Mahathir right that BN and Umno incapable of reform – why BN 2/3 majority must be slashed

Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad is right when he said yesterday that the Barisan Nasional (BN) and Umno are incapable of reforming themselves without pressures from the electorate.

Mahathir warned that if the voters back the Barisan Nasional government once again in the coming polls, it would be an endorsement for a coalition “centred on nepotism and corruption”.

He also expressed the hope that Barisan Nasional supporters will not vote in “corrupt and inefficient” leaders in the next general election.

I fully agree with Mahathir and this is why the denial of the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in Parliament and the Perak state assembly should be the common objective of all Malaysians who want to see change and improvement in Malaysian politics and nation-building.

There are 59 seats in the Perak state assembly and at least 20 seats must be wrested from the Barisan Nasional to deny it the two-thirds majority. DAP is focusing on winning 15 state assembly seats in Perak (I had mentioned the target of winning 4 Parliamentary and 12 state seats in the Kinta Valley last week).  If Parti Keadilan Rakyat, together with PAS, can secure five to seven seats, then a historic new beginning for Perak will be the outcome of the next general election.

At the national  level, there are a total of 222 parliamentary seats, which would require a minimum of 75 seats to deny the Barisan Nasional its unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority – the root cause for Umno political hegemony of the country.

Mahathir said yesterday that even if Umno loses 20, 30 of their candidates, the Barisan Nasional is going to win. I will say that even if Umno loses 30 to 40 parliamentary seats, Barisan Nasional is still the government and Umno the “big brother”!

The denial of the BN’s two-third parliamentary majority must be regarded as the first imperative of all Malaysians who want to see the start of change in Malaysian politics and nation-building after the next general election.

DAP should focus on 30-40 parliamentary seats, while Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS on another batch of 40-50 parliamentary seats.

If there is a 85% success rate in these 90 parliamentary constituencies targeted by the Opposition, then the 2008 general election will return a historic result where although the Barisan Nasional is returned to power, it is bereft of its two-thirds parliamentary majority – which will be the most potent instrument to usher in a new democracy in Malaysia with a national government that will be forced to walk the talk of accountability, transparency, integrity, justice and democracy.

* Speech (2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timur Lim Kit Siang at the launching of the DAP Pasir Pinji Election Operation Centre in Ipoh on Thursday, 31st January 2008 at 1 pm.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 31 January 2008, 6:30 pm and is filed under
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19 new/relocated Chinese primary schools – question each for the five BN leaders

It is front-page headline news in all the Chinese newspapers – the approval for six new Chinese primary schools and the relocation of 13 Chinese primary schools by the Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein with the “All-for-one and one-for-all” group photograph of Hishammuddin with MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, MCA Deputy President Datuk Seri Chan Kong Choy, MCA Secretary-General Datuk  Ong Ka Chuan and Gerakan President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon.

Nobody will say no to general election goodies, just as nobody will say no to gifts by “Santa Claus” on Christmas Day, although one is fully aware of the real intent  of such goodies  – which I will reserve for another occasion to touch on.

For the moment, I will like to ask a question each of  the five BN leaders in the “one-for-all, all-for-one” group photograph “celebrating” the approval for six new Chinese primary schools and relocation of 13 Chinese primary schools.

To
Hishammuddin
 – why didn’t he take the opportunity of his visit to MCA headquarters, his first as UMNO Youth leader, to publicly apologise for  his “keris-wielding” at previous Umno Youth general assemblies which was  highly offensive, even by MCA and MCA youth leaders and members, for being utterly insensitive to the rights and  feelings of other ethnic communities?

To
Ong Ka Ting
 – why he had not given a full public accounting as to why previous general election promises for the building of new Chinese primary schools and relocation of Chinese primary schools for the 1999 and 2004 general elections had not been fulfilled 100%?

To
Chong Kong Choy
 – why he had failed to give full accounting for the RM4.6 billion Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) scandal as RM4.6 billion could have been better spent to build new Chinese primary schools throughout the country to meet needs based on increased enrolment and not to win votes before each general election.

To
Ong Ka Chuan
 – why as MCA Perak leader he has failed to ensure that the Perak state benefit from the latest Chinese school “election goodies” as Perak has been excluded from the list of six new Chinese primary schools and 13 relocations – especially when at least two new Chinese primary schools should be built to ease the overcrowding in the Bercham Chinese primary school in Ipoh as it has  over 3,300 students.

To
Koh Tsu Kooon
 –  what is he doing at the MCA Headquarters over the announcement when as Gerakan President and  Penang Chief Minister, he has not been able to get a single school for  Penang to be included in the latest “Chinese school election goodies” when Dong Jiao Zong has stated that Penang state urgently needs 13 new Chinese primary schools.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 1 February 2008, 12:26 pm and is filed under
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Dr. Basmullah’s jailing – Ismail Merican inconsiderate, callous, heartless and unbecoming of top civil servant

The
comment
 by the Director-General of Health Tan Sri Dr. Ismail Merican that Dr. Basmullah Yusom, the first doctor to be jailed under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act 1998 preferred jail to paying the RM120,000 fine  in instalments is most inconsiderate, callous, heartless and totally unbecoming of a top civil servant.

New Straits Times
 today quoted Dr. Ismail  as saying that Dr. Basmullah “declined the Health Ministry’s offer to stay out of jail”.

He said the offer was made to the doctor by the ministry’s prosecuting officer.

Dr. Ismail said: “It’s not that we do not care for doctors or are unsympathetic to them.”

If Dr. Ismail really “care” or sympathetic to doctors, how could he use language which is so inconsiderate,  callous and   heartless?

From Dr. Ismail’s account, it would appear that Dr. Basmullah  is  a pervert who prefers to go to jail instead of enjoying his personal freedom outside prison!

Dr. Ismail went on to say that if Dr. Basmullah feels he has been harshly sentenced by the Sessions Court, he has the right to appeal to a higher court.

I am just shocked and outraged beyond belief that even up till now, Dr. Ismail does not see or accept  that Dr. Basmullah just do not have the means to hire counsel to appeal against the sentence of RM120,000 fine or three months’ jail – when he  had not been able to afford the expenses  to retain counsel to represent him at the Sessions Court or to take up the “offer” to pay the hefty RM120,000 fine by instalments.

This is why Dr. Basmullah is in jail in Kajang Prison for the past two weeks – creating outrage to the extent that a online “Don’t Jail Doctors Blog Campaign” has been launched.

Many are asking why is the system of justice in Malaysia is so perverted that a doctor could be jailed for not registering his clinic although he has the annual practicing certificate of a medical practitioner, while criminals whether the corrupt or those guilty of heinous crimes can get away scot-free, moving freely in society!

Let me tell Dr. Ismail that nobody “prefers” or enjoys going to jail unless forced by unavoidable financial straits – and he had made a most inconsiderate, callous and heartless statement for which he should be thoroughly ashamed and should have the humility to publicly withdraw and apologise.

I want to ask the Acting Health Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting why he allowed the Director-General of Health to add insult to injury in the jailing of the first doctor under the PHFSA  with the callous and heartless comment  that Dr. Basmullah preferred going to jail than paying fine.

Furthermore, as Acting Health Minister, what is he doing to mitigate the breach of promise by the former Health Minister and the Director-General of Health that doctors will not be criminalized or jailed until the PHFSA had been amended as well the gross  injustice of the three-month jail sentence passed on Dr. Basmullah?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 1 February 2008, 3:02 pm and is filed under
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Emperor’s New Clothes – how arrogant/dumb  can one be?

“Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi trying out a T-shirt after launching The Emperor’s New Clothes boutique at Pavilion. The T-shirt was given to him by the boutique owners – his daughter Nori Abdullah (right) and his son-in-law, Khairy Jamaluddin (left).”

– caption of a photo in page 2 of New Straits Times today.

11 comments in last hour but the real “horror” has not dawned on everyone, so I am amending the heading to include “dumb”.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 1 February 2008, 12:22 pm and is filed under
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Malaysians should expect a change for the better

by
 Richard Teo

Malaysians should not accept what the govt say in the media as gospel truth.Of late we hear DPM Najib say that the opposition is not capable of administering the country.This is not only misleading but a blatant lie.

   The present govt have shown that it is not capable of properly governing this nation.The last 22 years of Mahathir’s tenure and 4 years of Pak Lah’s administration have seen the country degenerating towards a failed state.

    The litany of failures in the various govt department is shocking.The Police Dept is in dire straits with crime surging to unprecedented heights. The Judiciary is not only tainted with dubious appointments but it has practically lost the

confidence of the people.Religious conflict arising from conversion of non-muslims and the practice of ‘body snatching’ of muslim converts have stretched racial tolerance to breaking point.

  In addition the govt has wantonly wasted public funds in compensation for the crooked bridge and the Broga incinerator project. The PKFTZ cost the govt a few billion of tax payers money which was siphoned off by UMNO cronies.

    The Defence Ministry headed by our DPM, Najib saw fit to purchase inferior quality Sukhoi air planes from Russia and Scorpene Submarines from France. All these dubious purchases were done through the front companies of his close friend Razak Baginda who is now charged with the Mongolian model’s murder.

    Are the above catalogue of failures what Najib would call a success of the B.N govt?

    Surely an opposition govt given the same opportunity could not have fared worse than this.

   A regime change can only offer a refreshing start to a new era of governance which can only be better. It has the benefit of learning from B.N’s mistake and this hindsight experience should enable the opposition to make a better alternative government for the people.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 1 February 2008, 12:18 pm and is filed under
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“Don’t give BN 75 seats in Parliament”

Media Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timur at the start of a two-day whistle-stop campaign in Perak to launch the second DAP general election theme on “Say no to corruption and rising prices” at the Pokok Assam market, Taiping on Saturday, 2nd February 2008 at 9 am:

“Don’t give BN 75 seats in Parliament” should be the common objective of all opposition parties, civil society and Malaysians who want to see the beginning of a new democracy with an effective check-and-balance

The next general election is shaping up to be the most important  of all 12 general elections in the nation’s 50-year history.

Even former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has warned that a thumping victory for the Barisan Nasional and Umno in the next general election would end up as an endorsement for a coalition “centred on nepotism and corruption”.

Mahathir has said that even if Umno loses 20 or 30 of their candidates, the Barisan Nasional is going to win.

I agree with the former Prime Minister. The issue in the next general election is not whether the Barisan Nasional and Umno will be returned to power but whether the unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority of the Barisan Nasional could be ended to provide for an effective and meaningful check-and-balance in the system of parliamentary democracy in Malaysia.

For this reason, “Don’t give BN 75 seats in Parliament” should be the common objective of all opposition parties, civil society and Malaysians who want to see the beginning of a new democracy with an effective check-and-balance for the first time in Malaysia’s system of parliamentary democracy.

The Barisan Nasional must be denied at least 75 parliamentary seats if it is to be deprived of its two-thirds majority in a Parliament of 222 seats in the next general election.

This is why DAP should focus on winning 30-40 parliamentary seats, while Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS on another batch of 40-50 parliamentary seats.

If there is a 85% success rate in these 90 parliamentary constituencies targeted by the Opposition, then the 2008 general election will return a historic result where the Barisan Nasional will be deprived of its two-thirds parliamentary majority although it is still comfortably in power with a strong simple majority.

The deprivation of its parliamentary two-thirds majority for the first time in Malaysian history would have historic significance in Malaysian politics and nation-building  for it would compel the Barisan Nasional government to end its high-handed, arrogant and undemocratic rule and, for the first time in its history,  to act with greater responsibility, justice, fair play,  accountability, transparency and integrity.

The denial of two-thirds majority should also be the objective of all opposition parties, NGOs and the civil society in the two DAP front-line states of Perak and Penang.

In Penang, the Barisan Nasional must be defeated in at least 14 seats if it is to be denied two-thirds majority in the Penang State Assembly of 40 State Assembly seats. DAP may be able to win from eight to ten State Assembly seats. If Parti Keadilan Rakyat can win from four to six seats, then the denial of the Barisan Nasional two-thirds majority in the Penang State Assembly is within sight.

Similarly for Perak, the Barisan Nasional must be defeated in at least 20 seats if it is to be denied two-thirds majority in the Perak State Assembly of 59 State Assebmly seats. With DAP focusing on winning 15 state assembly seats in Perak, this denial of two-thirds majority could only be achieved if Parti Keadilan Rakyat, together with PAS, can secure five to seven seats.

These will be among the great  issues to be determined in the next general election expected to be held within 45 days – whether Barisan Nasional and Umno can be denied two-thirds majority in Parliament and the Penang and Perak state assemblies to allow the people’s rights and genuine democracy the chance to flower and mature.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 2 February 2008, 6:31 pm and is filed under
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“Don’t give BN 75 seats in Parliament” – let it be common objective of all opposition and civil society

The next general election is shaping up to be the most important  of all 12 general elections in the nation’s 50-year history.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 2 February 2008, 5:58 pm and is filed under
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Will public support Court action to uphold “caretaker government” concept once Parliament dissolved?

Media Conference Statement(2) by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and DAP MP for Ipoh Timur at the start of a two-day whistle-stop campaign in Perak to launch the second DAP general election theme on “Say no to corruption and rising prices” at the Pokok Assam market, Taiping on Saturday, 2nd February 2008 at 9 am:

Mulling legal suit for court declaration on  caretaker government once Parliament is dissolved to prevent abuses of power by Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers in misuse of  government resources and funds for BN electioneering

The Cabinet on Wednesday spent three hours discussing the next general election – a gross abuse of government resources as well as another shocking example of the failure and increasing inability of government leaders to respect the important distinctions among the government, party and personal which is the root cause of rampant corruption in Malaysia.

I want to ask the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi whether in the three-hour Cabinet meeting on the next general election, he had issued a clear directive to all the Ministers that they should set an example of ethics and integrity once Parliament is dissolved, and should not abuse their “caretaker” responsibilities to abuse government positions, resources, manpower and funds for Barisan Nasional electioneering purposes.

Three weeks ago, I had sought an appointment with the Prime Minister to discuss among other things the importance of a premiership which had launched the National Integrity Plan to honour the concept of a caretaker government between the dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new legislature and formation of new government.

Under this concept, which has become commonplace in first-world developed nations, there is only a caretaker government when Parliament stands dissolved for a general election to be held.

In a caretaker government, Cabinet Ministers should not abuse government positions, machinery, resources and funds for any electioneering purpose for a political party or candidate.

A candidate who benefits unfairly from any “unhealthy” and dishonest practices, as campaigning assistance by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Minister through the abuse of their government positions or misuse of public funds and resources, should be subject to disqualification. Cabinet Ministers who abused their “caretaker” roles should also be penalized.

There has been no response from the Prime Minister’s Office to my request for an appointment with the Prime Minister but I have received a sort of reply from his statement two days ago that he would meet with NGOs but not with Opposition parties in the run-up to the next general election.

As Abdullah has made it clear that he would not want to meet with Opposition leaders in the run-up to the next general election, even if it is in the national interest to ensure that Malaysia conducts a free, fair and clean general election and not to allow our international reputation to be further marred by having the “dirtiest general election in the nation’s history” – something which former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad has just warned as likely to happen – I am seriously mulling court action for a declaration on the applicability of the concept of caretaker government once Parliament is dissolved to prevent abuses of power by Prime Minister and Cabinet Ministers.

This is clearly in the public interest. However, one consideration is holding me back – the question of cost. It could be very prohibitive to defend and uphold the public interest in court.

Although DAP National Chairman Karpal Singh is prepared to take up the case  pro bono publico, there is the question of costs that might be awarded by the court if the case is dismissed. I understand the costs could be as high as RM50,000.

It is sad that costs should be such a deterrent factor in public-interest litigation suits.

The question is whether the Malaysian public are prepared to come forward to give financial support to adopt such a public interest litigation to get the court to spell out that the concept of “caretaker government” is relevant in Malaysian parliamentary democracy and should be honoured and observed by the Prime Minister and all Cabinet Ministers once Parliament is dissolved.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 2 February 2008, 7:11 pm and is filed under
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Caretaker government suit may be filed tomorrow

Thanks to all  for views on whether the “caretaker government” public interest litigation should be instituted.

Time does not permit me  to respond to the good arguments canvassed on both sides.  The caretaker government suit may be filed tomorrow.

Thanks also to those who have pledged financial support to the suit.  Your financial donation will be sought on this blog shortly.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 3 February 2008, 7:33 pm and is filed under
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Release Dr. Basmullah immediately as he has paid over RM21,000 fine with 16 days’ jail

In asking the medical fraternity not to blame him for the jailing of Dr. Basmullah Yusom who failed to register his clinic under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA) 1998, former Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek is guilty of a grave injustice to Dr. Baharom.

Chua said  the PHFSA was never intended to criminalize doctors.  He said PHFSA, which came into force on May 1, 2006 when he was Health Minister, was intended to weed out bogus doctors who posed a threat to public health and safety.

Now that a qualified doctor, who has an annual practicing certificate issued by the Malaysian Medical Council has been criminalized and sentenced to three months jail for his inability to pay RM120,000 fine,  why has Chua failed to speak up firstly,  to admit that  the enforcement of the PHFSA should be suspended until there is iron-clad guarantee that there would not be another case of criminalizing of a doctor like  that of Dr. Basmullah; and secondly, that it is grossly unjust for Dr. Basmullah to spend another day in jail.

Dr. Basmullah has been jailed for 16 days which is equivalent to paying a fine of over RM21,000 – which is already too hefty a fine for a technical offence committed by Dr. Basmullah.

Is Chua prepared to publicly state that as Dr. Basmullah has paid an equivalent of over RM21,000 fine in serving 16 day’s jail sentence,  justice demand that he  be released immediately without any extra day in Kajang Prison?

I am very disappointed that for more than two weeks, there has been deafening silence from the Acting Health Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting on the Dr. Basmullah case – whether he is utterly indifferent about the sufferings imposed on the father of eight or whether he is totally lost as to how to rectify the injustice suffered by Dr. Basmullah.

The least Chua should do is to phone up Ong to do justice to Dr. Basmullah, by asking the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to invoke his revisionary powers by applying to the court to vary the sentence imposed on Dr. Basmullah to less than RM21,000 fine, which would mean that Dr. Basmullah would be able to walk out as a free man from Kajang Prison immediately.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 3 February 2008, 7:13 pm and is filed under
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Believing  Your  Own  Spin!

M. Bakri Musa

To hear Prime Minister Abdullah tell it, his government is ahead that of Japan, Germany and United Kingdom in terms of efficiency.  He based this apparently on his reading of the 2007 World Competitiveness Yearbook compiled by the Swiss Business School, IMD.

            The man can hardly stay awake long enough to flip through the thick volume much less read or comprehend it.  When he made that assertion to the assembly of civil servants last Monday, January 28, 2008, he was merely uttering what his “bright boys” on the infamous Fourth Floor fed him.

            That is scary.  Those boys are now beginning to believe their own self-created legend and swallowing their own spin.  If they truly believe that the Malaysian government is ahead that of Germany, they must be hallucinating, a deranged state of mind brought on through their prolonged isolation from the real world.

            Hallucinatory state by itself is not dangerous as long as you are fully aware of it.  The danger comes when you believe it to be the reality.  Indeed the criterion for psychosis (or in layman’s term, madness) is your inability to differentiate reality from delusion.  When individuals begin acting on their hallucination, then all hell breaks loose.  They would then pose an immediate danger not only to themselves but also to society, and they would have to be committed to “protective medical custody,” an euphemism for the nut house.

Abdullah An Example of the Absurdity of the Claim

The absurdity of Abdullah’s claim is readily exposed by the manner in which he made his assertion.  He chose his regular assembly of civil servants as the forum.  This is his favorite mode of communication, a mass sermon.  According to press reports about 9,000 civil servants were “privileged” to hear that special sermon from their leader.  That represents the top one percent; presumably only the Secretary-Generals, Director-Generals, and important department heads.

            Assume that those top civil servants each make an average RM$15,000 per month (a conservative estimate), and with the normal working day of seven hours and 22 working days in a month, their time would be worth (or more accurately, cost the public) about RM100 per hour, at the minimum.

            Abdullah took about an hour to deliver his speech.  Of course those civil servants would have to arrive early and then linger behind to socialize with their colleagues, including taking the obligatory group pictures.  They would have spent at a minimum of two hours that morning just to listen to the Prime Minister’s homilies.

            By my calculation, that morning cost the government (the public really) in excess of RM1.8 million (RM100 per hour times 2 hours times 9,000 civil servants).  In addition there would be the cost of using that massive auditorium and the video transmitting facilities so the speech could be beamed to the various state capitals.

            The biggest cost however, is hidden.  The whole government machinery was paralyzed that entire morning.  No important decisions could be made that morning as senior officers were out of their offices during the hour before, during and after the assembly.  Where do you begin to quantify in monetary terms such a huge loss in productivity?

            Unfortunately these giant assemblies are a favorite with Abdullah.  He loves the captured, doting and uncritical audience.  That gathering reminded me of my weekly school assemblies, with the pupils dutifully lining up in straight lines under the strict eye of our prefects before we would march obediently into the school hall.  Then after we were all seated, the teachers would stroll in, with the junior ones leading and the senior ones plodding behind, desperately trying to put some gravitas to their steps.

            Likewise with this assembly of civil servants; first to enter the auditorium would presumably be the “Superscale” G officers, (the lowest on the rung), followed by the F, E, and so on to A, meaning the KSUs and DGs.  Then when they were all settled down, would Abdullah make his imperious entry.

            Everybody would of course rise and the applause would be long, loud, and sustained.  The little fellow would slowly make his way up the stage, nodding, grinning and shaking a few hands along the way, albeit not so regally.  Up on the stage he would continue his wide grin, lapping every moment of this effusive display of manufactured affection.

            In scale and grandeur, such shows would dwarf what the North Koreans regularly put on for their “Beloved Leader.”  The mindset however, both among leaders and followers, is the same in both Pyongyang and Putrajaya.

            In this day and age, a more effective way of communicating, and considerably much cheaper at that, would have been for Abdullah to videotape his speech and webcast it.  Then civil servants or members of the public could hear it on their own free time.  Of course those civil servants would not like it.  Part of the reason they relish those assemblies is that they get to ponteng (escape) from their offices.

            That is how CEOs of large multinational corporations communicate to their far-flung employees as it is very effective.

            Abdullah and his senior advisors are still stuck on the school assembly mode of communication.  That is also reflective of the “school boy” mentality of his advisors.  It is also “efficiency,” according to the wisdom of Abdullah Badawi and his advisers.  Unfortunately this is the kind of operational details that are frequently missed by foreign surveyors.

Widespread Disregard of Evident Reality

The IMD Yearbook report on Malaysia looks too good to be true.  No matter how meticulous their research, those academics would have a tough time convincing Malaysians, especially those who have had any dealings with their government.

            Yes, the Yearbook does say that based on certain specific criteria and prescribed framework, the Malaysian government is ahead that of Britain, Germany, and Japan.  The big question is the relevance of those criteria and frameworks to everyday reality.

            When something is too good to be true, chances are it is not true.  Regardless how impressive the credentials of those who made the assertions, if their reports or findings have, in Lord Bauer’s memorable phrase, “widespread disregard of evident reality,” we must not believe them.  This applies not only to economics but also to everything else in life.

            Abdullah and his advisors are banking that the average Malaysian would not have access to the Yearbook.  They are right.  At nearly RM 3,000 for the cheapest print edition, few if any library would acquire the volume.  Consequently few Malaysians would have the opportunity to read the full report and scrutinize the criteria and framework.  That is an important caveat.

            I can credibly make the claim of being the best surgeon if I choose my framework carefully, as for example, being the best surgeon this side of Coyote Creek.  I may be factually correct but the issue is the relevance of that claim.

            Malaysia has been favorably cited lately by two well known international bodies.  One was the earlier World Bank Report on our Higher Education, and now this IMD Yearbook on competitiveness.  It is instructive that Malaysia had engaged both institutions to do significant consulting work:  the World Bank on our Higher Education, and IMD on development in Sabah.

            May I suggest to all, especially foreign pundits and scholars, that the current circus that is the Royal Commission on the Lingam Tape gives a more realistic picture of the government machinery than the expensive IMD Yearbook.  As for the World Bank Report, the government would have gotten the same ideas and recommendations by buying and reading my earlier book, An Education System Worthy of Malaysia.  It would have been considerably cheaper too!

            I fear that Abdullah, his advisors, ministers, and senior civil servants would treat the findings of this IMD’s World Competitiveness Yearbook as an endorsement to their maintaining the present course.  That would guarantee dooming the country to perpetual mediocrity.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 4 February 2008, 3:12 pm and is filed under
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Don’t repeat Deepavali insensitivity last year – let CNY festivities be over before dissolution of Parliament

Last Wednesday, the Cabinet spent three hours discussing the next general election – which is a failure of integrity of the Abdullah premiership as it is another example of the inability of government leaders to respect the important distinctions among the government, party and personal and the root cause of rampant corruption in Malaysia.

At the last Cabinet meeting, the least the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should have done is to issue a clear directive to all the Ministers that they should set an example of ethics and integrity once Parliament is dissolved, and should not abuse their “caretaker” responsibilities to misuse government positions, resources, manpower and funds for Barisan Nasional electioneering purposes.

Abdullah should have reminded all the Cabinet Ministers of the case in India, where a Prime Minister – Indira Gandhi – was disqualified as a Member of Parliament by the Indian court because she had misused government facilities in using a state aircraft for party electioneering purposes.

I am today instituting court proceeding asking for a declaration that when Parliament is dissolved, the concept of a caretaker government between dissolution of Parliament and the election of a new legislature and the formation of a new government must be honoured and upheld in Malaysia.

Under the caretaker government concept, which has become commonplace in first-world developed nations, Cabinet Ministers should not abuse government positions, machinery, resources and funds for any electioneering purpose for a political party or candidate.

A candidate who benefits unfairly from any “unhealthy” and dishonest practices, as campaigning assistance by the Prime Minister, Deputy Prime Minister or Cabinet Minister through the abuse of their government positions or misuse of public funds and resources, should be subject to disqualification. Cabinet Ministers who abused their “caretaker” roles should also be penalized.

This case puts three important issues under test:

•	Firstly, whether the National Integrity Plan launched by Abdullah in May 2004 is just all empty talk or whether he is serious about the principles of ethical and good governance and is prepared to set a personal example;

•	Secondly, whether Malaysia is serious about the Vision 2020 objective to become a fully-developed first-world nation, by demonstrating the government has the mindset and mentality of a first-world developed nation in abiding by the concept of a “caretaker government” between dissolution of Parliament and the formation of a new government after election; and

•	Thirdly, whether the judiciary can take the first step to restore national and international confidence as the bulwark of good and constitutional governance after nearly two-decades of a long series of one judicial crisis of confidence after another.

In this connection, I call on Abdullah to respect the forthcoming Chinese New Year celebrations beginning on Thursday and not to dissolve Parliament to launch the 12th general election campaign during CNY period.

This is because various dates had been bruited for the dissolution of Parliament, from the seventh day of the Chinese Year all the way to Chap Goh Mei.

The Umno general assembly was held during Deepavali in November last year, a shocking display of insensitivity of the diverse races, religions and cultures in plural Malaysia.

UMNO leaders, branches and members would be the first to take offense if MIC, MCA or Gerakan should hold their national delegates’ conferences on Hari Raya Haji for instance – underlining the insensitivity of Umno leaders in giving offence to Hindus and all right-thinking Malaysians in holding the Umno general assembly last year on Deepavali Day.

This insensitivity of the diverse and great cultures and religions which have found confluence in plural Malaysia should not be repeated by dissolving Parliament during the Chinese New Year.

The Chinese New Year spirit and mood should not be spoiled by the dissolution of Parliament and the formal start of the general election campaign. Let all Malaysian Chinese and Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation, complete their Chinese New Year celebrations before they go for the hustings!

If MCA and Gerakan Ministers and leaders are unable to persuade the Prime Minister to respect the Chinese New Year festivities, and let the CNY celebrations be over first before the dissolution of Parliament and the launch of the general election campaign, then Malaysians are entitled to ask as to what is their real influence, relevance and purpose in the highest policy-making circles in the Barisan Nasional government.

-> Link to
ORIGINATING SUMMONS

-> Link to
Affidavit

                This entry was posted on Monday, 4 February 2008, 2:36 pm and is filed under
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Najib apology on demolition of Hindu temple on Deepavali eve – six more apologies by Umno/MIC leaders awaited

The front-page headline of the  night edition of China Press is “Najib  apology – demolition of Hindu temple on  Deepavali eve”.

This is a manifestation of Makkal Sakti (People’s Power) but it is a grave error for the Barisan Nasional and MIC leadership to think that such an apology is acceptable or satisfactory answer to the Malaysian Indian political awakening and uprising following the seminal 30,000-people  Hindraf protest in Kuala Lumpur on Nov. 25 last year.

If Najib and the top Umno  leadership are serious in wanting to making amends for the long-standing political, economic, educational, social, cultural religious polarization of the Malaysian Indians resulting in their becoming the new underclass in the country, Najib’s apology must be followed by at least six other apologies and ensuing actions, such as:

•	Apology by Selangor Mentri Besar, Datuk Seri Khir Toyo as the No. 1 man in the Selangor state government who must bear full responsibility for the demolition of the Hindu temple in Shah Alam on Deepavali eve;

•	Apology by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for Umno insensitivity in holding the Umno General Assembly last year on the day of Deepavali – when it would be regarded as highly insensitive and offensive if MIC, MCA or Gerakan had held their national delegates meeting on Hari Raya Aidilfitri  for instance.

•	Apology by  the Umno Youth deputy chief, Khairy Jamaluddin, the Prime Minister’s son-in-law in publicly castigating the Indian news vendors for “anti-national” actions in having a press holiday when  the Umno general assembly was being held resulting in the policy speech of the Prime Minister and Umno President at the Umno general assembly not given coverage the next day – when it was the fault of Umno in fixing its general assembly on Deepevali, long a press holiday.

•	Apology by  MIC President and sole Indian Cabinet Minister for over 28 years in refusing to admit the fact of the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians – a stand which he reiterated  during his recent visit to India;

•	Apology by  Abdullah for the detention of the five Hindraf leaders under the Internal Security Act for fighting the cause to end the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians – and the five should be released immediately and unconditionally.

•	Apology by  Samy Vellu for the 20-year-long Maika Telekom Shares hijacking scandal in betraying the rights and interests of Malaysian Indians who had put  their trust in him by placing their life-savings in Maika shares.

Are these six apologies from the UMNO  and MIC leaders forthcoming to demonstrate that there is now a genuine change of heart in the top Umno leadership to meaningfully end the marginalization of the Malaysian Indians in the country?

(Speech at the DAP ceramah in Buntong, (Ipoh Barat) on Sunday, 3rd February 2008 at 10 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 4 February 2008, 3:41 pm and is filed under
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4 million eligible voters cannot cast their vote – EC should conduct 3-wk final voter registration campaign

The Election Commission should conduct a final three-week voter-registration campaign to enable more eligible voters to exercise their constitutional right to vote in the 12th general election as it is scandalous that there are four  million eligible but  unregistered voters in a country which claims to be modern and developed.

The Election Commission has announced that with the gazetting of the 2007 Master Electoral Roll today,  the number of voters totalled 10,922,139.

This is after the incorporation of the fourth-quarter electoral roll from Oct 1 to Dec 31 with 200,393 names, comprised 148,969 new electors and 51,424 voters who had changed their polling centres.

It is a mark of failure that the  Election Commission has not been able to ensure a minimum of 90% registration of all eligible voters on the Electoral Roll, as the Election Commission has been able to register only some 73% of eligible voters to enable them to exercise their constitutional right to vote.

With  four million eligible Malaysians not registered, this is a walloping 27% of eligible voters who cannot cast their vote.

I told Parliament more than a decade ago that in New Zealand, its Election Commission could register voters on the eve of polling day to enable them to cast their vote the next day.

Why is the Election Commission in Malaysia so outmoded and antediluvian as to be unable to provide a more  efficient and up-to-mark voter registration mechanism?

If in New Zealand, an eligible voter can register on the eve of polling day as to vote the next day, is it totally beyond the competence, capability and professionalism of the Election Commission to conduct a final three-week voter-registration exercise to enable more eligible voters to vote in the 12th general election, as its Polling Day  is expected only  in the first half of March?

This is one of the issues I had wanted to discuss with the Election Commission Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman when I asked for a meeting with him early last month, but the Election Commission Chairman seemed to have become unavailable to the Opposition although he would  have responded to any beck-and-call by the Prime Minister or the Cabinet.

I will ask my office to make a final call to find out whether a meeting with Rashid could be arranged, as there are many issues I want to discuss with him – particularly whether the Election Commission could conduct a clean, free and fair general election – or whether the Election Commission at this critical period in the run-up to the dissolution of Parliament and the 12th general election is only available when he is summoned by the Prime Minister or the Putrajaya fourth-storey boys but not to meet political leaders of Opposition parties.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 5 February 2008, 5:12 pm and is filed under
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Dr. Basmullah’s jailing – is Ka Ting the worst Acting Health Minister in nation’s history?

I am here with Norliza binti Hassan,  44, wife of Dr. Basmullah Yusoff – the first doctor be to criminalized and jailed under the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA)  – her counsel Karpal Singh (DAP National Chairman) and Dr. Lo’Lo Mohd Gazali, Dr. Basmullah’s medical colleague (PAS Wanita leader)  for an  application  to the High Court to get Dr. Basmullah out of Kajang Prison.

Two days ago, New Sunday Times quoted former Health Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek  as asking the medical fraternity not to blame him for the jailing of Dr. Basmullah who failed to register his clinic under the PHFSA 1998.

Chua said the PHFSA was never intended to criminalize doctors. He said PHFSA, which came into force on May 1, 2006 when he was Health Minister, was intended to weed out bogus doctors who posed a threat to public health and safety.

Now that a qualified doctor, who has an annual practicing certificate issued by the Malaysian Medical Council has been criminalized and sentenced to three months jail for his inability to pay RM120,000 fine, why has Chua failed to speak up firstly, to admit that the enforcement of the PHFSA should be suspended until there is iron-clad guarantee that there would not be another case of criminalizing of a doctor like that of Dr. Basmullah; and secondly, that it is grossly unjust for Dr. Basmullah to spend another day in jail.

Dr. Basmullah has been jailed for 18 days which is equivalent to paying a fine of over RM24,000 – which is already too hefty a fine for a technical offence committed by Dr. Basmullah.

Is Chua prepared to publicly state that as Dr. Basmullah has paid an equivalent of over RM24,000 fine in serving 18 day’s jail sentence, justice demand that he be released immediately without any extra day in Kajang Prison?

I am very disappointed that for more than two weeks, there has been deafening silence from the Acting Health Minister, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting on the Dr. Basmullah case – whether he is utterly indifferent about the sufferings imposed on the father of eight or whether he is totally lost as to how to rectify the injustice suffered by Dr. Basmullah.

Is Ka Ting prepared to carry out his duties as Acting Health Minister diligently, conscientiously and responsibly by asking the Attorney-General Tan Sri Gani Patail to invoke his revisionary powers by applying to the court to vary the sentence imposed on Dr. Basmullah to RM24,000 fine, which would mean that Dr. Basmullah would be able to walk out as a free man from Kajang Prison immediately.

If the Acting Health Minister and the Attorney-General are prepared to take the initiative to ensure that Dr. Basmullah can walk out of Kajang Prison immediately, there would be no need for any action by Norliza and Karpal.

Is Ka Ting in support of the call that Dr. Basmullah should not stay an extra day in Kajang Prison? An additional day in jail for Dr. Basmullah is an additional day of dereliction of duty by Ka Ting as Acting Health Minister!

If Ka Ting cannot carry out his duties as Acting Health Minister diligently, conscientiously and responsibly, he should ask the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to relieve him of this acting portfolio and appoint another Minister who is not afraid to come forward to back the call for Dr. Basmullah’s immediate release from jail!

Otherwise, Ka Ting will become the worst Acting Health Minister in the nation’s history – a notoriety which the MCA President must give full accounting in the 12th general election!

(Media Statement  at the  Jalan Duta Courts, Kuala Lumpur on the filing of an application to release from Kajang Prison Dr. Basmullah Yusoff,  the first doctor to be jailed for a technical offence  on Tuesday, 5th Feb. 2008 at 9.30 am)

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 5 February 2008, 11:43 am and is filed under
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If Parliament is dissolved during CNY, BN leaders must apologise for another insensitivity

The general election is one step nearer with  two further developments:

•	the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi declaring that he now has “inspiration” for the 12th general election although he has not fixed the date;

•	the announcement by the Election Commission secretary Datuk Kamaruzaman Mohd Noor that the main electoral roll, including those who registered as voters throughout last year, will be gazetted today.

A fly in the ointment in all the hype and escalation of preparations for the impending 12th general election is the spoiling of the spirit and mood of the Chinese New Year beginning on Thursday by a possible dissolution of Parliament in the midst of the Chinese New Year.

There is very strong speculation that Parliament will be dissolved to kick off the 12th general election campaign during the Chinese New Year period itself – with the 8th day of Chinese New Year (14th Feb) even mentioned as the likely date for the dissolution of Parliament.

Abdullah should give a public assurance that the Chinese New Year celebrations would not be marred by the dissolution of Parliament and the kick-off of general election campaign – and that any dissolution of Parliament will only be after Chap Goh Mei on Feb. 21.

The MCA, Gerakan and SUPP Ministers and leaders should impress on the Prime Minister the importance and significance of allowing the Chinese New Year festivities to be completed before the dissolution of Parliament and the kickoff of the general election campaign.

MCA President, Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, Gerakan Acting President Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon and SUPP President Tan Sri Dr. George Chan should explain and publicly apologise  if they cannot convince Abdullah  to fully respect Chinese New Year celebrations and not to dissolve Parliament to kick off general election campaign until after Chap Goh Mei (21st Feb).

If Ka Ting, Tsu Koon and George Chan cannot even convince Abdullah on such a small though significant matter, what can Malaysians expect from them on larger and more important matters affecting the community, the state,  the nation and future generations?

If Parliament is dissolved during the Chinese New Year before Chap Goh Mei, public apologies from these three Chinese leaders in the Barisan Nasional  would be in order – especially as this appears to have become a season of apologies.

The Prime Minister should be reminded of the offence  last year when the Umno general assembly was held during Deepavali, a shocking display of insensitivity of the diverse races, religions and cultures in plural Malaysia.

UMNO leaders, branches and members would be the first to take offense if MIC, MCA, Gerakan  or SUPP should hold their national delegates’ conferences on Hari Raya Aidilfitri  for instance – underlining the insensitivity of Umno leaders in giving offence to Hindus and all right-thinking Malaysians in holding the Umno general assembly last year on Deepavali Day.

This insensitivity of the diverse and great cultures and religions which have found confluence in plural Malaysia should not be repeated by dissolving Parliament during the Chinese New Year.

The ball is now in the court of Abdullah, Ka Ting, Tsu Koon and George Chan.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 5 February 2008, 9:12 am and is filed under
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Video: “Malaysia Belongs to The People”

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 5 February 2008, 6:52 pm and is filed under
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“He was the chief justice that the country should not have, but had”

The report of the expected
six-month extension
of Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad’s tenure as Chief Justice from April 18 to Oct 17 this year is the only bright spark in a desolate wasteland of the judiciary highlighted by three weeks of public hearing of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into the Lingam Tape.

After  the three-week public hearing of the RCI into the Lingam Tape, the integrity, honour and reputation of the previous four highest judicial officers of the land –  the occupant of the office of Chief Justice  previously known as  Lord President – spanning two decades had been dragged through the mud.

Nobody would dared imagine just one month ago that national and international confidence in the judiciary, which has reached unprecedented  lows in the past two decades, could plumb new depths – but this is what happened since the RCI public hearing on 14th January 2008.

Last Thursday, a glowing tribute was rightly given to the former  Court of Appeal President, Tan Sri Abdul Malek Ahmad by retired Court of Appeal judge K. C. Vohrah who said:

“He was the chief justice that the country should have, but never had”
.

Unfortunately, there are more than two persons whom Malaysians could rightly point to and say: “He was the chief justice that the country should not have, but had.”

It is most fortunate that Abdul Hamid is now the Chief Justice as he could hold his head high as the highest judicial officer of the land despite the judicial mud exposed to public light in the past three weeks.

The very fact that the current chief justice  Datuk Abdul Hamid Mohamad is neither a “Tan Sri” nor “Tun” is the best illustration that he is an “accidental Chief Justice”, not because he lacks merit, capability and temperament to be Chief Justice, but because  the powers-that-be who acted unconstitutionally in deciding the highest judicial appointments never intended him to be Chief Justice.

It is an indictment on the national integrity and the system of governance in Malaysia that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and the Cabinet cannot  shake off their denial complex that something very wrong and rotten had afflicted the judiciary system in the past two decades and to admit the urgent need for root-and-branch judicial reform.

The Chief Secretary Tan Sri Mohd Sidek Hassan has recently been dragooned to become the  Chief Propagandist of the Barisan Nasional in the run-up to the next general election – about the efficiency of the public service delivery system.

One of the things Mohd Sidek had been boasting is on “ethnic diversity in government” – that “it doesn’t matter if its all women or Indian or Chinese. We go for the best.”

Can Mohd Sidek or the Prime Minister explain why for the first time in the nation’s 50 year history, there is not a single Chinese on the Federal Court for the past 20 months?

The last Federal Court Judge vacancy should have been filled by a qualified Malaysian Chinese to maintain  a fully multi-racial Federal Court but this was not done. Instead, the vacancy went to Tan Sri Zaki Tun Azmi, so that he could become the first Umno Chief Justice in Malaysian history!

Zaki  took a triple jump  last September to  become Federal Court judge without ever being High Court or Court of Appeal judge – followed shortly after with a quadruple jump up the judicial hierarchy to become Court of Appeal President.

Can the Prime Minister or the Chief Secretary justify Zaki’s appointment as in accordance  with best international practices of an efficient,  accountable and world-class public service delivery system?

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 1:59 pm and is filed under
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Bible confiscation – rise of LMNs in Abdullah’s Islam Hadhari

“Fu: seized Bible copies returned to owner”
 was the headline in yesterday’s
Star
 – on  copies of the Bible taken from a woman at the Low Cost Carrier Terminal recently  which were promptly returned to her within 24 hours of the matter being highlighted in electronic media like Malaysiakini and foreign agencies and press like the International Herald Tribune and  the protest of the Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM).

The question every Malaysian is asking is – why is the government so super-efficient and super-responsive only when the general election is around the corner but such traits are totally forgotten after polling day?

It is just no good enough for Fu to say that the confiscation of 32 Bibles from a woman who had just returned from a visit to Manila was done by a Customs officer and did not involve his Ministry.

This is the account of missionary Juliana Nicholas on her ordeal, as reported by
Malaysiakini
, which vindicated Malaysiankini columnist Helen Ang’s coining of the term “Little Mullah Napoleons” (LMN):

“On Jan 28, missionary Juliana Nicholas returned from a trip to the Philippines carrying with her two boxes containing 32 bibles meant for her church group.

”Upon arrival at the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal (LCCT) in Kuala Lumpur, she was told to declare and open the contents of the boxes.

”Having done so – and despite showing them a letter from her parish priest stating the texts were for use by the church – Nicholas was shocked to be hear subsequently that the bibles would be ‘referred’ to the Internal Security Ministry’s Publications and Al-Quran Texts Control Division.

”Protestations that they could check the bibles there and then without the inconvenience of referring them to the ministry fell on deaf ears, said Nicholas.

“’When I objected as these were English bibles, the ministry official I spoke to said, ‘Oh, we do this even with the Qurans that come through this way’. But these are not Qurans, these are English bibles!’ Nicolas said when contacted.

”As to when the bibles can be returned to her ‘would depend on those people at the division’, Nicholas said she was told further.”

Faced with the rise of LMNs in the public service and the growing  number of incidents showing an alarming change in  the bureaucratic  mindset from liberal acceptance and respect for the multi-religious characteristics of Malaysia in the first four decades of Malaysian nationhood to an increasing intolerance of the rights and sensitivities of other religions, the time is well past for Fu to indulge in hair-splitting and buck-passing in the latest insensitivity for a plural Malaysia of diverse races, languages, cultures and religions.

Everybody knows that the LMNs are not within the remit of Fu to contain and discipline.

Malaysians want to know from the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi  whether the custom officer who had seized the 31 bibles  had been suspended pending  a full inquiry for more  severe disciplinary action  to be taken in view of the gravity of the action.

Even more important, Malaysians are asking whether Abdullah can check the rise of LMNs in the bureaucracy or his Islam Hadhari is creating the opposite effect – providing fertile ground for the LMNs to bully their way in the civil service!

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 11:57 am and is filed under
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CNY message – “Mother” of all ang pows to nation and future generations

This is my 42nd year in politics and the tenth and probably  last  general election which I will be contesting when Parliament is dissolved some time this month.

I have only one wish for the Year of the Rat – let Malaysian Chinese and all Malaysians give the biggest ang pow of all – the “mother” of all ang pows – to the nation and future generations by voting for change in the 12th general election so that Malaysians can stand united and tall to face the challenges of globalization.

Let us make the 2008 Chinese New Year the most significant of all Chinese New Years in the country particularly as it  coincides with the nation’s  50th Merdeka anniversary to mark a political coming-of-age with  a political will and commitment by Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians to usher in real change after 50 years of failure to fulfill the great potentials  of Malaysian nationhood.

Let all Malaysian Chinese and Malaysians ponder long and hard what were the factors which had held  back Malaysia in the past five decades from being a world-class nation whether in terms of parliamentary democracy, rule of law, educational excellence, international competitiveness, efficient and incorruptible public service, low crime, quality of life  – allowing other countries  like Singapore, Taiwan and South Korea to overtake us and presently in peril of being left behind by others like Thailand, Vietnam and even Indonesia.

The Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister are very confident that the Barisan Nasional will be returned as the government in the 12th general election.  They are right.  But if they can be proven wrong in being assured  that the Barisan Nasional could be returned with a parliamentary two-thirds majority, then Malaysia is set for far-reaching changes which can release hitherto untapped energies and forces which had kept Malaysia mediocre in the league of nations.

Denial of two-thirds parliamentary majority to the Barisan Nasional in the next general election is not going to be easy – as it must ensure that Barisan Nasional is defeated in at least 75 out of 222 parliamentary seats.

Neither the Prime Minister nor the Deputy Prime Minister can make any convincing case that in losing 75 parliamentary seats and deprived of parliamentary two-thirds majority, the Barisan Nasional would not have sufficient majority to govern – as Barisan Nasional would still have 147 parliamentary seats enjoying a substantial  majority of 72 seats which would be the envy of  all governments in first-world developed democracies.

The 2008 Chinese New Year will be the most memorable of 50 years of Chinese New Year since Merdeka as well as all 50th Merdeka anniversary celebrations if on this occasion, the Malaysian Chinese together with all Malaysians resolve that the  denial of two-thirds parliamentary majority to the ruling coalition in the next general election is the first step to the goal of “excellence, glory and distinction” for Malaysia.

This will indeed be the biggest ang pow that Malaysian Chinese and all Malaysians can give to the nation and future generations to commemorate 50th Merdeka anniversary!

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 2:19 pm and is filed under
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“Enough? You decide”

Source:
The People’s Parliament

Quite a summary of what went wrong in this country.

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 2:16 pm and is filed under
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Kedah School- Sports selection on Thaipusam Day

Letters

by
A Parent

I hope you can publish this in your blog. The publication can be an effective deterrent for future. Your blog has helped lots of cases in this way.

I am parent of Form 1 student of Sek Men Taman Hi-Tech in Kulim.

I attended the school Sports Day yesterday (Feb. 4) and I am just shocked at what I saw.

The Malaysian government started the National Service Program, with the objective of racial integration, my foot. That 3-month stint is just a show to make money when the situation in schools are totally different.

This is what I saw yesterday.

Very few Indians participated in the sports event

Indians are supposed to be good in running, but there were very few, I asked the boys. And they said the reason is because the final selection was done on Thaipusam Day. Although it was not a public holiday, Indians took leave and went to temples that day. The school purposely chose that day to select the final participants. That was purposely done.

March Past

It was racially divided. The army/police cadet was 100% Malays whereas Cadet Bomba was 100% non-Malays.The army cadet uniform was perfect, 100% given, whereas the Bomba was crazy, some wore T-Shirts, different kinds of shoes because all the cost need to be borne by the parents. Why?

I really felt very saddened at what happened. It is a rubbish  to say the Education Ministry is looks into ways to integrate the races, but in fact they are purposely segregating them.

Is this what the government say ‘We care for all races, we are fair to all’????

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 6 February 2008, 10:54 am and is filed under
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A Malay view of ‘Ketuanan Melayu’

Azly Rahman

‘O people! Your God is one and your forefather (Adam) is one. An Arab is not better than a non-Arab and a non-Arab is not better than an Arab, and a red (i.e. white tinged with red) person is not better than a black person and a black person is not better than a red person, except in piety. Indeed the noblest among you is the one who is deeply conscious of God.’

– a saying of Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him)

‘Malaysia – to whom does it belong? To Malaysians. But who are Malaysians? I hope I am, Mr Speaker, Sir. But sometimes, sitting in this chamber, I doubt whether I am allowed to be a Malaysian. This is the doubt that hangs over many minds, and … [once] emotions are set in motion, and men pitted against men along these unspoken lines, you will have the kind of warfare that will split the nation from top to bottom and undo Malaysia.’

– Lee Kuan Yew, now Senior Minister, Republic of Singapore

Instead of defining Ketuanan Melayu as ‘Malay superiority’ which is quite meaningless, philologically inaccurate, and philosophically arrogant, I think the word ‘dictatorship’ is closer in meaning. As you read this piece, please refrain from value judgment and from bring trapped in the prison-house of language pertaining to the word ‘dictatorship’.

To dictate connotes to tell, which connotes to narrate. To narrate means to weave a story based on an ideology. To ideologise means to encapsulate. To encapsulate means to be trap. Dictatorship, here might also mean an entrapment. Instead of acknowledging one’s freedom to rule, one is acknowledging being in an entrapment – and to rule out of that condition. This is a form of false consciousness.

Words, as a literary theorist Raymond Williams might say, must also be contextualised/situated within the economic condition they emerge in. Marx’s famous dictum that human beings’ existence is defined by the economic condition they are in and that this condition is already predetermined. This is a deterministic view of human history.

I first read heard the phrase Ketuanan Melayu in the mid-1980s from a book by one Malik Munip. I was reading his work, at the same time reading Lim Kit Siang’s
‘Malaysia in the dangerous 80s’
, to get a sense of the argument. I was an undergraduate reading Literature, Education and International Politics.

I also heard that Malay students were discouraged from reading Kit Siang’s work and encouraged to read
‘Ketuanan Melayu’
. I love banned books and books that others tell me not to read. There is a sense of intellectual challenge to be able to read banned books.

I read Mahathir Mohamad’s
‘The Malay Dilemma’
 and Syed Husin Ali’s ‘Malays
: Their Problems and their Future’
 and Syed Hussein Alatas’
‘The Myth of the Lazy Native’
at the same time. Again, to get a sense of balance.

I read Malaysian official publications on economic outlook, juxtaposing them with a close reading of analyses on the political-economy of the Malaysian capitalist state.

I read the work of Freud and Marx to see where some of the major authors of the Frankfurt School of Social Research are going with their arguments on totalitarianism. I read the Quran and the Bhagavad Gita, the Ramayana, and the Mahabharata to see where the arguments on race superiority lie and what the fate of humankind will be.

The idea of social dominance and racial superiority might all be primarily about economics, if we are to read the history of the development of ideologies of superiority. But my question is – who has the right to claim that this or that land belongs to this or that group of people. At what point does culture and citizenship meet and negotiate the issue of egalitarianism? When does ‘the truth of one’s culture’ reach its limit and the question of ‘the truth of citizenship’ dominate?

This is a very complex question Malaysians must answer after 50 years of Independence. We must open up the dialogue on this issue.

Lyrical propagan
da

Let us look at how the idea of ketuanan Melayu is disseminated to the young. One way is through indoctrination camps in which songs are used.

Over the decades, perhaps millions of Malay students like me were taught the dangerous propaganda song, ‘WARISAN/Anak Kecil Main Api'(A Child Plays with Fire). One verse concerns the power of the Malays::

… kini kita cuma tinggal kuasa

yang akan menentukan bangsa

hasil mengalir, ke tangan yang lain

pribumi merintih sendiri…

My loose translation of this 1980s propaganda song by the Biro Tata Negara reads:

… political power is what we are only left with

one that will determine the fate of our nation

wealth of this nation flows into the hands of others

sons and daughters of the soil suffer in solace…

I do not think we have a clear understanding of what the lyrics mean. I doubt if the songwriter even understand what a ‘people’s history of Malaya’ means. It is a song based on racist intents; its lyrics penned by one who does not have a good grasp of the political-economy of Malaysian history, let alone the latest advances in the field of psychology of consciousness.

The training programs that encapsulate the theme of this song are meant to instill fear of the Malays, not of others but of themselves, and to project hatred onto other ethnic groups without realising who the enemy of the Malays really are.

Using relaxation techniques to bring the brain waves in the alpha and state (conducive for suggestive and subliminal messages), trainees were put under ‘half-asleep’ conditions to get the ketuanan Melayu message to colonise the consciousness. The technique pioneered by Russian brain scientists Barzakov and Lozanov in the1970s, called ‘suggestopedia’, is used to instill the deep sense of fear for oneself and hatred of others.

History is a complex syntagmatic pattern of interplay between technology, ideology, culture, inscription and institutionalisation not easily reduced to simplistic lyrics as such sung to the tune of pre-war German-nationalistic-sounding compositions.

History is about the complex evolution of the ruling class which owns the technologies of control. As Marx would say, at every epoch it is the history of those who own the means of production that will be written and rewritten. The winners write history, the losers write poetry or study anthropology, some would lament.

Back to the lyrics. After 50 years of independence, who is suffering in Malaysia? Who has become wealthy? Who has evolved into robber barons? What has become of our judiciary system, our universities, our city streets, our sense of public safety and security, our schools, our youth, and our entire socio-economic arrangements at the eve of the 12th general election. How has the idea of ketuanan Melayu contributed to this state of affairs?

Language of power and ideology is at play in those lyrics. The definition of ‘bumiputera’ is at play. It has become a problematic word in this age of deconstructionism; an age wherein as the poet WB Yeats said, “the centre cannot hold”.

Rock musicians will recall the Scorpions’ famous song ‘Winds of Change’ to serenade the fall of the Berlin Wall and the beginning of the breakdown of the Soviet Empire. We have to face the ‘wrath’ of the word.

Put an end to Ketuanan Melayu

For Muslims in Malaysia, this saying by Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) is familiar: ‘Your descent is nothing to be proud of. Nor does it bring you superiority. O people! All of you are the children of Adam. You are like equal wheat grains in a bowl … No one has any superiority over anyone else, except in religion and heedfulness. In order to consider someone a wicked person, it suffices that he humiliates other people, is mean with money, bad-tempered and exceeds the limits…’

I would say that ketuanan Melayu is a dangerous concept that is threatening race relations. It is an arrogant interpretation of selective history; of a history that is largely benefiting those who profits from the ideology.

Those promoting this concept are not well-versed in the matters of philosophy of history. I do not think thinking Malays these days subscribe to the idea of ‘Malay dominance and dictatorship’. If there is a ketuanan of one race, then the rest are ‘slaves’ and ‘serfs’ and ‘sub-citizens’, if we are to analyse it from the point of view of ‘Master-Slave’ narrative?

As a Malay wishing to see the withering of and an end to the concept of ketuanan Melayu and the birth of a new consciousness that will respect the dignity of all races and the humility of all ethnic groups, I call upon Malaysians to continue to be critical of any attempt by any race to project their own sense of false superiority that would only breed dangerous ethnocentrism bordering on xenophobia.

We should work together to deconstruct all forms of race-based political arrangement and work towards establishing a new order based on a more egalitarian economic design that takes into consideration the basic needs and dignity of all races.

We should teach our schoolchildren how to deconstruct such sense of racial superiority, through the teaching of not only tolerance but social egalitarianism – via peace education strategies. We will have a lot to gain for generations to come.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 February 2008, 5:51 pm and is filed under
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The Malaysia we live in today (case of Dr. Basmullah)

by
Palmdoc

What a sight it must have been. A wheelchair bound ethnic Indian lawyer from a multi-racial (but predominantly ethnic Chinese) party together with an ethnic Malay doctor from an opposition party were in High court to make an application to get
Dr. Basmullah
out of jail.

This is the Malaysia I like to see. Where it’s not about race but about helping one another, especially when another fellow Malaysian has been dealt with unjustly.

It is most unfortunate that the MMA was not the one seen to apply to bail Dr. Basmullah out. Never mind if he was not a member of the MMA but the MMA must be seen to be a champion of Malaysian doctors’ rights. If not, who wants to join the MMA?

Perhaps there has been too much in-fighting in the MMA of late but now that there has been overwhelming votes cast for Dr. Quek as President perhaps once again the MMA will be of one voice and a stronger doctors’ association.

It also makes me wonder if you give some people too much power, they will become arrogant, they will abuse the power and they will think your, my, our opinions and voices do not matter.

The PHFSA is just one example of such a situation. This is a law which was passed in Parliament despite the reservations and objections of doctors who feared they would be criminalized.

They were reassured by the ex-Minister of Health who had claimed it would primarily serve the purpose of weeding out bogus doctors but not criminalize legitimate ones. Despite the spin doctoring we read in the main stream papers, Dr. Basmullah was NOT operating an illegal clinic for 10 years. He was a legitimate doctor running a legitimate clinic until the powers that be decided to change the rules in 2006 with an Act which has huge potential for abuse of power.

Such power we see now that the doctors’ fears have been realised and a legitimate doctor has been jailed not because he harmed a patient. Not because he was caught in a porn video, bribed, raped, robbed, embezzled, cheated, was illegally caught with a million dollars in some airport or worse still blew up someone with C4. Nay, in the Malaysia we live today, we see people get away with some of these things as long as you are on the right side of the fence. On the other hand, a humble doctor goes to jail because a piece of paper makes him now a criminal.

Sorry to be a little political these days but I am concerned for my nation. I saw this in
Haris Ibrahim’s blog
which I want to highlight here as it’s a great poster. The PHFSA should be amongst those things.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 February 2008, 7:22 pm and is filed under
Election
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Wo Men Du Shi Yi Jia Ren

by
penarik beca

Gong Xi Fa Chai

Xin Nien Jin Bu (May the New Lunar Year bring us progress).

Wan Shi Ru Yi (Everything is just as what you wish)

Wo Men Du Shi Yi Jia Ren (We are all one family)

Po Jiu Lin Xin (Break the old and establish the new)

Gong Xi Fa Chai, at this blessed moments as “the era of cheap food is over”.

Gong Xi Fa Chai, at this blessed moments as the roti canai gets smaller, Milo and Nescafe gets diluted.

Gong Xi Fa Chai at this blessed moments when our country enjoys a whopping 13 percent spike in violent crimes and the Prime Minister can do no better than asking “Apa yang sedang berlaku? Mengapa tinggi sangat?”

Gong Xi Fa Chai, at this blessed moments as the crime rate shot up by an even more alarming 45 percent in the four years of (Datuk Seri) Abdullah (Ahmad Badawi) premiership.

Gong Xi Fa Chai, at this blessed moments when the IGP proudly told us, “Imej PDRM tidak tercalar” [sic!]

Gong Xi Fa Chai at this blessed moments when the Prime Minister told us, “Don’t use crime rate as poll gimmick”.

Gong Xi Fa Chai at this blessed moments when the police force wages a war on peaceful rallies and not crime.

Gong Xi Fa Chai at this blessed moments when we are nowhere to claim there is no acute corruption problem in this country – thanks to the PM unforgiving effort to curb corruption. And, please dont say he has forgotten what his mother told him, “Kerja baik-baik, jangan selalu berbangga diri dan jangan lupakan orang bawah.”

Gong Xi Fa Chai at this blessed moments when Raja Petra Kamarudin alleges the IGP is the patron of the underworld.

Gong Xi Fa Chai in this prosperous country of sham democracy.

Gong Xi Fa Chai and please allow this kutu to repost my previous wish because nothing has change:

Gong Xi Fa Chai

Xin Nien Jin Bu (May the New Lunar Year bring us progress).

Wan Shi Ru Yi (Everything is just as what you wish)

Wo Men Du Shi Yi Jia Ren (We are all one family)

Po Jiu Lin Xin (Break the old and establish the new)

Have you read the Prime Minister’s Chinese New Year message?

My Chinese friends, you are indeed very lucky to celebrate New Year at this RM1 trillion feel good moments. Malaysians enjoyed a high standard of comfortable and happy family life, the Prime Minister said.

If you are a matador in a bullfight, as a very lucky Malaysian (very, very, very, very, very, very lucky actually! Endlessly!), this is the time you make the kill!

Every moment is the most bullish moment under our most astute Prime Minister!

After all, the Prime Minister has cheered us with his heavenly, better than the best assertion:

•	The study showed the index on comfortable and happy family was at 8.2 from the highest scale of 10

•	Foreign and local investments have exceeded RM40 billion. The capital market is active, with high performance, volume and index

•	Malaysia’s trade last year was RM1.06 trillion, which was 10.5 percent higher than the preceding year, with the superlative performance aided by exports rising 10.3 percent to RM588.95 billion and imports up 10.7 percent to RM480.49 billion

•	On February 15, The Kuala Lumpur Composite Index, closed at 1,258.63, a new 10-year high.

What are you waiting for! Go and have the world’s best tasting
chiao tzu
. You are Malaysian, what? Loaded, maa!

1 trillionnn!!! Historic!!!

Datuk Seri Perdana Menteri yang bijak dan jujur, i dont get anything?!! Hey kutu!! hang sapa!! (Who are you!!) Go fly a kite, laa!!

[To read the original blog with its  myriad of links, visit the
penari beca
 blog.]

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 7 February 2008, 6:48 pm and is filed under
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Attacked and immoblised by acute low-back pain

I succumbed to acute low-back pain this morning. After about an  hour of  reading, I felt  an acute ache at the small of my back. Feeling that something was  amiss, I gave a few minutes for the ache to go away. When it didn’t. I tried to stand up but I could not.

I knew I was in trouble.  Imagine – to be immobilized just before the “mother” of all general elections!  In my mind, I was wondering whether two DAP leaders will have to go to the hustings in wheel-chairs!

I was bedridden and had to miss the annual family  lunch on New Year’s Day at the Penang Swimming Club where Dr. Lim Guan Choon and Dr. Khoo Siew Swan are members.

The whole Lim family was there except me – my wife Neo Yok Tee, children Guan Eng and wife Betty Chew, Hui Ming, Hui Ying and Guan Choon with wife Siew Swan.

The third Lim generation are Guan Eng’s four children, Rachel Lim Shay Wan 17, Clint Lim Whay Chau 16  , Marcus Lim Whay Khai 13 and Ethan Lim Whay Zen 14 months; and Guan Choon’s three kids, Charlotte Lim Shay Ryu 11, Matthew Lim Wei Shen  9 and  Serena Lim Shay Ann  8.

Guan Choon was worried whether there is something more serious  with my acute low-back pain and arranged for a MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) to be done.  Appears to be just acute back sprain although very painful and reduces me into an invalid.

I had wanted to go to Sitiawan tomorrow for the Chinese New Year Open House of DAP Perak State Chairman and Perak State Assembly Opposition Leader, Ngeh Koo Ham (Sitiawan Assemblyman) but my acute back pain has put paid to my plan to be in Manjong.

Sunday is the Penang DAP Chinese New Year Open House and Monday the launching of the Canning elections operations centre in Ipoh Timur.

I hope I could make it to both functions, particularly the Sunday date as there is a special programme for the Penang DAP CNY Open House, which will  not only be attended by Anwar Ibrahim,  but will feature a most memorable occasion – especially for Makkal Sakti not only among the Indians but all Malaysian marginalized groups in the country, whether the Kadazan-Dusun-Murut (KDM) community in Sabah, the indigenous people in Sarawak, the Orang Asli in Peninsular Malaysia and all poor Malays and Chinese in the country.

Keeping my fingers crossed that I don’t have to turn up at the Penang DAP CNY Open House in a wheel-chair.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 February 2008, 6:54 pm and is filed under
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CNY messages by BN leaders – evidence that 50 yr nation-building gone very wrong or even lost its way

If more evidence are needed  to illustrate that after 50 years, Malaysian nation-building has gone very wrong and even lost its way, the latest proofs are provided by the  Chinese New Year messages by the Prime Minister and UMNO President, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, the Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Seri Ong Ka Ting, the Energy, Water and Communications Minister and Gerakan adviser, Datuk Seri Dr. Lim Keng Yaik and even the Works Minister and MIC President, Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

Abdullah said that  as the Prime Minister, he was committed towards creating a Malaysian community that was dynamic, progressive and lived in peace and harmony and strongly upheld the Malaysian cultural traditions.

“I will continue to redouble efforts so that we can continue to move forward and gain the respect of the international community in all aspects,” he added.

If a national opinion poll is conducted, can Abdullah get a majority from the (i) Malaysian Chinese and (ii)  the Malaysian populace as a whole to  believe in the Prime Minister’s Chinese New Year pledge, especially when there is unprecedented  widespread skepticism and cynicism of his  commitment to create a Malaysian community that is “dynamic, progressive and lived in peace and harmony and strongly upheld the Malaysian cultural traditions”.

In fact, I have no doubt that if Malaysians are asked whether the Malaysia  community has become more “dynamic, progressive and lived in peace and harmony and strongly upheld the Malaysian cultural traditions” in the past four years, the overwhelming majority will give a loud and  negative “No”  –  what with the coming of somnabulant premiership, the rise  of Little Napoleons and Little Mullah Napoleons (LMNs), declining international competitiveness, endemic crime and increasing frequency of incidents like bible-banning, body-snatching and insensitive Islamist  manifestations like the half-way halt in the construction of the world’s tallest Mazu statue in Kudat, Sabah.

Ong Ka Ting said that all Malaysians must be of one heart and think positively to preserve national unity.  I don’t think even MCA leaders and members believe that the MCA President was talking sense, especially when he had been conspicuously silent on the latest body-snatching case in Seremban although it was initially taken up by the MCA (which collected RM12,000 legal fees) and the outrage of the jailing of the first doctor in Malaysia, Dr. Basmullah Yusoff  over a technical offence  under  the Private Healthcare Facilities and Services Act (PHFSA).

Lim Keng Yaik in his Chinese New Year message called on Malaysians to be moderate, liberal and progressive in discussing and solving various issues and dealing with all forms of extremism and racism so as to speed up the creation of Bangsa Malaysia.

Is this all empty sloganeering, especially when Keng Yaik is ending his more than two decades as a Federal Minister with a Cabinet which must be described as the least moderate, liberal and progressive in the nation’s 50 year history, as otherwise how could he explain the following developments which would be completely unthinkable in the eras of  the first three Prime Ministers, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak and Tun Hussein:

*An Islam Hadhari which reaffirms the unconstitutional “929 Declaration” of Tun Dr. Mahathir  that Malaysia is an Islamic state and  jettisons the 1957 Merdeka social contract on a cardinal cornerstone of Malaysian nation building – that Malaysia is a democratic, multi-religious and secular nation with Islam as the official religion but not an Islamic state;

*The continued ravages on national and international confidence in the independence, integrity and quality of the judiciary, compounded by the scandalous exposes of the Royal Comission of Inquiry into the Lingan Tape and the RCI conduct;

*The worst crime and corruption situation in the nation’s history, with no one, whether citizen, visitor, tourist or foreign investor could feel safe from being a victim of crime in the country;

*The extension of the 20-year New Economic Policy to 50 years;

*The rejection of the Bangsa Malaysia by powerful voices and groups in Umno; and

*The rearing of the ugly head of religious intolerance and extremism, marked by the rise of Little Mullah Napoleons  (LMNs) as a greater terror than Little Napoleons in the public sector.

Samy Vellu’s Chinese New Year message is the most unbelievable of all. He called upon Malaysians to appreciate the Chinese community’s contribution to the nation and that the Chinese community towards nation-building was never in doubt.

It is most strange that this call  emanates from the MIC President and  the sole Malaysian Indian Minister for over 28 years, and who could not get the government to appreciate and recognize the contribution of the Indian community to nation-building – resulting in the long-standing political, economic, educational, social, cultural and religious polarization of the Malaysian Indians reducing them into a new underclass in the country.

This is why Samy Vellu is fighting for his political life and facing pressures from  Umno leaders that he step down as MIC President and as a candidate in the next general election as he  has become too great a liability to the Barisan Nasional and its efforts to win Indian votes!

The Barisan Nasional leaders should have co-ordinated among themselves before issuing their Chinese New Year messages or on other national festivities so that they do not become rich sources to show not only a somnambulant government, a half-past six Cabinet but an administration whose right hand does not know what its left hand is doing.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 8 February 2008, 12:49 pm and is filed under
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
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Latest version of Rasa Sayang

The real Rasa Sayang Song In Malaysia

Rasuah sayang eh

Rasuah Sayang Sayang eh,

He lihat Pak Lah tidur

Rasa sayang sayang eh,

Budak mongolia di luar pagar,

Ambil C4 tolong bombkan,

Saya budak baru nak mengajar,

Kalau salah you duduk diam – diam.

Rasuah sayang eh

Rasuah sayang sayang eh

Eh lihat Zam bodoh rasa sayang sayang eh

Zainuddin kita nak marah al – jazeera,

tapi sendiri tak berpengetahuan,

Mungkinkah belajar dari [deleted]*,

Kerana jawapannya macam ketam.

Rasuah sayang

Eh rasuah sayang sayang Eh

Eh lihat parliment rasa sayang sayang eh

Parliment kita macam zoo negara,

Penuh dengan banyak binatang,

Ada beruk, monyet dan kera,

Kalau pergi sana bawalah kacang,

Rasuah Sayang

Eh rasuah sayang sayang eh

Eh lihat rempit jauh rasa sayang sayang eh

Khari kata rempit sangat terer,

Mereka ialah mat cemerlang,

Otaknya sekarang entah mana,

Mungkin nak jadi rempit di longkang.

Rasuah sayang eh rasuah sayang sayang eh

Eh lihat bola kita jauh rasa sayang sayang eh

Dulu kita main bola peringkat antarabangsa,

Sekarang main macam ketam,

Kalah 5 – 1 kepada Cina,

Semalam pula kalah kepada vietnam.

Rasuah Sayang Eh

Rasuah Sayang Sayang Eh

Eh lihat Indonesia jauh rasa sayang sayang eh

Rasa sayang milik indonesia

Malaysia kata mereka punya

Otak engkau lagu ini milik kita

Kita punya Rasuah sayang sebenarnya

Rasuah sayang eh

rasuah sayang sayang eh

Eh lihat polis jauh rasa sayang sayang eh

Bila nak tiba hari raya

Polis kita merata rata

Muka mereka semacam saja

Bagi IC dan ringgit Malaysia

Rasuah sayang eh

rasuah sayang sayang eh

Eh lihat Pak Lah tidur rasa sayang sayang eh

Air di Johor melimpah limpah

Pak lah beli rumah di Australia

Bila Mahathir kita marah

Dia kata rumah itu orang lain pula.

Rasuah sayang

Eh rasuah sayang sayang eh

Eh Malaysia hancur rasa sayang sayang eh.

* As there is complaint that this reference is offensive.

(This new version of Raya Sayang making the rounds on the Internet. Anybody knows who is the originator, who should step forward and  be proud of his/her creation. – kit)

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 9 February 2008, 2:30 pm and is filed under
Parliament
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Parliament dissolution – respect CNY, Pai Tian Gong and international best practices

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has not categorically ruled out the possibility of dissolving Parliament and kicking off the 12th general election campaign during the Chinese New Year festivities.

All that he said yesterday was that it was a rumour, with the cryptic remark
“A rumour is a rumour. Any time can be appropriate when I decide.”

The onus is not only on Abdullah but on the MCA, Gerakan and SUPP leaders and Ministers to impress on the Prime Minister to be sensitive and  respect the 15-day Chinese New Year festivities and that the insensitivity shown by the Umno national leadership to the Deepavali public holiday last November should not be repeated again.

One hot speculation for the 12th general election is dissolution of Parliament on 13th February, Nomination on 21st February  and Polling on 1st March 2008.

As 13th February is the 7th day of the Chinese Year, Abdullah as a Penangite should be reminded that this would be doubly offensive  and insensitive – as it will  not only be a  disrespect to the Chinese New Year celebrations but also to Pai Tian Gong which falls on the 9th day of the Lunar New Year,  the birthday of the Jade Emperor and a major event for the Hokkiens in Penang.

Why is Abdullah so reluctant or shy in giving a public assurance that the dissolution of Parliament would  definitely be after Chap Goh Mei on 21st February 2008, if he is conscious of the need to set an example of respect and sensitivity for the diverse religions, cultures and customs to all government leaders and Malaysians?

If the dissolution of Parliament is after Chap Goh Mei, a hot set of dates being speculated are dissolution on 22nd February, Nomination on 27th February or March 1s with  Polling on 8th March, 2008.

It is the prerogative of the Prime Minister to decide on the date for the dissolution of Parliament, subject to two caveats:

(i)	show respect and sensitivity to the diverse religions, cultures and customs in the country, which means no spoiling  the spirit and mood of the 15-day  Chinese New Year from the 1st day of CNY to  Chap Goh Mei (7 to 21 February 2008).

.

(ii)	Respect the ethics of a  free and fair general election and abide by the best international practices particularly of first-world developed nations in conducting elections.

A quick survey of the most recent electoral practices in first-world developed nations which Malaysia aspires to join under Vision 2020 is the common best practice where at their voters are given at least one clear month’s notice between dissolution of Parliament and polling – like United Kingdom (one month), Australia (40 days), New Zealand (54 days) and Canada (55 days).

Horror of horrors, President Robert Mugabe has given 64 days’ notice for presidential, general and local elections in Zimbabwe on March 29, 2008!

Even if Abdullah cannot best United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand and Canada in terms of fair and proper notice for the holding of general election, is he to go down in history as doing  even worse than Mugabe of Zimbabwe by having the shortest period for free, fair and clean election campaign for a general election among Commonwealth countries?

The least Abdullah should do is to ensure that there is at least one full month between the date of dissolution of Parliament and Polling Day. If Parliament is to be dissolved on Feb. 22, polling day should not be held earlier than March 21 – which will give Abdullah ample time to attend the Organisation of Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit in Dakar from March 13-14 for the handing over of the OIC Chairmanship from Malaysia to Senegal.

Or has Abdullah’s feng shui master advised him against holding the next general election after the middle of March?

I call on Abdullah not only to  respect the 15-day Chinese New Year festivities and Pai Tian Gong but also to ensure at least a full month between dissolution and polling for the 12th general election  to demonstrate that he is more democratic than  his predecessor, Tun Dr.  Mahathir Mohamad  in the latter’s  22 years as Prime Minister.

The freedom, independence, impartiality and integrity of the Election Commission Chairman, Tan Sri Abdul Rashid Abdul Rahman has become a major national controversy.

Abdullah can resolve this controversy by taking two steps:

Firstly, by giving an assurance that he will not usurp the powers of the  Election Commission by restoring to the Election Commission its  full freedom and powers to decide on the Polling day after the dissolution of Parliament.  The dissolution of Parliament is the political decision and prerogative of the Prime Minister but the fixing of the polling date under Malaysian Constitution and laws  is the decision and prerogative of an independent Election Commission.

Secondly, by publicly accepting and  honouring the concept of “caretaker government” when Parliament is dissolved, with a clear-cut set of directives of do’s and don’ts of a caretaker government to Cabinet Ministers, Deputy Ministers, Parliamentary Secretaries, Chief Ministers, Mentris Besar, State Ministers and State Excos as well as to all public servants to strictly prohibit them from abusing their caretaker government status to misuse government resources, machinery and funds for party electioneering to win votes during the general election.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 9 February 2008, 12:58 pm and is filed under
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