kelantan Islamic Law Enactment 2002.

As we know, some husbands may have excessive sexual needs, so the poor wives could be required to perform to super-human standards, you know, 'above and beyond' the call of duty.

If their wives still cannot satisfy their super sexual needs, would those poor wives be deemed as unjust and abusive as per, wakakaka again, Section 128 (1) of the Kelantan Islamic Law Enactment 2002 by this mufti?

But truthfully, I would be very interested in how he would impartially gauge that a husband has attained sexual satisfaction in his legal act of consummation. I've been informed that in the West it's supposedly measured by how loud the man (or woman) screams 'OH GOD', wakakaka again.



Or would he just rely on the hubby's say-so, that the undutiful wife should be jailed for 6 months while hubby gets a new young doll of a wife?

Poor Malaysian Kelantan women.

***

Ok, here's that Zimbabwe story 😂😂😂:

MM Online:

Zimbabwe senior citizen marries 16 wives to help increase the country's population

Zimbabwean father Misheck Nyandoro, 66, who has 16 wives and 151 children has revealed he follows a strict four-times-a-night sex schedule to help keep his family growing

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 ― He has fought in the Rhodesian bush war to help gain Zimbabwe's independence.

Now, Misheck Nyandoro, 66, is fighting a different “war” - helping to replenish the country's population with his 16 wives who have given him a total of 151 children with two more on the way.

kt notes: Remember, we had a former PM who wanted Malaysia to have a population of 70 million (gnam gnam perhaps for his Proton market?). I'm sure some loyal and enthusiastic citizens went about helping him to achieve that population target 😂😂😂

Nyandoro said he would be marrying wife number 17 this year-end and his target is to marry 100 wives and have 1,000 children before he dies.

Speaking to Zimbabwean publication The Herald, Nyandoro said he follows a strict four-times-a-night sex schedule to help keep his family growing.

Nyandoro, from Mbire District, Mashonaland Central Province, said he would go to the bedrooms on his schedule every night.

“I then satisfy them before moving onto the next room.”

Nyandoro, who does not work, said his job was to satisfy his wives, who cook, clean, and cater to his every desire.

The family mainly relies on farming and was recently allocated 93 hectares of land near the Mvurwi mountains.

While it was unclear of his wives’ ages, Nyandoro said he keeps marrying younger women because older brides cannot keep up with his insatiable sex drive.

“I alter my behaviour in the bedroom to suit the age of each of my wives.

“I don't act the same with the young ones as I do with the older ones,” said the self-professed polygamist who started marrying in 1983.

Fifty of his children are in school, six are working with the Zimbabwe National Army, two with police, 11 others in different professions, and 13 of his daughters are married.

If you are wondering if any of his sons are following in their father's footsteps, one of them actually has, with four wives.

Man charged with murder and sodomy of nine-month-old baby in PJ

MM Online:

Court charges unemployed man with murder and sodomy of nine-month-old baby in PJ

Mohamed Badruldin Mohamed was charged with murdering and sodomising a nine-month-old baby boy that his wife was babysitting at an apartment three weeks ago. ― Bernama pic

PETALING JAYA, May 12 — A jobless man was today brought to the Magistrate’s Court here on charges of murdering and sodomising a nine-month-old baby boy, his wife was babysitting at an apartment here three weeks ago.

Mohamed Badruldin Mohamed, 36, nodded his head for the murder charge while for the charge on sodomising the baby, he pleaded not guilty.

Both charges were read before Magistrate Muhammad Iskandar Zainol.

No plea was recorded from the accused of murder as the murder case was under the purview of the High Court.

The case grabbed public attention after police in a press conference yesterday said among others the baby was believed to have been murdered and sodomised by the husband of the babysitter in the bedroom of a house here when his wife was sweeping outside the residence.

For the first offence, the man was charged with murdering the infant under Section 302 of the Penal Code which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.

For the second offence, he was accused of carrying out intercourse against the order of nature on the baby under Section 377C of the same code which provides for a minimum of 5 years in jail and a maximum of 20 years imprisonment as well as liable to be whipped if found guilty.

He was accused of carrying the offences at a house in Projek Perumahan Rakyat Lembah Subang, here between 8 am to 3.30 pm on April 27.

The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor, Alison Chan May Kam while the accused was not represented.

The court set June 15 for remention and submission of the chemical report. — Bernama

Wherefore the Fook art thou, Education Minister?

Education Ministry must intervene in Ain's possible expulsion

by JAG

We are outraged by SMK Puncak Alam’s warning notice of expulsion to Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, especially in light of the lack of transparent penalties against the teacher who made the rape comments amongst his students in a class session on sexual harassment, where Ain was present.

There seems to be a string of unchecked and increasingly brazen displays of power by figures of authority within educational institutions in an attempt to punish Ain for speaking out about her teacher’s rape jokes.

First, there were the online lewd comments about Ain’s body shape and breast size allegedly from teachers in response to her TikTok video. A week later, the secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) openly contested the widespread sexual harassment and rape culture in schools, when hundreds of current and former students have already come forward online with their violations experienced.

At the same time, disappointingly, key authorities have failed to take swift and concrete action to keep these perpetrators in check and address the deeply entrenched toxic culture of sexual harassment, rape and power abuse in educational institutions. Until now, the teacher who made the rape jokes is allowed to continue teaching, with no updates from the Education Ministry on the inquiry.

Furthermore, despite expressions of zero tolerance towards sexual harassment and rape in schools by the Education Ministry, this stance has not been followed by public commitments to short-term or long-term solutions that address gender insensitivity and sexist attitudes within the country’s institutions of education.

In a scenario where the survivor is punished but not the perpetrators, we are now at risk of further regressing Malaysia’s understanding that gender-based violence is an act that devalues women. We are perpetuating the culture of victim-blaming and sending out the message that perpetrators can violate women with impunity.

The government needs to understand that state structures and practices that condone acts of violence against women and/or do not provide adequate punitive actions against those who commit such acts, results in societies where women are subject to state-sanctioned violence. Is this the image that Malaysia wants to portray?

The process to support Ain, other students like her, and Malaysian women against the social ill that is gender-based violence is not rocket science. The steps are clear.

Ministry must do the right thing

Firstly, the Education Ministry and the government needs to focus on primary prevention, the aim of which is to stop violence before it happens. This is done by increasing awareness on issues of gender-based violence and empowering women and men through trainings of leadership development and capacity building, to attempt to change the attitudes and behaviours that allow violence against women to occur.

The second priority area is to increase access of survivors of gender-based violence to quality mental health and legal information services, all of which are publicly available at low cost, to build the resilience of women and girls under the cloud of gender-based violence.

The third priority area is linked to long-term solutions, which involves developing and reforming policies and legislation to prevent, respond to and punish all forms of violence against women.

In this day and age, gender-based violence is recognised as not only a form of discrimination against women and girls, but also a gross violation of fundamental human rights of freedom from violence and to bodily integrity. Having one’s voices heard in a non-violent manner is also a universal right that is enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, an international human rights agreement that is also ratified by Malaysia since 1995.

If Ain’s expulsion is allowed to go ahead, the Education Ministry will be indirectly intimidating all women and girls in Malaysia into silence even after they have been violated. Ain did the right thing by calling out on rape jokes and the systemic culture of sexual harassment and rape.

It is now Education Ministry’s turn to do the right thing in upholding existing standard operating procedures (SOPs), which in principle place schoolchildren’s safety, wellbeing and best interest as the paramount consideration. The Education Ministry must take action against the perpetrator and actively address the issue of systemic sexual harassment, bullying and rape culture in schools.

Endorsed by:

JAG member organisations

• All Women's Action Society (Awam)
• Association of Women Lawyers (AWL)
• Empower Malaysia
• Justice for Sisters
• KRYSS Network
• Perak Women for Women Society (PWW)
• Sabah Women's Action-Resource Group (Sawo)
• Sarawak Women for Women Society (SWWS)
• Sisters in Islam (SIS)
• Women's Aid Organisation (WAO)
• Women's Centre for Change (WCC)

Other organisations

• Bulan Sisters
• Pertubuhan Pembangunan Kendiri Wanita dan Gadis (Women:girls)

Mahathir's Pandora Box - how he eff-ed up our politics with religion

FMT:

When religion and politics don’t mix

by Mariam Mokhtar

Some Malaysians may have forgotten that it was during Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s first tenure as prime minister that religion was used, with a passion, to win votes.

When the Iranian Revolution swept across Iran at the end of the 1970s and experienced an Islamic revival, PAS became stronger as a political party.

Mahathir was afraid of the rising influence of PAS on the Malays, so he tried to appeal to them by making Malaysia more Islamic. A new dress code and a ban on the use of certain words by non-Muslims were started during his tenure.

Aiyoyo, Lu mudah lupa, Apek kawan Lu pun macam itu

Read Lim Kit Siang's (2002) DAP CEC will consider proposal to take Mahathir to court for his '929 Declaration' and his '617 Announcement' that Malaysia is an Islamic fundamentalist state

One could add the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) or the National Civics Bureau, the dumbing down of the learning of English in schools, and Project IC in Sabah. In Project IC, or Project M, hundreds of thousands of immigrants of Muslim origin, mostly from the southern Philippines, were given ICs to change the demographics of the state.

In her interview with FMT, former minister Rafidah Aziz, who was sacked from Umno in 2018, claimed that she was sick of the “toxicity” of Malaysian politics. She also said she feared for Malaysia’s future because religion was used as a political tool.

Many Malaysians breathed a sigh of relief at her frank remarks. She is a straight talker and her views would have carried a lot of weight. Here was a veteran politician who empathised with them. They had been forced to live with the toxic combination of religion and politics for decades. It is a view that is shared by both Malays and non-Malays.

Some people did wonder why it took Rafidah a few decades to open up. Others said “better late than never”, and a few said “talk is cheap, she should have spoken up when she had the power to act and do something about it”.

Malaysians have been saddled with this problem since the 1980s. Some of those who were critical of the use of religion have found themselves punished under the strict laws of the country.

Perhaps, the real tragedy of Malaysia is the failure of Umno-Baru to admit its culpability in the current state of the nation.

Religion is allegedly used to undermine the people of other faiths. Non-Muslims cannot use certain words in their bibles. There have been cases of Muslim converts allegedly allowed to insult people of other faiths and are not punished. Moral policing became the norm. Jakim grew in influence and power. All this had its roots in the early 1980s, when both PAS and Umno competed for votes.

Today, there are PAS politicians who flaunt their wealth unashamedly. One only has to look at Kelantan to see the disparity between the life led by these politicians and the ordinary Kelantanese.

SADA rugi, masih beli VELLFIRE

The heady combination of religion and political power has also clouded the judgment of many Muslim politicians. They ride roughshod over the ordinary Malaysians, and some break the rules with impunity. Not surprisingly, religious controversies such as those surrounding the demolition of temples arise.

To mark Int'l Women's Day, Perak PAS official moots polygamy

Perak PAS information chief Wan Tarmizi Abd Aziz has suggested that women should mark International Women's Day by consenting to polygamy.

"Women's Day will be more meaningful if a woman gifts another woman to her spouse as a mark of appreciation of other women," Wan Tarmizi wrote on his Facebook account.

Our failure to deal with each corruption scandal over the past four decades successfully laid the foundation for 1MDB. Or have we forgotten about 1MDB?

Put simply, the corruption catastrophe and toxic politics hitting Malaysia is not an overnight phenomenon. The seeds were sown during Mahathir’s first tenure as prime minister. We need to look at the crux of the problem. It is ironic, that what Mahathir started in the 1980s caused his and Umno-Baru’s downfall.

What are the views of other veteran politicians who served alongside Rafidah? Do they disagree with her?

Dead nine-month-old baby believed to have been sodomised, suffocated

Dead nine-month-old baby believed to have been sodomised, suffocated

A post-mortem carried out on a nine-month-old baby who died on April 27 in hospital revealed that he was sodomised, allegedly by his babysitter’s husband.

Petaling Jaya district police chief ACP Mohamad Fakhrudin Abdul Hamid (above) said the victim was believed to have died due to suffocation after he was cupped on the mouth by the 36-year-old suspect who was under the influence of drugs.

“During the incident, the female suspect was cleaning the living room and had left the baby alone with her husband in a locked room for two hours before finding the baby unconscious.

“The victim was taken to the hospital for treatment by the husband who admitted to being the caretaker of the baby,” he said in a news conference at the Petaling Jaya district police headquarters, today.

He said the post mortem result also found bruises on the baby’s mouth, believed to be caused by the hand cupping, as well as several tears to the victim’s anus, believed to be caused by a blunt object.

Following a report received from a medical officer, police have arrested the husband and wife, both aged 36, who tested positive for syabu at their house on April 29.

Mohamad Fakhrudin said the male suspect was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder and Section 377C of the same code, while his wife would act as a prosecution witness and would be charged under Section 15(1)(a) of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.

More kerbau on 'rape joke' scandal

MM Online (extracts):

MoE: Teacher accused of rape joke reassigned pending probe, principal who disparaged Ain claims Facebook account ‘hacked’

Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam poses for a picture during an interview with Malay Mail in Puncak Alam April 30, 2021. — Picture by Yusof Mat Isa

KUALA LUMPUR, May 12 ― After days of public uproar, the Ministry of Education (MoE) has responded today saying that a teacher at SMK Puncak Alam who allegedly made a rape joke in class was transferred to the Selangor Education Department pending a police investigation.

In a statement, the ministry said that the principal of the school who left offensive comments on her own student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam on Facebook, had claimed that her account was “hacked”.

“Since the incident is under police investigation, the MoE did not issue any statements during the investigation period. Currently, the MoE has placed the said teacher at the Selangor State Education Department, until the probe is completed.

“The MoE's next course of action is reliant upon the outcome of the investigation on this case,” it added.

It said the principal, Sarimah Mohamed Nor, whose account named “Aimanaizad Sarimahmohamednor” left comments calling Ain “hypocrite”, “Satan’s spawn wearing headscarves”, and told Ain’s parents to “educate her with manners”, had lodged her own police report claiming she was “hacked”.

“The MoE confirms that a police report has been lodged by the principal at the Kuala Selangor police station, denying that she had made such comments and suspecting that her Facebook account was hacked,” the ministry said.

***

kt notes: All I am waiting for are the words and phrases: "misunderstanding", "misquoted", "remain calm", "anasir2 subversif yang bertanggungjawab", "elimen liberal", "the DAP has been responsible", "Chin Peng masih berhidup dan beraktif", etc etc etc.

😜😏😂

132 return from India in repatriation mission

FMT:

132 return from India in repatriation mission

The 132 were repatriated from India amid growing concerns over the health crisis in the country.

KUALA LUMPUR: One hundred and thirty-two people arrived at the KL International Airport early this morning in a mission to repatriate Malaysians and others from New Delhi and Mumbai in India.

Bernama quoted Wisma Putra as saying the specially chartered plane from Malindo Air landed at KLIA at 2am.

Those on board comprised 117 Malaysian citizens and six dependents, one permanent resident and eight Brunei nationals.

A statement from the ministry said the government had included the Brunei nationals on the flight based on the close relationship between the two countries.

It said all those who returned and the crew and frontliners in the mission were subjected to strict SOPs set by the health ministry.

The health ministry, the National Disaster Management Agency (Nadma), the Malaysian diplomatic staff in New Delhi and Mumbai and the Immigration Department and other agencies had helped in the mission, the statement added.

WhereTF is the Edu Min hiding?

Malaysia Dateline:

Kepincangan nyata kerajaan yang terus berdiam terhadap isu gangguan seksual

Oleh SITI NUR ZAWANI MISCON / May 11, 2021

Tindakan kerajaan yang seolah-olah tidak bertindak terhadap masalah gangguan seksual dianggap sebagai kepincangan nyata terhadap perkara penting yang sebenarnya perlu diperdebatkan.

Ketua Pejuanita Muda, Dr Nurul Ashikin berkata, sehingga hari ini, Kementerian Pendidikan Malaysia (KPM) yang diterajui Dr Radzi Jidin sama sekali tidak mengeluarkan kenyataan tegas berhubung laporan seorang guru menggunakan jenaka rogol ketika mengajar.

Katanya, walaupun menggunakan saluran media sosial untuk menularkan sesuatu insiden untuk mempercepat tindakan, tetapi pada akhirnya ia bergantung pada kerajaan.

“Bila mereka buat aduan, cara layanan pihak berkuasa dan jawapan diberikan mendorong kepada faktor sama ada mangsa mahu meneruskan kes tersebut atau tidak.

“Isu gangguan seksual ini perlu disusuli dengan campur tangan kerajaan supaya mereka yang tangani kes gangguan seksual tidak terlalu menghukum dan ‘judgemental’,” katanya dalam satu siaran langsung di Facebook Sumber Kini hari ini.

Nurul Ashikin juga menegaskan, stigma menyalahkan mangsa gangguan seksual tidak hanya berlaku di negara-negara membangun, bahkan turut terjadi di negara maju seperti Jepun.

Beliau mengakui, stigma masyarakat yang cenderung menyalahkan mangsa dan pakaian yang dipakai menyebabkan ramai dalam kalangan wanita malu untuk menyuarakan permasalahan mereka.

Jelasnya, untuk menangani masalah dalam mendekati mangsa gangguan seksual, satu pendidikan dan latihan menyeluruh perlu dilakukan yang melatih para pengendali untuk mengetahui bagaimana psikologi bercakap dengan mangsa.

Selain itu katanya, guru di sekolah perlu dilatih bagaimana untuk mengendali pelajar yang mengalami gangguan seksual tanpa bersikap menghukum.

Mengulas tentang Rang Undang-Undang Gangguan Seksual yang masih lagi belum dilaksanakan, beliau berkata, sebelum ini beberapa kali Kementerian Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat (KPWKM) didesak untuk menguatkuasakan RUU berkenaan.

Jelasnya, akta tersebut telah pun berada di peringkat akhir semasa pentadbiran Pakatan Harapan (PH), namun perkara itu disenyapkan selepas Perikatan Nasional (PN) mentadbir biarpun beberapa isu terkait masalah berkenaan tercetus sebelum ini.

“Kita membangkitkan kembali akta gangguan seksual ini. Saya banyak buat hantaran sehingga viral waktu itu tapi pada penghujungnya, hal itu jadi senyap.

“Apabila senyap dan tak diperdebatkan, kita tak tahu apa yang perlu ditambah baik dalam RUU berkenaan.

“Apa yang saya nampak, kita perlu berterusan buat bising baru mereka nak dengar. Jika tidak, tiada penambahbaikan. Penangguhan ini terjadi apabila tak ada kesungguhan politik dari kerajaan,” katanya lagi.

MFer is in hiding again

Why are ‘most infectious’ sectors still open, asks Najib

FMT:

Why are ‘most infectious’ sectors still open, asks Najib

Worksite infections, many involving construction sites, form about 60% of the total number of cases.

PETALING JAYA: Former prime minister Najib Razak has questioned the government’s decision to allow the construction and manufacturing sectors to stay open during the latest movement control order when “60% of Covid-19 clusters come from these sectors”.

In a Facebook post, Najib further asked if the government was only keen on saving the businesses of the rich.

He said all other local sectors such as tourism, education and small businesses have been told to close but not the construction and manufacturing sectors that were owned by big companies and foreigners.

“Do only big towkays (bosses) and foreign owners need to get an income while millions of Malaysians from other local sectors don’t?” he asked.

Najib Razak is asking if the government cares for the tycoons but not the many small businessmen.

Citing the various MCOs imposed in several areas from Jan 11 this year, he said the tourism sector in particular fed millions of people but it had been closed ever since the state borders were closed. He added that those in the entertainment sector had been without income for the last five months.

On Sunday, the National Union of Bank Employees (NUBE) had said that one of the main reasons for the rise in workplace infections is the suspension of the minimum workers’ housing regulation until the end of the year.

NUBE general secretary J Solomon claimed the sharp rise in workplace clusters could be directly attributed to the workers’ poor housing and sanitation.

On April 22, human resources minister M Saravanan announced that the government had agreed to relax the enforcement of rules governing workers’ housing standards until the end of the year following calls from employers to be given more time as many companies were still recovering from the pandemic.

Yesterday, Bernama reported Saravanan as denying it had suspended enforcement, saying enforcement operations were constantly being carried out to ensure compliance with the Covid-19 SOPs.

“There are also reports claiming that the increase in the number of Covid-19 clusters was due to the suspension. This is not true and has caused confusion among the people,” he said.

ICU beds at Penang Covid-19 hospitals hit 100pc capacity, says Chow

MM Online:

ICU beds at Penang Covid-19 hospitals hit 100pc capacity, says Chow

Penang Chief Minister Chow Kon Yeow speaks to the press in Komtar, George Town May 7, 2021. — Picture by Sayuti Zainudin

The Penang lawmaker said the occupancy rate for the state's Covid-19 hospitals is increasing due to the rising number of cases in the state.

"Overall, more than 70 per cent of the beds for Covid-19 treatment excluding the ICU are occupied," he said in a statement today.

He called on those with symptoms to get immediate treatment and to get tested as there were cases where the patients had only sought treatment when it was too late, when they experienced breathing difficulties which led to death.

Between May 2 and 8, a total 1,682 cases were recorded in Penang and the clusters reported are from the workplace, educational institutions and social and economic activities.

"The state Health Department informed us that the number of active cases in the state is now over 1,000 cases and these cases needed close monitoring and management by the district health offices and hospitals," he said, adding that this is a worrying situation.

He said cooperation from the people is important in reducing the spread of the virus especially by adhering to the SOPs during the Movement Control Order (MCO).

He reminded the public to stay home as much as possible and only to go out if needed but to only do so in compliance with the SOPs.

"Everyone must ensure strict adherence to SOPs at the workplace to prevent the spread of the virus at the workplace and those under self-quarantine at home must ensure they do not leave home until the end of quarantine," he said.

He also called on everyone to register for the Covid-19 vaccination as soon as possible so that more people will be vaccinated to create herd immunity within the community.

Celebrate festivals? Then expect more to die

Celebrate festivals, then expect more to die

by Francis Paul Siah

COMMENT | This is it! There should not be any more flip-flops. It’s time to decide and make it clear once and for all. We have to stop all festival celebrations and we have to do it across the nation.

Stop such nonsensical rulings like, "only the red zones are disallowed, other areas not under a movement control order (MCO) are permitted to celebrate on the first three days of Hari Raya".

Or that the respective state governments will decide the festival standard operating procedures (SOPs). Why are there such multiple, incohesive rulings? Or continue to hold meeting after meeting and take two or three days to decide when a decision is needed today, right now.

Come on, people. So far, everything is so entangled in a bundle and it is so very confusing. We have to be more decisive and upfront and make more effective, implementable decisions across the board.

Come Hari Raya, the families in the same kampung must be wondering whether they are allowed to visit each other. If so, what SOPs do they follow? There are too many rules at present and they keep changing. So what’s the end result? Don’t expect them to be followed.

A few days ago, I read in a post that the Sarawak Disaster Management Committee (SDMC) had allowed Hari Raya celebrations for seven days. I was bewildered and thought the report was fake.

I contacted an SDMC member seeking clarification with this question: Seven days to celebrate Hari Raya in Sarawak! Is that a good idea?

The reply I received was that it was for three days, not seven. Still, it’s three days too many. Ideally, for me, there should be a total freeze on all celebrations.

Let me say this. I am Chinese and a Christian. I have not celebrated Chinese New Year, Christmas, two Easters and all the other festivals in between since March 2020. I am prepared to forgo all celebrations as a little contribution to help in the fight against the Covid-19 pandemic.

Therefore, I don’t think it is too much to expect my fellow Malaysians to do so. My message and appeal here today is this – let’s save lives together. It’s all about preventing more deaths.

There were 4,519 positive cases yesterday with 25 deaths. The deaths tied with the previous record high, also 25 fatalities, on Feb 18. According to the Health Ministry, of the 210 intubated cases in our hospitals, a good percentage may not make it.

Forego celebrations

My fellow Malaysians, when people are dying, what is there to celebrate? Seriously, can we ever be in a festive mood when our daily death toll and positive cases keep rising?

To those who insist that festive celebrations must continue, then my message to them is this: “Celebrate festivals, then expect more people to die”. Perhaps, a fatality has to come from within this group so that they can better understand the seriousness of the pandemic.

I must ask seriously, what is Chinese New Year, Hari Raya, Gawai, Deepavali and all the other festivals? There will always be festivals to celebrate each year.

We can forgo such celebrations of our annual festivals. It’s no big deal for me not to celebrate Chinese New Year, Christmas or Easter for a year or two.

It is also silly to attempt to be politically correct when making decisions on certain religious festivals or customs. That is something I strongly abhor. To those politicians who are making decisions, if you think that the virus can distinguish race and religion, I urge you to think again.

Apart from the annual festivals, private celebrations like weddings can be postponed. There is no need to celebrate a birthday; there will always be birthdays. So, too, an anniversary. Company events are a big "no". Strict SOPs for funerals. That must be the rule from now on.

Funeral of a Covid-19 patient

The pandemic is not going to go away, certainly not for a while yet. We are said to be still in the third wave with the more devastating fourth yet to come.

My immediate concern is Hari Raya as it is next week. When festivities involve children, things are more likely to get out of hand. We cannot blame them as they are too young to understand SOPs.

In Sabah and Sarawak, the Kadazandusuns and Dayaks will be celebrating Kaamatan and Gawai on June 1 and 2. I appeal to the communities to forgo celebrating the Harvest Festival this year. Let’s do a big one next year, hopefully.

As I write this in Kuching, I received an e-mail from the management of my Petaling Jaya condominium advising that Hari Raya celebrations will be allowed on May 13.

Attendance of visitors should not exceed 15 persons at any one time and limited to close family members only. Open houses and functions for Hari Raya are not allowed.

Visitors allowed but no open house, really? You tell me what kind of SOP is this? I think 15 persons is quite a crowd too.

This is in Selangor which is supposed to be under an MCO lockdown for two weeks beginning May 6. Don’t blame me if I am also confused.


FRANCIS PAUL SIAH heads the Movement for Change, Sarawak (MoCS) and can be reached at sirsiah@gmail.com

Wherefore art thou, MF women minister? Preacher Ebit Lew has to do your eff-ing job

MM Online:

Preacher Ebit Lew gets new home for homeless woman who spent 14 years sleeping under a tree

Lew was shocked to know that Maaletchmy had been sleeping under a tree for the past 14 years. ― Picture via Facebook/EbitLew

PETALING JAYA, May 11 ― Preacher Ustaz Ebit Lew had thrice noticed a woman collecting scrap metal for a living.

Later, he found out that Maaletchmy, 62, had been sleeping under a tree for the past 14 years.

She also had a grocery cart that she uses.

In his Facebook post, Lew wrote that he was shocked as he did not think that anyone would be sleeping on the street as it was a busy road.

When Lew went to meet Maaletchmy, he said that some scrap metal business owners and other poor people were happy to see him.

They also asked him to help her as they were worried about her safety.

“Maaletchmy opened up to me and told me that she was married before.

“She had also rented a place but was forced to leave as she wasn’t able to pay her rent.

“That was when I offered a free rental house for her but she rejected and told me to give it to someone else who desperately needed a place to stay as she was still healthy and able to get food for herself.”

After much persuasion, Lew finally managed to get Maaletchmy to stay at Petaling Jaya’s Mentari Court and bought new clothes and house supplies for her while waiting for the keys to her new home.

Lew wrote that he was glad to accompany the senior citizen to her new place and brought along her trolley and essentials.

“Initially, she thought that I was just joking when I told her I would get her a new home and she then burst into tears when she knew that I was serious about it.

“She told me that now she does not have to run to find shelter somewhere when it's raining heavily and was very grateful,” he said.

Lew's post had many Facebook users thanking the preacher for helping people irrespective of race and religion.

Woman accuses Gombak Setia rep of 'setting up' rape

In new report, woman accuses Gombak Setia rep of 'setting up' rape

A woman, who accused Gombak Setia assemblyperson Hilman Idham's associates of raping her, has now claimed that the Bersatu politician set up the Dec 5 incident.

The latest allegation was contained in a police report dated May 8. The report was lodged several hours after her previous report on Dec 5 was leaked on social media.

Kuala Lumpur police chief Azmi Kassim had confirmed that the case is being investigated under Section 376 of the Penal Code for rape.

Azmi said the victim withdrew her initial report on Dec 8 but later requested the police to resume their investigations.

The victim's lawyer Asheeq Ali confirmed that his client had lodged another report, which was also leaked on Facebook.

"The second report is genuine. We are not sure how both reports were leaked," he told Malaysiakini.

The report urged police to expedite investigations against Hilman and his alleged associates, which included a Perikatan Nasional component party division leader.

According to her first report, Hilman, whom she was “going out with”, took her to a hotel in Kuala Lumpur to celebrate her birthday on Dec 4 along with one of the men and two female friends.

She claimed the PN component party leader joined the group during a karaoke session after dinner, where they got drunk.



Gombak Setia assemblyperson Hilman Idham

In her second report, the victim said she was informed on Jan 6 by a female friend present that night that the dinner and karaoke session was an alleged “set-up” by Hilman.

She then wrote to the police on Jan 12, requesting them to reopen their investigation.

She also alleged that the first report was withdrawn because the individuals named in the report had threatened and pressured her.

Following this, the victim said the police recorded her statement, in which she alleged that Hilman was involved in the incident.

However, in her initial report, the woman said she believed Hilman was not responsible and was unsure which of the two men had raped her, saying she remembered seeing someone on top of her before passing out due to intoxication.

Hilman has not responded to Malaysiakini's request for comment.

Meanwhile, Asheeq also confirmed his client told the police she was the woman seen with a man, whom she claimed was Hilman, in a grainy CCTV recording from outside a hotel room in Sri Hartamas where the alleged rape took place.

"The police have not said anything about the video. But they have to because my client has asked for an investigation into the leak of the video," he said.

Last week, Hilman, who is the political secretary to International Trade and Industry Minister Azmin Ali, had dismissed as fake a letter regarding the incident.

In the letter, he had purportedly apologised to Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin over the matter.

He, however, has not commented on the video.

Similarly, Asheeq said police have been silent on the information with regard to a condom his client had retrieved from a trash bin in the hotel room.

Yesterday, The Star reported that police are looking at a fresh angle and are expected to call back witnesses and suspects.

The initial investigations led to the arrest of the two suspects named in the victim's report but they were released later.

Good news - Pejuang will be eff-ed in GE15

FMT:

Analysts see Pejuang faltering in bid to become ‘third force’

(From left) An analyst says Shafie Apdal and Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman seem subservient to Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

PETALING JAYA: Political analysts foresee Dr Mahathir’s Mohamad’s Pejuang faltering in its goal to become a formidable “third force” in the 15th general election.

Singapore Institute of International Affairs researcher Oh Ei Sun said Pejuang would be lucky to even retain any of its seats, while Universiti Malaya political scientist Awang Azman Pawi said Mahathir’s party faced an uphill battle to become the third force.

Oh acknowledged that Mahathir might still hold some political attraction among rural Malays, but a key factor was that Pejuang lacked the election machinery that major coalitions had at their disposal.

“Pejuang should count itself lucky if its MPs can hold on to their seats. It remains to be seen how they would fare in other seats, with the other three coalitions likely to also contest those seats and edge them out,” he told FMT.

Awang Azman said a factor that would hinder Pejuang’s success as a third bloc would be its small membership, thus restricting its growth in each state.

He told FMT it would be tough for Pejuang to compete with more well-established entities despite Mahathir’s influence, saying parties like Umno, PKR, DAP and even PAS had bigger sway.

“They have been long established and have more divisions, branches and a strong party structure.

“Mahathir’s opposition to the Pakatan Harapan, Perikatan Nasional and Barisan Nasional blocs will make Pejuang a dwarf in terms of its ability to compete. And his stand that the manifesto isn’t a bible will cause Pejuang to be rejected even more,” he said.

Mahathir said in an interview with an online portal recently that Pejuang would continue as its own bloc for GE15 and will not join other coalitions as it wanted to become a third force at the polls.

He said Pejuang might form a coalition with “like-minded” parties, particularly naming Shafie Apdal’s Warisan and Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman’s MUDA.

Oh said Warisan stands to lose support in Sabah if it chooses to work with Mahathir although the party would gain some foothold in Malay heartlands.

He said Warisan’s presence in the peninsula was mainly to team up with MUDA or Pejuang, or at least provide temporary political shelter to them, and thus submit itself to the as yet untested political strength of its partners.

“It would have to carefully weigh the political trade-offs,” he said.

But Awang Azman said Syed Saddiq and Shafie’s close ties to Mahathir would make it difficult for them not to work with Pejuang.

He said they seemed subservient to Mahathir, which affected their decision-making and their parties’ fate in the long-term, particularly singling out their decision not to back Anwar Ibrahim as the prime minister candidate previously.

“Voters will consider Warisan and MUDA as being unable to move forward as long as they continue trusting in Mahathir’s leadership,” he said.

Pejuang and MUDA have not yet been registered with the Registrar of Societies, but it was previously reported that Warisan was planning to expand to the peninsula in partnership with Syed Saddiq’s party.

During PH’s tumultuous 22 months in government, Shafie and Syed Saddiq were noted by observers as among Mahathir’s loyalists.

Moo-Moo says it'll be MCO nationwide from 12 May - Wise decision!

It's back to nationwide MCO from May 12

Putrajaya has decided to place the entire country under movement control order (MCO) restrictions from May 12 until June 7.

The decision was announced today despite Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin stating on March 18 during his Pemerkasa speech that a blanket MCO was unlikely to be imposed again.

Muhyiddin said the decision was made during the National Security Council meeting today which he chaired.

According to Muhyiddin, "all economic sectors" are allowed to operate this period.

A summary of the restricted activities are as follows:

1. District and state border crossings. [Exceptions: Emergencies, medical reasons, work, "economy", vaccination appointments and for long-distance couples]
2. All gatherings. [Exceptions: Akad nikah with a mandatory cap on participants]
3. All sport and recreational activities. [Exceptions: Activities done individually, such as jogging and cycling.]
4. All educational institutions. [Exceptions: Students facing international examinations, daycare, pre-schools.]
5. More than three persons in a private vehicle, taxis, and e-hailing vehicles. [Exceptions: Commercial vehicles such as those used to carry cargo].
6. Dining in.
7. Having more than 30 percent of management staff in the office.
8. House visits and visiting the gravesite during Hari Raya.

Congregational Aidilfitri prayers are allowed to be held with a cap of 50 for premises with a normal capacity limit of more than 1,000. The cap is 20 for any venue with a smaller capacity.

Non-Muslim places of worship can also operate, but the rules have yet to be issued at the time of writing.

Muhyiddin said "special measures" for Sabah, Sarawak and Labuan will also be continued throughout the MCO period. It is uncertain what these "special measures" are.

'Data and science'

Muhyiddin said that this round of MCO was necessary to prevent further spread of Covid-19.

"There are now Covid-19 variants that are more infectious while the capacity of the public health system is becoming more critical.

"(There are also) weaknesses in Covid-19 protocol compliance by some. These (factors) demands that the government take drastic action," said Muhyiddin.

Muhyiddin said "data and science" have shown that gatherings without physical distancing in confined spaces are the main cause of the spread of Covid-19.

"The chain of infection can only be broken by encouraging people to stay at home through enforcement of movement restrictions," he said.

Muhyiddin said Malaysia has successfully flattened the Covid-19 infection curve before and the current wave - which he described as the "third" despite some experts describing it as the "fourth" - was even more "ganas" (ferocious) and critical.

"Be disciplined in facing this third wave. Only we can save ourselves. Stay at home if you have no important things to attend to," he said.

Deteriorating situation

The announcement comes as Malaysia's Covid-19 outbreak worsened over the past few weeks.

The disease's effective reproduction number (Rt) has persistently remained above 1.00 since April 8, which meant the outbreak has been growing exponentially for 32 consecutive days up to yesterday. Data for today has yet to be released.

Exponential growth is a type of growth characterised by a relatively slow start that snowballs rapidly over time, hence an Rt above 1.00 is not sustainable as it will eventually overwhelm the healthcare system.

Moreover, more Covid-19 patients are turning up sicker in recent weeks compared to previous surges in cases.

This meant more people are ending up in intensive care units than ever before even though the overall number of cases have yet to reach as high as those seen in January, and hospitals are struggling to cope.

Ain will be victim of failed system

Ain will be victim of failed system if ministry doesn't act, say 38 Harapan reps

A group of 11 MPs and 27 state assemblypersons from Selangor Pakatan Harapan have blasted the Education Ministry for its poor handling of the case of Form 5 student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, who recently exposed her male teacher for allegedly making lewd jokes in class.

In a joint statement, they warned that Ain was likely to be a victim of a failed system if the Education Ministry did not intervene as instead of lending support, she has been served with a warning letter for being absent from school.

"Ain Husniza is now a victim of a failed system that does not understand nor support girls' and women's rights but instead sees itself fit to defend teachers and students who promote rape and its culture of violence.

"Despite the strong policy to promote gender equality and to develop respectful relationships between boys and girls in the 11th Malaysia Plan, such perspectives appear to be lost when it comes to frontline educators.

"The tendency now is to make light of the violence and to give permission to boys to rape girls 'above 18 years old'.

"Therefore, one can only deduce that the rape joke carries with it a possibly dangerous and implied message that if you have sex with a woman above 18 years, you can argue for consensual sex and get away with it.

"There is definitely a miscarriage of justice. The person who dares to voice up against such culture gets penalised by her own school while the teacher who made the joke and the student who made the rape threats against Ain, both get away with not even a slap on the wrist," said the political representatives.

Ain's father Saiful Nizam Ab Wahab said the letter dated April 28 stated that Ain can be expelled if she skips school or fails to notify the school management of her reason for being absent.

This was despite him having informed the school principal that Ain felt unsafe to go to school.

The political representatives also referenced allegations that Ain had received negative remarks (since deleted) on social media from the school's principal. Malaysiakini has attempted to contact the Selangor Education Department and the said school principal.

"Intentionally or not, the comments have further given license to other educators and students to view jokes about violence against women as acceptable as well as to demean anyone who dares to question the status quo.

"Ain has been denied her school education and is now forced to possibly move to another school.

"Yet the school has ignored Ain's education right and has not made attempts to ensure the environment is safe for Ain to return back to school. This is unacceptable as children will take the cue from their educators and rape jokes will be normalised," said the representatives.

They said the handling of Ain's case leaves a black mark in democracy and sends youth the message that those who speak out will be regarded as dissidents, agitators, or worse, now labelled as 'satanic'.

They also referenced the fact that the Education Ministry has not made any mention of Ain's case, but instead only focused on the issue of period spot checks.

"The ministry is expected to ensure justice is served but has chosen to ignore the elephant in the room.”

They strongly urged the ministry to review the education system and take stern disciplinary actions.

"There is an urgent need to raise awareness on gender sensitivity among teachers and students, as respect, equality, and justice are values that Malaysians would want to have for a better nation.

"A Gender Equality Act as proposed by Pakatan Harapan must be in place to ensure our girls and boys are protected.

"Moving forward, the ministry has to reinstate the good name of the educational institution so as to uphold its long-standing reputation to develop first-class citizens," they said.

The statement was signed by:

Selangor state assemblypersons -

Juwairiya Zulkifli (Bukit Melawati)
Elizabeth Wong Keat Ping(Bukit Lanjan)
Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud (Seri Serdang)
Lee Kee Hiong (Kuala Kubu Baharu)
Tony Leong Tuck Chee (Pandamaran)
Hee Loy Sian (Kajang)
Ganabatirau Veraman (Kota Kemuning)
Edry Faizal Eddy Yusof (Dusun Tua)
Bryan Lai Wai Chong (Teratai)
Lau Weng San (Banting)
Rozana Zainal Abidin (Permatang)
Mohd Khairuddin Othman (Paya Jaras)
Rodziah Ismail (Batu Tiga)
Dr Idris Ahmad (Ijok)
Syamsul Firdaus Mohamed Supri (Taman Medan)
Mohd Fakhrulrazi Mohd Mokhtar (Meru)
Borhan Aman Shah (Tanjung Sepat)
Halimey Abu Bakar (Seri Setia)
Lim Yi Wei (Kampung Tunku)
Wong Siew Ki (Balakong)
Shatiri Mansor (Kota Damansara)
Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni (Sungai Kandis)
Gunarajah R George (Sentosa)
Azmizam Zaman Huri (Pelabuhan Klang)
Mohd Sany Hamzan (Taman Templer)
Jamaliah Jamaluddin (Bandar Utama)
Rajiv Rishyakaran (Bukit Gasing)

and MPs -

Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (Pandan)
Tony Pua Kiam Wee (Damansara)
June Leow Hsiad Hui (Hulu Selangor)
Charles Anthony Santiago (Klang)
William Leong Jee Keen (Selayang)
Maria Chin Abdullah (Petaling Jaya)
Ong Kian Ming (Bangi)
Wong Chen (Subang)
Sivarasa Rasiah (Sungai Buloh)
Dzulkefly Ahmad (Kuala Selangor)
Hasanuddin Mohd Yunus (Hulu Langat)

In GE15 we should vote for people with honour, integrity and principles, which leaves someone OUT, wakakaka

FMT:

Will it be twice bitten, thrice shy with Dr M?



By Clement Stanley

Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, in a series of interviews, has disclosed that he was not keen to stand at the next general election. His supporters, however, are not in favour of this, he says.

Apparently, Mahathir’s supporters are insisting that he offers himself as a candidate come GE15. He said he was uncertain how his supporters would react if he declined to participate in GE15.

I think Mahathir ought to realise that no one can be forced to do anything against one’s wishes. He should realise that no one is indispensable. He should remember that you can take a horse to the water but you cannot force it to drink.

Still, I see what our twice-in-service PM is laying the groundwork for. I believe that I am not the only one who will be reading between the lines what his statements are amounting to. Nonetheless, if Mahathir is testing public response to his hints, no one has so far begged him to continue openly.

No one has so far come out in full support of his plan to continue as an elected representative be it in the mass media or at any other political meetings or function. I use the word “openly” because there may have been expressions of support behind closed doors. I don’t know. But I am prepared to give him the benefit of the doubt.

Perhaps his supporters have openly voiced their support but we don’t know in what numbers. But just as there are his supporters who are clamouring for him, I am quite certain that there are also thousands of others who are saying “Enough is enough”.

Large sections of people have expressed their disillusionment with the man who first served for 22 years in his first term of office and for 22 months in his second term as the 7th prime minister.

Looking at the expressions of disappointment and disdain targeted at Mahathir by netizens and people at large, you sense that there will be no third time around for his leadership.

Once bitten, twice shy seems to be the order of the day. In fact, some of his political contemporaries have stated that Mahathir could be more of a liability than an asset to their cause although Mahathir himself believes otherwise.

Funny thing is, even before he led the charge for Pakatan Harapan at the last general election, I distinctly remember that the daughter of the much-revered DAP leader, the late Karpal Singh voicing her concerns about Mahathir.

Sangeet Kaur Deo was not afraid to remind her fellow DAP leaders and members of the rebirth of Mahathirism if he became the leader of PH and the prime minister again. She said this on Jan 8, 2018.

It was uncanny but at the same time, it showed that Sangeet was alert to the danger of allowing Mahathir to take the leadership of PH. Not only was she astute in her judgment but her instincts were proven right.

History will show that not only were the people who voted PH let down but more importantly he chose to let down his associates and comrades at PKR, the DAP, Amanah and Warisan after winning GE14. Old habits die hard and Mahathir has this policy of either you go his way or the highway.

Would this be the person you would want to put your trust in again despite the clamouring of his supporters as claimed? I cannot speak for anyone else but myself. It would be a firm, resolute “no”.

Still, for those who think otherwise, the call will be yours come GE15. You need to vote with your head and not your heart. Our future and that of our country needs responsible leaders who can deliver. Leaders with credibility and principles. Leaders who will fight for what is right and correct the wrongs.

Most importantly, we need people who are men of honour.