| 2004-04-22 | The BN crackles and crinkles amidst more mutinies than it can handle For one, Pak Lah's own succession is now mired in allegations of
massive poll rigging. He may well not be party to it, but UMNO did
take an unusual interest in it. He refused to prune even if so
lightly some of the more blatant deadwood in his cabinet, would not
replace mentris besar unpopular in the party or the palace or both,
waffled his way to policies and programmes that could not stick. His
anti-corruption plans, for instance. Add to this there is another
problem: the PAS religious leader, Dato' Nik Aziz Nik Mat, has called
for communal prayers by Muslims to punish those responsible for
derailing the polls. It has begun - in Kelantan, Trengganu, at its
headquarters in Gombak, Kuala Lumpur, in the northern Malay states,
in Jengka, in Pahang, and elsewhere. Called 'sembayang hajat', it was
used to frightening effect after Dato' Seri Anwar Ibrahim was
dismissed: several of those involved died terrible deaths, others
incapacitated, one prominent official in the thick of that is now so
slow in thought that he begged Dato' Seri Anwar, during one of his
forays in court, for forgiveness. Another, a judge, wants to
apologise, but he is told to do so personally. These prayers now
attract 5,000 and more worshippers, proof yet again of the deep
divide within the Malay community.
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| 2004-02-04 | We do not know when General Election is, but Tun Mahathir kicks off the BN election campaign in earnest He had nothing but contempt for the Opposition leaders, but he reserved his venom for the DAP's Lim Kit Siang, PAS's spiritual adviser Dato' Nik Aziz Nik Mat and PAS information chief, Dato' Harun Din. His attacks on the two were nothing new, but is wrong on Dato' Harun. He calls him a 'coward' who said he would run against him in 1999 but pulled out at the last minute. Why did he do so? He had guaranteed a loan from a Malaysian bank for a friend who reneged on it. Whenever he said he would stand in the polls, he was threatened with bankruptcy if he went ahead. That albatross is no more around his neck: the debt is paid, and he would, I understand, stand in Dr Mahathir's Kubang Pasu. He thinks he is a cheat and a fraud. Then, pray, why did he ask for his help to drive the devils and jinns that surround his official residence in Putra Jaya? Dr Harun, I understand, declined to for no reason than that it should have been done before the forest, where they resided, was cut down. It is a fact Dr Mahathir had not had a good night's sleep in his official residence. This is why he opts for a private residence in Sungei Besi.
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