2 theSun | TUESDAY APRIL 7 2009

news without borders

Ballot boxes sent by air and

Tee Keat submits names river to interior

LUBOK ANTU: The Election Commission (EC) has
transported 11 ballot boxes, four by air and the rest
by river, to the remote areas of the Batang Ai state
constituency inaccessible by road.
Sarawak EC director Takun Sunggah said rain

for cabinet line-up to PM

TAIPING: MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Kiat
said he has submitted a list of names to Prime
Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak to be
considered for cabinet appointments.
“I met the prime minister this morning. We
have an hour-long talks, very meaningful but
unfortunately, I can’t reveal it to you.
“I did submit a list containing names, in ac-
cordance with party hierarchy and their status as
member of Parliament,” he told reporters after
making a house-to-house campaign at Simpang
New Village here yesterday.
He declined to reveal the number of names
on the list.
Asked on talks that the current four ministe-
rial posts allocated to MCA would be reduced in
the new cabinet line-up, Ong said: “I don’t have
prior knowledge on the size of the cabinet or
how many portfolios we are going to get”.
“At this juncture, there is no point for us to
speculate,” he said.
Apart from Ong, who is transport minister,
other MCA leaders holding cabinet posts are its
vice-presidents Datuk Seri Liow Tiong Lai (Health)
and Datuk Dr Ng Yen Yen (Women, Family and
Community Development), and former secre-
tary-general Datuk Seri Ong Ka Chuan (Housing
and Local Government).
Najib is expected to announce his cabinet
line-up within a week of taking office last Friday.
Analysts said the cabinet announcement could
be as early as tomorrow or Thursday.
There are 32 members in the cabinet in 27
ministries, with almost two-thirds making up of
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak.
“It’s not true ... the government must be
represented by party leaders, so only those
who are party leaders are qualified to be in
the government and, secondly, it is the prime
minister’s prerogative to appoint his people (to
the cabinet),” he told reporters after launching a
Buy Malaysian Goods campaign at the LRT station
yesterday.
Last week, Shahrir, who is also Johor Baru
BERNAMAPIX
Umno division head, tendered his resignation
as a cabinet minister, effective tomorrow, after
failing to retain his Umno supreme council seat
in the party elections last month.
Asked if he would accept any government
post if offered, he said he would consider any
possibility. “For me, it’s okay if there is or there
isn’t (a post) ... people like me in the party must
be prepared to accept any post, not only that in
the cabinet,” he said. – Bernama
over the last few days had left several roads sub-
merged in floodwaters and cut off the land route
to these remote areas.
The airlifted ballot boxes were destined for the
most remote areas of Ulu Engkari, Ulu Lemanak,
Nanga Aup and Nanga Kumpang, he said.
Many of the longhouses in the 1,341 sq km
constituency can only be reached by river and the
boat rides can take three to eight hours, depending
on the water level and current. – Bernama
BN youth bought our t-shirts,
says PAS
TAIPING: PAS claims that Barisan Nasional
youth have bought 400 PAS t-shirts to create
confusion among PAS members and support-
ers.
Its deputy election director, Datuk Mustafa
Mohd Ali, said the BN youth were trying to
disguise as PAS members to create problems
during the PAS ceramah.
Asked to comment on the estimated
turnout of 1,500 at a BN function attended by
former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Moha-
mad, Mustafa said that one should not give
importance to a “staged crowd which does not
reflect the true picture of the voters’ mood at
the ground level”.
Don’t hold victory procession,
warn police
SUNGAI PETANI: Police have advised party candi-
dates and supporters not to hold any procession
after the announcement of the Bukit Selambau
by-election results.
Kedah police chief Datuk Syed Ismail Syed
Azizan said yesterday they should respect the by-
election results and not create any trouble.
“Police will take stern action against any group

appointees from Umno, the largest component holding a victory march and acting provocatively as
in the 13-member ruling Barisan Nasional (BN). this can result in fights,” he told reporters here.
In KUALA LUMPUR, Domestic Trade and Syed Ismail allso advised the public not to hand
Consumer Affairs Minister Datuk Shahrir Abdul over their identity cards to unknown persons at the
Samad dismissed the assumption that he is re- polling booths today. – Bernama
signing from the cabinet because of a fallout with

First day
in office I will always be accountable
Datuk Seri Najib
Abdul Razak
signs the desk
for my decisions: Najib
file on the first
day in office
as the prime
» From Front Page values discussion and discourse;
and that recognises that opponents
minister on the and detail whether that is helpful to need not be enemies, that differ-
5th floor of the the government or not.” ences of opinion do not come from
Prime Minister’s Najib said personal attacks have malicious motives, but from a deep
Department undermined public confidence and abiding concern for the future
at Putrajaya in the political process and have of Malaysia.”
yesterday. Najib done nothing to bring Malaysians “Together, as we focus on the
was sworn as closer to achieving the goals for the most pressing needs of our country,
the 6th prime country. I hope that such colourful reporting
minister on “I’ve endured my fair share of will be consigned to history. It too
Friday after Tun these from some quarters of the often presents a world that bears
Abdullah Ahmad media. I will always stand up and no resemblance to reality and
Badawi tendered be accountable for the decisions I only serves to damage the public
his resignation. make as your prime minister,” he discourse we truly need,” he said.
Abdullah said, adding that false accusations At the function, Najib presented
officially handed against national leaders “are deeply the Kajai Award to Berita Harian
over the desk fIle damaging to the nation’s political reporter Jalal Ali Mohd Abd Rahim
to Najib. discourse and international reputa- for his report on 20 Malalysian
tion”. women trapped (dikurung) by
“So, today, I call on all parties, drug lords in Spain.
all political leaders and all people Jalal, who received RM24,000 in
who want to engage in a new cash, a gold medal and a certificate,
national conversation about the was among the 12 award winners
future of our nation – including at the event.
the media - to do so in a way that
respects opinions of others; that » Lead us to freedom Page 10
Don’t be hoodwinked by Opposition: Pairin
LUBOK ANTU: Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) president Datuk Seri Joseph Pairin
Up to 10 Kitingan has reminded the voters in the Batang Ai state constituency not to be
Umno hoodwinked by the opposition parties.
At a meet-the-people session at the Nanga Jela longhouse here yesterday,
ministers the Sabah deputy chief minister said the opposition parties were only good at
may be making promises, not fulfilling them. “Based on our experience in the past, the
left out opposition leaders cannot be trusted,” he said.
On the other hand, the Barisan Nasional (BN) government had been proven
pg 7 to be a party able to look after the interest of the people, including those in
Sabah and Sarawak.
Some 8,000 voters are eligible to vote in today’s by-election, which sees a
straight fight between BN’s Malcolm Mussen Lamoh and PKR’s Jawah Gerang.
– Bernama