Chow Kon Yeow: 曹观友

Another point of contention after the Ijok by-election is whether Anwar Ibrahim’s influence is waning.

Anwar was at yesterday’s luncheon talk held immediately after the DAP Special National Congress. He was invited as the DAP leadership wanted to show solidarity and encouragement in the aftermath of the Ijok defeat. It would also be good for the DAP delegates from all over the country to listen from Anwar himself.

PKR garnered about 49 percent of Malay votes and this by any measure was a strong show of support. If the younger set of voters is taken into consideration, PKR candidate Tan Sri Khalid received more votes than the BN winner.

Consider the fact that Anwar was campaigning very strongly on the NEP issue in a Malay hinterland. To achieve such result in the Malay voting streams indicated that Anwar has succeeded in bringing the message across. Anwar was practically facing the whole BN and government machinery and the defeat was nothing to be ashamed about.

Anwar was obviously not unhappy with the Malay and Chinese votes received by PKR.

He said Umno is extremely fearful of the emergence of a formidable inter-ethnic force.

DAP delegates threw many questions at Anwar during the Q&A session which I chaired.

What impressed me most was his call for us to think of the broader picture.

I think it is foolhardy to think that Anwar is a spent-force after the Ijok defeat.

Maybank has imposed the rule that with effect from 1-7-2007, one of the criteria for legal firms to be on its panel is that 50% of the equity of the partnership of the legal firm must be held by Bumiputeras. For legal firms which are already on the Maybank panel, they have a year to comply with the new ruling.
DAP MP for Bandar Kuching Chong Chieng Jen rose early this morning to table his motion to discuss Maybank’s ruling, seen as an extension to the New Economic Policy.
Speaker Tan Sri Ramli Ngah Talib rejected the motion on the ground that it was internal policy of the bank.
Today the Bar Council said another bank is going to implement the same ruling too.
Chong said aloud that it was racial discrimination and its implementation would impact ethnic relations in the country.
Too bad the motion is rejected and we have no opportunity to oppose the ruling or hear the stand of Barisan MPs or the government.
WE often hear loud-mouthed Minister advising consumers to shift their allegiance for a certain company if they are not satisfied with the services or price hike.
The latest is the Astro’s price hike on their programme packages. Lim Keng Yaik said in his usual “Soh-chai” style, “Don’t watchlah if you don’t like the increase”.
Well, maybe Maybank customers can see some wisdom in Keng Yaik’s advice.
Close your accountlah with Maybank if you don’t like their discriminatory ruling.