Thursday, June 19, 2008

Has it started?

Has the second Tsunami started? Since March 8, the Federal Government has somehow been distracted by all possible areas that continue to weaken the BN coalition. I am certain that this coalition has never faced such predicament since 1969. Nevertheless, it's my hope that the turbulence within the political structure in this country will not increase in its intensity. The Pakatan Government has been rather focused on administrating the states.

I am sure there will be many distractions but further erosion of BN's power base may force AAB to possibly deprieve the Pakatan alternative government to grab power via mass defections. I am skeptical if this mass defections will ever materialize. If it does, AAB will definitely have to go for a possible snap election on the federal government or surrender the helm of power to the Pakatan.

Whether it has started or not, the current Federal Government must start folding up their sleeves to work for the rakyat and with the rakyat. Of course, of late, the gestures shown are quite suspect but I hope BN acts Malaysian rather than divisive. Malaysians must continue to speak up. I believe that the worse is yet to come and we as Malaysians, must start preparation to face the rise of prices across the board. What can we do if our mandated leaders at the Federal Government continues to be distracted and fight for power amongst themselves? I am sure you would agree that we need a decisive government. Not one that acts on technicality and speaks like a typical racist.

A peek of what is to come:



No-confidence call a serious blow to Pak Lah
Jun 18, 08 4:17pm
The call by
Sabah Progressive Party (Sapp) for a vote of no confidence against the prime
minister has delivered a serious blow to the embattled Barisan Nasional
government.
Analysts said the unprecedented move compounded Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's problems after disastrous March elections, and
that it could trigger a ripple effect of dissent within the 14-party
coalition.
"We have lost confidence in the Prime Minister of Malaysia,
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi," Sapp president Yong Teck Lee told a press
conference.
Yong said the party, which has two lawmakers in parliament, would
decide on Friday whether to quit the BN coalition, and demanded major
concessions from the government.
He left open the prospect of joining the opposition alliance led by former deputy premier Anwar Ibrahim, who has ambitions of forming a new administration with the help of defecting government lawmakers.
"Whoever would agree with our issues here, we will work with (them), inside and outside of Sabah," he said.
Yong attacked the coalition's
record in the impoverished state, saying it had been subject to unfair laws and
excessive taxes.
"That is why we need an immediate declaration of no
confidence in the PM and the government, to tell the BN government that we can
no longer tolerate their insensitive attitude towards the Sabah issues that are
real and serious."
Fighting for political survival
Abdullah has been
fighting for his political survival since the March elections that saw the
opposition gain unprecedented ground, winning a third of parliamentary seats and
control of five states.
A recent 41 percent petrol price hike, which has
triggered widespread outrage and public protests, has made Abdullah's position
even more tenuous.
Yong listed demands including the diversion of energy
revenues coming from the resource-rich state.
"With our political move today,
Sapp hereby initiates the political process to claim 20 percent in oil
royalties, which is after all the natural resources of Sabah," he said.
"We
must make a stand before the window of opportunity closes," he said, raising the
prospect of a no-confidence vote when the parliament opens on Monday, but adding
it was not decided if his party or another would table the motion.
Tipping
point?
Sapp is a minor member of the coalition. But analysts said its
decision could be the tipping point for the government, which now relies on
support from lawmakers in Sabah and Sarawak.
"This will have a ripple effect.
Public perception, both nationally and internationally, will be affected because
the prime minister will be perceived as a weak leader," said Tricia Yeoh (right)
from the Centre for Public Policy Studies.
"This might provoke other
lawmakers, who are equally dissatisfied with Abdullah, even those internally
from the Umno party itself, to act," she said, referring to the party which
heads the coalition.
The premier has refused to step down after the
coalition's worst ever election results, but he faces a major hurdle at Umno
internal leadership polls in December, when dissatisfaction could bubble
over.Historic move
Umno's information chief Muhammad Muhammad Taib shrugged
off Sapp's move and said he did not expect other coalition parties to
follow.
"Although there are many who are dissatisfied, we will pull through,"
he told AFP.
Anwar's PKR has said it was reluctant to mount a no-confidence
vote for fear of appearing arrogant. But it said the latest events were proof
that the coalition's internal crisis was worsening.
"Monday's parliament
session will definitely be fiery. If a motion is moved against Abdullah, it will
be historic. Never has a Malaysian prime minister faced a no-confidence vote,"
said party information chief Tian Chua, who is MP for Batu.

Let's hope sanity prevails.

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