4 theSun | MONDAY JANUARY 19 2009

news without borders

What KT election
outcome means
by Tim Leonard totally reflect what the people by-election.
newsdesk@thesundaily.com want. “Actually this was more than
“There are differences as a referendum on the leadership.
PETALING JAYA: The result of Sat- well as common ground. We It was a test of the relevance
urday’s Kuala Terengganu by-elec- must learn and appreciate bet- of Umno in its present form. If
tion, in which PAS recaptured the ter these differences in order to Umno is no longer relevant to
parliamentary seat from Barisan shape a better tomorrow.” the Malays, the BN formula is
Nasional, bears different intepre- Chinese voters make up dead. The Chinese will have no
tations for politicians across the 10.9% of Kuala Terengganu’s reason to support MCA, and so
divide. 80,229 voters. on. The power-sharing, consen-
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Umno stalwart and Gua sual bargain on which our politi-
Seri Najib Abdul Razak said the Musang MP Tengku Raza-leigh cal system has been based since
result – which saw PAS’s Mohd Hamzah described the loss as “a independence is broken.
Mahathir
Abdul Wahid Endut win with a
2,631-vote majority over BN’s
Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan
humiliation for the BN” at the polls
for the third time in 10 months.
“I have full admiration for
“There are serious implica-
tions to this. We have always
claimed that social peace in
(left) and
Chandra
Muzaffar,
Stop buying US arms,
says Mahathir
Salleh – was merely a setback and hardworking party members Malaysia is built on this bargain.
president
would not have any bearing on who toiled for two weeks on A party leadership in denial is
of the
the national political landscape. a local struggle. But we lost unlikely to form a government
International
“This loss does not mean we because of national problems,” with the realism and guts to face
Movement KUALA LUMPUR: Former prime tinians” campaign organised by
will in any way waver in our com- he said in a statement. an economic meltdown that it
for a Just minister Tun Dr Mahathir Moha- the Coalition of Malaysian NGOs
mitment to the people ... we will “The rakyat rejected Umno also denies is happening. We are
World (JUST) mad has suggested that the govern- Against Persecution of Palestine
redouble our efforts to serve them in its present form and style, in uncharted waters with no one
at the ment stop buying weapons from the (Complete) at Bangsar Sports Com-
even better and take this nation and they rejected its leader- at the wheel.”
“Save The United States. plex yesterday.
to a higher level of success,” he ship. Despite ringing signals Opposition Leader Datuk
Palestinians” He said the government pur- About 1,000 people who attended
told a press conference shortly from the rakyat through March Seri Anwar Ibrahim said in his
campaign chases arms, aeroplanes and the event wore special scarves as a
after the result was announced 8 and Permatang Pauh, Umno blog that the victory would
yesterday. weapons from foreign countries, symbol of the Palestinian struggle.
on Saturday night.
He said many factors but the tendency is to buy from the After the launch, about 500 peo-
could have influenced US because American weapons and ple went around the Klang Valley
the outcome and local aeroplanes are supposed to be very to distribute leaflets to the public on
factors could not be good. the Palestinian issue.
read as having a great “If we boycott Coca-Cola, it will Later, at a press conference,
bearing at the national not bring about change in American Mahathir, who also wore the scarf,
level. policy, but if we boycott American suggested that Malaysia cooperate
MCA president Datuk weapons, no matter how good they with other countries or NGOs in
Seri Ong Tee Keat said are, they will feel the pinch,” he other countries to send a shipload
the by-election saw an said. of food, medical supplements and
increase in support for Mahathir said this in his speech surgical equipment to the Gaza
the BN from the Chinese at the launch of “Save the Pales- strip.
community. You
cannot
Ong wrote in his Najib ... ‘no bearing
blog that Chinese vot- on national political
Ong ... ‘trust of the
Chinese will not be
Tengku Razaleigh ...
‘uncharted waters with defeat the Israel’s image destroyed: Chandra
ers remained with the landscape’ taken lightly’ no one at the wheel’
BN and MCA members
Pales- KUALA LUMPUR: Whatever im- with other countries in the Mid-
had worked tirelessly during the has either not heard the call for motivate others in the Pakatan tinians. age Israel had on the global arena dle East such as Iran and Syria
campaign period. fundamental change or is unable Rakyat coalition to work harder They are has been destroyed forever due to which are prepared to stand up to
“Despite the unfavourable to respond to it,” he said. and bring about much needed the most its invasion and carnage in Gaza, Washington and Israel to help the
result, I would like to thank the “Money, machinery and changes in the country. resilient, said political scientist Dr Chandra Palestinian people’s struggle.
Chinese voters for staying with incumbency could not trump DAP stalwart and Ipoh Timur Muzaffar. He said there were also geo-
MCA during these difficult the call for change. BN will lose, MP Lim Kit Siang said the by- coura- At the same time, he said the political changes taking place in
times,” he said, adding that the and will in the end lose every- election had lived up to the his- geous image of the United States, the the global politics such as the re-
MCA would not take the trust thing, until we respond fully and toric significance of the March 8 people on main ally of Israel, had also been surgence of Russia, emergence of
shown by them lightly,” he said. sincerely. But the response from general election and delivered earth.” battered in the eyes of the world China and others, paving the way
“The people have, through the leadership yet again is that two important messages. - Dr Chandra due to its support for the Tel Aviv for possible new alliances in future
the ballot, demonstrated to us this should not be interpreted as “First, the political tsunami regime. and in the end help Palestine.
that aspirations of yesterday the voters having spurned BN. is on course, confirming that Chandra of the International “You cannot defeat the Palestin-
can be different from today or “Our leadership remains in the paradigm shift in Malaysian Movement for a Just World also said ians. They are the most resilient,
tomorrow. We are now even denial. Loyal Umno members politics 10 months ago was not that with the declining US economy, courageous people on earth.
more determined to work harder and the BN will feel they are on a fluke-shot but represented the it cannot continue to dominate the “Nobody has suffered like them.
to serve the people the way they a sinking ship.” wide-ranging political aspirations global economy, as such it was a Their struggle is not a one-man
want to be served. Tengku Razaleigh said Umno of Malaysians. plus point for Palestinians since struggle ... it is everyone’s,” he said
“We can no longer think had lost by a large majority in a “Second, a dire warning to Washington’s global power status in his speech at the Save Palestin-
we know better. The outcome constituency in which 90% of Umno and soon-to-be prime would be compromised. ians Campaign organised by the
strengthens our courage to voters are Malay despite throw- minister Datuk Seri Najib, if they He said Venezuela and Bolivia, Coalition of Malaysian NGOs at
change and accept that what we ing the national resources of a refuse to heed the people’s call which recently cut their diplomatic the Bangsar Sports Complex here
strive for for the nation may not party in federal power into the for change,” he said. ties with Israel, could also link up yesterday. – Bernama