The suspension of PAS's Harakah and PKR's Keadilan for 3 months - with no reasons given is really so undemocratic..
The Home Ministry has suspended the organs of two opposition parties - PAS' Harakah and PKR's Suara Keadilan - for three months, effective immediately.
With the suspension, both newspapers will not be able to publish until the end of June, missing out on a number of crucial political events including the three by-elections on April 7. - Malaysiakini, 23/3/2009, Harakah, Suara Keadilan banned 3 months
I saw the letter from Home Ministry that was sent to Wan Azizah, President of PKR, which was dated 23/3/2009, and I see that there was no reasons given for the suspension. [The letter could be seen in Malaysiakini]
It certainly looks like UMNO-BN is really worried - and wants to cut communications between Opposition parties and the people.
The mainstream print-media generally take a pro-UMNO-BN stance, and to get the perspective of the Opposition parties, many usually read the Harakah, and recently also the Suara Keadilan.
What about the internet media? Well, the truth is that many still rely on print media for their information....and the suspension will cause a 'black-out' to the truth (or to the PAS and PKR's version of the truth...) for 3 months, and it will affect the coming by-elections, and more importantly the possible change in the Premiership of Malaysia.
The Prime Ministership cannot be handed over like a baton in a relay race...but that seems to be the way it is going to happen, possibly some time in April. See my earlier posting :-
And, remember that the Prime Minister need not be the President of UMNO. Someone else can be the Prime Minister.
There are many, even within UMNO, who do not want Mohd Najib Razak to become the next Prime Minister...
There may be MPs in BN who do not want Mohd Najib Razak to be the PM...
Hence, there should never be the presumption that since BN numbers outnumber the Opposition MPs, that all the BN MPs want Mohd Najib Razak as the next Prime Minister - or that they want the current PM to resign.
Recently, with the preventing of one of the 3 Deputy President candidate contesting, namely one Mohd Ali Rustam, who did manage to get 46 UMNO Division nominations, one wonders about the support that Mohd Najib Razak will still be having. Note that this man had more votes than even Muhyiddin in 2004...
The mainstream print-media generally take a pro-UMNO-BN stance, and to get the perspective of the Opposition parties, many usually read the Harakah, and recently also the Suara Keadilan.
What about the internet media? Well, the truth is that many still rely on print media for their information....and the suspension will cause a 'black-out' to the truth (or to the PAS and PKR's version of the truth...) for 3 months, and it will affect the coming by-elections, and more importantly the possible change in the Premiership of Malaysia.
The Prime Ministership cannot be handed over like a baton in a relay race...but that seems to be the way it is going to happen, possibly some time in April. See my earlier posting :-
And, remember that the Prime Minister need not be the President of UMNO. Someone else can be the Prime Minister.
There are many, even within UMNO, who do not want Mohd Najib Razak to become the next Prime Minister...
There may be MPs in BN who do not want Mohd Najib Razak to be the PM...
Hence, there should never be the presumption that since BN numbers outnumber the Opposition MPs, that all the BN MPs want Mohd Najib Razak as the next Prime Minister - or that they want the current PM to resign.
Recently, with the preventing of one of the 3 Deputy President candidate contesting, namely one Mohd Ali Rustam, who did manage to get 46 UMNO Division nominations, one wonders about the support that Mohd Najib Razak will still be having. Note that this man had more votes than even Muhyiddin in 2004...
During the 2004 Umno election, Mohd Ali won one of the three vice-president seats when he secured the second highest vote with 1,329 votes behind the former Federal Territories Minister, Tan Sri Isa Abdul Samad (1,507). The other winner was Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin (then Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister) who secured 1,234 votes.
Last November, Mohd Ali received 46 nominations to contest the Umno Deputy President's post, together with Muhyiddin (now International Trade and Industry Ministry), and Rural and Regional Development Minister Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib. - Bernama, 17/3/2009, Profile Of Mohd Ali Rustam
Would this barring of some candidates, all seemingly not allied with Najib, have an impact on the support of the UMNO MPs in parliament when it comes to choosing the next Prime Minister. See my earlier posting,'Corruption' and Discrimination in UMNO - Has the report to MACC against Ali Rustam (and KJ) been made?
There can be NO assumptions this time around that all BN MPs want Mohd Najib Razak to be the Prime Minister. The determination of whether Mohd Najib Razak has the requisite support of the majority can and should only be made after Abdullah actually resigns.
But will Parliament still be sitting? Or like Perak, will the Yang Di-Pertuan Agung call in MPs, one after the other, to determine who they support to be the next PM. Will Mohd Najib Razak be there in the room when this is done - or will he like Nizar be kept out? If he is on the room, some MPs may be too scared...and may just lie saying that they support Mohd Najib Razak...
But will Parliament still be sitting? Or like Perak, will the Yang Di-Pertuan Agung call in MPs, one after the other, to determine who they support to be the next PM. Will Mohd Najib Razak be there in the room when this is done - or will he like Nizar be kept out? If he is on the room, some MPs may be too scared...and may just lie saying that they support Mohd Najib Razak...
Maybe, Mohd Najib Razak should just remain Deputy Prime Minister for some time to come...
The suspending of the alternative print media - the Harakah and the Suara Keadilan, would surely deprive the Malaysian people of views and opinions about very important things that will be happening in Malaysia in the next few months...
The non-giving of reasons is also very unjust and wrong - surely some reasons must be given.
Many persons employed by these publications directly and indirectly, and those who earn a living by distributing/selling, will lose their jobs and/or earnings - and this again is not at all right.
I urge the Malaysian Government, the Home Minister, to immediately revoke this suspension of permits in the name of democracy and justice.
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