Mawan”Only To Legitimize…”

Every political parties main aim when they enter the Elections Fray are to win. It is no exception even to the coalition partners of Barisan Nasional ,Pakatan Harapan,other  non aligned political parties and independent candidates for GE14 Malaysia. There are so many factors and criteria’s to meet and be considered before a final decision is reached.

There are a lot of horse trading involved too and unless the names appear on the nomination forms to be submitted for now one can only speculate. There are “many instances” too when names are changed even at the last minute before entering the election halls and affixing the signatures in front of the nomination officer.

The thousands of individuals involved in, prior to the GE14 are all ‘HOPEFULS” to be State Assemblyman or Members of Parliament. Every constituency have their obstacles and also their challenges to win.

It is no different to Mawan? Has he done enough? 

To his ardent supporters and the constituents in the Parliamentary seat of Saratok he has done more than his fair share in working the ground.meeting the peoples expectations and being their voice for the Greater Good of Saratok constituency.

He is the only BN Direct Parliamentarian and State Assemblyman who is very much aligned to the Barisan Nasional Coalition. He doesn’t come as a package of being a ‘greenhorn‘ in politics but with a bagful of experience under his resume having served as Sarawak State Senior Minister plus being a former President of BN/SPDP which he helmed from 2002 to 2015 for 12years. He resigned as President of TERAS (BN friendly party) as he was chosen as a BN direct candidate prior to the state elections in 2016.

When audie61 wrote ‘Don’t Destroy the Fort 205 ” https://audie61.wordpress.com/2017/08/25/dont-destroy-the-fort-p205/  Mawan  did not minced his words in informing the BN Hierarchy that the “THREAT” was real from the opposition. Does he need to score “Brownie Points?” Obviously, one would not let him  bow down to that level to just ‘shout from the mountain top” and even cry wolf.

The PM and CM Sarawak knows the level of commitment,dedication and loyalty that Mawan has portrayed to BN and the following extracted words below are very significant in the final decision for BN to legitimize the candidacy.

“The Incumbent MP knows that the party PDP has the 3 lobbyists making their presence felt in the area and he ‘wished them well,encourages them as it is their democratic right but he reminded them that there is line that they should not cross.They must not elbow out the incumbent in this BN stronghold and on top of that not even WEAKENING the opposition. The lobbyists must also not play in the hands of the opposition.”

Mawan is very entrenched,fully anchored and has the winnability momentum for BN in Saratok and his legitimate candidacy will go down well with both the BN ADUNS and the majority support to fend off the opposition making any inroads to this BN Parliamentarian stronghold.

This upcoming election eventhough in Saratok must not be taken lightly and the Chairman of BN knows it is “not business as usual” and  BN needs to consolidate all component parties,fine tune the election machinery and ensure winnability for BN.

The two state seats in Saratok “Kalaka,Kabong are under BN while Krian is under PKR”. Much have been written about the PKR assemblyman and he would have his wish fulfilled if Incumbent Mawan is not even in the election fray.

His formidable ‘ego” was dented as he was beaten by Mawan. Statistics doesn’t lie and Mawan secured 11,600 votes against Ali’s 9,519 votes to score a majority of 2,081 votes. Ali polled 5388 votes when he defeated the BN/SPDP Kilat Beriak candidate in the state election 2016 by 1,640 votes.

It will not be difficult for PKR to defeat anyone else besides Mawan and Ali would be the first to celebrate. Clearly, Ali is waiting for that chance and he will ensure that without Mawan in the picture he will secure for PKR a much awaited a ‘Rural Sarawak Parliamentary seat“

Mawan knows its only a formality when the time comes and it could be done through any component party. It’s anyone’s guess which party will Mawan be heading to and we are sure that its anyone of the 13 BN component parties of which more “favourable towards a Sarawak based party.”

PKR or Pakatan Harapan would love to have him in their stable but to those who knows Mawan well enough they know he is indeed a BN loyalist. Even the deputy BN Chairman and DPM Zahid in our previous article “New Yardstick” have indicated clearly in support of the PM and Barisan Nasional Chairman.

Having said that, Mawan will ultimately pen his signature according to the wishes of the BN hierarchy to ensure that Saratok will remain a BN stronghold for now and for the Foreseeable Future.

PDP President Tiong would want the FIRST BITE OF THE CHERRY and he himself would welcome Mawan back with open arms if BN so decides that “Winnability and Loyalty” has given Mawan the right to be renominated as BN candidate to win the parliamentary seat for BN.

The words of the late CM Sarawak in his foreword in “REFLECTIONS”said that Mawan has “earned a rightful place in the mainstream politics of Barisan Nasional. He also displays a LEADERSHIP that is moderate and accommodating and is able to rise above intrigues to relate to the picture of good politics.“

Barisan Nasional knows its Loyal members and Legitimising Mawans candidacy should be formalised when all due intelligence and accounts have been thoroughly scrutinised and considered.

 

“New Yardstick”-BN Zahid Hamidi

The Message is Clear and Precise. No Hidden Agenda.

Was it an “Inspired and a Motivational call“? Many, though will conveniently termed it as a “War Cry” by Zahid who is (acting)Deputy President of UMNO to his party. It is however very clear in the BN organisational structure he automatically takes the helm as the Deputy Barisan Nasional Chairman. As such, Zahid is now Echoing and Standing Firm behind his President on the above subject.

What is significantly of utmost important to Barisan Nasional Chairman Najib and his Deputy Zahid are the seats that are Winnable and Secured are not being destroyed by personal and party selfishness which will cause more harm than good to the overall margin of BN seats.

In the last Parliamentary elections Sarawak garnered 25 out of 31 seats. PBB,PRS and SPDP all scored 100% wins and SUPP paid the price for their “infighting” and the voters turned against the party in the urban areas. They lost miserably garnering only 1  seat out of a possible 7.

Its now a game changer for Sarawak BN.

SUPP and UPP are still  very much seen “publicly” as feuding even though their top leaders are trying their political best to be embracing each other for the better good of BN. The strong message by Zahid has started to trickle down and the Deputy BN Chairman will want to ensure that BN Sarawak remains a fortress. BN/SUPP and BN friendly UPP need to work out a formula or else it would be up to the hierarchy of BN to put their foot down and resolve this issue. audie61 does not want to dwell too much on this matter as there will be calls of “outside interference”    

However, we are well informed on the subject matter of SPDP. There has been too many   niggling disagreements and petty mistrust which has seen the party veered and broken up into a number of disjointed groups. The Party President Tiong is doing his best to lead the charge but he is sometimes and still very “misinformed” by the ground swell.

Tiong P217 (Bintulu) himself is kept well aware of the many programmes being held in the other 3 Parliamentary seats of P192( Mas Gading) P205 (Saratok) and P220 (Baram). Lately,there have been very clear noises of the incumbents being dropped which has literally hurt many of the supporters who worked hard for SPDP during GE13. The incumbents have been working the ground and are relentless to maintain the stranglehold for Barisan Nasional and not to fulfill their selfish ends.

The moral of the party is important and Najib and Zahid are trying their level best to ensure that the spirit of BN will be intact when GE14 is called.  Both Najib and Zahid will not want to see a dysfunctional party where ‘infighting” will go overboard and cause BN the seats. Likewise the New CM Abang Johari  in his maiden parliamentary election charge for BN Sarawak will also want a comfortable win.

We have written earlier (https://audie61.wordpress.com/2017/06/05/a-formidable-and-winnable-bn-quartet/ )  that the 4 incumbents are a formidable and winnable quartet and we have not wavered from our assessment.

The words by two incumbents below are as solid for Tiong to digress and not even stop to consider “Who else can be better than them?”

Mawan’s words ,” I am fully Entrenched in Servicing Saratok and I am not taking a step backward. I have moved so far and therefore it is almost impossible to make a RETREAT.”

Anyi’s words,”called on his supporters to be patient and wait for the announcement on whether he would get to defend the Baram seat for Barisan Nasional (BN) in the coming 14th general election. He said it is necessary that they should wait for the ‘green light’ from the prime minister, who is the national BN chairman.

Of course there will be a number of aspirants and also ‘backed up lobbyists” for the 3 seats which Tiong as President himself knows too well. This is “fully expected” in the run up to any elections but for GE14 the BN top leaders would want ‘minimum damage” to the coalition within BN.

The words written down,extracted and posted here by a contributor in FB James Joshua also have defining meaning to winning an election.

“Tan Sri William Mawan Ikom execute his desktop planning well and the other lobbyists needs to do a lot of catching up to determine the most winnable and likeable candidate for Saratok.

Pre-election head count is crucial for all the lobbyists including the incumbent, to determine their winnability; because head count is one of the yardstick to the number of votes that the candidate will get on polling day.“

Tiong as President will want the BN to win the 4 seats which Najib, Zahid,Abang Jo has entrusted him to oversee and politically he will DEFINITELY STAND TALL if he agrees to the name list of maintaining the 4 Winnable and Formidable Quartet.

In Politics nothing is impossible and all disagreements can be solved with political tact and negotiations.

There are some disgruntled BN members who have crossed the red line and are now fighting BN from the opposite side. The Yardstick portrayed  by the BN leaders in Najib,Zahid and Abang Jo is now is stick to the principles of winnability and to venture too far adrift it will have serious consequences.

Mawan does put it nicely at times to budding politicians who called upon him for advise,’whether in good or bad times,our support for the BN must remain unwavering and our loyalty to the BN leadership solidly entrenched.”

Tiong will want to make the right effective decision and will not want to waver too far from the BN leaders yardstick or he might just live to regret the actions he took.

P205 Saratok”One More Term”for Mawan

Ali Biju of  Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR )is waiting in the wings to wrestle this seat away from the noses of BN/SPDP.  In 2013 GE13 William Mawan won this seat and secured 11,600 votes against Ali’s 9,519 votes to score a majority of 2,081 votes.

Easter has come and gone and very soon it will be Ramadan,Hari Raya and the impending GE14. Najib as the ruling Prime Minister and the Barisan Nasional Commander in Chief is counting the seats and preserving all his winnable candidates to cross the line at 111 out of 222 Parliamentary seats.  Mawan is very much his best bet to have 1 in the bag for Barisan Nasional. He knows that Mawan journey still continues and he is very much a loyal and reliable Barisan member be it in the State or in the Federal level.

Najib always have this in his mind,”Think daily,deeply, and in a disciplined way about strategy, for on that alone is your throne of power preserved and strengthened.“  Najib also take notes of  what Mawan has openly said,”there is no alternative to unity. Unity has always been the hallmark of my political crusade since i entered politics more than four decades and it is the foundational nucleus on which politics is premised.”

SPDP President Tiong King Sing is very much a ‘buddy and best friend” to William Mawan. Both of them have gone through many rivers,hills and mountains together since 2002 when the party was founded. Tiong himself will want his Political Elder William Mawan by his side as he sees through the storm of GE14 and win all the 4 seats the party contest. Tiong knows that its no point to have war-mongering factions in this battle and as the President he will need to master the strategy to deliver to Najib the BN commander the 4 seats which the party is assigned to.

All things in nature have an inherent cycle of spring,summer,winter birth,growth,maturity,decline and death. Political differences or war has also a cycle of psychological stages,the wait,preparation,clashes,regret and remorse. Politics is the art of agreement not disagreement and Mawan himself knows that very well.

He hears all the right noises coming from top hierarchy of the ruling party on his experience and patience in dealing with situations. He says to audie61 in this interview,”Don’t Package me out. My experience will be invaluable to the party and to the person who will eventually take over as MP Saratok from SPDP.” He says he needs one more term to ‘tidy it up” for the unity of all younger members who will be eventually join up in SPDP. He says there are many new members who are waiting for his next move and they will not need to wait too long to move to the HOME in SPDP.

There will be differences and distrusts for the new members but eventually political maturity will take the centre stage. With all the upheavels SPDP will come out stronger and more united to face any adversaries.

audie61 remembers a local journalist writing in 2013 on the battle of Saratok,”The fight for the seat will always be remembered as a race between BN and PKR, so fierce and so close till the finishing line. Those with faint hearts probably may not want to experience such excitement again”

Mawan ended the interview with the phrase “Unity” again pointing to the opposition on playing up the issue on Appointment of Hishammuddin as Special Functions Minister. He said even Zahid has consented to the appointment and this is roller coastered into an issue. Mawan said,” Najib is strengthening Barisan Nasional  and with this appointment it will make us stronger. It’s UNITY .”

Saratok P205 is ripe for Ali Biju to wrestle away from BN/SPDP.  Najib being the BN commander knows that President Tiong and Mawan will sit down together soon to sort it out and Look at the BIGGER PICTURE.

“One More Term” is the call for Mawan and Parti Keadilan Rakyat’s( PKR) Ali Biju’s dream of being an MP after GE14 will also disappear into the clouds.

 

 

 

 

Whither Now,Malaysia?

The seeds of disunity, disinformation, and distrust have been sown in Malaysia. In the midst of economic problems and despair, there is always hope that our nation can ride the storms that beset us. For that, Malaysia needs a firm leader with wisdom and foresight.

Two years ago, when speaking at the Foreign Correspondents’ Club in Tokyo (2013), Mahathir said UMNO would still support Najib ‘because of a lack of an alternative’. His words and actions today show a sharp 360-degree departure from that observation.

Numerous probes from various countries, including Switzerland, Singapore, Hong Kong and the United Arab Emirates into the 1Malaysia Development Berhad that has more than $US11 billion ($15.3 billion) in debt.

The latest to join the fray is the FBI, which began investigations into money-laundering allegations related to our PM shortly after the arrest of Khairuddin Abu Hassan before his intended trip to the US to meet law enforcement officials about the 1MDB fund.

Against this backdrop, is Najib the best leader who can steer Malaysia out of troubled waters?
Malaysians are eager to cast the first stone at the sinner than to submit solutions to what is perceived as a critical problem to national stability.

Rumblings of discontent from the north to south, east to west have not been accompanied by any affirmative solution should the PM, for whatever reasons, decide to step down.

The status quo has dealt with detractors strategically and the record shows a significant number cowered in the face of pre-emptive strikes while others have had no qualms voicing their frustration.

Selective amnesia prevails as majority can only remember a ‘tainted’ 1MDB, preferring to forget that under Najib, we have had a very peaceful nation with no propagation of racist policies such as during Mahathir’s time (BTN), or cronyism.

Unlike his predecessors who did not have economics background, as an Economics graduate, Najib established and has been achieving targets for the Government Transformation Program (GTP), thanks to his foresight in engaging best economists and experts in the respective fields.

However, his enemies would never acknowledge these achievements including results in reducing crime, fighting corruption, improving student outcome, raising living standards of low-income households, improving rural basic infrastructure and improving urban public transport.

His effort to implement the GST has not been well received even though over 200 countries have implemented this tax system.
Throughout his tenure, our PM has not been racist nor has he been like Mahathir who supported Ibrahim Ali’s call to burn bibles and had said it was not an issue “as long as there were good intentions.”

Najib’s tenure as PM has not seen any untoward incidents arising from religious conflicts such as the Memali incident during Mahathir’s time. Yet, Malaysians are ready to throw rotten tomatoes at our PM, because of the spin propaganda to topple him.

It is only fair that the world awaits the verdict of local and international 1MDB probes before condemning our PM.

At the same time, it is reasonable to consider if there is any worthy successor to Najib should circumstances necessitate a change in leadership.

It is highly plausible that former DPM Tan Sri Muhyddin Yasin is the best candidate for the position because he proved his mettle by putting his party and country before his path to the top. Even though he paid a paid a heavy price for speaking up about 1MDB, his courage to speak up for his beliefs show compromise is not in his vocabulary but steadfastness in vision and loyalty to UMNO. Currently, he commands very strong support not just from Johore or UMNO but also across the board. His vast experience in public administration and excellent public relations skills are more feathers to his cap.

In such a heated ambiance where a small spark can trigger an avalanche of possibilities, having a hotheaded leader such as DPM Zahid Hamidi is risk few would favor, especially when leaders need to close ranks for the nation to move forward. His close relationship with Lim Guan Eng is another liability, which cost him many brownie points from grassroots support.

Khairy Jamaluddin’s share ratings might improve in a decade. His gungho approach and selective silence as and when situations favor him, not forgetting the baggage of his past as a fourth-floor boy, undermines his charisma and the aura of being a former PM’s son-in-law.

As the longest serving MP, Tengku Razaleigh stands far above many other contenders to premiership. His inertia to usurp power at all points of time underscores his courteous ways. He could have fought for the top position but he took the road less taken and until today, will only step into place if the position is handed to him. In terms of morals and ethics, this Prince has not been embroiled in any dispute or scandals that exploded during the tenure of Mahathir, Badawi, and Najib. Age is not in his favor and he is recovering from a recent bereavement. When duty calls, will he rise to the occasion?

The road ahead is paved with many obstacles – some seemingly insurmountable and others fragments that could fit once a great leader can seal the cracks in the path.

As for now, is Najib the best leader to steer Malaysia to 2020?
Speak up, Malaysians!

ARTICLE WRITTEN BY ANGUS ELIJAH

• political analyst who have been with audie61 team since its inception . Went overseas to polish up his writing skills and have come back fresher and dynamic perspective and looking towards the year 2020. A contributor of National Politics and will have no qualms about writing facts rather than fiction.

• ANGUS is infectious and stay tuned together with audie61 TEAM as we approach the Sarawak State elections and GE14.