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Showing posts with label Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak. Show all posts

Thursday 1 November 2018

Malay supremacy - Ketuanan Melayu ! How to be supreme ?



"If we want to be tuan (master), we need to have knowledge, willingness to be hardworking, do things properly and not steal. Don't fellow the example of our previous prime minister (Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak" said Dr. Mahathir:  
Dr M: All races to be consulted on ICERD first

How to be supreme!


Here’s a plea to reconsider an unpalatable term favoured by certain politicians and nationalists.

Tsk, tsk, tsk. Can our dear politicians stop fighting? That’s what they keep telling us, don’t they?

If it is a Malay politician, he is fighting for Malay rights. If it’s an Indian leader, he’s fighting for Indian rights. If it’s a Chinese bloke, he’s fighting for... You get the drift.

Instead of the aggressive and violence-laden word, “fighting”, how about they use words like “promoting”,

“protecting” or “nurturing”?

I actually like another word more: “sharing”. I wish politicians will say things like, “Let me share what the Malay community’s thoughts and concerns are so that we can address them together.”

The word “Malay” can be substituted by any of the following: Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan, Orang Asli, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, Hindu, etc.

And why should it be so? Because we share this nation. It’s as simple and obvious as that.

The soil, air and water we all need to live have no boundaries when it comes to pollution, global warming and diminishing resources that affect us collectively.

Because when our economy gets bad, everyone suffers – jobs are lost, crimes increase, prices go up... You get the picture. If that happens, will fighting over community rights or racial supremacy help?

That’s why this endless debate over Malay supremacy – ketuanan Melayu – is so pointless and unne­cessary.

Why do people get all riled up whenever it comes up, the latest being our youngest Cabinet member, Youth and Sports Minister Syed Saddiq Abdul Rahman, who said on Saturday the era of ketuanan Melayu had ended under the Pakatan Harapan government?

He went on to give the assurance that this did not mean the needs of the Malay community would be sidelined but that Putrajaya now preferred to emphasise the concept of “shared prosperity” to ensure fair and equitable distribution of wealth across all races.

Somehow that was misconstrued by some quarters and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia president and Home Minister, had to step in to explain and defend his young colleague. And how was Syed Saddiq misconstrued by the likes of Majlis Belia Negeri Johor?

Well, its president Md Salleheen Mohamad was quoted as saying that Syed Saddiq needed to understand Malay supremacy in the historical context.

He added that it wasn’t about the Malays as master and the non-Malays as slaves but about the position of the Malay sultans as pillars of the nation that protect the importance of Islam, Malay customs and the Malay language.

That sounds perfectly acceptable to me. But what is perhaps not very acceptable or palatable is the use of the word “supremacy” in the context of a race or community.

Despite the assurances that it is not about master versus slave, it brings to mind things like white supremacy and the Nazi’s brand of Aryan supremacism. And surely right-thinking people would agree these are really bad things.

The poster boys for white supremacists are the Klu Klux Klan of America whose members believe that the “white race” is superior in intelligence and culture over other so-called non-white races.

Back in the 1800s to the 1950s when white supremacy was at its height during the era of European colonisation of Africa and Asia, Europeans used being white-skinned and Christian to justify slavery and taking political and economic control of people of darker skin by military and religious methods.

But how “white” is defined is fluid. Not all ethnic groups with white skin were deemed white. The Irish and Italians were not considered as such in late 19th and early 20th century America. But the US government expanded its definition of whites to include Arabs and North Africans in 1944.

America is today very multi-ethnic but the Jim Crow mentality continues and is getting a major boost under Donald Trump’s presidency. The man suspected of sending letter bombs to Barack Obama and others last week considers himself a Trump supporter and a “foot soldier” for white supremacy. He openly proclaimed his love for Adolf Hitler and ethnic cleansing.

Indeed, the most dreadful and extreme example of racial supremacy was demonstrated by the Nazis and Hitler who used it to justify his extermination of millions of Jews and other undesirables like the gypsies, blacks, gay men and the disabled.

So when some people obsess over the need for their race or community to be supreme or “above” others, it doesn’t go down well as they come across as frightening and hate-filled.

That’s why such a term, Malay supremacy, to describe the up­hol­ding of the position of the Malay rulers and Islam is wrong in our Malaysian context.

Malays, I like to believe, are not hate-fuelled, nor do they want to exterminate the non-Malays. They just want to be reassured that the non-Malays understand this is a Malay-Muslim majority nation and that it will stay that way.

As a non-Malay Malaysian, I can give that assurance. And easily so. After all, as have been pointed out repeatedly, Malays dominate the armed forces, the civil service, the Cabinet, the GLCs and in plain demographics with a healthily growing urban middle class.

With such dominance and strength, surely the Malays are in a position to be more generous-hearted and can wean themselves off the siege mentality they were brainwashed with by the previous government that did it to stay in power.

As I have said before, non-Malays are not the enemy. Corrupt, divisive leaders are. They are the ones who want to continue the British colonial tactic of divide and rule that keeps the various races “at just the right distance from each other” so that it is easy to sow fear and suspicion against each other.

So let’s not fight any more. As Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who has said he did not subscribe to the ketuanan Melayu concept, puts it, what is far more important is the willingness of all the communities to share the good and the bad and work together.

Here is where the Malays can show the way. It’s called leadership, Malay leadership. - The Star So aunty, so what? June H.L. Wong

AN OPEN LETTER TO OUR ELECTED NEW GOVERNMENT PUBLIC SERVANTS


Dear PH elected public servants, 

We, the rakyat, elected a coalition called Pakatan Harapan under a single banner led by a 92 year old statesman whom we have, at least, the most trust for to save this nation. This is a MALAYSIAN mandate. Do not forget that. You are all public servants. SERVE. 

We did not elect you to squabble over posts and spoils of war.  We want a reformed nation.  Not the same politicking and sharing of spoils amongst politicians.  We do not care which party you came from. 

The nation faces 3 immediate and present dangers:

1. We have an economic catastrophe waiting to happen due to economic malfeasance over the last decade - financed by debt.

2. We have a corrupt, racialist religiously-bigoted civil administrative system to be dismantled and replaced.

3. We have today an ineffective education but instead a religious-centric education system that has been the source of extremist indoctrination of Malay-Muslim youths and populace over the last 2 decades at least. The result being, Malaysia is per capita the largest exporter of terrorist Islamic fighters in the world and sympathisers. And a large unemployable pool of graduates as product of our failed system. 

Lets be honest in our euphoria of victory that the work ahead is difficult. To be honest, the economic problems, intractable as it looks, is the easiest to solve. That I have full trust in Tun, his brilliantly assembled Council and newly minted Minister of Finance. 

The other two challenges could very well be almost impossible but if not solved will mean the utter destruction of our beloved nation. 

It will take great political-will from your leadership to make hard decisions to drag some of you, not to mention the mostly entitled ketuanan bangsa and ugama Malay-Muslim populace kicking and screaming towards reforms. 

1. We need clear separation of religion and government. Government and public funds must stay out from the business of religion and religious morality. 

2. We need to take out religious education and proselytising from the public arena. Religion must be a private matter and kept private. 

3. Our education must emphasise education not indoctrination. There is no such thing as religious education, only indoctrination. The nation's future rests in its populace being science and technology passionate. 

In conclusion, as I had mentioned before, by 2050, seven of 10 Malaysians will be Muslims. We do not reform at our peril. Do we want our nation to be another failed Muslim majority country as everyone of them is, or do we want to pioneer one that is a model Malaysia - developed, wealthy, technologically superior multi-ethnic multi-religious nation fair to all. 

We, the Malaysian rakyat will be watching and  we will be calling you to account throughout your term. Mark my word, we and I are only starting. 

We wish you all the best and before I forget - congratulations. 

Siti Kasim
A Malaysian 

Note:  No need to ask, just share if you agree.


Related:


Making Malaysia an innovation hub - Business News


Thursday 4 October 2018

Najib & his strong wife Rosmah with 17 charges in Court over money laundering

> https://youtu.be/tMl-fpyH388

https://youtu.be/rh39urccnYw


PUTRAJAYA: In an unprecedented turn of events, former prime minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and his wife Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor will both be in court today.

After spending a night in the MACC lockup, investigators are bringing Rosmah to the Sessions Court in Kuala Lumpur to face a slew of money laundering charges while the case management for one of Najib’s cases will take place at the same time.

Najib is facing some 32 charges including criminal breach of trust, abuse of power and money laundering of funds linked to 1Malaysia Development Bhd and its offshoot, SRC International Sdn Bhd.

So far, Najib has been brought to court three times to face charges since July 4.

As for Rosmah, today will be the first time she will be formally charged in relation to money laundering activities.

It is believed that Rosmah could be slapped with up to 20 charges.

Rosmah, 67, will go down in Malaysian history as the first wife of a prime minister to be indicted.

The arrest came after she was questioned for more than four hours yesterday morning at the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) headquarters here.

The Star, followed by other media, broke the news of her arrest after the lunch break yesterday.

At 3.20pm, MACC confirmed her arrest.

The MACC made the arrest after being given the go-ahead by the Attorney General’s Chambers.

The commission also said that Rosmah would be charged under Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act.

However, Rosmah’s lawyers said they were unaware of the charges that would be brought on their client.

“We were only informed by the MACC of her arrest and that she would be brought to the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court to be charged tomorrow.

“They did not tell us the nature of the charges,” said Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent.

The media who were stationed outside the MACC building from 9am waited for Rosmah who was called in for questioning for the third time since June 5.

The investigations are related to the trail of funds from 1MDB and SRC International.

She arrived at the MACC headquarters at 10.42am, dressed in a light green baju kurung and a matching selendang.

As she walked past the crowd of reporters, she appeared calm and even stopped to shake hands.

Sources said that Najib was informed of his wife’s arrest.

“He appeared calm,” said a source when asked on Najib’s reaction to the news of Rosmah’s arrest.

Asked about Rosmah’s condition, Geethan said: “She’s ok.”

Rosmah was first called to the MACC on June 5 to answer questions on SRC International Sdn Bhd.

On Sept 26 and yesterday, she was interrogated over the 1MDB scandal and money laundering.

The first inkling of Rosmah being charged was on Sept 24 after MACC chief commissioner Datuk Seri Shukri Abdull was quoted as saying that the investigations on her had been completed and the report had been submitted to the Attorney General.

He said then that it was up to the AG to prosecute Rosmah.

Yesterday, Najib was also detained for questioning on matters related to 1MDB but in another location and by a different law enforcement agency.

While Rosmah was in MACC, Najib was giving his statement at the Anti-Money Laundering and Anti-Terrorism Financing Prevention Unit (Amla) headquarters at Menara KPJ in Jalan Tun Razak.

Pemantau Malaysia Baru president Datuk Lokman Noor Adam, who is also an Umno supreme council member, announced the day before on Facebook that Najib would be called in by the police at 10am yesterday.

Najib was taken into the building through a side entrance after he arrived at Menara KPJ at about 11am, giving the media the slip.

He managed to evade the press when he left the building from the elevated car park at 1.05pm, nearly three hours after he came to the Amla headquarters.

Yesterday morning, a white luxury MPV was seen leaving the couple’s house in Jalan Langgak Duta earlier in the morning.

However, it was not known whether it was transporting the couple or either one of them.

Prior to his questioning at Menara KPJ yesterday, Najib, who is Pekan Member of Parliament, was called up on Aug 27 and 30 and then on Sept 30 to have his statement recorded on the case.

In both instances, it was with the MACC.

Exactly a week ago on Sept 26, Rosmah was called in for a second round of questioning – this time on 1MDB – which lasted 13 hours, also at the MACC.

Credit: mazwin nik anis, joseph kaos jr, royce tan, vincent tan, chu mei fong The Star

 The 17 charges on Rosmah - MalaysiaGazette

Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was being charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. PIC: AFIQ RAZALI / Malaysia Gazette / 4 OCTOBER 2018
Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Malaysian Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak was being charged under the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001 at the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court. PIC: AFIQ RAZALI / Malaysia Gazette / 4 OCTOBER 2018 

By Mohd Zaini Samsu Hadi
KUALA LUMPUR – Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, wife of former Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak was slapped with 17 charges on money-laundering involving a total of RM7 million.

Following are the list of charges on Rosmah:

  • Depositing RM200,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 4 December 2013
  • Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 15 December 2013
  • Depositing RM200,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 23 December 2013
  • Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 28 January 2014
  • Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 29 January 2014
  • Depositing RM200,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 28 February 2014
  • Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 14 March 2014
  • Depositing RM100,000 from illegal activities into personal account on 8 April 2014
  • Depositing RM1.6 million from illegal activities into personal account through 8 transactions between 4 September 2014 and 22 December 2014
  • Depositing RM3.85 million from illegal activities into personal account through 127 transactions between 21 January 2015 to 12 December 2015.
  • Depositing RM510,000 from illegal activities into personal account through 87 transactions between 28 January 2016 and 7 November 2016
  • Depositing RM30,000 from illegal activities into personal account through 5 transactions between 28 March 2017 and 8 June 2017
  • Failure to declare RM500,000 deposited into her personal account between 4 December 2013 and 23 December 2013 as required by the Income Tax Act
  • Failure to declare RM2.2 million deposited into her personal account between 28 January 2014 and 22 December 2014 as required by the Income Tax Act
  • Failure to declare RM3.85 million deposited into her personal account between 21 January 2015 and 12 December 2015 as required by the Income Tax Act
  • Failure to declare RM510,000 deposited into her personal account between 28 January 2016 and 7 November 2016 as required by the Income Tax Act
  • Failure to declare RM30,000 deposited into her personal account between 29 March 2017 and 8 June 2017 as required by the Income Tax Act
Rosmah was charged according to Section 4(1) of the Anti-Money Laundering, Anti-Terrorism Financing and Proceeds of Unlawful Activities Act (AMLATFPUAA) 2001,
She shall be liable to imprisonment for a term not exceeding fifteen years and shall also be liable to a fine of not less than five times the sum or value of the proceeds of an unlawful activity or instrumentalities of an offence at the time the offence was committed or five million ringgit, whichever is the higher upon conviction. – MalaysiaGazette


Friday 11 November 2016

Philippine, Malaysia to cooperate on combating terror groups and pirates

Meeting of two leaders: Najib talking to Duterte during the Philippines President’s visit to the Perdana Putra building in Putrajaya. — Bernama

https://youtu.be/yyqsLvD7WsQ

Philippine, Malaysia to cooperate on combating terror groups

President of the Philippines, Rodrigo Duterte, is making his first official visit to Malaysia. Talks between the two countries focused on ways to combat threats from militant groups. Extremists from the southern Philippines, especially Abu Sayyaf, have been responsible for numerous incidents of piracy and kidnappings in waters between the two countries.

Duterte gives Malaysia licence to enter waters to pursue pirates


The days of pirates escaping Malaysian authorities by fleeing across the border into Tawi-Tawi waters are over.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, in his inaugural visit to Malaysia, has given Malaysia the licence to enter his country’s waters in pursuit of not only kidnappers, but also militants who have been terrorising Sabah’s east coast.

https://youtu.be/dKaUuOzfoLA

Calling this a new development in Putrajaya-Manila ties, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said the two leaders agreed on the need to stamp out the security risk which also affects Indonesia.

There were several kidnap-for-ransom cases this year alone, which saw 10 Malaysians whisked away by militant groups based in southern Philippines. Five are still being held captive.

“I appreciate Duterte’s understanding because this is a practical way for us to help each other. It’s a new development which has been agreed by (Indonesian President) Jokowi with Duterte, and now with me.

“We need to stamp out this crime as this is affecting the welfare and security of not only Sabahans but tourists who visit the state,” Najib said after a bilateral meeting with Duterte yesterday.

The Philippine President was here for a two-day visit, his first after assuming the presidency in June.

Defence ministers from Malaysia, the Philippines and Indonesia will be meeting in Vientiane on Nov 22 to discuss the standard operating procedure and the various legal aspect of this new development.

While authorities from Malaysia and Indonesia are allowed to enter its maritime borders, they have to inform the Philippine navy of their presence in the area.

“If you are in hot pursuit of the bad guys and we reach maritime boundaries, the bad guys will get away if you stop. So, President Duterte said we should continue the chase and he has given us the licence to do so. We are to inform the Philippine navy and they will assist us if they are nearby,” said Najib.

The Prime Minister said new orders would be issued to the security forces based along the Sabah east coast and that this latest development was a clear sign of the two countries’ commitment to eliminate kidnapping incidents.

“This new development will also help move relations between both countries forward.

“While we have been enjoying warm and cordial relations, we have yet to reach our full potential due to security and legal issues,” he added.

On Philippines’ claims over Sabah, Najib said that this was not an issue to be addressed immediately.

Philippines has a long standing claim to Sabah, which was once under the rule of the Sulu Sultanate.

The claim has caused snags in several matters such as the setting up of a BIMP-EAGA (Brunei Darussalam-Indonesia-Malaysia-Philippines East Asean Growth Area) regional office and a consular office in Kota Kinabalu.

Duterte expressed appreciation on Malaysia’s role in the peace process in southern Philippines, said Najib, adding that the Government has agreed to continue placing an international monitoring team there.

“With negotiations completed, there is no need for a facilitator to be placed there, but Duterte has asked for the monitoring team to remain,” he said.

Malaysia has been playing the role of facilitator in the Bangsamoro peace process negotiations and is leading the international monitoring team in the southern Philippines.

On the issue of illegal immigrants in Sabah, Najib said both countries agreed to send home in stages the 7,000 Philippine nationals currently in the state.

By MAZWIN NIK ANIS JOSEPH KAOS JR The Star Asia News Network

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Wednesday 13 July 2011

Bersih rally awakening the young voters in Malaysian politics; Registration easy & simple




Awakening the young voters

ANALYSIS By BARADAN KUPPUSAMY

Pakatan Rakyat is seeking to keep the rally’s momentum going, hoping that it can be sustained until an early general election is held. 

NOW that the Bersih 2.0 rally is over, what’s in store for the divided politics of the nation? It’s a question on the minds of many Malaysians.

The Bersih 2.0 rally was a success by some measure because Pakatan Rakyat supporters braved police restrictions, roadblocks and barbed wire to gather in the city centre calling on the Government to institute electoral reform.

Their eight-point demand included issues that the opposition had been campaigning on for many years, like a clean electoral roll, reforming postal voting and a minimum of 21 days for campaigning.

These are fundamentals of a basic election system in a democratic society and few citizens would find this objectionable.

Saturday’s rally, therefore, had an unprecedented impact on society at large and on the election system, comparable to the March 8 political tsunami.

While Saturday’s rally was smaller in size compared to Bersih’s first rally in November 2007, the effects were the same – the awakening of young people to political action to rally for a basic right in defiance of the police.

In 2007, Bersih had the run of the city with huge numbers converging on the Istana to deliver a memorandum to the King.

Anwar called the 2007 Bersih rally an unqualified success.

Three months later, a general election was called that saw a loose coalition, that later became Pakatan Rakyat, winning five state governments and denying Barisan Nasional a two-thirds majority.

This time, too, Anwar is expecting an early election, probably by the fourth quarter of this year to capitalise on the Bersih 2.0 momentum.

709 pictures of the BERSIH march. Malaysians unite!

Voices from Malaysian: 
 Patrick Teoh

Teoh has come a very long way from his days as an announcer on the Rediffusion private radio station before establishing himself as one of the pioneers in mobile discos. In fact, till today people still associate Teoh with his voice though he is also into the arts and theatre.

Watch and listen his Video:


By PR’s reckoning, Bersih 2.0 was a major success and big enough to wipe out the series of by-election losses they suffered in recent months and the spate of defections from PKR to BN.

The internal turmoil caused by PKR’s direct elections that also saw many people disheartened with PKR has also been eclipsed.

PR sought to keep its Bersih 2.0 momentum going by organising a large rally in Penang, a PR state, on Monday that was well-attended.

It is hoping that the momentum would be sustained until an early general election is held.

It needs to step up its criticism of BN, organise more Bersih rallies in other states and perhaps take nationwide action to keep the momentum going.

For this reason alone, it is unlikely that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak would call an election this year.

He has to put some distance between the Government and the effects of the Bersih 2.0 rally.

Another reason for Najib to delay the general election is the urban voters whose preference is still with the opposition. He has to come up with imaginative programmes to win over the urban voters whose concerns are very different from the rural electorate.

Najib is also due to meet the Pope next week and hopes to establish a diplomatic relationship with the Vatican. He hopes to consolidate the Christian vote, which accounts for about 9% of the 14 million voters.

On another point, Bersih 2.0 leaders like Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan tried hard to convince Malaysians that her organisation was an independent body and was acting independently.

It is, however, abundantly clear that Bersih 2.0 was an opposition affair from start to finish.

The police handling of the Bersih 2.0 rally is also under the spotlight. Although they were heavy-handed, there was a relative absence of violence except for one death of a PKR activist that was attributed to a heart condition.

The low level of violence as a whole also limited the electoral backlash against the Government.

Therefore, it is an opportune time to release all those arrested, including the six leaders of Parti Sosialis Malaysia who have been detained under the Emergency Ordinance for allegedly reviving communism.

The Bersih 2.0 rally did not come anywhere near those in Egypt, Tunisia, Yemen and Syria. But it will probably have an impact in the coming general election.

The rally proved its point that a large number of Malaysians can gather, despite police action, and march peacefully.

But Bersih 2.0 is unlikely to be a game changer in the way the first Bersih rally was.


Registration easy & simple

By SHAHANAAZ HABIB and RASHVINJEET S. BEDI sunday@thestar.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: Voter registration numbers have gone up significantly, thanks to efforts by political parties.
But some 40% of the new voters they have registered turned out to be ineligible.

“Some are dead, underage or already registered voters,” said Election Commission (EC) chairman Tan Sri Abdul Aziz Mohd Yusof.

“We verify with the National Registration Department (NRD) those who are genuine and get rid of the names of those who are not. This makes it tiring because we have to keep checking,” he told The Star.

Despite this, he said, political parties still registered the highest number, bringing in more half of the new eligible voters.

“Compared to universities and NGOs, the voters we get from political parties are a lot more,” he said.
For May alone, 52% of new eligible voters were registered by political parties.

Twenty per cent were registered through post offices and 13% by government departments.

The EC, meanwhile, roped in 10% of the new voters through its counters and outreach programme. Universities and NGOs helped to register 3% and 2% new voters respectively.

Abdul Aziz added that the EC had appointed political parties, NGOs and universities as assistant registrars to help register new voters, paying RM1 for every clean and confirmed new voter these organisations bring in.

“If they register 1,000 new voters and only 600 are genuine, we pay them RM600,” he said. Between 2008 and 2009, there were 10 million registered voters in the country and another 4.3 million eligible voters who were not registered.

This year, the total number of registered voters increased to 12 million and eligible unregistered voters dropped to 3.7 million.

“We have made registration easy and simple. You can go to the post office, youth bodies, universities, colleges, government departments, NGOs and political parties to register,” he added.

Abdul Aziz said the Malaysian EC was the only one in the world that appointed political parties to assist in registering new voters.

He pointed out that it made sense to rope in political parties. “We appoint an average of two assistant registrars for each state seat. And because they have an interest, they work very hard to register new voters.

“When we do the voter registration ourselves, the response is not very good. We go to events like TV3's Jom Heboh to register new voters but it is difficult for people to come forward.

“This has to do with attitude. People ask what benefit they get by registering as voters. Some people do not have the spirit. They ask what happens if they don't register and when they find out no action is taken, they leave it as it is. Only those who really love the country and would like to choose their own leaders would voluntarily go and register as voters.”

Abdul Aziz also advised the people to vote in their current place of residence as this was stipulated in the law. This would also resolve the issue of phantom voters, where voters allegedly stay in a different place from where they cast their vote.

He said people should not feel attachment to their hometown and balik kampung to cast their votes.
“If I stay in Shah Alam, I shouldn't go back to Penang or my hometown to vote,” he said.

He estimated that about 30% to 40% of Malaysians voted in a different place or state than where they lived.

“I have no power to force them to vote where they live. I can only explain and persuade them,” he added.