"Wake Me Up When September Ends"

Summer has come and passed

the innocent can never last

wake me up when September ends

like my father's come to pass

seven years has gone so fast

wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again falling from the stars

drenched in my pain again

becoming who we are

as my memory rests

but never forgets what I lost

wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed

the innocent can never last

wake me up when September ends

ring out the bells again

like we did when spring began

wake me up when September ends

here comes the rain again falling from the stars

drenched in my pain again

becoming who we are

as my memory rests

but never forgets what I lost

wake me up when September ends

Summer has come and passed

the innocent can never last

wake me up when September ends

like my father's come to pass

twenty years has gone so fast

wake me up when September ends

wake me up when September ends

 wake me up when September ends

Raja Petra vows to die in silence if re-arrested

Rebel blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin has vowed to die in silence as a sign of protest if he is re-arrested on what many believe are politically motivated grounds. His pledge came as a court was due to rule whether he is to return to prison under Malaysia's Internal Security Act (ISA),

Raja Petra, who has risen to prominence as a pro-opposition blogger, was arrested on 12 September after accusations lodged by several religious groups who claim that he offended Islam in an article published on 8 August.

He was released on 7 November last year but the government has appealed the court decision and a verdict is expected on Tuesday (today –ed.).

“I shall no longer open my mouth or utter one word during my detention. I shall maintain the silence of a mute person. I shall not sign any documents of the so many documents that they make you sign when under detention," he said.

"My signature is not going to be placed on a single shred of paper,” he wrote in his blog, ‘Malaysia Today’ acknowledging that the move could have dire consequences.

”I shall refuse all medical treatment and visits to the hospital. I shall refuse to accept any food and water supplied by the authorities.

"I shall refuse to leave my cell or to meet any of the prison authorities. In short, I shall shut myself out from the world and keep to my own world of my eight feet square cell.

“This action will mean I shall survive at the most seven to eight days,” he added.

Raja Petra blamed deputy prime minister Najib Razak for his arrest and for what he calls his political persecution.

Najib has been among Raja Petra’s main targets in his blog.

In his most controversial article “Let’s Send Altantuya’s Murderers to Hell”, published on 25 April, Raja Petra said that Najib and his wife, Rosmah Mansor, were involved in the killing of Altantuya Shaariibuu.

Translator and former model, the Mongolia-born Shaariibuu, 28, was shot twice in the head, and her body was blown up with explosives, in a jungle outside Kuala Lumpur in October, 2006.

“I am totally sure that Najib (Razak) is involved. And at the very least, he should be investigated,” Raja Petra told Adnkronos International (AKI).

““I am aware that I have raised the stakes with this article and I am prepared to go all the way,” he added.

Najib has denied any involvement in the case and has sworn at a mosque that he never met Shaariibuu. He has also denied any involvement in the arrest of Raja Petra.

The ISA was inherited by Malaysia after it gained independence from Britain in 1957. In essence, it allows for the arrest of any person without the need for trial in certain circumstances. – AKI via DSAI

George Clooney smitten by Fatima Bhutto

Hollywood's most eligible bachelor may be about to be taken off the market - by a member of Pakistan's greatest political dynasty.

George Clooney is known for dating cocktail waitresses, actresses and models - and is famous for betting on his own bachelorhood.

Fatima Bhutto is the niece of slain Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto - a 'brainy foreign beauty' 21 years younger than the actor, who is 47.

Fatima Bhutto is a poet and journalist who lives with her brother and stepmother in Karachi. – DM pix

But an American report that, despite the odds, the pair are embroiled in a secret affair, has thrown all of Pakistan into a frenzy.

The National Enquirer claimed Clooney is smitten by the 26-year-old Bhutto, an outspoken poet and journalist who lives with her brother and step-mother in a Karachi suburb.

'George has courted her by phone and email, and arranged to meet her abroad when their schedules allowed,' a friend of the actor's told the Enquirer.

'Now he wants her to spend time with him in Hollywood.

'He's still out there with his usual assortment of eye candy hanging from his arm.

But George insists those days could be coming to an end if Fatima wants to take their relationship to the next level.'

But the eye candy and the long distance may not be the biggest stumbling block that Clooney faces in his quest to get the girl.

Fatima Bhutto was also said to believe their age differences made any relationship 'impractical'.

She was educated at New York's prestigious Columbia University and well aware of Clooney's heart throb status before they met, the newspaper reported.

'But she didn't take his advances seriously because she thought their age difference would make a serious relationship impractical,' it claimed.

However Clooney's profound interest in world affairs - which has often carried him into the political realm - may provide him and Bhutto with some common ground.

Fatima is reported to be contesting her late aunt's former seat in the Larkana constituency in the next elections.

She is also a prominent intellectual who has published a book of poetry, The Whispers of the Desert, and a memoir of the 2005 Kashmir earthquake.

And her journalist background - she often writes newspaper columns criticizing Pakistan's government - will strike a chord with Clooney, whose father Nick Clooney is a famous newspaper reporter and politician in the United States. – DM via NST

‘Anu Dalam Botol’: She is courting trouble

Writer-producer Raja Azmi Raja Sulaiman (pix) is going to produce a film on a subject so taboo that it may well be banned by the National Censorship Board.

Yet, the feisty director said she would fight tooth and nail to get Anu Dalam Botol made and released.

(Anu is colloquial Malay for the male genital.)

"The film will be based on a true story of a friend," said Raja Azmi.
"I want to get it made because I don't want others to suffer like him."

The film tells the story of a homosexual who decides to cut off his private part to show his love for his lover. The private part was kept in a bottle.

Unfortunately, his lover wants him as a man, not a woman, and they break up. When the unlucky man later falls in love with a woman, he regrets losing his manhood.

"My message is simple -- don't do stupid things for love."

The project, scheduled to roll in April, is considered too "hot" to handle by two actors who were offered the part - Anuar Zain and Aaron Aziz. They declined the offer.

Anuar declined because he was not ready to act again after Bintang Hati in 2004, which was a box office failure.

Aaron turned it down upon advice by a men's skin care product company, for which he is the spokesperson.

"The actors I've short-listed for the two leading roles will come for a closed-door casting session on Feb 24.

"I'm confident of finding my two same-sex lovers."

Raja Azmi said the film would feature several intimate scenes, including kissing.

Among the actors on her short-list are Jehan Miskin, Ashraf Muslim, Awal Ashari (pix), Remy Ishak and Iqram Dinzly.

But will the film get past the National Censorship Board, which banned Hollywood's Brokeback Mountain, an award-winning film about two gay cowboys because it was deemed unsuitable for Malaysian audiences?

The board also banned Bukak Api, an independent film directed by Osman Ali about a group of transvestites, made in 2000.

"I don't want to worry about censorship now. I want to make the film and tell the story," said Raja Azmi. – NST

Muslim nations can overcome 'negative image'

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said the biggest threat faced by Muslim countries today is that they are often associated with terrorism and deviationist movements.

He said this was made worse by the fact that anti-Islamic countries and the superpowers painted a negative image of Muslim countries.

"The Muslim community has always been linked with terrorism, more so after the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the United States.

"No matter what Muslims do, they've always had a battered image," he said when closing the Sarawak Islamic Congress here last night.

Najib said the image problem was compounded when many Muslim communities in the world were labelled poor and backward.

He said Muslim countries had become weak and were not as united as before, particularly since many of them had become victims of war, such as the Palestinians in Gaza.

The deputy prime minister outlined four factors which could help Muslims handle challenges.

First, he said, was human capital development through education and knowledge.

"Muslim countries must have a generation that is intelligent and wise, just as it is mentioned in the Quran. Only then will they be able to build a great civilisation."

The second, he said, was the fighting spirit among the younger generation. He called on Islamic leaders to come forward and lead the way for the young.

"The third is that Muslims do not realise their full economic potential. They must pursue this aggressively and be competitive, especially in trade and industry."

The fourth factor, he said, was that Muslims must improve their work ethics and life practices in accordance with the values of honesty and integrity as espoused by Islam. – text: NST

'Leaders must formulate goals, objectives well'

Leaders of the public sector must identify well-formulated goals or objectives and constantly articulate them repeatedly to get everyone to work in the same direction.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said when making recommendations, they must stick to the ones with the biggest payoffs.

"Firstly, when thinking of solutions, think of the elevator speech -- the solution should be so crisp and clear that you can explain it to someone in a 30-second elevator ride.

"Secondly, leaders must be able to energise people to get things accomplished and allow them to solve the most vexing problems."

Najib said the coming decades were periods to lay the foundation for substantial growth and change.
He said this in a speech, read by International Trade and Industry Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, at the closing of the "Public Sector Young Executive Conference" at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre yesterday.

The two-day conference was opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Tuesday.

Najib said qualitative case analysis as well as rigorous studies were beginning to provide leaders with knowledge to allow them to bring forth and effectively address key issues. [like this Perakmen: a fait accompli -ed.]

He said it was his observation that the leadership in the public sector was now facing an array of daunting challenges, including inverse global competition, changing demographics, issues of integrity and accountability, political aberrations and those relating to risky human behaviours.

"While we are slowly working from differences to similarities, the challenges are not minimised but, in fact, becoming more complex."

Therefore, Najib said, the leadership in the public sector must be about handling information and knowledge to achieve competitive advantage and effectiveness.

He added that the skill to envision various alternatives, expected or otherwise, was not a luxury anymore.

"The idiom of thinking outside the box should become a matter of habit to facilitate creativity which will help towards realising wisdom.

"We have to be both smart and wise to display a successful public sector leadership to face the challenges of a globalised world." -- text: NST

Rihanna postpones Friday's concert

R&B star Rihanna postponed a concert in Malaysia's capital, organisers said Tuesday, after pulling out of the recent Grammy awards following an allegation of domestic violence involving her boyfriend.

The Malaysian organisers, Pineapple Concerts, said the William Morris Agency in Los Angeles had told them Friday's concert would be rescheduled.

It did not refer to the alleged assault, but said that "in light of recent events involving Rihanna", a new date would be set within two weeks.

Rihanna's Concert in Kuala Lumpur Postponed

Organizers have confirmed that Rihanna's concert in Kuala Lumpur (Friday, 02/13/09 –ed.) will be rescheduled due to recent events involving the singer.

According Razman Razali, Managing Director of Pineapple Concerts Sdn Bhd, a new date for the event will be confirmed two weeks from now.

Pineapple also confirmed that the concert has not been cancelled merely postponed, advising ticket buyers to hold on to their tickets and wait for a future announcement regarding the replacement date.

"We sincerely regret this unavoidable shift in schedule and apologise to the fans for any inconvenience caused."

The singer, who reportedly was attacked by boyfriend Chris Brown, also pulled out of a scheduled appearance at the Grammy Awards on Sunday evening.

19 year-old performer Chris Brown handed himself in to police custody after the incident. According to a USA Today article, Brown was released after posting $50,000 bail on a felony charge of suspicion of making criminal threats.

The bad publicity has already cost Brown a lucrative deal with Wrigley's Doublemint gum, to promote its product in an upcoming commercial campaign, which the company has suspended.

Good Love Gone Bad : For more on Chris and Rihanna, click here. -- Johanan Sen, MSN - Tuesday, 10 February 2009

Malaysia's conservative Islamic party PAS had called for Rihanna's performance, part of the "Good Girl Gone Bad" tour, to be banned because her outfits were too sexy.

The 20-year-old Barbados-born singer had been due to perform early in the Grammy Awards on Sunday before organizers abruptly announced her withdrawal just before the event.

A Los Angeles Police Department spokeswoman neither confirmed nor denied that Rihanna was the victim in an alleged domestic violence incident on Sunday involving her boyfriend, singer-songwriter Chris Brown. – Agence France-Presse - 2/10/2009 10:24 AM GMT

No, it’s not a referendum lah!

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi down played today the significance of the Bukit Gantang by-election in Perak, saying it has nothing to do with the recent takeover of the state government by Barisan Nasional (BN) through defections.

Abdullah also sidestepped questions on whether the coalition was preparing to accept more defections from the federal opposition Pakatan Rakyat.

“We didn’t plan, they came so we welcome them,” said Abdullah.

The BN successfully dodged the prospect of facing a statewide election after convincing the Sultan of Perak that it had enough support in the state assembly to form the new government.

“No, you can’t say that, it has nothing to do with it, a by-election has to be called so we will face the election,” said Abdullah when asked to comment on suggestions that the Bukit Gantang by-election at the Parliamentary constituency in Perak was held up by many people as a referendum on BN’s takeover of the state government.

“Whatever issues that are raised in the by-election, we will face them and will have to answer, most importantly we will face it with utmost preparation,” he added.

Abdullah admitted, however, that the by-elections in Bukit Gantang and Bukit Selambau, Kedah would not be easy for BN.

“We have to be prepared from now, we have to work hard to win the seats. We cannot take this as an easy by-election for us,” Abdullah told reporters.

Yesterday Pas’s Roslan Shaharum died of a heart attack, which paved the way for a by-election to be called for the Parliamentary constituency in northern Perak.

In Kedah, Bukit Selambau state rep V Arumugam tendered his resignation as executive councillor and lawmaker yesterday.

The Bukit Gantang by-election is being seen by many commentators as a referendum on BN’s successful takeover of the Perak government, leading to the state DAP endorsing the Pakatan Rakyat Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin’s candidacy for the seat.

The party also challenged the BN to field newly appointed Menteri Besar Datuk Zambry Kadir for the by-election. -- TMI

Anwar asks Nizar to carry on as MB

Parti Keadilan Rakyat de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has played down DAP chairman Karpal Singh's planned suit against the Sultan of Perak for his "unconstitutional decision" to allow Barisan Nasional to take over the helm in Perak.

He said the suit would not be filed. Instead a panel of Pakatan Rakyat lawyers would look into legal remedies to the situation.

Speaking last night to a 8,000-strong crowd at the menteri besar's official residence here, which was occupied by Datuk Seri Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin, Anwar said the decision was reached when he met DAP adviser Lim Kit Siang and Pas president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang earlier.

Anwar said he, Kit Siang and Hadi would seek an audience with the Sultan of Perak as soon as possible to convey the voice of the people of Perak.

He urged Nizar and the Pakatan executive councillors to continue with their duties as assemblymen and to return to their offices tomorrow as usual.
If they were denied entry, they were to carry on from the menteri besar's residence, Anwar said.

Present were Nizar and several Pakatan leaders, deputy DAP chairman Dr Tan Seng Giaw and Hadi.

Police had blocked the roads within a kilometre radius to the menteri besar's residence to prevent crowds from converging.

Traffic was at a standstill near a roundabout in front of the residence.

City police chief Assistant Commissioner Azisman Alias said the roadblocks began at 6pm and were lifted at midnight. – text: NST, pix: TMI

Dua “imam” di Perak

Membaca berita Malaysiakini yang bertajuk “MB Nizar umum empat dasar penting” membuatkan gue teringat akan kisah 2 imam sembahyang di Terengganu satu masa dulu. Tak dapat gue pastikan apakah masih ada lagi peristiwa 2 imam tersebut di Terengganu kini. Sepengetahuan gue tak ada berita dari MSM atau media alternatif yang melaporkan peristiwa sedemikian lagi. Jadi nampaknya kemelut 2 imam sembahyang tu dah diselesaikan.

Tapi kini nampaknya peristiwa 2 "imam" muncul kembali dalam bentuk “imam politik” pula di Perak – hehe... mana lagi kalo bukan Perak! kan Perak “test bed” bagi “we have the numbers”?

Kalo imam sembahyang maka ada makmumnya yang tertentu, tapi kalo “imam politik” pula siapakah “makmun” dia ya?... Betuuul!!! SUK dan pegawai-pegawai di pejabat kerajaan yang lainnya!

Tapi dalam situasi 2 “imam” di Perak ni, Hmmm… mimpi di siang hari lah! “imam” Nizar. Jumaat kelmarin tu, SUK dah isytiharkan bahawa dia “tidak berkerja dengan Nizar lagi.” Jadi segala arahan/polisi pentadbiran yang dikeluarkan “imam” Nizar tak mungkin akan dipatuhi SUK dan pentadbirannya. Struktur kuasa kini di Perak dah berubah dan beralih ke “imam” Dr Zambry walaupun “imam” Nizar dan "jemaah" Pakatan tidak mengiktirafnya. Sebab “a fait accompli.”

Pentadbiran negeri harus berjalan untuk kepentingan rakyat. Pentadbiran tak boleh berada dalam dilemma: “imam” mana yang harus dipatuhi. SUK telah memutuskannya secara tak langsung – ikut dan patuhi “imam” Dr Zambry.

Pertikaian tentang keabsahan “imam” Dr Zambry boleh diselesaikan melalui proses UU di mahkamah. Tak dak siapa yang boleh melarangnya hatta Sultan Perak sekalipun, apatah lagi “tikus-tikus politik” di luar Perak ni… MM: Jangan hina Raja Melayu
Teruskanlah “imam” Nizar dan "jemaah" Pakatan, gue pun sokong 100 peratus akan saman “imam” Nizar yang sedang diteliti tu. Tapi dalam kontek arahan/polisi pentadbiran “imam” Nizar saperti yang dilaporkan Malaysiakini ni , gue kata secara pasti bahawa "arahan imam tu" tak laku – tak caya tunggu dan lihat lah!

Yusuf Islam writes musical, Moonshadow

Yusuf Islam - formerly known as Cat Stevens - has written a musical featuring his classic tracks.

'Moonshadow' - which features classic songs from the artist, formerly known as Cat Stevens, including 'Morning Has Broken' and 'Wild World' - debuts in Northampton this July, and if successful it will have a run in London's West End.

Original 'Mamma Mia!' cast member Siobhan McCarthy is singing previews from the show as part of the Whatsonstage.com Theatregoers Awards, hosted by comic actors James Cordon and Sheridan Smith, at the Prince of Wales Theatre on February 15.

Yusuf, 60, recently revealed he is recording a new studio album with his old label Island Records, which released his acclaimed albums 'Teaser and The Firecat' and 'Tea For The Tillerman'.

Last month, the singer released cover version for charity of George Harrison's 'The Day The World Gets Round' - with long-time Beatles associate Klaus Voorman.

Yusuf said: 'George was also more responsible than any other artist for initiating pop music's movement to aid people and countries stricken by war and calamities. His 'Concert For Bangladesh' was the first of its kind. I hope this song will help remind people of the immense legacy of love, peace and happiness we can share when we get round to looking at mankind's futile wars and prejudices and start to change our foolish ways.' – Bang via MSN

Be the first to know, Microsoft-backed celebrity news website unveiled

Microsoft plunged into the crowded field of online entertainment and celebrity news on Thursday, taking the wraps off a new website known as Wonderwall.

Wonderwall.com is a joint venture between MSN, the Internet arm of the US software giant, and BermanBraun Interactive, a media company based in Santa Monica, California.

"Wonderwall offers people an engaging and visually dynamic perspective on the day's hottest pop culture stories, personalities and trends," MSN and BermanBraun said in a statement.

The main feature of Wonderwall.com is a nearly full-screen wall of pictures with links to stories, photo galleries and video.

The wall can be scrolled horizontally, an experience MSN and BermanBraun likened to "flipping through a favorite magazine."

The site features a feed of the latest celebrity news and categories such as "Top Celebs" and "LOL Pics," the "funniest photos of celebs from around the Web."

"Wonderwall offers a clever, thought-provoking and amusing voice to fans of celebrity and is a great addition to MSN's portfolio of entertainment content," said Rob Bennett, general manager of network programming for MSN.

Entertainment and celebrity news are among the most popular subjects for Web surfers and Wonderwall will be competing for audience with sites such as TMZ.com, people.com and perezhilton.com, to name just a few. -- Agence France-Presse - 2/5/2009 6:56 PM GMT

Politikus at Malaysiakini! This is now a fait accompli.

Pix: Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin surrounded by supporters on what may his last night in the Menteri Besar's official residence. On his right is the DAP's Ronnie Liu

Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin made a burning pledge Thursday night “to fight to his last drop of blood” as he addressed more than ten thousand supporters at the compound of his official residence as a crescendo of horns could be heard blaring from motorists outside in support.

“This will be where Najib will be buried,” he told the cheering crowd, referring to deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s role in yesterday’s power grab.

pix: Datuk Seri Najib Razak – “hahihu… We have the numbers.”

“I was forced to seek dissolution of the state assembly as the Election Commission would not conduct the by-elections. Then I was asked to resign.

“I will keep fighting,” said the normally impassive Nizar.

Nizar added that he would boycott Friday’s swearing-in ceremony of the Barisan Nasional (BN) mentri besar.

Instead, he will attend special prayers at the Ubudiah mosque next to the royal palace in Kuala Kangsar.

Shouts of Allahuakbar rang out throughout the rally last night amid a light drizzle at the mentri besar’s residence here as thousands of Pakatan Rakyat (PR) supporters turned up for a public rally in support of the embattled Nizar.

There is strong police presence outside the house, just a stone’s throw from the Umno building and the Istana Kinta, but this did not stop the public from turning up, causing a massive traffic jam in the city.

Earlier, various PR leaders addressed the crowd, but their rhetoric was frequently drowned out by the roars of the supporters.

Many supporters were seen carrying banners calling for the dissolution of the state assembly and for power to be returned to the people.

But despite accusing the Barisan Nasional (BN) of executing a coup, the loss of the state government is already a fait accompli as Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, the BN assemblyman for Pangkor, is already preparing to be sworn in today at 3.30pm in Kuala Kangsar ~ MORE TMI

Zambry Promises To Return Calm And Harmony To Perak

Perak Menteri Besar designate Datuk Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir (pix) has promised to return calm and harmony to the state.

Zambry, who thanked the Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, for consenting the appointment and having the confidence in him to hold the post, regarded the new responsibility as a trust to be shouldered with good leadership.

"I will uphold the trust to the best of my ability. I also thank Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, who is also the Perak Umno liaison chief, and my colleagues in Barisan Nasional (BN) for their support," he told reporters here on Thursday night.

Zambry, who is the Pangkor assemblyman, hoped his appointment as Menteri Besar would not become an issue or create a difficult situation in Perak.

Earlier in Kuala Lumpur, the prime minister announced that the Sultan of Perak had consented the appointment of Zambry as Perak's next Menteri Besar.

Abdullah also said that Zambry would be sworn in as the 11th Menteri Besar at Istana Iskandariah in Kuala Kangsar at 3.30pm on Friday.

Zambry's appointment was made after Sultan Azlan Shah ordered that Menteri Besar Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin and his state executive councillors to resign from their posts with immediate effect after the Sultan met with all the 28 BN state assemblymen and three Independent assemblymen who had declared their support for BN.

The Sultan was convinced that Mohammad Nizar had ceased to receive the support of the majority of the Perak state assemblymen.

Anwar says Pakatan not going against the palace

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said the Perak Menteri Besar’s refusal to resign despite the request by Sultan Azlan Shah did not mean Pakatan Rakyat was on a collision course with the Perak palace.

Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, hands clasped, deliberates about Perak's state of affairs in Pakatan Rakyat’s press conference in Ipoh today. Perak Menteri Besar — for now — Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin on his left looks on for inspiration. The coming hours will be crucial in deciding the fate of the silver state. — pic by Choo Choy May

“Considering the spirit of constitutional monarchy and Parliamentary democracy, this takover if allowed will be a disaster to the democratic system,” Anwar told reporters after a meeting with PR leaders.

He added that only a dissolution of the state assembly and a state-wide election would solve the problem.

On the order by the state secretariat for the leaders to vacate the building, Anwar described the action as abnormal.

“The MB has not resigned, has not been dismissed. It is abnormal under the so-called democratic system,” he added.

DAP’s Lim Kit Siang described the takeover attempt by BN as a coup led by Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

“A month before Najib becomes the sixth Prime Minister, but today he has launched a coup d'état,” said Lim adding that Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin was still the Menteri Besar.

“The PR government is still legitimate. This takeover is illegal and unconstitutional,” said the Ipoh Timor MP.

Earlier today Nizar was ordered to resign by the ruler as he was deemed to have lost the support of the majority of the state’s lawmakers.

The government has however refused to step down saying that BN has no majority in the assembly, claiming that the three independents who back the coalition have resigned as legislators. -- By Adib Zalkapli, The Malaysian Insider

Pakatan plans mammoth gathering in Ipoh to rally support

Pakatan Rakyat (PR) is planning a mammoth public gathering in front of the Perak mentri besar’s residence tomorrow in what is surely the last throw of the dice to head off the formation of a new state government by Barisan Nasional (BN).

A new BN government is looking all but certain now after the defections of four assemblymen from the PR alliance in Perak today.

“We are trying to mobilise a crowd of over 50,000 people for tomorrow night.

“This will be the start of the public’s support for Pakatan Rakyat,” read a text message sent by an aide to Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim tonight.

The plans for a mammoth rally come after a dramatic day where Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Nizar Jamaluddin tried to obtain consent from the Peral Sultan to dissolve the state assembly.

He failed to get an immediate answer from Sultan Azlan Shah.

But any plans to convince the state ruler with a public rally may well be moot if he consents to BN forming a state government tomorrow morning.

Deputy Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Perak BN chief, is expected to be granted an audience by Sultan Azlan Shah tomorrow morning.

During the meeting, Najib will make the case for BN to form a new government to end the political uncertainties in the state.

the star pix: We have the numbers

Najib made the claim for the power grab today after announcing the state BN coalition now had 28 members of the state legislature, the same as PR, but it also had the backing of three independents whom are likely to join one of the parties of the ruling coalition soon.

If the Sultan does not give an immediate answer tomorrow, it will open the door for PR to use a public rally to try to convince the ruler to dissolve the assembly.

PR leaders feel that fresh elections will be their best bet for survival as they are confident of getting a convincing mandate from voters. - The Malaysian Insider

No defections!.. in response to Malaysiakini's report

Nine members of the state Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club (BBC) yesterday declared their loyalty to Umno and the BN and said that there would be no defecting to any opposition party.

State BBC chairman Datuk Zainal Abidin Ahmad said the club fully supported the leadership of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan.

"We also warn Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), Pas and DAP, along with their agents, not to spread rumours or allegations in relation to defections.

"Our loyalty and integrity will not be compromised by any party and we will remain loyal to the BN and state government."

pix: Negri Sembilan Menteri Besar Datuk Seri Mohamad Hasan (second from left) with members of the state Barisan Nasional Backbenchers Club

Apart from Zainal, who is the Sungai Lui sssemblyman, the other state BBC members are Datuk Roslan Md Yusof (Johol); Datuk Dr Awaludin Said (Kota); Datuk Mohd Kamil Abd Aziz (Gemencheh); Datuk Aziz Shamsuddin (Palong); Mustafa Salim (Lenggeng); Adnan Abu Hassan (Pilah); Zaifulbahri Idris (Chembong) and Azman Mohammad Noor (Bagan Pinang).

Mohamad, who is also state BN chairman, said he hoped the declaration by the BBC members would put to rest any speculation that state BN members were defecting to the opposition.

"I hope this issue will end here and not be prolonged. This is the time for us to work and implement all that we promised during the general election.

"I also hope the public will remain confident in the state Barisan leadership and help us bring greater development and progress to the state."

On a statement by Seremban Umno division chief Datuk Ishak Ismail in Internet news portal Malaysiakini predicting that three assemblymen in the state would defect, Mohamad said: "As Umno members, we must do our part to put an end to rumours and allegations which will destroy our party.

"We will discuss what he said at our next meeting before bringing it up to party headquarters for further action."

Malaysiakini had quoted Ishak as saying that Aziz, Mustafa and state executive councillor Shamsulkahar Mohd Deli would defect, with Aziz being the most likely.

All three have denied the allegations. – nst