Indelible ink: Zaidi sacked, EC gets off scot-free

Bersih: Zaidi sacked, EC gets off scot-free While serviceman Major Zaidi Ahmad was sacked today after telling the press the indelible ink used by the Election Commission rubbed off, no action was taken on the EC over the ink, electoral watchdog group Bersih said. The military court today dismissed the Air Force pilot of 26…

Desperate times for democracy in Malaysia

As Anwar Ibrahim’s fate hangs in the balance, Malaysia’s democratic chances are slipping further away, writes James Giggacher. Malaysia’s long-time opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s fate still hangs in the balance; his political future as tenuous as the sodomy charges brought against him. Since October 27 he has been fighting a five-year jail sentence for allegedly…

One year after GE13: Lost in sea of politicking

COMMENT Today marks the one year anniversary of the historic 13th general election. This election was pivotal in the country’s history as the incumbent BN coalition held onto power, with the opposition calls for ‘change’ unfulfilled. Scholars have highlighted the fundamental shifts in the power of Umno, the imbalance of the opposition parties, the rise…

Court discharges Nik Nazmi

The Sessions Court today granted Seri Setia assemblyman Nik Nazmi Nik Ahmad a discharge, not amounting to an acquittal, after he was charged for the second time with breaching the Peaceful Assembly Act. The judge took the position that the lower court was bound by the decision of the Court of Appeal, which had earlier…

RMAF pilot’s court martial charges over indelible ink likely to be challenged in High Court

A legal team assembled to represent a Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) pilot in a military court charged with providing statements to the media regarding the indelible ink is mulling challenging the charges in a civil court. PAS lawyer Mohamed Hanipa Maidin, who is leading the team, said he was considering filing a judicial review…

Election 2013 broke every rule in the book

Election 2013 broke every rule in the book, Bersih panel finds SUBANG JAYA, MARCH 25 — Every single principle governing the running of a free and fair election was breached during last year’s May 5 federal polls, Bersih’s People’s Tribunal concluded in its findings released today. Panel member former United Nations Special Representative and constitutional…

Why go after RMAF pilot and let big sharks get away

Why go after RMAF pilot and let big sharks get away, asks DAP DAP leader Lim Kit Siang (pic) today questioned Putrajaya’s move to charge air force pilot Major Zaidi Ahmad for complaining about GE13’s indelible ink when it let “big sharks of corruption, who steal hundreds of millions of ringgit worth of properties and…

A case of broken promises – again – to minorities, say analysts

Caution to Malaysia’s minority groups: beware of a government bearing promises and agreements before an election. Several analysts interviewed by The Malaysian Insider said that this was one of the lessons to take away from P. Waytha Moorthy’s resignation from the Najib administration and Putrajaya’s inability to make good a 10-point solution with Christians over…

How low can MCA go?

I am sure many Malaysians, especially the Chinese, will have shared my acute discomfort and embarrassment after hearing the news that the MCA central delegates has approved a resolution for the party to accept government posts at all levels. According to reports, a total of 1,973 out of the 1,982, or 99.5% present, at the…

Marina Mahathir raps Putrajaya for keeping mum on serious issues

Social activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir hit out at Putrajaya today for keeping silent on simmering contentious issues affecting the country. In her “Musings” column in English daily The Star, Marina said that the country’s leadership may preach about unity, but remained silent over sensitive statements made by certain parties. “What sort of leadership do…