Malaysia, the way forward

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The 13th General Election is nigh upon us and we face a disposition unlike any other. Corruption, dirty politics, fraudulent voting and gerrymandering are among the underlying issues that come hand in hand with the coming elections. Nonetheless, the crux of the matter isn’t so much about politics than it is about democracy.

To many, democracy simply means the right to vote in a free country. In principle, yes, democracy does provide for the right to vote. However, initially the right to vote was not absolute. It is a right which has been fought for since the time of our forefathers and as such it is a right which needs to be continuously fought for less we lose sight of it.

In today’s context, however, the concept of democracy has expanded and exercising your rights takes more than a simple tick at the ballot box once every four years. In contract law, the rule states that silence cannot amount to a misrepresentation. The application of this rule to the doctrine of democracy is what has come to be known as participative democracy.

The aim of this concept is to reclaim some of the executive’s powers back to the people wherein we should be taught of our inherent rights and then take a step further in exercising those rights. It can take a form of simple discourse and exchanging opinions at the coffee shop and what this does is it gradually cultivates a new generation of thinkers who question, reflect and analyse before making an informed decision.

Once this process is underway, we begin to see a change in paradigm, where we begin to not only take an interest in matters which may not concern us but we begin to care, champion and advocate a cause we infer to be a positive change to this country.

It is at this very instance does indifference cease to exist and we finally begin to take an active role having in mind the country’s best interest can we move forward together as one nation. Participative democracy can take many forms and the resultant juxtaposition has seen through the early ages of the British Revolution, the Arab Spring and which can now be seen in the upcoming Bersih rally.

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Malaysia, the way forward — Vivek V. Velan
April 25, 2012

To dupe voters, thick-skinned Muhyiddin praises sky-high flawed education system

As election is approaching the Malaysian education minister, Muhyiddin Yassin, has no choice but to praise sky high to dupe the people into thinking that all is well with the country’s education system.

It is a known fact that education in this country is tinkered with politics. And as long as education is not kept out of politics, Malaysians can never see a learning environment in schools and universities that can truly enlighten the masses.

Many Malaysians fed-up with the dreary and lacklustre education given in schools have opted out of school and are doing surprisingly well in the vocational world.

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Most mystifying statement of the year

It seems that to the education minister the Malaysian education quality has surpassed that of UK, US and many other European countries. The people are still conjecturing what he meant by this. But the irony is that the government and other semi-government and private bodies are scrambling to send students to these foreign countries to study for their first and post-graduate degrees. This must be the most mystifying statement of the year from an education minister; possibly again to deceive the people into thinking that all is well with our education system and thus they should vote for the incumbent government in the next general election.

Why hide the true facts about our failing education system? In the local scene, it is very common to find students with straights A’s entering university with lack of literary, numeracy skills and subject-content knowledge. And they have to undergo many months of remedial work to enable them cope with tertiary education. Despite all this, even after undergoing their undergraduate studies they still end up graduating with a lack of basic communication skills, creativity and critical skills. A few though – the cream among them – have made it, but the majority have failed the society.

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To dupe voters, thick-skinned Muhyiddin praises sky-high flawed education system
4 April 2012 Malaysia Chronicle

UMNO’s Tangled Web of Deceit

The UMNO leadership must be mad. It is going around the country senselessly spewing hate politics to stay in power. Everyone knows UMNO is the one sanctioning a forum in Johore on the threat of Christian missionary work in Malaysia. The faith of the ordinary Muslim is so fragile that they cannot defend themselves from the onslaught of Christian evangelizing. As expected, we have the farcical PM doing his good cop routine by asking people to be tolerant of each other’s religion. He should be asking the organizers in Johore to stop sowing the seeds of dissension and raising the specter of religious confrontation. You are so hollow Mr. PM.

This is UMNO’s emblem of shame sowing the seeds of divisiveness in our society. We have a PM hypocritically intoning his idea of 1Malaysia yet he is one who fiddles while the country is burning. (1) You allow the possibility of racial implosion in order to stay in power. (2) you allow continuing the shaming of Anwar with sordid details of sexual trysts laying bare the sad truth that UMNO and BN can only stay in power on account on someone else’s arse and sexual adventures of your adversary.

UMNO, it seems can only extend its miserable existence by depending on the band of liars consisting of messrs Umi Hafilda, Zulkifli Nordin, Ezam Mat Nor, Nallakarpan et al. its devoid of mission and vision.

The Malays ought to be ashamed of the non-Malays. Tales of sexual indiscretions are also carried out there, yet the non-Muslims appear to be more observant to the Islamic religious dictum of not publicly humiliating your fellow human. For the Malays, the last 13 years, they have been suffocated with no other headline grabbing news other that sexploits of Anwar. Your courts have acquitted him and the PM, if he is responsible would put a stop to UMNO’s predilection with political pornography.

While others are competing with the world, Malays remain engrossed and transfixed over the ‘philosophical’ debates about the size of Anwar’s penis and his sexual preferences. Surely this must be a characteristic of a race par excellence who make up the majority in the country, which the PM tells Obama, practises the best democracy.

We the people of Malaysia who are committed to peace and stability and harmony so that we can all prosper together have only one option- to kick the people now inhabiting Putrajaya on a TOL tenure, out. We accuse you further of treasonous acts by bringing in the Myanmarese, Bangladeshis, Nepalese, Indonesians and other illegal immigrants and giving them mykad in return for the promise of voting you in power. It’s scandalous to watch these people jumping queue, elbowing polite Malaysians to get the RM 500 BR1M.

UMNO is bald-facedly promoting its 3Rs to stay in power- Race, Religion and Royalty. That’s scrapping the bottom of the barrel. This is the new politics that’s forming the basis of the transforming agenda of Najib’s BN. it’s nothing other than agenda to reinforce the UMNO elite’s hegemony. It’s sad really- while the UMNO foot solders shout on top of their lungs Hidup Melayu here and there, the UMNO leader continue to pillage and plunder in the name of race, religion and Royalty.

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UMNO’s Tangled Web of Deceit (2)
2 April 2012 – Sakmongkol

Dr M a parallel PM?

If MCA, which is a just a sidekick to Umno is worth RM4 billion, then Umno must be worth five times that – let’s say RM20 billion.

COMMENT

Why is former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad, who is well into his 80s, which, theoretically speaking, places him in the twilight zone, still at it?

It’s as though he is the parallel prime minister running this country.

The fact that he does what he does quite consistently suggests that current Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak, despite his social media savviness, requires hand-holding to lead this nation.

It also suggests that despite his external popularity, Najib lacks substance to run this country.

So if you asked me whether Najib can reform Umno, the answer is no. How can he dismantle a system on which Umno survives?

That will be the end of Umno civilisation. Umno’s civilisation lives on a system of tender-preneurship.

Every level of Umno leadership looks up at the party being able to give out tenders so that Umno is worth at least five times the worth of MCA.

If MCA is rotten, Umno should also be five times as rotten.

Mahathir seems to concur. He once suggested that Umno is rotten to the core. But of late he has been singing praises about Umno.

Mahathir wants privileges

Don’t forget he also once declared that the government is corrupt from top to bottom. When he spoke of that kind of corruption at a lucheon with former ministers, he included the current prime minister.

But now Mahathir is saying good things about the government and is suggesting that voters re-elect the party irrespective of the quality of people who make it up.

How can a party not be corrupt if the people making it up are corrupt?

The fact is Mahathir is a despotic ruler. He eschews democracy. He uses democracy to achieve the position of power.

Once ensconced in power, Mahathir pursued only one aim – conferment of privileges on himself.

His recent remarks about the futility of questioning what happened to MAS in the 1990s, is symptomatic of the man, pursuing only one goal in his life – the entrenchment of privileges.

Privilege itself is anathema to democracy which is essentially about egalitarianism.

Mahathir doesn’t want anything egalitarian. He wants privileges in the form of selected captains of industry, in the form of protection of his children and friends doing business and so forth.

The most damaging to us, is his insistence now, to perpetuate the rule of a corrupt and deceitful government led by a corrupt Umno and Barisan Nasional.

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Dr M a parallel PM?
Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz
April 2, 2012 – FMT

‘Ignocracy’ impeding change in Malaysia

Umno maverick Tengku Razaleigh today said that even though the people have power to change the country’s future, they are unable to make wise decisions.

This, he said, is a product of the country’s education system which has created a generation of “captive minds” entrenched in racial world views.

“We have the power to cast away our misfortune by casting our votes for the right candidates, but our captive minds are unable to guide our hands in making the right choices for our future and the future of our children,” he said at a book launch in Ipoh today.

Quoting the late Gerakan founder and academician Syed Hussein Alatas, the Gua Musang MP described the leadership as an “ignocracy” where a government deliberate keeps its people ignorant.

This, Razaleigh (above) said, has created instances such as the failure to intellectually inquire into why the race-based New Economic Policy had run opposite to its intent of bridging the income gap.

“The longer we try the policy, the farther we are from the original goal,” said Razaleigh, fondly known as Ku Li.

Gov’t cannot be trusted

He gave the analogy of a doctor who keeps on prescribing the same medicine that produces results opposite to that intended.

In such a case, he said, something must be wrong with the doctor, and something more seriously wrong with the patient who keeps on trusting the same doctor.

To break free from the ‘ignocracy’, he said, would require the people to educate their fellow comrades as the present education system cannot be trusted to do this.

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‘Ignocracy’ impeding change in Malaysia, says Ku Li
Apr 1, 2012 – Malaysiakini

A new Malaysia: The change

FEB 13 — Change. It can be a terrifying thing.

Most of us find it to be unsettling, distressing and unwelcomed. The idea that what was once certain, expected and dependable becoming no longer predictable and uncertain is always something that we would rather turn away from.

In recent days, many of us have asked ourselves whether change is coming to Malaysia. Whether it is possible for this country to be more than what it has been or what it could be.

The truth is that we have grown bitter and cynical.

And it isn’t just because of a few cows. We have seen the abuse and exploitation of entitlements, of affirmative action, of welfare assistance, and the use of public funds.

Experienced the never-ending disappointing trips to the courtroom steps in search of justice against corruption.

Counted the hundreds of millions of taxpayers’ ringgit spent and wasted to realise someone’s wet dream, construct another phallic symbol and build yet another palace we don’t need.

Observed the continued enrichment of a select and privileged group under the pretext of race and religion. And accepted how despite the breakneck speed of economic progress and development in peninsular Malaysia, huge swathes of east Malaysia remain forgotten where communities live without running water, electricity and without even recognition of their citizenship.

Despite the iPads, glitzy and expensive cars, huge houses and the millionaires on the list of Forbes Most Richest, there remain so many in this country who continue to be left behind in destitution, poverty and want. The preference has been to showcase the appearance of progress rather than create enduring change.

We have allowed ourselves to be held hostage to the language of racism, bigotry, extremism and fascism which dominate the national dialogue and silence the voice and belief of moderation. There exists a culture of hypocrisy where in a Janus-like fashion we present one face to the outside world and another to those living in this country.

The voices raised in consternation, protest and outrage have often fallen onto the deaf, apathetic and paternalistic ears of politicians, civil servants and society. It seems that despite everything that we do, it is business as usual.

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A new Malaysia: The change (Part 2)
Azrul Mohd Khalib
February 13, 2012 – MI

The Economist says ‘so much for the great reform programme’

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 3 — Influential international newspaper The Economist has suggested that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak may be courting electoral disaster because the reforms he has introduced so far are just enough to alienate his own party but too little to convince the centre ground.

In a scathing report headlined “Najib at bay” that was published today, the weekly newspaper pointed out that the Umno president was at odds with his own party where the concept of Malay privileges is entrenched at divisional level.

“The trouble is that though Mr Najib (picture) believes in change, much of his party clearly does not,” The Economist pointed out in its report on politics in Malaysia.

“Umno was founded specifically to protect Malay privileges and has ruled Malaysia without interruption since independence. Mr Najib came to power in 2009 not through an electoral mandate for change, but in an internal coup.

“As a consequence, he lacks the clout and possibly the will to impose his agenda on Umno. And the longer he postpones an election, the more his personal authority will ebb.”

Yesterday, the still powerful former PM Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad urged Najib to postpone polls until he wins back support from the Chinese community.

Dr Mahathir also said he believed that Barisan Nasional (BN) would win a simple majority if elections were held today, but would not regain its two-thirds majority in Parliament nor win back states it lost to Pakatan Rakyat (PR) in 2008.

But The Economist in its report today said Najib’s inability to convince the Umno party hardline would cost him.

The newspaper said that resistance to Najib’s changes has become something of a leitmotif, or theme, of his time in office.

It also pointed out that the decision of the Attorney-General to appeal Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy acquittal “hardly looks good” and has renewed suspicions that nothing much has changed in Umno.

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The Economist says ‘so much for the great reform programme’
February 03, 2012

Israel Dominates the Debate in Malaysia – Again (WSJ)

Recent comments by Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim have demonstrated yet again how issues related to Israel continue to divide this majority-Muslim country – and could influence the country’s next national election.

In a recent interview with the Wall Street Journal, Mr. Anwar responded to the question of whether he would open diplomatic ties with Israel by stating his “support” for “efforts to protect the security of the state of Israel,” while at the same time backing the “legitimate rights of the Palestinians.” He stopped short of saying he would establish diplomatic relations between the two states – what he describes as a “tricky” issue – and stated that any change to the status quo would remain contingent on Israel recognizing the aspirations of the Palestinians.

Malaysia is one of three Southeast Asian nations including Indonesia and Brunei that does not have diplomatic relations with Israel, though limited economic ties exist between private companies in both countries.

“Some refuse to recognize the state of Israel,” he said, “but I think our policy should be clear – protect the security [of Israel] but you must be as firm in protecting the legitimate interests of the Palestinians.”

The comments triggered a storm of debate and criticism, with members of the ruling United Malays National Organization (UMNO) and other groups accusing the leader of abandoning the Palestinian cause – an emotive cause long-supported in the majority-Muslim Southeast Asian nation.

Lawmakers called on Mr. Anwar’s opposition coalition to release an official statement on the issue, while president of the right-wing Malay group Perkasa Ibrahim Ali said he would raise the issue in Parliament.

Mr. Anwar responded by saying he supported a “two-state solution” with Palestine, a policy he said was no different from the official stance adopted by the United Nations and Malaysia itself.

“I am issuing a stern warning to anyone trying to twist my statement just so that they can say that I have betrayed the aspirations of the Palestinian people,” he said in a statement to the press. His party’s stand “is to defend the rights of whoever it is that has been victimised,” the statement said.

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Israel Dominates the Debate in Malaysia – Again
By Shibani Mahtani
January 31, 2012 – WSJ

Umno’s twist on Anwar and Israel

In recent days, Malaysia’s ruling party has again brought out its anti-Jew drum in a bid to discredit Anwar Ibrahim, the popular Opposition Leader and his resurgent Pakatan Rakyat coalition.

Among those leading the charge for Prime Minister Najib Razak and former premier Mahathir Mohamad is Chandra Muzzafar, a Brahmin who gave up Hinduism to embrace Islam. Chandra’s latest tirade on national television on Saturday night against Anwar on the question of Israel — and by extension Palestine — must be the most outrageous lies ever concocted by anyone, politician and non-politicians, alike.

By implying that Anwar is only concerned about the security of Israel — and by extension not Palestine — Chandra is making the sinister suggestion albeit subtly that the Opposition Leader is actually supported by World Jewry and/or is on their payroll. Then, he goes on to say, in a non-statement of sorts, in a negative and rather sarcastic tone that “everyone knows” where Anwar stands on the issue of the Arab World, the Muslim World etc etc. He was, by no means, saying anything positive about Anwar. Indeed, he was in fact trying to hint at the very opposite with an eye on the Malay vote banks.

It must be noted here that Chandra Muzzafar was a former deputy president in Anwar’s political party PKR. He was persuaded to join Najib’s camp and has been used to trigger off an anticipated spate of defections to Umno, the ruling party, but to his utter disgrace and humiliation, no one followed and Pakatan went on to win an unprecedented victory in the 2008 general election. Anwar and team now stand poised to take over the federal government in the next general election which must be held by April 2013.

Frustrated politician, confused academic

Every man has his price, as Umno has been told by the Special Branch police, and Chandra caved in very quickly without too much prompting when they discovered his Achilles heel and dangled some goodies before him. After not having delivered to Umno, this political nobody is still trying to make up for his monumental failure and Israel seems to be his final ticket to justify the expensive transfer.

The level of frustration that Chandra is experiencing these days is only matched by that of Mahathir Mohamad. This is evident in the numerous political statements that both men continue to issue against Anwar, PKR and the Pakatan Rakyat. Just a day ago, Mahathir fired the latest salvo at his No. 1 enemy, saying he was not surprised at Anwar’s alleged pro-Israeli stance. The 86-year-old former PM has long accused Anwar of being either a Jewish spy or a US agent or both depending which suits his tirade most.

“He will say anything to take over Putrajaya,” Mahathir, also a former Umno president, told reporters on Monday.

In Japan, failed politicians like Chandra and Mahathir would have committed hara-kiri. No such luck for the people of Malaysia as the duo continued to feign ignorance when it suits them and carry on with their thick-skinned ways. Another thing, who appointed Chandra as spokesman for the Malay-speaking communities in Peninsular Malaysia remains a bit of a mystery! This is becoming the butt of jokes around the country. It seems that Umno, a party that claims to champion the Malays, believes the community is so incapable of taking a stand on anything that they always need a Muslim non-Malay to forever come to their aid or defence.

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A fake and a villain: Umno’s twist on Anwar and Israel no less a form of terrorism
31 January 2012 – Malaysia Chronicle

Can Umno Change or Cows Fly?

Umno cannot defend itself. So it lashes out at enemies. It fabricates untruths about its enemies. Sadly – and sickeningly – Umno resorts to rousing tribal emotions and harping on the issues of race and religion. After 54 years in power, it still plays those explosive cards.

UMNO is beyond redemption. At its general assembly in December, the message it sent out was suspicion of others and hatred for them, and a desperate desire to win the next general election.

Its president, Najib Razak, once again proved what many of us have long suspected – that he is a dissembler. He exposed the ultimate lie behind his 1Malaysia slogan by saying things that would divide the races rather than bring them together. He set the trend for delegates at the assembly to harp on the threats to Umno from other races. It was disgraceful coming from the prime minister of the country. It was supremely irresponsible.

Worse, two days after the assembly ended, he appealed to the right-wing NGO Pertubuhan Kebajikan dan Dakwah Islamiah Malaysia (Pekida) for support. This has to be the final nail in the 1Malaysia coffin.

To cap it all, Umno showed its partiality to cronyism by defending Wanita leader Shahrizat Abdul Jalil over the scandal surrounding her family’s business, the National Feedlot Corporation. One or two colleagues called for her to step down, but the overwhelming majority stood by her and castigated the Opposition for exposing the scandal.

This begs the question: Can Umno change? As the major party in the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, can it truly stand up for other races as well, and work for their well-being? Can it stay clear of corrupt practices? Can it stop dishing out favours and projects to party leaders and their cronies? Can it save Malaysia from financial meltdown or will it rather bleed our coffers dry?

The online news website The Malaysian Insider sums it up eloquently: “Umno looks set to win the polls in the next general election but yet looks woefully ill-equipped to lead a multi-racial country. … One expects delegates to articulate a vision to continue its previous success but that did not happen. Instead, delegates harped on age-old themes of having their culture and faith eroded by political foes taking over the country. That they are the only guarantee of faith and culture. What about the economy? What about the reforms? What about Malaysia ? … Everything is centred around Umno. … But they didn’t articulate the vision for continued success. … Instead, everyone is at fault except those in Umno.”

And yet Najib could tell Pekida: “If we miscalculate and choose the wrong side, our country could very much end up like Greece.” Surely, he must mean that the wrong side would be BN. The way it has been going – awarding projects to cronies who have no track record; continuing to allow overpriced purchases by government departments, despite what the Auditor-General uncovers year after year; giving out money like there’s no tomorrow in order to win votes, such as the substantial pay rise for civil servants – BN is more likely to lead us down that way.

The civil service is bloated, with 1.4 million employees, but Najib criticised Pakatan Rakyat (PR) for suggesting it should be trimmed. According to his top public service official, 1.4 million is “the right size”. How this is so puzzles me. Japan has a population of 127 million and its civil servants number just over a million. We have a population of 28 million and our civil service is as large as Japan’s. It seems to me that trimming down the civil service is more likely to save us from going Greek.

And so I think we should not take any more risks with Umno. Especially now that we have an alternative. PR has shown itself capable of running the four states under it and earned positive ratings from the Auditor-General and a few others. It’s time to see whether they can bring reform to the country.

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Can Umno Change or Cows Fly?
20 January 2012 – MT