Umno sudah sampai ke tahap defensif dalam semua hal

— Aspan Alias

The Malaysian Insider

Nov 29, 2011

29 NOV — Apabila negara sudah sampai ke tahap cerca marba seperti yang kita lihat dan alami sekarang ini, kita tahu pihak yang memimpin mempunyai masalah. Setakat kesalahan kecil-kecil orang Melayu dan rakyat amnya sentiasa terbuka untuk memaafkan kesalahan yang boleh diperbaiki dan terus sahaja memberikan mandat kepada mereka (BN).

Rakyat Malaysia amnya dan lebih khusus lagi orang Melayu sentiasa bersifat pemaaf. Rakyat bukan tidak tahu apa yang dilakukan oleh pimpinan yang tidak jujur selama ini. BN tetap mendapat sokongan di setiap kali pilihanraya.

Tetapi keadaan itu semua sudah tiada lagi. Rakyat sedar yang BN khususnya Umno telah mengambil sikap pemaaf orang Melayu itu sebagai kelemahan Melayu. Mereka terus melakukan perkara keji seperti rasuah dan berbagai-bagai lagi kerana mempercayai yang orang Melayu khususnya dan rakyat amnya akan terus memberikan sokongan dan tidak akan lari dari memberikan mandat terus menerus.

Mereka (pemimpin) terus terusan melakukan perkara yang selama ini dibenci rakyat dan mereka (pemimpin) merasakan yang kalau mereka membuat salah pun rakyat akan tetap mengundi mereka lagi. Tetapi sekarang kesabaran itu sudah habis hadnya. Rakyat termasuk orang Melayu sudah tidak tahan lagi dengan sikap angkuh dan sikap bermaharajalela mereka lagi.

Dalam pada rakyat merasa gusar dengan sikap pemimpin, mereka yang menjadi pemimpin masih lagi merelakan diri mereka di tawan oleh nafsu nafsi mereka. Kalaulah mereka sedar dan tahu bagaimana rakyat marah isu NFC misalnya tidak akan timbul. Banyak lagi isu-isu besar yang sudah pun di tulis dalam blog ini. Dalam kabinet hari ini ahli-ahlinya (menteri-menteri) berniaga dari kapal selam kepada perniagaan kapal terbang dan seterusnya sampai terlibat dengan perniagaan lembu. Pendeknya apa yang ada di darat, di air dan di udara semuanya mereka sapu bersih.

Penggubal dasar tidak lagi bertanggungjawab untuk menjadi pemantau terhadap dasar yang di gubal oleh parti dan Parlimen yang berkuasa. Malahan penggubal dasar yang berada di dalam kementerian-kementerian sebagai menteri berebut-rebut dengan rakyat untuk mendapatkan peluang perniagaan.

Tugas mereka untuk melihat dan mempastikan dasar yang di gubal terlaksana dengan baik oleh pelaksana (penjawat awam) sudah di lupakan dan sebaliknya mereka bersama-sama berkonspirasi dengan pelaksana untuk menjadi peniaga yang besar dan menggunakan sumber di kementerian masing-masing.

Orang Melayu memang tidak begitu bernasib baik kerana keadaan bangsa kita yang serba kekurangan dalam semua bidang ini. Kalau dasar ekonomi baru dulu di wujudkan untuk memberikan peluang kepada orang Melayu dalam bidang ekonomi dan “equity participation” sekarang ini orang Melayu terhimpit dengan saingan dari kerajaan sendiri.

Orang Melayu bukan sahaja terpaksa bersaing dengan rakan-rakan dari berbilang kaum, orang Melayu juga terpaksa bersaing dengan GLCs dan badan-badan dan institusi kerajaan sendiri. Semua GLCs, badan-badan berkanun termasuk perbadanan kemajuan ekonomi negeri-negeri semuanya bersaing dengan orang Melayu. Sekarang ini wujud pula apa yang di kenali sebagai Menteri Besar Incorporated (MBI) yang digunakan sepenuhnya oleh Menteri-Menteri Besar untuk bersaing dengan kontraktor Bumiputera dan MBI mendapat keuntungan yang tidak di audit oleh mana-mana pihak. Semuanya ini adalah alat-alat untuk membunuh peniaga Bumiputera dan rakyat keseluruhannya.

Rakyat nampak semuanya ini tetapi mereka (MB-MB) tidak sensitif dengan perasaan rakyat khususnya orang Melayu. Sekarang sesiapa sahaja yang dilantik mengetuai MBI ini boleh menentukan berapa banyak pendapatan yang mereka mahu dalam setahun dan mereka bukannya bekerja untuk mempastikan keuntungan itu untuk di rasai oleh rakyat selain dari hanya memberi bantuan ad hoc kepada sesiapa yang dirasakan perlu mengikut cita dan rasa Menteri Besar terlibat.

Kalau Umno benar-benar mahu melihat keadaan ini diperbetulkan dalam perhimpunan Umno tidak beberapa hari lagi ini boleh di keluarkan isu ini secara terbuka. Tetapi saya tidak yakin perkara ini akan dilakukan kerana hampir kesemuanya dalam Umno itu mempunyai kepentingan peribadi dan tidak akan berani berkata benar.

Perhimpunan itu hanya sekadar tempat pemimpin Umno bercakap dan bertempik dengan diikuti dengan tepuk gemuruh dari perwakilan yang syok sendiri semata-mata. Akan ada pelawak-pelawak di kalangan perwakilan yang hampir keseluruhan ucapan mereka di saluti dengan lawak jenaka untuk hiburan perwakilan yang datang dari jauh. Lawak jenaka mereka akan di sambut oleh pemimpin di atas stage dan apabila Presiden sendiri ketawa seluruh perwakilan akan ketawa.

Dalam perhimpunan agong itu nanti akan kita lihat dan dengar Presiden Umno bercakap dengan nada yang tinggi dan bersemangat seperti ucapan Presiden Sukarno, Indonesia pada tahun enam puluhan dahulu bagi menaikan semangat para perwakilan. Tetapi selepas perhimpunan itu ramai perwakilan akan melupakan hal perhimpunan kerana kebanyakan mereka akan berada outlet-outlet karaoke di sekitar Kuala Lumpur. Hasil dari perhimpunan itu adalah seperti kata-kata yang biasa kita dengar, “walhasil balik asal”.

Seperkara lagi yang saya hendak sebutkan di sini ialah khabarnya perhimpunan agong kali ini ialah perhimpunan kali yang ke 60. Saya hendak bertanya juga kenapa perhimpunan kali yang ke-60 sedangkan Umno ini baru berusia 23 tahun. Bagaimana pula Umno boleh menganjurkan perhimpunan yang ke 60?

Ini juga elok kita tanya Presiden Umno dan tuntut jawapan dari beliau. Mungkin pemimpin Umno pada hari ini terlupa sejarah partinya sendiri. Untuk peringatan pucuk pimpinan parti Umno, usia Umno yang ada pada hari hanyalah 23 tahun bukannya 60 tahun.Oleh kerana terlalu sangat tidak berkata benar, Umno kini menjadi sebuah parti yang defensif dalam semua isu.

Mengikut perkiraan saya kali ini adalah kali yang ke 22 tahun sahaja. Kita mesti ingat semasa negara kita mencapai kemerdekaan Umno sekarang tidak wujud lagi. Umno sekarang lebih muda dari umur anak bongsu saya.

PAS lebih lama usianya dari Umno. Begitu juga DAP. Umno sekarang hanya tua sedikit dari parti Keadilan Rakyat yang di tubuhkan pada tahun 1998 dahulu, sepuluh tahun selepas penubuhan Umno itu.

Saya sekadar ingin mengingatkan pucuk pimpinan Umno sahaja, tetapi kalau mereka masih mengatakan Umno itu sudah berusia 6 dekad… itu lantak dialah. Bagi mereka yang tidak mahu di bohongi mereka tetap cekal dengan pendirian yang Umno itu baru berusia 23 tahun. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Wednesday, 30 November 2011, 6:15 pm and is filed under
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A party that celebrates wrongdoing

— Lucius Goon

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 01, 2011

DEC 1 — I am truly dumbfounded; how did we reach this stage where wrongdoing, abuse of power is ignored and even celebrated.

What was the trigger point or epochal moment when corruption, abuse of public funds and plain padding up bank accounts stopped being an issue for Umno.

This was supposed to be Umno’s show of unity and transformation, an audition of sorts before the coming election. But instead we have seen a party from the top — Muhyiddin Yassin to the rank and file — celebrating the National Feedlot Corporation scandal.

Umno Youth says it is on reform mode but that it just shallow speak given the movement’s pledge to defend Messrs Shahrizat Jalil’s family’s scandalous use of public funds. Just to recap, her husband and children were given a softloan of RM250 million to develop the feedlot programme in Gemas.

But the Auditor-General reported that the project was a mess and digging by the Opposition showed that money was used to buy condominiums, umrah packages, a Mercedes Benz, etc. Basically, they treated my money and yours like their own.

They even paid some of Shahrizat’s expenses. This is as blatant abuse of public funds as any of us have witnessed.

But the fat cats of Umno insist that the project is a success and can’t understand what the fuss is about. In fact, Wanita Umno members were lauding Shahrizat for “coming out fighting”. Khairy Jamaluddin and his band of men also thinks its much ado about nothing.

Muhyiddin Yassin just says that there is nothing to the NFC scandal, all just hot air by the Opposition.

I understand why the DPM is defensive. He was the Agriculture Minister who promoted the NFC project. But their “celebration” of Shahrizat’s defiant stance and ignoring the blatant abuse of public funds is symptomatic of two ailments afflicting Umno.

Firstly, Umno views it as a sign of weakness to admit to mistakes and even to say sorry. So come what may, wrongdoing must be defended and the indefensible must be defended.

Secondly, so deep is the rot in Umno that its leaders actually believe that there is nothing wrong with what Shahrizat’s family did. After all, at one time or another, every one of them has used or treated public funds as their own.

They talk about reforms but can people without a moral compass talk about reforms?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 1 December 2011, 5:51 pm and is filed under
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Kit Siang wants Cabinet, EC to implement polls reforms by Jan 1

By Shannon Teoh

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 01, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Lim Kit Siang called today for Parliament to compel the government to implement the 10 recommendations put forward by the parliamentary select committee on electoral reforms by January 1.

Polls panel chief Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili filed a motion today for Parliament to adopt the reforms which include the use of indelible ink, allowing overseas Malaysians to vote and forming a royal commission to look into foreigners being given the right to vote in Sabah.

But DAP parliamentary leader Lim asked to amend the motion to compel “the Cabinet, Election Commission and related government agencies” to implement the recommendations effective January 1.

“The question is whether there is any guarantee they will be implemented by the 13th general election.

“This will ensure our debate will have meaning and action will be taken,” the Ipoh Timor MP said in Parliament.

But Speaker Tan Sri Pandikar Amin Mulia rejected the amendments as they concerned matters outside the Dewan Rakyat.

“Even though I agree to the point raised, I cannot act outside of my powers,” he said.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak pledged to set up the bipartisan select committee following the July 9 Bersih 2.0 rally, which saw tens of thousands pouring into the streets of Kuala Lumpur to call for free and fair elections.

The opposition has called for Bersih’s eight demands to be implemented before a general election expected soon.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 1 December 2011, 5:40 pm and is filed under
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Others are 100 times more racist, claims Muhyiddin

Abdul Rahim Sabri | Dec 1, 2011

Malaysiakini

Defending an earlier speech which accused DAP of being anti-Malay and anti-Islam, Umno deputy president Muhyiddin Yassin denied it was racist and hit back at his critics, describing them as being “100 times more racist”.

According to the deputy prime minister, what he had said was not something different from the historical facts, and instead it could “consolidate the new awareness” among the Malays about the party’s struggle.

“Only someone who is too racist (would think it is racist). When some quarters say something about their own race, he will say it is racist.

“They don’t realise that they are 100 times more racist than us,” he told the media, without mentioning any names, during a press conference today at the Umno annual general meeting (AGM).

During his opening address for the AGMs of Umno Wanita, Youth and Puteri on Tuesday, Muhyiddin accused DAP as an anti-Islam and anti-Malay party which attempted to turn Malaysia into a republic.

He called on members of the three wings to join the party’s struggle which is a jihad for the religion, race and country.

The next day, DAP parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang hit back, saying that Muhyiddin’s speech was the “mother of all lies, falsehoods and racism”.

During the press conference today, Muhyiddin echoed party president Najib Abdul Razak’s policy speech, in which the prime minister said Umno was not a racist party as it has been sharing power with other BN component parties.

“Although there was a time in history that Umno could form the government by itself in the first general election, we did not do so. We shared power.”

On the contrary, Najib had said, the opposition has shown no proof that its coalition parties can work together.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 1 December 2011, 6:20 pm and is filed under
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Pemandu blames new measurement method for poorer graft score

By Yow Hong Chieh

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 01, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 1 — Malaysia’s corruption score would have improved to 4.5 if Transparency International (TI) had not included a new measure which dragged down overall performance, the government’s efficiency unit said today.

 “TI’s Bribe Payer Index (BPI) was conducted only in 28 countries. This is the 1st time this has been introduced into the CPI,” the Performance Management and Delivery Unit (Pemandu) said on its @gtp_roadmap Twitter account for its Government Transformation Programme (GTP) section that covers anti-graft programmes.

“BPI is a new survey conducted to measure the propensity of Msians paying bribe to parties outside of Msia. If BPI was not taken into account, Msia’s score would jump to 4.5 and the country ranking would remain at 56.”

Malaysia’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) score has worsened for the third consecutive year to 4.3 from 4.4 in 2010, according to a report released by TI’s Malaysian chapter today.

Malaysia’s country ranking also fell to 60 out of 183 countries — between Saudi Arabia and Cuba — from 56 out of 178 last year.

It remained the third-least corrupt nation in Asean after Singapore (9.2) and Brunei (5.2), with Thailand (3.4) and Indonesia (3.0) following in fourth and fifth places respectively.

Pemandu also said Malaysia had increased scores in key surveys like the PERC Asian Intelligence Survey, WEF Executive Opinion Survey and Bertelsmann Transformation Index, which are aggregated into the CPI score.

It promised Putrajaya would work harder to stamp out large-scale corruption after having achieved “encouraging” results in TI’s Corruption Barometer (CB), which measures public perception of graft.

“On a day to day basis, while people continue to deal w petty corruption, many of these issues are being tackled,” it quoted chief executive Datuk Seri Idris Jala as saying.

“Now, more than ever, the focus has to shift to dealing with grand corruption.”

According to the CB, 49 per cent of Malaysians thought the government’s efforts to fight corruption were effective or very effective, up a touch from 48 per cent last year.

However, the number of respondents who felt Putrajaya’s long-running battle against graft was ineffective or very ineffective rose five points to 25 per cent.

Members of the public saw the police and political parties as the most corrupt institutions, with the police named as the most likely recipient of bribes in the past 12 months.

TI’s CPI is an aggregate measure of the degree to which corruption is perceived to exist in the public sector which draws on 17 surveys and country assessments from 13 different independent institutions.

Two-thirds of the 183 countries surveyed this year achieved a score of less than 5.0.

New Zealand (9.5), Denmark (9.4), Finland (9.4), Sweden (9.3) and Singapore (9.2) were ranked the least corrupt nations in the world, while Somalia (1.0), North Korea (1.0), Myanmar (1.5) and Afghanistan (1.5) were the most corrupt.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 1 December 2011, 6:10 pm and is filed under
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A gathering of the National Organisation of Uncouth Morons

David Martin

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 02, 2011

DEC 2 — With the 13th General Elections a day closer with each sunrise, Malaysians are served with a nauseating fare of daily news by major electronic and print media agencies.

It seems that these days, Malaysian lives revolve around that annual gathering of rabid humans in Putra World Trade Centre whose antics would put even simians to shame.

It’s a place where foul language is cheered upon. A place where religious bashing is commonplace. A place where pots and kettles gather to call others black.

It’s a place where one race reigns supreme, not unlike Hitler’s mantra. A place where seeds of hatred are sown, nurtured and watered. A place that reeks of corruption and hypocrisy.

A place where a backdoor minister is angry over dubious goings-on at her hubby’s business venture. A place where warlords of all sorts and sizes gather hoping to find perhaps a scrap in the form of electoral candidacy or senatorships or even cow-rearing projects! Talk about milking moo-lah till the cows come home …

It’s a place where the gathered are led by a deputy prime minister who is a Malaysian last. A place where a deputy minister accuses a political party of being agents of Christianisation.

A place where the president-cum-PM is a two-faced chameleon in human guise. A PM who espouses a global movement of moderates yet remains silent in suppressing rabid extremism amongst his party comrades.

It is also a place where the average Malaysian see the normally loud, obnoxious, opiniated leaders of the minor parties in the coalition sitting impassively, almost disinterested at the charged up proceedings.

It’s interesting to note the “Mr Nice Guy” and “Mr Cheated on My Wife and Got Caught With Pants Off” presidents of two components parties keeping their zip (not pants) shut despite the obvious racial and religious bigotry on show. If they should ever contemplate an alternative career, I’m sure co-authoring “An Idiot’s Guide to Being A Yes Man” would set them up for life.

Umno is not at a political crossroads. It’s facing execution and with it annihilation in the next GE. What the leaders are trying to do lately is akin to trying to gain a last-second reprieve from the powers-to-be for them to live, to fight another day.

I happened to catch the animated movie “A Bug’s Life” recently. For the uninitiated, it revolves around an ant named Flik who tries hard to fight off a bunch of grasshoppers.

Now these grasshoppers, they’re bullies. They take what they want from the ants without regard, not unlike a government that steals from its people to line its own pocket.

Now, as with most movies, it had a happy ending. Flik makes the colony realise that despite their smaller size, they have the numbers. Needless to say, the grasshoppers get their comeuppance with their leader getting a good blast up the backside.

The people, citizens of Malaysia, must realise that the power is in their hands. You and me, we decide who leads the country and in which direction it is to be led towards.

The time for reckoning is close at hand. The time has come for Malaysians to say enough is enough. It is time to show them political simians that we are the arbiters of our nation’s destiny.

Until then, I’m just going to ignore the gathering of the deluded cult comforted in the knowledge that the end is near.

Taken with a liberal dose of cynicism, it does make for a good laugh or two on a rainy, gloomy day, the antics of these idiots …

                This entry was posted on Friday, 2 December 2011, 11:56 pm and is filed under
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An Assembly Tale

by Azmi Sharom

Wednesday, 30 November 2011

The scene is a small terrace house, somewhere in Kelana Jaya. Ten year old Mary and her younger brother Timothy approach their father who is sitting in the living room flossing his teeth after a large meal.

“Papa, Timmy and I would like to tell you something”

“Oh, really, both of you want to gather together and say something?”

“Yes, we think it is a very important issue and we would like to express ourselves to the whole family”.

“I see, so you want to assemble peacefully. You are not going to get violent are you?”

“Of course not Papa!”

“Good. Good. Very well, you can’t say I am a wicked and authoritarian father. I am in fact very liberal; much more liberal than other fathers, for example that Mr Hlaing from Myanmar. I am very happy to give you the space to get together with your brother and express yourselves to your little hearts’ content”.

“Oh thank you Papa. You are such a kind and understanding Papa”.

“I know, I am, all my buddies tell me. However, I just have a few teeny tiny conditions”

“What are they Papa”?

“There are some places in the house where you cannot gather. The kitchen is one. It is a very sensitive area where food is being prepared and I don’t want you to get in the way of your mother who is busy cooking there. Also you can’t gather in the dining room because that is where we eat. The living room is off limits due to the fact that the television is there and you would be interrupting the quiet enjoyment of the family by making noise when we are trying to watch TV. The garage is a no go zone. If you go tramping around in there you might jolly well scratch my car and we can’t be having that can we?”

“I suppose not Papa. Is there any where else we can’t gather?”

“Let me think. Of course! You can’t assemble in the toilet”.

“In the toilet? Why not?”

“You know very well that I suffer from incredible bouts of gas and I need the toilet to be free at all times so I can relieve the build up”.

“So, where on earth can we gather”?

“Your bedroom”.

“How can the other family members know what we are complaining about if we are stuck in our bedroom”?

“You silly little thing. If the rest of the family want to hear what you are saying they’ll just have to go to the bedroom isn’t it? Except little Annie. She’s too young and I don’t want her getting confused by what you have to say”

“Are those all your conditions Papa”?

“No, I have one more. If any of the family members complain about what you are saying, then I won’t let you speak”.

“That is not fair. You know that big brother Abe never agrees with us and he is bound to complain. He is your favourite and you always listen to him no matter how stupid his views are”

“Now, now, you are being over emotional. I don’t have any favourites and it is irresponsible for you to say so. See, I let you speak and you say irresponsible things. There are limits to freedom you know”.

“Your limits have no limits papa. This is too much.”

“Alright then, if you are unhappy with my rules you know what you can do.”

“What”

“You can go to your room and talk to yourself over there”.

Mary and Timothy trudge unhappily to their bedroom. Suddenly their father calls to them.

“Wait! Wait! Mary, I said you can go to your bedroom. I did not say that you and Timmy can go there together in a procession. When you walk in a group you block up the hallway and that is very bad. There’s a good girl. Now off you go and when you are finished, go make me a cup of tea”.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 2 December 2011, 3:32 pm and is filed under
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The great pretenders

— Ali Kadir

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 02, 2011

DEC 2 — You can only carry pretence so far, eventually your true self will emerge. This fact is true for individuals like you and me and for organisations or political parties.

And so it is for the United Malays National Organisation. Outwardly, its president Najib Razak talks about the party representing all Malaysians and in the run-up to the general assembly, he even urged his party members not to hurt the feelings of non-Malays during debate time.

But this posturing gave way almost immediately after the start of the assembly. Bent on staying in power, Umno politicians have used every opportunity to make the Malays view the Chinese as a threat to their political party.

I am not talking about the Chinese from Beijing or Taipei or Singapore. The Umno boys are urging the Malays from Kangar to Kuching to view with suspicion the Chinese who are born and bred here, people who would fight and die for this country.

By painting the Chinese and to a lesser extent Christians as a threat to the dominance of Umno, they are doing a great, great disservice to the great work of Tunku Abdul Rahman and his ilk. They are sending Malaysia back into the dark ages of race relations.

And all so that Umno can continue to govern and rape the country. The election strategy of Umno is clear to all: get the Malays so fearful of the other races that they will desert Pakatan Rakyat. They do not care if this plan leads to racial strife.

But what about 1 Malaysia? Like I said, pretence can only be carried so far.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 2 December 2011, 3:03 pm and is filed under
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Umno is never wrong, others are

Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz | December 2, 2011

Free Malaysia Today

Where are the Umno screamers and banshees when government-linked businesses are slowly dismembered to enrich a few people?

COMMENT

Umno information chief Ahmad Maslan is grossly and perilously misreading the ground swell.

Today, Malays attach blame to Umno for allowing the pillage and plunder of the country. Malays attach blame to Umno for the lot the Malays are now in.

We would like to ask Ahmad: when Shahrizat (Abdul Jalil) facilitated the giving of the government grant of only RM250 million to Dr Salleh (Ismail), did she and her husband think of all those downtrodden Malays? They didn’t, right?

Even after that, they didn’t think it was necessary to create other cattle breeders.

After almost a month, the issue finally blew up in her face, and she suddenly recovered from the mad cow disease to disavow any connections to the National Feedlot Corpoartion (NFC) scandal.

Similarly, when we paid an excess of RM6 billion for the purchase of the armoured personnel carriers (APCs), was the RM6 billion meant for the ordinary Malays?

Where are the Umno screamers and banshees when MAS was slowly dismembered to enrich a few people? And when we were caught out, what did we do?

We screamed this is a conspiracy by opposition politicians! It’s never us – always others.

If Ahmad listens closer, he will hear people saying: “Ahmad Maslan can shove his remarks up that part of his anatomy where the sun does not shine!”

Corrupt to the core

Umno is now associated with neglecting the Malays. Umno stands for arrogance and Umno stands for the mother of corruption.

It’s rotten to the core, according to former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

In one of the meetings of ex-ministers, Mahathir, the political sifu, said: ” Umno is corrupt from the top to the bottom.”

Mind you, it’s not I who am saying this. It’s Mahathir speaking, and Mahathir – the Malaysian Caesar – is an honourable man.

Umno president Najib Tun Razak, in the pre-assembly briefing, put in succinctly.

He said that you can now spot the Umno type a mile away – linen shirts, dark sunglasses (preferably Ray Ban), tinted cars, sashaying into coffee houses with eyes glancing around affixing on no particular person, but asking for attention.

My favourite reaction is to put up my middle finger – in salute of 1Malaysia, of course.

Because people know: the Umno types, like Ahmad, is an empty can.

‘Malays will lose everything’

Look at Ahmad himself? This height-challenged person is a braggart. In the early days when he became the information chief, he would begin his speeches telling about himself.

About how he, a nobody, was suddenly fingered out by Najib to be a special officer in charge of Felda and in the 2008 general election chosen as a candidate and going on to become a deputy minister.

Well, my answer is: maybe you have sputtered some magical incantations extracted from the seven layers of the heavens and seven layers of the earth to persuade Najib to select you.

Frankly, I haven’t had the time to fully absorb the inanity of Ahmad’s recent speech about Umno’s 3.4 million members.

I am presented with his double whammy – a speech about Malays losing everything (economics, politics, religion and everything, wives and children included) if there is a hung Parliament and if DAP comes to power.

That was a speech given at a forum discussing the Malay Agenda.

Malays can succeed without Umno

In case Ahmad forgets, a Malay loses everything if he hasn’t got education, if he cannot compete, if he is not equipped to compete and, most damaging of all, if Malays are paternally cocooned.

Malays don’t lose if they cut the umbilical cords with Umno. Did Muslims decimate when the Holy Prophet died?

The hard and bitter truths that Ahmad and other Umno leaders need to realise is that Malay interests can be articulated and fought on any political platform.

The Malays in PAS can do it. Those in PKR can do it.

And I suspect the Malays in DAP can do even better since Chinese interests are fiercely articulated there such that, if a Malay were in DAP, he will not be restrained if he were to champion real Malay interests and fears.

The writer is a former Umno state assemblyman and a FMT columnist.

                This entry was posted on Friday, 2 December 2011, 11:04 am and is filed under
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Why the rush?

by Hafiz Noor Shams

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 02, 2011

DEC 2 — I had listened to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s Malaysia Day address with scepticism. Part of the scepticism came after noticing all the qualifications made by the prime minister in the same speech. The so-called Political Transformation Programme does not look so bold if one reads the fine print.

As we have learned in recent days, the actual reform does not meet the high expectations set by the prime minister himself. The manner at which the Peaceful Assembly Bill 2011 was rushed through did little to alleviate the scepticism.

In these days of scepticism, only actions command confidence. The nearly six years of the Abdullah administration justifies that attitude. The bravado of Parti Keadilan Rakyat only adds to the justification of scepticism. Indeed, political scepticism against all sides is a sign of maturity of ordinary voters.

While the scent of scepticism was strong, not all shared it. Not all ordinary voters are seasoned political observers after all.
Many young Malaysians celebrated the announced reforms as if reform had already happened. And then there are other not-so-young Malaysians who willingly assume things in good faith. Because of this, the Najib administration gained some immediate political capital.

That was about three months ago.

However significant the political capital was, time is eroding it. The power of words can last only so long. The longer it goes unsupported by action, the less credible it becomes. Words are cheap. In order to arrest the scepticism and to ensure that the liberalisation exercise will translate into votes for Barisan Nasional, the promised changes will have to be instituted before the next federal election. Action is required, hence the rushing of the Bill.

Within a week, the Bill was read twice. Members of Parliament were expected to read the Bill thoroughly, consult experts as well as their constituents and then debate it intelligently within the span of a few days. That was nothing less than an ambush on the liberal camp.

The ungodly rush suggests something else as well: the federal election is coming sooner rather than later. It suggests the tentative election date has been set and all Bills need to be passed before that deadline. If that is indeed the case, then the election presents a perverse incentive for the government to act based on a misunderstanding of criticism against the previous illiberal laws.

It must be highlighted that the criticism is against the spirit of the previous laws, and not against the laws per se. With the Peaceful Assembly Bill retaining the old illiberal spirit, it is no different from the old laws. To cite another example relating back to the Malaysia Day speech, the replacement of the Internal Security Act will still grant the government the power to detain a person without trial. Yet, the main criticism against the ISA was exactly the detention without trial feature. So, what exactly will the substantive change be?

One gets the impression that the government thinks all that is wrong is the names and the initials of a certain set of laws. Change the names and the initials to something more cheery and they expect the criticism will go away. That is a gross misunderstanding.

Based on that, the government would think that rushing the Peaceful Assembly Bill and other related ones will win it votes. No, it will not.

A substantive-minded government would take a more measured pace by making the Bill and others to come go through a thorough deliberative process. That possibly means pushing the next election as far as possible into the future and holding it only after a much improved Bill is ready for passing.

The reverse — setting the election date first and then targeting to pass the Bills before that date — will result in farcical Bills.

A rushed farcical Bill benefits no one. The voters will see through the farce and BN will not win any extra votes from it. BN in fact would lose votes because new voters and those who assumed good faith would think the ruling coalition has taken them for fools. Meanwhile, Malaysians will not see any improvement in their civil liberties.

In the end, what was the point of rushing it?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 2 December 2011, 10:46 am and is filed under
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200 brave water sprinklers to protest Assembly Bill

Nigel Aw | Dec 3, 2011

Malaysiakini

Despite what appeared to be attempts by the KLCC management to cause inconveniences, some 200 people converged at its park off Jalan Ampang in a carnival-like gathering to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

Instead of being met by police batons and water cannons on its second Saturday afternoon protest, the group of about 200, clad in yellow, were met with water sprinklers.

The group moved close to some trees in the park after the KLCC management, again, cordoned off its compound for a cleaning operation, including the area the protesters used last week.

There, they stood around national laureate A Samad Said, who is popularly known as Pak Samad, as he recited his poems. Then, the complex management turned on water sprinklers on the ground where they stood.

Undaunted, those who were caught in the sprays shielded themselves with umbrellas and continued to listen to Pak Samad, who recited his latest poem in tribute to the occupy movement, Merindu Ruang (Missing Space) after reciting his Bersih poem, ‘Unggun Bersih’.

“Let us fight violence with the beauty of literature,” declared one of its organisers, Wong Chin Huat, who is also a steering committee member of Bersih.

Top leaders from DAP also threw their weight behind today’s rally, with the presence of DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang and several MPs and state assemblypersons from the party, including Teo Nie Ching, Charles Santiago, Tony Pua, Teresa Kok, Ean Yong Hian Wah and Ronnie Liu.

“We must have a parliamentary select committee before the Peaceful Assembly Bill becomes law, we want public consultation. All of us want to give our views in a real democracy,” said Lim.

The bill, which was passed by Parliament despite stringent opposition, is seen to be far more draconian than section 27 of the Police Act.

It bans all street protests, imposes far stricter requirements on rally organisers as well as higher fines for more offences and gives blanket powers to the police.

‘PM’s game changer not enough’

Samad later concluded his poem with the words:

Ada sang perubah permainan

 kami perubah kekuasaan

 Inilah tekad generasi baru

 akarnya keadilan syahdu

(There is a game changer

 But we are changers of the powers

 This is the young generation’s determination

 its root is noble justice)

Asked what he meant by “game changer”, Samad said he was referring to the prime minister’s speech at the Umno general assembly earlier this week.

“The prime minister’ speech said he needs a game changer, but what we need is regime change,” he said.

The celebrated poet added that he was there to lend a hand in opposing the Peaceful Assembly Bill.

“We saw just now, even when we wanted to recite poem, that we need a letter of permission. That is not democracy. I’m doing this to help create a freer atmosphere.”

Protest disrupted by KLCC security

Earlier, when the protesters were taking turns to recite poems at the gathering, a KLCC security officer intervened and said that they needed permission from the management, despite the place being a public park.

When the crowd began to boo, Wong stepped in and queried if the crowd would require permission if they gathered inside KLCC to look at its Christmas decorations, to which the security officer replied: “No”.

“Then next week, we will gather inside KLCC to appreciate the beauty of Christmas trees,” declared Wong, cheekily.

The crowd later adhered to the demands of the security officer and dispersed in an orderly fashion.

Speaking to reporters later, Wong said the crowd was smaller than last week because the KLCC management had cordoned off their intended location.

However, he brushed aside any intention of ill-will over the move and the fact that water sprinklers were turned on where the protesters had gathered.

“KLCC is secretly supporting Bersih, we are heartened that it has supported our action in the last two weeks,” he quipped.

Wong vowed that the protests to oppose the Peaceful Assembly Bill would continue, even after it becomes law.

“Don’t expect us to back down. We are waiting to be arrested and put behind bars, and I’m sure enough people are willing to take a stand to defend our freedom to assemble.”

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 3 December 2011, 6:51 pm and is filed under
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Winners and losers at Umno assembly 2011

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 03, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 3 — In a few hours, the Putra World Trade Centre (PWTC) will be empty of the thousands of delegates, observers and supporters attending the annual Umno general assembly. The five-day meeting saw a slew of speeches that touched on the issues facing the dominant party in the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.

Here are the winners and losers.

WINNERS:
 Hardliners in Umno because the speeches and tone from this year’s assembly suggest that the party has moved further away from the centre. Umno used to be a broad church of opinions from the farmers, religious scholars to the teachers and businessmen and pure political animals concerned about social justice, economy, religion and race.

Today, race is the dominant theme and the supremacy of the Malay race is being used to bulldoze and shut out other voices in the party. The DAP was singled out as the main cause impeding unity talks between the Malay parties. Ironically, PAS was formed by the Umno religious wing in 1951 and both parties only worked together in 1973 to 1977 in the aftermath of the May 13 race riots.

But the DAP gets the blame for the lack of Malay unity and the race riots.

WINNER:
 Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil. Try as a few Umno delegates did, no one could shake the Wanita Umno chief off her perch because of the National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal involving her family. She stuck to her guns, insinuated that the attack was meant to weaken the wing that is seen as the backbone of Umno.

It also proved that Umno defends its own no matter the degree of the stench. Shahrizat isn’t the first and won’t be the last Umno leader to be grilled over allegations of misconduct by family members. And she won’t be the first to be dumped by Umno immediately too.

She lives to fight another day. It is up to the party to decide whether Shahrizat is a millstone around the party’s neck in the coming general election.

LOSERS:
 Malaysians. Because Umno looks set to win the polls in the next general election but yet looks woefully ill-equipped to lead a multiracial country. Sticking to parochial sentiments to fire up its members is outdated for any party that has been at the helm of a country for more than 50 years. One expects delegates to articulate a vision to continue on its previous success but that did not happen.

Instead, delegates harped on age-old themes of having their culture and faith eroded by political foes taking over the country. That they are the only guarantee of faith and culture. What about the economy? What about the reforms? What about Malaysia?

LOSERS
: Chinese, Indians, Kadazandusuns, Christians, Buddhists, etc. After five decades of contributing to the development of this country, Umno still views people from this group with suspicion. That they can only be good if they are subservient to Umno. Everything is centred around Umno. Malaysia fails when Umno falls.

But they didn’t articulate the vision for continued success. They didn’t talk about public funds being used wantonly in high-impact projects by those related to Umno leaders. Instead, everyone is at fault except those in Umno.

The party lost another chance to clean its stables and start winning the trust of those who abandoned them in Election 2008. And the party lost an opportunity to show they can work with, trust and treat other communities with equality and respect.

To be sure, the Umno annual general assembly this year is an event ahead of a possible general election next year. The party needs to rally its members. But it must also show that it can be a party acceptable to all Malaysians, not just the Malays.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 3 December 2011, 7:18 pm and is filed under
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Umno inciting power struggle with dominant DAP role, says Pakatan

By Melissa Chi

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 04, 2011

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 4 — Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders scorned Umno’s latest strategy to portray DAP as the dominant party in the opposition pact as an attempt to incite a power struggle among the three political allies.

“They say that PAS is being used by DAP, this is the strategy they use among the Malays, Muslim. With the Chinese, they say that PAS is using the Chinese. “They have used that for some time now but people know that even in terms of figures and numbers, DAP is stronger but we work collectively,” PAS secretary-general Datuk Mustafa Ali told The Malaysian Insider over the phone yesterday.

DAP Parliamentary leader Lim Kit Siang pointed out that Malays will continue to be the majority population in the country but Umno is creating the fear that DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, and anti-ruler.

He reiterated his support of the constitutional monarchy.

“Nobody has undermined the Malay rulers. It is Umno and Umno leaders themselves,” he said, adding that BN leaders are contradicting themselves in their attacks against PR.

“In Barisan Nasional, it is very obvious that Umno is the hegemon and now they say that DAP is the dominant party. What has Chua Soi Lek been saying? MCA has been saying? That DAP is the puppet to PKR, to PAS, that the rights of the Chinese would be completely lost (in our hands).

“Now you have Umno saying the rights of the Malays will be completely lost. Who is lying?” he said.

Attacks against the opposition party have served as a focal point for this year’s Umno assembly, with delegates accusing DAP leaders of marginalising Malays in PR states, and challenging the sanctity of Islam as the country’s “official religion”.

While some have dismissed renewed attacks against DAP as mere “Pakatan bashing,” some Umno leaders have insisted that DAP poses a “real threat” to Malays, and that a future with DAP in power would spell disaster for the community.

Umno minister, Datuk Seri Khaled Nordin admitted yesterday his party viewed DAP as its biggest threat in the next general election, but he confidently predicted that PKR and PAS could be beaten.

He reasoned that this was why delegates had focused their attacks on DAP when speaking about PR throughout the Umno annual general assembly so far.

PKR Vice-President Chua Tian Chang, said the strategy used during the general assembly this week is not new that Umno is “creating fear among Malays and is finding a target which allows them to continue their racist discourse”.

“Playing this game is bad for the society and if we continue to prolong this sort of racial polarisation, creating fear among the Chinese against Islam and Islamic party and create fear among Malays against Chinese-based parties.

“The same tone used against DAP is directed to Gerakan and MCA as well if you listen to the speeches by delegates,” he said.

The Batu MP said the continuous use of racial politics will have a negative impact to the society.

“It’s very sad that all these years, Umno has not gone beyond this narrow racial discourse in the national assembly and we have seen it year in and year out. Nothing has changed,” he said.

Lim said Umno is a threat to the Malaysian “unity, it comes from Umno creating racial and religious animosity, mistrust, hate and antagonism”. He pointed out that if PR has an increase in votes, it is not the Malay who will lose power, but rather the “Umno and Umno Puteras”.

“Overall, the whole Umno assembly, the speeches, by the president, the deputy president and the delegates, we can sense that they are worried that this is probably their last Umno general assembly as the party in power and that’s why they have resorted to very desperate politics of fear and to create scare among the Malays,” the Ipoh Timor MP said.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 4 December 2011, 9:05 am and is filed under
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Umno vs. Najib

 by Wan Saiful Wan Jan

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 04, 2011

4 DIS — Ketua Pemuda Umno YB Khairy Jamaluddin baru-baru ini mengatakan bahawa Umno kini dilihat sebagai lebih progresif dan lebih liberal. Jika ini benar, maka nampaknya masih ada yang tidak tahu mengenai perubahan itu.

Walaupun demikian saya gembira melihat Khairy secara terbuka menyeru Umno menjadi lebih progresif dan liberal. Seruan ini amat penting. Khairy sendiri mungkin perlu berusaha lebih keras untuk mengejar di belakang status Dato Saifuddin Abdullah yang kelihatan mendahului kelompok progresif dalam parti. Umno memang memerlukan lebih ramai pemimpin yang berfikiran progresif. Walaupun Khairy belum lagi sampai ke peringkat Saifuddin, beliau tetap ada potensi. Dan saya ikhlas mengharapkan Khairy akan sampai ke situ secepat mungkin.

Di kalangan pemimpin Ahli Majlis Tertinggi Umno, Saifuddin nampaknya konsisten menyeru ke arah penambahbaikan. Beberapa cadangan yang beliau utarakan memang bagus, dan beliau terus istiqamah walaupun menghadapi cabaran dari dalam parti sendiri, terutamanya dari kalang cybertroopers pro-Umno.

Minggu lepas Saifuddin ada mengeluarkan kenyataan yang amat berterus terang. Beliau mengatakan bahawa dalam Umno ada tiga kumpulan. Kumpulan pertama sentiasa mahukan perubahan dan mereka tidak bergantung kepada kemahuan Perdana Menteri. Kumpulan kedua juga mahukan perubahan tetapi komitmen mereka bergantung kepada kata Perdana Menteri. Kumpulan ketiga pula tidak mahukan perubahan besar kerana mereka selesa dengan status quo.

Menurut Saifuddin, malangnya kumpulan ketiga adalah kumpulan terbesar dalam Umno hari ini. Mereka ini digelar sebagai yang beraliran keras. Pandangan Saifuddin itu betul. Dan bagi saya golongan aliran keras inilah musuh Dato’ Sri Najib paling besar.

Sebagai pandangan sampingan, suka saya mencadangkan agar golongan progresif dalam Umno melihat pengalaman dalam PAS. Kelompok progresif dalam PAS kini telah berjaya memegang pelbagai jawatan tinggi dalam parti itu dan sekarang mereka memainkan peranan penting mencorakkan dasar parti. Mereka memulakan usaha tajdid telah lama, sekurang-kurangnya sedekad yang lalu, dan hasilnya hanya mula dirasakan sekarang. Laluan mereka dalam membawa perubahan pula penuh ranjau dan duri. Ramai yang dituduh tidak setia atau tidak wala’ dengan perjuangan asal parti. Pengajarannya, jika benar mahukan perubahan, maka golongan progresif dalam Umno perlu mempunyai stamina dan tahap istiqamah yang sama.

Mari kita balik kepada Umno. Banyak perkara mulia yang telah Najib cadangkan sejak beliau menjadi Perdana Menteri. Slogan 1Malaysia merupakan satu idea yang bagus. Memanglah ideal jika kita tidak perlu lagi mengingatkan bahawa negara ini adalah milik semua. Tetapi hakikatnya masih ada segelintir pihak yang suka memecahbelahkan rakyat. Maka slogan itu boleh menjadi satu peringatan yang baik.

Model Baru Ekonomi juga mengandungi banyak idea-idea bernas, terutama dalam bahagian pertama yang dilancarkan oleh Najib pada bulan Mac 2010. Selepas berdekad-dekad kita hidup dengan campurtangan kerajaan dalam ekonomi, maka amat baik sekali kita mempunyai seorang Perdana Menteri yang bercakap mengenai keperluan liberalisasi.

Dan setelah sekian lama kita hidup dengan pelbagai undang-undang yang mencengkam, sudah pasti ramai aktivis kebebasan sivil yang gembira apabila mendengar pengumuman Najib pada malam Hari Malaysia yang lalu. Para aktivis tersebut telah berjuang sekian lama menentang kezaliman ISA serta lain-lain undang-undang yang menyekat kebebasan rakyat, dan akhirnya Najib menyahut seruan mereka.

Tetapi golongan aliran keras dalam Umno kelihatan berterusan mahu menentang dan menewaskan Najib. Atau, paling tidak, mereka mencipta pelbagai ranjau di sepanjang jalan transformasi yang Najib lakarkan. Mari saya berikan beberapa contoh.

Tatkala Najib bercakap mengenai kesatuan, ada orang Umno, termasuklah yang berjawatan tinggi, tanpa teragak-agak menggunakan bangsa dan agama untuk membawa perpecahan, termasuklah dalam Perhimpunan Agung baru-baru ini. Mereka mengulang-ulang tuduhan bahawa orang bukan Melayu, terutamanya dalam DAP, akan menggugat institusi raja, menghancurkan Islam dan merobekkan Bahasa Melayu. Semua ini jelas bertujuan untuk mewujudkan suasana berpecah “kita lawan mereka” dalam negara ini.

Tatkala Najib bercakap mengenai pentingnya kita mewujudkan ekonomi liberal yang lebih kompetitif, ada orang Umno yang vokal menggerakkan NGO untuk merosakkan perancangan Najib itu. Mungkin antara kemenangan besar orang-orang Umno ini ialah  mereka dapat memaksa Najib mewujudkan agensi-agensi yang tidak wujud dalam perancangan awal transformasi ekonomi negara. Badan seperti TERAJU dan juga unit memantau kepentingan Bumiputera dalam MRT Corp adalah dua contoh, yang mana mereka ini akan menyebabkan dasar tindakan afirmatif yang tidak liberal berterusan menular dalam ekonomi kita.

Dan tatkala Najib kelihatan radikal dalam mengumumkan transformasi undang-undang, radikalisme itu jelas sekali tidak turun ke bawah ke peringkat jentera parti. Kerana itulah kita kini mendengar beberapa pemimpin Umno mempertahankan sekatan-sekatan yang ada dalam Rang Undang-Undang Perhimpunan Aman yang dibawa ke Dewan Rakyat penghujung bulan lepas.

Apa yang boleh kita lihat ialah wujudnya satu jurang yang semakin membesar antara Najib dan Umno. Walaupun Najib bersungguh-sungguh mengutarakan idea-idea progresif, Umno kelihatan amat berat hati untuk mengikut halatuju Najib. Umno dan Najib kelihatan seperti dua entiti yang berbeza yang berlawan antara satu sama lain.

Bagi saya perlawanan antara Najib dan Umno ini adalah lebih menarik untuk diperhatikan. Saya harap Najib akan menang. Kerana yang pastinya, jika Najib kalah, dia dan Umno akan sama-sama tenggelam.

* Wan Saiful Wan Jan ialah ketua eksekutif Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs (www.IDEAS.org.my)

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 4 December 2011, 9:43 am and is filed under
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Umno: Yang boleh memerintah hanyalah AKU, yang boleh menjamin kehidupan kamu adalah AKU… semuanya AKU!

— Aspan Alias

The Malaysian Insider

Dec 03, 2011

3 DIS — Dalam kita menanti pilihanraya umum ke13 ini masing-masing terlalu sibuk untuk mengambil tempat sebagai calon terutamanya dalam Umno. Masing-masing yang berminat untuk di pilih menjadi calon bercakap yang mereka adalah “winnable candidate” dan pasti menang jika pucuk pimpinan sedar tentang kehadziran mereka dalam politik tempatan.

Dalam pada itu pimpinan tertinggi menggunakan segala tenaga dan fikiran untuk membelasah pihak yang tidak mahu mengikut telunjuk mereka. Siapa sahaja yang tidak sebulu dengan Umno atau pun BN, bermacam-macam nama di gunakan mereka untuk melabelkan seseorang yang tidak bersama mereka.

Yang paling kuat sekali ialah TS Muhyiddin Yassin yang memanggil orang itu pembelot dan pengkhianat, seolah-olah mereka itu bukannya pengkhianat kepada bangsa dan negara mereka.

Elok kita kupas sedikit tentang isu pembelot ini. Siapakah pembelot itu dalam konteks politik dan kenegaraan? Apakah yang di lakukan oleh seseorang itu untuk boleh di labelkan sebagai pembelot? Definasi pembelot ini sangat luas jika dipandang dari sudut makronya.

Tetapi biar kita berbahas dalam konteks politik pilihanraya yang hampir tiba ini. Pembelot dan pengkhianat negara boleh ditafsirkan sebagai sesiapa yang melakukan kejahatan kepada negara. Apa pula perkara-perkara yang dianggap jahat yang dilakukan kepada negara? Perkara-perkaranya banyak.

Rasuah merupakan pembelotan terbesar kepada negara. Perasuah itu adalah pengkhianat, apatah lagi kalau dilakukan oleh mereka yang telah diberikan tanggungjawab untuk menjaga harta benda rakyat melalui pilihanraya. Perbuatan rasuah itu adalah satu dosa besar kepada negara. Dalam kejadian rasuah ianya melibatkan wang rakyat dan sesiapa yang menerima wang rasuah itu, ia adalah satu kegiatan mencuri. Mencuri wang rakyat adalah pengkhianat negara.

Sesebuah negara yang baik, negara itu mesti berjuang untuk bersatu padu dan mempunyai tahap “national unity” yang tinggi. Jika pemimpin-pemimpin terutamanya yang sedang memerintah bercakap dan bertindak dengan tujuan untuk memecah belahkan rakyat bagi mengambil kesempatan untuk mendapat undi dan sokongan dalam kekeliruan itu, pemimpin-pemimpin seperti ini adalah pengkhianat negara.

Berkata-kata untuk memecah belahkan perhubungan baik di antara rakyat berbilang kaum itu merupakan pengkhianatan yang tidak terperi tahapnya kerana jika berlaku perpecahan itu yang bertanggungjawab adalah individu pemimpin atau parti yang melakukannya.

Mereka yang melaga-lagakan rakyat yang berlainan agama dan kepercayaan itu juga merupakan pengkhianatan kepada rakyat dan negara. Kegiatan ini sedang giat dilakukan oleh pihak tertentu untuk menaikkan suhu perpecahan di antara rakyat yang berlainan agama bagi kepentingan politik untuk mempertahankan kuasa. DAP yang hampir kesemua ahlinya beragama Buddha, di tuduh mengkristiankan orang Melayu Islam. Semuanya ini adalah pengkhianatan kepada negara kerana ia boleh mencetuskan pergaduhan di antara rakyat yang berbilang agama dan kepercayaan.

Apa sahaja yang boleh mencetuskan keburukan kepada negara itu adalah pengkhianat negara. Tetapi yang lebih besar dosanya ialah apabila seseorang atau pemimpin mengaku dan berkata-kata dengan sombong yang segala-galanya yang ada dalam negara ini termasuk pembangunan dan rezki yang diterima rakyat itu adalah oleh kerana Umno.

Tidak ada Umno, negara langsung tidak ada apa-apa dan rakyat seolah-olah akan mati kebuluran. Kalau tidak ada Umno, Melayu akan telanjang tanpa pakaian. Kalau tidak ada Umno, tidak ada lebuhraya tetapi tidak di keluarkan pula betapa setengah yang berkuasa telah memeras rakyat melalui perjanjian concessionaire yang di rahsiakan dari rakyat dan di letakkan dalam akta rahsia resmi.

Katanya jika tidak ada Umno, rakyat kita tidak akan dapat pelajaran dan berbagai-bagai lagi dan semuanya ini adalah pengakuan yang mengambi alih kerja Tuhan Maha Esa.

Ramai sudah jemu dengan ungkapan takbur yang itu Umno buat, ini Umno buat, semuanya Umno buat dan boleh menjamin kehidupan kamu di dunia dan akhirat. Tetapi tidak pula mereka memberitahu berapa billion pemimpin kita kebas dalam pembelian peralatan senjata perang. Tidak juga mereka memberi tahu rakyat dalam projek MRT itu berapa billion individu-individu itu dapat dan keluarga mana yang kebas.

Tidak juga mereka memberitahu peneroka Felda berapa ratus juta beberapa orang besar di dalam Felda itu akan mendapat keuntungan peribadi dan banyak lagi isu-isu yang lain yang sangat menyakitkan kepada siapa yang tahu sikit-sikit tentang apa yang berlaku di sebalik tabir.

Yang di sebut hanyalah AKU… AKU dan akulah yang boleh menjamin hidup kamu semua. Bila bercakap hanya AKU, yang pandai… AKU, yang boleh memerintah… semuanya AKU.

Ketakburan pemimpin-pemimpin kita sudah sampai ke tahap yang tidak boleh dipertahankan lagi. I reckon all of them should go! AND they must go. — aspanaliasnet.blogspot.com

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 4 December 2011, 9:56 am and is filed under
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Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or  Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?

The 65th UMNO General Assembly closed yesterday with one big question among thinking and patriotic Malaysians, regardless of political affiliation: – “Who lied – Najib/Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek? Or all three?”

At first the lies and poison were only told  and used at closed-door UMNO meetings.  Then they were spread by  anonymous UMNO blogs and  cybertroopers on the Internet, followed by the UMNO media.

When these lies and poison failed to achieve the desired public and political impact with the approach of the 13th General Elections, UMNO strategists became more irresponsible, reckless  and desperate.

In the past week, these lies and poison became the staple diet of UMNO leaders in the meetings preparatory to  and during the sessions proper of the 65th UMNO  General Assembly, with the Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, in their capacities as UMNO President and UMNO Deputy President giving their personal stamp of approval by adopting and retailing these lies and poison to sway votes in favour of UMNO in the coming polls.

Culminating in Muhyiddin and Najib, one UMNO leader after another  in the past week have taken to the public pulpit in a carefully-orchestrated campaign to demonise the DAP and  frighten Malay voters with the lies that the Malays will lose their rights and power should Pakatan Rakyat win more federal seats in the next general election, or in the words of the UMNO information chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan, “the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, Say goodbye to Islam because they (DAP) are agents of Christianisation”.

Muhyiddin was completely unabashed in playing the race card when he falsely accused the DAP of being anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers, even telling the lie that the DAP’s agenda is to establish a Republic in Malaysia.

Muhyiddin made history as the only Deputy Prime Minister in the world who was caught out telling a bare-faced lie, for he had been completely silent to my challenge to him to substantiate his allegation that the DAP wanted to abolish the constitutional monarchy and establish a Republic.

I had publicly said that Muhyiddin’s “despicable, irresponsible, incendiary and seditious” allegation that the DAP’s agenda is to form a republic is completely founded on a lie, particularly his rhetorical question to buttress his allegation:

“If not, do they dare to suggest the prime minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?” (Muhyiddin quote)

This suggestion and rhetorical question are  a complete figment of Muhyiddin’s imagination (or that of his ghost writer) and show the length certain irresponsible, unprincipled and unscrupulous  UMNO leaders are prepared to go in order to tell lies and spread poison  to mislead, scare and panic the voters in multi-racial Malaysia.

This is certainly not the action of an honest, honourable, principled and patriotic Malaysian political leader.

As I had declared for the record in my immediate response on Wednesday to Muhyiddin’s falsehood, DAP had never proposed that “the Prime Minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong”.

Right from the beginning, the DAP had declared in Parliament in my first speech 40 years ago in Parliament on Feb. 23, 1971 that DAP fully supported the system of constitutional monarchy and that we “do not and have not questioned the sovereignty of Rulers”.

In his winding-up speech yesterday as UMNO President, Najib adopted the Muhyiddin and UMNO lie that DAP is manipulating PKR and PAS, specifically alleging that PAS is “under the thumb” of DAP.

This line of allegation is totally at variance with the accusations which the MCA President Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek and his cohorts have been hurling against the DAP – that the DAP is the stooge of the PAS.

Who has lied?  Najib and Muhyiddin or Chua Soi Lek?

The UMNO and MCA leaders cannot all be telling the truth – as the DAP cannot be a stooge of PAS and PAS also a stooge of DAP one and the same time.

Either UMNO or MCA leaders have lied.

There is of course another scenario – which is the true and correct position.  Najib, Muhyiddin and Chua Soi Lek have all lied.

Unlike Barisan Nasional where UMNO is the hegemon and the other Barisan Nasional political parties completely subservient to UMNO agenda and interests, Pakatan Rakyat is a coalition of equal political parties based on mutual respect and political consensus founded on common policy programmes founded on the fundamental features of the Malaysian Constitution.

In Pakatan Rakyat, no political party plays the role of Big Brother like UMNO in Barisan Nasional – which means that Najib, Muhyiddin and  Chua Soi Lek have all been perpetuating lies in their struggle to keep their political parties alive in the next general election.

The Malays will not lose  power when PR win more seats in the next general election as those who will really lose power will be  UMNO and UMNO-putras.

In fact, the ordinary Malays stand to gain more rights and  power when PR win more seats in the next general elections as UMNO and UMNO-putras will have to return and surrender the rights and power that they have seized and hijacked from the ordinary Malays in the past few decades.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 4 December 2011, 1:42 pm and is filed under
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Bring it on, Pakatan tells Umno

by Nigel Aw

Malaysiakini

Dec 5, 2011

A day after the Umno general assembly concluded with the beating of war drums and vows to wrest back Pakatan Rakyat-held states, the federal opposition went on the offensive as well.

PKR supremo Anwar Ibrahim, the star at a rally of 5,000 in Shah Alam last night, said Pakatan will not only defend Selangor, but improve its electoral performance in the state.

“(Prime Minister) Najib Abdul Razak said he wants to recapture Selangor (but) we tell him that he can keep dreaming about Selangor – and that we will capture Putrajaya,” declared Anwar.

He picked apart Umno’s Malay credentials which the party has attempted to project in the run-up to a looming general election.

“Do you believe that Umno defends the Malays? If they defend the Malays they would not sell Malay land.

“The last bastion of Malay land in Kuala Lumpur (is Kampung Baru). They (the government) wants to hand it over to (Federal Territories Minister) Raja Nong Chik under the Kampung Baru Development Act.”

Also present was DAP supremo Lim Kit Siang who moved to deflect Umno’s relentless attacks on his party during the general assembly.

“They (Umno) have accused DAP of being anti-Islam. Is that true?” asked Lim, to which the crowd thundered: “No!”

He went on to list out the accusations levelled against his party by Umno, each time eliciting a roar of “No!”

Lim reiterated the party’s acceptance of Islam as the religion of the federation, as well as the concept of the constitutional monarchy, a pledge that proved popular among the largely Malay crowd that cheered.

PAS president Hadi Awang poked fun at Umno delegates who had publicly backed a leader who is embroiled in National Feedlot Corporation (NFC) scandal. The project was intended to be the primary domestic supplier of beef.

“Umno says ‘PAS diperkudakan’ (is being a mule of) DAP, but what is clear is Umno has memper-lembu-kan (made a fool of) the people. Horses are meant to go to war, but cows are meant for slaughter,” he quipped.

‘We have a good track record’

Aside from drowning out Umno’s election messages, Pakatan amoved to demonstrate its credential as a credible and competent government in Selangor.

“Since Pakatan took over the state, its revenue has increased significantly. But do you see Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim buying a diamond ring for his wife?” posed PKR deputy president Azmin Ali.

“Do you see him building a mansion like former Selangor Menteri Besar (Dr Mohd) Khir Toyo?”

Taking the stage, Khalid listed the welfare policies implemented to date and the state government’s prudence in managing finances.

“Selangor has a ‘Jom Shopping’ programme for senior citizens. We give them RM100 for shopping and the federal government tried to emulate us by giving out hampers to senior citizens.

“I’ve checked with my contacts in supermarkets. For every RM100 hamper that it gives out, the federal government spends RM200. In our programme if you’re suppose to spend RM100 and you spend RM115, I will sack that officer immediately.”

The strongest statement was the fact that the rally was held in the middle of a major agriculture carnival organised by the state government.

As the nearby ferris wheel lit up the night and the bazaar bustled with customers, Pakatan leaders tried to make their point in Anwar’s words: “We do not only govern, we strive for excellence.”

Also present were PAS spiritual leader Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat and national laureate A Samad Said, accompanied by several exco members, state assemblypersons and MPs from Selangor.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 5 December 2011, 10:37 pm and is filed under
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Challenge to Muhyiddin – substantiate his  UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to set up a Republic or apologise for the lie

I challenge Deputy Prime Minister and UMNO Deputy President Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to substantiate his UMNO General Assembly speech that DAP wants to abolish the system of Malay sultanates and set up a republic or he should apologise for the lie.

In his speech opening UMNO’s Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings’ annual general assemblies on Tuesday, Muhyiddin appeared to substantiate his allegation of a DAP agenda to form a republic when he followed up with a rhetorical question:

“If not, do they dare suggest the prime minister’s position be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di-Pertuan Agong? What is the meaning of this?

“It means that the democratic parliamentary system and the constitutional monarchy which we have been practising thus far no longer suit their interest to seize power.”

But this is a downright lie as no DAP leader had ever made such a statement.

I challenge Muhyiddin to substantiate his speech and declare which DAP leader, who, where and when  such a statement wanting “the Prime Minister’s position to be selected based solely on elections and without being chosen by the Yang di Pertuan Agong” was made.

If Muhyiddin is unable to substantiate his irresponsible and reckless  allegation at the UMNO General Assembly  against the DAP for wanting to set up a republic, then he should apologise and retract it or he would be exposed as a liar of the first order.

DAP was made the “whipping boy” at the UMNO General Assembly with UMNO leaders and delegates hurling all sorts of groundless and even seditious allegations and lies against the DAP – that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam, anti-Malay Rulers and “agents of Christianisation” to bring about a “Christian Malaysia”.

This only shows how desperate UMNO leaders and delegates have become because they know that time is running out for them with the approach of the  13th General Elections.

The Prime Minister and UMNO President Datuk Seri Najib Razak has often said that UMNO must change or UMNO will be changed.  The speeches of UMNO leaders and delegates at the recent UMNO General Assembly have shown that UMNO is incapable of change on its own and that it must be changed by the voters by giving UMNO an opportunity to play the role of a loyal and responsible Opposition in the Federal Parliament after the next general elections.

(Speech 2 at the Pakatan Rakyat national rally at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 5 December 2011, 12:18 pm and is filed under
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Malaysian Capitalism

By
Bakri Musa

Chapter11: Embracing Free Enterprise

In the decade following independence, the Tunku’s administration adopted a laissez-faire attitude towards the economy. He was committed to free enterprise and capitalism, but he wrongly read the Malaysian economy and marketplace. They were neither open nor free. Powerful forces effectively controlled the economy and marketplace. The first were the large and entrenched foreign-owned corporations (usually British) that essentially corralled the major sectors (the “commanding heights”), from plantations and mining to manufacturing and banking. Through their sheer size and well-established network, these companies ensured that their dominance was never threatened. They neither welcomed nor tolerated new entrants and competitors. The second group was made up of ethnic Chinese and Indian “mom and pop” retailers and sundry merchants. Their enterprises were small family affairs. They too protected their economic turf ferociously. They effectively controlled their domain through their clan organizations, often using extralegal means to enforce their code. The “triad” organizations of secret societies are manifestations of this phenomenon.

            Between the ethnic retailers and the major colonial corporations, the economy of Malaysia was essentially “locked up.” They imposed stiff and insurmountable barriers to new entrants. In short, despite the government’s commitment to a free market, the economy was far from being free. The game was rigged. Had there been enterprising and competent Malays, they would have been effectively shut out. Even a super entrepreneur like Ted Turner or someone with a Harvard MBA would have a tough time cracking in an honest way such a closed and rigged system.

            Much had been written in the past on the supposed lack of business acumen of Malays. The residuum of that thinking still exists today. Had a careful analysis been done, the fault would lay more with the prevailing economic system. It had all the trappings of a free market but the reality was far different. As a result the system actually perpetrated and aggravated existing inequalities while protecting the prevailing monopolies and monopsonies. Apart from the ensuing inter racial hostilities, such inequities also retarded economic growth.

            This was not unique to Malaysia. Forty years later the Harvard economist Robert Barro empirically showed that such high levels of inequality, especially in a poor country, reduce economic growth. Perversely, in rich countries like America, such inequities encourage growth. In the 1960s Malaysia was a poor country. Tunku’s misguided strategy and his denial of the aggravating inequities culminated in the country’s worse race riots of 1969.

            Tunku’s knowledge of free enterprise was gleaned only from the lecture halls and libraries of Cambridge; he had no real life experience of the free market. His entire career before entering politics was in the civil service.

            Fortunately for Malaysia, Tun Razak, Tunku’s successor, intuitively knew what Barro and other economists would later discover. He ignored the conventional wisdom and intervened in the economy aggressively through his New Economic Policy. This massive social engineering initiative upended the entire economic and business scene in Malaysia, effectively leveling the economic playing field. His interventionist policies resulted in Malaysia becoming more of a true free market. Tun Razak’s interventions succeeded because he did not take the economy away from free enterprise system and free market rather he pushed it towards those goals. As a consequent, the nation is far better of today than it was a generation ago.

            Thus many of the criticisms leveled at the free enterprise system are in reality criticisms of highly controlled economy that are masquerading or having the veneer of a free market.

            There are of course valid criticisms and imperfections of the free market. By appealing to the lowest common denominator (that is, the most profitable), capitalism threatens traditional values and indirectly also our freedom. American mass media, being commercial enterprises, depend on advertising for their revenue; the higher the ratings, the bigger the revenue. Thus programs that offend one’s sensibilities continue to be aired because they garner high ratings. This coarsening of mass culture through the media may encourage some to argue for government intervention. However I prefer a market solution first, as illustrated by the following example.

            A few years ago one of the popular comedy shows wanted to break new grounds. The producers wanted to “out” the hostess’s homosexuality by showing her kissing her lesbian lover. An outraged public led by some church leaders initiated a mass boycott of not only the station but also the show’s sponsors. It was very effective; the series was terminated and the star dumped.

            Malaysian leaders would prefer that some bureaucrats do the screening and censoring. Much as I hate any censorship, I would prefer one wielded by consumers (citizens) rather than by government. As citizens we can easily threaten the economic interests of corporations, but we would be very wary of challenging the government, especially a tyrannous one. And leaders who favor censorship tend to be tyrants.

            While governments are quick to intervene in what they consider to be market failures, alas there is no one to curb the excesses of government. I fear the latter more; look at Iraq and Afghanistan. Simply put, I trust the invisible hand of the free market to the stiff arm of the government.

            Then there are the conceited few who feel that they can control markets. Malaysia squandered billions in the futile attempts to “fix” the value of the ringgit, corner the tin market, and most recently, manipulate stock prices. They never learn!

            Nor should governments be directly involved in commerce. “Commercial activity on the part of the ruler,” observed Ibn Khaldun, “is harmful to his subjects and ruinous to the tax revenue.” Substitute “ruling party” for “ruler,” and we have the mess that is common in many countries. The colossal losses incurred by Malaysia’s myriad state-sponsored enterprises are enough to eradicate poverty, and plenty left over to improve the schools and universities.

            Malaysia presents a unique situation in that most if not all its state-sponsored enterprises are created for the benefit of Bumiputras. Such companies as Petronas, Pernas, and hosts of other ‘Nases are created specifically to jumpstart Malay entrepreneurs and corporate leaders. Malaysia recognizes that growth without equity is a recipe for disaster in a multiracial society, especially when those inequities parallel racial lines: hence the justifications for massive state involvement in the economy. Apart from the federally sponsored companies, there are others started by the state as well as local municipalities. Their objectives remain the same; sadly so are their performances. With few exceptions they all have been commercial failures and a drain on the public purse.

            The most spectacular is undoubtedly Bank Bumiputra, now finally and mercifully put out of its misery after multiple expensive bailouts. But there are many now vying to replace the bank’s claim of notoriety. Apart from the financial waste, such rescues and bailouts of floundering state corporations exact another much stiffer price. As Malays managed these companies, the failures inevitably raise old ugly stereotypes of Malay aptitude in and competence for commerce. This is not only unfair but reflects racist stereotyping of the most vicious kind.

            What is easily forgotten by such ugly innuendoes is that similar state corporations in China (GITIC) and India (Air India) suffer the same fate, yet no one dares conclude from such debacles the aptitude of the Chinese and Indians for commerce. Such companies fail precisely because they are state sponsored. Amtrak, the American public passenger train corporation, needs generous annual subsidies to keep its trains running. The landscape of corporate America is littered with the carcasses of once mighty empires done in when they lost their lucrative military contracts. With the ending of the Cold War, companies like Lockheed and Martin Marietta that became flabby on easy and lucrative cost-plus Pentagon contracts, are now buried under the competitive pressures of free markets.

            In Malaysia, another unintended negative consequence of these Pernas-like companies is that they provide inadequate training for and inculcate the wrong values in would-be Malay executives and entrepreneurs. In ambience and culture these companies resemble government agencies. The mentality of the executives is still civil service-like. Instead of preparing Malay executives to be mean and lean, they succeed in making them flabby and content, solely dependent on easy government contracts. And when these companies fail, those half-baked executives are rarely penalized; instead they are simply transferred to other healthy government-sponsored companies. Thus their unhealthy and non-competitive habits spread.

            As a Malay I am deeply offended by the behaviors (both personal and professional) of these Malay corporate figures. First I am appalled that individuals with such meager credentials and experiences were given awesome responsibilities of running multibillion companies. Often these executives’ claim to any formal training is their first degree or professional training as bean counters. Few have formal training in management; and if they do possess an MBA, it is more likely to be from third-rate institutions. Tajuddin Ramli, the former head of Malaysia Airlines (MAS), has no understanding of or experience in the aviation industry. His legacy at the national airline is one of massive debt, over capacity, and lousy employee morale. He built his presumed business acumen running a cellular phone company that had the benefit of a lucrative government monopoly. As Sun Microsystem’s Scott McNealy observes, “You need zero, zero management skill to run a monopoly.”

            Tajuddin’s successor at MAS, though widely lauded, has yet to prove his mettle. Again, he lacks formal training in management or experience in aviation. At least the government recognized his limitations and is actively looking for an experienced foreign executive to be his number two as chief operating officer. Frankly, no executive worth his salt would be willing to take a position as a subordinate to someone who does not know his job. I do not understand why the government does not directly employ a proven executive. If she happens to be a foreigner, so what? Once you get a capable executive then have a promising local candidate to be the understudy. Meanwhile send your best young managers to leading business schools.

            I highlighted Tajuddin Ramli as a prime example because he cost the nation billions and inflicted irreparable damage to the reputation of Malays. He also epitomized those government-groomed “entrepreneurs.” The Oxford anthropologist Patricia Sloane made a field study of these Malay entrepreneurs, treating them as if they were members of some pygmy tribes. What impressed me from her study was the lack of any value these entrepreneurs bring to their businesses. Their commonality was their ability to secure lucrative government contracts or juicy privatization projects, and their networking with the politically powerful. Their particular talent was on cashing in on their political ties.

            If you name any successful American entrepreneur, you can immediately connect some product or service associated with him: Bill Gates, computer software; Andy Grove, computer chips; Steve Jobs, Apple computer; Ray Kroch, McDonald’s restaurants. But if I were to mention some Malay corporate titans, the immediate response by the populace would be to list the lucrative government contracts or privatization projects that they were lucky enough to secure. American entrepreneurs count their inventions and innovations; their Malay counterparts count their connections and networking with the establishment.

            As to which class of entrepreneurs would prove to be more enduring, the answer would come soon enough. Just a few years later, those once highflying Malay tycoons are now ignominiously grounded, but sadly not before they blew away billions worth of the nation’s precious and scant resources. There must be a cautionary lesson in all these, one that Malaysia must learn and cannot ignore. Retrace those steps by which these “entrepreneurs” were created and then make sure not to repeat the mistakes. The curse of these UMNO entrepreneurs is that the government has blessed them. Ibn Khaldun’s wisdom is as valid today as it was 700 years ago.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 5 December 2011, 10:53 am and is filed under
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Najib’s Transformation Programme in fighting corruption  a major wash-out when TI CPI 2011 shows Malaysia in 2½ years under the new PM is more corrupt than 5 years under Abdullah and 22 years under Mahathir

When  Transparency International’s Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2011 was released  Thursday, Transparency International Malaysia (TI-M) said Malaysia’s latest ranking is the worst in 10 years – falling from 56th place last year to 60th place out of  183 countries while its CPI score fell to the lowest-ever of 4.3.

The TI-M statement is incorrect. In fact, Malaysia’s 2011 TI CPI ranking is the worst in 17 years since the introduction of TI’s annual CPI in 1995.

In the nine years from 1995 to 2003, Tun Dr. Mahathir as Prime Minister saw Malaysia’s TI CPI score stuck in the narrow groove between 4.8 in 2000 to 5.32 in 1996 while the CPI ranking fell 14 places from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003. (10 is highly clean while 0 is highly corrupt)

In the five-year premiership of Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking fell 10 places from 37 in 2003 to 47 placing in 2008, while the CPI score stuck between 5.0 to 5.1.

In his 2 ½ years as Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak presided over the worst TI CPI ranking and score for Malaysia  on many fronts, viz:

*	worst single-year plunge in TI CPI ranking of nine placings. i.e. fall from No. 47 in 2008 to No. 56 in 2009.

*	most precipitous fall in TI CPI ranking in 2 ½ years under Najib’s premiership,  falling 13 placings from No. 47 in 2008 to No. 60 in 2011; when in five years under Abdullah, Malaysia fell 10 places from No. 37 in 2003 to No. 47 in 2008 and in nine  years under Mahathir, Malaysia fell 14 places from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003.

*	In the past three years 2009 – 2011, the CPI score consistently falling below the score 5, when in first 14 years from 1995 to 2008, Malaysia had only twice fallen  below the score of 5, viz: 4.8 in 2000 and 4.9 in 2002.

*	Consecutively in the  past three years 2009 – 2011, Malaysia’s CPI score falling to ever new lows, i.e. 4.5 for 2009, 4.4 for 2010 and 4.3 for 2011.

There was no mention or reference to the worsening TI CPI ranking and worst TI CPI 2011  score for Malaysia by anyone, whether leader or delegate,  in the UMNO General Assembly, although the results were announced on the same day as the UMNO Presidential Speech by  Najib Razak last Thursday.

Najib’s Transformation Programme in fighting corruption is a major wash-out when we have TI CPI 2011 showing Malaysia as perceived as  more corrupt in 2 ½ years under the new Prime Minister  than five  years under Abdullah and 22 years under Mahathir!

What is worse, the country was given the impression that the entire UMNO leadership and membership had rallied  in support of the UMNO Wanita Leader and Minister for Women, Family and Community Development, Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil despite the RM300 million Cattle Gate  “cow condo” scandal.

The message from the UMNO General Assembly cannot be clearer. The war against corruption, cronyism, abuse of power and the urgent need for national reforms to ensure accountability, transparency and integrity are just not in the UMNO DNA and are totally beyond the political will and capacity of UMNO and Barisan Nasional.

Malaysia can only be saved from corruption to begin a new era of national prosperity, international competitiveness, government efficiency, accountability, transparency,  integrity, justice and democracy  if the country is saved from UMNO and Barisan Nasional in the 13th general elections.

(Speech at the Pakatan Rakyat national rally at Stadium Melawati, Shah Alam on Sunday, 4th December 2011 at 10.30 pm)

                This entry was posted on Monday, 5 December 2011, 1:00 am and is filed under
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TI CPI 2011 on Malaysia’s worst-ever 60th ranking and lowest-ever 4.3 score in 17 years cannot  continue to be  “the elephant in the room”

It is most shocking and outrageous that up to now, neither the Prime Minister,

Datuk Seri Najib Razak nor the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has responded to the worst international report card for Malaysia in  the 32-month Najib premiership.

This worst international report card for Malaysia  was delivered on the same day that Najib made  his “do-or-die” UMNO Presidential Address last Thursday, but for the entire UMNO General Assembly, the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) 2011 was the “elephant in the room” with all the UMNO leaders and delegates putting up a great pretence  that it never existed.

In fact, not a single UMNO leader or delegate  at the UMNO General Assembly breathed a word of concern about corruption in general or TI CPI 2011 in particular – apart from giving “blank cheque” support to Wanita UMNO leader and Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Jalil in her embroilment in the RM300 million “CattleGate Cow Condo” scandal!

Three days after the UMNO General Assembly, the TI CPI 2011 – which was the worst ranking for Malaysia in 17 years since the introduction of the annual ranking, plunging from No.23 placing in 1995 to the worst ever of No. 60, as well as registering the lowest-ever score of 4.3 when Malaysia scored 5.28 in 1995 and 5.32 in 1996 –  continued to be “the elephant in the room” for the entire Najib government!

In the past week, Muhyiddin has been both Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,  completing the full  repertoire of political stances ranging from that of an extremist playing the race card in his speech at the joint opening of Umno Wanita, Youth and Putera general assemblies last Tuesday, perpetrating irresponsible lies,   falsehoods and sedition  that the DAP is anti-Malay, anti-Islam and anti-Malay Rulers to putting on the garb of a moderate extolling multi-racial co-operation in his speech at the 20th anniversary dinner of the Federation of Chinese Associations (Hua Zong) on Sunday night.

But Muhyiddin, like all the UMNO/Barisan Nasional Ministers and leaders, could not see “the elephant in the room” for a whole week – the TI CPI 2011 on the worst ranking and lowest-ever score for Malaysia in 17 years, highlighting the tragic fact that corruption in 32 months under Najib is worse than five years under Tun Abdullah and 22 years under Tun Mahathir!

Malaysia’s TI CPI ranking and score, which ranges between 10 (highly clean) and 0 (highly corrupt), from 1995 to 2011 are as follows:

Year

 CPI Rank

CPI score

1995

23

5.28

1996

26

5.32

1997

32

5.01

1998

29

5.3

1999

32

5.1

2000

36

4.8

2001

36

5.0

2002

33

4.9

2003

37

5.2

2004

39

5.0

2005

39

5.1

2006

44

5.0

2007

43

5.1

2008

47

5.1

2009

56

4.5

2010

56

4.4

2011

60

4.3

The TI CPI 2011 with the 17-year worst-ever 60th ranking and lowest-ever 4.3 score cannot continue to be  “the elephant in the room” for tomorrow’s Cabinet meeting.

The Cabinet must regard the TI CPI 2011 as a great national shame and slur and Malaysians expect a proper and commensurate response from the Prime Minister and the Cabinet tomorrow.

Let  Najib  explain after the Cabinet meeting  why despite  the elevation of the Anti-Corruption Agency into a Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) with great increase  of its budgets, staffing and resources as well as  all the grandiloquent  Transformation declarations  and  “People First, Performance Now” slogans , his 32 months as Prime Minister have been hit by the worst-ever TI CPI ranking and score in the past 17 years!

In the nine years from 1995 to 2003 under Tun Dr. Mahathir as Prime Minister,  Malaysia’s TI CPI score struggled  between 4.8 in 2000 to 5.32 in 1996 while the CPI ranking fell 14 places from No. 23 in 1995 to No. 37 in 2003.

In the five-year premiership of Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Malaysia’s TI CPI score managed to keep to the half-way mark between 5.0 to 5.1 while the ranking fell 10 places from 37 in 2003 to 47  in 2008.

Najib should give a full and detailed explanation as to  why after 32 months of his premiership, Malaysia has suffered the national ignominy of the  worst-ever ranking of No. 60 and and lowest-eve score of 4.3  in TI CPI 2011 for the past 17 years.

Most important of all, what is the Cabinet response, strategy or “game-changer”  to the TI CPI 2011 on Malaysia’s worst ranking and lowest score in 17 years so that Malaysia could be one of the world’s least corrupt nations?

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 6 December 2011, 10:51 am and is filed under
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