It's not the system but the people that's bad: Mahathir - Malaysiakini.tv

At the MYKMU.net forum, former premier Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad claimed that it's not the system that's bad, but it's the people (referring to Umno's current top leadership).

No previous PM have come from an enemy state: Mahathir - Malaysiakini.tv

Former PM Mahathir Mohamad said that no prime minister has come from an 'enemy' state before, referring to Pak Lah's home state now under opposition rule.

Dr M withdraws support for Najib as Prime Minister - TheStarOnline.tv

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has withdrawn his support for Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak as Prime Minister. He was speaking during a press conference at a packed Umno Post 12th General Election: An Assessment forum on Tuesday.

PKR, DAP And PAS Plan To Formalise Cooperation - Bernama

PETALING JAYA, April 1 (Bernama) -- Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), DAP and PAS Tuesday agreed to consolidate the cooperation between the three parties and proposed their alliance be called the "Pakatan Rakyat" (People's Pact).

PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, PAS president Datuk Seri Hadi Awang and PKR president Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail had all agreed that the move to formalise the alliance be brought back to their respective parties for approval.

"The name will be adopted once all the three parties give the green light," he told reporters after holding a meeting for the purpose with the heads of the three opposition parties at the PKR's headquarters here.

He said down the road a leadership council would be formed for the pact to give it "teeth".

Anwar said once the pact was formalised, he would only chair its meetings but would not lead it.

He also said that the three parties would be holding a national convention on April 27 to help increase understanding and cooperation among their members of parliament and state assemblymen.

[More at http://www.bernama.com.my/bernama/v3/news.php?id=324045]

Mahathir Demands Meeting to Oust Malaysia's Abdullah - Bloomberg

By Manirajan Ramasamy

April 1 (Bloomberg) -- Former Malaysian Premier Mahathir Mohamad called for an emergency meeting of the nation's biggest political party to oust Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi following the government's worst ever election showing.

``Only when we reject this leadership can we reform the party,'' Mahathir, 82, told a 2,000-strong gathering of mainly party members outside Kuala Lumpur today. ``It's OK if once in a while you betray or challenge the leadership. Don't be afraid.'' Abdullah has no comment, said a spokesman at his office who declined to be identified.

Mahathir, calling Abdullah ``shameless'' for not resigning, needs the party's support to oust the man he picked to succeed him. Public demands for change are mounting in Malaysia as an opposition alliance, buoyed by unprecedented election gains, woos government lawmakers in a bid to topple the coalition.

The United Malays National Organisation, Abdullah's party and the main component of the National Front coalition, should change its constitution at a special gathering to make it easier for leadership challenges, Mahathir said today. UMNO, as the party is called, needs a new leader by December, he said.

Abdullah, 68, is under ``intense and localized pressure from within,'' said Shamsul Amri Baharuddin, a political analyst at Universiti Malaya. ``He won't go down without a fight.''

Abdullah has said he has the government's support and will remain in power. UMNO will hold leadership elections as scheduled by the end of this year, Muhyiddin Yassin, a party vice president, said on March 27.

[More at http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601080&sid=aNGrX8vLWU4s&refer=asia]

Mukhriz sedia tanding Ketua Pemuda - Utusan

PETALING JAYA 1 April — Anggota Parlimen Jerlun, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir berkata, beliau sedia bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda Umno pada pemilihan parti Disember ini sekiranya mendapat sokongan akar umbi. Bagaimanapun, Mukhriz yang juga Exco Pemuda Umno, berkata beliau tidak akan bertanding jika ketua pergerakan itu Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein memutuskan untuk kekal memegang jawatan itu.

“Saya belum buat keputusan. Saya kena tunggu dahulu bos saya, Datuk Hisham, untuk menyatakan jawatan apa yang beliau akan bertanding,” katanya kepada pemberita pada Forum “Umno Pasca Pilihan Raya Umum Ke-12: Satu Penilaian” anjuran portal internet MYKMU.Net di Hotel Singgahsana di sini hari ini.

Beliau mengulas sokongan mereka yang menghadiri forum itu yang mahukannya bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda yang dipegang Hishammuddin sejak 2000. Sebelum ini, bekas Menteri Besar Selangor Datuk Seri Dr Mohamad Khir Toyo juga menyuarakan hasrat untuk merebut jawatan itu.

Forum yang dihadiri lebih 1,200 peserta itu turut menyaksikan bekas Perdana Menteri Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad menyampaikan ucap utama. Forum yang dikendalikan moderator Datuk Ahmad A.Talib itu juga menampilkan Ketua Penerangan Umno Johor Dr Puad Zarkashi, selain Mukhriz dan Mohamad Khir, sebagai ahli panel.

Mohamad Khir pula ketika ditanya sama ada beliau akan memberi laluan kepada Mukhriz, berkata, perkara itu tidak menjadi masalah asalkan Mukhriz mendapat 20 peratus pencalonan daripada Bahagian Umno seperti ditetapkan perlembagaan parti.

“Kita akan bincang dan tengok macam mana,” kata Mohamad Khir, satu-satunya pemimpin Umno yang meletak jawatan sebagai Pengerusi Barisan Nasional (BN) dan Umno negeri ekoran kekalahan BN dalam pilihan raya umum lalu menyaksikan lima negeri termasuk Selangor jatuh ke tangan pembangkang.

[More at http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0401&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Terkini&pg=bt_09.htm]

Malaysia opposition forms alliance, PM faces revolt - Reuters

KUALA LUMPUR (Reuters) - Malaysia's opposition parties agreed on Tuesday to form a coalition in an effort to present themselves as a credible alternative for government, while the main ruling party sank deeper into dissent.

The three main opposition parties won a record number of seats in parliament at elections on March 8, dealing the ruling National Front coalition the biggest setback in its 50-year reign and spelling trouble for the prime minister's future leadership.

"In today's meeting, it was proposed to consolidate the cooperation among the three parties under the name Pakatan Rakyat (People's Pact)," de facto opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim told reporters after a meeting with fellow party leaders.

Malaysia's opposition has been weak and ideologically divided for many years, comprising two parties that appeal mainly to urban, liberal voters and an Islamist outfit that attracts mainly rural votes and wants to turn Malaysia into an Islamic state.

The three parties tried once before to form a coalition with a single policy platform, during an election campaign in 1999. But the pact fell apart two years later over the issue of Parti se-Malaysia's (PAS's) call for the creation of an Islamic state.

Anwar, a former deputy premier, said the parties were still working on a common policy platform on Tuesday.

[More at http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idINIndia-32785920080401]

Koh names line-up for Penang - The Star

PENANG: The Penang Barisan Nasional shadow government will not only be made up of the coalition's state assemblymen but also component party leaders.

State Barisan chairman Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon, who said this in a statement, added that the leaders would head the current Penang state government exco portfolios.

He also said the 11 Barisan assemblyman in Penang would be known as Barisan Nasional spokespersons and not shadow exco members as announced earlier.

Dr Koh said that a committee that he chairs and consisting of leaders from all Barisan component parties has been formed to give feedback to the assemblymen.

He said the portfolios of the said Barisan spokespersons are Industrial Development and International Trade, Land Affairs and Land Development (Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya), Religious Affairs, Entrepreneurial and Co-operative Development and Information (Shabudin Yahaya), Economic Planning, Education and Human Resources, and Science, Technology and Innovation (Datuk Jahara Hamid) and Local Government, Traffic Management and Environment (Datuk Arif Shah Omar Shah).

The others are Town and Country Planning and Housing (Syed Ameruddin Syed Ahmad), Public Works, Utilities and Transportation (Datuk Jasmin Mohamad), Agriculture and Agro-based Industry, Rural Development and Flood Mitigation (Datuk Azhar Ibrahim), Youth and Sports, Women, Family and Community Development (Zabariah Wahab), Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs (Datuk Roslan Saidin), Health, Welfare and Caring Society (Datuk Mahmud Zakaria) and Tourism Development, Culture, Arts and Heritage (Farid Md Saad).

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/1/nation/20808045&sec=nation]

Proton to recall Savvy cars - The Star

PETALING JAYA: Proton is recalling 34,000 Proton Savvy cars following a possible wheel bearing problem.

It said in a statement that the problem was brought to its attention during a regular random check, which found the possibility of water entering the rear wheel bearing.

This could lead to a malfunction of the affected components, with loosening of the wheel as the worst-case scenario.

The national carmaker has advised all Savvy owners to immediately take their vehicles to the nearest Proton Edar or EON service branch for inspection.

Checks will be conducted and replacement parts installed (if required) free of charge.

[More at http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/1/nation/20808045&sec=nation]