The government and EC will do their utmost best to deny you your right to vote as they know first-timers are likely to be opposition supporters.

On EC to blame for 100-year-old voters

Juli Ooi : I would like to advise first-time voters to check with the Election Commission (EC) to ensure that they have been registered as voters.

I was a first-time voter in the 2004 election and I was told that my name was not in the register when I presented my Mykad at the polling station. Upon my insistence that I had checked my eligibility to vote at the EC website, the officer pointed me to another counter where I was again told that my name was not in the register. I raised my voice in displeasure and this second officer bent sideways to produce another register from under the table and only then allowed me to vote.

So, first-time voters, please be ready to face such tactics when you go to vote on March 8. The government and EC will do their utmost best to deny you your right to vote as they know first-timers are likely to be opposition supporters.

Myoneview: EC can verify whether the 8,666 centenarian voters are still alive with National Registration Department. This is an easy task, isn't it? Making statements such as: ‘As far as the commission is concerned, as of Dec 31 last year, these voters are still alive,’ is very irresponsible and not sensible.

In fact, every Malaysian with a valid MyKad should have the right to vote in a general election and not just based on whether their names appear on the electoral roll.

Malaysian: Dear EC chairperson, you have the authority to conduct the 12th General Elections in the most democratic manner. As a true Muslim who abides by the Holy Koran, please be fair to all the candidates from all the contesting parties. Please avoid the ‘phantom voting’ and also please try not to ‘top up’ BN candidates’ votes at the last minute (claiming they are postal votes). This cannot be democracy. Be true to your conscience, and be a true Muslim. Please be fair and you will be rewarded by the Almighty. Thank you.

On An evening with Anwar Ibrahim

Capt Yusof Ahmad: Baradan Kuppusamy has reached too capacious a conclusion based on scanty evidence when he said that the PKR leader is drawing small crowds of Malays to his ceramah. Surely the numbers that turned up for Anwar at his recent ceramah at Wangsa Maju and Bandar Tun Razak are not to be taken as representative of the norm.

In late December and January, no less than Malaysiakini itself reported that in Kedah, Penang and Perlis, Anwar drew crowds of Malays numbering in the thousands. He has also drawn sizeable crowds of Chinese and Indian listeners to his gatherings, particularly along the west coast of Peninsular Malaysia.

To say that Anwar is not a draw among the Malays is a rather strange conclusion given recent reports in Malaysiakini and hearsay. Baradan may well be right if he said that large crowds at ceramah do not necessarily translate into victories at the ballot box, but to say that Anwar is not a magnet among Malay listeners is to gainsay the evidence assembled by Malaysiakini and sundry others who came, saw and were impressed.

On Hock Nan: 'I was told to be prepared'

Neil Khor: The mainstream newspapers quoted me differing with Dr Koh Tsu Koon regarding the announcement of his successor. Whilst conceding that the Penang CM knows more about his own party as well as the BN party machinery, nevertheless it is his duty to the people of Penang to state clearly who will be leading them for the next five years.

Keeping mum is fueling intra-party jockeying and divisiveness. Outside, it is not making Penangites feel any more confident about their future. It is understandable that some multi-national companies are relocating or that the price of petrol is going up. Some things are beyond our control. However, it is not acceptable, knowing how challenging future will be, not to select the best to steer the ship. Koh will be remembered for his choice.

Whilst some Penangites are willing to give the CM the benefit of the doubt and say that such a leader has to be chosen very carefully, Koh also knows that he cannot control public perception. If he acted more decisively, he will surely be helping his campaign.

He conceded that he is labouring under the shadow of a giant but now is the best time to emerge from under that shadow. One thing which Dr Lim Chong Eu has always exhibited is courage and single-mindedness. Once a decision has been made, stick to it. Once a leader chosen, support him all the way.

Whomever he has chosen to be his successor, the CM owes that candidate a good head start. This candidate must then face the public with programmes and ideas that will ‘re-invent’ Penang. After all, that is Gerakan's campaign slogan.

On Letter: Penang 'bribed' Motorola to stay

MNC: As long as government projects, whether large or small, are not awarded based on an open tender, this kind of thing will continue to happen with multinational companies threatening to move their investments elsewhere. I would think there are other reasons why MNC, in this case Motorola, planned to move out from Malaysia.

The way Malaysian government tackled problems like the Altantuya, VK Lingam, Hindraf, and Bersih issues besides meddling in market forces and the lack of transparency does not help in attracting and retaining foreign investments. Once confidence is lost, it will take years to get it back.

On Nothing lasts forever, not even BN

Dr Tee : Please click here and view how the Titiwangsa mountain range, the national watershed is denuded by the Umno government in Pahang. The loggers have shamelessly encroached across the border into Selangor where the forests were gazetted by the federal government as permanent forest reserves and water catchment areas :

Foo Chong Kim: The BN machine is pork barrel politics, patronage, economic apartheid and religious intolerance. After so many chances and equally after so many years in power, it has the amazing inability to reform itself from within. It must taught a lesson at the polls even if it continues to rule the country in the future. It must be made less arrogant, less cruel and less uncaring by forcing it to listen seriously to minority views.

People, do not give this incumbent government the chance to say ‘You voted me into power, so you listen to me’. Give the opposition a chance at least and for once the benefit of the doubt - this is your moment. Vote wisely and may Allah and God bless this country.

Richard Teo: The thought of leaving the country of your birth is never an easy thing. It is usually a decision made with a heavy heart and a tear in the eye. Yet statistics have confirmed that since the1970s, one million able-bodied Malaysians of all races have migrated to other countries to start a new life. People dont just wake up one morning and make such an important decision in one's life without serious

So when Lim Kit Siang said 'people have already packed their bags and are waiting to migrate overseas but are just waiting to see the results of this coming elections', it was an emotional moment for many. The words strike a familiar chord. In many homes many relations have already made the move. Some still hoping that things will change so they can avoid that momentous decision to move or not to move. For the rest,the bags are already packed but they’re just waiting for that defining moment. That defining moment is the coming 12th General election. This watershed election will perhaps mark the beginning of the end of this country. Everything about this country has deteriorated to a point of no return and if the same mandate is given to the incumbent we can expect nothing but the worse.

Mahathir has declared that Malaysia is an Islamic state despite the indisputable secular nature of the constitution. Najib, the DPM has also followed with the same declaration.Therefore the intent is already there. If BN gets the mandate with a 2/3rds majority, it’s only a question of when they will amend the constitution.

Myoneview: I am a former Malaysian but residing elsewhere. I still love Malaysia and am following closely the development of this coming 12th general election. To be honest, I saw a ray of hope when 'Reformasi' was launched. I was full of hope that all Malaysians, irrespective of race and religion, would support ‘Reformasi’ so that BN will discard its brand of so-called 'multi-racial' politics. But it lacked the support of the Chinese support then.

This coming 12 ^th GE, I can the Chinese and Indian are supporting Barisan Rakyat, which was endorsed by DAP, PKR, PAS, and other opposition parties, But they don’t have the Malay support. Reason being that the majority of the Malays (except those in Kelantan) still believe that only Umno can protect their 'rights' - not PKR or PAS. Somehow, the Malay mentality is still very much influenced by 'Ketuanan Melayu' make famous by Umno.

I believe Anwar Ibrahim is well aware of this scenario and he is working very hard to convince the Malays to change their mentality and discard 'Ketuanan Melayu' and go for the true meaning of 'multi-racial' politics. I can feel such a change in mentality among the more educated Malays. I long to see this happen but maybe not this coming 12th GE. But it is still good enough if we can deny BN a 2/3rds majority.

On Samy: PKR 'samseng' behind demos

Gandhi: Samy Vellu is the one who uses thugs to silence any Maika shareholder questioning the irregularities in the management. It's bitter for him to taste his own medicine but he expects others to swallow without complaining. What's good for the goose is also good for the gander.

Ever since he became the president of MIC, there have been these roughing up of and abusive language used against MIC members who raise genuine and pertinent questions. In brief, he sends the clear message that ‘It's, my way or the highway’. With this kind of culture forced on by him, how one would expect any progress in the Indian community?

On Chinese school funds: Give them to MIC

Muthu Narayanan : While I appreciate and welcome the suggestion made by Sunny Lim, I strongly disagree that the money should be given to MIC for the betterment of Tamil schools as MIC is the another culprit who will swallow the funds in a matter of seconds. History will tell you the truth. Look back to see what happened to the poor Indian's hard earned money invested in Maika and Telekom shares.

The money went missing and the mastermind behind it was none other than the so-called ‘Saviour of Indian Malaysians’, the great Samy Vellu, who is famous in Malaysia for all the wrong reasons. Even my seven-year old son is asking me why Samy Vellu is so ‘bad’.

So the best way is, if at all the MCA decides to channel some money to Tamil schools, is to directly fund the poor Tamil schools without going through the MIC. For us Indians, the MICd died long ago and is now lying in its grave.

On Chan attacks 'penalised' DAP lawyer

Teo Chuen Tick: Chan has no moral authority to attack the penalised DAP lawyer - he himself has not given a full accounting of the RM 4.6 billion Port Klang FTZ scandal. But, yes, Keshvinder ought to explain himself.

Well, if he's elected, perhaps DAP can screen him more thoroughly.

On 48 hours for outgoing Penang CM

M Gnana Segaran : Much has been said of the policies of Gerakan who have totally let down their non-Chinese members by not fielding any one of them for the 12 parliamentary and 31 state seats that they are contesting. The reason given is that none of them are qualified to do so.

This statement by their senior leadership is totally uncalled for. This trend is a bad example in a multi-racial nation like ours. When one takes note of the reason that was given - that none of the non-Chinese qualify, this is a direct slap in their faces. And just look at the Gerakan central working council members who are elected. Nearly 99% of them are Chinese.

A word of advice - being within the Barisan Nasional concept, Gerakan mus review its current policies failing which it will not gain the required support of the non-Chinese in this country.

On Kosovo's independence and Pak Lah's impotence

Arbibi Ashoy: Clearly the writer is unabashedly pro-American believing in the merits of the so-called New World Order. The question is - should we grant the Americans a free hand in world matters the same way we have given the Barisan Nasional a free hand in handling the affairs in Malaysia? The Barisan Nasional party is the most prominent and powerful political party in Malaysia just like the US is the only remaining superpower left in the world. It is said that ‘power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely’.

It is important to note that there is much suspicion regarding Kosovo's announcement of independence. While I laud the right to self-determination for all people, the timing of Kosovo's independence is strange. The Muslims of Yugoslavia suffered ethnic cleansing at the hands of the Serbs for five years between 1990-1995 when the international community abandoned them.

So why is there suddenly support for Kosovo's independence now, 13 years after the genocide ended? Can you see the logic of not helping those desperately in need of help while going all out to help those not in need of help? Surely the place that presently badly needs help is the Palestinian territory where dozens of people are dying on a daily basis from missile attacks from its occupiers.

There is a parallel between the political workings of the BN and the US. When the people of Terengganu voted for the opposition, they were punished by having their oil revenue taken away from them. The same is happening in the world scene today where Iran is being punished with crippling sanctions for its refusal to end its peaceful nuclear energy programme. It is a case of ‘You are either with us or you are against us’ - a motto used by both the BN and the US.

The conclusion is, never allow anyone unchecked and unlimited power. It is a recipe for disaster.