Parliamentary Elections Act, Section 24, under the Writ of election.
Writ of election
24. —(1) For the purposes of every general election of Members of Parliament, and for the purposes of the election of Members to supply vacancies caused by death, resignation or otherwise, the President shall issue writs under the public seal, addressed to the Returning Officer.
(2) Every such writ shall be in Form 1 in the First Schedule and shall specify the date or dates (referred to in this Act as the day of nomination) not being less than 5 days nor more than one month after the date of the writ and the place or places of nomination (referred to in this Act as the place of nomination).
(2A) In respect of any group representation constituency, no writ shall be issued under subsection
(1) for an election to fill any vacancy unless all the Members for that constituency have vacated their seats in Parliament.
The above is a part of our election law which many are now familiar with, especially 2A(1) which states that the President will not issue any writ for a by election in a GRC ‘unless all the Members for that constituency have vacated their seats in Parliament’. What is in this Act is very clear, no by election unless all the MPs have vacated their seats in a GRC, all resigned, sacked or mati. If one is left, no need for by election.
The legal minded and the critics have pointed out this section as a violation of Section 49 (1) of the Elections Act which provided for a seat to be filled.
The question is who drafted Section 24(2A) and what was the intent, or what was the reason behind the law?
The next question, who were the MPs who voted to pass this Act and what were their intentions? Do they believe that this is what the law should be, that in a 5 or 6 member GRC, if only one MP is left, it is perfectly ok for the single MP to look after a whole GRC? And is this a reasonable thing to do or to believe, and to pass as a law? And if not, why is this happening?
For those who believe this is a reasonable law, a good law, a practical law, a law that they themselves would support and vote for it, case closed. For those who think this is not right, that one MP cannot possibly look after a GRC and it is only fair and proper to have a by election quickly under normal circumstances, they may want to think back and ask why such a law can be written and can be passed in Parliament.
Even if a Prime Minister calls for a by election, the President can say no under this Act if one MP in a GRC is still in office. Even if a Prime Minister wants a by election, there shall be no by election in a GRC under Section 24(2A). The President cannot issue a writ for a by election. But I am not a learned legal counsel so I must be misreading or misinterpreting the law, or the reason behind the law. Mine is a layman’s unlearned and blur reading of the law. Sure wrong one. I better admit first before kenna bokok by the honourable learned counsels.
Why would an MP support and voted for such a law?
4/13/2012
My First Home
‘How can someone who can’t grasp simple and straightforward concepts be in a position to manage and lead a country? Look at Prime Minister Najib Razak's failed My First Home ownership scheme and the recent decision to scrap the controversial new civil servant remuneration scheme, apart from other flip-flops.
Launch a year ago, the house-ownership scheme for low-income earners failed because banks are unwilling to hand out 100 per cent financing applicants earning less than RM3,000 a month. How can Najib fail to grasp the fact that with a gross income of RM3,000 a month, a person simply cannot have any spare cash to pay the monthly installments for the house? Surely, Najib must know that a person has also to pay for essentials such as food, transport and other expenses….’
The above is an extract from an article by Nawawi Mohamad, Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle.
The comments were quite surprising given the similar situation in Singapore. Spending power of 3000 ringgits is roughly equivalent to $3000 in Singapore. And our govt has recently proved to Singaporeans that a $1000 income is enough to buy a 2 rm flat. And definitely our govt will also include the other essentials that the person would have to pay for, like food, transport etc. And considering the property prices in Malaysia are so much lower than Singapore even with subsidies, it just sounds not right. Maybe Najib should pay a visit to Tharman for some advice on how to make Malaysian public housing affordable to 1000 ringgit and 3000 ringgit Malaysians. I think the trick is that in Malaysia they don’t have market price subsidies to go with.
One thing right about Najib’s formula is to make sure that all Malaysians will be able to afford a first home. I think they don’t have such rulings like singles, income ceilings or whatever to mess around to prevent Malaysians from owning their first home. They care for their citizens, to have a roof over their heads. And they don’t have to give preference to new citizens over their old citizens as they don’t have a million new citizens to provide housing to.
Singaporeans are luckier, to be able to afford quality public housing marked to market with only $1000 monthly income. The subsidies really work.
Launch a year ago, the house-ownership scheme for low-income earners failed because banks are unwilling to hand out 100 per cent financing applicants earning less than RM3,000 a month. How can Najib fail to grasp the fact that with a gross income of RM3,000 a month, a person simply cannot have any spare cash to pay the monthly installments for the house? Surely, Najib must know that a person has also to pay for essentials such as food, transport and other expenses….’
The above is an extract from an article by Nawawi Mohamad, Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle.
The comments were quite surprising given the similar situation in Singapore. Spending power of 3000 ringgits is roughly equivalent to $3000 in Singapore. And our govt has recently proved to Singaporeans that a $1000 income is enough to buy a 2 rm flat. And definitely our govt will also include the other essentials that the person would have to pay for, like food, transport etc. And considering the property prices in Malaysia are so much lower than Singapore even with subsidies, it just sounds not right. Maybe Najib should pay a visit to Tharman for some advice on how to make Malaysian public housing affordable to 1000 ringgit and 3000 ringgit Malaysians. I think the trick is that in Malaysia they don’t have market price subsidies to go with.
One thing right about Najib’s formula is to make sure that all Malaysians will be able to afford a first home. I think they don’t have such rulings like singles, income ceilings or whatever to mess around to prevent Malaysians from owning their first home. They care for their citizens, to have a roof over their heads. And they don’t have to give preference to new citizens over their old citizens as they don’t have a million new citizens to provide housing to.
Singaporeans are luckier, to be able to afford quality public housing marked to market with only $1000 monthly income. The subsidies really work.
4/12/2012
The foreign North Korean experts at it again
They could not understand why the North Koreans are launching the satellite to celebrate the 100 anniversary of Kim Il Sung. Or they just do not want to understand. But that is not enough. They even came out with their foolish comments as if the North Koreans were little ignorant farmers, did not know what they were doing. The favourite reasons, internal rift or rivalry, Kim Jong Un must do something to establish himself, Kim Jung Un is trying to please everyone, Kim Jung Un is following what his father did, playing brinkmanship, what else is new? Oh, he is ill advised by his advisers!
And this Professor Andrei Lankov said his best guess, ‘is a culmination of bureaucratic inefficiency and factional rivalry.’
My no expert guess, the North Koreans need to show the Americans that they have the weapons to deliver a few nuclear warheads into the hearts of the USA. That is the only safe guard for the North Koreans if they want to avoid the fate of Iraq or a Libya. They must be able to do it. They could send a few hundred warheads into all the big cities in Japan and South Korea. These have neutralized the threats from these two neighbours.
The one that is left standing and wanting to have a go at the North Koreans is the US, thinking that it could hit the North Koreans without the latter being able to hit back. The security of the North Koreans is to be able to strike back at the international gangters. Period.
So difficult to understand the North Koreans and so many make beliefs of incompetencies in the North Koreans?
And this Professor Andrei Lankov said his best guess, ‘is a culmination of bureaucratic inefficiency and factional rivalry.’
My no expert guess, the North Koreans need to show the Americans that they have the weapons to deliver a few nuclear warheads into the hearts of the USA. That is the only safe guard for the North Koreans if they want to avoid the fate of Iraq or a Libya. They must be able to do it. They could send a few hundred warheads into all the big cities in Japan and South Korea. These have neutralized the threats from these two neighbours.
The one that is left standing and wanting to have a go at the North Koreans is the US, thinking that it could hit the North Koreans without the latter being able to hit back. The security of the North Koreans is to be able to strike back at the international gangters. Period.
So difficult to understand the North Koreans and so many make beliefs of incompetencies in the North Koreans?
Little pest punching above its weight
The Philippines is showing how powerful it is as a naval power. It is sending its biggest warship, a piece of historical relic that survived the Pearl Harbour, to challenge China. It even warned China that it would retaliate if provoked. Wow, wow! That’s the way to show China how powerful it is. It threatened again to arrest Chinese fishermen and was stopped by Chinese patrol boats. It should have just sink the smaller Chinese patrol boats with its antique ship that the Americans have destined for the museum but probably given to them to challenge Chinese fishing boats.
And the Philippines is not stopping at that. It summoned the Chinese Ambassador to warn him that the Philippines is ready to defend its sovereignty. Hahahaha. Brave Filipinos. I think China will see its biggest military defeat when it fights the Philippines. China better be careful and scoot from the Scarborough Shoals before the Philippines navy arrest all its fishing boats. Don’t play with a big power like the Philippines. In another 100 years time the Phillipines will be building its own patrol boats to protect its territories.
Come to think of it, Singapore and Hongkong must also be careful as it would send its patrol boats to protect Filipino maids. South East Asia’s biggest military power on the rise.
And the Philippines is not stopping at that. It summoned the Chinese Ambassador to warn him that the Philippines is ready to defend its sovereignty. Hahahaha. Brave Filipinos. I think China will see its biggest military defeat when it fights the Philippines. China better be careful and scoot from the Scarborough Shoals before the Philippines navy arrest all its fishing boats. Don’t play with a big power like the Philippines. In another 100 years time the Phillipines will be building its own patrol boats to protect its territories.
Come to think of it, Singapore and Hongkong must also be careful as it would send its patrol boats to protect Filipino maids. South East Asia’s biggest military power on the rise.
From betrayal to betrayal
Were the Sinkies angry? Were their cries and pain heard and felt? The anger of a people feeling betrayed is beyond words. When foreigners came in drove ‘to help them’ and be treated like citizens with almost the same privileges, and more, yes more, whether the help was genuine or fake, it does not matter anymore. The Sinkies were simply pissed off and they want to make it counts. How could Sinkies be not allowed to buy public flats when foreigners can just by switching to pink ICs overnight? How could foreigners enjoy all the medical subsidies, education subsidies, national bonuses simply by becoming citizens but without the contributions and sacrifices of the original Singaporeans? Yes, the Sinkies felt betrayed.
But the PRs are now citizens? Another betrayal that insults the intelligence of the Sinkies. What is the point of cutting the subsidies for PRs now when most have already become citizens? Get the point? We can make do with PRs working here but not with more new citizens. We should not issue citizenships like toilet papers. What’s the difference if in spite of all the cuts in subsidies to PRs and more PRs exchange their blue ICs to pink ones? This is the real LPPL issue.
The cutting of subsidies to PRs is a new issue that will reek of betrayal if one is a PR. After all the praises and red carpet treatments, and a bloated mindset of coming here to contribute to the growth of this country and providing jobs or helping daft Sinkies, how would they feel now, with all the subsidy cuts? Would they feel equally betrayed? Many will start screaming ‘We will go to countries that will better appreciate us’ if there is one out there. The truth is that no country is so sick to dump their citizens in exchange for questionable unknown foreigners and treating them like gems.
The new joke now is that we have politicians calling for more distinctions between citizens and PRs and citizens must have more privileges, must be treated with greater respect, must be given priorities. Where have these politicians been? Were they sleeping and just had a rude awakening? Did they just realize that they have to serve Sinkies first and foremost? And the media will sing the same song and with more politicians singing the chorus. We will take care of Sinkies first. There will be more hugging and kissing of Sinkies from now onwards, I think.
I feel so pissed off that there is no point writing too much on this issue.
But the PRs are now citizens? Another betrayal that insults the intelligence of the Sinkies. What is the point of cutting the subsidies for PRs now when most have already become citizens? Get the point? We can make do with PRs working here but not with more new citizens. We should not issue citizenships like toilet papers. What’s the difference if in spite of all the cuts in subsidies to PRs and more PRs exchange their blue ICs to pink ones? This is the real LPPL issue.
The cutting of subsidies to PRs is a new issue that will reek of betrayal if one is a PR. After all the praises and red carpet treatments, and a bloated mindset of coming here to contribute to the growth of this country and providing jobs or helping daft Sinkies, how would they feel now, with all the subsidy cuts? Would they feel equally betrayed? Many will start screaming ‘We will go to countries that will better appreciate us’ if there is one out there. The truth is that no country is so sick to dump their citizens in exchange for questionable unknown foreigners and treating them like gems.
The new joke now is that we have politicians calling for more distinctions between citizens and PRs and citizens must have more privileges, must be treated with greater respect, must be given priorities. Where have these politicians been? Were they sleeping and just had a rude awakening? Did they just realize that they have to serve Sinkies first and foremost? And the media will sing the same song and with more politicians singing the chorus. We will take care of Sinkies first. There will be more hugging and kissing of Sinkies from now onwards, I think.
I feel so pissed off that there is no point writing too much on this issue.
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