PAS claims victory as polling ends

Jul 14, 09 3:48pm 5.31pm: There is serious traffic jam along the road from Manek Urai to main town of Kuala Krai. The main tally centre is in SMK Sultan Yahya Petra 1 in Kuala Krai. 5.20pm: PAS volunteers are removing all cars from the compound in front the party's campaign headquarters, so that its supporters can gather there to wait for the result. A big screen has been set up in front of the 'markas', which will be used to update supporters during the vote count. 5.05pm: PAS supporters are already celebrating the victory of its candidate Mohd Fauzi Abdullah in the Manek Urai by-election. When the 50-year-old fish wholesaler arrived at the PAS base around 4.40pm, he was greeted by shouts of 'Allahuakhbar' (God is great) and mobbed by supporters. Mohd Fauzi looked elated, indicating that victory is already in the bag. Earlier, Kelantan PAS election director Abdul Fatah Harun told Malaysiakini that based on exit polls, the party had won by a majority of nearly 2,000 votes. "I cannot remember the percentage of votes obtained by PAS and Umno. But we will win by 2,000 votes," he added. Mohd Fauzi, the Kuala Krai PAS division treasurer, is up against Umno/Barisan Nasional candidate Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, 39. The nine polling stations closed at 5pm, with an 86 percent voter turnout recorded by 4pm.

'Kita sudah menang 2,000 undi'

Jul 14, 09 3:48pm

Berdasarkan pengundian sehingga jam 3 petang tadi, Pengarah pilihanraya PAS Kelantan, Abdul Fatah Harun yakin calon parti itu - Mohd Fauzi Abdullah - sudah menang pilihanraya kecil DUN Manek Urai. Menurutnya, bancian selepas pengundian mendapati calonnya dijangka menang dengan majoriti hampir 2,000 undi. Fatah berkata, jentera pilihanraya parti itu telah mengumpul dan mengira pembuangan undi setakat ini. "Saya tak ingat berapa peratusan yang diperoleh oleh PAS dan BN. “Tetapi saya boleh kata, kita akan menang dengan majoriti hampir 2,000 undi,” tambahnya. Pada jam 3 petang tadi peratus pengundian mencecah 83.89 peratus atau 10,312 orang walaupun ada dua jam lagi untuk mengundi, sebelum pengundian tamat pada jam 5 petang. Sementara itu, Mohd Fauzi yang tiba di markas PAS Manek Urai pada jam 4.40 petang tadi, disambut dengan laungan 'Allahu Akbar' oleh para penyokong parti itu. Malah, mereka turut mengucap tahniah kepada beliau yang lebih dikenali dengan nama Abe Uji di kalangan masyarakat tempatan. Beliau kelihatan gembira dan bersama-sama dengan para penyokong parti itu mengangkat tangan sambil sekali lagi melaungkan 'Allahu Akbar'. Wartawan Malaysiakini: Kuek Ser Kuang Keng, Hafiz Yatim, Jimadie Shah Othman, Wong Teck Chi, Ng Kok Fong dan Amiruddin Abdullah.

PAS gunning for big win in Kelantan seat

MANEK URAI, July 14 — Most political pundits have given Parti Islam SeMalaysia (PAS) the edge in today’s by-election for a rural seat in Kelantan, the state controlled by the party, but it is not taking any chances.

The state’s Menteri Besar Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, who is PAS’ spiritual leader, yesterday declared polling day a public holiday for state civil servants to enable those registered in Manek Urai to vote. He has also sent personal voice messages to PAS members, urging them to vote.

PAS is anxious for a high turnout of at least 80 per cent to enable it to hold on to the seat with a respectable margin. The by-election was called after the PAS assemblyman died in May.

Manek Urai has about 1,300 out-of-town voters out of a total of 12,000.

Several hundred of these live in other parts of Kelantan.

“Every vote counts,” said PAS MP Dr Hatta Ramli, whose parliamentary constituency of Kuala Krai covers the Manek Urai state seat.

No taking chances, the canvassing goes on this morning in Manek Urai. - Picture by Danny Lim

PAS has held the seat for five of the last six terms since 1986. In the general election last year, it won with a 1,300-vote majority.

Although the election outcome will not affect PAS’ control of Kelantan, there is another issue at stake. It is a battle for Malay support by the country’s two largest Malay parties.

More than 99 per cent of the voters here are Malay; only 58 voters are Chinese and 28 are Indians. The by-election comes at a time when Malay unity and privileges are a hot topic.

PAS is in internal turmoil with its top leadership split, with one faction pushing for closer ties with Umno and the other against it.

The pro-Umno faction arose following fears that the party was becoming less Islamic due to pressure from its partners to moderate its stance.

And Umno has been suggesting that PAS has lost its way by preferring to work with the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP) rather than Umno.

Late last night, a new banner sprung up in the villages showing a picture of Nik Aziz shaking hands with Minister Mentor Lee Kuan Yew, who was in Malaysia last month.

According to The Malaysian Insider website, the banner also carried a message criticising him for preferring to listen to MM Lee, rather than Umno.

Nik Aziz is the strongest critic against unity talks between Umno and PAS.

Banners criticising PAS’ partnership with the DAP had also come up, the website added.

Some PAS leaders like Hatta, however, dismiss this as an issue. ‘It’s nice to talk about, but it’s not an issue on the ground at all,’ Hatta told The Straits Times.

He said that if it was, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang would not have spoken twice at rallies with opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Anwar, whose rally last night drew thousands and caused massive traffic jams on the village roads, told reporters that the issue was part of the ruling coalition’s polemics. ‘The Pakatan Rakyat accepts the position of Islam in the Federal Constitution,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Umno is fighting hard to convince the Malays that it has hurt their interests by rolling back pro-Malay policies. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, over the last few weeks, liberalised the economy and educational sector by removing some Malay quotas.

Both parties are anxious to show they have Malay support, as there are very few seats with such a high Malay proportion as Manek Urai. The Election Commission expects a turnout of 85 per cent. The results will be out by 8pm today.

Straits Times

Komen negatif Najib: Pengacara ntv7 kena tukar

Semuanya berpunca daripada kenyataan salah seorang tetamu jemputan dalam programnya - Point of View - di ntv7 yang memberi pemeringkatan 'C' atau 'D' terhadap prestasi Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Najib Razak bagi 100 hari pentadbirannya.

Ekoran itu, pengacaranya, Florence Looi menerima surat amaran dan terus ditukar ke meja berita stesen swasta tersebut.

Looi didakwa telah melanggar dasar redaksi pengarangnya, kata sumber-sumber ntv7.

Dua tetamu jemputan program tersebut - yang dipancarkan pada 5 Julai lalu - ialah penulis Syed Akhbar Ali dan editor perunding, Leslie Lau dariMalaysian Insider. Lau yang memberi pemeringkatan 'C' atau 'D' bagi pentadbiran Najib.

Sumber-sumber itu berkata, Looi selepas itu diberitahu secara lisan bahawa dia tidak seharusnya meminta mereka memberi pemeringkatan terhadap prestasi Najib,

Oleh kerana Looi merupakan pengacara yang juga penerbit program tersebut, maka hanya dia seorang sahaja yang diberi surat amaran tersebut.

Looi, yang merupakan editor tugasan, kemudiannya telah ditugaskan untuk membuat liputan berita, atas alasan kekurangan petugas di meja berita.

Insiden tersebut mungkin 'menguburkan' program 'Point of View', yang baru tamat musim keduanya. Sehingga ini, belum ada pengumuman sama ada program itu akan dilanjutkan ke musim ketiganya.

Bagaimanapun, sumber-sumber itu percaya, sekiranya program itu diteruskan, ia akan dikendalikan oleh pengaracara baru.

Ketika dihubungi, Looi enggan mengulas mengenainya dan usaha untuk menghubungi pihak pengurusannya juga belum berhasil.

Ntv7 adalah salah sebuah daripada empat stesen TV swasta milik syarikat gergasi media - Media Prima Bhd - yang ada kaitan dengan Umno. Tiga lagi stesen miliknya ialah TV3, 8TV dan tv9.

Begitu juga dengan berita mengenai banglo mewah milik bekas menteri besar Selangor, Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Khir Toyo di Shah Alam di mana ianya hanya sempat disiarkan dalam berita Mandarin jam 5.30 petang di ntv7.

Selepas itu, berita itu tidak lagi disiarkan oleh buletin berita di stesen lain milik Media Prima.

'Hanya satu pandangan'

Sementara itu, pengarah eksekutif Pusat Kewartawan Bebas, V Gayathry membidas ntv7 kerana mengamalkan saringan kendiri.

“Komen oleh tetamu jemputan mengenai pretasi (Najib) bukanlah sesuatu yang kritikal, tetapi hanya satu pandangan,” katanya.

Menurutnya, Looi dihukum kerana bertanyakan satu soalan penting ketika semua orang lain membuat penilaian tentang prestasi Najib.

“Program tersebut telah memberi ruang yang baik untuk perbincangan (dan Looi menjalankan tugasnya dengan baik),” tegasnya.

Menurut Gayathry lagi, ketika Najib dilantik perdana menteri, Media Prima telah mengeluarkan arahan kepada empat stesen TV miliknya itu supaya tidak menyebut nama penganalisis politik - Abdul Razak Baginda - ketika melaporkan perbicaraan kes pembunuhan Altantuya Shaariibuu. Razak merupakan teman karib Najib.

"Kita ingin bertanya sama ada menjadi dasar Najib di mana mereka yang ditempatkan di stesen TV, mengamalkan saringan kendiri,” tambah Gayathri.

Program 'Point of View' disiarkan jam 6 petang hari Ahad. Tetamu jemputannya membincangkan tajuk-tajuk panas seperti Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA), dasar penukaran bahasa, pendidikan bahasa ibunda, tanggungjawab pihak polis dan yang terbaru, skandal PKFZ.

Sejak Najib mengambil alih kuasa, pegawan tinggi media yang ada kaitan dengan mantan perdana menteri, Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi telah diganti.

Mereka yang berkhidmat sewaktu pentadbiran Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad telah dilantik semula menerajui media, sehingga mencetuskan persepsi akan mewujudkan suasana media yang lebih banyak sekatan.

Bekas pengarang kumpulan New Straits Times, Datuk Ahmad Talib kini dilantik sebagai pengarah eksekutif berita dan operasi jabatan pengarang di Media Prima, serta sebagai pengarah ksekutif (jabatan pengarang) di New Straits Times Press.

Bekas pengarang kumpulan Berita Harian, Datuk Manja Ismail dilantik sebagai pengarang kumpulan NTV7, 8TV, TV9 dan rangkaian radio, bagi membantu Ahmad.