[Malay] 2006, Najib kata: Hentikan budaya "hulur"/ "handout" jika mahu masyarakat yang cemerlang

Stop handout culture if you want community to excel, Najib says

Petikan daripada The Star pada 21 Ogos 2006

TANGKAK: “Orang Melayu perlu menghentikan budaya hulur jikalau mereka inginkan masyarakat mereka menjadi berjaya dan dihormati” kata, Timbalan Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

Kalau sesiapa yang mengamalkan budaya sebegini menjadi pemimpin dalam parti, ini akan mengakibatkan UMNO yang lemah, beliau memberitahu delegasi di mesyuarat cawangan UMNO Ledang semalam.

Najib berkata demikian merujukkan kepada tanggapan popular bahawa memberi bayaran adalah satu cara untuk mendapatkan sokongan.

“Budaya hulur, sebagai cara untuk meraih sokongan, tidak akan menolong Melayu menjadi satu masyarakat yang berwibawa”, kata Najib.

-----------------------------------------------

Monday 21 August 2006

TANGKAK: The Malays have to stop the hulur (handout) culture if they want their community to be one that is excellent and respectable, said Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.

If those who practise such culture become leaders in the party, it would lead to a weak Umno, he told delegates at the Ledang Umno division meeting here yesterday.

Najib said this in reference to a popular notion that a way to lobby for support is to give below-the-counter payments.

“The hulur culture, as a means to lobby for favours, will not help the Malays become an excellent community,” said Najib.

“Our political struggles in Umno are far from over. We must continue the struggles for the sake of the Malays, the nation and Islam,” he said.

Najib said Umno did not struggle for the Malays to become mat rempit (illegal street racers) or to have HIV but to excel in politics, economy, education and other fields.

On Malaysian forces serving in Lebanon, Najib, who is Defence Minister, said they would carry out their duties according to the United Nations mission and directives.

“We have sent troops before to serve under the UN such as in Bosnia and we will do as directed by the UN,” he added.

At another function, Najib said due importance to knowledge and technology would make the Malays a successful and powerful race.

“Times have changed. Wealth and riches no longer come with having land grants,” he said when opening the Muar Umno delegates conference.

Citing Bill Gates as an example, Najib said he became the world’s richest man and powerful because of technology.

“He is so powerful that he can invite the president of China to visit his house in the United States.

“He uses his brain and mind to develop the information technology needed for the computer system,” he added.

Najib, who is Umno deputy president, said the Govern- ment’s policy was for every child to be given at least 11 years of education but there were still those who dropped out from school in Year Four or Year Five.

He said education was important and the Malays should continue their quest for greater knowledge, including in technology.

“We in Umno cannot just shout the words Hidup Melayu or Hidup Umno to become strong as they are only slogans.”

source: The Star Online

Who do you vote for in the 13GE in Malaysia?

The 13th General Elections of Malaysia is about 7 days away. What are the main issues concerning the voters? Is it local issues like the road conditions, drainage system, community events...etc OR national issues like corruption, leakages, national development policies, economic management...etc? There are three groups of voters:

1. To some voters that I spoke to, they believe that the current incumbent Barisan Nasional (BN) government has brought development like businesses and schools in their area and those reasons are enough to provide BN another mandate of 5 years on top of 55 years being in power despite the grand abuse of public fund like the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) Cow-Condominium scandal, Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal...etc. These group of voters believe that physical development, job opportunities and direct cash handout to the low-income earners surpasses the gross corrupt scandals involved. In other words, as long as the government give them something, it doesn't matter how much public fund was used to buy those things, then they will keep voting for that kind of government.
2. To other voters that I spoke to, they believe that any government mandated by the people should bring development that is sustainable (to nature and future generations), accountable (involving public feedback and extensive impact assessment on the socio-economic perspective), transparent (open tender, public accessible information relating to usage of public fund)...etc.These group of voters are usually exposed to alternative information like the online news portal or social network apart to what is provided by the main-stream media.
3. And interestingly, there is still a substantial amount of voters believe that as long as an elected representative whether as Member of Parliament or State Assemblymen can ensure proper drainage, proper rubbish collection and disposal, ability to direct local councils, smooth road pavement on major roads and school will be re-elected regardless of national issues involving the ruling coalition that the he/she represents. In other words, they don't mind what their elected representatives do or speak at the Parliament and State Assembly as long as they can direct the local councils to fix their road and unclog their drain.

So which voter group do you belong to?

You want a Member of Parliament that can bring local development regardless of possible abuse of public fund and cronyism?

OR a Member of Parliament that can bring sustainable, accountable and meaningful development and speak up for you in National Policies and Economic Management at National level?

OR a Member of Parliament that ensure proper drainage, road pavement and rubbish disposal in your area regardless of what other thing she/he does for you in the Parliament at National level?

Ubah Sekarang! Bersihkan Malaysia!

Joshua

> 50,000 attend mega "Ubah" Ceramah in Penang and raised > RM 230,000 for the upcoming 13th General Elections!

"East wind" of Sabah to join "Political Storm" of Johor and meet the "Political Tsunami of 2008"?

Anwar Ibrahim's 13th General Elections campaign in Tawau, Sabah 28th April 2013

Pakatan Rakyat mega-rally in Kluang, Johor 27th April 2013

Inikalilah! Ubah!

VOTE FOR "UBAH"

VOTE FOR

[Malay] Bagaimanakah undi anda pada 5 Mei 2013, PRU-13 dapat turunkan kes jenayah?/ How to reduce crime rate by your vote on 5th May 2013, GE-13?

VOTE TO REDUCE CRIME RATE
Undi untuk turunkan kes jenayah

VOTE TO INCREASE POLICE FORCE IN FIGHTING CRIME
Undi untuk menambahkan polis dalam menangani kes jenayah 

VOTE FOR CHANGE
Undi untuk perubahan

VOTE FOR
Undi untuk Ubah

[Malay] 2008- BN: Pakatan Rakyat akan bangkrapkan Selangor jika ber air percuma, sekarang 2013, sudahkah Selangor bangkrap?

Barisan Nasional menuduh bahawa dasar air percuma 20m3 akan membankrapkan Selangor. Tetapi selepas 5 tahun dengan pemberian subsidi sebanyak RM650 juta kepada rakyat, Selangor bukan sahaja tidak bankrap, kewangan negeri telah menjadi lebih dan peningkatan ketara berbanding kerajaan dulu di bawah UMNO Barisan Nasional BN menyeleweng wang rakyat semasa pemerintahanya. Pakatan memulangkan hasil kekayaan negeri kepada rakyat.

Anda pilih siapa?

Kerajaan Selangor mampu memberikan subsidi sebanyak RM130 juta setiap tahun kepada rakyat Selangor tanpa membebankan kewangan kerajaan. Malah, kerajaan Selangor telah mencapai rekod lebihan bajet sebanyak RM180 juta pada tahun 2012.

Pencapaian cemerlang ini hanya terjadi kerana pimpinan Pakatan yang jujur dan telus. Projek kerajaan dibuat secara tender terbuka, projek yang membazirkan dibatalkan dan hutang kroni dikutip sepenuhnya.

Selain daripada air percuma, Selangor juga melaksanakan Skim Mesra Usia Emas, peruntukan tetap untuk sekolah-sekolah yang dipinggirkan oleh kerajaan pusat, Tabung Warisan Anak Selangor, Hadiah Anak Masuk Universiti, Skim Mikrokredit dan lain-lain program kemasyarakatan dan kebajikan. Skim-skim ini merupakan skim baru membantu rakyat Selangor yang tidak pernah dijalankan oleh kerajaan BN.

Kerajaan Pakatan telah membuktikan kemantapan pentadbiran dan pengurusan kewangan negeri, dan menunjukkan bahawa rakyat akan bermanfaat besar jika kerajaan tidak rasuah dan bazir seperti zaman BN.

Ubah Sekarang, Bersihkan Malaysia!

UNDI UNTUK "UBAH"

UNDI PAKATAN RAKYAT

Barisan Nasional's Janji Ditepati 2.0.7- An overprice policy using public fund

Di bawah pemerintahan Barisan Nasional, kita kena bayar lebih untuk segala-galanya! Kita ada penyelewengan dalam pembelian skru yang berharga RM32 dibeli dengan harga mencecah RM224 dan jack kereta yang bernilai RM50 dibeli pada harga RM5,700. Menurut laporan audit Negara, pada tahun 2011 , jabatan taman laut telah membeli teropong yang harga sebenar tidak melebihi RM1,940, tetapi telah dibeli dengan harga yang melebihi harga pasaran sebanyak 28 kali ganda iaitu RM56,350. Bukan itu sahaja, malah jabatan juga membeli barangan kegunaan jabatan seperti komputer riba, mesin pencetak,LCD TV, DVD yang harganya mencecah RM192,694 walaupun kesemua barang ini boleh didapati dengan harga yang tidak melebihi RM20,193. 

Tambahan pula, pegawai penyelia yang terlibat dalam kes ini hanya diberi surat teguran sahaja sebelum kes ini ditutup. Kesemua ini merupakan satu kelemahan dalam proses perolehan dan ia seharusnya tidak berlaku jika mengikut piawaian yang betul seperti tender terbuka. 

Ubah Sekarang, Bersihkan Malaysia!

[Malay] Kekayaan Taib Mahmud, Mana pembelaan rakyat Sarawak?

Sebuah badan bukan kerajaan (NGO) berpangkalan di Switzerland Bruno Manser Fund (BMF) telah menganggarkan aset keluarga Ketua Menteri Sarawak Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud adalah sebanyak RM64 bilion. Kekayaan Taib sahaja dianggarkan sebanyak RM46 bilion, sekali gus menjadikannya rakyat Malaysia yang terkaya, mengatasi hartawan Robert Kuok.

Gaji seorang ketua menteri RM 20,000 sebulan, RM 46 billion aset adalah sama dengan 2.3 juta bulan bekerja sebagai ketua menteri Sarawak!

Satu lagi NGO yang berpangkalan di London, Global Witness (GW) (Video boleh didapati di bawah) juga telah mendedahkan bukti video yang mendakwa bagaimana ahli keluarga Ketua Menteri Sarawak, Tan Sri Abdul Taib Mahmud dan rakan perniagaan menyalahgunakan lesen pembalakan untuk memperkayakan diri mereka.

Sebagai pemimpin Sarawak yang korup selama 32 tahun, Taib Mahmud telah merompak sebahagian besar kekayaan hutan balak Sarawak untuk keluarga dan kroni perniagaannya serta memusnahkan kehidupan dan alam sekitar penduduk pribumi.

Hutan Sarawak dimiliki oleh semua rakyat Sarawak, bukan Taib Mahmud dan kroni-kroninya.

Ubah Sekarang, Bersihkan Sarawak! 

VOTE FOR CHANGE


VOTE FOR THE RIGHTS OF THE SARAWAKIANS


VOTE FOR

Do you care about our country? Malaysia?

VOTE FOR CHANGE

VOTE FOR

The brewing of the "Perfect" political storm on 5th May 2013 in Malaysia?

Putrajaya- a BN Political fortress in jeopardy, the winds of change is blowing strong. The will of people is the true meaning of democracy.

The videos below showed PAS-PR ceramah in Putrajaya on 26th April 2013.

Pandan - is another MCA/ BN Political fortress.

This video below showed the DAP-PR ceramah in Pandan on 24th April 2013

Johor Bahru- in another UMNO/ BN Political fotress.

This video below showed the DAP "All-Star" ceramah in Johor Bahru on 20th April 2013.

The Malays, the Chinese and all others Malaysians have come together. All right-thinking Malaysians regardless of race and religion have One Dream this 5th of May 2013 and that is "Ubah", change!

VOTE for CHANGE

VOTE for Pakatan Rakyat

Malaysia 13th General Elections (5th May 2013): "Ubah" Vs Taib Mahmud 2.0

For the latest documentary and video evidences of Taib Mahmud's financial scandal in Sarawak, please click here.

5th May 2013 It is important the all Malaysians to vote for "Ubah" so that the scandals, corruption, abuse of power by the Sarawak Chief Minister will be dealt with accordingly with the wealth and justice of the people of Sarawak be returned to them.

Untuk dokumentari terkini mengenai gejala dan skandal rasuah Taib Mahmud di Sarawak, sila click di sini. 

5 Mei 2013 adalah hari yang sangat penting untuk semua rakyat Malaysia mengundi untuk "Ubah" supaya gejala rasuah dan penyelewengan kuasa of Ketua Menteri Sarawak itu boleh ditangani dengan semua kekayaan dan keadilan dikembalikan kepada semua rakyat Sawarak! Inikalilah "Ubah"!

VOTE FOR "UBAH"

VOTE FOR 

Momentum for "Ubah" continues to build up with crowd-puller Anwar Ibrahim in major cities & villages across Penisular & East Malaysia

Waiting for a meaningful "Ubah"? This is it, this 5th May 2013. Be the force of change and ushering into the dawn of New Hope for All Malaysians.

[Malay] Wanita Barisan Nasional vs Wanita Pakatan Rakyat

This video compares the women leaders from Barisan Nasional. Under the BN Government, despite it effort to champion women's right. There is no credible woman leader among the party which led to Prime Minister Najib Razak (a man) also working as the Minister for Women affair and family development in Malaysia.

Lim Kit Siang listens & speak up for you in the Parliament even in the face of oppression & threat of detention

Orang Asli to Kit Siang: Help us...

Lim Kit Siang being a great listener continues to charm the people on the ground despite his constant portrayal as a chauvinist, racist and traitor in the main-stream media. Lim Kit Siang's political opponent continues to attack him...most notably MCA's Chua Soi Lek (Picture below). However, Chua chose to attack Kit Siang from the comfort of the BN-Controlled Media and opted out to challenge Kit Siang in the Gelang Patah, Johor parliamentary contest in the up-coming 13th General Elections. So I can sum up:

A VOTE FOR BARISAN NASIONAL

=

A VOTE FOR LEADERS LIKE CHUA SOI LEK

OR

A VOTE FOR PAKATAN RAKYAT

=

A VOTE FOR LEADERS LIKE

Lim Kit Siang with the late Tunku Abdul Rahman

Lim Kit Siang came to the defence of Tunku Abdul Rahman when Tunku when defamed by Tun Mahathir. Where are the UMNO/BN Leaders when the late honorable Tunku is being defamed lately? Click here to read the story.

May God Almighty bless great leaders like Uncle Lim.

Joshua

505

Vote for Change

Why Malay voters need to support Kit Siang- By Zaid Ibrahim

DAP gets Malay leaders to fend off "anti-Malay" notion

DAP gets Malay leaders to fend off 'anti-Malay' notion

Kuek Ser Kuang Keng 3:28PM Apr 24, 2013

VIDEO | 3.55 min 

JOHOR Entering into the second phase of the campaign, Johor Pakatan Rakyat, after building up a strong momentum with Chinese voters, is now moving more aggressively into Malay areas to quash its ‘anti-Malay’ perception, especially towards DAP.

Even before nomination day, Umno leaders including former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and incumbent Johor Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman have been trying to paint DAP’s campaign in Johor as something that will destroy the social harmony long enjoyed by different races in the state.

Due to decades of political monopoly by BN in Johor, coupled with Pakatan’s weak grassroots and publicity machinery in the state, the anti-Malay image of DAP, especially its parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang, is something that Pakatan cannot ignore.

Last night PAS and DAP held a ceramah dubbed ‘Islam, rulers and Malays protected under Pakatan Rakyat’ at Taman Nusantara, a racially mixed residential area in the parliamentary constituency of Gelang Patah where DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang is contesting.

The new residential area, which is home to many civil servants in the nearby state administration centre Kota Iskandar and Chinese Johoreans who are working in Singapore, also falls into the state seat of Nusa Jaya contested by PAS vice-president Salahuddin Ayub.

The ceramah has roped in former law minister Zaid Ibrahim (left) to address a multi-racial crowd of some 1,000. He wasted no time to help Kit Siang dispel the anti-Malay allegations.

“I have known Kit Siang for a very long time, inside and outside of Parliament.

“I know him as a brave MP. I have never heard him attacking Islam or belittling Malay leaders in Parliament, never,” said the former Umno minister, who was sacked for protesting the use of the Internal Security Act in 2008.

“He always talks about the issue of good governance, corruption and others. In the past, if Mahathir (Mohamad) has succeeded in convincing Malays that Kit Siang is against the rights of Malays, that is a lie!

“How can he fight against the rights stipulated in the federal constitution? He can’t,” he stressed, reminding the crowd that Malays still dominate the country with a majority population of 62 percent.

Instead of being racist, Kit Siang is one one of the most important leaders in the future of Malaysia, Zaid said, drawing rounds of applause from the animated crowd.

Leaflets campaign

In addition to ceramah, PAS also publishes leaflets to assure the Malay constituents that the special rights of bumiputra in the civil service, education and public scholarships, as well as the status of Islam and Malay rulers as stipulated in the federal constitution, would be guaranteed under Pakatan’s rule.

The leaflets also show a table listing out the number of parliamentary seats contested by all three Pakatan parties in the 2008 general election to drive home the message that Malays remain as the dominant force in the coalition.

On PAS’s side, Salahuddin’s campaign seemed to have gained some momentum in the Malay urban areas which are more open to alternative information.

A PAS ceramah last night at an outdoor sports court surrounded by low-cost flats in Taman Cempaka has attracted some 400 Malay residents. Many other residents in the flat were seen following the ceramah from their windows and balconies.

Spending most of his 30-minute speech on land and housing issues faced by the Malay residents in southern Johor, Salahuddin (below) took a more aggressive approach by naming names.

“Ghani took those lands as his own reward. He makes profit from the lands,” he said in accusing the state’s top executive, who is seen as the main mover behind the development of Iskandar Malaysia.

The rapid development of the special economic zone in the past few years has seen a property boom in the greater Johor Bahru area, attracting local and foreign investors, especially Singaporeans.

It has not only pushed up property prices, but also more land previously occupied by squatters and Malay traditional villages have been acquired for development projects, which has become the main thrust of PAS’s campaign in the area.

As the sentiment of Chinese Johoreans largely follows the national trend, the support of Malays will be the key factor to determine whether the southern state is still the ‘safe deposit’ of BN.

If Pakatan can push its Malay support from the average of 20 percent in 2008 to 35 percent in this general election, with the Chinese support hitting 75 to 80 percent, it could bag as many as 10 parliamentary seats in Johor.

The Fight of 505 - By Allan CF Goh

The Fight Of 505

By Allan CF Goh

This epic date is about right

Fighting against bedeviled might.

It is the fight of the life’s light,

Against dark shadows of the night.

It’s the fight of the good Rama,

Against the evil Ravana.

Reject evil as our karma,

And defend the worthwhile dharma.

This day we oppose racism,

And all acts of extremism,

That divide fraternalism.

Poll for real nationalism.

Come this General Election,

Eliminate the corruptions,

And all their soulless corrosion,

That breed foul discrimination.

Citizens, let’s vote for justice,

In the governmental lattice,

For good and positive practice,

Free of any racial malice.

Let’s change, and vote for decency,

With folks’ rights in ascendancy.

Let’s vote for true democracy,

With people’s voice in primacy,

To ensure our children’s future,

We need unbiased social structure,

And education with good feature;

Different from today’s caricature.

Vote for men of perspicuity,

And people of morality.

This day we choose equality,

Or foul racist depravity.

Malaysiakini - 'Malay nationalism' a hurdle for Johor Pakatan

'Malay nationalism' a hurdle for Johor Pakatan

Kuek Ser Kuang Keng & Lee Way Loon 2:29PM Apr 22, 2013

GE13 ANALYSIS Since election campaigning began informally in Johor a month ago, photographs have gone viral on the Internet showing thousands of Chinese Malaysians at Pakatan Rakyat ceramahs in major cities in the state.

This may have convinced many supporters that the BN stronghold is ready to be swept up by the ‘political storm’ that Pakatan hopes to create in the 13th general election.

The DAP’s two mega ceramahs in Skudai (in the south) and Kluang (in the middle of the state) last Saturday night was dubbed 'Super Saturday' - it attracted a crowd of some 20,000, the majority of who were Chinese Malaysians.

The attendance may not translate to votes but the RM92,447 raised at the ceramah in Skudai, which some 7,000 people attended, was telling.

From the response observed in Malay areas, Pakatan has yet to make significant inroads into the BN vote bank.

At two ceramahs held by PAS last Saturday in Pulai, where party vice-president Salahuddin Ayub is contesting, the attendance was less than 50 at each, even though Salahuddin and two other Pakatan candidates were scheduled to speak.

Whether Pakatan can make a dent in BN support largely depends on its ability to overcome two major hurdles - the geographical setting of major towns and the characteristics of Malay Johoreans.

Johor is the fifth-largest state of Malaysia, with major towns being located far from each other. Inter-town travel usually takes more than one hour. 

This has limited the information flow among communities and hemmed in the momentum created by Pakatan in various locations, preventing this from building up a domino effect.

This is contrary to the scenario in Penang in the 2008 general election, when anti-BN sentiments had spread like wildfire across the island due to the close proximity between communities. 

DAP election strategist Liew Chin Tong (left), who is the candidate for the Kluangparliamentary constituency, said Pakatan needs 30-35 percent of the Malay votes - from the average of 20 percent in 2008 - in order to bring about meaningful political change to the state.

PAS aims to raise the support level to 35 or 37 percent, according to Salahuddin.

Race above all else

The second hurdle is more challenging as it is deeply rooted in the psychology and culture of Malay Johoreans.

Being the birthplace of Umno (in 1946) and many of its strongmen, Johor's political landscape has largely been shaped by Umno's race-based politics built on Malay dominance. 

Having been under Umno’s political monopoly for almost seven decades, Malay Johoreans have been indoctrinated with a strong sense of Malay nationalism and supremacy.

“The Malays in Kelantan and Kedah place religion before race, but Malays in Johor place race before religion. Issues about Malay rights or foreign control really worry them,” said a young Johor PAS leader who has been working on the ground for years.

Although the Malays enjoy a cordial relationship with non-Malay communities, they will not compromise should their political dominance be threatened, he said.

Understanding this mindset well, Umno has played up the issue that Johor PKR chief Chua Jui Meng (right in photo) will become menteri besar under Pakatan rule, even though the state constitution stipulates that only a Malay can be appointed to the post.

Another popular conspiracy spread by Umno, according to PAS campaigners, is that Anwar Ibrahim will be nothing more than a temporary prime minister before giving the job to DAP should Pakatan come to power at federal level.

To allay these fears, PAS leaders including Salahuddin have stressed that a Chinese Malaysian will not be either prime minister or menteri besar in a Pakatan-led government, and that the coalition will safeguard the status of bumiputras, Malay rulers, Islam and the Malay language.

The lukewarm response of Malay voters has been expected by PAS.

“Malay Johoreans don't like politics because they don't like friction with others and politics is full of friction,” said Suhaizan Kaiat (left), PAS candidate for Kempas, a state seat under Pulai.

“They also don't like to express their political stance. They do not want people to say, 'Hey, I saw you at the opposition ceramah', so they seldom attend our ceramahs.”

Hence, PAS is engaging voters on door-to-door visits and during walkabouts, which are off the media radar. Leaflets are distributed during these activities to explain issues.

“Malay Johoreans don't like strong language, they prefer an ethical campaign, so we have to use a soft approach to reach out to them. We don't attack our opponents too aggressively,” Suhaizan explained.

This partly explains why moderate Umno leaders such as incumbent Johor Bahru MP Shahrir Abdul Samad and incumbent Menteri Besar Abdul Ghani Othman are popular in Johor.

Ghani has repeatedly denied that his task is to bury his rival Lim Kit Siang's political career in Gelang Patah, a remark first made by former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad and repeated by other Umno leaders. 

Non-confrontational approach

PKR campaign in Malay areas have adopted a similar ‘softly softly’ approach.

“Anwar has repeatedly told me that PKR's focus is Malay voters. Organising ceramahs can only attract our own supporters. So most of my campaign will comprise walkabouts to introduce myself to Malay voters,” said Steven Choong(left), PKR candidate for Tebrauparliamentary seat.

“I will organise only a few ceramahs in Chinese areas.”

The non-confrontation approach also means that the Malay community could favour the status quo and stick to what they are familiar with, particularly among the older generation.

"This is where Umno was born. PAS' ideology is something that was brought in by religious teachers from Kelantan," said 55-year-old Tasri Taib at a stall in Labis.

Islamist ideology that forms PAS' political foundation is less well received in Johor.

Asked about hudud law, Azlan Khamis, 61, said point blank that its implementation would only serve to unfairly punish Muslims.

"It's a multiracial country. How can you chop off the hands of a Muslim who steals, but not that of Ah Chong? Does that mean that Ah Chong can steal? We are a multiracial country, so (hudud) won’t work," said Azlan, an Umno supporter.

The geographical barrier may not significantly deter the younger generation in their political leanings, according to Tasri, who lamented that this "stubborn generation" just will not support Umno a their parents have all along.

"In my village, there's a family whose parents are both with Umno. Their son, who is a teacher, insists on supporting PAS,” he related.

"I asked him why and he said he sees all kinds of things on the Internet. But what you see on the Internet may not always be accurate.”

Another important factor that gives hope to Pakatan, is the rapid increase of the Malay population in urban centres.

They are more open to attending ceramahs, as has been seen in Segamat and Kluang, where a substantial number of the community also reside and do business.

Liew, who studied Malaysian Islamic politics and PAS for his degree programme at the Australian National University, claimed he can sense strong undercurrents among Malay Johoreans.

He likened this to the mood among Chinese voters before the 'political tsunami' of 2008.

“Our target is 35 percent of Malay votes. I think we are not far from there. I’ve met many people especially Malays. The young Malays give you a feeling that they really support Pakatan. They would say'ubah' (change) and 'semoga berjaya' (wish you success),” he toldMalaysiakini.

“They would use a passionate but cautious way to tell you that they are supporting you. It is like the Chinese before 2008. They would tell you 'to the sky' if they support DAP.”

Additional reporting by Nigel Aw