Tag: Malaysian elections

Categories
Activism Liberty Politics & government

[1563] Of Nik Nazmi’s manifesto and putting bloggers into office

Friend Nik Nazmi is running for election and he has produced a video articulating his agenda for his constituency.

[youtube]QE0qA8H-g60[/youtube]

At the Malay College, we used to joke that he would be the first among our class to be thrown into prison, courtesy of ISA. We did not joke about him being the first among our class to run for public office.

Public domain.

Friends. Remember to blog about Nik Nazmi tomorrow as part of an initiative to put bloggers into public office!

While I am at it, allow me to touch a criticism directed at the effort made by Siber Party of Malaysia. They wrote:

While we read blogs and we do operate a blog, it is only our platform and website to inform the good citizens of Malaysia about our views and policies on matters that concern all Malaysians.

Which also means we are not going to support a blogger because he or she is a blogger. we want to know their stand, their approach, their policies, philosophies, politics on all things Malaysian and the world. [Between axes. Siber Party of Malaysia. February 25 2008]

I absolutely agree that we should not support a candidate just because the candidate is a blogger. Yet, I need to point out that the criticism misses the whole point of the initiative: the initiative at its heart is about freedom. I wrote ‘liberty’ or ‘freedom’ no less than 4 times in emails that I sent out to probably 100 bloggers and the entry which introduces the initiative.

The idea behind the effort is to put those that embrace freedom of expression into public offices. From these offices, they have opportunities to defend their and our freedom from tyranny. I honestly believe the bloggers whom I have listed believe in freedom of speech, which is essential to blogging. Elizabeth Wong has probably been doing something for liberty when I was in diaper (okay, that is an exaggeration). Jeff Ooi knows what freedom of expression is, especially when it revolves around blogging and I know enough of Nik Nazmi to know that he appreciates freedom. TAs for Badrul Hisham a.k.a. chegubad, well, he is up against the son-in-law.

The crux of the message is freedom. Indeed, supporting a candidate just because he is a blogger does not make sense. I would certain not support a religious extremist‘s candidacy for public office just because he is a blogger.

So, Siber Party of Malaysia, are you willing to reconsider your position?

Categories
Humor Politics & government

[1562] Of Pak la la la la

During the US Presidential Election in 2004, JibJab produced the most memorable song ever.

In Malaysia, we have this:

[youtube]DS3FMemnA-s[/youtube]

And thanks to the video, now I know that we will be celebrating Samy Vellu’s birthday on March 8! People! Let us give him a retirement party on that day!

Categories
Earthly Strip Politics & government

[1559] Of Earthly Strip: Undilah untuk Malaysia

Some right reserved.

Kita hanya ada dua pilihan: Barisan Nasional atau Malaysia. Tidak perlu was-was lagi. Undi untuk Malaysia dan bukan Barisan Nasional!

Sebarkan!

Categories
Activism Politics & government

[1558] Of putting bloggers into public office

Are you tired of politicians bad-mouthing us bloggers? Are you tired of our Information Minister calling us bloggers with unfaltering names? Or the son-in-law of an ineffective Prime Minister calling us monkeys?

I am. I have enough of that. Too long have I been patient, enduring insults from these politicians. I am angry and I want to get back at them.

The election is just around the corner and we bloggers have a rare opportunity to flex our muscle and show those folks that we are serious about in getting back at them. No, I am not talking about we — as they say — bashing these folks on our blogs. No. Instead, I am talking about bashing these folks in the Parliament as well as in various state assemblies.

Imagine, bloggers in the Parliament! These folks panic whenever we talk about them. I bet they will piss in their pants if bloggers challenge them in live debates! Enough of proxy wars. It is time to get out of the trenches, overcome the standoff and take the war to them. We are coming for them!

Remembers, these folks want to curtail our freedom of expression. They want to impose licenses on us, they have voiced suggestion to force us to register before we could blog. They want to control us!

The crucial battle for our freedom will be in the legislature. With bloggers in these halls, we could kill any ominous intention to rob us of our liberty before it could even gain momentum.

But first, we need to elect bloggers into the legislative halls. There are several bloggers running for office and they need our help. They need us to spread words of their candidacy. For our own sake, we must help them out and this is the game plan.

In the next few days, emails and messages will fly across the blogosphere, urging bloggers to blog about a blogger candidate on a particular day. With enough participants, we will create enough buzz for the candidate and with effort and a little bit of luck, see the effect spills into the real world. One candidate in one day.

These message could be anything, be it a one liner like “Vote Blogger X” or an endless epic essay on Blogger X. In the end, what we want is an endorsement of blogger candidates from as many bloggers as possible. Remember also to link to the Blogger X.

Here are the blogger candidates that I have identified for this initiative. Date of action is listed in the corresponding parenthesis.

  1. Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad (Friday, February 29)
  2. Tony Pua (Saturday, March 1)
  3. Elizabeth Wong (Sunday, March 2)
  4. Jeff Ooi (Monday, March 3)
  5. che’GuBard (Tuesday, March 4)

Is there any other blogger candidate? Do propose but remember, we are highlighting bloggers whom are running for offices, bloggers that identify with the blogosphere, not candidates with blogs set up just for the election. Bloggers whom are bloggers before they’ are politicians!

So, are you in or are you out? Netroot arise !

Categories
Politics & government

[1525] Of pave the road, give out freebies, enforce gender segregation

As election nears, incumbents usually try hard to keep their constituents happy. Potholes paved, freebies distributed, streetlights repaired. For PAS — I do not know for sure but I suspect as much — it is enforcement of gender segregation:

KOTA BARU: All supermarkets and hypermarkets must have three separate checkout counters or risk being fined following a decision to enforce the policy more strictly in Kelantan.

[…]

He admitted that enforcement had been lax and Mentri Besar Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat, who is also spiritual adviser of PAS which rules the state, had chided local authorities here for not enforcing the rule of separate checkout counters. [Kelantan to enforce policy on sex-segregated queues. January 24 2008]

The phrases “more strictly” and “enforcement had been lax“, if read with the expected upcoming general election in mind, could mean that PAS thinks that the policy is popular. Who dares to introduce or enforce unpopular policies when election is around the corner anyway?

Keep in mind that what is popular in Kelantan is not necessarily popular in other states.

Regardless, this is a typical case of election: keep your electorates happy only when election nears.