Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #29

By
M. Bakri Musa

Chapter 4:            Modern Model States

The Relevant Lessons For Malaysia

 At first glance, Malaysians cannot readily identify with any of these three countries.  Although they differ in a number of significant ways, nonetheless each has important lessons to offer Malaysia.

             The most obvious difference is that none of three countries have multiracial societies and the accompanying interracial problems.  South Korea is ethnically and culturally homogeneous.  There may be some tension between the Buddhist majority and the Christian minority, but that does not lead to serious social or religious conflict.  Polarizations and schisms in Korean society are more along regional and class lines.

             Argentina is also deeply divided along class lines; between landowners and workers, and urban and rural dwellers.  Ethnic differences are not significant as they are all essentially Europeans.  Granted there are significant differences between the Germans and the Italians Argentineans (language, culture, religion), but those are of not of the same scale as the differences between Malays and Chinese.

             Ireland may be closer to Malaysia in its communal dynamics, what with the profound differences between Protestant and Catholic residents.  Even then it would be hard to tell just by looking a Protestant Irish from a Catholic one (of course the crucifix hanging around the neck would be a definite giveaway!). In Malaysia, by and large you could readily tell a Chinese from a Malay, and a Malay from an Indian, those mamaks notwithstanding.

             Since the Irish independence however, the Protestants had been effectively pushed out to emigrate.  Today they are an insignificant minority.  To the north however, the Catholic and Orangemen are very much still at each other’s throat.  Although many of the leading Irish institutions (Trinity College for one) and venerable industries (Guinness, Irish Times) were of Protestant origin, they are now fully Irish (that is, Catholic) in ambience and character.  A couple of generations ago the Irish had a comparable “Malaysian” problem, with the Protestant minority controlling the economy while the Catholic majority was marginalized.

             Ireland in particular offers three major lessons for Malaysia:  one, reducing the influence of institutionalized religion; two, population control; and three, the issue of education and language.

             The Catholic Church had more influence in Ireland than in any other country, including Italy where the Vatican is.  The Irish Church controlled the social services, education system, and everything else, including perhaps the thought processes of its followers.  In the past, the clergy was to the Irish what the Ayatollah is to Iranians today.  Educational institutions in Ireland were for a long time not so much learning as indoctrination centers.  Irish social services were meant less to alleviate the social pain and sufferings, more to entrap the faithful to the church.

             Substitute Catholicism for Islam and Irish for Malays, and we have the situation in Malaysia today.  Just as the Irish were gripped and strangled by the Church, so too are today’s Malays by governmental Islam.  This brand of Islam has intruded into every facet of Malay life; from our schools and into our minds.  Malaysian Muslims risk being branded “deviationist” and suffer the worldly consequences should they by chance stray from the official line or dare express independent thought.  Many Muslim scholars have been jailed without due process for braving to give new meaning to our faith.  If some Muslims leaders in Malaysia have their way, apostasy would be a capital offence.

             There is a proliferation of Islamic institutions in Malaysia.  Even universities supposedly designed for science and technology have large Islamic Studies departments.  Yet despite the quantity, alas their scholarly works remain unimpressive.  No new thinking or fresh insight emanates from these hallowed halls.  These Islamic establishments are less scholarly and religious bodies but more government propaganda machinery.  They serve to stamp an Islamic cachet to every official pronouncement and policy.  No less significant, they are also massive public works programs for the glut of otherwise unemployable Islamic Studies graduates.

             Islamic leaders give endless fatwas (edicts), often on topics for which they are completely clueless.  Their training is narrow and rigid.  Granted no one can be knowledgeable on every topic and issue, but these Islamic officials are not shy of making pronouncements outside their scope of competence.  They seem to have all the answers; they do not feel compelled to seek advice from worldly experts.  When you presume to have a direct line to the Almighty Allah, you certainly do not need the advice and counsel from mere mortals.  Their intellectual certitude is exceeded only by their moral arrogance.

             In Malaysia, religious teachers and ulama are treated with undue reverence.  Critical thinking is not encouraged or allowed when they deliver their fatwas, khutbas, or lectures.  Question or query them at your peril.  Theirs is the ultimate truth.  To these modern Islamic ‘scholars’ and ulamas, everything is deemed settled; all the students have to do is absorb whatever is spouted from their teachers’ mouth, and retain it long enough to be regurgitated at examination time.  No wonder when these students grow up and face the problems of the world, they are befuddled.

             As in Ireland of yore, the system of education in Malaysia today is heavily influenced by religion, in this case Islam.  This is a recent development.  Before that religion had minimal or no role in the Malaysian educational system; it was essentially secular.  However, with the greater emphasis on Islam, partly as a planned strategy by the UMNO-led government to steal the Islamic thunder from the opposition Islamic party, the government has been emphasizing religion in schools and other establishments.

             It is not religion – specifically Islam – that is so destructive in the education of young Malays, rather the manner in which the subject is being taught.  Religious teachers treat their students as subjects to be indoctrinated.  Students are viewed as empty bins to be filled in with dogmas.  They are taught to treat their teachers like the Pope – infallible – never to question what is being uttered no matter how ridiculous.  Religion is reduced to a series of do’s and don’ts.  Rote learning rather than critical thinking is valued.

             The sad and destructive part is that this teaching philosophy gets transferred to other subjects.  Before long we will get a generation of Malays who are nothing but robots controlled by the state.

 Next:   The Relevant Lessons for Malaysia (Cont’d)

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 August 2010, 9:36 am and is filed under
Bakri Musa
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Stand up and be counted, Malaysia

By
Azmi Sharom | Brave New World

It is strange that in the 21st century, we are still having to face the problem of institutionalised racism.

OVER the past week or so, there have been some developments in our country which are more disturbing than usual.

In particular, the two cases of alleged racist remarks by school heads; the accusations that Penang mosques have replaced the Yang di-Pertuan Agong with the Chief Minister’s name in their prayers; and the continued insistence that Article 153 of the Constitution is equal to an inalienable right that could not be questioned.

These events are interrelated and it seems to me that they indicate that there is a battle of ideology going on in the country now.

On one side is the idea that a person’s ethnicity and religion entitles him to be treated better than anyone else who is different. On the other side is the idea that equality is an aspiration that is both noble and necessary for nation building.

It is strange that in the 21st century we are still having to face the problem of institutionalised racism.

Looking at our history, one can see why this has occurred. The combination of race-based politics and poorly interpreted constitutional provisions have meant that the idea of racial and religious superiority has been allowed to grow and become the norm rather than something undesirable and out of the ordinary.

How else can one explain the possibility that teachers, the very people to whom we entrust the education of our children, can have such warped values and also have the gall to express those views publicly?

How else can we explain the near rabid attack on the Penang Chief Minister for something which he and the state religious department have vehemently denied and in fact would have been insane to attempt?

Let’s analyse this one step at a time. When the dominant political parties in this country do not have any political ideology to speak of and are instead, based on the principle that each race-based component has a duty to safeguard the interest of its community, what one has is a recipe for the kind of policy and rhetoric that divides rather than unites.

Historically, one can see the reasons why the politics of the nation was forged in this way. It was a necessary evil in the face of the divide-and-rule policy by the British to show that even when separate, the three major communities of the nation can still work together politically.

However, it is an unsustainable model and what started life as a fairly rosy example of racial cooperation too easily descended into crude racialist type politics.

Which is why the early aspirations that our founding fathers had for a society treated with equality has now been all but buried by the idea that one race is superior to others and in fact is the only race with any right to be here in Malaysia.

This is because in the battlefields of politics, it is easiest to appeal to base racialist emotions, especially when without those types of ideas, a party based on race will have no collateral to work with.

In this kind of political atmosphere, it is of no surprise that what has been forgotten is that the basis of this nation was one of justice and equality. And the document that is meant to protect that, the Federal Constitution, has been misinterpreted to the extent that there is no longer any trace of this aspiration in the mainstream discourse of the day.

Let us be absolutely clear on this matter, the Constitution does give powers to the government to take affirmative action and it does acknowledge the fact that Islam has a special place in the public life of the nation.

What it does not intend to do however is create a perpetual system of ethnic-based favourable treatment nor does it advocate the idea that all other religious beliefs must be subservient to Islam.

However, instead of this reasonable position, what we have today is the idea that affirmative action for Malays is unquestionable and to be continued in perpetuity becoming the norm.

This cannot be further from the truth as there are no legal justification for it at all.

Article 153 of the Federal Constitution is seen as the holy grail for those who hold this view. However, if we examine the provision closely we will notice two things.

Firstly, affirmative action is not a Malay right. Article 153 does not endow a right. What it does is to merely give government the power to take affirmative action despite the overarching ideal of equality which is enshrined in Article 8 of the Constitution.

To support this contention, we see that Article 8 clearly states that all citizens in this country are equal except for situations specifically provided for in the Constitution. Those “specific provisions” are found in Article 153 and there are not many of them.

They include the power to establish quotas for the civil service, permits and licences, scholarships and education.

Therefore anything other than these areas should not be subjected to affirmative action.

Furthermore, any affirmative action has to be reasonable. The idea of what is reasonable must surely be open to research and debate otherwise there will always be the risk of abuse and wastage of resources.

This being the case, although questioning the existence of such a power to have affirmative action is moot, discussion on the efficacy of affirmative action policies and programmes surely is not.

The way the discourse is today, and not merely by the racialist fringe but by mainstream politicians in power, is that even the implementation of Article 153 is not to be questioned at all.

This is surely wrong based both on the meaning of the Constitution as well as the principle held by the founding fathers that Article 153 was an unfortunate but necessary aberration from the ideals of equality and that it was to be used not in perpetuity.

With these kinds of distortion of law, is it any wonder then that we still get people actually classifying whole swathes of the citizenry as having no right to be here?

Is it any wonder then that a crazy accusation against a Chief Minister whose government has given twice as much money to the Islamic bodies in the state than the previous administration, can give rise to the belief that he is a threat to the faith?

If this country is to have any future as a true nation, the time has come for those who believe in the ideals of equality, ideals which were held by the political founding fathers of the country as well as the traditional Rulers of that time, to stand up and be counted.

To not be cowed by the bigots and to say that this is our country and it stands on noble humanitarian ideals, not opportunistic racialist thinking.

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 August 2010, 4:11 pm and is filed under
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When will Najib and his Ministers wake up and realize that the twin crisis of human talents and investments confronting the country are more than a matter of economics?

The Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Tan Sri Nor Mohamed is quoted in today’s press as saying that Talent Corporation has been tasked with attracting at least half of the 750,000 Malaysian professionals working overseas to come home as part of its efforts to draw the best brains in the world to Malaysia.

Speaking at the launching of the Public-Private Partnership’s website
www.3pu.gov.my
, he said seeking out the Malaysian diaspora for the top brains was necessary as the Government aimed to hit the target of RM115 billion per year in local and foreign investments to turn the country into a developed nation by 2020.

It is shocking that Nor Mohamed could come out with such an unrealistic and “tall order” not only because of the dismal failure of previous government “brain gain” policies but in the light of recent events when  the unchecked  escalation of the rhetoric of race and religion would have the effect of giving a major push to greater brain-drain from the country instead of pulling back talents from the Malaysian diaspora to return to serve the country.

It is time that the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his Ministers wake up and realize that the twin crisis of human talents and investments confronting the country are more than a matter of economics.

They cannot do better than to give serious thought to the article “
FDI – more than economics
” by Dennis Ignatius in the Star today.

Referring to the massive 81% plunge in foreign direct investments (FDI) in Malaysia in 2009 as compared to the previous year – FDI declined from RM23 billion in 2008 to a mere RM4.4 billion last year apart from a massive RM25.4 billion out flow of capital – Dennis wrote:

“Dismissing the significance of the precipitous decline in FDI might be politically convenient but it will not hide the arresting message that it sends: a serious loss of confidence in Malaysia and a sign of our decline.

Anyone closely monitoring developments in Malaysia, including foreign investors, cannot but conclude that our nation is now increasingly shaky in several areas. And they must also wonder, given recent events, if we are even up to the challenges we face.

Right now we are transfixed by the staggering RM12.5bil Port Klang Free Zone scandal.

What is really distressing is that such corruption and scandalous mismanagement of public finances keeps recurring with frightening regularity.

We seem to helplessly careen from one major scandal to another. It is a mess, a sordid mess, that must surely cause many foreign investors to simply shake their heads in disbelief and dismay.

And more than that, it tells the world that we still have not found the political will or the necessary institutional architecture to prevent such massive corruption from recurring.

It would be naïve to think that corruption on this scale will not impact investor confidence.

And, given our dismal record of bringing to justice the real kingfishers of corruption, not many believe that things are about to change.

Cumulative scandals affecting other national institutions, including the police and judiciary, have also steadily undermined the perception of Malaysia as a safe and competitive place for long term investments.

And then there is the increasingly strident and racially charged rhetoric that marks so much of what passes for political discourse in our country these days.

It may be just politics Malaysian style to some or a convenient, if morally bankrupt way, to garner support to others but it makes foreign investors, and many locals too, very jittery.

It is not for no reason that more and more Malaysians of all ethnic backgrounds are packing up and moving abroad.

According to the World Bank, the number of emigrants out of Malaysia rose from 9,576 in 1960 to almost 1.5 million in 2005. Over 300,000 left between March 2008 and August 2009 alone.

In this connection, I wonder how much of that US$8.4bil that left our shores last year was simply Malaysians moving their capital to safer shores.”

At the end of his article, Dennis pointed out that assurances by the government to take proactive measures to reverse the decline in FDI are not enough, as what is needed are actions which “go well beyond mere economics and fiscal measures” to reverse the decline.

Dennis concluded:

“What is also urgently needed is real and effective political leadership to tackle head on the corruption issue and the growing racial and religious divide.

The Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia policy, while constructive and desperately needed, unfortunately already suffers from a thousand cuts. Unless he is able to revive confidence in the Government’s ability to bring about its realisation, it will not help turn the tide of slumping investor confidence.

If we ever hope to raise the RM115bil worth of investments to achieve the goals of the 10th Malaysia Plan, we must act now.

And not with half-measures and half-hearted gestures but with credible policies and programmes backed by the necessary political will.

Bearing in mind the turbulent and uncertain global economic environment we are in, our very prosperity, if not survival, depends upon it.”

This prescription is not new. In fact, the New Economic Model cries out the same message.

But is Najib and his Cabinet capable of acting on this prescription with Malaysia at the crossroads?

                This entry was posted on Thursday, 26 August 2010, 10:32 am and is filed under
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Finance
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Financial Scandals
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Eh, Tun dah lupa?

By
Art Harun

Every year, during the first two or three days of fasting, I suffer from headaches. That is because my blood sugar level drops. Thank God this will go away after the 3rd day of fasting.

Low blood sugar level may cause hypoglycemia. In some cases, symptoms of hypoglycemia include impaired judgment; irritability; belligerence; confusion; belligerence, combativeness and rage. Thankfully, as far as I know, I don’t have those symptoms.

When Tun DrM said yesterday that meritocracy and “meritocrats” are racists, my first reaction was one of irritation. Then I was bemused. Later I was amused. And finally today I think it must have been the fasting month and the obvious low blood sugar level which was affecting him.

Meritocracy as I understand it is the act of rewarding or awarding an individual or a body of individuals or any entity with anything based on merit. Like awarding a student who has scored 13 As in SPM a place in the university. Or awarding X Sdn Bhd a contract to maintain a submarine because X Sdn Bhd has successfully maintained 15 other submarines before this without any problem at reasonable costs as compared to any other company who were bidding for the job.

Conversely, if someone becomes Chief this or that just because he or she has good contact with the appointor, that is not meritocracy. It is also not meritocracy if a person obtains something just because he or she is of a particular race, religion or even has a particular sexual preference.

In the sporting arena, Datuk Nicole David has been a world champion for so long because she is so good at what she is doing that there is no other living creature could be as good as her. Therefore, Datuk Nicole is a champion by virtue of meritocracy. God forbid that Tun DrM thinks that the good Datuk is a racist or that the World Squash Championship people are!

The same thing with our badminton teams. We have won the Thomas Cup umpteen times just because we are the best. Are we racists or  the organisers of the Thomas Cup racists?

The Spaniard recently won the World Cup because they played the best football. Are they or  FIFA racists?

At King’s College, London University, students who top their class are given a Merit award on their post-graduate degree. That is because those students qualify for the said award by being top students. They are not given a Merit just because they are of a particular race or profess a particular religion. In other words, the students get the award based on merit. Is King’s College racist?

I believe Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar is the chief of Khazanah because he is really good at what he is doing. And he is appointed by the Prime Minister. The same goes with the new Petronas chief who replaced Tan Sri Hassan Marican. Recently, Dato’ Bakke was appointed as the new Sime Darby chief because it is said that he is the most suitable person to be the chief of Sime Darby. He has done a great job at FELDA. Again, the PM must have had a hand in his appointment.

The PM also chooses all the members of his cabinet. I am sure the PM appoints all the cabinet members because the PM thinks those people are the most qualified persons to be in the cabinet. Thus we have people like Idris Jala and Amirsham in the cabinet. These are proven people from the corporate sector.

Tun, is the PM racist then?

Dear Tun, allow me to say this. Malaysia could  be a united nation, with a confident Malaysian society, infused by strong moral and ethical values, living in a society that is democratic, liberal and tolerant, caring, economically just and equitable, progressive and prosperous, and in full possession of an economy that is competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.

But we cannot be so until and unless we overcome the nine central strategic challenges. They are:

the challenges of establishing a united Malaysian nation with a sense of common and shared destiny. This must be a nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership,
made up of one ‘Bangsa Malaysia’
.

the challenge of creating a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian Society with faith and confidence in itself, justifiably proud of what it is, of what it has accomplished, robust enough to face all manner of adversity. This Malaysian Society must be distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations.

the challenge  of fostering and developing a mature democratic society, practising a form of mature consensual, community-oriented Malaysian democracy that can be a model for many developing countries.

the challenge of establishing a fully moral and ethical society.

the challenge of establishing a matured,liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise and profess their customs,cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation.

the challenge of establishing a scientific and progressive society, a society that is innovative and forward-looking.

the challenge of establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social system in which society will come before self, in which the welfare of the people will revolve not around the state or the individual but around a strong and resilient family system.

the challenge of ensuring an economically just society. This is a society in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress.
Such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race
.

the challenge of establishing a prosperous society, with an economy that is fully competitive, dynamic, robust and resilient.

Tun, with all due respect, we cannot run away from those challenges. We, as a nation and as a people, have to confront those challenges and by hook or by crook, overcome them in order to be a developed country.

What we are doing now is to forget those challenges. To assume that they are not there. To sweep them under the carpet and pretend that everything is okay when it is quite obviously not.

We are letting racism and communal interests rule the day. We are not working as one nor living as one. We are not even willing to attempt to do so. We have abandoned the ideals of this nation when this nation was at the brink of achieving independence. The ideals and aspirations of our forefathers have been betrayed, destroyed and consigned to our archives and treated as if they are not worth the paper they are written on.

Where is the nation at peace with itself, territorially and ethnically integrated, living in harmony and full and fair partnership, made up of one ‘Bangsa Malaysia’ stated above?

Have we even attempted to achieve a psychologically liberated, secure, and developed Malaysian Society with faith and confidence in itself? How are we to be liberated if days in and days out we keep reminding a particular race that they are weak; that they are not good enough to compete; that they always need crutches to walk; that they should unite lest they would be destroyed and various other negativism?

Have we even thought of establishing a matured,liberal and tolerant society in which Malaysians of all colours and creeds are free to practise and profess their customs,cultures and religious beliefs and yet feeling that they belong to one nation?

What liberalism are we talking about when some headmistress who outwardly is a Muslim allegedly spouted racial hatred to her students, describing non-Malays as mere passengers in a car who can be asked to leave the car anytime and anywhere? Yet some hot shot Minister dismissed that incident  as isolated and almost irrelevant? What liberalism are we talking about when cartoon books are seized just because some people are lampooned in it; when radio DJs are sacked just because he dares to speak out on sensitive issues; when candle light bearing people congregating to propagate the abolishment of a draconian Act of Parliament were met with batons and riot police? What liberalism?

What about establishing a fully caring society and a caring culture, a social system in which society will come before self? Sorry, but I am suddenly enveloped by this uncontrollable need to laugh. What caring society are we talking about when there are Ministers who suggested that baby dumpers should be sentenced to death knowing full well that those who do so are mere children who have acted irresponsibly by having unprotected sex?

What about ensuring an economically just society. This is a society in which there is a fair and equitable distribution of the wealth of the nation, in which there is full partnership in economic progress? Have we even had a plan for this? Or are we in self denial mode still?

Have we realised that such a society cannot be in place so long as there is the identification of race with economic function, and the identification of economic backwardness with race?

I don’t think we have. Because all I could see now is the identification of everything under the sun with the colours of our skin.

By the way, before you dismiss those nine challenges which I had referred to above as being the unachievable ideals of an idealist, allow me to remind you dear Tun, in case you have forgotten, that those are the nine challenges that you YOURSELF have identified for all of us to overcome if we ever want to achieve the status of a developed nation by 2020 in your Vision 2020 speech.

Yes. It is you who have said all those. Not me. Not Dato’ Sri Najib. Not Lim Kit Siang. Not Anwar Ibrahim. It was you who said it.

Perhaps Perkasa, MPM whatever should now lodge a police report against you. Just as they did to Dr Chua Soi Lek.

What has happened since you espoused those ideals Tun? What has happened to your plan for a Bangsa Malaysia? It’s been hijacked by Harris Ibrahim, has it?

In addition, you also said the followings:

Of the two prongs of the NEP no one is against the eradication of absolute poverty -regardless of race, and irrespective of geographical location. All Malaysians, whether they live in the rural or the urban areas, whether they are in the south, north, east or west, must be moved above the line of absolute poverty.

This nation must be able to provide enough food on the table so that not a solitary Malaysian is subjected to the travesty of gross under-nourishment.

The second prong, that of removing the identification of race with major economic function is also acceptable except that somehow it is thought possible to achieve this without any shuffling of position. If we want to build an equitable society than we must accept some affirmative action. This will mean that in all the major and important sectors of employment, there should be a good mix of the ethnic groups that make up the Malaysian nation. By legitimate means we must ensure a fair balance with regard to the professions and all the major categories of employment. Certainly we must be as interested in quality and merit. But we must ensure the healthy development of a viable and robust Bumiputera commercial and industrial community.

A developed Malaysia should not have a society in which economic backwardness is identified with race.

Oh, what was it that you said about merit then? Yes, you said, “certainly we must be as interested in quality and merit.”

Interesting. And yet yesterday you said meritocracy and “meritocrats” are racists.

What gives?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 August 2010, 12:46 pm and is filed under
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Malaysia’s funniest and tragic court video

Video of Teoh Beng Hock Inquest proceedings on 18th August 2010

MACC Lawyer Datuk Abdul Razak Musa cross examining renowned Thai pathologist Dr Pornthip Rojanasunand.

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 August 2010, 10:24 pm and is filed under
Teoh Beng Hock
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Najib should walk the talk of a zero-tolerance policy for racism and religious incitement starting with Utusan Malaysia with zero-tolerance for delay in taking action

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has finally broken his silence, declaring a “zero tolerance” policy towards racism and pledging immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs.

It is welcome although belated – provided it is not an empty declaration.  Najib’s belated declaration raised the question whether he means what he says for two reasons:

Firstly, it has taken him two long weeks to make his first public statement since the deplorable incident at the launch of the Merdeka celebrations of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, where the school principal Hajah Siti Inshah binti Mansor said: “Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”

In my statement on Tuesday 17th August, I had asked the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to put the issue on top of the Cabinet meeting the next day for two reasons:

The severest disciplinary action must be taken against Siti Inshah, who is clearly unfit to be in the education service of a multi-racial society like Malaysia let alone a school principal – going against the very precepts of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy enunciated since April last year.

Defying the imagination that Siti Inshah could make such a derogatory, offensive, insensitive and racist statement at an occasion to launch the school’s National Day celebrations whose theme this year is  “1Malaysia Transforms the Nation”.

Two Cabinet meetings had since come and gone – Wednesdays 18th August and 25th August – with the issue still unresolved. What is even more unbelievable, the “outspoken” MCA President Datuk Seri Chua Soi Lek could publicly deny that the government was “slow” in taking actions against the headmistresses from Johore and Kedah (where the Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau headmistress accused the Chinese pupils of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan and told them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races”).

Secondly, lack of “zero tolerance” against delay in taking action against racism.  How long more is needed by Najib and Chua to establish whether the school principals of the two schools in Kulai and Bukit Selambau schools had made derogatory, offensive and insensitive remarks which completely negates Najib’s 1Malaysia policy, Vision 2020, the Rukunegara and the Malaysian Constitution rendering them completely unfit to continue as school principals?

Najib should not only declare a “zero tolerance” policy for racism but also for all forms of religious incitement starting with Utusan Malaysia.

After trying to incite racial tensions and hatred with baseless and irresponsible headlines and articles like “
’Elak perang besar’ – Harussani enggan dedah pihak terlibat wujudkan ‘perlembagaan baru’” (17th August) and “Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia” (18th August)
, Utusan Malaysia sought to stoke religious sentimens when for four consecutively days, it  put Penang Chief Minister and DAP Secretary-General Lim Guan Eng on its front-page headlines, viz:

“Nama Guan Eng ganti Agong – Disebut doa khutbah Jumaat. Umno Pulau Pinang Bantah” – 20th August 2010.

“Ahli kariah sahkan doa khutbah Jumaat guna nama Guan Eng” – 21st August 2010.

“Lagi nama Guan Eng dalam khutbah” – 22nd August 2010.

“Pasukan khas siasat khutbah guna nama Guan Eng” – 23rd August 2010.

Were these Utusan Malaysia front-page headlines to promote 1Malaysia and foster inter-racial and inter-religious understanding, accord and harmony or the reverse?

While there is controversy as to what had actually happened in the Penang mosques and suraus, what is clearly established is that there is no basis for the insinuation that Guan Eng had anything to do with the khutbahs or that he had intended any disrespect to Islam or Yang di Pertuan Agong.

The same applies to the latest “controversy” involving the DAP MP for Serdang, Teo Nie Ching, caused by Utusan Malaysia today publishing a front-page photo-story of her visiting Surau Al-Huda, Kajang in her constituency to give donations and speaking on the invitation of the surau authorities.

There is divided opinion in the Muslim community on the propriety of the event, but Nie Ching had acted out of fullest respect for Islam and her Muslim constituents and not to insult Islam.

The question that must be asked is whether Utusan Malaysia front-page coverage is to  foster inter-religious harmony and goodwill or because of a larger agenda to do the opposite.

Najib should therefore walk the talk of a zero-tolerance policy for racism and religious incitement starting with Utusan Malaysia with zero-tolerance for delay in taking action.’

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 August 2010, 6:40 pm and is filed under
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Where has our leadership gone?

By
Sakmongkol AK47

Sometime in 2007, Lee Iacocca, wrote a book titled ‘Where Have All The Leaders Gone?. In light of what is happening, I find the subject matter of the book, becoming more relevant by each passing day. We should now begin asking the same question- where have all our leaders gone?

In the early part of the book, Iacocca asks a question which we Malaysians should also be asking- where the hell is our outrage? We should be screaming bloody murder at what’s going on.

The level of corruption goes unabated. Ezam Mat Nor says he has got boxes and boxes of hard evidence against Rafidah Aziz and Mat Nor Yaakob and a slew of UMNO leaders. Why doesn’t he turn them over to the government? Rais Yatim should be arrested for concealing material that can help the government bust the 18 high profile corruption cases that he once loudly announced. Was that his pompous piety and righteousness that were on display? Where are the evidence? RTM itself should be investigated as to why only one company seems to monopolize all the advertising rights?

The MAS corruption allegations have to be looked into on an urgent basis. Tenders that run into billions are given without open biddings. Large scale projects are said to be pre-chosen by people close to sources of power. A former sportswoman who didn’t accomplished anything of enduring significance, is getting lucrative contracts that run into hundreds of millions. Big corruption cases continue to be swept under the carpet. The economy isn’t doing well.

It’s nice to paraphrase Iacocca- we’ve got a gang of clueless bozos steering our ship of state over a cliff, we’ve got corporate gangsters stealing us blind- such as proposing to build a new MRT at a cost of 30-40 billion where a simpler tram system which would probably cost only RM 2 billion can do the trick. We actually have a 1 Malaysia dominated and monopolized by the already rich and powerful and another 1 Malaysia inhabited by the voiceless but who are increasingly incensed.

We should all be outraged and not be derailed by infantile labeling of those who speak out as Melayu liberal if those who speak out are Malays. Or if those speaking out are non Malays, they are called anti Malays. That labeling is an intellectual lazy argument and is an attempt to stop people from feeling outraged.

Thus when I rail against the NEP for example, I am not all anti those measures that were meant to help the poor and the disadvantaged but I am angered by the blatant exploitation of the policy to steal from this country.

And the absence of leadership is no more glaring when we see the increasing popularity of ideas talked about by former premier Dr. Mahathir among the Malay public. Although it affects Malays in particular, nevertheless because of the reality of Malaysian politics where UMNO politics make or break this country, these ideas eventually affect national politics. UMNO will be severely hurt unless it can offer leadership to the Malays. Unfortunately the UMNO leadership hasn’t done this, i.e. provide an interest-sticking leadership.

One commentator has provided a most perceptive thought to explain what is going on.

The fact that Mahathir is able to take centre stage and speak so loudly is because Najib has forfeited the stage to him – the elegant silence that Sakmongkol referred to. This is an abject failure of leadership. Leadership requires the selling of major ideas, to explain what those policies are, and how the people will benefit. Merely having labs and seminars won’t do. The vast majority of the people do not participate, and it is all too complex for them. There is a need to go to the ground, not just to show his face or shake a few hands, but to speak about the key issues and speak repeatedly until people understand the issues clearly. We might remember how Mahathir campaigned against the sultans to take power away from them. That is the kind of effort needed. And he needs his ministers to all read from the same page. This does not seem to be the case. He is the lone voice out there. It won’t do.

Lastly, it should be remembered that leaders don’t always lead their people to good outcomes. Jim Jones and Hitler are good examples. But to ensure these types have no influence at all we need the good leaders with vision and courage to emerge and lead. Where are they?

                This entry was posted on Friday, 27 August 2010, 1:19 pm and is filed under
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Anwar Ibrahim again battles dubious sex charges

by
Mark MacKinnon

Globe and Mail

Aug. 27, 2010

Prosecution appears to be thinly veiled attempt to ruin Malaysian opposition leader’s reputation and political career

There is an uncomfortable pattern to life for Anwar Ibrahim, the charismatic leader of Malaysia’s opposition. In 1998, shortly after he quit the authoritarian government of Mahathir bin Mohamad, he was convicted and jailed on trumped-up sodomy charges.

Six years after that conviction was quashed and he was released from prison – and just as it looked like he and his multi-ethnic coalition might finally oust the long-ruling United National Malays Organization from office – Mr. Anwar finds himself trapped in the most awkward of reruns, once more accused of “consensual intercourse against the order of nature.”

The charges again look to be a thinly veiled attempt to ruin Mr. Anwar’s reputation and sabotage his political career in this Muslim-majority country. The trial to date – dubbed “Sodomy II” in Malaysia’s unsubtle government-controlled press – has produced a succession of lurid headlines about lubricant tubes and stained underwear, while Mr. Anwar and his lawyers have been denied the right even to see the medical records of the man with which he is alleged to have had anal sex.

But instead of letting the scandalous court proceedings force him to the sidelines, the eternally optimistic Mr. Anwar has been using good humour and his ever-present BlackBerry to turn even the most awkward of headlines to his advantage, holding up the charges against him as proof of the absurdity of the system he’s trying to change.

As a lone judge contemplates whether there is evidence to convict Mr. Anwar and sentence him to up to 20 years in prison, as well as a flogging, Mr. Anwar has continued his ferocious assault on a government he derides as repressive and corrupt, blogging from the courtroom and sending cheeky and upbeat 140-character updates to his followers via Twitter.

“Sodomy circus turns into sex opera!” reads one of Mr. Anwar’s mid-trial posts, which linked to a video of a lawyer discussing the lurid details of the case. “Courage of conviction. Que sera sera,” was his response to a fellow Twitter user who worried the energetic 63-year-old was headed back to jail.

The odds do seem stacked against Mr. Anwar, a former deputy prime minister who was once considered the rising star of Malaysian politics. But to hear him tell it, his déjà-vu legal ordeal is evidence that Prime Minister Najib Razak and his party are losing their grip on power, and they know it well.

“They can’t deal with me politically – either my economic programs or policies. They can’t debate me. So they resort to this ludicrous exercise to demonize me,” he said in an interview at the offices of his People’s Justice Party in western Kuala Lumpur, a confident grin fixed on his narrow, goateed face. “We will win the next election and we will change the courts.”

It seems unlikely things will go quite that smoothly. Mr. Anwar’s political career has seen his fortunes change as often and as quickly as the weather in this peninsula thrust between the Indian and Pacific oceans. The leader of a Muslim youth organization during his student days, he shocked his followers by joining UNMO in the early 1980s and taking a succession of cabinet posts in the authoritarian government of Mr. Mahathir, eventually rising to become his powerful finance minister and deputy prime minister.

But the two men never saw eye-to-eye on key issues, and they eventually fell out during the 1997 Asian financial crisis over economic policy and Mr. Anwar’s accusation that cronyism at the top was hurting the country’s economy. Shortly thereafter, Mr. Anwar – frequently held up in the West as an example of a moderate Muslim democrat – was in jail.

Though initially barred from politics upon his release, Mr. Anwar steered the opposition to a surprisingly strong finish in 2008 elections, and – even as the new sodomy charges were being laid –very nearly won the long-sought prime minister’s chair in the aftermath when he called for a vote of non-confidence in Mr. Najib’s government. Mr. Anwar said he had the support of a majority in parliament, including an unspecified number of UMNO defectors, but the vote never happened. Instead, 40 key lawmakers were sent on a government junket to Taiwan during which some were apparently convinced to rethink supporting Mr. Anwar’s bid for power.

The next election, which can be called any time before 2013, is set to be a high-stakes affair in this rapidly developing country of 28 million, which has seen freedom of speech blossom since the 2003 retirement of Mr. Mahathir and the rise of the Internet. Any kind of conviction would keep Mr. Anwar – who heads an improbable coalition that consists of liberal reformers like himself and an Islamist party that seeks to impose Koranic law – on the sidelines for another five years.

Mr. Anwar, a married father of six children, denies the new charges that he had sex with a 25-year-old former aide to Mr. Najib. (The sodomy law, which dates back to the British colonial era, has only been used seven times since independence, with four of those charges being levelled against Mr. Anwar.)

The case recently devolved into further farce when it surfaced that the complainant was having an affair with a member of the prosecution team. Though Judge Mohamad Zabidin Diah acknowledged the affair as fact, he denied Mr. Anwar’s application to have the charges thrown out on that basis.

Mr. Anwar, who counts Al Gore, Nelson Mandela and former Canadian prime minister Paul Martin among his friends, said that while the Malaysian court system would do him no favours, he thinks his case is high-profile enough that the government won’t dare jail him again. “It’s a catch-22 for them. If they put me in jail, they invoke more sympathy, certainly the government will lose … And unlike Mahathir, Najib wants to be seen to be acceptable in the international community.”

Mr. Anwar’s undimmed ambition to be prime minister clearly infuriates his political opponents. Even in retirement, his mentor-turned-nemesis Mr. Mahathir uses his own blog to mock his former protégé and lash back at accusations that the case against Mr. Anwar is trumped up. “Could it be that it was actually the victim of anal rape who decided to tell things as they happened? I would like to say we should wait for the court to decide, but that can take a very long, long time or even never,” Mr. Mahathir wrote recently.

Despite a near-complete ban on his speaking to the official media, Mr. Anwar appears to be winning the public-relations battle, in part because of his savvy online efforts. A poll conducted by the independent Merdeka Centre for Opinion Research shortly after the new charges were filed found that only 11 per cent of the more than 1,000 respondents believed the new sodomy allegations against Mr. Anwar. Two-thirds said they agreed with the statement that the trial was “a politically motivated action to disrupt Anwar Ibrahim’s political career.”

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 August 2010, 12:01 pm and is filed under
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Burma’s ailing dictator resigns military post

by
Ben Doherty

Guardian

27th August 2010

Than Shwe and other generals quit military to apparently ensure they stay in charge as civilians after November elections

Burma’s reclusive and ailing dictator, Than Shwe, has resigned his military post, exiled Burmese media have reported, paving the way for him to become president in Burma’s government after the elections.

Shwe, the despot who has brutally ruled south-east Asia’s poorest country as commander-in-chief of the armed forces since 1992, yesterday handed control of the army to his adjutant general. However, the 77-year-old will remain head of the Burmese government.

More than a dozen other senior military officers also resigned, in an ominous sign for the country’s forthcoming elections. Inside Burma, Shwe’s resignation of his military role is being seen as a significant step towards ensuring he and his military cadres remain in charge after 7 November’s national elections, the first to be held in Burma for two decades.

“I think this means only one thing – he wants to be president,” a source inside Burma told the Guardian.

The country’s new constitution says the presidency can only be held by a civilian, but it does insist the president and vice-president “shall be well acquainted with the affairs of the Union, such as … the military”.

The junta’s second-in-command, Maung Aye, also resigned, as did the regime’s numbers three and four. It is understood they will stand as candidates for the junta’s largest proxy party, the Union Solidarity and Development party (USDP), in constituencies in the capital, Naypyidaw.

An unnamed military official said 15 senior army officials had resigned their posts, but did not confirm that the junta’s leader was among them. But a second source told agencies the resignations went right to the top: “All top leaders have given up their military positions.”

It is the second major reshuffle since April, when 27 senior military figures, including the prime minister, Thein Sein, resigned to lead the USDP.

Burma’s last elections, in 1990, were won overwhelmingly by the main opposition party, the National League for Democracy, led by Aung San Suu Kyi. But the junta refused to recognise the result and Aung San Suu Kyi has spent most of the past two decades in detention.

Her party is boycotting the poll after she was excluded from participating by new election laws which forbid people in custody from running for office. She is due to be released less than a week after the 7 November election.

Supporters of the polls say any move towards democracy, however flawed, is an improvement on the current military rule. Thirty-seven non-regime parties have registered for the elections, but few have a national presence and none have the money or influence of the pro-regime party and its proxies.

But critics of Burma’s “road map to democracy”, including Britain, the US and the UN, have dismissed the election as a sham, saying the poll will only entrench and formalise military rule.

“We don’t regard the forthcoming elections as being a legitimate expression of public opinion,” Jeremy Browne, a Foreign Office minister, said in Bangkok last month. “We continue to have a very strong view the situation in Burma is unacceptable.”

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 August 2010, 11:23 pm and is filed under
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National Day on August 31 is deadline for Najib to prove he is serious about “zero tolerance” for racism in the country, particularly by public servants

The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should have received public feedback that his declaration yesterday of a “zero tolerance” towards racism and pledge to take immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs had been received with great cynicism countrywide as another Najibism which is good for soundbites and publicity but never to be taken seriously – that it would be forgotten once delivered.

In fact, public cynicism about Najib’s political will and leadership after 16 month as Prime Minister in his various policy pronouncements because of the large gulf between proclamation and action has culminated in Merdeka month celebrations this year with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” highlighting the failures of Najib’s 1Malaysia rather than celebrating the new Prime Minister’s signature nation-building programme.

The question now is whether Najib can inspire confidence in time for National Day on Tuesday, August 31st in his “zero tolerance” policy for racism by taking firm and decisive action in the next 60 hours against racists who had created inter-racial misunderstandings and tensions in the past weeks?

There can for instance be no excuse whatsoever for failing to take firm and meaningful action against the two schools principals, in from Kulai and the other from Bukit Selambau, who had made insensitive, derogatory and racist remarks against students which are were totally against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept when the country celebrates National Day next Tuesday – that is if Najib’s “Zero tolerance” for racism declaration is to be taken seriously.

Multiple police reports had been lodged against these two school principals. If they can still get away with impunity for their racist utterances and repudiation of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy, what credibility could Najib and his 1Malaysia slogan command in the country?

In a way, National Day on August 31 is a deadline for Najib to prove that he is serious about his “Zero tolerance” for racism in the country, particularly by public servants.

Najib should not fail the country, his office as Prime Minister and the 1Malaysia policy which he had promoted since becoming Prime Minister in April last year.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 August 2010, 5:13 pm and is filed under
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Teo Nie Ching apologises to Sultan of Selangor

DAP MP for Serdang Teo Nie Ching has issued a public apology to the Sultan of Selangor over the Surau Al-Huda incident. Her statement reads:

Pada hari Ahad 22hb Ogos, saya sebagai ahli parlimen Serdang telah mengunjungi Surau Al-Huda, Kajang bertujuan untuk menghulurkan bantuan berbentuk sumbangan kerajaan untuk memperbaiki pagar surau, dan berbuka puasa bersama ahli jawatankuasa dan jemaah surau.

Oleh kerana saya telah dijemput untuk memberi sepatah dua kata, saya dengan secara ikhlas memberikan sedikit penjelasan mengenai program pendidikan kerajaan negeri yang memanfaatkan rakyat Selangor.

Saya menyesal bahawa perkara ini telah menimbulkan perasaan keresahan antara umat Islam negara kita dan isu ini telah diperhangatkan oleh pihak-pihak tertentu atas sebab-sebab politik.

Saya ingin menegaskan secara ikhlas dan murni bahawa lawatan saya ke Surau Al-Huda tidak berniat politik, dan tidak bermotif untuk menyebabkan kesucian surau dan masjid dipersoalkan.

Saya menyambut baik pesanan, peringatan dan nasihat dari semua pihak mengenai perkara tersebut, dan akan dengan segala upaya, menjalankan tugas saya dengan lebih berhati-hati supaya tidak menimbulkan perasaan kurang senang dan perselisihan faham di kalangan umat Islam pada masa yang akan datang.

Akhir sekali, saya juga akan memajukan penjelasan dan permohonan maaf kepada Duli Yang Maha Mulia Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Al-Haj ibni Almarhum Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah Al-Haj, Sultan Selangor Darul Ehsan mengenai perkara ini.

                This entry was posted on Saturday, 28 August 2010, 1:26 pm and is filed under
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Fully support Teo’s apology to Selangor Sultan over Surau Al Huda controversy

I fully support DAP MP for Serdang Teo Nie Ching’s apology to the Sultan of Selangor for any unintended offence caused by her visit to the Surau Al Huda in her constituency in the course of her parliamentary duties to help her constituents.

Malaysians are shocked however at the intemperate language being used by some elements to foment disaffection.

I refer to the
Malaysian Insider report
today that Perkasa chief Datuk Ibrahim Ali is calling for “strong action” to be taken against Teo, saying that she must be charged for “desecrating” the Surau Al Huda.

Even more shocking, the Perkasa chief “attempted to draw an analogy between Nation of Islam preacher Malcom X, who was gunned down at Manhattan Audubon Ballroom by three Black Muslims in 1965 and Teo’s surau visit which has been highlighted by Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia last Friday”.

Ibrahim was quoted as having sent the following SMS to Malaysian Insider: “In America, Islamic preacher  Malcom X, who preached to Christians and entered their churches was shot dead but in Selangor an ‘unclean DAP politician’ was dragged into the surau’s prayer room”.

Ibrahim accused “This is the work of Satan who has succeeded in confusing those who claim to be religious but does not follow Islam”.

Rational Malaysians must recoil at the intemperate language and irresponsible imagery  used by the Perkasa chief.  Is he suggesting that Teo should be killed like Malcolm X?

Up to now there is no consensus on who was responsible for the assassination of Malcolm X in Manhattan’s Auduborn Ballroom in New York on February 2, 1965 but why was Malcolm X’s assassination raised in this context?

The invoking of Malcolm X’s assassination by Ibrahim Ali must be condemned in the strongest possible terms, as it goes against all that Malaysians want of a peaceful and harmonious plural Malaysian society and Prime Minister’s Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s inclusive 1Malaysia where Malaysians accept and not just tolerate the nation’s richest asset  – our ethnic, cultural and religious diversity.

The Perkasa chief’s invocation of violence by citing the assassination of Malcolm X must be condemned in the strongest possible terms by all Malaysians regardless of race or religion as it has gone beyond  the pale of acceptable public discourse.

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 August 2010, 1:30 pm and is filed under
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Talk Like A PM, Walk And Act Like Umno

by
Richard Loh

I have no intention to blog these few days because I thought that I can enjoy the Merdeka celebration but it is not to be so.

The past weeks clearly show that the PM is no longer in control of running the country. The PM is wearing too many hats. The PM is wearing too many hats that he turns out to be the most ugly looking person.

One hat he wore represented him as the Prime Minister that can only talk with all kinds of slogan and rhetoric that contain no solid substance as it will be all blown away once he changes his hat.

Trying to balance his act, he will immediately change to his Umno President hat to walk and act like Umno, forgetting what he had said when he was wearing the PM’s hat.

Wearing the PM’s hat, he talk about zero tolerance for racism but could not take any actions against his own members, civil servants, Umno-controlled media and Perkasa for openly stoking racial and religious sentiments.

Taking off his PM’s hat and slip on his Umno’s hat, he called for the investigation of Namewee’s video that voices out against racism albeit in a slight vulgar manner. This is followed by the Information Communication and Culture Minister’s warning of stern action against those who produce videos which contain racial slurs but both, PM and Minister conveniently left out those Umno’s degenerates that puke out racial slurs to live audiences.

Next, the PM that wears the Umno’s hat is happy to see that his Umno’s army is attacking furiously on all the non issues of non-Muslims trying to harmonise with the Muslims, creating issues out of nothing.

How can we still celebrate Merdeka when we are so troubled by race and religious conflicts that are created solely by Umno?

Can the PM tell the public truthfully in the eyes that he is a PM that can talk, walk and act impartially just like any PM should?

                This entry was posted on Sunday, 29 August 2010, 11:07 pm and is filed under
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I am Chinese but I want to be known as MALAYSIAN!

By
Philip Yong

So, the day has arrived. The day we’ve all been patiently waiting for. Yes it is finally here!

This was the day all Malaysians regardless of race stood up together to shout ‘MERDEKA, MERDEKA, MERDEKA!’ from the bottom of their hearts. Even just by imagining the atmosphere at that moment, I can feel the joy. But today, I no longer have that feeling.

Tomorrow (31st August 2010) is our country’s 53rd National Day. Wow, we’ve got our independence for 53 years already, how amazing can that be? But you know what? I don’t feel a thing. I don’t feel proud to be a Malaysian at all. Well, if you’ve been catching up with the tabloids lately, you would know what I mean. 53 years is not very long but still a substantial number. Why are we the citizens of Malaysia not united? Our National Day is tomorrow but there are still people out there fighting and screaming ridiculously accusing others of demeaning their race. Why after 53 years we still can’t be united? Why do we have to fill in forms asking for our race? Why isn’t there an option for ‘Malaysian’ in those forms? Yes I am Chinese but I want to be known as a Malaysian, is that wrong?

Independence? Even now I am writing this in fear of being caught by the officials for inciting hate or perhaps sedition. I’ve read about so many people being caught for speaking against the government. Well, is that wrong? Don’t we the rakyat, have the right to speak? I believe we are supposed to be a democratic country. But it seems to me that I don’t get to decide what I want for myself and my country. It seems like we’re being dictated. Well, I think I better not go on further as I do not want to celebrate our National Day in the cell.

I want change. I do not care who or which party is in charge of the government. All I want is change. I am sick and tired of everything negative going on. I think if today I meet a foreigner, I will be reluctant to address myself as a Malaysian because of all the bad press that have been going on for quite some time. And I do not blame the foreigners for having such a negative image of our country. It is our leaders fault or so to speak. But as a Malaysian, I will not sit here quiet awaiting for a better tomorrow. I will stand up along with many other Malaysians who share my thoughts. Which I believe is in the thousands if not millions. We will fight for a better tomorrow, through over powerful voices. We’ve stayed quiet for far too long. 53 years, like I said is a substantial number.

I love Malaysia. I really do. That is why I am speaking up. I remember a couple of months ago, I attended the Badminton Thomas Cup quarter finals between Malaysia and Denmark. Everybody in the stadium was shouting and screaming in support of the Malaysian team. That is the real 1Malaysia we should advocate. It was one of the very few moments I felt so proud to be a Malaysian. Till today I still remember how everyone regardless of their race was so united and I honestly miss that moment.

So in simple word, my wish for this year’s Merdeka is for the nation to be united as one. I am sure we can and we will achieve that. Whichever coalition whether it is the Barisan National or Pakatan Rakyat, as long as they advocate that then you have my support as well as many other Malaysians support. Remember it is the rakyat that build the country and not the other way around.

HAPPY MERDEKA!

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 August 2010, 10:00 pm and is filed under
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Mahathir — Malaysia’s enigma

By
Jema Khan

AUG 30 — To make sense of the various ongoing debates on the NEP, one has to have a sense of history especially for the time when Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad was prime minister.

During his 22 years as PM, the main priority of the nation was to develop at all costs. The man worked 16 hours a day, was well-read, intelligent, soft-spoken and most of all, he listened well.

He was tenacious when it came to policy; it was often his way or the highway. His detractors would call him a dictator for undermining institutions such as the judiciary and using the ISA against his political opponents.  Nevertheless, when he stepped down as PM in 2003, he was still largely popular among all the races in Malaysia.

It is only lately with the advent of Perkasa that Tun Mahathir’s popularity started to wane. Many, me included, want a new dawn in Malaysia with the ideals of 1 Malaysia and the NEM to be fully implemented in the country. Clearly this view differs markedly from Perkasa’s. However, to simply paint Tun Mahathir as a racist ignores his 22 years as PM when he was clearly not.

The first example was alluded to by SP Setia’s, Tan Sri Liew Kee Sin, where he claimed that the Chinese too benefited from the NEP pointing to the 40 richest Malaysians where 73 per cent of the wealth in this group is held by the Chinese or where eight out of the top 10 are Chinese. Of course these benefits did not trickle down sufficiently to the other 99 per cent of the people, regardless of race, and that is where I believe most people actually object to the NEP.

But cronyism during Tun Mahathir’s time was a multiracial thing where you had a chance for a piece of the pie regardless of race. I can still remember the time when those in Umno complained that they had not got their just desserts and Tun Mahathir simply published a list of all the Malay beneficiaries which numbered in the thousands for all to see at the Umno annual general meeting.

The second example is unique to Sabah, where he promised that if the Barisan Nasional took Sabah, he would rotate the position of Chief Minister in Sabah among the major races. Against strong resistance from Umno Sabah, he kept his word.

The third example was his changing the education curriculum where science and mathematics were to be taught in English. He did this against a backdrop of major resistance from the Malay academics. To label Tun Mahathir a racist or an ultra Malay, especially during his time as PM is simply wrong.

From my perspective, having sometimes differed from Tun Mahathir even when he was PM, it is clear that he wants to save Umno and is prepared to put his legacy on the line to do it. While I sympathise with his predicament, I don’t believe we can turn back, for the current and future well-being of the nation. We must continue to fight for our individual human rights, meritocracy, justice, the elimination of corruption and to be Malaysian first and everything else second.

We must remember that some of the hottest topics today, such as the caning of women and the use of the “A” word, were never an issue when Tun Mahathir was the PM. The situation has changed and we must act to put things right.

If by reading this, you believe that I have a high regard for Tun Mahathir, you would be right and I make no apologies for that. However, I absolutely do not agree with him on Perkasa. I do not believe in the NEP. I do not believe in the “ketuanan” philosophy. I do not believe in perpetuating any abuse of power.

In any event it is the people who will decide through the ballot box as to which party wins the next election. It is my belief that the majority will vote for the party that is more liberal, tolerant and prepared to give the people their basic human rights and freedoms.

In essence, those in their forties and fifties, like me, have a duty to ensure that this country must be on the right path. We cannot abrogate our duty to faith or hope. It is our watch and we must do whatever it takes to protect this country. We should know better and it is incumbent on us to affect society in the right direction.

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 August 2010, 6:16 pm and is filed under
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Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka!!!

By
Gayatri Unsworth

August 30, 2010

AUG 30 — We celebrate Merdeka tomorrow. And what do we have to show for it? Racist educators, intolerant politicians, bigoted pressure groups, xenophobic newspapers, crimes of vandalism against places of worship and  other weird and not-so-wonderful things that can only happen in this nation. What a meaningful way to usher in Malaysia’s 53rd birthday!

If only our Bapa Malaysia, the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, were alive to see the state of things today. To witness how the fruits of his labour have been utilised, and to observe how the unified Malaysia he dreamt of, still remain for the most part, a dream. To watch how we’ve spent the better part of the last half-century diligently dismantling piece by piece, the Malaysian unification he strived to hard to establish. To view the rapid extinction of the tolerant, empowered Malaysian, only to be replaced by one so blinded by prejudice that he is incapable of rational discourse towards his fellow countrymen. To hear words such as ‘pendatang’ and ‘penumpang’, to see protestors stamping on cow heads, to taste tear-gas and to smell the acrid odour of corruption, discrimination, oppression, and deception permeating Malaysian air.

I cannot help but wonder, what would the great man himself think? Have we truly done justice to Tunku’s inspirational and rousing declaration of “Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka”?

The British colonialists may be long gone but in their place appears to have sprouted various factions that have adopted the same divide and conquer strategy synonymous with the former. Groups that play on the insecurities of various Malaysian ethnicities for political mileage and popularity, without much consideration for the turmoil and carnage they willingly invite in doing so.

My beloved country appears to have been hijacked by certain quarters determined to see it crumble under the pressure of division and discord; the sensible, level-headed say of the average Malaysian repeatedly silenced by the violent rumble of dissonance. Yet, the voice of reason must prevail or we risk sacrificing everything we have achieved to a bunch of foolish thugs who dominate by flexing their insular, parochial muscles.  If we truly love this blessed, extraordinary nation of ours, we must save it from being seized by brutes who shamelessly capitalise on primal instincts and insecurities.

Our forefathers, from a diverse range of race and religion, worked together as one tirelessly for us to enjoy the level of peace and harmony we have today. Yet, I fear that this concord which so many of us take for granted, is slowly being battered and eroded right in front of our very eyes.

We have allowed for far too long, those with detrimental, destructive agendas, to dictate how we live our lives; to instruct us how to detest and mistrust our fellow Malaysians by virtue of differing physical attributes, cultures and religious beliefs; to try and inculcate in us unfounded stereotypes and misconceptions; to attempt to instil in us a superiority complex that has neither place nor reason in tolerant, multi-cultural, democratic society.

We must stand up now and say No loud and clear, for nobody has the right to decide for you or me, the type of Malaysian we ought to be.

If we truly love this country, then we cannot allow for it to be reduced to a nation characterised by racist rhetoric and extremist diatribe. We cannot idly sit by and watch everything which our founding fathers struggled so hard to construct, washed away by caustic words and corrosive actions. We must disregard and delegitimise such abysmal deeds by uniting as a community, as a country, as a people. We must match unreasonable, excessive tirades, with eloquence, patience and composure, accepting that we know better. We are obliged to contest displays of unfounded ire with our own standards of rational conduct.

I love Malaysia for I am a daughter of this soil. This is my one and only home. My ancestors may have come from a different place but this is the country I proudly call my native land. I live in Malaysia because there is nowhere else I’d rather be despite having the opportunity to do so. Because I was born here and because till this day, when I hear the Negaraku my heart swells with pride and patriotism. And mostly because no matter what anyone may say, do, or think, I know that nothing can change the fact that I am Malaysian.

And so I call upon my fellow Malaysians to once and for all join hands and strive towards a truly genuine and united 1 Malaysia. Let us sincerely declare and demonstrate that we are wholly united and committed towards jointly making this nation of ours the best that it can be.

In the words of Martin Luther King Jr., “We must learn to live together as brothers or perish together as fools” and in memory of the great Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, who nurtured Malaysia into existence, let us once again remember and relive the true spirit of “Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka.”

Happy 53rd Independence Day to all.

*
Gayatri Unsworth is a 29-year-old writer, corporate trainer and academic who thinks it’s about time she voiced her opinions eloquently rather than just rant about them in her Facebook status column. She can be reached at gayatri[dot]unsworth[at]gmail[dot]com

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 August 2010, 11:05 am and is filed under
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Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan?

This year’s Merdeka Month celebrations with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” should give all Malaysians a new sense of pride and worth of being a Malaysian.

Instead, the cacophony of the racist rhetoric had never been more raucous, discordant and divisive in the first year of any previous Prime Minister in the nation’s 53-year history  – reducing Najib’s 1Malaysia policy and slogan into tatters.

The 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme  (GTP) Roadmap launched by the Prime Minister in January this year declared that “the goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”

This goal of 1Malaysia was rendered hollow and meaningless when the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, and no Cabinet Minister dared to contradict him!

The 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap declared that Malaysia has “chosen a unique route – that of unity of diversity and inclusiveness, while ensuring fairness to all and remaining anchored in our Constitution” – which means that “we embrace our diversity of ethnicity, religions and beliefs and, by being inclusive, build mutual respect and acceptance into a social foundation of trust and cohesiveness”.

All it requires to expose the hollowness of this 1Malaysia declaration is  to look at the media headlines in the past 24 hours, eg:

Keep ‘racist’ school head, urges Perkasa;

Perkasa wants non-Muslims banned from mosques, suraus;

Ibrahim Ali demands action against Teo over surau visit.

The 1Malaysia GTP Roadmap declared that 1Malaysia is “built upon the foundations of our Federal Constitution, various laws and policies, the Rukunegara, Vision 2020 and the National Mission”.

The past year saw Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, the  architect of Vision 2020, repudiating the Bangsa Malaysia concept he advocated when he proclaimed Vision 2020 and even the nine goals of Vision 2020, encompassing economic, political, social, spiritual, psychological and cultural dimensions of national growth when he equated meritocracy with racism.

A few days ago, Najib declared “zero tolerance for racism”. Without any supportive action against incessant racheting of the irresponsible rhetoric of race, this “zero tolerance for racism” is likely to go the infamous way of another similar slogan, “zero tolerance for corruption” with corruption worsening while the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Agency (MACC) forfeits all public respect and confidence in its institutional independence, professionalism and integrity.

Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan?

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 August 2010, 1:39 pm and is filed under
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The Mahathir prediction

by
Thoma Lee

My.sinchew.com

August 30, 2010

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad has predicted that racial tension would escalate if the New Economic Policy (NEP) type of policies is removed in favour of open policies which disregard the disparities between races in the interest of equity and merit.

The former prime minister has also warned that the time is not right for changes to be made to the existing pro-Bumiputera affirmative policies.

He said that the violent Communist revolution in Europe was caused by the disparity between rich and poor, and hinted that such a scenario could happen in Malaysia if the so-called economic gap between the Bumiputeras and the other races is not narrowed.

Hence, he suggested that the affirmative policies and programmes be continued infinitum, arguing that such a protection for the Bumiputera is still necessary and that a 20-year timeline is not enough for them to become economically on par with other races.

The NEP was launched in 1971 and technically ended in 1990, but most of its programmes are being continued.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has announced that he would remove subsidies and many of the pro-Bumiputera quotas under his meritocracy-based economic reforms, but many Malay leaders, including Mahathir, want to retain the status quo.

Mahathir has become the leading voice of dissidence against the New Economic Model (NEM) initiated by Najib, insisting that the affirmative scheme must continue, or else the Bumiputeras would lose out.

Mahathir’s doomsday prediction that the country would plunge into a violent revolutionary situation like that of the 18th and 19th Century Europe if the affirmative economic policies and programmes are scaled is certainly alarmist and scaremongering, to say the least, and a witticism of the highest illusionary degree.

Mahathir talks as if all non-Bumiputras are rich and only Bumiputeras are in dire economic suffering. Granted that there are many Bumiputras in the rural who are really poor and deserving of government financial aid, but there are also many non-Bumiputras who are in similar appalling economic condition.

I am not saying that there should not be any affirmative policies and programmes to help those who are poor and underprivileged, but they should be based on needs, not on race. There are more poor Bumiputras simply because they constitute a larger portion of the population, and they deserve all the assistance to live a better life and lifestyle. So, do the poor of other races. The government affirmative policies and programmes should focus on thord e need of the poor of all races, not on any particular race irrespective of their economic status. MP Tony Pua’s suggestion that those who can afford luxury houses costing more than half a million ringgit should not be given discount under the affirmative programme is not without merit. The discount money should rightly be channelled to help those who cannot afford a simple decent home.

If we are to take an honest look at the May 13 incident in 1969, which, incidentally, was the raison d’etat for the formulation and implementation of the NEP, we should realize that basically race was just the whipping boy for what I believe to be the explosion of intensive frustration of the economic hardship suffered by the poor of all races – Malay, Chinese and Indians.

The May 13 riot was not racial per se. It was sparked off by the poor Malays being told by Malay politicians that the rich Chinese caused them the economic suffering, and the poor Chinese being told by Chinese politicians that the powerful Malays in the government caused them their hardship.

The riot was triggered off by the then massive suffering of many poor Malays and poor Chinese, both having reached the extreme intolerable level of economic and financial hardship. The intense manipulative racial stroking by irresponsible politicians of the already tense environment during the campaign for the May 10 general election detonated the already ticking economic time bomb, masquerading as packs of racial grenades all over the country..

The economic hardship was not confined to any particular race, and was fundamentally caused by an irresponsible corrupt government of the day. It was the demonic racist politicians who exploited the suffering poor and turn what was basically an economic deprivation problem into a racial bloodbath.

When I was doing a research paper on revolution for a course on history at the Flinders University in South Australia, I did a comparative study on the causes of revolutions in France (1789–1799), Russia (1917) and China (1911 and 1949). I found that there were five common factors that gave rise to the revolutions in these countries.

The first factor is that there was massive economic hardship among the general populace of the country. Many people were facing difficulties in even putting food on the table. Jobs were scarce. Children go to bed hungry. In such a situation, many became desperate, and couldn’t care less about any consequence, even if they were to resort to violent means to survive. These people become fertile ground for the seed of revolution to take root and grow.

Secondly, while the majority of the population was suffering hardship, an elite class of economically powerful and corrupt officials and business people nonchalantly exploited the people. The people were heavily taxed, pieces of essentials keep rising, bribes were demanded for getting things done at government offices, the cops were trigger-happy, and many innocent people were persecuted and prosecuted on the most unsubstantial and flimsiest charges.

Such a scenario gave rise to a massive resentment and revulsion among the people. The circumstance was certainly appropriate for mass action to get rid of the immoral and corrupt political parasites.

Thirdly, the major influence and impact of the increasingly powerful mass media, particularly the newspapers, contributed to educate the general populace of their fundamental human and civil rights.

The people began to realize that they have absolute rights to a decent life and lifestyle, and that they are the actual bosses of those in the government and its administration. They began to demand for justice, fairness, economic equality, political freedom, liberty in organizing and operating their own well-being, and the rights to freedom of expression, worship, jobs and education.

In other words, the people have got up from their innocent slumber and became enlightened to the fact they have fundamental birth rights which they should protect, preserve and prevent from exploitation by the abusive and dictatorial authorities.

Fourthly, the rise of some well-educated idealistic charismatic leaders led to the mobilization and organization of the people into collective powerful pressure groups which took the lead to fight against the establishment. A massive people movement began to make the clarion call to the masses to stand up and be court for the nation. The charismatic people rousers became the powerful attractive socio-political magnets attracting the masses to march for change.

Finally, like Mao Zedong said, a mere spark will cause fire to a whole plain. In the case of 18th century France, Emperor Louis XIV and his successor Emperor Louis XVI mismanaged the nation’s finances that by 1789, the government was bankrupt. Louis XVI resorted to impose heavy taxes on the people. The people, who suffered from bad harvest, exploded in anger and attacked the Bastille (prison for political prisoners). The Fall of Bastille started the French Revolution. It spread out to other parts of France.

The explosive pressure cooker blew its cover and all hell broke lose as the people took to the street to demand for accountability and change.

Nearer our time, we have seen how the dictator Ferdinand Marcos of the Philippines was ousted by the People Power Revolution in 1986. The massive protest was brewing since 1983, after the assassination of opposition politician Ninoy Aquino, followed by the deteriorating economy, with the government plunging deeper into debt. By the end of 1983, the country was bankrupt, and the economy had contracted by 6.8%. The pressure started to build up until 1986 when the time bomb exploded.

From my studies on revolutions, we can observe that what gave rise to the massive visible, vocal and even violent demonstration demanding for reformation and transformation is basically the mass dissatisfaction, disenchantment and disillusion with the governing establishment, sparked off by just an unjust act.

There will not be any violent revolution in Malaysia, if there is a competent, accountable, and transparent government in Malaysia, which promotes and practices truth, righteousness, justice, equality, fairness, and caring concern.

Happy Medeka. May God bless our nation real good!

                This entry was posted on Monday, 30 August 2010, 11:14 pm and is filed under
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Door to any house of worship open

by
Azly Rahman

“I sincerely and genuinely reiterate that my visit to the Surau Al-Huda was not politically motivated, and had no motive to put into question the sanctity of suraus and mosques,” Serdang Mp Teo Nie Ching said on Saturday…

Teo explained that she had visited the Kajang surau on Sunday, Aug 22, as their MP, in order to hand over to them the state government’s monetary contribution for repairs to the surau fence… She had timed her visit in order to break fast with the surau’s committee members and congregation…

“Since I was invited to say a few words, I in all sincerity gave a brief explanation of the state’s education programmes that benefit the people of Selangor,” she said, adding that she welcomed advice from all parties on better execution of her duties… (Malaysiakini report, Aug 28, 2010)

The Perkasa panic over Teo’s visit to a surau in Kajang intrigues me. The latter had gone there in humility to present a state donation to repair the fence. She is now a sensation and forced to mend fences. She may be meeting with the biggest religious head of the state – the Sultan. There will be repercussions. There has already been.

To be equating what she did with the fate of the American modern revolutionary leader Malcolm X (El-Hajj Malik El-Shabbaz) – that ‘Brother Malcolm’ was supposedly assassinated because he was preaching to Christians – is to be totally ignorant of what happened in the history of the American Civil Rights movements.

It signifies that one does not have any clue at all to the close relationship between Malcolm X and the Reverend Dr Martin Luther King Jr, a Southern Baptist minister in the Christian and Nation of Islam struggle for equality and equally opportunity. But then again, perhaps some Malay ultra-fascist nationalist groups do not read much of anything to exist as anything.

At a time when Malaysia is celebrating its “Merdeka”, or whatever one may call this nationalistic ritual, we are seeing the continuation of the absurdity of arguments over religion, by way of crises manufactured so that attention can be taken away from the larger issue of the present regime in the process of being dismantled.

Malaysia’s “Merdeka … Merdeka …” cry will be greeted elsewhere – buried in the psyche of the nation – with chants of “diperhamba … diperhamba…” or “enslaved .. enslaved…”, referring to the closing of the captive mind and the notion of Hang Nadim (who saved Singapore from the swordfish) in chains.

Because the manufacturing of crises and the bogeyman called race and ethnicity is no longer a working tool of structural violence to be deployed as a reason to create havoc and chaos come the 13th general election, religion becomes the next available sharp object to pry open the mind of Malaysians so that fear of another riot can be filter-funneled into them.

I hope Malaysians will in no way buy into this script a la Friday the 13th, The Texas Chainsaw Massace, or even Pontianak Gua Musang, written by those who wish to deface Islam by way of associating visiting its house of worship as a “blasphemous” act. Only simple-minded people masked as sophisticated racists, handsomely paid and in need of cheap publicity, will resort to such orchestrations.

Opening doors to understanding

Let us leave this “tabloidic” notion of what is ailing Malaysians religiously. There is a larger concern of how much we have progressed this Merdeka when it comes to understanding each others’ religion.

There is an urgent need for peaceful dialogue on the universality of religion and the common destiny of humankind charted via different paths, before violences become a norm for conflict resolution. Only through education can respect and tolerance be made a culture, although in Malaysia this will take a few more generations, assuming that ten steps back are not orchestrated in this difficult but desired path to peaceful agenda towards developmentalism.

Essentially – all religions are monotheistic, and even in evolved philosophies and folk religion too, the submission of the self is to one the great force of peace.

Every summer, I have been teaching comparative religion as well here in the United States and nothing like what is reported in some tabloidic news media is happening. The door to any house of worship is open to anyone to learn from each other, provided that the intent is right and the visitor respects the ethics of visiting.

It is necessary for the visitor to first find out what are the dos and don’ts of visiting the place. I assign my students to visit masjid, Buddhist temples, synagogues, Catholic and Protestant churches, Hindu temples, and even the Church of Scientology and the Native American reservation, to get them to learn about something they have never known before.

The result – fantastic opening up of doors to further understanding the beauty of the varieties of religious knowledge – and strengthening one’s own belief.

In Teo’s surau visit incident, Malaysians are learning to differentiate between rational and ridiculous arguments. I would go for an all-out promotion of the teaching of comparative religions as early as in our high schools and especially in our universities. There is tremendous value in such a course offering.

Our hope as Malaysians is to taste “Merdeka” (freedom) in the way we think about religious tolerance and not to continue to be “diperhamba” (enslaved) by any well-paid ultra-nationalistic-fascist group, out to close shut the Malaysian mind – especially that of the Malays.

DR AZLY RAHMAN, who was born in Singapore and grew up in Johor Bahru, holds a Columbia University (New York) doctoral degree in International Education Development and Master’s degrees in the fields of Education, International Affairs, Peace Studies, and Communication. He has taught more than 40 courses in six different departments and has written more than 300 analyses on Malaysia. His teaching experience spans both in Malaysia and in the United States and in a wide range of teaching context; from elementary to graduate education. He currently resides in the United States.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 31 August 2010, 10:05 am and is filed under
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Freedom! Freedom! Freedom!

By
Richard Loh

I intended to use the post title Merdeka, Merdeka, Merdeka but someone beats me to it.

I was 3 years old when Malaya got its Independence and at that age I cannot recalled what actually happened, only to learn in later years from history books. History are written by men or historians but along the way depending on the whims and fancies of those in power, it can be rewritten.

What I learned in the sixties was that Malayan comprising of all races led by Tunku Abdul Rahman fought for our Freedom from the British rule. Following our Freedom the country had to fight the communist insurgencies and Malayan of all races fought off the communists.

The sixties, the time that I was a teenager, the country was peaceful and harmonious (other than the communist insurgencies, which have no effect on us civilians) with all the races mixing around each other without any inkling what racism is all about while religions were never a conflict.

The whole landscape of peace and harmony started to deteriorate after May 13 1969 with many versions written and told of what actually caused the fatal riots. The actual truth can or never will be revealed as some of those in the know were dead and gone while those still alive would not want to jeopardised their comfortable position. What I can say is that the disparity of the haves and haves not among the races is only part of the reason.

No one had ever questioned the NEP but seriously asked how it deviates from its original true intention and the way it is implemented. It has now been twisted and turned into as part of the constitution which no one can questioned or removed it. Just like the ISA which originally was used against the communist insurgencies now being a great political tool.

Whatever is happening now to the country should be blamed on the wealth of our country. We are blessed with natural resources and free from natural disaster. These richness lead to greed and power crazy with those in power clamouring to reap in for themselves as much as possible.

In order to continue reaping the country’s wealth, they must remain in power and that is where dirty politics come into play. Before the 308 tsunami, the balance of political power is always one sided leaving those in power to do whatever they like with the country’s wealth. Divide and rule is the best option to use to ensure victory and it had never failed them.

After 308, the whole political scenario had changed and those in power are scrambling to find solutions to ensure their continuing stay in power. The shallow application of the divide and rule which used to work for the past decades seem redundant in this new era.

The only way left to ensure the stay in power is not disrupted is to create confusion among the people. How to confuse the people, its easy, just introduce the slogan “1Malaysia, People First Performance Now”. Within the ruling party, they break up in separate groups with the PM leading as the nice guy while other groups playing the bad guys to create as much distortions and misinterpret the constitution, the PM’s slogan, the use of religion and racism to the tilt.

The good guy, that is the PM will keep on talking (I am very certain that his Merdeka speech will be all about peace and harmony and his 1Malaysia concept) while leaving the bad guys to do his other dirty jobs, i.e to break up and cause chaos among the races.

Many will said that their actions will cause their own downfall but we must know that there are also many that will fall prey to their dirty plot. Non malays will be blinded by the good guy rhetoric while the malay will believe that their religion and status are being challenged.

We fight to free ourselves from the British and rid of the communists but instead of enjoying the real freedom, we are now enslaved by our own greedy government. Once a year we are told that we are all Malaysians, we must be patriotic and fly our national flag to celebrate Merdeka day. The rest of the days in the year, I am malay first, you are pendatang, beggars or prostitutes with racist slurs coming from the leaders and media every other days.

Merdeka day is the only day where we are all recognised as Malaysians, so enjoy with the 24 hours that you have to be a Malaysians.

                This entry was posted on Tuesday, 31 August 2010, 10:08 am and is filed under
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