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Malaysia State Election: Status quo preserved as ruling govt and opposition each retain three States

In a closely watched Malaysian state election, both Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s PH-BN coalition and the opposition Islamist bloc, Perikatan Nasional, retained three states each.

While the results preserved the status quo, a surge in support for the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS) indicates growing concerns among Muslim Malay voters, casting the future political landscape of Malaysia in a new light.

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1 year ago

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MALAYSIA: As the sun set on Saturday (12 Aug), the curtains fell on the polls across six Malaysian states.

Despite lukewarm voter response, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim and his coalition government, Pakatan Harapan-Barisan Nasional (PH-BN), retain control of three states as widely expected.

Likewise, the Islamist opposition Perikatan Nasional (PN) bloc, which includes the hardline Islamist party Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party (PAS), captures three Malay heartland states of Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu in the north.

Selangor and Penang, are two of the country’s richest states, while Kedah, Kelantan and Terengganu are poorer and conservative.

Prof Azmi Hassan

The main takeaway from the result of the state election showed the worries of the Muslim Malay voters from the number of seats PAS has captured, according to Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research senior fellow Profesor Dr Azmi Hassan.

Azmi said the green wave (PAS) that occurred in the 15th General Election on 19 Nov, 2022, is creeping slowly into Penang, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor.

“PN cannot claim that they had won the state elections even though they won many seats in Penang, Negeri Sembilan, and most importantly, Selangor at yesterday’s election, because PH-BN has the 2/3 majority, more than a simple majority.

“Also, PN cannot said that their votes translated to Malaysian’s dissatisfaction (of Anwar’s administration).

“Similarly, PH-BN cannot say that they have lost this state election even though they have lost a number of seats in Penang, Negeri Sembilan, and Selangor.

“However, they (PH-BN) cannot make their way into Kedah, Kelantan, and Terengganu. It is not the fault of Pakatan-PH but its component party Umno-BN,” he told Gutzy Asia.

Malay worry that their rights would be eroded under a non-Malay-dominated government (the current cabinet has five ethic Chinese ministers, one ethnic Indian, and three ministers from Sabah and Sarawak indigenous communities out of 28 cabinet members).

In addition, PN has sought to portray itself as clean of corruption, and has strongly criticised Anwar for forming an alliance with his coalition’s former rival, the graft-tainted United Malays National Organisation, in order to gain a majority in parliament.

The opposition portrayed him as disregarding the Malay-Muslim majority.

Oh Ei Sun

Singapore Institute of International Affairs senior fellow Oh Ei Sun said the support for “green wave” (PAS) gave PN a breakthrough win in the wealthiest state, Selangor, with more than 1/3 of seats.

In addition, PH-BN failed to win any of the three state seats under Permatang Pauh, the parliamentary constituency which has been almost synonymous with Anwar Ibrahim.

“The green wave is alive and kicking, it has broken the 2/3 majority in Selangor, previously enjoyed by PH-BN coalition. It looks sad for the country’s politics if it were to go this way,” he told Gutzy Asia.

In Terengganu, Umno, a BN’s component party, lost all contested seat in despite making a slew of cash-aid-laden promises to Terengganu voters ahead of the state polls, as part of its election manifesto.

“Terengganu set to be increasingly conservative after Kelantan. As religious yearnings have increasingly replaced socioeconomic concerns in the minds of Terengganu voters.

“Terengganu has changed hands (state government) in recent times, so BN must have thought that with the right ‘incentives’, the voters there could be enticed to swing their support,” said Oh who is also the principal adviser of Pacific Research Centre.

Awang Azman

A socio-political analyst from Universiti Malaya Awang Azman Pawi said the political status quo meant the government led by Anwar Ibrahim had to strengthen its existing machinery.

“He (Anwar) has to show success in development programmes to increase support, especially in the Malay area.

“The green wave (PAS) needs to be addressed comprehensively and search for PN achilles’ heel before further development.

“For PN, they need to prepare a higher quality leadership and not just use religious and ethnic rhetoric to expand their influence,” he told Gutzy Asia.

Responding to the state election results, Anwar told reporters the ruling coalition would “continue working hard to serve the people in line with our desire to build Malaysia”.

Some argue that it would not be fair to assess both Anwar and the unity government at this state election as they do not have sufficient time to put their policies into action. It is just less than a year after it becomes the federal government.

A voter dipping a finger in an indelible ink. Photo by Mlaysia’s Election Commission

In Malaysia, federal level elections are those for membership in the Dewan Rakyat, the lower house of Parliament, while state level elections are for membership in the various State Legislative Assemblies.

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Animals

House fire in Penang claims lives of 14 pet dogs, owner devastated

A house fire in Penang claimed the lives of 14 pet dogs, leaving the owner in deep grief. A viral TikTok video captured the tragedy, as the owner shared the emotional and financial toll of the incident, with the cause of the fire still under investigation.

Published

1 day ago

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20 September 2024

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PENANG, MALAYSIA: A tragic house fire in Tanjung Bungah, Penang has claimed the lives of 14 pet dogs, leaving the owner mourning the loss of his beloved animals.

A viral TikTok video captured the heart-wrenching aftermath, showing the owner’s grief as he recounted the devastating incident.

@maheswaranmuthiah

The worst tragedy in my life. My house burnt to ashes. 😭😭😭. Everything gone within an hour. I lost about 20k cash, training materials, banners, 2 professional dslr camera and equipments, commercial cooking equipments, commercial makeup learning equipments, canopy, mannequins, TV, blueray player, 2 hp, 3 laptops, my son’s ipad Pro 10, 1 pc, about 6 hardisks, 10 thumb drives, memory cards, 1 coffee machine, 1 coffee maker, letrik piano, exercise equipment, almost thousands of new and preloved novels, self development books, recipe books, IT Books, Law & Legal Books, skills development related to photography, makeup, tattoo, cooking, massage, entrepreneurship and etc books, 2 industrial fan, chiller, freezer, about 100+ academic/ appreciation certificates, reference letters, evaluation, recognition, modeling clothes, costumes, lingerie, 10 coat/ blazers, bags of ties, my business stocks like bliese perfume, air fresher, skincare product, toys, souvenirs, F&B, all my personal photo albums and belongings including all our clothes, puzzles, furnitures, book shelf, son’s toys and belongings, meditation/ yoga mate, crystals, rudraksha, grass cutting machine, water pressure pump, air purifier, water purifier, some jewelry, public gold coins and lots more…. But the worst of all is the lost of my 14 furrykids. My most precious children. All that I mentioned above is something I could rebuilt and recover. That I have to do for my 1 and only human son. But his siblings, my 14 children that perish in this unfortunate incident will not come back. This is an unbearable and unforgettable pain that will remain till the end of my life. 😭😭😭😭😭. An endless suffering in silent pain for me. 😭😭😭😭. #maheswaran #maheswaranmuthiah #furrykids #penang #malaysia #tragedy #crowdfund #pmx #chiefminister #chowkonyeow

♬ original sound – maheswaran – maheswaran

The fire allegedly occurred while the family was out for dinner, with no one present at home to rescue the pets.

The owner in response to concerning TikToker questions, speculated that the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit, but authorities have yet to confirm the exact cause, which remains under investigation.

In addition to the emotional toll, the fire also resulted in significant financial losses, with over RM20,000 (approximately US4,777) in cash and valuables destroyed.

“Everything was burnt to ashes within an hour,” the owner lamented.

While the dogs were not confined in cages, they were trapped inside the house, and despite neighbors being nearby, they were unable to intervene.

Firefighters on the scene advised bystanders to stay clear due to the risk of explosions.

The viral TikTok video has garnered widespread attention, with many netizens expressing their condolences and shock over the tragedy.

Comments on the post were filled with support, with some users reflecting on the irreplaceable loss of the pets and offering words of comfort.

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Civil Society

RSF condemns Malaysian court ruling against British journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown

Malaysia’s Federal Court rejected Clare Rewcastle Brown’s appeal against a defamation ruling, leaving her liable for damages over RM 435,000. RSF condemned the decision as an effort to silence the journalist, who is known for reporting on corruption scandals.

Published

2 days ago

on

19 September 2024

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Malaysia’s Federal Court has dismissed British journalist Clare Rewcastle Brown’s appeal against a defamation ruling, leaving her liable to pay damages exceeding RM 435,000 (US$103,325).

The defamation suit, which RSF (Reporters Without Borders) describes as part of a broader effort to silence journalists reporting on corruption, relates to a statement in Rewcastle Brown’s 2018 book, The Sarawak Report – The Inside Story of the 1MDB Expose.

The journalist has faced legal challenges ever since, including both civil and criminal cases.

Rewcastle Brown, known for exposing Malaysia’s 1MDB financial scandal, was accused of defaming the Sultanah of Terengganu, the wife of a senior political figure.

The defamation suit stems from a misidentification error in the book, which wrongly stated that the Sultanah, rather than the Sultan’s sister, was connected to a businessman involved in the scandal.

Rewcastle Brown quickly corrected the mistake and issued an apology in 2018. Her legal team has argued that the error does not constitute defamation or criminal libel.

The Sultanah had initially sought RM 100 million in general damages, but the court ultimately awarded a much smaller sum of RM 300,000 (US$71,230) in damages, along with RM 135,000 (US$32,095) in legal costs. Additional fees are expected.

The Federal Court’s decision on 10 September 2024 closes Rewcastle Brown’s legal avenues for appeal in the civil case.

Reporters Without Borders has condemned Malaysia’s handling of the case, asserting that it is intended to intimidate other journalists from reporting on corruption.

Fiona O’Brien, UK Bureau Director of RSF, commented: “This case should never have made it to court. The accusations of defamation are nonsensical. The underlying agenda appears to be to silence Rewcastle Brown and warn other Malaysian journalists away from reporting on corruption.”

In a separate criminal case, Rewcastle Brown was sentenced in absentia to two years in prison in February 2024. She continues to appeal the criminal charges but has faced significant challenges in defending herself. The British government has not commented publicly on her case.

RSF also noted that Malaysia, once ranked 73rd in the World Press Freedom Index, has dropped to 107th in 2024, amid rising political instability and a pattern of defamation suits against journalists.

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