Bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad kata maruah Melayu hanya RM200. Apa cerita gambar di atas? Saya tak tahu benar atau tidak. Harap-harap tak benar. Kalau benar, maruah Melayu makin jatuh dan tinggal hanya RM100 sahaja? Sila klik di sini untuk cerita selanjutnya.
Key issues in Malaysian by-election
AFP (17/1/08): Voters in this northeastern city, the capital of Terengganu state, are voting Saturday in a by-election with national implications.
Here are some of the main issues:
TEST OF THE POLITICAL MOOD
The by-election is widely viewed as a referendum on the coalition government's performance and popularity since March 2008 general elections that saw it suffer its worst results in half a century.
The Barisan Nasional coalition is hoping to show it has regained support with promises of reform and leadership changes after losing five states and a third of parliamentary seats in the national polls.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance, which made a failed bid to unseat the coalition late last year, wants to show it has retained support and that it is working effectively despite claims the partnership is cracking up.
RELIGION
The opposition is fielding a candidate from the conservative Islamic party PAS, setting up a clash with the candidate from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) which heads the Barisan Nasional coalition.
Both parties represent the interests of Muslim Malays who dominate the population of multicultural Malaysia, and the vote will also be seen as a test of which party can claim dominance in the Malay heartland.
A poll of Kuala Terengganu voters by the Merdeka Centre research firm found that for Malays the top issue was "strengthening the position of Islam".
It said that Muslims in the state want to see their government give more funding for maintaining mosques, providing services for religious pilgrimages and supporting Muslim charities.
ISLAMIC LAW
A PAS call to reintroduce "hudud" Islamic law, including the amputation of hands for thieves, created controversy during the campaign and was highlighted by the government as it campaigned for support from ethnic Chinese voters.
A top figure in the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP), a member of the opposition alliance, warned the issue could scuttle the partnership.
However, the Merdeka Centre polls found that just 18 percent of Chinese voters in the electorate saw the issue as "very important".
LOCAL ISSUES
While political leaders and the media discuss national issues, on the streets of Kuala Terengganu the talk is mostly about local affairs.
There are allegations that the state government, run by the Barisan Nasional, has misspent money on expensive projects including a lavish riverside "Crystal Mosque" and the international Monsoon Cup yacht race.
The opposition said the money would be better spent on relieving poverty and improving infrastructure in Terengganu, which is rich in oil but remains one of the poorest of Malaysia's states.
"We don't want a Monsoon Cup, we want a monsoon drain," said one political pamphlet.
"DIRTY TRICKS" ALLEGATIONS
The opposition has accused the government of vote-buying and coercion, allegations it denies and says the opposition is merely making excuses for an impending defeat.
The top election official in the state quit on Thursday following claims that he told civil servants to vote for the coalition or face the sack.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accused the government of buying votes for 300-400 ringgit ($85-110) from Muslim Malays, whose support it can no longer take for granted after the shock general election results.
Voting begins in hard-fought Malaysian by-election
AFP (17/1/08): Voting has begun in a hotly contested by-election in Malaysia's northeast, seen as a test of the government's support after a dismal performance in general elections last year.
The vote for a vacant parliamentary seat in Kuala Terengganu, the capital of Terengganu state, pits the ruling coalition against the conservative Islamic party PAS, which is a member of the three-party opposition alliance.
Both candidates said they were hopeful of victory but opinion polls suggest it is too close to call. The support of majority Muslim Malays is split, while the small ethnic Chinese community is leaning towards the opposition.
"I'm quite happy with the support shown by the Malay and Chinese voters," PAS candidate Mohammad Abdul Wahid Endut said as he cast his ballot at a polling booth at a school.
"Whether it turns into votes is another matter, I leave the outcome of this election to the voters and to Allah," he said as he stood alongside his wife and five of his nine children.
Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, who is contesting for the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition which has ruled Malaysia for half a century, also said he was confident voters would back him.
"I have faith in the voters, I know they will vote intelligently, they will vote for continuity, they will vote for BN," he said.
Election Commission officials told state media they were hoping for a high turnout among the 80,229 voters who are eligible to cast their ballots from 8:00 am (0000 GMT) at 143 polling stations.
They said that the short lines of voters at polling booths during the morning was normal and that the pace would pick up in the afternoon.
Supporters from both sides were out in full force though, swamping polling stations with a sea of green PAS posters and blue BN banners and chanting government and opposition slogans under the eye of a heavy police presence.
Nor Sakinah Abdul Halim said after casting his ballot that he thought PAS had the upper hand in the hard-fought contest.
"I think PAS stands a better chance because Mohammad Abdul has already been a state representative for five terms and he is more friendly and not as elitist as his BN opponent," the technician told AFP.
However, Salmi Jalil, a telecommunications company employee, felt BN stood a better chance.
"I had already made up my mind much earlier on who to vote for and with my vote I want to ensure a BN victory," she told AFP.
In the lead-up to the polls, the opposition accused the government of dirty tricks including vote-buying and coercion, and a top election official quit amid allegations he pressured civil servants to support the government.
Malaysia's political top guns have descended on this beachside city to campaign for the seat, which BN won with a wafer-thin majority in the March 2008 general elections but became vacant after the death of the previous MP.
The government has promised reforms and leadership changes in a bid to regain support after losing five states and a third of parliamentary seats in the national polls.
For the opposition alliance, the by-election is a chance to show it has retained strong support and prove it is working effectively despite government claims that the alliance of three very different parties is cracking up.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance is headed by Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party, together with PAS and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party.
Election officials say that polling will close at 5:00 pm, with official results expected by 10:30 pm.
Key issues in Malaysian by-election
AFP (17/1/08): Voters in this northeastern city, the capital of Terengganu state, are voting Saturday in a by-election with national implications.
Here are some of the main issues:
TEST OF THE POLITICAL MOOD
The by-election is widely viewed as a referendum on the coalition government's performance and popularity since March 2008 general elections that saw it suffer its worst results in half a century.
The Barisan Nasional coalition is hoping to show it has regained support with promises of reform and leadership changes after losing five states and a third of parliamentary seats in the national polls.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance, which made a failed bid to unseat the coalition late last year, wants to show it has retained support and that it is working effectively despite claims the partnership is cracking up.
RELIGION
The opposition is fielding a candidate from the conservative Islamic party PAS, setting up a clash with the candidate from the United Malays National Organization (UMNO) which heads the Barisan Nasional coalition.
Both parties represent the interests of Muslim Malays who dominate the population of multicultural Malaysia, and the vote will also be seen as a test of which party can claim dominance in the Malay heartland.
A poll of Kuala Terengganu voters by the Merdeka Centre research firm found that for Malays the top issue was "strengthening the position of Islam".
It said that Muslims in the state want to see their government give more funding for maintaining mosques, providing services for religious pilgrimages and supporting Muslim charities.
ISLAMIC LAW
A PAS call to reintroduce "hudud" Islamic law, including the amputation of hands for thieves, created controversy during the campaign and was highlighted by the government as it campaigned for support from ethnic Chinese voters.
A top figure in the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party (DAP), a member of the opposition alliance, warned the issue could scuttle the partnership.
However, the Merdeka Centre polls found that just 18 percent of Chinese voters in the electorate saw the issue as "very important".
LOCAL ISSUES
While political leaders and the media discuss national issues, on the streets of Kuala Terengganu the talk is mostly about local affairs.
There are allegations that the state government, run by the Barisan Nasional, has misspent money on expensive projects including a lavish riverside "Crystal Mosque" and the international Monsoon Cup yacht race.
The opposition said the money would be better spent on relieving poverty and improving infrastructure in Terengganu, which is rich in oil but remains one of the poorest of Malaysia's states.
"We don't want a Monsoon Cup, we want a monsoon drain," said one political pamphlet.
"DIRTY TRICKS" ALLEGATIONS
The opposition has accused the government of vote-buying and coercion, allegations it denies and says the opposition is merely making excuses for an impending defeat.
The top election official in the state quit on Thursday following claims that he told civil servants to vote for the coalition or face the sack.
Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim accused the government of buying votes for 300-400 ringgit ($85-110) from Muslim Malays, whose support it can no longer take for granted after the shock general election results.
Voting begins in hard-fought Malaysian by-election
AFP (17/1/08): Voting has begun in a hotly contested by-election in Malaysia's northeast, seen as a test of the government's support after a dismal performance in general elections last year.
The vote for a vacant parliamentary seat in Kuala Terengganu, the capital of Terengganu state, pits the ruling coalition against the conservative Islamic party PAS, which is a member of the three-party opposition alliance.
Both candidates said they were hopeful of victory but opinion polls suggest it is too close to call. The support of majority Muslim Malays is split, while the small ethnic Chinese community is leaning towards the opposition.
"I'm quite happy with the support shown by the Malay and Chinese voters," PAS candidate Mohammad Abdul Wahid Endut said as he cast his ballot at a polling booth at a school.
"Whether it turns into votes is another matter, I leave the outcome of this election to the voters and to Allah," he said as he stood alongside his wife and five of his nine children.
Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh, who is contesting for the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition which has ruled Malaysia for half a century, also said he was confident voters would back him.
"I have faith in the voters, I know they will vote intelligently, they will vote for continuity, they will vote for BN," he said.
Election Commission officials told state media they were hoping for a high turnout among the 80,229 voters who are eligible to cast their ballots from 8:00 am (0000 GMT) at 143 polling stations.
They said that the short lines of voters at polling booths during the morning was normal and that the pace would pick up in the afternoon.
Supporters from both sides were out in full force though, swamping polling stations with a sea of green PAS posters and blue BN banners and chanting government and opposition slogans under the eye of a heavy police presence.
Nor Sakinah Abdul Halim said after casting his ballot that he thought PAS had the upper hand in the hard-fought contest.
"I think PAS stands a better chance because Mohammad Abdul has already been a state representative for five terms and he is more friendly and not as elitist as his BN opponent," the technician told AFP.
However, Salmi Jalil, a telecommunications company employee, felt BN stood a better chance.
"I had already made up my mind much earlier on who to vote for and with my vote I want to ensure a BN victory," she told AFP.
In the lead-up to the polls, the opposition accused the government of dirty tricks including vote-buying and coercion, and a top election official quit amid allegations he pressured civil servants to support the government.
Malaysia's political top guns have descended on this beachside city to campaign for the seat, which BN won with a wafer-thin majority in the March 2008 general elections but became vacant after the death of the previous MP.
The government has promised reforms and leadership changes in a bid to regain support after losing five states and a third of parliamentary seats in the national polls.
For the opposition alliance, the by-election is a chance to show it has retained strong support and prove it is working effectively despite government claims that the alliance of three very different parties is cracking up.
The Pakatan Rakyat opposition alliance is headed by Anwar Ibrahim's Keadilan party, together with PAS and the Chinese-based Democratic Action Party.
Election officials say that polling will close at 5:00 pm, with official results expected by 10:30 pm.
Cantik? Klik 
In the other news, Nilai RM 100 pula jatuh, tak sampai 1 gram emas.
salam pak bakaq
RM100 saja ?
Penarik beca,
Apa yang diucapkan oleh Tun. Dr. Mahathir itu memang ada kebenarannya. Jika parti PAS tidak sahut cabaran Tun itu maka kehidupan dan maruah rakyat Malaysia terutama melayu akan hancur. Oleh kerana itu kita pakat sokong PAS demi masa depan anak cucu kita.
Ambo..
murah betul..