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Free Malaysia Today
14-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Cameroon's Biya, 92, brushes off health fears in bid for new term
Paul Biya has held a tight grip on power since taking over as Cameroon's president in 1982. (AP pic) YAOUNDE : In June 2004, on returning from yet another extended stay abroad, Cameroon President Paul Biya came down from his plane and poked fun at rumours he was dead. 'People are interested in my funeral,' he told reporters. 'I'll see them in 20 years.' That was 21 years ago, and the world's oldest serving head of state still has no plans to go anywhere. Yesterday he announced on X he would run in Cameroon's presidential election scheduled for Oct 12, seeking an eighth term that could keep him in office until he is nearly 100. Biya has held a tight grip on power since taking over as president in 1982 from his one-time mentor Ahmadou Ahidjo, whom he later sidelined and forced into exile. Now, an unprecedented public outcry in the press and on social media since his announcement suggests cracks in that power base, and doubts in his ability to keep going, may be growing. 'Nous sommes foutus' ('We are screwed!') was the front-page headline in today's edition of Le Messager newspaper next to a picture of Biya. The cocoa and oil-producing Central African nation faces a host of economic and security challenges, notably a conflict with Anglophone separatists and threats from Nigeria-based Islamist fighters in the north. Meanwhile Biya, 92, remains largely out of public view, spurring widespread speculation over who is really in charge. 'Most of us don't believe Biya is actually running the country anymore. His decision to run again, if it's really his, shows just how out of touch the system is,' tech entrepreneur Rebecca Enonchong told Reuters. Communications minister Rene Emmanuel Sadi did not immediately respond to a request for comment today. He has previously said Biya is in good health and that speculation to the contrary was 'pure fantasy and imagination' by critics aiming to destabilise the country. Last year, the government banned public discussion of Biya's health – though that order has been largely ignored by Cameroon's vociferous press. Calls to step aside Cameroon has had just two presidents since independence from France and Britain in the early 1960s and is likely to face a messy succession crisis if Biya becomes too ill to remain in office or dies. In 2008, Biya signed a constitutional amendment removing a two-term limit for the presidency. That paved the way for landslide wins in 2011 and 2018, according to official figures, though his opponents complained of irregularities including ballot stuffing and intimidation, which the government denied. Not much has changed since the last vote, both on the security front and for Cameroonians grappling daily with poor access to basic amenities from roads and water to electricity and waste management. 'These issues are not new. They have simply intensified because the situation keeps worsening,' said Pippie Hugues Marcelline, research policy analyst at the Yaounde-based Nkafu Policy Institute, a think tank. What is different this year, Marcelline said, is 'the level of engagement and awareness' about Biya's performance. 'A president needs to be seen in charge and in control. The absence of the president from the public is enough evidence that age is not on his side.' Prominent human rights lawyer Alice Nkom published a video last week on YouTube appealing to Biya to step aside. 'The legs are no longer holding up, the brain is no longer working. I'm telling you this because I'm in this situation, because I'm in my 80s,' she said. 'I know what has changed in me and what I can no longer give to Cameroonians.' Perhaps more worrying for Biya, two former allies have recently quit the ruling coalition and announced plans to run in the election separately. Enonchong, the tech entrepreneur, told Reuters she did not think Cameroonians would accept another Biya term. But analyst Raoul Sumo Tayo said that, despite the many obstacles, Biya should not be counted out. 'The ruling party can successfully rally the administrative elite and utilise outdated electoral practices,' he said, referring to what he described as fraudulent tactics. 'It might just secure an eighth term for Paul Biya.'
Free Malaysia Today
23-06-2025
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
Govt approval rating up by 10%, says research house
Merdeka Center's latest report, issued to mark the midpoint of the Anwar Ibrahim-led administration's five-year term, said Malaysians are beginning to feel the country is on a more stable footing following a period of political instability. (File pic) PETALING JAYA : The approval rating for the government has risen to 50%, while a majority of Malaysian voters has given Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim a positive approval rating of 55%, according to research house Merdeka Center. The latest approval rating for the government marks a 10% improvement from the 40% scored in June last year. In December of last year, Anwar's approval rating stood at 54%, while in June 2024 it was 43%. Merdeka Center's latest report, released to mark the midpoint of the Madani administration's five-year term, said Malaysians are beginning to feel the country is on a more stable footing following a period of political instability. 'Malaysians are beginning to feel the country is finally on firmer ground, with political turbulence easing and Anwar now leading a government with a two-thirds parliamentary majority. 'Institutional reforms like the revived Parliamentary Services Act 2025 also signal a return to principled governance,' the report, based on a survey carried out in May, said. It also said economic factors played a key role. Inflation eased to a three-year low of 1.4% in March, while gross domestic product grew by 4.4% in the first quarter. The report said the government's move to raise the minimum wage to RM1,700, provide festive cash aid to civil servants, and maintain fuel subsidies appear to have eased public anxiety over the rising cost of living. However, the survey noted that Malaysians remain most concerned about everyday economic issues. 'Bread-and-butter issues – not foreign policy or speeches – still move the Malaysian public the most,' Merdeka Center said. While Anwar's international engagements, including hosting Chinese president Xi Jinping and chairing Asean, have raised Malaysia's diplomatic profile, they have had less impact on voter sentiment than domestic issues. Dissatisfaction towards the federal government stands at 48% compared to 58% a year ago, although concerns linger over possible subsidy cuts in the near future. On the country's direction, 43% of those surveyed said Malaysia is heading the right way, an improvement from 29% in June 2024. Meanwhile, 50% still believe it is going in the wrong direction, down from 61% a year earlier. The poll was conducted from May 12 to 23 with 1,208 registered voters. The respondents were selected through random stratified sampling across age, ethnicity, gender and state constituencies.
Bloomberg
23-06-2025
- Business
- Bloomberg
Malaysian PM Anwar's Popularity Rises on Stability and Growth
Support for Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim rose as he crossed the midpoint of his five-year term amid political stability. The premier's approval rating stood at 55% as of May, compared with 54% in December and 50% in November 2023, according to a poll by Merdeka Center. Anwar's government also saw its rating climb to 50% as of May, compared with 40% in June last year.
Free Malaysia Today
17-06-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Defect and face RM10mil suit, Warisan's election hopefuls warned
Warisan president Shafie Apdal said over 65% of the party's candidates for the upcoming Sabah polls will comprise younger candidates. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : Warisan plans to file a RM10 million suit against any of its assemblymen who hop parties after winning seats under the party's banner in the upcoming Sabah state election. Party president Shafie Apdal said Warisan's candidates would be made to sign a moral and legal agreement to state their loyalty and commitment to the party until the end of their term, if elected. 'I have prepared a preventive measure. If any candidate who wins on a Warisan ticket leaves the party, we will take them to court and sue them for RM10 million. 'Every candidate nominated must understand and agree to this condition (in order to be fielded as a Warisan candidate),' he said, according to Sinar Harian. Shafie said there was a need for such a proactive measure despite the enactment of Sabah's anti-hopping legislation, as party hopping has often threatened the Bornean state's political stability. The former chief minister added that many had expressed interest to contest in the state polls representing Warisan, but said over 65% of the party's candidates would comprise younger candidates. In 2023, Warisan had said they would file a compensation claim against 11 assemblymen who defected from the party to back the ruling state government. The 11 who quit Warisan after the 2020 state polls are Yusof Yacob (Sindumin), Hassan A Gani Pg Amir (Sebatik), Peter Anthony (Melalap), Juil Nuatim (Limbahau), Mohamaddin Ketapi (Segama), Rina Jainal (Kukusan), Norazlinah Arif (Kunak), Mohammad Mohamarin (Banggi), Chong Chen Bin (Tanjong Kapor), Awang Ahmad Sah Sahari (Petagas) and Hiew Vun Zin (Karamunting).
The Independent
02-06-2025
- Business
- The Independent
South Korea election: The leading candidates, key dates and top issues
The people of South Korea are heading to the polls for their 21st presidential election. Voters will be hoping to restore political stability after months of turmoil. The election aims to fill the power vacuum left by former leader Yoon Suk Yeol's failed attempt to impose martial law. In this single-round election, the candidate with the most votes will be declared the winner and serve a five-year term. Results are expected on the evening of Tuesday, 3 June or early on Wednesday, 4 June. Here's what you need to know about the leading candidates, key dates, and other important details. Leading candidates The top three candidates based on a Gallup Korea poll a week ago were the liberal frontrunner Lee Jae-myung of the Democratic Party, with 49 per cent public support, followed by his main conservative rival Kim Moon-soo of the People Power Party with 35 per cent and another conservative candidate, New Reform Party's Lee Jun-seok, on 11 per cent. All of the candidates remaining in the race are men, with no women in the final lineup for the first time since 2007, according to the National Election Commission (NEC). South Korea has only had one female leader, Park Geun-hye. One of the six candidates, independent Hwang Kyo-ahn, quit the race on Sunday to back Mr Kim, media reports said. The youngest candidate is Lee Jun-seok, who is 40, and the oldest is Kim Moon-soo at 73. Number and makeup of voters There are 44.39 million eligible voters, with women accounting for 50.5 per cent of voters, according to data on the electoral roll from the interior ministry. South Korea is one of the world's fastest ageing societies and the number of voters aged above 60 accounts for about a third of the electorate, outstripping the 28 per cent share of those in their 20s and 30s. Gyeonggi Province is home to the largest number of voters, accounting for 26.4 per cent, followed by Seoul at 18.7 per cent and Busan at 6.5 per cent. A total of 205,268 people overseas voted between 20-25 May in 118 countries, the NEC said. Election security South Korea's acting President Lee Ju-ho has said the government was "transparently disclosing the entire process of the presidential election", according to his office. The National Election Commission will air CCTV surveillance footage of rooms storing ballots from early voting, with their entrances sealed before counting starts and transported ballots given police escorts, Lee said. After votes are cast, ballots will be initially sorted by machines and then election workers will count them, the NEC said. Election schedule The official election campaign is relatively short in South Korea in a bid to contain costs. It started on 12 May. There were 3,568 polling stations across the country open for early voting that was allowed between 29-30 May. Eligible voters could cast their ballots at any of the polling stations without pre-registration between 6am and 6pm. Turnout for early voting has generally increased over the years, with more than a third voting early in recent presidential elections. In the latest election, 15.4 million, or 34.74 per cent of the total, voted during early ballots between 29-30 May, compared to the 2022 election's proportion of 36.9 per cent. Election day on 3 June is a public holiday and voting will run from 6am until 8pm with an indication of the results likely to start emerging that evening or early the next day. On 4 June, the National Election Commission is expected to verify the results and the inauguration of the new president will be held.
