So the United Kingdom people voted to leave the European Union by 51.9% voting to leave versus 48.1% voting to stay in the EU.
By UK member country, England (53.2%) and Wales (51.7%) voted to leave, whilst Scotland (62%) and Northern Ireland (55.7%) voted to remain.
According to The Telegraph website dedicated to the Brexit referendum, those regions of the UK which voted to leave have a high proportion of working class voters who were concerned over issues of immigration and employment.
Full details, with infographics can be accessed on its website at:-
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/23/leave-or-remain-eu-referendum-results-and-live-maps/
So what next?
Some predict that Prime Minister David Cameron and the Chancellor of the Exchequer ("Finance Minister") Gordon Osborne will be forced to step down.
Russia Today believes that Boris Johnson who supported Brexit will be the UK's next prime minister.
"So who would take Cameron’s job? There are already suggestions the next resident of 10 Downing Street could be former London Mayor Boris Johnson, who campaigned for a ‘Leave’ vote."
"It’s reported that negotiations may already be underway to coordinate Cameron’s exit and the installation of Johnson and Michael Gove into the seats of power."
https://www.rt.com/uk/348112-brexit-cameron-resign-scotland/
RT also reports opinion that Scotland may decide to make a second bid for independence from the UK and bid for EU membership on its own.
"It had been suggested that if ‘Leave’ won, Scotland could push for a second independence referendum to leave the United Kingdom and seek EU membership for itself."
"Scotland’s former First Minister Alex Salmond said in May that such a vote would probably occur “within two years.”
Others also predict that the U.K.'s exit from the EU will prompt other EU countries to make their own bids to leave.
Meanwhile, Asian markets have been badly shaken, since many believed the pollsters who predicted that the U.K. would remain in the EU.
Reuters reported jittery Asian markets this morning in anticipation of a Brexit.
Asian currency, bond and equity traders kicked off an early day of choppy trading as the growing likelihood of a British vote to leave the European Union sent shivers across trading floors and kept many investors glued to their television screens.
Trading desks at most foreign banks from Hong Kong to Singapore started on Friday nearly two hours before their normal start to take in early orders and address investor concerns. But the market meltdown and volatility pushed many traders to the sidelines as they waited for the final vote tally, before taking fresh positions.
"I am getting slightly seasick from the fluctuations between in and out," Michael Blythe, chief economist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia (CBA.AX). "I haven't heard this much noise from the dealing room in a very long time," he added.
Britain's bitterly contested referendum on whether to quit the EU began too close to call early on Friday, with partial results showing a deeply divided nation, but the pound was hammered as the numbers slowly tipped in favor of a vote to leave.
The threat of Britain leaving the European Union has had markets across the asset classes on edge.
The British pound fell about 10 percent, while shares in British bank HSBC plc (HSBA.L) tumbled 8 percent, while the FTSE futures FFIc1 pointed to a 7.5 percent slump at the UK stock market open.
"Volatility has been the theme of the year, and people are getting used to it," said Danny Bao, chief investment officer at HJY Capital Advisors (HK) Ltd. "The big unknown is the complication that a Yes vote (to leave) will create for EU. We are sitting tight for now," he added.
Asian markets were first to open and react as the results vote count tricked in. With results declared from 282 of 382 voting districts plus parts of Northern Ireland, Leave was ahead by 51.6 percent to 48.4 percent..
"Liquidity generally is very light. Even before coming into the voting day, liquidity was generally light. The problem is the market was generally pricing in a 'remain', so obviously you're seeing the pound and currency markets generally recovering back to any risk-off level," one Hong Kong-based fund manager said.
"I don't think it's Armageddon day, but definitely it's a short-term surprise if they voted for a leave," the fund manager said.
Tight liquidity has widened the bid and offer gaps in the Asian credit markets, with very small lots going through in low volume trade. In the CDS market the iTraxx benchmark ITAIG5Y=MG is trading at 142/145 bps, wider by about 8bps, and traders said it was one of the most volatile days of the year.
One bond taking a big hit was the HSBC 6.875% perpetual US404280BC2=TE, down 4 points in price at 97.5/99. But some high-yield bonds are outperforming as it has caught bids from risk seekers.
"We are seeing some support in high yield from investors rotating out of stocks,” said a Singapore based trader.
(Reporting by Denny Thomas Howard Rebecca, Elzio Barreto, Umesh Desai; Editing by Will Waterman)
http://www.reuters.com/article/us-britain-eu-trading-asia-idUSKCN0ZA0EO?mod=related&channelName=ousivMolt
China's People's Daily newspaper appears to have hoped that the UK would remain in Europe but now that is not the case, it is left to be seen what China will do next.
As Britain takes to polls for Brexit, China is also closely watching and weighing the impact of the possible United Kingdom leaving the European Union.
The future of the relationship between the U.K. and the E.U. depends on the vote on Thursday. Recent opinion polls put the “Leave” and “Remain” campaigns neck-to-neck, but the betting markets suggest there is a 75 percent chance that “Remain” will win, the media reported.
The U.K. is only second to Germany when it comes to trade with China in the E.U. According to an analysis report from the Bank of China, China will lose an important power to push forward free trade between China and Europe and it will also add to more difficulties for future negotiations on free trade pacts, the Beijing Morning Post reported.
As one of the most important offshore market and trading hubs for the RMB, London is a key mainstay for RMB internationalization efforts. Since the Brexit may threaten London’s position as a leading world financial hub, it may also affect China’s plans to go global, according to the Economic Daily.
The newspaper added that the world’s capital markets, including China’s, will receive a negative impact from the Brexit.
On the other hand, exports to the U.K. account for some 3 percent of China’s total exports, a figure not too big to indicate a huge blow, Beijing Morning Post noted, adding that the U.K. may also turn to seek more cooperation with countries like China, after Brexit impairs the country’s free trade with the E.U.
The Xinhua News Agency pointed out that the Brexit will also be followed by devaluation in the pound.
Several Chinese experts said the chance of the U.K. leaving the E.U. is relatively small. Professor Wang Yiwei with Renmin University of China said it is not very likely for the referendum to pass and for them to leave the E.U. and even if so, the E.U. may still hold emergency meetings in order to keep the U.K.
A“Remain” camp may attract the majority as keeping the E.U. membership is beneficial for the U.K. in the long run, according to Feng Zhongping, vice president of the China Institute of Contemporary International Relations.
“In all, we will be still delighted to see a ‘united E.U.’ for a Brexit will only jeopardize both the E.U. and the U.K. and weaken future global economic growth, which, obviously, will be bad for China,” People’s Daily commented.
http://en.people.cn/n3/2016/0623/c90000-9076549.html
Something else which could happen is that the UK will now pay more attention to the Commonwealth nations such as Malaysia, which the UK appears to have paid less attention to that it was in the EU, but from now on, let's see what the UK does with regards our part of the world.
CHARLES F. MOREIRA
24 June 2016
23 June 2016
HAS THE CORPSE OF KiDEX RISEN FROM THE GRAVE?
On 16 February 2015, Selangor State Chief Minister (Menteri Besar) Azmin Ali announced his government's decision to cancel the Kinrara-Damansara Expressway (KiDEX), an elevated tolled highway which would run from the Sprint Highway to Kinrara, passing through residential and commercial areas of Petaling Jaya along its way.
In his media statement in Malay bearing the Selangor State Government logo and published on his official web page, Azmin said:-
KENYATAAN MEDIA YAB DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR
16 Februari 2015
Pembatalan Projek Lebuhraya Kinrara Damansara (KIDEX)
Kerajaan Negeri Selangor mengamalkan pendekatan mengambil kira pandangan orang ramai dalam menentukan kelulusan sesebuah projek agar ia membawa manfaat menyeluruh. Selain dari pembangunan ekonomi, pentadbiran Negeri Selangor turut menitikberatkan sumbangan sosial dan manusiawi dalam setiap projek yang diluluskan. Dasar pembangunan berkualiti, rakyat dipeduli akan menjadi teras dalam setiap pembangunan di Negeri Selangor.
Pertikaian mengenai kelulusan Lebuhraya Kinrara Damansara (KIDEX) sebelum ini banyak berkisar kepada persoalan – persoalan ini.
Kerajaan Negeri telah menggunapakai maklum balas orang ramai yang terbabit untuk menetapkan syarat – syarat khusus yang perlu dipatuhi. Kerajaan Negeri juga berpendirian bahawa pembinaan lebuhraya dalam Negeri Selangor perlulah bermanfaat bukan sahaja kepada pengguna lebuhraya tetapi juga dinikmati oleh penduduk di mana lebuhraya itu dibina. Pendirian ini telah diluluskan dalam pembentangan Belanjawan Negeri Selangor 2015 di Persidangan Dewan Negeri Selangor pada 24 November 2014.
Justeru, pihak konsesi KIDEX perlu memenuhi syarat – syarat berikut :
1. Menyediakan Penilaian Impak Lalulintas (Traffic Impact Assessment) yang bebas, Penilaian Impak Sosial (Social Impact Assessment) dan Penilaian Impak Alam Sekitar (Environmental Impact Assessment). Kajian – kajian ini perlu membuktikan manfaat yang ternyata kepada pihak pengguna dan penduduk kawasan yang terlibat setelah mengambil kira kesan negatif yang timbul akibat pembinaan lebuhraya tersebut.
2. Mendedahkan kadar tol sepanjang tempoh konsesi termasuk segala kenaikan tol yang ditetapkan dalam konsesi. Pihak konsesi perlu memberikan anggaran rasmi jumlah tol yang akan dikutip dan kadar pulangan kepada pelaburan (rate of return to investment).
3. Mendedahkan perjanjian konsesi sepenuhnya untuk mematuhi dasar kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang menegaskan ketelusan dan kebertanggungjawaban.
Kerajaan Negeri telah memaklumkan kepada KIDEX untuk mematuhi syarat – syarat ini sebelum 14 Februari 2015. Oleh kerana tidak ada satu pun syarat – syarat ini yang dipatuhi oleh KIDEX setelah tempoh masanya tamat, maka Kerajaan Negeri Selangor dengan ini mengumumkan pembatalan Projek Lebuhraya Kinrara Damansara (KIDEX).
Pendekatan yang sama akan digunakan dalam mempertimbangkan permohonan kelulusan oleh lebuhraya – lebuhraya lain yang dicadangkan pada masa depan di bawah bidang kuasa Kerajaan Negeri Selangor.
MOHAMED AZMIN ALI
http://azminali.com/kenyataan-media-pembatalan-projek-lebuhraya-kinrara-damansara-kidex/
Azmin basically said:-
"The State Government has informed the KIDEX to comply with the conditions before February 14 , 2015. Since none of the conditions - conditions which are observed by KIDEX after the time period expires , the Selangor State Government is announcing cancellation Kinrara Damansara ( KIDEX )."
The three conditions referred not met by the above deadline are:-
1. Provide Traffic Impact Assessment ( Traffic Impact Assessment) are independent , Social Impact Assessment ( Social Impact Assessment) and Environmental Impact Assessment ( Environmental Impact Assessment) . The study - this study should prove useful as it appears to users and residents of the affected areas after taking into account the negative effects arising from the construction of the expressway .
2. Disclose the toll rates over the concession period including any toll increases set out in the concession . The concessionaire must provide an official estimate of the amount of toll to be collected and the rate of return on investment ( rate of return to investment ) .
3. Disclose the concession agreement is fully in compliance with government policies that affirm PR transparency and accountability.
In his media statement in Malay bearing the Selangor State Government logo and published on his official web page, Azmin said:-
KENYATAAN MEDIA YAB DATO’ MENTERI BESAR SELANGOR
16 Februari 2015
Pembatalan Projek Lebuhraya Kinrara Damansara (KIDEX)
Kerajaan Negeri Selangor mengamalkan pendekatan mengambil kira pandangan orang ramai dalam menentukan kelulusan sesebuah projek agar ia membawa manfaat menyeluruh. Selain dari pembangunan ekonomi, pentadbiran Negeri Selangor turut menitikberatkan sumbangan sosial dan manusiawi dalam setiap projek yang diluluskan. Dasar pembangunan berkualiti, rakyat dipeduli akan menjadi teras dalam setiap pembangunan di Negeri Selangor.
Pertikaian mengenai kelulusan Lebuhraya Kinrara Damansara (KIDEX) sebelum ini banyak berkisar kepada persoalan – persoalan ini.
Kerajaan Negeri telah menggunapakai maklum balas orang ramai yang terbabit untuk menetapkan syarat – syarat khusus yang perlu dipatuhi. Kerajaan Negeri juga berpendirian bahawa pembinaan lebuhraya dalam Negeri Selangor perlulah bermanfaat bukan sahaja kepada pengguna lebuhraya tetapi juga dinikmati oleh penduduk di mana lebuhraya itu dibina. Pendirian ini telah diluluskan dalam pembentangan Belanjawan Negeri Selangor 2015 di Persidangan Dewan Negeri Selangor pada 24 November 2014.
Justeru, pihak konsesi KIDEX perlu memenuhi syarat – syarat berikut :
1. Menyediakan Penilaian Impak Lalulintas (Traffic Impact Assessment) yang bebas, Penilaian Impak Sosial (Social Impact Assessment) dan Penilaian Impak Alam Sekitar (Environmental Impact Assessment). Kajian – kajian ini perlu membuktikan manfaat yang ternyata kepada pihak pengguna dan penduduk kawasan yang terlibat setelah mengambil kira kesan negatif yang timbul akibat pembinaan lebuhraya tersebut.
2. Mendedahkan kadar tol sepanjang tempoh konsesi termasuk segala kenaikan tol yang ditetapkan dalam konsesi. Pihak konsesi perlu memberikan anggaran rasmi jumlah tol yang akan dikutip dan kadar pulangan kepada pelaburan (rate of return to investment).
3. Mendedahkan perjanjian konsesi sepenuhnya untuk mematuhi dasar kerajaan Pakatan Rakyat yang menegaskan ketelusan dan kebertanggungjawaban.
Kerajaan Negeri telah memaklumkan kepada KIDEX untuk mematuhi syarat – syarat ini sebelum 14 Februari 2015. Oleh kerana tidak ada satu pun syarat – syarat ini yang dipatuhi oleh KIDEX setelah tempoh masanya tamat, maka Kerajaan Negeri Selangor dengan ini mengumumkan pembatalan Projek Lebuhraya Kinrara Damansara (KIDEX).
Pendekatan yang sama akan digunakan dalam mempertimbangkan permohonan kelulusan oleh lebuhraya – lebuhraya lain yang dicadangkan pada masa depan di bawah bidang kuasa Kerajaan Negeri Selangor.
MOHAMED AZMIN ALI
http://azminali.com/kenyataan-media-pembatalan-projek-lebuhraya-kinrara-damansara-kidex/
Azmin basically said:-
"The State Government has informed the KIDEX to comply with the conditions before February 14 , 2015. Since none of the conditions - conditions which are observed by KIDEX after the time period expires , the Selangor State Government is announcing cancellation Kinrara Damansara ( KIDEX )."
The three conditions referred not met by the above deadline are:-
1. Provide Traffic Impact Assessment ( Traffic Impact Assessment) are independent , Social Impact Assessment ( Social Impact Assessment) and Environmental Impact Assessment ( Environmental Impact Assessment) . The study - this study should prove useful as it appears to users and residents of the affected areas after taking into account the negative effects arising from the construction of the expressway .
2. Disclose the toll rates over the concession period including any toll increases set out in the concession . The concessionaire must provide an official estimate of the amount of toll to be collected and the rate of return on investment ( rate of return to investment ) .
3. Disclose the concession agreement is fully in compliance with government policies that affirm PR transparency and accountability.
However, when it seemed that KiDEX had forever been laid to rest, less than two weeks ago on 12 June 2016, a neighbour in Section 14 Petaling Jaya showed us this brochure bearing the name of a company - PJD Link (M) Sdn. Bhd., which describes its proposed Petaling Jaya Dispersal Link (PJD Link) - a four-lane elevated expressway starting from the North Klang Valley Expressway intersection and ending at the connection to the Bukit Jalil Highway. Alon the PJD Link's route, will be access points to/from Bandar Utama, Taman Tun Dr. Ismail, Petaling Jaya, Taman dato' Harun, Taman Medan baru, Taman Sri Manja and Bandar Kinrara.
(If you cannot see the enclosed brochure, maps or photos below, please enable "viewing images" in your e-mail client or viewer.)
(Please click on the picture to enlarge)
(Please click on the picture to enlarge)
On the reverse side of this brochure is a map showing the route of the proposed PJD Link will run past the front of Tropicana City Mall and Damansara Intan, then swing right and run down the land near the borders of Section 17 and Section 19 till it reaches the former Rothmans Roundabout, then along Jalan Semangat and quite literally run right through the middle of Section 14, Petaling Jaya on its way to the Bukit Jalil Highway.
More particularly, it will swing right past the Quill building on Jalan Semangat, then past the Mosque, then along the Sungai Pencala river reserve immediately behind the offices in the Right Angle and homes along Jalan 14/28 and Jalan 14/30, then swing right at Jalan 14/15 (Dato' Jamil Rais) and continue past the front of Millennium Square, quite probably requiring the acquisition and demolition of a cluster of homes on Jalan 14/15, in front of Millennium Square.
You can also watch a video narrative of the issue by clicking on the link below to play the video.
For a real world view, the proposed PJD Link will come running down the river as seen from Millennium Square in the picture below:-
It will then swing past the front of Millennium Square, quite probably requiring the acquisition and demolition of the homes in the foreground of the picture below.
We neighbours of Section 14, Petaling Jaya are very concerned about the traffic noise, pollution due to dust, petrol and diesel fumes from an expressway running so close to our homes, and the loss of the peace and serenity of our mature, friendly, multi-ethnic, neighbourhood, established in the 1950s or very early 1960s.
My neighbours and I are also very concerned that the proposed PJD Link, if constructed will negatively impact upon the value of our properties in Section 14, especially of those properties nearest to the PJD Link - i.e. Jalan 14/28, Jalan 14/30, Jalan 14/15, those apartments in Millennium Square overlooking the river, the businesses in Millennium Square which overlook the river and also residents of Menara Jaya next to Millennium Square, whose apartments face the expressway.
CHARLES F. MOREIRA
IT'S KIND OF NICE TO KNOW THAT BLOOMBERG HAS SIMILAR VIEWS AS I
Free Malaysia Today carries an article citing Bloomberg as saying that Malaysia's rural voters will decide which party wins the next elections.
Well, it's good to know that Bloomberg and several other political analysts share the same views on this issue with this humble, semi-retired, former writer who once specialised in writing about the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.
This understanding is not new and many who have been active in or who have observed politics on the ground in rural, semi-rural and semi-urban areas already know this, and also that people living, working and running businesses in these areas have different perspectives, priorities and values from more affluent and sophisticated urbanites.
Back in January 2011, a controversy flared over the historical novel Interlok being derogatory towards ethnic Indians of Malaysia, and it was one of the books in the school reading syllabus which made the controversy even more hot, with articles about it appearing on Free Malaysia Today's website almost daily and in other print and online media as well.
Meanwhile, reporters from Free Malaysia went down to cover the campaigning in the run up to the by-election for the state seat of Tenang. a small rural town in northern Johor state on 30 January 2011 and they asked some ethnic Indians there what they thought about Interlok and some Indians there said that they had not heard about Interlok, whilst others who did told the reporters that yes they had heard about the Interlok controversy but they had bigger concerns over their economic survival to have time to be bothered with a mere book, to its credit Free Malaysia Today reported.
Now that was way back in 2011 and we still have some clowns, especially from the opposition parties and opposition supporters who go around places like Tenang, Sungai Besar, Kuala Kangsar, recently in Sarawak, etc, using issues which urbanites are preoccupied with to try convince voters there to vote from them.
Their approach here is to demonise the incumbent, rather than try to convince the voters that the opposition can do a better job of serving their interests if elected.
So they usually lose in these areas but continue on repeating their failed approach, over and over again, perhaps hoping that one fine day, the proverbial needle of their proverbial turntable will somehow become unstuck from the rut in the damaged proverbial vinyl record playing on their proverbial turntable at the time, and the opposition party finally goes on to beat the incumbent party for the seat.
So without further ado, below is the story by Free Malaysia Today.
CHARLES F MOREIRA
KUALA LUMPUR: The rural population is well-taken care of by the Government, which is why the Barisan Nasional (BN) does consistently well in rural areas.
And that is why Prime Minister Najib Razak continues to court farmers and works to keep smallholders and Felda settlers happy.
According to a Bloomberg report, Najib needs to keep smallholders happy as he seeks the votes of rural and semi-urban areas to retain power in the next General Election due by 2018.
“Farmers — many of them ethnic Malays — are a linchpin for his party, which leads one of the world’s longest-ruling coalitions. Their votes have a higher weighting than their work, which contributes to less than a tenth of gross domestic product.”
The report said, at the next General Election, Najib would probably further target the bottom 40 per cent of the population who can swing votes in tight races.
Well, it's good to know that Bloomberg and several other political analysts share the same views on this issue with this humble, semi-retired, former writer who once specialised in writing about the information and communications technology (ICT) industry.
This understanding is not new and many who have been active in or who have observed politics on the ground in rural, semi-rural and semi-urban areas already know this, and also that people living, working and running businesses in these areas have different perspectives, priorities and values from more affluent and sophisticated urbanites.
Back in January 2011, a controversy flared over the historical novel Interlok being derogatory towards ethnic Indians of Malaysia, and it was one of the books in the school reading syllabus which made the controversy even more hot, with articles about it appearing on Free Malaysia Today's website almost daily and in other print and online media as well.
Meanwhile, reporters from Free Malaysia went down to cover the campaigning in the run up to the by-election for the state seat of Tenang. a small rural town in northern Johor state on 30 January 2011 and they asked some ethnic Indians there what they thought about Interlok and some Indians there said that they had not heard about Interlok, whilst others who did told the reporters that yes they had heard about the Interlok controversy but they had bigger concerns over their economic survival to have time to be bothered with a mere book, to its credit Free Malaysia Today reported.
Now that was way back in 2011 and we still have some clowns, especially from the opposition parties and opposition supporters who go around places like Tenang, Sungai Besar, Kuala Kangsar, recently in Sarawak, etc, using issues which urbanites are preoccupied with to try convince voters there to vote from them.
Their approach here is to demonise the incumbent, rather than try to convince the voters that the opposition can do a better job of serving their interests if elected.
So they usually lose in these areas but continue on repeating their failed approach, over and over again, perhaps hoping that one fine day, the proverbial needle of their proverbial turntable will somehow become unstuck from the rut in the damaged proverbial vinyl record playing on their proverbial turntable at the time, and the opposition party finally goes on to beat the incumbent party for the seat.
So without further ado, below is the story by Free Malaysia Today.
CHARLES F MOREIRA
Rural votes to decide next General Election victor
FMT Reporters A Bloomberg report says farmers and land settlers favour Umno as they say government policies have helped improve their lives.
KUALA LUMPUR: The rural population is well-taken care of by the Government, which is why the Barisan Nasional (BN) does consistently well in rural areas.
And that is why Prime Minister Najib Razak continues to court farmers and works to keep smallholders and Felda settlers happy.
According to a Bloomberg report, Najib needs to keep smallholders happy as he seeks the votes of rural and semi-urban areas to retain power in the next General Election due by 2018.
“Farmers — many of them ethnic Malays — are a linchpin for his party, which leads one of the world’s longest-ruling coalitions. Their votes have a higher weighting than their work, which contributes to less than a tenth of gross domestic product.”
The report said, at the next General Election, Najib would probably further target the bottom 40 per cent of the population who can swing votes in tight races.
19 June 2016
STATUS QUO IN SUNGAI BESAR AND KUALA KANGSAR
So, as expected, the Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition held Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar in the byelections held of 18 June 2016 with slightly larger majorities in percentage terms, with lower voter turnouts in both parliamentary constituencies.
In Sungai Besar, Selangor, the BN increased its votes by 3.12 percentage points from 50.53% of 36,991 votes in the May 2013 general elections to 53.65% of 31,311 votes in the June 2016 byelection.
In Kuala Kangsar, Perak, the BN gained 0.21 percentage points from 51.14% of 27,801 votes in the May 2013 general elections to 51.35% of 23,274 votes in the June 2016 byelection.
These results were in a four cornered fight in Sungai Besar in June 2016 over a straight one on one fight in May 2013 and a four cornered fight in Kuala Kangsar in June 2016 versus a three cornered fight in May 2013.
Despite some sensationalist media reports of a "massive majority" for the BN in Sungai Besar in June 2016, this result shows more or less status quo for the BN in these two constituencies, given that Amanah is a recent breakaway faction of PAS.
The results tabulated below suggest that PAS voters in 2013 remained loyal to PAS and Amanah in June 2016, with votes split between the two, whilst BN voters in 2013 remained loyal to BN in 2016.
In the aftermath of this result, Free Malaysia Today reports that the Pakatan Harapan pact wants PAS back at the negotiating table, now that they realise that they do not have a chance of beating the BN in the 2018 general elections without PAS.
KUALA KANGSAR: The defeat of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) in the Kuala Kangsar by-election is a sign that people want the coalition to be strong, Amanah Deputy President Salahuddin Ayub said.
He added that Pakatan Harapan was open to inviting PAS back to the negotiating table.
“There is still time to repair things.
“We are always open to discussions with PAS,” he said at a press conference at the Amanah Perak headquarters immediately after the Election Commission (EC) announced the results of the Kuala Kangsar by-election.
Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid won the parliamentary by-election after defeating candidates from Amanah, PAS and an Independent.
Mastura emerged victorious with a majority of 6,969 votes, recording a significant increase compared to the last general election.
Meanwhile, DAP’s Taiping MP, Nga Kor Ming also agreed with Salahuddin that PAS return to the discussion table with Pakatan Harapan.
He said the three-cornered fight clearly affected the Opposition’s chances of defeating BN.
“PAS has to go into negotiations with Pakatan Harapan. If PAS does not want to lose, they should avoid three-cornered fights. We are always open, but PAS should be sincere.”
Meanwhile, Nga claimed that 300 loyal DAP voters who wanted to support the Amanah candidate were transferred to the Padang Rengas parliamentary constituency.
He said the EC had acted unfairly and this was one of the reasons Pakatan Harapan had lesser votes.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/06/19/pakatan-harapan-wants-pas-back-at-negotiating-table/
Now why didn't they figure that out earlier.
Let's wait and see how they work this one out, if they can work it out.
Charles F. Moreira
In Sungai Besar, Selangor, the BN increased its votes by 3.12 percentage points from 50.53% of 36,991 votes in the May 2013 general elections to 53.65% of 31,311 votes in the June 2016 byelection.
In Kuala Kangsar, Perak, the BN gained 0.21 percentage points from 51.14% of 27,801 votes in the May 2013 general elections to 51.35% of 23,274 votes in the June 2016 byelection.
These results were in a four cornered fight in Sungai Besar in June 2016 over a straight one on one fight in May 2013 and a four cornered fight in Kuala Kangsar in June 2016 versus a three cornered fight in May 2013.
Despite some sensationalist media reports of a "massive majority" for the BN in Sungai Besar in June 2016, this result shows more or less status quo for the BN in these two constituencies, given that Amanah is a recent breakaway faction of PAS.
The results tabulated below suggest that PAS voters in 2013 remained loyal to PAS and Amanah in June 2016, with votes split between the two, whilst BN voters in 2013 remained loyal to BN in 2016.
| SUNGAI BESAR, SELANGOR BYELECTION RESULTS 18 JUNE 2016 | |||
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | VOTES | % VOTES |
| Budiman Modh Zohdi | BN | 16,800 | 53.65 |
| Dr. Abdul Rani Osman | PAS | 6,902 | 22.04 |
| Azhar Abdul Shukur | Amanah | 7609 | 24.30 |
| | TOTAL VOTES | 31,311 | |
| SUNGAI BESAR, SELANGOR ELECTION RESULTS MAY 2013 | |||
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | VOTES | % VOTES |
| Noriah Kasnon | BN | 18,695 | 50.53 |
| Mohd Salleh M Husin | PAS | 18,296 | 49.46 |
| | TOTAL VOTES | 36,991 | |
| KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK BYELECTION RESULTS 18 JUNE 2016 | |||
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | VOTES | % VOTES |
| Mastura Mohd Zahid | BN | 12,653 | 51.35 |
| Dr Najihatussalehah Ahmad | PAS | 5,684 | 24.42 |
| Prof Dr Ahmad Termizi Ramli | Amanah | 4,883 | 20.98 |
| Izat Bukhary Ismail Bukhary | Independent | 54 | 0.23 |
| | TOTAL VOTES | 23,274 | |
| KUALA KANGSAR, PERAK ELECTION RESULTS MAY 2013 | |||
| CANDIDATE | PARTY | VOTES | % VOTES |
| Wan Mohd Khairil Anuar Wan Ahmad | BN | 14,218 | 51.14 |
| Khalil Idham Lim Abdullah | PAS | 13,136 | 47.25 |
| Kamilia Ibrahim | Independent | 447 | 1.60 |
| | TOTAL VOTES | 27,801 | |
In the aftermath of this result, Free Malaysia Today reports that the Pakatan Harapan pact wants PAS back at the negotiating table, now that they realise that they do not have a chance of beating the BN in the 2018 general elections without PAS.
Pakatan Harapan wants PAS back at negotiating table
Mohamad Fadli Opposition should avoid three-cornered fights as people want the coalition to be strong.KUALA KANGSAR: The defeat of Parti Amanah Negara (Amanah) in the Kuala Kangsar by-election is a sign that people want the coalition to be strong, Amanah Deputy President Salahuddin Ayub said.
He added that Pakatan Harapan was open to inviting PAS back to the negotiating table.
“There is still time to repair things.
“We are always open to discussions with PAS,” he said at a press conference at the Amanah Perak headquarters immediately after the Election Commission (EC) announced the results of the Kuala Kangsar by-election.
Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Mastura Mohd Yazid won the parliamentary by-election after defeating candidates from Amanah, PAS and an Independent.
Mastura emerged victorious with a majority of 6,969 votes, recording a significant increase compared to the last general election.
Meanwhile, DAP’s Taiping MP, Nga Kor Ming also agreed with Salahuddin that PAS return to the discussion table with Pakatan Harapan.
He said the three-cornered fight clearly affected the Opposition’s chances of defeating BN.
“PAS has to go into negotiations with Pakatan Harapan. If PAS does not want to lose, they should avoid three-cornered fights. We are always open, but PAS should be sincere.”
Meanwhile, Nga claimed that 300 loyal DAP voters who wanted to support the Amanah candidate were transferred to the Padang Rengas parliamentary constituency.
He said the EC had acted unfairly and this was one of the reasons Pakatan Harapan had lesser votes.
http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2016/06/19/pakatan-harapan-wants-pas-back-at-negotiating-table/
Now why didn't they figure that out earlier.
Let's wait and see how they work this one out, if they can work it out.
Charles F. Moreira
18 June 2016
THE VOICES WHICH MOST LIBERALS AND "PROGRESSIVES" EITHER DENOUNCE OR IGNORE
Less than a week from now, United Kingdom people will vote in a referendum on 23 June 2016, on whether the United Kingdom will leave or remain in the European Union.
For those who are unaware, Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales, whilst the United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So whilst people are in the habit of using the names "Britain" and "United Kingdom" interchangeably, they actually are different entities, just as "Malaya" and "Malaysia" are names of different entities, whereby Malaya (now known as Peninsular Malaysia) is a subset of Malaysia.)
This comes 43 years after the UK was accepted into the EU (then known as the European Common Market) in 1973, and 41 years after two-thirds of UK citizens voted in a referendum, in favour of renegotiated terms of membership of the EU.
Results from public opinion polls today suggest that that there is a good likelihood that UK citizens could well vote to leave the EU and there are plenty of opinions arguing for or against, and many media commentators, economists and politicians predicting better or worse consequences for the UK economically, should the referendum result in a vote to leave.
However, whilst the views of these largely intellectual and urban-based commentators are widely publicised in the mainstream media, the voices of those amongst the UK working class, mostly in the more impoverished parts of the UK such as the north of England, the East End of London, to some extent part of the Midlands, northern Wales and Scotland are rarely heard.
I was a student in Salford, a part of Greater Manchester back in the 1970s. Salford is said to be at the heart of the industrial revolution and was reputed to be Europe's biggest slum and I saw evidence of poverty and run down houses in the working class areas of Salford, where in some cases there were no indoor toilets, where children ate out of garbage and so on.
Now writing in The Guardian, Lisa Mckenzie who comes from a working class background reveals why the UK working class favours that Britain (well actually the United Kingdom) will vote to leave the EU in the referendum, in what is commonly referred to a "Brexit" or "Britain Exit).
In her article which follows after this commentary, Mckenzie reveals that whilst UK workers are concerned over issues such as immigration, as the mainstream media portrays them, however their bigger concerns are over their economic security and well being.
She quotes a group of east-London women as saying, “I’m sick of being called a racist because I worry about my own mum and my own child,” and “I don’t begrudge anyone a roof who needs it but we can’t manage either.”
We don't have to go all that far from Malaysia to hear those kinds of accusations of "ignorant", "racist" and so forth spouting from the mouths and keyboards of largely urban based Malaysian liberals and "progressives", with such denunciations having been hurled at the Sarawak voters, more of whom voted for Sarawak-based coalition partners in the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition in the recent Sarawak state elctions. Besides economic concerns which no doubt was a factor in this result, Sarawakians (and Sabahans) are very protective of their respective states' territory integrity and don't quite welcome intrusion from Peninsular Malaysia, so they voted for their native Sarawak parties which are members of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition - a formal coalition of 13 parties, rather than candidates of opposition parties from Peninsular Malaysia.
It may surprise non-Malaysians to know that whilst Sarawakians and Sabahans can freely live and work in Peninsular Malaysia without having to obtain a work permit, a Peninsular Malaysian needs a work permit to work in Sabah or Sarawak and that it is easier for a Peninsular Malaysian to obtain permanent residence in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, than it is for us to obtain permanent residence in Sarawak or Sabah.
The byelections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar will be held today (18 June) to elect replacements for the two members of parliament killed in a helicopter crash in Sarawak during the run up to the Sarawak state elections.
It is predicted that the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), could likely hold these two seats, either with the same slim majorities or as some predict, an increased majority. Well, if that happens, just watch the torrent of denunciations of these semi-urban voters as "ignorant", "racist", "stupid" and so forth from the largely urban-based keyboard warriors, "alternative" media and the commentators to articles on these "alternative" media - a relatively privileged, urban elite who care little about the economic concerns of lower income people and who rarely offer alternative solutions for such people, which runs counter to their mostly neo-liberal leanings towards Darwinist-style "survival of the fittest" and "the rest be damned".
For such people, any kind of financial assistance and programmes to help alleviate poverty are anathema to their neo-liberal dogma of meritocracy, so how on earth can they expect to win votes from such constituents.
Instead, they tout alleged misdeeds of key government figures with regards issues such as 1MDB, RM2.6 billion donation, Altantuya, etc, etc, etc. and they hope to win based upon these issues!
Well, their stupidity is beyond belief.
Such neo-liberal policies have held sway in Europe, North America and elsewhere in the world, especially since the time of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, since when the rich got richer and the poor got poorer but in their neo-liberal minds, they either believed that such people could so easily upgrade their skills and "move up the value chain" to better paying jobs, but they did not see or want to see that there are fewer opportunities up the value chain and that instead, there would be more graduate unemployment or under-employment in lower paying service jobs which degree holders have to accept just to survive.
It was a long time coming, but the proverbial worm has now turned, and it is not pretty, when in their frustration such people in Europe have swung to the far-right, such as in the recent Austrian presidential elections where the centre-left Green Party candidate barely won over the far-right candidate by a wafer thin margin of 0.6% and in the United States, there is the high likelihood that radical right populist Donald Trump could be elected the next President of the United States in November.
It is reported that many working class Austrians who used to vote for the social democrats now voted for the populist far-right candidate in the presidential elections. This of course could be a protest vote, which may not be repeated in a general elections but still, sends a message of great dissatisfaction with the status quo on the part of the Austrian workers.
In this two-part Real News Network video documentary, Walter Baier, an economist, a communist and now Coordinator for Network to Transform Europe explains the rise of the far-right as resulting more from socio-economic concerns and sense of betrayal by the traditional mainstream conservative, social democratic and liberal parties especially amongst the working class and middle class, rather than over concerns over the massive influx of refugees and fear of Islam. Baier goes on to describe how the conservatives, social democrats and liberals have implemented neo-liberal policies and have implemented policies of austerity.
Baier who was a Chairman of the Communist Party of Austria describes how weak the far-left is today, so people have no recourse to turn to on the far-left which could serve as a counterweight to the far-right.
He also explains the rise of the far right as resulting of popular concerns over the growing supra-national dominance of the European Union over the social and economic policies imposed upon the member nation states of the European Union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JlsyHc0-dc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SehG1B75x2Q
To understand the difference between their respective policies and policies and ideologies, social democrats (often called "socialists") believe in the gradual transformation of capitalist society and economy through laws in favour of the working class and their trade unions but in practice, they have mainly fought for better conditions for workers within the capitalist system. However, after the wave of neo-liberal capitalist policies which have swept the world, especially since Thatcher and Reagan, the social democrats have ended up implementing neo-liberal policies and have imposed austerity policies upon the people, perhaps with a "more human face".
Communists believe in the replacement for the capitalist system which is based upon private ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, in which production is for private profit, with a socialist political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution and exchange are socially owned and in which production is for social need. And when the economic basis is different, the economic laws which arise from it will be different too, so where an economy based on production for private profit experiences periodic crises of overproduction, hence the capitalist economy goes through a roller coaster of booms and recessions, with workers being hired and retrenched as a consequence. On the other hand a planned economy based upon production for social need, will operate according to different economic laws from those laws arising from a capitalist economy.
Many misunderstand economic laws to be immutable like the laws of physics, chemistry and mathematics, when like with social and political science, economics is an inexact science, in which its laws or more particularly the behaviour of an economy arises from its underlying principles upon which an economy is based, and very much depends upon the forces of supply, demand, sentiment, finance, industry, productive capacity and so forth within the foundation of a particular economy and its inter-relation with the forces of supply, demand, sentiment, finance, industry, trade and so forth within the rest of the world.
The far-right (often referred to as fascists), are actually closer to the social democrats in that they policies of maintaining a capitalist economy, but a highly regulated one which includes a certain degree of state ownership of key industries and which serves the higher interests of the nation state, and to win and maintain the support of the small businesses, professionals and the workers for the nation state, the far-right provides them with certain social benefits and programmes in areas of housing, healthcare, education, old-age pensions and so forth. Whilst far-right regimes usually deny the independence of trade unions and instead replace them with unions which the government or ruling far-right party controls. In place of confrontation between workers and capitalists, a far-right regime enforces class collaboration in the higher interests of the nation state.
In fact, Singapore under the Peoples Action Party has adopted many of these far-right policies of class collaboration and socio-economic provision based upon a foundation of a capitalist economy. Instead of labour disputes, Singapore has strong labour laws and unions there generally rely on recourse to the labour court and arbitration to settle industrial disputes.
Therefore it is not surprising that unlike before World War II, when the far-left was very powerful with strong links to organised labour especially in Europe and also in North America and elsewhere, today with few exceptions, the far-left especially in Europe, the Americas and other parts of the world is mostly highly fragmented, with many squabbling factions , which despite their resolutions, statements and participation in mass demonstrations and public rallies, however have little or no influence or organisation within the core of the working class, hence the working class swing to the far-right.
This is partly due to much of today's far-left parties and groups having begun within the student movement or some other segments of society besides the organised working class, so they have difficulty gaining traction within working class and leading it to fight for its own interests.
Thus, such far-left parties and organisations resort to winning support and members from ethnic minorities in anti-racist and anti-fascist struggles, from women in their fight for equality, from religious minorities in defence of their rights, from lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) in their fight for equal rights and against discrimination, through anti-imperialist and anti-war struggles and so forth.
Whilst participating in these struggles and sometimes playing a leading role in them is fine, however they are peripheral to the economic concerns and struggles of the core of the working class to defend its interests, and without the influence within and the support of the core, such far-left parties and groups have not grown significantly beyond their niche of influence and support.
So when the far-left cannot do much to lead the people to resist neo-liberal austerity measures being imposed upon them by their conservative, liberal or social democratic government and along comes the far right with promises to protect their jobs, public healthcare, public education, public housing, to protect their national, ethnic, religious and cultural identity and to solve problems within the economy, it is no surprise that especially during hard economic times like now, people in difficult economic straits will very likely turn to the far-right for recourse.
Whether they deliver on their promises if they win is left to be seen but until then, such people will believe them and no amount of denunciation of the far-right as being racist, fascist, Islamophobic, anti-Semetic, homophobic, Islamophobic, reminders of the Holocaust, etc. will be likely to change such people's minds, especially when they looking for a government which will relieve them their suffering due to hard economic conditions.
The bottom line in all this is the state of the each country's economy and the global capitalist economy as well.
Lisa Mackenzie's article follows below.
Charles F Moreira
Brexit Is The Only Way the Working Class Can Change Anything
Working-class people are sick of being called ignorant or racist because of their valid concerns. The EU referendum has given them a chance to have their say.
By Lisa Mckenzie
June 15, 2016 "Information Clearing House" - "The Guardian" - I have lived in working-class communities all my life, and now that I research and write about those communities as a working-class academic, my motivation has always been to make sure that an authentic working-class woman’s voice tells our stories.
Working-class people’s voices are rarely heard outside their communities, and almost never within the political or media sphere. However the EU referendum debate has opened up a Pandora’s box of working-class anger and frustration. It is clear that the Westminster politicos are quite unnerved by this. Even I am surprised by how the referendum has captured the attention and the imagination of the same people that only last year told me they had no interest in the general election “because ‘they’ are all the same”.
Some 13 months later they are asking me what I think and arguing with me about the finer points of Brexit. In working-class communities, the EU referendum has become a referendum on almost everything. In the cafes, pubs, and nail bars in east London where I live and where I have been researching London working-class life for three years the talk is seldom about anything else (although football has made a recent appearance). In east London it is about housing, schools and low wages. The women worry for their children and their elderly parents – what happens to them if the rent goes up again? The lack of affordable housing is terrifying.
In the mining towns of Nottinghamshire where I am from, the debate again is about Brexit, and even former striking miners are voting leave. The mining communities are also worried about the lack of secure and paid employment, the loss of the pubs and the grinding poverty that has returned to the north. The talk about immigration is not as prevalent or as high on the list of fears as sections of the media would have us believe. The issues around immigration are always part of the debate, but rarely exclusively.
From my research I would argue that the referendum debate within working-class communities is not about immigration, despite the rhetoric. It is about precarity and fear. As a group of east London women told me: “I’m sick of being called a racist because I worry about my own mum and my own child,” and “I don’t begrudge anyone a roof who needs it but we can’t manage either.”
Over the past 30 years there has been a sustained attack on working-class people, their identities, their work and their culture by Westminster politics and the media bubble around it. Consequently they have stopped listening to politicians and to Westminster and they are doing what every politician fears: they are using their own experiences in judging what is working for and against them.
In the last few weeks of the campaign the rhetoric has ramped up and the blame game started. If we leave the EU it will be the fault of the “stupid”, “ignorant”, and “racist” working class. Whenever working-class people have tried to talk about the effects of immigration on their lives, shouting “backward” and “racist” has become a middle-class pastime.
Labour’s ‘metropolitan elite’ risks losing Eurosceptic supporters to Ukip by ignoring their views on Europe, claims MP Frank Field
Working-class people in the UK can see a possibility that something might change for them if they vote to leave the EU. The women in east London and the men in the mining towns all tell me the worst thing is that things stay the same. The referendum has become a way in which they can have their say, and they are saying collectively that their lives have been better than they are today. And they are right. Shouting “racist” and “ignorant” at them louder and louder will not work – they have stopped listening.
For them, talking about immigration and being afraid of immigration is about the precarity of being working class, when people’s basic needs are no longer secure and they want change. The referendum has opened up a chasm of inequality in the UK and the monsters of a deeply divided and unfair society are crawling out. They will not easily go away no matter what the referendum result.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44880.htm
For those who are unaware, Great Britain comprises England, Scotland and Wales, whilst the United Kingdom comprises England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So whilst people are in the habit of using the names "Britain" and "United Kingdom" interchangeably, they actually are different entities, just as "Malaya" and "Malaysia" are names of different entities, whereby Malaya (now known as Peninsular Malaysia) is a subset of Malaysia.)
This comes 43 years after the UK was accepted into the EU (then known as the European Common Market) in 1973, and 41 years after two-thirds of UK citizens voted in a referendum, in favour of renegotiated terms of membership of the EU.
Results from public opinion polls today suggest that that there is a good likelihood that UK citizens could well vote to leave the EU and there are plenty of opinions arguing for or against, and many media commentators, economists and politicians predicting better or worse consequences for the UK economically, should the referendum result in a vote to leave.
However, whilst the views of these largely intellectual and urban-based commentators are widely publicised in the mainstream media, the voices of those amongst the UK working class, mostly in the more impoverished parts of the UK such as the north of England, the East End of London, to some extent part of the Midlands, northern Wales and Scotland are rarely heard.
I was a student in Salford, a part of Greater Manchester back in the 1970s. Salford is said to be at the heart of the industrial revolution and was reputed to be Europe's biggest slum and I saw evidence of poverty and run down houses in the working class areas of Salford, where in some cases there were no indoor toilets, where children ate out of garbage and so on.
Now writing in The Guardian, Lisa Mckenzie who comes from a working class background reveals why the UK working class favours that Britain (well actually the United Kingdom) will vote to leave the EU in the referendum, in what is commonly referred to a "Brexit" or "Britain Exit).
In her article which follows after this commentary, Mckenzie reveals that whilst UK workers are concerned over issues such as immigration, as the mainstream media portrays them, however their bigger concerns are over their economic security and well being.
She quotes a group of east-London women as saying, “I’m sick of being called a racist because I worry about my own mum and my own child,” and “I don’t begrudge anyone a roof who needs it but we can’t manage either.”
We don't have to go all that far from Malaysia to hear those kinds of accusations of "ignorant", "racist" and so forth spouting from the mouths and keyboards of largely urban based Malaysian liberals and "progressives", with such denunciations having been hurled at the Sarawak voters, more of whom voted for Sarawak-based coalition partners in the Barisan Nasional (National Front) coalition in the recent Sarawak state elctions. Besides economic concerns which no doubt was a factor in this result, Sarawakians (and Sabahans) are very protective of their respective states' territory integrity and don't quite welcome intrusion from Peninsular Malaysia, so they voted for their native Sarawak parties which are members of the ruling Barisan Nasional coalition - a formal coalition of 13 parties, rather than candidates of opposition parties from Peninsular Malaysia.
It may surprise non-Malaysians to know that whilst Sarawakians and Sabahans can freely live and work in Peninsular Malaysia without having to obtain a work permit, a Peninsular Malaysian needs a work permit to work in Sabah or Sarawak and that it is easier for a Peninsular Malaysian to obtain permanent residence in the UK, Australia, Canada and New Zealand, than it is for us to obtain permanent residence in Sarawak or Sabah.
The byelections in Sungai Besar and Kuala Kangsar will be held today (18 June) to elect replacements for the two members of parliament killed in a helicopter crash in Sarawak during the run up to the Sarawak state elections.
It is predicted that the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), could likely hold these two seats, either with the same slim majorities or as some predict, an increased majority. Well, if that happens, just watch the torrent of denunciations of these semi-urban voters as "ignorant", "racist", "stupid" and so forth from the largely urban-based keyboard warriors, "alternative" media and the commentators to articles on these "alternative" media - a relatively privileged, urban elite who care little about the economic concerns of lower income people and who rarely offer alternative solutions for such people, which runs counter to their mostly neo-liberal leanings towards Darwinist-style "survival of the fittest" and "the rest be damned".
For such people, any kind of financial assistance and programmes to help alleviate poverty are anathema to their neo-liberal dogma of meritocracy, so how on earth can they expect to win votes from such constituents.
Instead, they tout alleged misdeeds of key government figures with regards issues such as 1MDB, RM2.6 billion donation, Altantuya, etc, etc, etc. and they hope to win based upon these issues!
Well, their stupidity is beyond belief.
Such neo-liberal policies have held sway in Europe, North America and elsewhere in the world, especially since the time of Margaret Thatcher and Ronald Reagan, since when the rich got richer and the poor got poorer but in their neo-liberal minds, they either believed that such people could so easily upgrade their skills and "move up the value chain" to better paying jobs, but they did not see or want to see that there are fewer opportunities up the value chain and that instead, there would be more graduate unemployment or under-employment in lower paying service jobs which degree holders have to accept just to survive.
It was a long time coming, but the proverbial worm has now turned, and it is not pretty, when in their frustration such people in Europe have swung to the far-right, such as in the recent Austrian presidential elections where the centre-left Green Party candidate barely won over the far-right candidate by a wafer thin margin of 0.6% and in the United States, there is the high likelihood that radical right populist Donald Trump could be elected the next President of the United States in November.
It is reported that many working class Austrians who used to vote for the social democrats now voted for the populist far-right candidate in the presidential elections. This of course could be a protest vote, which may not be repeated in a general elections but still, sends a message of great dissatisfaction with the status quo on the part of the Austrian workers.
In this two-part Real News Network video documentary, Walter Baier, an economist, a communist and now Coordinator for Network to Transform Europe explains the rise of the far-right as resulting more from socio-economic concerns and sense of betrayal by the traditional mainstream conservative, social democratic and liberal parties especially amongst the working class and middle class, rather than over concerns over the massive influx of refugees and fear of Islam. Baier goes on to describe how the conservatives, social democrats and liberals have implemented neo-liberal policies and have implemented policies of austerity.
Baier who was a Chairman of the Communist Party of Austria describes how weak the far-left is today, so people have no recourse to turn to on the far-left which could serve as a counterweight to the far-right.
He also explains the rise of the far right as resulting of popular concerns over the growing supra-national dominance of the European Union over the social and economic policies imposed upon the member nation states of the European Union.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2JlsyHc0-dc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SehG1B75x2Q
To understand the difference between their respective policies and policies and ideologies, social democrats (often called "socialists") believe in the gradual transformation of capitalist society and economy through laws in favour of the working class and their trade unions but in practice, they have mainly fought for better conditions for workers within the capitalist system. However, after the wave of neo-liberal capitalist policies which have swept the world, especially since Thatcher and Reagan, the social democrats have ended up implementing neo-liberal policies and have imposed austerity policies upon the people, perhaps with a "more human face".
Communists believe in the replacement for the capitalist system which is based upon private ownership of the means of production, distribution and exchange, in which production is for private profit, with a socialist political and economic system in which the means of production, distribution and exchange are socially owned and in which production is for social need. And when the economic basis is different, the economic laws which arise from it will be different too, so where an economy based on production for private profit experiences periodic crises of overproduction, hence the capitalist economy goes through a roller coaster of booms and recessions, with workers being hired and retrenched as a consequence. On the other hand a planned economy based upon production for social need, will operate according to different economic laws from those laws arising from a capitalist economy.
Many misunderstand economic laws to be immutable like the laws of physics, chemistry and mathematics, when like with social and political science, economics is an inexact science, in which its laws or more particularly the behaviour of an economy arises from its underlying principles upon which an economy is based, and very much depends upon the forces of supply, demand, sentiment, finance, industry, productive capacity and so forth within the foundation of a particular economy and its inter-relation with the forces of supply, demand, sentiment, finance, industry, trade and so forth within the rest of the world.
The far-right (often referred to as fascists), are actually closer to the social democrats in that they policies of maintaining a capitalist economy, but a highly regulated one which includes a certain degree of state ownership of key industries and which serves the higher interests of the nation state, and to win and maintain the support of the small businesses, professionals and the workers for the nation state, the far-right provides them with certain social benefits and programmes in areas of housing, healthcare, education, old-age pensions and so forth. Whilst far-right regimes usually deny the independence of trade unions and instead replace them with unions which the government or ruling far-right party controls. In place of confrontation between workers and capitalists, a far-right regime enforces class collaboration in the higher interests of the nation state.
In fact, Singapore under the Peoples Action Party has adopted many of these far-right policies of class collaboration and socio-economic provision based upon a foundation of a capitalist economy. Instead of labour disputes, Singapore has strong labour laws and unions there generally rely on recourse to the labour court and arbitration to settle industrial disputes.
Therefore it is not surprising that unlike before World War II, when the far-left was very powerful with strong links to organised labour especially in Europe and also in North America and elsewhere, today with few exceptions, the far-left especially in Europe, the Americas and other parts of the world is mostly highly fragmented, with many squabbling factions , which despite their resolutions, statements and participation in mass demonstrations and public rallies, however have little or no influence or organisation within the core of the working class, hence the working class swing to the far-right.
This is partly due to much of today's far-left parties and groups having begun within the student movement or some other segments of society besides the organised working class, so they have difficulty gaining traction within working class and leading it to fight for its own interests.
Thus, such far-left parties and organisations resort to winning support and members from ethnic minorities in anti-racist and anti-fascist struggles, from women in their fight for equality, from religious minorities in defence of their rights, from lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender (LGBT) in their fight for equal rights and against discrimination, through anti-imperialist and anti-war struggles and so forth.
Whilst participating in these struggles and sometimes playing a leading role in them is fine, however they are peripheral to the economic concerns and struggles of the core of the working class to defend its interests, and without the influence within and the support of the core, such far-left parties and groups have not grown significantly beyond their niche of influence and support.
So when the far-left cannot do much to lead the people to resist neo-liberal austerity measures being imposed upon them by their conservative, liberal or social democratic government and along comes the far right with promises to protect their jobs, public healthcare, public education, public housing, to protect their national, ethnic, religious and cultural identity and to solve problems within the economy, it is no surprise that especially during hard economic times like now, people in difficult economic straits will very likely turn to the far-right for recourse.
Whether they deliver on their promises if they win is left to be seen but until then, such people will believe them and no amount of denunciation of the far-right as being racist, fascist, Islamophobic, anti-Semetic, homophobic, Islamophobic, reminders of the Holocaust, etc. will be likely to change such people's minds, especially when they looking for a government which will relieve them their suffering due to hard economic conditions.
The bottom line in all this is the state of the each country's economy and the global capitalist economy as well.
Lisa Mackenzie's article follows below.
Charles F Moreira
Brexit Is The Only Way the Working Class Can Change Anything
Working-class people are sick of being called ignorant or racist because of their valid concerns. The EU referendum has given them a chance to have their say.
By Lisa Mckenzie
June 15, 2016 "Information Clearing House" - "The Guardian" - I have lived in working-class communities all my life, and now that I research and write about those communities as a working-class academic, my motivation has always been to make sure that an authentic working-class woman’s voice tells our stories.
Working-class people’s voices are rarely heard outside their communities, and almost never within the political or media sphere. However the EU referendum debate has opened up a Pandora’s box of working-class anger and frustration. It is clear that the Westminster politicos are quite unnerved by this. Even I am surprised by how the referendum has captured the attention and the imagination of the same people that only last year told me they had no interest in the general election “because ‘they’ are all the same”.
Some 13 months later they are asking me what I think and arguing with me about the finer points of Brexit. In working-class communities, the EU referendum has become a referendum on almost everything. In the cafes, pubs, and nail bars in east London where I live and where I have been researching London working-class life for three years the talk is seldom about anything else (although football has made a recent appearance). In east London it is about housing, schools and low wages. The women worry for their children and their elderly parents – what happens to them if the rent goes up again? The lack of affordable housing is terrifying.
In the mining towns of Nottinghamshire where I am from, the debate again is about Brexit, and even former striking miners are voting leave. The mining communities are also worried about the lack of secure and paid employment, the loss of the pubs and the grinding poverty that has returned to the north. The talk about immigration is not as prevalent or as high on the list of fears as sections of the media would have us believe. The issues around immigration are always part of the debate, but rarely exclusively.
From my research I would argue that the referendum debate within working-class communities is not about immigration, despite the rhetoric. It is about precarity and fear. As a group of east London women told me: “I’m sick of being called a racist because I worry about my own mum and my own child,” and “I don’t begrudge anyone a roof who needs it but we can’t manage either.”
Over the past 30 years there has been a sustained attack on working-class people, their identities, their work and their culture by Westminster politics and the media bubble around it. Consequently they have stopped listening to politicians and to Westminster and they are doing what every politician fears: they are using their own experiences in judging what is working for and against them.
In the last few weeks of the campaign the rhetoric has ramped up and the blame game started. If we leave the EU it will be the fault of the “stupid”, “ignorant”, and “racist” working class. Whenever working-class people have tried to talk about the effects of immigration on their lives, shouting “backward” and “racist” has become a middle-class pastime.
Labour’s ‘metropolitan elite’ risks losing Eurosceptic supporters to Ukip by ignoring their views on Europe, claims MP Frank Field
Working-class people in the UK can see a possibility that something might change for them if they vote to leave the EU. The women in east London and the men in the mining towns all tell me the worst thing is that things stay the same. The referendum has become a way in which they can have their say, and they are saying collectively that their lives have been better than they are today. And they are right. Shouting “racist” and “ignorant” at them louder and louder will not work – they have stopped listening.
For them, talking about immigration and being afraid of immigration is about the precarity of being working class, when people’s basic needs are no longer secure and they want change. The referendum has opened up a chasm of inequality in the UK and the monsters of a deeply divided and unfair society are crawling out. They will not easily go away no matter what the referendum result.
http://www.informationclearinghouse.info/article44880.htm
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