FEB 26 — Judicial Commissioner Mohamad Ariff Yusof should not have recused himself from hearing the judicial review case filed by Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin challenging the validity of Datuk Dr Zambry Kadir’s appointment as Perak Menteri Besar on Feb 5.
I have observed Mohamad Ariff on the Bench — he is learned, fair, patient, and hard working and often gives pointers to lawyers to argue for the people, for natural justice, and not just keep to a narrow interpretation of the law.
FEB 16 – It is nothing but despicable and gutter politics to use photographs of a woman, taken when she is at her most vulnerable, to tarnish her and attack the party she represents.
Selangor exco member Elizabeth Wong, single, has the misfortune of associating with a former boyfriend who probably took the photographs that are now being used by her political enemies to bring her down and consequently tar the Pakatan Rakyat as immoral.
How and when the photographs were taken by a person she had trusted and how the images were passed on, more likely sold, to her political enemies remains unknown.
FEB 10 — The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) has already fired a early salvo in the battle for the Bukit Gantang parliamentary and Bukit Selambau state by-elections.
It is looking likely that Datuk Nizar Jamalludin will be fielded in Bukit Gantang and in Bukit Selambau, a yet unnamed Indian.
PR supremo Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has already announced at a dinner function in Cheng, in Malacca on Monday night that they would field an Indian candidate in Bukit Selambau, the seat vacated by V. Arumugam on Monday.
FEB 4 — The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) Perak government is all but gone after three PKR representatives and a DAP assemblyman defected, in a dramatic development that has shaken the alliance of PKR, Pas and DAP.
More defections from PR are still rumoured in the days ahead as a BN-controlled state government in Perak takes shape.
Other defection in other states also cannot be ruled out, political insiders said, adding the “coup” in Perak has generated a “take over” momentum.
KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 30 - The cracks appearing in the Pakatan Rakyat especially among its Indian leadership in Selangor are symptoms of a larger malaise in the opposition coalition that can no longer be ignored.
It also comes at a time when the PR is facing the crucial Kuala Terengganu by-election where although Indian voters number only about 500, the damage to the PR image would have an adverse impact.
At the heart of the widening crisis is deep dissatisfaction among Indians, who woke up massively after a long slumber with the Nov 25 Hindraf protests last year, and despite wholehearted support, many do not feel they have benefited much from the Pakatan Rakyat victory.
