Latest news with #MukhrizMahathir
Free Malaysia Today
02-08-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Proposed PN-friendly bloc risks being marginalised like Gerakan, say analysts
Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir recently proposed the formation of a bloc of parties capable of garnering support in non-Malay areas, to complement PN's efforts to consolidate its base in Malay-majority constituencies. PETALING JAYA : Any non-Malay bloc aligned with Perikatan Nasional is likely to be marginalised within the opposition coalition, much like Gerakan, political analysts warn. Political scientist Wong Chin Huat of Sunway University and ADA Southeast Asia's Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani said any attempt to woo non-Malay support would likely fall flat so long as PN maintains its Malay-Muslim dominance. 'There is no credible non-Malay bloc that can be PN's respectable partner,' Wong told FMT. 'As long as PN insists on Malay-Muslim dominance, non-Malay partners will be seen as puppets, just like Gerakan.' Wong Chin Huat. Wong said these 'satellite parties' are unlikely to win over non-Malay voters, giving PN no reason to treat them seriously. That leaves them trapped in a 'vicious cycle of irrelevance', he added. Asrul said PN's inability to attract non-Malay voters may cost it the next general election, despite the presence of Gerakan and the Malaysian Indian People's Party (MIPP) in its ranks. He said that unless PAS softens its image and adopts a more inclusive, policy-focused agenda — like it did under the late Nik Aziz Nik Mat during its Pakatan Rakyat days — any multiracial outreach would be short-lived. 'PAS needs to frame its Islamic agenda around economic fairness and equality to appeal to all Malaysians. Otherwise, partnerships with non-Malay parties will lack credibility. Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani. 'Gerakan was supposed to be the coalition's bridge to the Chinese electorate, but it struggled, not just because of weak grassroots, but also due to PAS's messaging,' he said. The idea for a two-pronged coalition was first mooted by Pejuang president Mukhriz Mahathir. He called for the formation of a bloc of parties capable of garnering support in predominantly non-Malay areas, to complement PN's efforts to consolidate its base in Malay-majority constituencies. The proposal aims to counter any stigma surrounding PAS among non-Malays, acknowledging the coalition's limited traction within the community. Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said PN's non-Malay components were 'too mild and conservative' to articulate the broader concerns of the Chinese and Indians, while the coalition continues to struggle in the west coast and southern states which have non-Malay majorities. Asrul said this two-pronged strategy might work, but only if non-Malay leaders within PN are given meaningful opportunities rather than mere symbolic roles. Wong said while some Indian voters may have lost faith in the government, their numbers were not large enough to significantly impact electoral outcomes. 'Indian voters make up 20% or more in only a few seats,' he pointed out. Adib Zalkapli. Meanwhile, independent political analyst Adib Zalkapli expressed support for the proposal, saying PN should leave 'no stone unturned' in its efforts to reach out to non-Malay voters, even if they remained loyal to Pakatan Harapan. 'They should explore every possible approach to win over non-Malay voters,' he said.
Focus Malaysia
29-07-2025
- Politics
- Focus Malaysia
Ramasamy prospecting if the ‘Turun Anwar' rally can be prelude to an inclusive opposition politics
SATURDAY'S (July 26) Turun Anwar rally at Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur can be considered success in terms of the crowd that showed up. I was there with my Urimai (United Rights of Malaysian Party) team members. I can certainly vouch that the crowd could have been easily 200,000 or more. It was certainly not the conservative estimate of 15,000 or the exaggerated figure of 1 million. Without the mobilising power of the PAS Youth, the crowd would not have swelled the Dataran Merdeka in Kuala Lumpur. Although the majority were Malays, the presence of Indians and Chinese was conspicuous. I suppose this was the first major rally organised by the Perikatan Nasional (PN) opposition that attracted Chinese and Indian political parties that are not part of the government block. The formation of a united front a few days before the rally was the first attempt by the opposition to incorporate an inclusive look at politics. Multi-racial thrust The PN-led opposition is currently more serious than ever about taking national power at the present political juncture than ever before. Its key component parties, Bersatu and PAS, are serious about winning the next general elections. They understand that while they have the majority support of the Malays, this is insufficient to give the opposition a national status. Without the involvement of the Chinese and Indians, national power might prove elusive. While Bersatu has made the move in forming a united front comprising of Malay and non-Malay political parties outside the government block, PAS seems quite reticent in the matter. It is not that PAS rejects the idea of inclusive politics but how the party intends to operationalise the broad-based approach is yet to be fleshed out. PAS might have non-Malay components via its Non-Muslim Supporters' Wing (DHPP) but these are too mild and conservative to articulate the broader concerns of the Chinese and Indians in the country. PN in general might have its political sway in the northern and eastern states but Achilles Heel is in the west coast and southern states where there exists a large non-Malay majority. Wooing non-Malays Recently, Pejuang president Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir suggested that the possibility of the opposition forming a two-prong coalition on a regional basis to address the lack of the support of the Chinese and Indians. If this is the possibility, then it is possible for the PN coalition to support non-Malay candidates in the predominantly non-Malay areas and Malay candidates in the Malay areas. A quid pro quo system could be devised for non-Malays to support PN candidates in predominantly Malay areas and Malays to support non-Malay candidates in non-Malay areas. Whatever the formula that the PN intends to develop for sustainable inclusive framework, it cannot be denied that the opposition as a whole is moving in the direction of broad-based electoral formula. The narrative used by the Pakatan Harapan (PH)-led coalition to undermine PN as an extremist political coalition might not be sustained in the future. The Turun Anwar rally was not so much organised to reveal the opposition's displeasure towards Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim but was also an effort on the part of the opposition to put to test its inclusive political formula of ultimately governing the country. The rally was not the end but the beginning of the larger and more inclusive momentum to bring about political change in the country. – July 29, 2025 Former DAP stalwart and Penang chief minister II Prof Ramasamy Palanisamy is chairman of the United Rights of Malaysian Party (Urimai) interim council. The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Focus Malaysia.
Malaysiakini
24-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Anwar, govt, succeed in removing names from Mukhriz's RM5m tax review bid
Anwar Ibrahim and the government succeeded today in having their names removed from a judicial review application filed by Mukhriz Mahathir. Mukhriz is challenging the Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) issuance of additional tax assessment notices for the years 2017 to 2019, demanding payment of over RM5 million.
Malay Mail
24-07-2025
- Business
- Malay Mail
Anwar, govt cleared as court strikes their names from Mukhriz Mahathir's RM5m tax challenge
KUALA LUMPUR, July 24 — Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the government succeeded today in having their names removed from a judicial review application filed by Datuk Seri Mukhriz Mahathir. Mukhriz is challenging the Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) issuance of additional tax assessment notices for the years 2017 to 2019, demanding payment of over RM5 million. High Court Judge Datuk Amarjeet Singh allowed the application by Anwar, in his capacity as Finance Minister, and the government to strike out their names as respondents in the judicial review proceedings. However, the court dismissed their bid to expunge several paragraphs in Mukhriz's affidavit that made reference to both respondents, and fixed December 16 for the hearing of the substantive judicial review application. On January 2, Judge Amarjeet granted leave for Mukhriz to commence judicial review proceedings, having found that the case raised arguable grounds. Earlier, senior federal counsel Nur Irmawatie Daud, representing both the second and third respondents, argued that the additional assessment notices were issued by the first respondent, the Inland Revenue's chief executive officer or director-general. 'The judicial review application is scandalous, frivolous and an abuse of court process,' she submitted. However, Mukhriz's counsel, Syed Afiq Syed Albakri, contended that the second respondent had influenced the first respondent in the issuance of the said notices against his client. Mukhriz, 60, filed the judicial review application on December 20 last year, naming the IRB's CEO or Director-General, Anwar and the government as the first to third respondents respectively. The businessman sought an order to quash the decision of the first respondent to issue additional assessment notices for the years 2017 to 2019, amounting to RM5,020,707.18, on the grounds that the decision was unlawful and unreasonable. The Pejuang president also sought a declaration that the imposition of penalties under Section 113(2) of the Income Tax Act 1967 was null and void, as well as ultra vires. The former Kedah Menteri Besar further sought a declaration that the second respondent (Anwar) had abused his powers in causing the first respondent (the government) to issue the said notices. Finally, he sought a declaration that the second respondent had similarly abused his powers in directing the issuance of a certificate under subsection 104(1) of the Income Tax Act 1967. — Bernama
Malaysiakini
24-07-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Anwar, govt, succeed in removing names from Mukhriz's RM5m tax review bid
Anwar Ibrahim and the government succeeded today in having their names removed from a judicial review application filed by Mukhriz Mahathir. Mukhriz is challenging the Inland Revenue Board's (IRB) issuance of additional tax assessment notices for the years 2017 to 2019, demanding payment of over RM5 million.
