Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #28

By
M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 4:      Modern Model States

Don’t Cry For Argentina (Cont’d)

Argentineans today must be wondering where they had gone wrong.  How could they mess up such a wonderful country?  With such promising attributes and rich resources, it would take a real effort to screw things up.  The Argentineans did not accidentally stumble their way down; they must have deliberately taken that path of self-destruction.

             I deliberately choose this Latin American country as a negative example, of how not to proceed; or how to mess things up royally.  To see how far Argentina had fallen, a cursory review o f its history would suffice.

             In the early 20th century Argentina enjoyed a standard of living much higher than that of Western Europe.  Capital and labor poured in to tap the country’s wealth.  United States too had a massive influx of European immigrants at that time.  Unlike America however, Argentina did not have a dominant culture into which the immigrants wished to assimilate.  Thus the Italians in Argentina pretty well maintained their own culture and value system, as did the Spaniards and other Europeans.

             In contrast, America had the dominant Anglo-Saxon culture and ethos; all new immigrants were eager to join this cultural mainstream.  They readily adopted Anglican ways, including changing their names to make them sound more English.  They forced themselves and their children to learn English and to forget the old ways.

             Today, America is a much more integrated society.  Not so with Argentina.  Argentina was spared the devastations of the two world wars.  Thanks to its abundant food supply, it was also spared much of the horrors of the Great Depression.  One would expect that with such a head start, it would have overtaken the world by now.  Alas such is not the case.

             Argentina may have been spared the devastation of wars but her series of military dictatorships created just as much destruction, if not more.  At least in a war there would be an end point when one side is exhausted or defeated, and the process of healing and rebuilding could begin.

             The military’s intervention in the affairs of state began in 1930 with the overthrow of the civilian government.  The military up to that time had prided itself on its professionalism and autonomy, or more accurately, lack of political ambitions.  Promotions and recruitment were done entirely by the officers themselves, with no favoritism or manipulation from politicians.  Merit became the operative criterion and as a result, the military attracted the best and brightest.

             These professional and highly disciplined officers looked disdainfully at the incompetence of the politicians and decided to act.  One can certainly sympathize with that sentiment!  The politicians were indeed helpless to solve the deepening polarization, especially between workers and members of the oligarchy.

             Although that early military rule lasted only for two years and the subsequent election held on time, that was only a procedural change.  The generals merely changed into civilian suits, stuffed the ballot boxes, and were duly elected.  This trick of course has been copied umpteen times by military officers all over the Third World.  Argentina however, must surely hold the record.  Between 1930 and 1983, the country had been through 26 successful military coups, and hundreds of unsuccessful ones!

             The generals may have thought they had the solutions but in reality they merely succeeded in substituting themselves for the landowners and capitalists as the enemy of the working class.  But one of these officers, one Colonel Juan Peron, did develop a populist streak.  Peron used his position as Secretary of Labor, a minor position in the political hierarchy, to cultivate a following among the workers.  Having suitably anointed himself as a hero of the working class with the help of an actress later to become his wife, Eva, he easily won the 1946 election.

             Peron, enamored with the labor movement and ways of the left, proceeded to pursue socialistic policies.  Apart from the obligatory Five Year Plans, he nationalized major sectors of the economy.  Initially he did succeed in shifting wealth to the workers.  His plans appeared to work, with workers now getting a fair shake in the economy.  The GDP expanded at a steady clip and emboldened, the state became even more involved in the economy.  Costly and inefficient industries were thus created, not so much to produce goods and services, rather to alleviate unemployment.  In the end they became nothing more than subsidized public works programs.

             Agriculture, the backbone of the nation, was heavily taxed and ignored to subsidize urban industries.  Farm products were priced ridiculously low to appease urban consumers.  The end results were, despite vast fertile grasslands, a substantial decline in agricultural and meat production.  To aggravate matters, Argentineans continued to live beyond their means, encouraged and subsidized by the state.  The government too, was equally profligate.

             Buoyed by his populist success, Peron even took on the Catholic Church.  In the end his populist appeasement came back to haunt him.  You cannot please all the people all the time; eventually someone has to pay the bill.  When that time came, Peron could not find ready volunteers.  Peron’s rule ended, not surprisingly, with a military coup in 1955.  Alas, the subsequent military leaders proved equally inept.

             In 1982 the military took the country to a disastrous war with Britain over the Falklands.  Humiliated, the generals ceded power, and 1983 saw the election of Raul Alfonsin.  But uncontrolled inflation and declining production continued.  Argentineans and their governments still lived beyond their means and borrowed heavily.  There was no social consensus over budget cuts and other austerity measures.  Hyperinflation set in with rates in the range of 400% per month.  By the time he was succeeded in 1989 by the colorful and flamboyant Carlos Menem, Argentina’s foreign debt was a staggering US $69 billion. (By 2002, it doubled to over US$140B.)

             Menem immediately normalized relations with Britain and put the war behind.  He committed himself and the nation to free enterprise by opening its markets and privatizing state industries.  Tariffs, which hitherto covered over 90% of imports, were drastically dismantled.

             The seminal restructuring event was the sale of its massive state telephone company, and Menem used the hard currency thus earned to pare down the debt.  Most significantly, Menem made a radical move by fixing the pesos to the dollar, the convertibility plan.  In so doing he not only tamed Argentina’s hyperinflation but also facilitated trade with America, the world’s largest and most lucrative market.  Argentina, which until then had experienced capital flight, began to get foreign investments again, including money its citizens had stashed abroad.

             To give the proper credit, many of the economic initiatives of Menem were in reality the brainchild of his Economic Minister, the Harvard PhD Domingo Cavillo.  He rightly targeted that the root of the Argentineans’ hyperinflation was not monetary (too much money chasing too few goods), rather the fiscal indiscipline of its political leaders.  Cavillo knew that hyperinflation, in contrast to the garden-variety inflation, was more than a mere economic phenomenon; it represented the people’s utter and total lack of confidence in the government.  Curing it meant going beyond taking simple economic measures.

             Thus he dramatically curtailed the grandiose illusions and pretensions of the country’s leaders instead of just clamping on the money supply (the traditional remedy).  Unbelievably, it worked!  For Cavillo to rein in those wily Latin politicians must take some doing!

             Menem’s first term was indeed a remarkable turnaround for Argentina.  Constrained by law to succeed himself, he, like South Korea’s Park, pushed through constitutional amendments to enable him to run for a second term, which he won handily.  In his second term he reverted to the stereotype Latin leader.  It was marred by administrative sclerosis, increasing corruption, and high-profile financial scandals.  Precluded by law from running for the third time, he was succeeded in 1999 by a man who was his exact opposite, Fernando de la Rua.

             Among Rua’s first moves was to sell the luxurious presidential jet, a Boeing 757, which had cost a fortune to maintain and operate.  That luxurious jet epitomized the profligate ways of the government and its leaders.  Cavillo was successful, but not completely!

             Under the standard “one rule fits all” IMF tutelage, Rua increased taxes and cut social spending, which prompted a series of citizens’ protests and labor unrests.  At the time of my writing, Argentina is again threatening to default on its massive foreign debt, a move that would send ugly repercussions worldwide.  It is to be noted that a significant portion of that debt was not for investments but routine operating expenses, including the servicing of earlier loans.

             Under Menem’s first term Argentina was the poster child of free market advocates.  His reforms won plaudits, in particular from Washington, DC.  But by the end of his second term, with the strengthening of the US dollar, Argentina’s competitiveness vis a vis its neighbors declined considerably, hurting its exports.  Convertibility, which was an economic lifesaver a decade earlier, is now a significant drag, with Brazil and other neighboring countries gaining significant competitive advantage with their devalued currencies.  While only a few years earlier Argentina was talking bravely about dollarizing its economy, by 2001 Argentina was hedging its bets.  But by January 2002 the dollar link was severed and the peso devalued.  That was more than just a monetary decision; it shattered what little credibility the government had with its people and the financial markets.

             With the economic crisis came widespread social discontent and political upheaval.  In early 2002, within the space of a few weeks Argentina changed presidents no less than five times.  The public’s faith in the government waned with widespread graft and breach of faith.  Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index for example ranked the country at 52nd (highly corrupt).  At the dawn of the 21st Century, Argentina is a far different country than it was a century earlier.

 Next:   The Relevant Lessons For Malaysia

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 August 2010, 10:18 am and is filed under
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Porntip the most trusted individual in all of Thailand

From
http://www.lifestyleasia.com/articles/culture_4/readers-digest-trust-survey_4336.htm

Conducted in October 2009, the survey found Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunan to be the most trusted individual in all of Thailand while Doctors were the most trusted group.

Most Trusted Individuals:
This survey found that out of 80 individuals Thailand’s renowned forensic pathologist and director of the Forensic Science Institute, Dr. Pornthip Rojanasunan was ranked as the most trusted individual of the year. She was followed by Phra Ajarn Alongkot Dikkapanyo, the head monk at the famous Buddhist AIDS temple, Wat Phra Baht Nam Phu, Dr. Sumet Tantivechakul, secretary general of the Chaipattana Foundation, Phra Promkunaporn (Prayut Payutto) acclaimed spiritual leader and winner of an UNESCO Prize for Peace Education, and Phanya Nirunkul media tycoon who was the fifth most trusted individual.

The rest of the top ten were film director Prince Chatrichalerm Yukol (6), leading banker Banthoon Lamsam (7), social workers Nuannoi Timkul (8) and Suthasinee Noiin (9), and renowned marine environmentalist Dr. Torn Thamrongnawasawat (10).

People trust those who do good deeds for society: The majority of this survey’s top 10 most trusted individuals were people who worked in non-profit organizations and dedicated themselves to helping others. Some of the respondents pointed out that, Dr Pornthip Rojanasunan has worked “dedicatedly and fearlessly to bring justice to our society”.

Other individuals within the top ranks were also highly rated in terms of their dedication to the greater good. For instance, Phra Ajarn Alongkot Dikkapanyo’s work of helping those who suffer from AIDS is selfless and admirable, while Dr Sumet has been admired for his service to the King and his commitment to accelerate awareness of His Majesty the King’s philosophy of sufficiency economy among general public.

When it comes to trust, politicians are the lowest: According to the survey, politics was seen as the least trusted occupation, followed by Psychic or Astrologer and Insurance Agent. The survey also found that Thai respondents trusted security guards more than they trusted law enforcers. In the most trusted profession ranking, security guards were rated one spot higher than police officers.

The Full Lists & Analysis – “Thailand’s Trust Survey 2010” is published in the March 2010 issue of Reader’s Digest Thailand magazine.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 August 2010, 10:18 pm and is filed under
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What will they do about racism now?

By
Kee Thuan Chye

COMMENT Let’s wait and see what action will be taken against Siti Inshah Mansor, the principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, for the racist remarks she allegedly made at the Merdeka celebrations in her school.

The police will be concluding their investigations soon, under Section 504 of the Penal Code. If they have a case, Siti Inshah could be charged with provocation, which carries a maximum imprisonment of two years, a fine or both.

Meanwhile, DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang has called for her to be sacked. MCA president Chua Soi Lek calls for her to be transferred to a desk job and given counselling. How generous of Chua.

If she did what she is said to have done, she should instead be drawn and quartered, like in the good old days. Or have her head put in a cangue – you know, like in the Chinese movies, where the head and hands are locked up within a square wooden contraption.

Or she should be given the Japanese treatment – force-fed water while someone jumps on her bloated tummy, or hung from a tree by her thumbs, and displayed publicly for all to see that this is what happens to racists.

Of course, I’m being facetious, but this must surely be the fantasy of anyone who feels disgusted by any racist act. All the more so if it is committed by someone who is a principal of a school, who should be spreading the message of racial unity instead of – God forbid! – racial hatred.

Siti Inshah is alleged to have said that Chinese students are not needed in the school and can go back to China or Sekolah Foon Yew (a private Chinese school in Johor), and that the prayer strings Indian students wear on their neck and wrist make them look like dogs, and only dogs would be tied this way.

If the allegation is true, what could have possessed her to make her say such things? That is something that must be ascertained. Even if she had been provoked for some reason or other, it is still not her place to react this way to the students. She has a huge responsibility as a school principal to restrain her racist impulses.

Given the seriousness of the situation, if the allegation is true, how then can she be allowed to get away with it? If she were to be exonerated, imagine the damage she could further cause given her influential position.

If it is true that she behaved like a racist, her name should instead be remembered in the Hall of Shame.

Racial slurs

So far, however, among the Barisan Nasional parties, only the MCA and the MIC have criticised the action. Has any Umno leader come out to say anything against it? And if so, why not?

Siti Inshah is also alleged to have called her non-Malay students penumpang (passengers or tenants) in this country. First, we had Umno politician Ahmad Ismail calling non-Malays pendatang, now there’s penumpang. What will they think up next?

These racial slurs are getting out of hand. And that’s worrisome. It’s symptomatic of the times. We are getting more divided along racial lines than perhaps ever before.

That’s what you get when you allow the mainstream newspapers to go to town scaring the Malays into believing that the non-Malays are a threat and will soon take over the country. When someone like Zaini Hassan can write irresponsibly and mischievously in Utusan Malaysia about a “large-scale war” breaking out that will be bigger than that of May 13, about an alternative constitution being written that will abolish the special position of the Malays and Islam. What rubbish!

That’s what you get when you allow newspapers and individuals to go around telling non-Malays they must be submissive, grateful and not speak up for their rights, or go home – to China or India.

That’s what you get when you allow organisations like Persatuan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) to go on their high horse and slam every reasoned argument made against their credo. So now, for every little thing they don’t like, they run to the police station to make a report.

That’s what you get when you give them so much face, to the extent of granting them a publishing permit virtually overnight; when you cut them so much slack by saying nothing when they challenge government policies that seek to address the nation’s fall from economic competitiveness.

And then no less than the Deputy Prime Minister invokes the ghost of May 13, pulling the perennial Umno stunt, to tick off Chua Soi Lek for asking for more non-Malay participation in the economy.

Damoclean sword

Not only is Muhyiddin Yassin behind the times in that regard; he actually warns that this could anger the Malays and it could amount to a spark similar to that which set off May 13. Who is stoking the racial fire here? If a personage like the DPM says it will make the Malays angry, some people might be bound to take that seriously and really feel angered. If the DPM mentions May 13, that might put ideas in some fanatics’ heads.

Why must Muhyiddin say something potentially flammable like this? As the nation’s No 2 leader, he should instead avoid bringing up such a thing instead of brandishing it like a Damoclean sword.

But then, that’s what constitutes the central problem of this country. Politicians will make capital of anything without thinking of its consequences. They are short-term players looking for short-term gains. And this short-term playing has been extended for decades in the sick politicisation of race.

Do we have to keep reminding them of the dangers of this game and still see nothing done about it even when the cows have come home? By then, it will be too late. The wound caused by racial discord might have become so infected that it can no longer heal.

The treatment has to start now. And if the people who are in charge of administering it are not up to it, if instead they are exposing the wound to even more bacteria, then we should be looking for an alternative cure.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 19 August 2010, 12:30 pm and is filed under
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Racial remarks: Headmistress must be sacked

By
P Ramakrishnan
 | Aliran

It is difficult to reconcile how a principal of a secondary school could be so insensitive and dumb as to utter derogatory words to denigrate students under her care. She had shown utter contempt to the Chinese and Indians in this country.

It is unbelievable that she could have said, “Chinese students…can return to China.”  It is amazing that she could have likened the prayer strings worn by Indians to a dog leash.

It is difficult to believe that she is a teacher and an educator. With this warped and distorted view of the Chinese and Indians, what kind of values can she impart to her students under her care? What kind of character can she inculcate among her students? She comes across as subhuman.

How she got promoted is a mystery. How she got selected to be a teacher is a wonder. Unfortunately, there are many of her ilk in the Teaching Service doing immense damage to this nation. Two years ago, we had one dumb discipline teacher in Anderson School who ordered Hindu students to remove their religious wristband and shave off their moustache and beards, which they had allowed to grow ahead of fulfilling their vows during Thaipusam

We have this kind of people not only in schools
–  but those higher up are no better. The Director General of Education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom did not do justice to himself or to his position when he referred to the offending alleged remarks made by Siti Inshah Mansor of Sekolah Menengah Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra as “just a misunderstanding.”

It is extremely upsetting when he tries to trivialise a serious matter as trifle. Instead of viewing her remarks as something that can hurt the feelings and sensitivities of others to the extent of jeopardising our harmony and unity, he doesn’t seem capable of understanding what damage her remarks have caused to our frail unity. Her thoughtless, offending remarks have indeed further undermined the Prime Minister’s vision of 1Malaysia.

When so much damage had been done by this insensitive head, it is troubling that the PM and the Education Minister have not uttered a word to reprimand this head. They have a duty to land hard on those who threaten our harmony and create disunity among us. When they hold their silence, it can be construed as not viewing seriously what has happened. It is this attitude that is causing a lot of problems in this country.

In Aliran’s view, this head should not continue to remain in the Teaching Service. She does not have the aptitude to be a head; she doesn’t understand the cultures of the various communities; she does not have commom sense to discern what is right and wrong; she does not respect the rights of citizens of this country as evident when she stupidly told the Chinese students to return to China.

She should be either sacked or pensioned off. Keeping her in service will be viewed as condoning her conduct. Keeping her in service by transferring her to another school or department is not acceptable. This kind of action only encourages others to be bold in acting irresponsibly.

At times we wonder whether the government is truly interested in reining in these unscrupulous elements in positions of authority and weeding them out of the national life to preserve our harmony and unity. We have to ask this question simply because we have had so many instances of questionable characters disparaging the non-Malay communities without being properly disciplined.

The manner the instructor in the BTN had blamed and shamed the non-Malays as a group, the manner Datuk Nasir Safar from the Prime Minister’s Department had displayed his ignorance of our history by ridiculously claiming that the “Indians came to Malaysia as beggars and Chinese especially women came to sell their bodies” and got away scot-free without being severely punished – all of these have only encouraged others to go overboard with their insults.

Thinking Malaysians have a right to ask why the General Orders were not applied in these cases. Are they exempted from the provisions of the GO?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 August 2010, 10:36 am and is filed under
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Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline is the most irresponsible act in history of Malaysian journalism

The Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline today “
Nama Guan Eng ganti Agong – Disebut dalam doa khutbah Jumaat: Umno Pulau Pinang bantah
” is the most irresponsible act in the history of Malaysian journalism – utterly baseless, a mischievous and dangerous incitement to religious hatred, tension and discord in plural Malaysia and goes against all the principles and values espoused by 1Malaysia.

The first Merdeka month celebrations themed “
1Malaysia Transforming the Nation
” should celebrate Malaysia’s unity in diversity of ethnicity, religions, cultures and beliefs, the concepts of inclusiveness, social justice and the 1Malaysia principles of culture of excellence, integrity, wisdom, humility, loyalty and the twin commitments of People First, Performance Now.

But we have the opposite as illustrated by Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline of falsehood and dangerous incitement to religious hatred, discord and tension.

The Penang State Government, through the Exco Member in charge of religious affairs Abdul Malik Abul Kassim has completely denied and refuted the allegation of the Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi that Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng’s name has replaced the Yang di Pertuan Agong’s name in the Friday sermon at several mosques in the state.

Abdul Malik said initial investigations showed no such incident had occurred as the text of the sermon, which is prepared by the state religious affairs department, never used Lim’s name.

As Abdul Malik said, whoever did such a thing was ‘insane’ (
tidak waras
) as no right thinking person would do it.

With National Day only 11 days away and Malaysia Day in 27 days, there must be a complete halt to recent series of irresponsible and crazy statements which are incitement of race and religion in the media or the country is heading in the direction very opposite to the 1Malaysia proclaimed by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak.

National leaders must always remember that in the era of globalisation and information technology, the whole world is watching what is happening in the country.

Both Ahmad Zahid and Utusan Malaysia must explain, apologise and undo the great harm done to Najib’s 1Malaysia by their most irresponsible actions.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 20 August 2010, 3:37 pm and is filed under
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Media
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Another ‘racist’ school head in Kedah

Meeting to discuss racist remarks by another HM

The Star

Saturday August 21, 2010

SUNGAI PETANI: The Kedah Education Department is organising a meeting between parents and authorities of a school here following complaints that the principal had scolded non-Malay students for eating outside the school canteen.

Its director Shahidan Abd Rahman said he had spoken to the school principal involved after learning about the incident on Thursday.

“We will call a meeting soon on the matter, involving him, the parent-teacher association and parents of the students concerned,” he said here yesterday.

In the incident, the principal had allegedly scolded 10 Form Three students for eating outside the school canteen at about 7am before classes began.

The students were eating outside because the lights in the canteen were not switched on.

The principal had purportedly told them off for “not respecting” their Muslim friends and that they “should return to their country of origin if they did not show such respect”.

Merbok MCA division secretary Chow Kok Leong, who received complaints from the parents, claimed that the principal also made similar remarks during the school’s morning assembly the next day.

He said there were about 80 non-Malay students at the school, which has an enrolment of 780.

“Such remarks should not be made as Malaysia is a multi-racial country and a principal is someone who holds an esteemed position in the community.

“I acted as mediator for the families and have lodged a report with the Deputy Education Minister (Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong),” he added.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 August 2010, 9:05 am and is filed under
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Forget about Talent Corporation and other transformation initiatives of  NEM and TMP if Najib cannot stop extremist forces exploiting race and religion from  rearing their ugly heads

This should be a special and unique month not only in the 53-year nation-building of Malaysia but the 18-month premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the theme of the Merdeka month celebrations from August 1 to September 16 is “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” – first time after Najib’s full-year premiership and less than six months after the unveiling of the  transformative NEM.

Messages and the spirit of Malaysian unity and inter-racial and inter-religious goodwill, harmony and solidarity should be pervading all nooks and corners of the country and infusing Malaysians with what they are saying are doing in these six weeks to put into practice and action the 1Malaysia slogan which Najib had proclaimed since becoming Prime Minister in April last year.

But the opposite had been the case as never had Malaysia been so divided, discordant and un1Malaysia in the past two decades,  with persistent, irresponsible and inflammatory incitement of the politics of race and religion in recent months to stoke racial and religious animosity and hatred in plural Malaysia, going  against the very grain of what 1Malaysia stands for.

Even the schools and the young generation of Malaysians are not spared, as illustrated by the cases of the racist outbursts against school children, one in the south in Kulai and the other in the north in Sungai Petani, demonstrating utter contempt and intolerance of 1Malaysia and our ethnic, religious and cultural diversity which are the country’s richest assets by school principals who should be the “role models” and standard-bearers of Najib’s 1Malaysia!

The NEM and the Tenth Malaysia Plan had both warned that the time for transformation is NOW, even painting the apocalyptic scenario of Malaysia on “a burning platform” if Malaysia is to successfully escape from the twin nation-building and economic crisis to become a developed, high-income nation with inclusivity and sustainability in 2020.

But the escalation of irresponsible and incendiary politics of race and religion by the powers-that-be (with Pakatan Rakyat component parties of DAP, PKR and PAS playing the nation-saving role of fire-fighters to douse racial and religious fires) cannot but raise the question whether Najib and his Cabinet Ministers have the shortest memory  in the nation’s history as compared to all previous Cabinets –  forgetting so quickly the dire warnings of  NEM and Tenth Malaysia Plan.

It is no exaggeration to say that the country can forget about Talent Corporation and the other grandiloquent transformation initiatives of  NEM and the Tenth Malaysia Plan and say goodbye to both  foreign and domestic investment as well as Vision 2020 of a high-income developed nation  if Najib cannot stop extremist forces from within his own camp who are dangerously exploiting  the politics of race and religion from  rearing their ugly heads.

The ball is in Najib’s court.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 August 2010, 3:15 pm and is filed under
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MCCBCHST CALLS FOR A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL

Rev. Dr. Thomas Philips

President

MCCBCHST

21 August 2010

In the light of the latest, in an increasing line of provocative racist remarks, this time by a principal of a school in the state of Johor, MCCBCHST calls upon the authorities to take prompt, and appropriate action to demonstrate that such dastardly acts and words perpetrated by government servants regardless of their rank is not and will not be tolerated in Malaysia.

The Johor school incident occurring as it did in the runup to the coming National Day celebrations casts a sombre shadow over the nation’s commitment to a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society where all citizens can be guaranteed a shared destiny in Malaysia as Malaysians based on peace and justice.

The time has passed whereby mere platitudes and words from the national leadership and enforcement authorities in themselves will be enough. The nation needs just and fair actions rather than just words.

MCCBCHST calls for its component religious communities and all other Malaysians regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation to join together to pray that the sitting government will take responsibility to take appropriate action to stop blatant racist acts and utterances.

At the same time, let all peace-loving, fair-minded Malaysians join together to raise an unignorable chorus of disapproval against racism in all its forms.

LET US STOP RACISM BEFORE RACISM STOPS OUR NATION.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 21 August 2010, 4:27 pm and is filed under
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Hudud laws and Islamic state are not Pakatan Rakyat policies

Questions have again been raised about the DAP and Pakatan Rakyat policies on hudud laws and Malaysia as an Islamic State.

DAP’s stand on Malaysia as a secular state has always been constant and consistent.

Hudud laws and Islamic state are not Pakatan Rakyat policies. This is why there is no mention of these issues in the Pakatan Rakyat common platform unveiled at the Pakatan Rakyat Convention in Shah Alam on 19th December last year.

In the section on “
Transparent and Genuine Democracy
”, Pakatan Rakyat made the pledge to:

“Defend the Federal Constitution, Islam as the religion of the Federation while other religions can be practiced peacefully anywhere in the country and protecting the special position of the Malays and the indigenous peoples anywhere including Sabah and Sarawak, and the legitimate interests of other races in accordance to Article 153.”

In the section on “
Religion
”, Pakatan Rakyat  made the following commitment:

“
Religion

Religion and other beliefs practiced by Malaysians should form the basis of unity that is founded on good universal values. Malaysians have almost fallen into the boiling pot of discord and tension that was caused by manipulation of religious differences. This should not happen in a genuinely democratic Malaysia, with Islam occupying a special position whilst the rights of other religions are guaranteed.

Pakatan Rakyat vows to:

1.Defend the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation and guarantee freedom of religion for every Malaysian.

2.Organise dialogues and consultations between cultures and religion in order to strengthen the understanding between them.

3.Set up a comprehensive mechanism to provide just resolution to cases which involve the overlap of civil and Syariah laws, including a Royal Commission to deeply study all the relevant issues.

4.Strengthen the management of Islamic institutions such as Baitul Mal and Tabung Haji to ensure that they are administered effectively and efficiently to achieve their objectives.

5.Ensure suitable areas for places of worship and burial grounds for all religions.”

Hudud laws and Islamic state are not policies of Pakatan Rakyat as any policy change would need the agreement of all three component parties and there is no such consensus in Pakatan Rakyat on hudud laws and Islamic state.

Strangely enough, who is on record as supporting an Islamic State as advocated by the last three Prime Ministers, Tun Dr. Mahathir, Tun Abdullah and Datuk Seri Najib Razak – completely in contradiction to the clearly expressed public positions of the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein Onn that Malaysia was founded as a secular nation and not an Islamic State?

It is the leaderships of the  MCA, Gerakan, MIC, SUPP and the other Barisan Nasional component parties who were ever-ready to give unquestioned support to the declarations by the last three Prime Ministers, beginning with Mahathir’s “929 Declaration” that Malaysia is an Islamic state on Sept. 29, 2001, who should be repudiating their past positions instead of trying to pull the wool over the people’s eyes.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 22 August 2010, 1:52 pm and is filed under
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Penang PR joint statement on baseless allegation of “Guan Eng gantikan Agong”

KENYATAAN BERSAMA PAKATAN RAKYAT PULAU PINANG DALAM MESYUARAT TERGEMPAR PADA 22.8.2010 DI KOMTAR, GEORGE TOWN.

Mesyuarat tergempar PR dipanggil hari ini berikutan permainan isu “Guan Eng gantikan Agong” yang digembar-gemburkan oleh UMNO dan media massa. Permainan politik oleh UMNO ini adalah begitu karut kerana hanya orang tak siuman dan berniat jahat baru berani menggantikan nama DYMM YDP Agong dengan nama lain.

Dalam mesyuarat tersebut Ahli EXCO Negeri Pulau Pinang portfolio agama Islam YB Abdul Malik Kassim telah menjelaskan teks khutbah yang disediakan oleh MAINPP dan JAIPP.

10 usul telah diluluskan dalam mesyuarat tergempar PR Pulau Pinang yang dipengerusikan oleh Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang dan Pengerusi Pakatan Rakyat Lim Guan Eng:-

1.    Melafazkan ikrar taat setia kepada DYMM Yang di Pertuan Agung sebagai pemimpin terunggul negara atau Kepala Utama bagi Persekutuan menurut Perkara 32 Perlembagaan Persekutuan dan juga sebagai Ketua agama Islam bagi Negeri Pulau Pinang menurut Perkara 5(2) Perlembagaan Negeri Pulau Pinang.

2.    Melafazkan ikrar taat setia kepada Yang di Pertua Negeri Pulau Pinang mengikut Perkara 1 Perlembagaan Negeri Pulau Pinang.

3.    Menegakkan Islam sebagai agama rasmi negeri; tetapi agama lain boleh diamalkan dengan aman dan harmoni menurut Perkara 5(1) Perlembagaan Negeri Pulau Pinang.

4.    Mengulangi sokongan ke atas dasar kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang yang diumumkan oleh Ketua Menteri mengharamkan judi bola yang pada awalnya diluluskan oleh UMNO.

5.    Menyokong pemberian kewangan khas Hari Raya Aidilfitri yang diumumkan oleh YAB Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang sebanyak RM 400 kepada semua ahli pentadbiran kerajaan negeri, MPPP, MPSP dan agensi kerajaan negeri yang dibuat pertama kalinya dalam sejarah Malaysia.

6.    Mengutuk amalan politik kotor dan jahat UMNO dan media massa yang dikuasai ini yang memainkan isu “Guan Eng gantikan Agong” dalam doa khutbah kedua solat Jumaat yang merupakan satu fitnah jahat yang dilakukan terhadap kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang dalam bulan Ramadan yang mulia ini.

7.    Menafikan dengan keras dakwaan UMNO kerana teks khutbah Jumaat yang disediakan oleh Jabatan Hal Ehwal Agama Islam Pulau Pinang (JAIPP) tidak pernah menggunakan nama Ketua Menteri bagi menggantikan nama Yang di-Pertuan Agong serta Kerajaan negeri, JHEAIPP atau YAB Ketua Menteri sendiri juga tidak pernah menerima atau mengeluarkan arahan secara lisan mahupun bertulis kepada mana-mana pihak untuk menggunakan nama Ketua Menteri.

8.    Mendesak UMNO mengambil tindakan terhadap mana-mana khatib/imam mesjid yang dapat dibuktikan telah terpesong atau lari daripada teks khutbah yang disediakan dengan menggantikan nama DYMM YDP Agung dengan nama YAB Ketua Menteri Pulau Pinang.

9.    Mendesak BN dan UMNO hentikan permainan politik kebencian di kalangan orang ramai yang menimbulkan ketegangan kaum dengan cuba mengaitkan imam/khatib yang tidak mengikut teks khutbah yang disediakan, kalau ada, dengan fitnah penggunaan nama YAB Lim Guan Eng diarahkan oleh kerajaan negeri.

10.  Menyeru rakyat and penyokong PR bersikap tenang dan tidak masuk perangkap UMNO untuk mengalihkan perhatian rakyat daripada program baik kerajaan negeri meluluskan program pemberian kewangan khas Hari Raya Aidilfitri sebanyak RM 400 kepada semua ahli pentadbiran dan agensi kerajaan negeri, pemberian tahunan RM 100 wang penghargaan warga emas, menambahkan peruntukan hal ehwal Islam sebanyak 100% kepada RM 24.3 juta pada 2010 berbanding dengan RM12.5 juta pada 2008 dengan sumbangan Ihya Ramadan dan bantuan kepada Sekolah Agama Rakyat   (SAR),  serta mengharamkan perjudian bola selaras dengan prinsip amar maaruf nahi mungkar.

Tandatangan bersama: –

YB Dato Mansor Othman (Timbalan Ketua Menteri 1 Pulau Pinang. Pengerusi PKR Pulau Pinang)

YB Chow Kon Yeow (Pengerusi DAP Pulau Pinang)

Ustaz Rosidi Hussain (Timbalan Pesuruhjaya PAS Negeri Pulau Pinang)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 22 August 2010, 1:49 pm and is filed under
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MACC “commits suicide”!

By
Martin Jalleh

18 Aug. 2010 – The Malaysia Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), very tragically, “committed suicide” today. It killed the very little that was left of its own integrity and credibility.

Its public image plunged to the very depths with the help of its advocate Abdul Razak Musa. He had at first advocated self-strangulation. He even demonstrated how it could be done.

When that failed, the very experienced lawyer of 24 years assisted the Commission to take a wild leap out of the window of logic, common sense and civility.

Depressed

Many have observed that the MACC has been very depressed of late. It has gone through bouts of disappointment, doubts, dejection and denial, all contributing to its sudden self-destruction.

The last (first) MACC chief even jumped ship a few months before his due retirement date. It seems he could no longer handle the daunting (more appropriately read as “haunting”) task.

It appears that the MACC has left behind a suicide note which was supposedly written by its eight-month old new chief Abu Kassim Mohammed. The contents need to be verified of course. It reads:

“Things have been bad for us – bad public perception, bad press, bad publicity, and as though these were not bad enough, we have done badly in the courts with most of the big fish being acquitted!

“I have asked for a year to convince the rakyat of our commitment to combat and curb corruption but the public is still so very critical, cynical and condemning of the MACC.

“The public misunderstands us, press mistreats us, alternative media highlights only our mistakes,  Opposition mocks us and Government makes use of us but we are very independent.

“I even told the Cabinet that its members should declare their assets publicly. But they asked me to take my proposal and shelve and shove it…in one of my many cabinets.

“On Teoh Beng Hock’s death anniversary I said we will act without fear, favour and farce. But it has been a flop and many flip-flops. We have lost face even after launching our Facebook page. It is very frustrating!

“It has been a long, lonely and losing battle. And now our learned legal department head has determinedly driven the last nail into our coffin and we have very dutifully dug our own grave!”

It seems that the MACC, due to its synergy with Umno, sent a “Solidarity in Suicide” invitation to the party. They declined, for they have received a similar earlier invitation from Perkasa.

Discredit

The events that led to MACC’s “suicide” began during the cross-examination of the world-renowed Thai forensic pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand by Abdul Razak in the Teoh Beng Hock’s Inquest.

He first attacked Pornthip on her qualifications and claimed that the MACC’s expert witness, Peter Vanezis, was “far more qualified” than her…as he had “graduated from Bristol University”.

He added that Mahidol University, where she had graduated from, was not recognised in Malaysia. Understandably, he was rather silent on where he graduated from, its ranking and whether it was recognised anywhere on the face of the earth.

Pornthip advised the antagonistic lawyer not to look down on Asians and retorted that Mahidol is ranked the 220th best university in the world and is Thailand’s top-ranked university.

Abdul Razak also accused her of being biased, and as an expert witness engaged by the Selangor State Government, she had come to Bolehland “to attack the MACC”.

She stopped him dead in his tracks: “You have to understand. I work for the rights of the dead, not the Selangor government. My objective is to help the dead!”

It is hoped that the “dead clients” of Pornthip (who has offered her services on a pro bono basis in Teoh’s case) will not take offence and haunt the MACC lawyer who after all appears brain-dead!

It was perhaps the first time in her 25 years as a pathologist that Pornthip was meeting such a pathetic lawyer. She therefore could not resist asking Abdul Razak: “Are you really a lawyer?”

Abdul Razak charged that Pornthip kept changing her position and “the goalpost”. He forgot or got pretty mixed up that such a privileged role and position belonged solely to the Attorney-General with the ball always in his court(s).

He absurdly insisted that her expert opinion was based on her imagination. He would later prove that he was even much more imaginative than her by demonstrating the art of self-strangulation.

Demonstration

When Pornthip maintained that Teoh did not commit suicide – a view which would definitely not sit well with the MACC, Abdul Razak became a spontaneous stand-up comedian!

He suggested that Teoh ‘strangled himself’ and was ‘depressive’. It was a line which he desperately copied from Dr M who had said that Anwar gave himself a black eye when in prison!

The MACC lawyer decided to give a practical demonstration on himself, after being challenged by Gobind Singh Deo, the lawyer for Teoh’s family, to show how one can strangle himself.

Everyone in court was highly entertained, though some may have wished Abdul Razak had succeeded in his demonstration! Pornthip’s “clients” must have surely laughed out loud in their graves!

But the MACC’s prosecutor’s court antics were not over yet. He would provide more ammunition to the MACC to shoot itself. He asked Pornthip if she has any experience jumping off a building!

The cool, calm and composed counsel for the Selangor Government, Malik Imtiaz Sarwar, countered with classic sarcasm: “With questions like these, we would all want to jump off a building!”

Pornthip sensed she had so far seen only the tip of the lawyer’s incompetence. He eventually became so confused that even the Bar Council representatives and coroner had to help clarify and correct him.

Despair

Abdul Razak was in court not to help the coroner determine the real cause of Teoh’s death but to denigrate Pornthip and to distract and divert everyone from the truth. He ended up destroying his own client’s integrity and credibility!

In trying to discredit “the most trusted individual in all of Thailand” (according to a Readers’ Digest Trust survey last year) he has driven the MACC into utter despair in its desperate attempts to restore public confidence!

The law, we are often told. is an ass. But it would be more accurate to say in this context that the lawyer (for the MACC) is an ass and being holed up in the commission, he has turned asinine, arrogant, absurd and abusive.

But why should we be surprised. He is after all the very same lawyer who told wheechair-bound Karpal Singh, the lead lawyer for the Teoh family in the Inquest:  “I can sit but you cannot stand”!

But Abdul Razak has the making of a judge in the appellate courts, where, in the words of the very respected retired judge N H Chan, sit a bunch of “ignorant”, “inane”, “incompetent” and “idiotic” judges.

As the hearing ended, Gobind Singh Deo was overheard whispering to himself: “Deo Gratias!” (“Thanks be to God!”). He was indeed grateful to God for Abdul Razak Musa and his sterling role in assisting the MACC “commit suicide”!

(23 August 2010)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 23 August 2010, 1:42 pm and is filed under
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Secular Aspects of Blessed Ramadan

By
M. Bakri Musa

A friend from Canada who moved to California many years ago decided recently to return to the cold north.  When asked why, he replied that while he absolutely enjoyed the year-round sunshine and the salubrious climate of the Golden State, he found the lack of seasons disorienting.

             “I could not get anything done,” he claimed, “Every day was too nice and I would postpone to the perpetual ‘next day’ doing my gardening, cleaning the garage, or even reading my favorite novel.”

             My friend’s observation reverberates in me this middle of Ramadan.  Yes, California lacks a definite season, but the fasting ‘season’ forces me to shift gear mentally, behaviorally, and in many other ways just as surely as the falling snow in January and the glorious sunshine in July did to me when I lived in Canada.

             Nonetheless, my Canadian friend is on to something profound.  One theory explaining the more advanced development of the people of the temperate zone is that the definite seasons disciplined them to plan, or at least be prepared for the inevitable adversities ahead.

             The definite seasons of the temperate zones effectively regulate human activities.  You plow in the spring, plant in the summer, and harvest in the fall.  The long cold dark nights, being non-conducive to procreative activities, are more suited for intellectual and other cerebral pursuits.  Failure to plan and lack of discipline to observe the rhythm of the season would have severe consequences, for come winter and nature would weed you out from the community’s gene pool.

             The definite seasons seamlessly integrate into society the concept of planning, and once a culture has this as an integral part of its ethos, and the discipline to observe it, then the groundwork for advancement is well laid.  In my view, this is what makes societies in the temperate zones more advanced.  As a theory, it is more appealing than one based on race or skin color.

             The monotonous climate of the tropics on the other hand, with one day more or less like any other and with no distinct season, there is no sense of urgency or need for planning.  If it rains, be patient for it will clear up soon enough and then you can go out hunting or fishing again.

             This lack of season encourages you to procrastinate; soon the “mañana syndrome” becomes ingrained in you and the culture.  Why do today that which wait till tomorrow?  A decade goes by and the crack in the wall is still not fixed!

             A society that lacks discipline and one that constantly procrastinates is never destined for greatness.  The same applies to individuals.

Thoughts on Ramadan

These thoughts swirl in me as I tap the keyboard in the silence of my empty office at lunch break during Ramadan, deep in the cerebral pursuit of writing this essay.  Ramadan does that to me, to pursue matters cerebral and spiritual.  In fact I see little difference in the two.

             In the normal scheme of things I would have been in the cafeteria with my colleagues bitching over our deteriorating healthcare “non system.”  Either that or we would be busy solving the world’s problems!

             The switch to skipping lunch seems so welcomed.  I have missed many lunches before as when my schedule was hectic, yet that did not quite affect me in the manner of missing lunch during Ramadan.  For one, I had planned on it, for in the evening before I had made a niat (a pledge) without which my fasting would not “be accepted.”  For another, uninterrupted in the quiet of my office during lunch break, I get so much done.

             Ramadan, properly observed as per our Qur’an and traditions of our Prophet, sa.w., is a season that disciplines us.  It disciplines us towards moderation and restraint, as well as to respect time, as with the breaking of fast.  It also incorporates the concept of planning.  For just as we have to plan for winter, so too should we for Ramadan.

             Sha’ban, the month preceding Ramadan, is for such preparation.  The Prophet s.a.w. used to fast on many days during Sha’ban.  That could be simplistically viewed as “prep.”  This is important.  As a surgeon in Malaysia I used to see many flare ups of ulcers and gum diseases attributed to this lack of preparation for fasting.

             I am guided by the Qur’an, Verse 2:185 (Surah Al Baqara), approximately translated:  “It was in the month of Ramadan that the Qur’an was revealed as guidance for mankind [in] distinguishing between right and wrong.”  (Abdel Haleem, 2004).  That is enough for me to hold Ramadan in reverence.

             For those who need more assurance, there is the hadith (saying of Prophet Muhammad, the Messenger of Allah) to the effect that when Ramadan starts, “the gates of the heaven are opened and the gates of hell are closed, and the devils are chained.”  That comes in handy only if we have a choice of when we exit this world, but we don’t.  Another has it that on the “Night of Power” (one of the odd nights in the last ten days of Ramadan), meritorious deeds would be amplified to that “of a thousand months!”  I presume that hadith is for those quantitatively inclined.

             The more pragmatic would do well to be reminded of the season concept alluded to by my Canadian friend.  Islam began in the Middle East, a region without definite seasons.  Likewise its followers; the bulk dwell in the season-less tropics and subtropical regions.

             For Muslims, Ramadan could be looked upon as a season for reflection and contemplation, a time to ponder our place in the grand scheme of things.  It is a personal as well as societal or cultural “time-out.”  In our fast-paced multi-tasking world, do we ever need one!

             The change in the daily routine, the greater emphasizes on things religious, and the drastically reduced caloric intake all reinforce this “time-out” dimension.  As for the seasonal aspect, in traditional Muslim societies Ramadan is a convenient time marker, as in, “The first Ramadan after the war,” in much the same manner as, “the first winter following the war.”

             Of course as a physician I would be remiss if I do not mention the many medical benefits of fasting, the central feature of Ramadan.  Calorie Restriction (CR) (approximate meaning – reduction in food intake) is the only experimental variable known to extend the lifespan of a number of species including primates.  CR also reduces age-related disorders like cancer, diabetes and cardiovascular disorders in mammals, enough that CR regimes are now a booming business in the anti-ageing sector of the health industry.

             If appealing to vanity is not your cup of tea, consider the polar opposite of CR.  Obesity, apart from its negative impact on your vanity, is a major public health problem, and not just in developed societies.  I see its devastating consequences daily in my medical practice.

             Viewed medically, Ramadan is a month-long season of CR.  A caveat!  CR is beneficial only if it is chronic and not acute; meaning over weeks and not days.  Acute CR followed by binge eating is destructive health-wise and in many other ways.

             Unfortunately Ramadan in many Muslim societies today has degenerated into a season of acute CR during daylight hours and binge eating after dusk.  Instead of losing a few pounds, most put on weight, and just a few pounds!  This can only be described as bida’a (adulteration of the faith), to use the language of the Qur’an, quite apart from the deleterious health effects.

             As we near the halfway point of this holy month, let us remember the central message Allah imparted to the His Last Prophet during that special Ramadan, and the recurring theme of our Holy Qur’an, Amr bi alma ‘ruf wa nahi ‘an alnunkar (Command good, and forbid evil!)  More practically, let this blessed Ramadan be a season that disciplines us, and a much-needed “time-out.”

                This entry was posted on Monday, 23 August 2010, 9:24 am and is filed under
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There is a sickness in the country which is total mockery and negation of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy

With eight days to go before the National Day proper on August 31 and 24 days before Malaysia Day on Sept. 16, Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region should be celebrating a new sense of pride and unity as Malaysians after 18 months of the 1Malaysia slogan and policy proclaimed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak after he became the sixth Prime Minister in April last year.

But every 24 hours is demonstrating the opposite.

There is a sickness in the country as illustrated by several headlines in a matter of a few hours by online media
Malaysian Insider
 yesterday, viz:

“Perkasa, MPM want Soi Lek arrested under ISA”

“Pakatan wants to ‘destroy’ constitutional monarchy, claim Malay groups”  (a lie)

“Ibrahim Ali follows Tee, tells those who disagree to get out”

“Malay groups want vernacular schools abolished”

Before Najib’s proclamation of 1Malaysia, People First, Performance Now, it is a comparative rarity for lies, falsehoods and extremist incitement of issues of race and religion to dominate public and political discourse.

But what had been rare is happening with disconcerting frequency as the four Malaysian Insider headlines within three hours yesterday.

Utusan Malaysia illustrates this sickness in the country with its front-page headlines and reports in the past week like:

“Elak perang besar – Harussani enggan dedah pihak terlibat wujudkan ‘perlembagaan bau’”;

“Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia”

“Nama Guan Eng ganti Agong”

Clear cases of sedition are now seen to be committed with impunity, like calls for the closure of Chinese and Tamil primary schools which had been decided by the courts.

On the other hand, there is agitation and escalation of irresponsible rhetoric to classify legitimate and rational public discussion and debate as sedition and if such agitation is allowed, even Najib himself could be charged for sedition for unveiling the New Economic Policy on March 30 which called for an affirmative action programmes “to consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of households” and to be “be based on  market-friendly and market-based criteria together taking into consideration the needs and merits of the applicants”.

This sickness in the country is a total mockery and complete negation of Najib’s 1Malaysia to give Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region a new sense of pride and unity as Malaysians.

It will render the Merdeka Month celebrations of “1Malaysia Transforming the National’ totally hollow and empty.

The Prime Minister must provide the leadership and set the example to ensure that good sense, reason and rationality is fully restored to public and political discourses and his 1Malaysia policy does not degenerate into a Malaysian sickness which all Malaysians deplore.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 23 August 2010, 11:28 am and is filed under
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What does UMNO Penang fear?

By
Sakmangkol Ak47

Some Muslims in Penang were highly agitated when the khatib ( the man who reads sermons) offered prayers for the Penang chief minister. In what manner was it said? Was LGE’s name mentioned in the context of something?

Actually we have not heard what actually transpired other than listening to a few emotionally charged statements from some people. Who are these people? If they are UMNO members, then their response was hardly surprising.

To me, the fearful responses thus far only reflect how desperate UMNO is in re capturing the Malay support in Penang. I won’t say re-capture Penang, because that is already impossible. what UMNO fears now is losing Malay support in Penang. That is like the end of the world.

What UMNO fears is a rising consciousness among Penang Malays that despite detaching themselves from UMNO, their lot can still be improved. This will be the beginning of a wider consciousness debunking the myth that equates loyalty and allegiance to this country to loyalty and allegiance to UMNO. The two things are not the same. If Penang is successful in demolishing this long perpetuated myth and this awareness becomes a national phenomenon, UMNO is in serious trouble.

Neither UMNO nor Zaid Hamidi who is the Pengerusi Perhubungan UMNO Penang have the answer to counter this rising tide. The only way they can hit back is by manipulating the sermon issue. You hope this will escalate into a tidal wave of resentment.

I say, if we truly love UMNO we should stop this childish and very shallow strategy. offer Penang Malays a better vision and promises of a better future. Zahid Hamidi is wishing he is not the Pengerusi Perhubungan UMNO Negeri. Ini kes nyaya kat chek no.

Since capturing Penang from Gerakan and UMNO in the last elections, the state government has made serious inroads into winning the hearts and minds of the Muslim community. Mosques and suraus have been receiving a lot of facilities and assistance from the state government. What is the civil thing to do if someone has given you assistance? You say thank you sir.

So the particular imam who created the present controversy who happens to be the brother of the Penang mufti was telling the congregation that Muslims should pray the good deeds undertaken by the state government under Lim Guan Eng are carried out continuously. Muslims are thanking the state government under LIM Guan Eng. In addition, Muslims should be hopeful that Lim Guan Eng embraces Islam. What probably happened was perhaps Guan Eng’s name was mentioned in that context.

To me, this is a stupid way of trying to leverage on a religious issue. The present controversy serves to further expose our hypocrisy. For so many years while Penang was under the JV government of Gerakan and UMNO, the lot of Penang Malays has not improved greatly. You even had a PM from Penang and he didn’t achieve anything much for Penang Malays. He could offer only some nebulous ideas about Islam. People wanted more physical improvements not more sermonizing.

Before that you also had a former deputy PM from Penang, who did not achieve much either. All he could do was gurmal here and gurmal there. Senator Koh Tsu Koon could never match what Guang Eng has achieved in 2 years with what he has done all those years while in power. So really, you don’t have any defense against what the present state government is doing.

The better action by Penang Malays is to throw out all those useless UMNO leaders who rose to prominence not through offering great ideas and thinking, but got where they are by mastering political intrigues. It’s the comeuppance for many of these hollow leaders. For years you have come up not through the brilliance of your ideas or competency but you rise because you are more skillful at demolishing your political rivals, you rise by stabbing the backs of your political comrades, you rise because you plot here and there- suddenly you find you don’t have the substance to sustain your political relevance.

So you have incompetent UMNO leaders thinking they can stand toe to toe with better qualified Gerakan leaders. Suddenly you realize, your skills in removing your own political comrades don’t work when dealing with people from other parties.

So I find the Penang UMNO leadership and its ‘spokesmen’ behaving hypocritical in using religion to counter the state government.

Let’s have some finesse fellers.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 23 August 2010, 11:20 am and is filed under
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Last Cabinet meeting before National Day on August 31…

Tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting is the last before National Day on August 31 and its greatest challenge is to demonstrate it has the “political will and leadership to break the logjam of resistance by vested interest groups” to kickstart and stay the course of the NEM (New Economic Model) transformation process.

There can be no more useful thing for the Cabinet Ministers to do tomorrow than to revisit the New Economic Model unveiled by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak on March 30 and the dire warnings that Malaysia is “on a burning platform” and that “the status quo is not an option” as it will only put Malaysia at risk of being overtaken by other countries, just as we had overtaken others in the past.

The Cabinet should in particular revisit the frank and brutal admission by the NEM of the crucial and critical role of  “unwavering political will and leadership” to break the logjam of resistance by vested interest groups and short-sighted factions and to “stay the course” when resistance is encountered.

Is the Cabinet tomorrow prepared to demonstrate “political will, commitment and leadership” to give full endorsement and support for a “big push” for the vision and agenda of the NEM transformation process –which it had cowardly abstained from doing for the last five months?

Is the Cabinet prepared to come upfront and belatedly declare support for the eight Strategic Reform Initiatives (SRIs) of the NEM, in particular SRI 5 on “Transparent and market-friendly affirmative action” for a new affirmative policy which is market-friendly and market-based predicated on needs and merits, eliminates rent-seeking and market-distorting features and “will consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of the households”?

The NEM has described Malaysia as reaching “a defining moment in its development path” with the Najib premiership crafting a blueprint to move the country towards the next stage of development towards a developed high income nation with inclusivity and sustainability.

Where is this “defining moment” when the Cabinet is not even brave enough to give full public support and endorsement to the NEM?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 1:38 pm and is filed under
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Penang’s Special Area Plan

by
Thomas Lee

mysinchew.com

2010-08-24

Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng has invited the public to help provide input, meaning ideas and suggestions, to the state government as it seeks to prepare a special area plan (SAP) for Georgetown, a requirement as a world heritage site under Unesco

Guan Eng said the feedback from Penangites was important as they are the biggest stakeholders as residents of Georgetown, which was listed as world heritage site in 2008.

The SAP provides for the protection of the heritage sites and would be prepared by Putrajaya according to Section 16(B) of the Town and Country Planning Act 1976. The plan covers an area of 259.42 hectares within the city of Georgetown, and must be submitted to Unesco on or before 1 February 2011.

The massive area has more than 1,700 historic buildings in hundreds of sites, representing the different stages in the historic development of Penang.

In view of the extensive and expansive scope of the whole SAP, with wide-ranging socio-economical implications, it is obvious that the state government would not be able to go it alone in this undertaking. Certainly, the private corporate sector and concerned individual residents of Penang must be enlisted to participate and be involved to make it a resounding success.

I suggest that the state government should consider embarking on the SAP with a new strategic preservation, maintenance and development schema involving a sort of decentralized pursuance of the SAP based a tripartite set-up involving the state, the residents of the particular site, and a private development company.

Let me give an example, using the famous Chew Jetty in Penang as a model.

Penang has many attractive heritage sites which can be turned into the tourist magnetic field for the country, and the state would be wise to focus on the preservation and promotion of the heritage provenance through joint development programmes and projects with the private sector, especially the property owners and residents of the heritage sites.

The famous Chew Jetty on the island’s seafront is one good example of how the state can work in co-operation with the TOL property owners and residents of the seafront village to turn the area into an enchanting tourist attraction.

The Chew Jetty is the largest of eight existing Chinese clan jetties along Weld Quay on the island. These water villages have been in existence since the 19th century, when migrant workers came from the small coastal communities in Fukien province in China to settle in Penang. Most of them were fisherman and gatherers of oysters.

Each jetty comprises of rows of timber houses with zinc roofs, linked by plank walkways over the water. And each jetty is almost self-contained with the bare essential services like the chai tiam mah (small sundry shops) providing the basic provisions of rice, oil, sugar and other dry or preserved foodstuff, the kopi tiam (small coffee shops) as a place for snacks and social gatherings, and some home industries like tailoring, hair-dressing and carpentry works.

Today, more than a hundred years later, the jetty village area remains almost unchanged, untouched and unaffected by the fast development taking place all around. However, due to neglect and negligence, the place is now rundown, unkempt and disheveled, although many tourists to Penang, both from other Malaysian states and overseas, still visit the place.

Of the existing eight jetties, the Chew Jetty is the only one maintaining and continuing to organize and hold on a large public scale its traditional clan-related activities, such as the annual festival of the birthday of the Jade Emperor (Tee Kong or God of Heaven) on the 8th night of the Chinese New Year, the Hungry Ghost Festival during the seventh lunar month, and the 10-day long dramatic temple festival of the birthday of Kew Ong Yah (Nine-emperor gods) from the eve before the start of the ninth moon in the Chinese lunar calendar to the ninth night. In addition, the Chinese New Year is celebrated usually in January or early February for 15 days, climaxing in the Chap Goh Meh (15th night) festive celebration.

With such a lively mix of traditional, religious and cultural activities taking place throughout the year, life for residents of the Chew Jetty and the surrounding jetty villages is never boring or dull.

However, the one sad and unfortunate fact is that most of those still living in the jetty villages are the elderly ones, the young ones having almost all opted to live in the modern urban homes elsewhere, leaving only the old folks in their ancestral homes. And, with the departure of the young ones, the preservation and maintenance of the traditional heritage homes, customs and culture are left to neglect, as the old folks have neither financial resources and energies to continue taking care of them well.

Perhaps one way of arresting the declining youthful population in the waterfront villages is to have a challenging and creative cum enterprising and economically viable programme to retain them.

And this is where the Penang state government comes in with its resourceful and beneficial policy and project to rejuvenate, renovate (note, not modern development) and restore the area to its old-time charm, retaining the traditional façade but creating new attractive uses for them to become a vibrant magnetic tourism hub in the state.

The house on silts can be transformed into enchanted charming chalets to be used for home-stay by tourists. Old-time kopi tiams can retain their traditional character but with the addition of the popular Penang hawker fares and other famous local dishes in their menu. Fascinating souvenir and craft stores, delightful antique shops, and nonya fashion and batik boutiques can be set up along the plank walkways. Colourfully decorated motorized trishaws can be used to transport the home-stay tourists to visit other parts of the island. And boat rides along the harbour can also be arranged. Occasional food and fun fairs could be held during long weekends when a public holiday falls either before Saturday or after Sunday. Perhaps, even a museum on the island state’s history could be considered.

All these small business enterprises could be owned and operated by the young ones from the individual clan families. With such a lucrative scenario and economic prospect at their ancestral homeland, the young ones will think twice before opting to live and work elsewhere.

The rejuvenation and revamp of the heritage site Chew Jetty is an example of what I mean by the strategic preservation, maintenance and development involving a sort of decentralized pursuance of the SAP based a tripartite set-up involving the state, the residents, and a development company.

The tripartite co-operative thrust can assist in the development of Penang into an attractive dream holiday resort for both local and foreign tourists. There is great potential in the Chew Jetty area when it is transformed into a major magnetic tourism hub in the state and nation.

The need for human and financial resources is obvious in such an ambitious undertaking, but the investment in the project will bring long-term benefits to the state and its people.

The tripartite strategy for the SAP involves the state government forming a co-operative joint-venture company with the TOL property owners of the Chew Jetty and a development company to initiate this regeneration project to use the old world charm to attract the new budget-conscious travelers.

To kick-start the project, a state heritage development task force, comprising state government officials, tourism industry players, representatives of the jetty TOL property owners and a development company should be formed. The task force should come out with a viable master plan for the project which should be able to take off as soon as the plan is approved. All physical infrastructure revamp should be completed within a five-year period. Meanwhile, promotion should start with artist’s impressions of the Dream Destination for an Enchanting Holiday in the Pearl of the Orient. The year the Seafront Jetty resort is to be launched should be declared the Visit Penang Year.

That, in essence, is what the decentralized pursuance of the SAP for one heritage site is all about. The same strategy can be used simultaneously at other heritage venues, involving a similar tripartite partnership of the state, property owners or residents, and a development company.

Such a decentralized arrangement will generate not only financial benefits for the people, but also enhance commitment and dedication among them because they have a vital stake in the state.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 7:33 pm and is filed under
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There must be some degree of decency in politics

by
P Ramakrishnan

President

Aliran

24th August 2010

There must be some degree of decency in politics.

Why are the police taking such a long time to complete their investigation into the serious allegation that the name of His Majesty, the Yang di Pertuan Agong, had been substituted with the name of the Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, during the Friday sermon in certain mosques?

That is the question that is bothering Penangites.

This allegation has the potential to disrupt the harmony and unity that we enjoy in Penang. This controversy has been deliberately hatched to create political turmoil and destroy our peace. It can have terrible repercussions that will affect the existing goodwill among the various communities.

When there is so much to lose, why is there no urgency to bring the mischief-makers to book immediately? What is causing the delay and what is the problem facing the police?

None other than Defence Minister, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is also the Penang Umno chief, revealed that some mosques had dropped the Agong’s name in the Friday sermon in favour of Lim Guan Eng.

The police should be able to get Zahid Hamidi to provide details as to where this took place. This would be one good lead for the police.

According to Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein, the police had received three reports over this matter. Those who made the reports are in a position to provide specific and definite details regarding the place and time where this took place. This would be another lead for the police.

The congregation who attended the Friday sermon where this allegedly took place would be the witnesses to confirm what actually transpired. This would be yet another lead for the police.

With so much information available and so many leads to follow, why haven’t the police swung into action as a matter of urgency and arrested the culprit who had committed this sacrilege? This issue must be in their priority list.

The longer the delay, the more dangerous this controversy becomes. What the inventors of this lie have done is to create racial and religious strife for their political purpose. What the perpetrators of this lie hope to do is to pit the Malays against the non-Malays. This is something that we cannot tolerate. This is something that we must condemn without any reservation.

There is also the attempt to implicate Lim Guan Eng as having had a hand in the substitution of his name for the Agong. This is a despicable lie. Common sense must dictate that Lim Guan Eng has no say in the preparation of any Muslim sermon.

It has been reiterated that the text of the sermon was prepared by the Penang Islamic Affairs Department (JAIPP) – as is the practice – and distributed to all the mosques in the form of booklets.

It has been confirmed that Lim Guan Eng’s name was never in the text. It has also been reaffirmed that there was no directive from the state government, JAIPP or the Chief Minister himself to mention the Chief Minister’s name in the sermon.

According to Penang Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Mansor Othman, no prayer leader has admitted to swapping the Agong’s name with Lim Guan Eng in the sermon.

How then did this lie swirl round creating so much confusion and anger among those who believed this lie? Who was responsible for deliberately concocting this terrible lie?

This is why the police must nail the lie. This is why the liars must be apprehended and dealt with severely. There must be no mercy shown to these perverts who subvert the truth.

The Umno-owned Utusan is peddling this lie without any tinge of conscience and beating the war drum to whip up racial tension in Penang . It screamed in the front page that Lim Guan Eng’s name had been substituted for the Agong’s name as if this is the irrefutable truth.

Shamelessly it promoted a lie without establishing the truth. Its conduct went against the ethics of honest journalism and disgraced its profession by departing from the truth and sensationalising a blatant lie. If Umno had a hand in this, it must realise that it has lost the middle ground. It comes across as a party caught in a time warp that is alien to the present times. It is churning out the usual out-dated racial mantra that is no longer working.

Thinking Malaysians no longer believe the Umno spin masters. They are aware that this is a political ploy to unsettle the Penang State Government. They realise that this is nothing but foul, gutter politics.

There must be some degree of decency in politics. Otherwise we make a mockery of our Rukun Negara.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 11:54 pm and is filed under
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What’s next for Malaysia?

By
Karim Raslan

The Star

Tuesday August 24, 2010

All societies need change and countries that don’t change or can’t change remain ossified and stagnant.

A few weeks ago, I hosted a lunch for a Malaysian politician and an Indonesian businessman.

The politician and I were struck by the tycoon’s steadfast support of his nation’s democratic traditions.

He stressed that he would not be where he was now had it not been for Reformasi and the turbulence of 1998.

Indeed he made a powerful argument that his country wouldn’t be powering ahead were it not for the transformation that took place after Soeharto’s ouster.

Interestingly, I think most Malaysian businessmen, including those dependent on government contracts, would agree with my Indonesian friend.

All societies need change and countries that don’t change or can’t change remain ossified and stagnant.

Malaysia is in danger of experiencing a “lost decade” like Japan – stuck in an unproductive, even destructive, socio-economic and political model.

In the past, I used to praise Malaysia’s slow but steady pace of change. The events of the last decade have changed my mind.

I now see that our evolutionary (as opposed to revolutionary) political process is a formidable barrier to our future growth.

Politics is holding us back and until we resolve two core political challenges, we will remain in limbo.

The first is the role of ethnicity and the second is the civil liberties agenda.

Economic reform cannot happen when race still governs our public life, and where our citizens are not allowed to think and speak independently.

We remain a top-down, illiberal and limited democracy.

We have leaders who do not trust the rakyat.

The rakyat, conversely are increasingly frustrated with what is going on.

They clearly see that in order to maintain the status quo, there is a cynical fanning of racial and religious sentiment that only pushes us closer to some kind of political Armageddon.

So, as Malaysia readies itself for the 13th general election, I have a few points to stress, reflecting some of the developments over the past two years:

1) Public scepticism and distrust is peaking.

Public distrust has risen. We are face to face with too many scandals and legal travesties – ranging from the Teoh Beng Hock inquest to the second Anwar Ibrahim trial.

These unresolved (and unresolvable) cases gnaw away at public confidence.

They impact the entire system.

As a result, there’s less and less confidence in public institutions.

2) We are experiencing a breakdown of the culture of deference in the Malay society.

Malay society has been highly disciplined and hierarchical for many decades.

However, Tun Dr Mahathir’s “Melayu baru” rhetoric has taken root.

Like it or not, the vast expansion of the Malay middle class has changed the dynamics between the ruled and the rulers.

The Malay community is no longer respectful of entrenched authority.

Instead they are critical and asking questions.

Indeed, younger Malaysians of all races are more “transactional” in their approach to politics.

They ask, “What’s in it for me?” Elected officials have to be more humble and service-orientated. MP’s and ministers can no longer expect to command respect.

They have to earn it, step-by-step. The best way to do this is by being honest and humble.

3) Not all political warhorses will deliver the goods.

Sarawak’s Tan Sri Taib Mahmud has been in office for well over 30 years.

Is he liked or disliked by the rakyat?

Can he deliver his state once again into the hands of Barisan Nasional?

Past success is no guarantee for future delivery.

The next state election in Sarawak will be eagerly contested and wat-ched.

4) The role of the media.

What is the truth? The continuing restrictions on Malaysia’s media have proven to be a disaster for Barisan.

On the other hand, certain conservative papers appear to have been given a free hand to engage in race-baiting.

Not only have these double-standards not boosted public sentiment, it robs the Government of a very effective method of understanding what’s happening on the ground.

Without the freedom of expression, journalists can only write what the leaders want to read, not what they need to.

As a result, Malaysia’s elite have become insulated from the rakyat, something the former can ill-afford at this juncture.

5) The age of coalitions is upon us.

The results of the UK and Australian elections show that the Westminster system of democracy, which we practise, tends to produce hung legislatures when voter dissatisfaction is great.

The question then arises: who, Barisan or Pakatan Rakyat, has a sounder alliance?

Who can better bring together our fragmented socio-political sphere?

These factors will become apparent in the upcoming power plays.

Whatever happens, there’s no turning back and Malaysia will never be the same again.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 24 August 2010, 7:17 pm and is filed under
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Acronym soup swamps Malaysia reform drive

Reuters

Global News Journal

Aug 25, 2010

Malaysia’s Prime Minister Najib Razak says he has embarked on a series of radical economic reforms. In reality it feels as if he has unleashed a barrage of incomprehensible acronyms on the unsuspecting public of this Southeast Asian nation.

The charge for economic reform is being led by the snappily named PEMANDU. As well as being the Malay word for “driver” it stands for the government’s Performance Management and Delivery Unit.

PEMANDU is in charge of formulating and implementing NKRAs (National Key Result Areas), MKRAs (Ministerial Key Result Areas) and getting “Big Results Fast”, according to its website, although it singularly failed to win political backing for a radical revamp of Malaysia’s costly subsidy regime.

It is also helping to formulate the 10th Malaysia Plan, 10MP for those in the know, a communist-era sounding 5-year plan that aims to help lift this middle income country to developed nation status by 2020.

PEMANDU is part of the GTP, the Government Transformation Programme, which also involves the SITF (Special Implementation Task Force). Throw in the NKEAs (National Key Economic Areas), another thinktank known as the EPU (Economic Planning Unit) and you haven’t reached the end of the alphabet spaghetti dreamed up by Malaysia’s civil servants…. There’s still the ETP. the NEP (sometimes good, sometimes bad) and the NEM (New Economic Model).

To be fair to Malaysia, it is not the only country in the world that is wallowing in economic acronyms, the U.S. gave the world TARP, a $700 billion bank bailout programme, and the even more mind-numbing ABCP MMMFLF   (don’t ask), but it is fair to ask what Malaysians have got from all of this.

While it is true that Malaysia has had a “good” global downturn with economic growth of 10.1 percent in the first quarter of 2010 and 8.9 percent in the second quarter, it is also true that Najib hasn’t quite managed to transform Malaysia in the way he promised.

Najib told a conference run by investment bank Credit Suisse earlier this year that he “must execute or be executed”. He has also spoken of Malaysia’s economy being a “burning platform” based on low skill and low cost labour that is increasingly losing out to the likes of China, Indonesia and Vietnam in the race for investment and growth.

For all the rhetoric and the welcome mat being laid out for foreign banks and insurers by Najib, Malaysia still looks sickly compared with its peers.

Private investment is 12 percent of gross domestic product compared with 30 percent prior to the Asian crisis and is among the lowest in Asia, according to the World Bank. Productivity growth has halved to 3 percent since the 1998 Asian crisis and the World Bank says Malaysian firms innovate less than those in Thailand, the Philippines and Vietnam.

Foreign direct investment has fallen off a cliff since the glory days of the early 1990s when Malaysia accounted for 39.8 percent of Southeast Asia’s total, in part reflecting Malaysian companies investing overseas in faster growing economies like Indonesia. In 2009, according to UN data, Malaysia accounted for just 3.8 percent of the region’s total.

Najib’s reform momentum appears to be stalled, with liberalisation being attacked by conservative Malay groups who fear their special economic, social and political privileges are under threat.

Malaysians and the global investment community are now waiting for another stir of the acronym soup when the final details of the NEM and 10MP are unveiled in September as well as a public consultation run by PEMANDU.

Worryingly for the prime minister and his reform drive, local wags have started to mock his acronyms, dubbing NKRA “Najib Kerja, Rosmah Arah” (Najib works, Rosmah directs) in a pointed reference to Najib’s highly visible wife Rosmah Mansor.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 11:31 pm and is filed under
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Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on Najib, 1Malaysia and NEM?

Shock, outrage and consternation are understatements of the reactions to the latest outbursts by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when he denounced the proponents of meritocracy as “racists too” and warned the Malay community that they risk losing political control of the country if they remain disunited.

It is not just the spectacle of the former longest-serving Prime Minister of Malaysia adding oil to the cauldron of the politics of race and religion  but the repudiation of the Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia which he had proclaimed two decades ago.

In 1990, beginning his second decade as Prime Minister, Mahathir spelt out Vision 2020 to achieve in 30 years a fully developed Malaysian nation made up of one “Bangsa Malaysia” with a sense of common and shared destiny,  distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations.

In one fell stroke yesterday, Mahathir had backtracked and repudiated Vision 2020 and “Bangsa Malaysia” causing a whole generation of Malaysians nurtured on Vision 2020 and the concept of Bangsa Malaysia  to feel cheated by a national leader who had been the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister.

Mahathir’s utterances yesterday have far-reaching implications than just his repudiation of the Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia concept he had advocated since 1990.

Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on his second successor as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak after successfully forcing out the his first successor Tun Abdullah?

Is Najib and his 1Malaysia and New Economic Model (NEM) now the targets of his attack and demolition?

Mahathir had already publicly questioned Najib’s 1Malaysia policy and his utterances yesterday marked a  throw-back to the irresponsible and  dangerous politics of race and religion.

With his denunciation of meritocracy, Mahathir is rubbishing the NEM diagnosis and prescription to resolve the twin nation-building and economic crises confronting the country – especially the NEM recommendation on the imperative importance to recognize that “people are the most valuable assets in the era of globalization” and that for Malaysia to compete on a regional and global scale, Malaysia must “retain and attract talent” with Malaysia “seen by its people and others as a land of equal opportunity to earn a good living and provide a secure, happy life for each individual and the family”.

It is a sad commentary on Mahathir’s 22-year premiership that he has no confidence in the NEM proposal for a new affirmative action policy based on needs and merits, market-friendly, “consider all ethnic groups fairly and equally as long as they are in the low income 40% of the households”, eliminating rent-seeking and market-distorting features!

Instead, Mahathir has returned to the politics of race.

What next?

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 25 August 2010, 12:48 pm and is filed under
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