azrain.adnan

whose fault is that?

2008-09-28T22:22:00.010+08:00

In the past 3 days, i have been experiencing a roller coaster ride. When the postponement of the UMNO General Assembly and national election was announced, i was dissappointed. a bit angry. baffled as to the rational of the decision taken. but encouraged that the transfer of power could be done sooner. and today, i am pissed!

firstly, please stop telling us what to do and not to do. what to feel and not to feel. right after the result of the General Election, you told us not to be emotional. FYI, we feel what we feel, and we think what we think, because of one reason - our love for the party! if we are emotional, so be it! that shows our emotional connection with the party. being one with the party. so please stop trying to regulate our emotions towards the party. we are not the ones you should be worried about. you should focus on malays who are not party members. why are they not 'emotionally connected' with the party? their emotions and feelings towards the party should be your no 1 priority - for you to 'massage' and nurture.

secondly, with regards to the postponement, the question you should be asking yourself is to why people are speculating about it? simple - the Supreme Council has failed to answer the mother of all questions: when is the transfer of power? you have left that part hanging. and at the same time expect us to buy into it wholeheartedly without any question? be real! until and unless you have answered that, speculation would continue. whose fault is that? ours or yours?

"I have come to the conclusion that politics are too serious a matter to be left to the politicians." President Charles de Gaulle

Puteri Chief: Stop speculating on Supreme Council meeting

KLUANG: (Sunday - 28 Sept 08)

Umno members at the grassroots have been urged to stop speculating on the Supreme Council decision to postpone the party elections to March next year.

Puteri Umno chief Datuk Noraini Ahmad said she was confident the decision made by the Supreme Council would not de-stabilise the party but rather to strengthen Umno and Barisan Nasional (BN).

“Speculation at the grassroots must stop as the decision had been accepted by Umno Supreme Council members,” the Human Resource Deputy Minister said after closing a Johor Puteri Umno Ramadan function here last night.

something stinks...who did that?!

2008-09-26T14:55:00.007+08:00

so it is confirmed. the UMNO General Assembly and election for national positions would be held in March 09. divisional meeting and election, however, would continue as planned.

with this news, some would be jumping with joy. some would complain and curse. a friend smsed last nite that if the Supreme Council were to postpone the divisional meeting to next year, he would 'terlepas' the opportunity to be a divisional Youth Chief - as he would breach the 40-year age limit by then. so with this announcement, he could pursue his dream. another acquaintance is not so lucky. he has set his mind to contest for the national Youth Exco. with this postponement, he would not able to do so.

i expected the special Supreme Council meeting would answer the mother of all questions - when is the installation of a new President and Prime Minister? as usual, i expected too much and got dissapointed. i for one is still in the dark regarding the transition plan. please read the following news:

Berita Harian - 26 Sept 08

Pemilihan Umno ditangguh Mac, mesyuarat bahagian seperti dijadual: PM

KUALA LUMPUR: Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata perhimpunan agung Umno pada Disember ditangguhkan kepada Mac tahun depan. Beliau berkata, penangguhan itu dibuat untuk melicinkan proses peralihan kuasa. Sementara itu beliau berkata, pemilihan bahagian Umno tetap diteruskan seperti dijadual pada 9 Oktober ini.
Abdullah yang juga Presiden Umno berkata demikian pada sidang akhbarnya selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat khas Majlis Tertinggi (MT) Umno di sini, hari ini. Mesyuarat itu bermula kira-kira jam 10 pagi tadi di Menara Datuk Onn, Pusat Dagangan Dunia Putra (PWTC), di sini. Ia susulan pertemuan antara Abdullah dengan timbalannya, Datuk Seri Najib Razak di Seri Perdana, Putrajaya, pagi semalam.

Berita Harian - 26 Sept 08

PM akan umum keputusan pertahan Presiden Umno sebelum 9 Okt

KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berkata beliau akan mengumumkan sama ada akan mempertahankan jawatan Presiden Umno pada pemilihan parti kali ini sebelum persidangan perwakilan bahagian parti bermula. Bercakap kepada pemberita selepas mempengerusikan mesyuarat khas Majlis Tertinggi (MT) Umno hari ini, Perdana Menteri juga mengumumkan bahawa Perhimpunan Agung Umno, yang dijadual Disember ini, ditunda ke Mac tahun depan.

According to the announcement, the postponement is done to facilitate / smoothen the transition of power. and yet PM Abdullah Badawi has not decided whether to defend his presidency in the upcoming UMNO election in march 09. why? if this postponement is part of the transition plan, he should know already. that is really baffling - i fail to understand the logic. so what is the actual consensus/deal reached between him and DS Najib?! coz if he is still undecided, there is a possibility of a contest in march 09 for the presidency. so please explain to me, in simple language, how does this postponement smoothen the transition?

my brain, which did not have the opportunity to be trained in oxford or similar establishments, has failed to see the logic. but something stinks somewhere..the question is who did it?

what's up? part deux

2008-09-26T08:18:00.005+08:00

What i heard latest @ 12.15am.

The UMNO General Assembly would be postponed to June 09. whereas, the Divisional meetings and elections would held in April 09.

whether this is true, or the first one is true, i think the Supreme Council would have a tough time selling it to the members. personally, i dont see why the elections should be postponed to a later date. how would this help UMNO move forward and recapture the hearts and minds of the malays and all malaysians?

this is just delaying what is inevitable - the anointment of a new President and Prime Minister. the sentiment on the ground is that they want a new leadership who could truly lead and inspire the rest of us. and make us proud to be UMNO members. it used to mean something. now...

"We need men who can dream of things that never were" - John F Kennedy

what's up?

2008-09-25T20:51:00.005+08:00

you know something is brewing when Dato Sri Najib cancelled his trip to the United Nations. plus he confirmed this afternoon that there is going to be a special meeting of the UMNO Supreme Council tomorrow.

Apparently, for the past week or so, there have been numerous discussions between both sides. they have worked out a solution that requires the consent and support of the Supreme Council - hence the special meeting tomorrow.

the talk of the town is that the UMNO General Assembly would be postponed to march 09. however, the Divisional meetings and elections would continue as scheduled. this is ensure a smooth transition from PM Abdullah Badawi to DS Najib.

all questions would be answered tomorrow. let's pray it is what we all have been hoping for. one that is best for UMNO. for the country. for the malays.

Joke of the year!

2008-09-13T10:08:00.005+08:00

universal version:

How many politicians does it take to change a light-bulb?
'The Government is well aware of the situation and we are setting up a committee to look into the feasibility of changing it.'

How many members of the government does it take to change a light bulb?
Members of the government never change light bulbs, they prefer to keep the public in the dark.

our version:

how many BN MPs does it take for a study tour of agriculture technology in taiwan?
49.

how many idiots does it take to join them later in taiwan?
5.

Jemputan Forum

2008-08-22T22:07:00.002+08:00

As’kum. Salam Sejahtera.

Sekretariat Melayu Muda, satu kumpulan yang dipelopori oleh profesional Melayu muda, akan menganjurkan satu perbincangan bertajuk: "Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini"

Ianya akan diadakan pada tarikh dan tempat seperti berikut:

Tarikh : Sabtu, 30 Ogos 2008
Masa : 9.00 am

Tempat
Ballroom 3
Sime Darby Convention Centre
Jalan Bukit Kiara 1
Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur

Tetamu jemputan adalah:

1. YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad
2. YBhg Tan Sri Sanusi Junid

Datang. Dengar. Bersuara. Bersamalah kita menentukan halatuju bangsa Melayu.

Tempat adalah terhad. Sekiranya berminat, sila email nama dan pekerjaan anda sebelum 25 Ogos 2008 kepada:

sekretariat.melayu.muda@gmail.com

Terima kasih. Semoga berjumpa pada 30 Ogos 2008 nanti.

(dress code: baju melayu / baju kurung)

azrain adnan
pengerusi
sekretariat melayu muda

so what is the truth?

2008-07-17T23:43:00.020+08:00

from: thestar.com.my (thursday, 17 july 2008)

Najib: I am not weak or scared

ALOR STAR: Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said his outstanding track record of giving priority to the people cannot be denied.

Stressing that he was neither a weak nor a scared leader, Najib said his achievements reflected his credentials, capabilities and commitment to safeguard the interests of the people.

He said his track record should not be disputed.

“Look at my track record. I am not neglecting the people’s interests.

“I would not have clinched such high votes in the (recent general) election if I had disregarded public interest,” he told reporters after a meeting with Kedah Umno division leaders and the state Umno liaison committee here.

He said this in response to former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s statement that people were disenchanted with Najib whom they perceive as a weak leader who could not make his own stand.

Najib said Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s decision to hand over the mantle to him by June 2010 was made with the consent of the Umno supreme council.

“It was not a decision that was reached between me and Pak Lah (Abdullah) but it was a plan accepted by the Umno supreme council.

“Transfer of power should be done systematically,” he said.

On Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah’s plan to challenge Abdullah for the party president’s post, Najib said those vying for the post should have enough support.

On the PAS-Umno talks, Najib said there should be no pre-conditions for the muzakarah (dialogue).

He said such dialogues could be used as a venue to discuss what is best for the country and the people.

Najib said this in response to PAS spiritual adviser Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat’s statement that such muzakarah could only be held if the request came from Umno grassroots during the branch and division AGMs.

However, PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had reportedly expressed interest in discussing with Umno issues related to the Malays and Islam.

my thoughts:

first thing came to mind - this must be a mistake. surely the reporter misquoted DS Najib. coz not too long ago, PM Abdullah Badawi said that he and DS Najib have both agreed on a transition plan. and last week, he announced that he would hand over the leadership to DS Najib in June 2010.

these are two reports on this matter:

KOTA BAHARU, June 13 (Bernama): Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak have reached an agreement on the right time for a leadership change, the prime minister said Friday. Reiterating that he and Najib enjoyed good working relations, Abdullah said they have mutually agreed on the "best time" for a leadership transition. http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v3/news.php?id=339171

KUALA LUMPUR, July 11 (The Star): Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi will step down as Prime Minister in June 2010 and hand over power to Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak....Abdullah made the announcement after chairing an Umno supreme council meeting and a briefing with division chiefs and leaders from the Wanita, Youth and Puteri wings. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/7/11/nation/21799421&sec=nation

so i read the article again a few times. just to be certain of its content and meaning. i then searched in other newspapers and nobody else reported this portion, although they carried the same interview with him.

ok. the easiest conclusion is that we assume the reporter made a mistake. there is nothing to it. the transition plan was indeed agreed by both of them. and the transition plan is still intact.

but what if DS Najib did say that and it is the correct version of what did transpire? simple interpretation - there was no agreement between them at all. no discussion and communication between them. one side is not aware what the other side is doing and planning on this matter. if this is the case, i foresee a contest between them for the no. 1 post in UMNO.

so what is the truth? or rather, who is telling the truth? one thing is certain. the liar is not fit to lead our country.

any guesses?

Minister Zaid...again!

2008-07-16T17:13:00.011+08:00

from: thestar.com.my

Wednesday July 16, 2008

Zaid has hectic day at Dewan

MINISTER in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Zaid Ibrahim had a hectic day at Parliament yesterday.

Not only was he in the Dewan to reply on points raised during the debate on the Judges Remuneration (Amendment) Bill but he was also busy at the lobby, where he gave a press conference on matters concerning the Judiciary Appointment Committee, the ex-gratia payment to three former judges who were sacked during the 1988 judicial crisis, and his “absence” from the Dewan on Monday night.

On the Judiciary Appointment Committee, the de facto Law Minister said he had tabled the proposal to the Cabinet but it was not accepted.

“The proposal will be revised,” he said, adding that he did not know when it would be ready.

“I am not a magician. I cannot make things work overnight.”

On the goodwill ex-gratia payment, Zaid said he had agreed with the family members of the judges not to reveal the sum.

“I have to respect my agreement with them,” he said.

Several MPs, debating on the Mid-Term Review Motion, had asked about the quantum of ex-gratia.

Zaid also said that as a senator, he was not expected to be in the Dewan Rakyat all the time.

“I only come to answer, I can’t lepak (loiter) in the Dewan the whole day. I have work to do.

There are people trying to discredit me,” he said at the Parliament lobby yesterday.

“I have no problem to reply but my name was not listed to give any reply. I am aware that several MPs raised issues related to the judiciary but I have answered some of the queries before.”

my thoughts:

what nonsense is this. and it came from our de-facto Minister of Law. and a lawyer who is supposed to understand the law and fundamentals of democracy.

you are the government of the people. for the people. the rakyat put you there to administer and manage this country to your best ability. there exists a tacit agreement between you and the rakyat. you are answerable to the rakyat. and must be accountable for everything you do. and this agreement must be uphold at all times. at all cost. well, that is the concept anyway.

in this case, you acted arbitrarily and made payments to the judges. and you have refused to disclose the amount for reasons only known to you. and now you said you could not disclose the amount because you have agreed with the judges' family not to reveal the amount. and you have to respect your agreement with them.

Minister Zaid, what about your agreement with the rakyat then?! you have used the rakyat's money. and yet you refuse to tell the rakyat how much you have given away for something that was decided arbitrarily. and not based on proper legal procedure and merits.

if you want our trust, please respect our agreement.

otherwise, go back to law school!

Hail to the Chief!

2008-07-06T21:24:00.011+08:00

from: thestar.com.my

Penang State UMNO Division Chiefs pledge to nominate PM for Top Post

GEORGE TOWN: All 13 Penang Umno division chiefs have pledged to nominate Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and his deputy Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak for the party president and deputy president's posts respectively.

The pledge was made to Abdullah at the state Umno liaison committee closed-door meeting at Menara Umno here yesterday.

Speaking to reporters after the event, Abdullah thanked the grassroots leaders for their support, saying that he hoped all division and branch meetings would be conducted in accordance with the party’s constitution.

Abdullah said the Umno supreme council had identified steps to strengthen the party and it would be implemented at all levels.

“This will be a new era for Umno. We will be stronger,” he said.

Abdullah said that the closed-door meeting discussed current issues relating to the economy, inflation and measures taken by the Government to address the problems.

“We also discussed internal party matters and party activities,” he said.

The nominations for party posts will take place when the divisions convene their AGMs between Oct 9 and Nov 9.

Earlier, when he arrived at the venue, Abdullah received an appeal letter from state Wanita Umno secretary Marina Puteh requesting that 18 Jelutong branches not be closed.

Out of the 42 branches in the Jelutong division, the 18 were deemed to be “problematic”.

After handing over the appeal letter to Abdullah, a brief argument broke out between party members on the Jelutong issue.

State Umno liaison committee deputy chief Datuk Abdul Rashid Abdullah said recommendations had been made to the party leaders.

“Let them decide what to do.”

my thoughts:

alhamdullilah. UMNO Penang is the first state to have completed its annual branch and divisional AGMs. and they had done so before the actual dates set by UMNO's Supreme Council. the sheer speed and 'semangat' shown by them must be commended. congrats. UMNO should reward the divisional chiefs for their efficiency and leadership.

what utter nonsense! i find this ridiculous. the branches have yet to hold their AGMs, let alone the divisions. and the divisional chiefs have come out pledging to nominate PM Abdullah Badawi and DS Najib as president and deputy president respectively.

this is reckless and irresponsible leadership. done with clear disregard to the democratic process in UMNO. or is there such thing as democracy left in UMNO? this is another example of leaders trying to appease their political bosses, rather than be answerable to their true political masters - the members!

why did they come out with this pledge at this point of time? just before the start of branch AGMs. simple. this is done to send signals to all branches and divisions in Penang - you must toe the line. there is no other reason. if there is, i must be the next Prime Minister of Malaysia.

Pulau Pinang jauh ke tengah
negeri yang maju lagi mewah
sudah lah jatuh ke tangan pembangkang
dapat pula pemimpin yang b**g**g (sila isi mengikut kesesuaian)

Pulau Pinang jauh ke tengah
negeri berjiran dengan Kedah
ke hulu ke hilir mencari maruah
rupanya dicalar pemimpin murah-an

sir, may i have some more...

2008-06-23T18:29:00.010+08:00

from: www.bernama.com.my

Poverty line to be adjusted

KUALA LUMPUR, mon:

The national poverty line will be adjusted, taking into account current inflation rate.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Senator Datuk Amirsham Abdul Aziz said this was because the national poverty line currently in use had not taken into account the knock-on effect of the recent oil price increase. “The government is aware of the effects of inflation and price hike of goods on household expenditure.

The poverty line will be updated from time to time, taking into account the current inflation,” he said in reply to Tan Sri Abdul Khalid Ibrahim (PKR-Bandar Tun Razak) in the Dewan Rakyat here today. Abdul Khalid had asked whether the government was aware that the national poverty line currently in use was too low and illogical to fend for a family, and asked the government to give the percentage of poor households in each state if the minimum monthly household income were to be raised to RM1,500.

Currently, the national poverty line is based on the minimum monthly household income of RM753. It is defined as the income that enables a household to meet its basic needs in terms of food and not food that enables each member to function in society.

Amirsham said if the national poverty line was raised to RM1,500 as proposed by Abdul Khalid, poor households would make up about 24.3 percent of the total number of households. To another question from Abdul Khalid on the status of the proposal on minimum wage, he said the matter was still under consideration and could not be announced yet.The minimum wage of RM900 and cost of living allowance of RM300 had been proposed by the Malaysian Trades Union Congress to help the people cope with the rising cost of living.

my thoughts:

imagine that. if the government were to raise the poverty line to rm1500, our poverty rate would shoot up to almost 25%. mind boggling! we are a poor country after all - poor in the sense we have a lot of poor people.

the current poverty line is based on the minimum monthly household income of RM 753. why and how the government arrived at this figure is a mystery, at least to me. i believe we can all agree on one thing. nobody in this country could live comfortably with that income level. regardless whether it is an urban or a rural area. no way. imagine a family of four with an income of RM 800 - just above the poverty line. there is no way they could lead an acceptable quality life.

so it is useless to have an indicator that is not practical at all. and does not provide a true picture of the quality of living of the people.

therefore, i propose two sets of poverty line to be established - Urban Poverty Line (UPL) and Rural Poverty Line (RPL). the government already has the definition of urban. so there is no issue of what is urban, what is rural. it is crucial to have these two sets of poverty line, as the approach to tackle urban poor and rural poor might be completely different. a 'one solution fits all' program would definitely fail to address the different needs and problems of the urban and rural folks.

so what would be the quantum? honestly, i dont know. maybe RM1500 for UPL. and RM 1000 for RPL. those figures may be good starting points for consideration.

we may take pride in our success of reducing poverty since our independence. yes have we succeeded on many fronts. but in our determination to alleviate poverty using the current set standard, we may have 'missed' the emergence of a new group of poor. these poor may not be poor with present definition. but there are definitely poor in the current economic scenario.

the point is let's not be 'syok sendiri'. we may continue to succeed alleviating poverty using the RM 753 criteria. we may even succeed in eradicating hardcore poverty by 2010. but are we really helping the poor? are we afraid that if we were to raise the poverty line, then the poverty rate would increase and thus indicating a failure? that should not be the case. in fact, we would do justice to the deserving.

mind your own business...

2008-06-22T09:25:00.011+08:00

from: www.utusan.com.my

Dominasi UMNO perlu dikurangkan - Tsu Koon

Petaling Jaya 20 Jun - Gerakan hari ini menggesa dominasi UMNO dalamBarisan Nasional (BN) dikurangkan sebaliknya setiap 14 parti komponen diberi hak yang sama untuk bersuara dan menentukan hala tuju gagasan itu.

Pemangku Presidennya, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon mendakwa hak sama rata kepada parti komponen yang terkandung dalam Perlembagaan BN tidak lagi diamalkan sejak bekas Perdana Menteri, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad mentadbir negara pada 1980an.

''Amalan hanya seorang pemimpin (daripada UMNO) yang berkuasa dalam BN perlu dihentikan bagi memulihkan kembali keyakinan rakyat," katanya.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika menyampaikan ucapan pada program bual bicara parti itu di Ibu Pejabat Gerakan Selangor di sini malam ini.

Tsu Koon berkata, langkah awal supaya dominasi UMNO dikurangkan boleh dilakukan sekiranya BN mengadakan mesyuarat lebih kerap dan bukannya seperti sebelum ini hanya sekali dalam tempoh dua tahun.

''Saya gembira kerana terdapat usaha-usaha positif untuk mengubah BN dan perkara ini terbukti apabila mesyuarat selepas pilihan raya umum lalu dilakukan hampir setiap bulan.

''Banyak lagi perubahan yang kita harapkan termasuk UMNO perlu menghormati Perlembagaan BN yang digubal pada 1974 yang menyatakan bahawa setiap keputusan yang dibuat perlu sebulat suara," katanya.

Dalam pada itu, Tsu Koon berharap UMNO berubah dengan memberikan peluang kepada golongan liberal Melayu untuk menerajui kepimpinan parti itu.

''Golongan ini seperti Naib Presiden UMNO, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin; Ketua Wanita parti itu, Tan Sri Rafidah Aziz dan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Zaid Ibrahim adalah lebih bersikap terbuka dan dapat diterima oleh bukan Melayu.

''Langkah ini penting kerana bukan Melayu pada pilihan raya lalu beralih kepada pembangkang disebabkan bimbang dengan usaha kerajaan BN diterajui UMNO memberi penekanan kepada Islam sebagai satu cara hidup dan bukan negara sekular seperti diperjuangkan golongan liberal," ujarnya.

my thoughts:

BN is a coalition of 14 political parties representing various communities in the country. it is a coalition based on mutual respect and understanding of each other's roles, agendas and responsibilities. one should never interfere in each other's internal affairs. that is the basic rule! and it must be observed at all times. this is important to preserve the goodwill and overall interest of BN. as such, these statements made by TS Koh is totally unwarranted and highly improper.

ONE. to say that UMNO dominates BN is not entirely correct. UMNO leads BN. UMNO is the largest party within BN. representing the biggest community in the country. therefore, it is only natural for UMNO to head and lead the coalition. anyway, why not? someone must set the direction and gameplan of BN. it might as well be UMNO.

TWO. TS Koh has gone over the line by suggesting who should be leaders of UMNO. my dear Tan Sri, let UMNO members decide who should be the leaders of UMNO. nobody should tell them who to elect. moreover, from someone who is not a party member. not from the community. what do you get by suggesting this? if everybody were to follow your act, then this would create havoc within BN. someone in UMNO may then suggest that Mr A should be the President of Gerakan. or someone in MCA may suggest that Mr X should be the President of MIC. follow the drift?

i have more to say. but i will stop now. otherwise you might accuse me of interfering with your party.

so please my dear Tan Sri. mind your own business...

My Lord...

2008-06-21T11:41:00.011+08:00

from: thestar.com.my

Former judge hits out at Dr M
by Audrey Edwards

KUALA LUMPUR: A retired Federal Court judge has lashed out at Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad alleging that the former premier had wanted to amend Article 121 of the Federal Constitution because he wanted the judiciary to be under his control.

“I believe the Prime Minister at the time wanted to become a dictator; I may be wrong but this is my conclusion,” Tan Sri Azmi Kamaruddin yesterday told reporters after receiving ex-gratia payment from the Government for the pain and loss he suffered during the 1988 judicial crisis.

Previously, Article 121 stated that judicial power of the Federation was “vested in a Supreme Court and such inferior courts as may be provided by federal law” but it was replaced in 1988 to place the courts’ jurisdiction in the hands of Parliament.

Azmi, 75, who received the payment from de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim, said: “He wanted to amend Article 121 which calls for the separation of powers. He already headed the Legislature and Executive. Now, he also wanted the judiciary under him.”

Adding that Dr Mahathir was “very clever” and always “killed two birds with one stone”, Azmi alleged that Dr Mahathir’s agenda was tied to the Umno 11 case involving then Umno vice-president Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah whose supporters had challenged his post as Umno president.

“With the judiciary under him, he could tell judges what to do. I am sure he will deny it,” said Azmi who was among six judges involved in the judicial crisis two decades ago.

Tun Salleh Abas, sacked as Lord President of the then Supreme Court (renamed Federal Court in 1994), also received his payment yesterday. The others who have already accepted the undisclosed payment were then Supreme Court judges Tan Sri Wan Hamzah Wan Mohamed Salleh and Datuk George Seah.

Compensation was also given to the families of the late Supreme Court judges Tan Sri Eusoffe Abdoolcader and Tan Sri Wan Suleiman Pawanteh.

Azmi broke down and cried when he started talking to reporters at his house. He said his remaining 10 years as a judge were the worst days of his life where he only heard “simple cases” and lost the opportunity of being promoted.

“It (the payment) brings to an end the shameful episode of 1988.”

my thoughts:

judges are a special breed. they have to be intelligent, impartial, patient, and most importantly - just. they must also practice restraint whenever they are criticised by other parties. they lead a quiet life. away from public spotlight. and limit their social sphere.

i have great respect for judges. they are actually our protector - guarding and upholding our constitution. they perform a balancing role, providing stability and completing the triangle of government - executive, legislature and judiciary.

as such, i am mindful when i write about judges. but i have a number of issues with the ex gratia payments to judges.

ONE. as i mentioned before, i disagree with the ex gratia payment to the judges involved in the 1988 judicial crisis. my reason is simple. if the government felt that terrible injustice had been inflicted upon these judges, a new inquiry should have been set up to review the findings of the original tribunal. prove to us - the rakyat, that such act of injustice had actually happened. acting arbitrarily without the necessary due process is the act of an irresponsible government.

plus, if the government is truly sincere to clear the names of the judges, they should have gone all the way ie publicly apologise to the judges and reinstate their full entitlements. not just a one-off payment. why stop there rite?! go all the way.

TWO. with due respect to TS Azmi Kamaruddin, i have to ask this. why is he getting the ex gratia payment? yes he was suspended during the 1988 episode. but he was reinstated and served till his retirement. same goes to TS Eusoff and TS Wan Hamzah - they were both reinstated. not that i agree, but i understand why payments were made to Tun Salleh, TS Wan Suleiman and Datuk George Seah. they were removed from the judiciary and lost all. one could only imagine what they went through.

so on what basis? yes as stated, TS Azmi lost the opportunity for promotion to higher judicial office. implying that he was put in 'cold-storage' after the 1988 episode. if that is the basis, then the government should also make payments to other government officers who were put in 'cold-storage' and bypassed for promotions by their bosses. it would only be fair.

THIRD. i totally do not understand the stand taken by the government not to disclose the amount paid to the judges. this secrecy is not befitting of a transparent government. this is public's money! not your own piggy bank. that you could do whatever you want without telling us the rakyat.

flip-flop..flip-flop..flip-flop...

2008-06-20T23:08:00.005+08:00

from: www.bernama.com

Twice Monthly Pay May Not Be Implemented, Says Subramaniam

KUALA TERENGGANU, June 20 (Bernama) -- The government may not implement the twice salary payment per month, following protests from many quarters, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S Subramaniam.

He said, ever since Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's announcement on the plan, various reactions were received, with the protest outnumbering the support.

This included protests from Cuepacs and political party leaders, describing the plan as troublesome and not helping the civil servants in managing their expenses and cash flow, due to the recent fuel price hike.

However, Subramaniam explained, the final decision on the plan would be made in the next Cabinet meeting.

"Many said that the plan would cause problems for them. We will discuss the matter in the next Cabinet meeting and make the final decision," he told reporters after officiating the Terengganu MIC Delegates Conference 2008, here Friday.

Subramaniam said during the last Cabinet meeting and the Barisan Nasional (BN) meeting Thursday, the government had agreed to reconsider the plan if the workers felt that it was troublesome.

The prime minister, on June 11 announced that the government would pay the salary of its employees in two installments a month from August as a measure to ease the impact of the recent fuel price increase on the people.

my thoughts:

ten day ago, PM Abdullah Badawi made the announcement. and now the government may not implement it at all. what the hell is going on here?!

i totally disagree when it was first announced. i dont see much value, if any, with this proposal. i may be wrong, but wouldnt it create more work for the people in charge? plus an increase in cost - wouldnt the cost now double as you have to do the paperwork etc twice with this proposal?

so it is a relief that the government is actually considering scrapping this proposal. however, it is disturbing to see the government 'flip-flopping' with its decision. you cant help but to ask - how did the government make the decision? didnt it consult with other parties eg Cuepacs etc? the government wanted to be seen as being pro-active and compassionate by proposing it in the first place. but it backfired big time!

we are facing multiple crisis now - fuel. food. leadership. in this critical time, we need to have full confidence in the government.

do you?

the end justify the means...

2008-06-18T19:20:00.010+08:00

from: thestar.com.my

SAPP's vote of no confidence against PM

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) has lost confidence in Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, it said at a press conference here Wednesday.

In the coming sitting of the Parliament session on Monday, its two Members of Parliament will support a vote of no confidence against the Prime Minister, the party said.

Whether its MPs table the vote of no confidence, or whether other MPs will do it, would be determined in due course, it said in a statement.

SAPP’s two MPs are Datuk Eric Enchin Majimbun (P171 Sepanggar) and Datuk Dr Chua Soon Bui (P190 Tawau).

The party also has four state representatives.

The statement was read out by Dr Chua and signed by Majimbun, who was overseas on official duties. He will be back for the Parliament sitting next Monday, June 23.

The statement listed four areas of dissatisfaction with Abdullah's premiership:

1) That no concrete action had been taken on the issue of illegal immigrants, despite repeated requests by SAPP and other Barisan component parties;

2) That the government had offered no holistic economic solutions to cushion the blow of the sudden hike in fuel prices, which had greatly burdened the people and threatened further hardcore poverty;

3) That not enough attention had been paid to issues raised by the people of Sabah -- poor delivery systems, corruption, wastage, lack of transparency and accountability -- and that SAPP would have failed in its duty as elected representatives if these issues continued to be ignored; and

4) That the people have lost confidence in Abdullah, and that if he can't perform, he should step aside and make way for another leader to take over.

Talk had been rife Wednesday morning that SAPP was going to abandon the Barisan Nasional coalition and defect to the Pakatan Rakyat alliance.

The party is running a poll on its blog, asking members of the public whether it should stay on in Barisan, leave the coalition but remain independent, or join Pakatan.

At press time, there were 2,828 votes tallied, with 85% (2,411 votes) asking SAPP to join Pakatan. Only 2% (80 votes) urged it to stay on with Barisan, while the remainder suggested it quit Barisan but remained unaligned.

my thoughts:

shocking but kind of expected. that was my reaction when a friend sms the news to me at about 2pm. expected coz this has been bandied around for sometime.

one thing is clear now. all the visits, and meetings between PM Abdullah Badawi and Sabah leaders in the last few months have failed. the damage control is down the drain. plus the 'gifts' to Sabah announced by PM Abdullah Badawi recently eg: abolishment of JPPS, the establishment of SDO, additional grant of RM 1 billion, establishment of Cabinet Committee to tackle illegal immigrants etc etc, have failed to appease some leaders. mind you, the announcement was made by PM Abdullah Badawi on 31 May 2008 - barely 3 weeks ago.

so what next? that is not clear as yet.

1. would they succeed with the vote of no confidence, if they were able to table it in the first place? i dont think so. SAPP is a small party. their representation in Parliament is very small. as such, their clout/influence is minimal. i believe they know that they would not succeed. but even before they actually table it in Parliament, they have succeeded. embarassing PM Abdullah Badawi!

2. should BN take any action against SAPP? definitely. SAPP has been naughty. their action is against the spirit of BN. and they must be punished. no two way about it. plus an action against SAPP would preserve the equilibrium and sanity in BN.

3. would BN take action against SAPP? they have to. by proposing to table the vote of no confidence, and staying put in BN, SAPP is actually saying " I dare you to take action against me!" therefore, BN must take action against SAPP. no action means no balls. as simple as that.

4. what action? expel SAPP from BN. anything less is a joke.

so do i agree with this action by SAPP? nope.

the end justify the means?! tepuk dada tanya selera. burrghhh..i am full now. :)

the saga continues...

2008-06-09T17:17:00.008+08:00

from www.chedet.com

The Tun Salleh Saga

1. When the Government gave ex-gratia payments to the judges involved in the Tun Salleh Abas removal as the Lord President of Malaysian courts, the question that needs to be answered is whether it is because of Government regrets over something that happened not during the period this Government was in power or is it because of a desperate attempt to win support after the disastrous results of the election of 2008.

2. Had the present Government felt regret, it should have paid ex-gratia payment (for want of a better term) upon achieving power. But obviously it only felt regret lately, after its brand new de facto Minister of Law, who incidentally was suspended for money politics, suggested the move in order to win the approval of the Bar Council.

3. But what was at the back of this political feeling of guilt by this Government. Was it because of the injustice done? Or was something unfair and unlawful committed by the previous Government.

4. Most people know about Tun Salleh’s dismissal but few care to find out what really happened. Some believe that the action against Tun Salleh was because he had proposed a panel of 12 judges to hear the appeal against Judge Harun Hashim’s findings that UMNO was an illegal organisation. Others believe it was because he was biased against UMNO in his judgements.

5. None of these is true. Tun Salleh had not been biased against the Government. He dismissed the application by Lim Kit Siang in the case involving UEM and the Government, for an interim injunction made by a lower court in a lengthy judgement made by him as President of the Supreme Court. In numerous other cases his judgement favoured the Government. As to the panel to hear the appeal against Judge Harun Hashim’s findings, a bigger panel could actually be good for UMNO, which wanted nothing more than the validation of the election results making me President and Ghafar Baba Deputy President. Whether the panel rejects or approves Judge Harun’s decision, UMNO and UMNO Baru would not be affected.

6. The truth is that the case against Tun Salleh was triggered by his letters to the Yang di Pertuan Agong which were considered by the Agong as being highly improper and insulting to him.

7. In his first letter Tun Salleh had written to DYMM YDP Agong complaining about the noise made during some repair work at the Agong’s palace near Salleh’s house.

8. This alone can be considered as very improper. A man as senior as he was could have asked to see the Agong and verbally informed him about the noise.

9. But to compound the act of les majesté he sent copies of his letter to the other rulers. This implied that he did not have faith in the Agong and wanted the other Rulers to apply pressure on him.

10. This was followed by another letter to DYMM YDP Agong complaining about the behaviour of the executive i.e. the Prime Minister. Copies of this letter were also sent to the other Rulers.

11. In this letter Tun Salleh said inter alia, “All of us (the judges) are disappointed with the various comments and accusations made by the Prime Minister against the judiciary not only outside but inside Parliament.”

12. He went on to say in his letter “the accusations and comments have brought shame to all of us and left us mentally disturbed to the extent of being unable to discharge our functions orderly and properly.”

13. He asserted that he and all the judges “do not like to reply to the accusations publicly because such action is not compatible with our position as judges under the Constitution …. And as such it is only proper for us to be patient in the interest of the nation.”

14. This statement was obviously untrue as before the letter was sent, in a speech at the University of Malaya when he was receiving his honorary doctorate, he complained about “the judiciary being placed in the social service category” inferring that this was not in keeping with “the rule of law” and that the “priority of the courts should be altered so that freedom is guaranteed and work is not disturbed.”

15. He went on to say “the officers of the public service (i.e. judges) do not have a lesser role and function to play than the roles played by the politicians.”

16. Further he said, “This matter becomes aggravated if the rights involved in a decision made by an official are related to judicial matters because this will result in a very important question that is interference with the independence of the judiciary.”

17. Again when making a speech at the launching of a book “Law, Justice and the Judiciary, Transnational Trends” Tun Salleh had said, among other things, “The vital constitutional principle is so settled that no question should really arise concerning the position of the judiciary under the Constitution. But recently this guardianship has been made an issue and our independence appears to be under some kind of threat.” He added, “This is amply borne out by some of the comments made recently which embarrassed the judiciary a great deal. These remarks not only question our neutrality and independence but the very value of it as an institution ….. Our responsibility of deciding the case without fear or favour …. does not mean that the court decision should be in favour of the Government all the time…….”

18. “Apart from this,” he continued, “the problem of maintaining judicial independence is further complicated by the fact that the judiciary is the weakest of all the three branches of the Government.”

19. “What matters most in order to enable us to save the system from disastrous consequences is that we judges must act with responsibility and dignity and not be drawn or tempted into an impulsive action which could only result in aggravating the situation.”

20. These two speeches were delivered on 1st August 1987 and 12th January 1988 respectively. But Tun Salleh’s letter to the King was dated 26th March 1988. As I pointed out earlier it is not true that he did not speak about his accusations against the Government in public because he maintains that “such action is not compatible with our position as judges under the Constitution” and that “it is only proper for us to be patient in the interest of the nation.”

21. All his statements in these two speeches clearly contain his criticisms of the Prime Minister and the Government long before he wrote his letter to the King.

22. Another point raised in his letter to the Agong is that “the accusations and comments have brought shame to all of us (judges) and left us mentally disturbed to the extent of being unable to discharge our functions orderly and properly.”

23. In Section 125 of the Federal Constitution, under clause (3) the grounds for removing a judge, apart from misbehaviour include infirmity of body or mind or any other cause, properly to discharge the functions of his office.”

24. By his own admission Tun Salleh was not able “to discharge his functions orderly and properly.” He was therefore unfit to continue to be a judge.

25. Section 125, Clause 4 provides for “the Yang di Pertuan Agong to appoint a Tribunal …. and refer the representations to it, and may on the recommendation of the tribunal remove the judge from office.”

26. The two letters from Tun Salleh were regarded by the Agong as being highly improper and insulting particularly the copies sent to the other Rulers.

27. During one of my weekly meetings with the Agong, DYMM expressed his annoyance over the letters and simply requested that I dismiss Tun Salleh Abas from being the Lord President of the Malaysian Courts. He writes in his own handwriting his request on the margin of Tun Salleh’s first letter, regarding the noise made by the work on the Agong’s residence.

28. To the Agong it was a simple matter. He had appointed the Lord President and therefore he was entitled to remove him. I thought it was best for me to inform Cabinet and seek the advice of the Attorney-General.

29. I must admit that Tun Salleh’s complaints against me in his letter annoyed me. It is true that I had criticised the judges for interpreting the laws passed by Government not in accordance with the intention or objective of the laws. I did suggest that if the laws were interpreted differently from what the Government and the legislators intended, then we would amend the laws. During a cabinet meeting I had in jest quoted Shakespeare’s words, “The first thing we do we hang the lawyers.” Only a nitwit would think that I meant what I said literally. But apparently lawyers and judges took umbrage over what I said and regarded me as their enemy (about to hang them, I suppose).

30. I also criticised judges for making laws themselves through their interpretations and subsequently citing these as their authority. I believed that the separation of powers meant the Legislators make laws and the judiciary apply them. Of course if the laws made by the legislators breach the provisions of the constitution, the supreme law of the land, then judges can reject them.

31. Again some judges simply refused to hear cases involving the death penalty, pushing these unfairly on to other judges.

32. It is the view of most jurists that “It is not wrong for any member of the public or the administration to criticise the judiciary. “Justice is not a cloistered virtue.” (Peter Aldridge Williams QC).

33. The above writer quoted McKenna J “There is no difference between the judge and the Common Man except that one administers the law and the other endures it.”

34. Yet Tun Salleh took the view that I was subverting the independence of the judiciary when I expressed views on how judges frustrated the objectives of the legislators.

35. Through the grapevine I heard of the judges’ displeasure with me. But I did not take any action, certainly not to remove Tun Salleh. I only acted after the Agong complained about the two letters.

36. The Cabinet agreed that we must adhere strictly to the provisions of the Constitution. I therefore advised the Agong that Tun Salleh could not be removed unless the Agong appoints a Tribunal to hear the complaints against him and make recommendations to the Agong.

37. Upon the Agong agreeing, the Government selected six judges and former judges for His Majesty to consider. The members included foreign judges in the person of the Honourable the Justice K.A.P. Ranasinghe, Chief Justice Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka and the Honourable Mr Justice T.S. Sinnathuray, Senior Judge of the Supreme Court of Singapore.

38. The Chairman was the Chief Judge (Malaya), Tan Sri Dato Abdul Hamid bin Hj Omar. The other members were Dato Sri Lee Hun Hoe, Chief Justice (Borneo), Tan Sri Abdul Aziz bin Zain, Retired Judge and Tan Sri Mohd Zahir bin Ismail, Retired Judge.

39. The inclusion of foreign judges was to make sure the Tribunal would not be biased.

40. It is unfortunate that Tun Salleh Abas refused to appear before the Tribunal. Instead he depended on his colleagues to try to prevent the findings of the Tribunal from reaching the Yang di Pertuan Agong.

41. What the five judges who were sympathetic to him did was certainly not in keeping with Tun Salleh’s expressed views in his talk during the launching of the book “Law, Justice and the Judiciary. Transnational Trend, “when he said “we as judges must act with responsibility and dignity and not be drawn or tempted into any impulsive action which could only result in aggravating the situation.”

42. The five judges had ignored rules and procedures and the requirement to get the approval of the (Acting) Lord President, as well as wait for the findings by Mr Justice Ajaib Singh on the same matter. Instead they cancelled courts sittings in Kota Bahru which were scheduled for the judges, and held a sitting of the Supreme Court in Kuala Lumpur to hear an application by Tun Salleh Abbas for prohibition proceedings to determine his position.

43. The Supreme Court of five judges with Tan Sri Wan Sulaiman presiding heard an ex parte oral application by Tun Salleh’s lawyer, retired for a few minutes, returned and unanimously made an order for stay restraining the Tribunal from submitting any recommendations, report or advice respecting the enquiry to His Majesty the Yang di Pertuan Agong until further order.

44. Subsequently the Acting Lord President, set up a Supreme Court of five judges which negated the decision of the Wan Suleiman Court.

45. I would like to repeat that despite public criticisms made against me by Tun Salleh, I did not take any action against him. I only did so after he insulted the Agong and the Agong requested me to have him removed. Of course some would still say I influenced the Agong. But throughout my 22 years I had never involved the rulers in politics or my personal problems. The records are there for all to see.

46. I was very concerned over the forcible removal of Tun Salleh. And so I tried to get Tun Salleh to resign on his own so as to avoid a scandal. He agreed at first but he withdrew the following day.

47. I then went about getting the Tribunal approved and set up. Naturally I had to consult the Attorney-General and others who were familiar with judges. Once the Tribunal was set up my involvement ended.

48. When Tun Salleh and the other judges had their services terminated, they should not be paid their pensions. But following appeals by Attorney-General I agreed that they should be paid their full pensions. They therefore did not suffer any financial loss and their pensions were computed from the time they left.

49. These are the facts relating to the dismissal of Tun Salleh. It was he and his fellow judges who brought disrepute to the judiciary.

50. I write this to record things as they happened. I do not expect my detractors to stop saying that I destroyed the judiciary. They are my prosecutors and they are also my judges. To them I will always be the Idi Amin of Malaysia as claimed in Tun Salleh’s book “May Day for Justice”. Sadly many who so readily condemn me were judges.

score points...

2008-06-01T08:12:00.010+08:00

1st june 2008
from: www.nst.com.my

Azalina: Mokhzani should quit SIC

KUALA LUMPUR: Tourism Minister Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said yesterday joined Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob in calling for Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir's resignation as chairman of Sepang International Circuit (SIC).

Azalina said in a statement she was surprised at and disappointed with Mokhzani's stand to continue as SIC chairman when Ismail Sabri had called for his resignation, citing the post as a government appointment.

"Mokhzani should know that SIC is a government entity and he should resign in the interest of the sport," said Azalina, who is also an Umno supreme council member.

"His continued presence is going to hamper the sport because the government's support will have to be reviewed."

Mokhzani, who on May 21 quit Umno, as his father and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad had done, had said in response to Ismail Sabri's call that he would continue to hold the post as he had not received a directive from either Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad or the Finance Ministry to resign.
SIC is a subsidiary of Malaysia Airports Holdings Berhad, which is controlled by the government through Khazanah Holdings.

Azalina said Mokhzani had been disrespectful when he said that if Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi wanted him to resign, he (Abdullah) could do so by penning in the date on his undated resignation letter which he had signed when he was appointed to the post in 2003.

"Mokhzani should be a gentleman with principles and resign. His action now is certainly disrespectful. SIC does not belong to him and since he is no longer with the government that appointed him, he should just leave with dignity," said Azalina. -- Bernama

31st may 2008
from: www.nst.com.my

Mokhzani told to step down as SIC chairman

PUTRAJAYA: Youth and Sports Minister Datuk Ismail Sabri Yaakob has asked Datuk Mokhzani Mahathir to resign as Sepang International Circuit (SIC) chairman, citing the post as a government appointment.

"The post belongs to the government. As he (Mokhzani) has left Umno, in principle, he has to relinquish the position," said Ismail Sabri, citing SIC as a subsidiary of Malaysia Airport Holdings Berhad, which is controlled by the government through Khazanah Holdings.

Following the move by his father and former prime minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, Mokhzani resigned from Umno on May 21.

Ismail Sabri yesterday boycotted the launching ceremony of the Malaysian International Super GT held at the ministry. By coincidence, he chaired a post-cabinet meeting of his ministry in the same building.

Asked why he did not attend the ceremony, he said, "In principle when he (Mokhzani) left Umno because he no longer had faith in the prime minister's (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) leadership, he is also not confident of me as a minister appointed by the prime minister.
"So why should I attend the ceremony? It's not that I do not like motoring sports, but as a cabinet member, it was not proper," said Ismail Sabri.

In his response, Mokhzani who was the former Umno Youth secretary said he would not step down as there was no directive from MAHB or the Finance Ministry.

He said Ismail Sabri should refer the matter to MAHB or the Finance Ministry.

"There is no directive for me to step down. As such, I will continue to carry out my duties as SIC chairman," said Mokhzani when contacted.

He said if the prime minister wanted him to resign, he (Abdullah) could do so by marking the date on his undated resignation letter which he had signed when he was appointed to the post in 2003. -- Bernama

my thoughts:

ridicolous!

imagine that. A minister boycotting the launch of an international event that would promote and benefit the country. what does he gain by boycotting the event? score extra points with his boss? couldnt he see pass the politics? as a rakyat, i am totally disgusted! and i am sure many more share this feeling. as a minister, he should be intelligent enough to know the difference. politics has no business in sports.

with all due respect to Dato Ismail Sabri, his line of thinking could cause embarassment to the government. i am no longer an UMNO member. maybe someone in UMNO should demand the government to show proof that the chairmen, CEOs and senior management of all GLCs are UMNO members. or the very least fully support UMNO. otherwise, his call for Dato Mokhzani to step down is actually a punishment. and simultaneously aimed to 'hit' Tun M. nothing more, nothing less. and nothing to do with Dato Mokhzani's capability to chair SIC. the rakyat would see it as the action of a vindictive government. imagine the points you are going to score with the rakyat.

plus, i am flabbergasted that a minister could really say this - "His continued presence is going to hamper the sport because the government's support will have to be reviewed." this is a 'threat'. no two way about it. all this while, the government has been singing praises on the success of SIC. promoting malaysia to the world. bringing in tourists. etc etc. and yet, now willing to jeopardise this success. just because the Chairman is no longer an UMNO member?! what a load of cr*p! is this how this government thinks and acts?

to be fair, these may be comments from over eager 'employees' trying to score points with their Boss. so may not actually be the stand of the government. what say you, Boss - any points scored?!

he is back!

2008-05-29T06:39:00.005+08:00

big news of the day. maybe the week. may even be the month.

it is no longer a rumuor. nor a hearsay. ezam is back in UMNO! yesterday, he met with PM Abdullah Badawi and presented the membership form for his re-entry into UMNO. that meeting became the main news on tv last nite. TV3 went one step further by interviewing ezam live during Buletin Utama. it has been 'played' as the return of a great leader. and the top leadership as simply being great - willing to forgive and forget for the sake of malay unity.

Last week, when it was still a hearsay, Dato Hishammuddin, UMNO Youth Chief, raised 3 questions on ezam's re-entry into UMNO. nobody bothered to answer him. and in private, he was heard as saying 'over my dead body' when asked of ezam's possible return into UMNO. and now that it is a done deal, we may have a 'funeral' to attend soon.

from: www.bernama.com

May 24, 2008

Hishammuddin Has Three Questions For Party Leadership On Ezam's Entry Into Umno

KLUANG, May 24 (Bernama) -- Umno Youth chief, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein, will pose three questions to the party's leadership if asked about his views on former Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) youth chief Mohamad Ezam Mohd Noor's re-entry into Umno.

Hishammuddin said first he will ask what benefit could be achieved by Mohamad Ezam's re-entry into Umno, secondly what was Mohamad Ezam's sincerity in struggling alongside Umno and thirdly what would be Mohamad Ezam's role when he is accepted into Umno.He said although Mohamad Ezam had not made any decision on his re-entry into Umno, he (Hishammuddin) had however readied the three questions for the party leadership's scrutiny.

"In this matter, as Umno Youth chief, I will surely be involved in the talks about Ezam's entry and I am ready to pose the three questions. "I have not had the opportunity to hear for myself his stand as I understand he is out of the country," Hishammuddin said after a meet-the-people function at the Kluang Municipal Hall here.

He said he could not comment on the statement Friday by Pahang Menteri Besar Pahang, Datuk Seri Adnan Yaakob, who welcomed Mohamad Ezam's entry and said the former political secretary of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim would be an asset to the party."I cannot say yes or no to that statement as long as my three questions are not answered," said Hishammuddin who is also the Education Minister.

Return of the Prodigal Son 2

2008-05-28T12:59:00.002+08:00

from: minaq-jinggo.fotopages.com

Return of the Prodigal Son 1

2008-05-28T12:49:00.002+08:00

from: minaq-jinggo.fotopages.com

bye bye rocks...

2008-05-26T23:20:00.008+08:00

from bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com

THE PULAU BATU PUTEH CASE

A STRATEGIC DISASTER FOR MALAYSIA

by Matthias Chang

Singapore Got The Mansion

Malaysia Got Some Rocks Which Cannot

Be Used To Put Up Even A Kampong Hut

YET RAIS YATIM SAYS,

“We won half and Singapore won half. So I

Say it’s a win-win situation …”

A PICTURE PAINTS A THOUSAND WORDS

AND THE PICTURE OF PULAU BATU PUTEH, MIDDLE ROCKS AND THE SOUTH LEDGE AT THE FRONT PAGE OF STAR NEWSPAPER 24.5.2008 SAYS IT ALL

Summary of Criticism

1) The Legal Team

I am a lawyer and had studied International Law for my Bar Exams in 1975 under the distinguished Professor Ian Brownlie C.B.E. Q.C. member of the English Bar, Chairman of the UN International Law Commission, Emeritus Chichele Professor of Public International Law, University of Oxford, member of the Institut de droit international, Distinguished Fellow, All Souls College, Oxford.

Ian Brownlie is the “leader” of the foreign team advising the Singapore government. A brilliant choice!

(a) Foreign Component

The foreign component of the legal team of Malaysia and Singapore are internationally renowned experts in international law and I have no doubts that they discharged their responsibilities admirably. But tactically, the Singapore “foreign component” had a critical advantage in that Ian Brownlie is the Chairman of the UN International Law Commission, and Mr. Alain Pellet is a member and former Chairman of the UN International Law Commission. And Ian Brownlie is not just a brilliant Lawyer (Q.C.), he is also a lawyer who has a profound grasp of geo-political issues.

To dispel any misperceptions and misunderstanding, I am not suggesting that they can influence the ICJ judges, but having served in such a critical position, Ian Brownlie and Alain Pellet have the inside track on the current thinking and or the approach of the ICJ in such disputes. After all, the UN International Law Commission sets the direction and the development of international law. I am therefore not surprised that Singapore went the extra mile to secure their services – a brilliant strategic appointment.

This dispute is not a mere dispute of ownership and sovereignty over some patches of rocks etc. but a strategic battle for control of territorial waters and sea lanes.

(b) Local Component

Both countries for obvious reasons had Ministers to provide the political imput and the critical linkage to their respective Prime Ministers. But, it cannot be said of Abdullah Badawi, our Prime Minister that at all material times, he was “hands-on” in this strategic battle with Singapore – especially when he had conceded so many issues to Singapore (the bridge, airspace, the Iskandar project etc.).

Singapore had a battle-ready Commander-in-Chief, whereas Malaysia’s leader was sleeping and out of touch.

Once again, I must praise Singapore for their brilliant tactical move in having the Chief Justice Mr. Chan Sek Keong as part of the legal team. It reflects the seriousness and total commitment of Singapore to win this case at all costs!

Why was having the Chief Justice as part of the legal team another brilliant strategic appointment?

Simple!

A good advocate does not necessarily make a good judge. But a judge knows the inside workings of the judiciary and how consensus is established amongst judges in arriving at a decision. Therefore, in submitting on behalf of Singapore, the Chief Justice would know how to play to the strength and weaknesses of judges and would be able to offer critical advice to the rest of the team. The Judges of the International Court of Justice must have been impressed by the presence of the Chief Justice. I stand to be corrected, but this could be the first case in which a Chief Justice appeared before the Court. Even if I am wrong on this score, it can be said without fear of contradiction that it would be very rare for a Chief Justice to advance a case for his country.

My US$ Trillion dollar question is – Where was our Chief Justice when it was apparent that Singapore would be using all their “heavy” weapons?

Sad to say, our Judges, including the Chief Justice were all too busy fighting among themselves for the coveted top three jobs in the judiciary to be bothered about this mundane affair. It has no significance to them. I am not surprised that they took the attitude, “this has nothing to do with the judiciary, we judges hear cases, we do not partake in advocacy – even if the country’s strategic interests are at stake.”

We may dislike Singapore and disparage their system of administration, but there is one thing we must admit and learn – when they go to battle, any battle, anyone from the highest to the lowest can be and must be recruited if it serves to ensure victory. Should we be surprised that we keep on losing to Singapore?

The independence of the Malaysian Judiciary is meaningless, if at such critical juncture it is not able to play any role at all. Leadership is sorely lacking!

The Malaysian Bar Council is likewise irrelevant. It is so arrogant and conceited that it cannot see beyond its ugly nose. Like the judiciary, it is a den of vipers and its primary aim (as reflected by the conduct of past and present Chairman) is to promote it’s preferred slate of judicial candidates for higher office.

If the research component is the same as the one that was assembled to do battle with Singapore on the Water Dispute, then I am not at all surprised that we lost this crucial battle to Singapore.

In both cases, Tan Sri Abdul Kadir Mohamad was the point man.

The team that advised the then Prime Minister (which is almost the same team as the present one) took the view that Malaysia had a weak case. The Prime Minister was so disappointed in their collective attitude that he instructed me to embark on an independent research and to ensure that no stones were left unturned.

Working close to 18 hours a day for a week, I was able to compiled 14 volumes of critical documents (approximately 1,500 pages) and assembled a team of senior practicing lawyers. The critical document (and our nuclear weapon) was the letter written by none other than Mr. Lee Kuan Yew that no documents, notes, letters, memos etc. exchanged between Malaysia and Singapore will be binding as they were written on a “without prejudice” basis, and that unless and until a formal agreement has been signed by the respective Prime Ministers, nothing is deemed agreed!

When this crucial letter was brought to the attention of the said legal team (which they were not aware) they sheepishly conceded that Singapore had no case against Malaysia!

I do not know whether the team has learnt a lesson from that experience and that for this case, a more thorough effort was mounted. I certainly hope so. But I have my doubts, as Tan Sri Kadir Mohamad is still the point man. In fact, he was appointed by Abdullah Badawi as the “Adviser” and on my retirement as Political Secretary to the then Prime Minister, he moved in and occupied my then office.

2) The Legal Arguments

1) Introduction

For the purposes of this article which is written for the benefit of the public, I do not intend to provide an exhaustive analysis of the judgment of the International Court of Justice. But, I would like to highlight some salient points which will expose the perverse conclusions of the said court that “sovereignty over Pulau Batu Puteh passed to Singapore” as a result of events in the last eighty (80) years.

From the submissions of the respective parties and the judgment of the Court, it is clear that Malaysia and Singapore adopted the common strategy of having all or nothing in determining whether it has sovereignty over:

a) Pedra Branca /Pulau Batu Puteh

b) Middle Rocks

c) South Ledge

as they are “geographically linked”.

Pulau Batu Puteh is a granite island measuring 137 m long, with an average width of 60 m and covering an area of about 8,560 sq m at low tide. It is situated at the eastern entrance of the Straits of Singapore, at the point where the latter open up into the South China Sea. Pulau Batu Puteh is located at 1º 19’ 48” N and 104º 24’ 27” E. It lies approximately 24 nautical miles to the east of Singapore, 7.7 nautical miles to the south of the Malaysian state of Johor and 7.6 nautical miles to the north of the Indonesian island of Bintan.

On the island stands Horsburgh Lighthouse which was erected in the middle of the 19th century.

Middle Rocks and South Ledge are the two maritime features closest to Pulau Batu Puteh. Middle Rock is located 0.6 nautical miles to the south and consists of two clusters of small rocks about 250 m apart that are permanently above water and stand 0.6 to 1.2 m high. South Ledge, at 2.2 nautical miles to the south-south-west of Palau Batu Puteh is a rock formation only visible at low tide.

I trust that you will now agree that Singapore was given “the mansion, while Malaysia was given some rocks which stand only 0.6 to 1.w2 m high”! In short, Malaysia was given crumbs to save face! But our current Foreign Minister says that it is a win-win situation.

How stupid and ridiculous can one get? Freaking a#@hole!

2) Applying Imperialist’s Logic

a) Ownership by Sultanate of Johor

After reviewing the history of the Johor Sultanate and the Dutch and British rivalry for control of South East Asia and the insidious role of the East India Company as an instrument for colonial conquest and occupation, the Court concluded:

“The territorial domain of the sultanate of Johor covered in principle all the islands and islets within the Straits of Singapore, including the island of Pulau Batu Puteh. It finds that this possession of the islands by the Sultanate was never challenged by any other power in the region and can in all circumstances be seen as satisfying the condition of ‘continuous and peaceful display of territorial sovereignty. The Court thus concludes that the Sultanate of Johor had original title to Pulau batu Puteh.”

The Court then reviewed the Imperialist Anglo-Dutch Treaty of 1824 wherein the two colonial powers divided South-East Asia into two separate spheres of influence. The argument by Singapore that by this time the islands in the Straits of Singapore (including Pulau Batu Puteh) were terrae nullius and therefore subject to appropriation through “lawful occupation” was rejected by the Court. The Court concluded that notwithstanding the aforesaid Treaty:

“that as of the time when the British started their preparations for the construction of the lighthouse on Pulau Batu Puteh in 1844, this island was under the sovereignty of the Sultan of Johor.”

b) The 21st September 1953 Letter

On 12th June 1953, the Colonial Secretary of Singapore wrote to the British Adviser to the Sultan of Johor on the status of the island. We know that at the material time, British Advisers had tremendous influence. Why was there such an enquiry when it was very clear that the Sultan had ownership and sovereignty over the island at all material times? The British using this subterfuge must have been preparing the ground for a letter to be issued disclaiming sovereignty over the island. In a letter dated 21st September 1953, the Acting State Secretary replied that “the Johore Government did not claim ownership of Pedra Branca.”

Surely, if the Sultan was indeed disclaiming ownership and sovereignty to the island, any reference would be that of Pulau Batu Puteh as the island was known as such to the Sultanate. The fact that the letter used the Portuguese name of Pedra Branca is evidence that the British contrived to issue this letter. The letter did not say that it was the Sultan that was disclaiming sovereignty. It was the Johor government, which was under British control. Thus we had a situation whereby a British administration in Singapore was writing to another British administration in Johor as to the status of an island belonging to the Sultan and by a stroke of a pen, hijacked the island for their own strategic use.

The Court, applying Imperialist logic dismisses Malaysia’s contention that “the Acting State Secretary was definitely not authorized and did not have the legal capacity to write the 1953 letter, or to renounce, disclaim, or confirm title of any part of the territories of Johor.”

The Court applying bizarre logic then concluded:

“In the light of Johor’s reply, the authorities in Singapore had no reason to doubt that the United Kingdom had sovereignty over the island.”

This is perverse Imperialist logic! Why should the Sultan for no rhyme or reason and out of the blues disclaim or renounce sovereignty over the island? This the Court never explained.

It is abundantly clear that the ICJ used this letter as the main basis (giving its historical context) for their majority decision that sovereignty passed to Singapore. The other secondary reasons (issue of maps) relied on by the Court which of itself are never ever sufficient and or conclusive to support a claim for sovereignty as they can refuted by other countervailing documents.

I am fortified in my view as one of the judges, though agreeing with the majority opinion that Singapore has sovereignty over the island observed that the Court failed to appreciate impact and consequences that at the material time when the letter of 1953 was issued, the Sultan of Johor was under the “colonial control” of the British Colonial administration. I quote:

“While relations between sovereign colonial Powers fell within the ambit of international law, it is difficult to argue that dealings between the United kingdom and the Sultanate of Johor were based on relations between sovereign, equal subjects of international law. Thus, the sovereignty acknowledged to indigenous authorities was inoperative vis-à-vis colonial Powers, the authorities’ sole obligation being to submit to the will of the powers. Under these circumstances, the Sultan of Johor could not broach the slightest opposition to a decision by the British.”

Judge Parra-Aranguren was more devastating in his dissenting opinion and considered that “the findings made by the Court in the judgment demonstrate that judicial reason can always be found to support any conclusion.”

This is indeed a grievous indictment as to the integrity of the judgment and the judges that formed the majority opinion. I believe that this may be the first time that a fellow judge has questioned in such a dramatic way the integrity of the judgment of his fellow judges.

I wonder whether the Malaysian Bar and its Chairman, Ambiga has the courage of its convictions to expose this perverse judgment. In his dissenting judgment, Justice Parra-Aranguren supported my contention that the Court applied imperialist logic with regard to the effect and implications of the 21st September 1953 letter.

Additionally, the said judge exposed the fact that the conclusions offered by the majority opinion contradicts and are in conflict with their own findings of fact. For example, the bulk of activities of alleged “Singapore control” over the island was post 1953 and that both parties had agreed and the Court found that 1980 was the critical date for the purposes of the dispute as to sovereignty over the island.

Therefore, Singapore was only “actively involved” in the island for about 20 odd years. Yet, in an earlier decision in 2002, the Court handed down a judgment that a period of 20 years of activity is “far too short” a period to establish sovereignty [case: Land and Maritime Boundary between Cameroon and Nigeria, ICJ Reports 2002, page 352]

Such activities cannot in law undermine historical title, which title was acknowledged as having being with the Sultan of Johor. There is the added confusion in the said judgment [para 222] in that the Court expressly acknowledges that “ownership is in principle distinct from sovereignty.”

This is where I believe the Malaysian team screwed up big time. The judge observed that at all material times, the Sultanate of Johor used the term “ownership” and not “sovereignty”.

The judge also observed that there have been a few instances where in international litigation, “ownership” over territory has sometimes been used as “equivalent to sovereignty”. Be that as it may, the fact remains, that “ownership” and “sovereignty” are two distinct and separate concepts!

Conclusions

This article written for the public cannot encompass the entire legal arguments in support of my contention that the judgment of the ICJ is perverse.

There are urgent lessons to be learnt from this case. But I am not hopeful that Malaysia will more vigilant in protecting itself from predator states like Singapore from hijacking our lands.

This case seems to rest on the same principles in which Israel was founded. The myth and propaganda [specifically by Golda Meir] for the creation of Israel in Palestine was that Palestine was a land without any people, and that the Jews were people without a land.

Therefore, it was right and proper to take the land away from the Palestinians.

Singapore do not have enough land for its people. It has attempted to reclaim land even on the island of Pulau Batu Puteh, besides the use of the strategic lighthouse. Singapore claims that Johor has no sovereignty over the island. Therefore, the island belongs to Singapore.

This is Zionist fascist logic.

Matthias Chang

24th May 2008

Kuala Lumpur

a roller-coaster ride...

2008-05-25T13:28:00.021+08:00

from http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/

Muhyiddin reveals his hand, he wants Pak Lah to go

KUALA LUMPUR, May 25 — The charade is over. Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin wants Abdullah to step aside. At least that was the sting of the words he used when speaking to Federal Territory party members yesterday. "Pak Lah is my friend, but can he manage the current situation? He's a good man, but the situation has changed. I am being sincere," said the Umno vice-president, who has been ambivalent at best since Election 2008 on the prospect of Abdullah remaining in power.

His Cabinet colleagues have expected this day to come soon, noting that his body language and comments during meetings have been that of someone who was not on the same page with the prime minister. Muhyiddin was supposed to speak to the FT politicians about code of ethics but instead launched into an analysis of Abdullah's leadership and the challenging political landscape.

In his speech to the FT politicians, he sketched the current scenario in the country, noting that Umno and Barisan fared badly in the polls and lost the support of the young. The only consolation was that the BN snared 140 seats, eight short of its customary two-third majority in Parliament. He quoted liberally from Dr Mahathir’s criticism of Abdullah, saying that there must be drastic action in the party and leadership.

"We need to change, so that we don't go down and down. I'm quoting Dr M because he is a veteran leader who is worried that the Malays will lose power," he said, adding that neither Abdullah nor Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak nor supreme council members have framed the current political situation in these stark terms.

To manage this situation, Umno must be strong, he said.

"We cannot have a weak leader managing challenging circumstances. I am not saying this about present leadership, you can decide for yourself," he said.

Muhyiddin then went on to give instances of weak leadership. He said that he brought to Abdullah’s attention the need for Sabah and Sarawak to have adequate representation in the Cabinet.

"But now look at situation," he said, referring to disappointment by Sabah BN over the allocation of only three ministerial positions to the state.

Then Muhyiddin turned to the standoff over the appointment of the menteris besar of Perlis and Terengganu with the Malay Rulers which eventually resulted in Abdullah backing down.
"Why? Because of weak leadership. You say you're strong, but you're weak. I am going to speak as I'm a vice-president. Many people are still in denial," he said.

By taking this position, Muhyiddin is clearly throwing his name forward to party members as someone who can be considered for either the party president or deputy president at the Umno elections in December. Supporters of Datuk Seri Najib and Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah said that intermediaries said to be acting on behalf of the Minister of International Trade and Industry has reached out to them recently over the possibility of forming a tag team for the elections.

But they did not get any joy from either camp. Najib remains loyal to Abdullah while Tengku Razaleigh is content to push for his reform agenda on his own steam. Still, Muhyiddin has other options. He can lead the opposition against Abdullah and offer himself as the next party president.
Alternatively, he can quit Cabinet, the government and offer to return only after Abdullah has relinquished power.

For Abdullah, the signs are clear. This could be the beginning of a revolt against his leadership by some power brokers in Umno. Since Election 2008, he has had to fend off calls for his resignation. But none of these critics were from the supreme council, the party’s highest decision-making body.
Muhyiddin’s comments yesterday could embolden other senior party officials to come forward and speak out against the current leadership and give strength to Dr Mahathir’s campaign to oust Abdullah.

Abdullah has only two choices: use all the powers of incumbency and fight like never before to stay in office. Or set an earlier date for the transition of power to Najib.

my thoughts:

the week started off stormy.

on monday, Tun M announced his resignation from UMNO. i was shocked - well, everybody was shocked. i got the news at about 1pm. from then onwards, countless smses and phone calls were made. getting advice. exchanging thoughts. by 9pm, i decided to quit as well.

since monday, everybody who is somebody rallied behind PM Abdullah Badawi. pledging their loyalty and support. war of words once again erupted. words like 'sandiwara' and 'duri dalam daging' were thrown towards Tun M - which Tun M found 'mengelikan hati'.

on tuesday, i attended the press conference called by Dato Mukhriz. he basically re-iterated his call for PM Abdullah Badawi to step down in the shortest time period. when? - one reporter asked. preferably july, before the start of the annual UMNO branch meeting. as of now, he remains in UMNO. but he reserved the right to change his stance if nothing happens. one thing i dont understand is that, he would be referred to UMNO's Management Committee. even Pemuda UMNO Perak has called for Dato Mukhriz to be sacked. when his letter asking PM Abdullah Badawi to step down became public, no action was taken. so why now? after all, at the PC, he only said the same thing - PM Abdullah Badawi must step down. plus, please show me which rule did he break that justify a sacking?!

on wednesday nite, someone related a story to me. apparently, after Tun M resigned from UMNO, there were talks that members of an UMNO branch in Selangor would follow suit and shut down their branch. to cut a long story short, the affected Divisonal Head received a call from numero uno himself that day about the matter. The Divisional Head later said that it was the first time he got a call from numero uno. so is that a sign of panic?

i find these comments from Muhyiddin very refreshing. very interesting. and very damaging to PM Abdullah Badawi. i wonder why the mainstream media did not carry it in whole. maybe they did not have enough space. let's not blame them. thanks to my friend Doc Siva, who called to tell me about this article in Malaysian Insider. otherwise, i would have missed it altogether, like the rest of the population.

it has been a roller-coaster ride. but this is indeed a great end to the week.

Funny Haha or Funny Hahahahaha.....

2008-05-23T09:35:00.004+08:00

from www.chedet.com

Saya telah ikuti laporan berkenaan keputusan saya keluar dari UMNO yang disiarkan RTM 1, 8 malam, 19 hb Mei. Komen oleh dua pemimpin UMNO amat menggelikan hati saya.

Tun Musa Hitam dakwa saya adalah ‘duri dalam daging yang sekarang sudah dikeluarkan.’

Tun, apakah Tun lupa Tun jadi duri dalam daging UMNO tahun 1986 - 87 dahulu? Semasa Tun jadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri [di lantik oleh saya]. Tun telah letak jawatan Timbalan Perdana Menteri dan Timbalan Presiden UMNO kerana hendak saya berhenti daripada jadi Perdana Menteri dan diganti oleh Tun. Atas rayuan ahli Majlis Tertinggi, Tun kembali sebagai Timbalan Presiden UMNO. Rupa-rupanya Tun masih punyai niat untuk jatuhkan saya.

Oleh itu Tun menghasut Tengku Razaleigh yang menjadi musuh ketat Tun supaya lawan saya. Demikianlah bencinya Tun kepada saya sehingga sanggup terima musuh ketat Tun bertanding Presiden, dan Tun jadi Timbalannya; Tun sebelum itu rayu supaya saya sokong Tun untuk rebut jawatan Timbalan Presiden dalam pertandingan lawan Tengku Razaleigh.

Akhirnya pecahlah UMNO dan muncullah parti serpihan Semangat 46. Tetapi dengan bijaknya Tun tidak menyertainya. Tun selamat dan dilantik oleh saya sebagai perutusan bertaraf Menteri ke Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu. Tengku Razaleigh terkeluar daripada UMNO Baru dan menjadi mangsa perancangan Tun. Syabas Tun. Saya tak tahu sekarang Tun ahli UMNO atau tidak.

Satu lagi pemimpin UMNO ialah Shahrir Samad yang lupa bagaimana dia keluar UMNO, jadi calon bebas dan lawan dengan UMNO, dalam Pilihanraya Kecil dengan simbol kunci.

Siapakah kamu yang nak kritik tindakan saya? Jika tidak kerana kakak Tun Musa sebagai Ketua Wanita Johor Bahru datang pagi-pagi ke rumah saya untuk merayu supaya Dato dibenar kembali ke pangkuan UMNO, Dato akan jadi duri dalam daging UMNO lebih lama. Walaupun Dato maki hamun saya semasa pilihanraya kecil saya bersetuju Dato masuk balik UMNO.

Saya ucap tahniah kerana Dato dapat sekali lagi jadi Menteri. Jagalah harga barang baik-baik. Tak usahlah komen tentang diri saya.

Tepuk dulang paku serpih.
Katakan orang awak yang lebih.

Official Statement by Dato' Mukhriz

2008-05-21T08:07:00.004+08:00

20 MEI 2008

YB DATO’ MUKHRIZ MAHATHIR
AHLI PARLIMEN JERLUN
EXCO PERGERAKAN PEMUDA UMNO MALAYSIA

Merujuk kepada tindakan ayahanda saya, YABhg Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad di Alor Setar, Kedah semalam, yang mengumumkan keluar dari parti sehinggalah YAB Dato’ Seri Abdulah Hj Ahmad Badawi meletak jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri, Presiden UMNO dan Pengerusi Barisan Nasional, saya dengan ini membuat kenyataan seperti berikut:

1. Saya amat faham dan bersetuju bahawa tindakan ayahanda saya adalah kerana sayangnya beliau kepada UMNO. Saya juga percaya bahawa bagi mencapai matlamat tindakan tersebut, terdapat lebih dari satu cara perlaksanaanya. Maka dengan itu, saya mengumumkan bahawa saya TIDAK AKAN MELETAKKAN JAWATAN DI DALAM UMNO,SEBAGAI AHLI PARLIMEN JERLUN MAHUPUN SEBAGAI AHLI UMNO. SAYA AKAN TETAP SETIA SEBAGAI AHLI UMNO DAN AKAN MENJADI SUARA YANG LANTANG MENEGUR KEPINCANGAN KEPIMPINAN PARTI;

2. Seterusnya, saya serta rakan-rakan yang sependirian dengan saya dengan ini MENDESAK SEKERAS-KERASNYA AGAR YAB DATO’ SERI ABDULLAH HJ AHMAD BADAWI MELETAKKAN JAWATAN SEBAGAI PERDANA MENTERI MALAYSIA, PRESIDEN UMNO DAN PENGERUSI BARISAN NASIONAL DENGAN SEGERA;

3. Kami juga mendesak agar Majlis Tertinggi UMNO MEMBUKA SELUAS-LUASNYA SEGALA RUANG DEMOKRASI PARTI YANG TERMAKTUB DI DALAM PERLEMBAGAAN PARTI yakni dalam bentuk pemansuhan sistem kuota, membenarkan Mesyuarat Agung Luar Biasa diadakan, tidak menghalang ahli-ahli UMNO untuk mengadakan majlis bersama pemimpin atau tokoh Melayu, dan tidak mengeluarkan sebarang bentuk arahan, kekangan atau larangan yang menafikan prinsip-prinsip demokrasi dalam parti; dan

4. Selanjutnya, kami MENGGESA AHLI UMNO KHUSUSNYA DAN RAKYAT MALAYSIA AMNYA, menyuarakan bantahan mereka terhadap kepimpinan YAB Dato’ Seri Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi secara terbuka dan lantang melalui surat peribadi, sms, surat kepada media serta melalui sidang-sidang media, bagi MEMBERI TEKANAN AGAR YAB DATO’ SERI SEGERA MELETAKKAN JAWATAN SEBAGAI PERDANA MENTERI, PRESIDEN UMNO DAN PENGERUSI BARISAN NASIONAL.

Ini adalah pendirian saya pada waktu ini. Saya tidak akan teragak-agak untuk mengubah pendirian saya ini sekiranya keadaan tidak beransur pulih.

Sekian.

Official Statement by Tun M

2008-05-19T23:29:00.001+08:00

Hari ini, Mei 19, 2008 saya mengumumkan keputusan saya untuk keluar daripada UMNO. Isteri saya turut bersama.

Keputusan ini dibuat kerana UMNO yang ada sekarang bukan lagi UMNO yang ditubuh 62 tahun dahulu yang berjuang untuk bangsa Melayu, Agama Islam dan Negara Malaysia (Malaya); UMNO yang menggagalkan Malayan Union, memperjuangkan kemerdekaan Malaya dan Malaysia dan membangunkan Malaysia sehingga menjadi Negara yang termaju di antara Negara membangun di dunia.

UMNO yang ada sekarang hanya wujud untuk menyokong Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, keluarganya dan tindakan serta dasar yang tidak secocok dengan kepentingan bangsa, agama dan negara.

Kepimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah jelas membawa kekalahan dan bencana kepada Barisan Nasional, UMNO, MCA, MIC, Gerakan dan PPP. Kemenangan UMNO di Sabah dan BN di Sarawak bukan kerana kepimpinan Dato Seri Abdullah.

Saya akan jelas satu persatu dasar-dasar dan tindakan Dato Seri Abdullah yang menjadikan Kerajaan pimpinannya dan parti BN dibenci oleh ahli-ahli parti komponen sendiri.

Walaupun sebelum perisytiharan ini saya adalah ahli UMNO tetapi sebenarnya selepas saya letak jawatan sebagai Perdana Menteri saya tidak dilayan sebagai ahli UMNO.

Saya tidak dibenarkan berjumpa ahli UMNO dan ahli UMNO tidak dibenarkan hadir apa-apa perhimpunan di mana saya dijemput sebagai jurucakap atau penyampai ucapan.

Menteri-Menteri yang dahulu berada dalam Kabinet saya tidak dibenarkan atau tidak berani atau tidak mahu jumpa saya lagi.

Jemputan oleh UMNO dan bukan UMNO kepada saya diarah ditarik balik oleh Mneteri Besar dan Polis.

Ramai pemimpin UMNO melepaskan kata-kata kesat kepada saya dan ada yang menyuruh saya keluar daripada UMNO walaupun mereka baru sahaja masuk UMNO. Tidak ada pemimpin UMNO yang pertahankan saya secara terbuka.

Wakil ke Perhimpunan Agong tidak dibenarkan menyuara pendapat mereka. Mulut semua orang ditutup.

Yang didengar hanyalah media arus perdana yang memuji Dato Seri Abdullah sehingga dia percaya dia begitu popular dan akan sapu bersih parti lawan dalam pilihanraya umum ke-12.

Hasilnya ialah kekalahan yang teruk bagi Barisan Nasional. Malangnya mesej yang hendak disampaikan oleh pengundi dan penyokong BN tidak dapat difahami oleh Dato Seri Abdullah.

Dia masih berkata dia menang. Ini sukar diterima oleh orang Kedah, orang Pulau Pinang, orang Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan.

Oleh kerana Dato Seri Abdullah buta mata dan pekak telinga dan tidak faham mesej ahli BN, oleh kerana ahli UMNO pun turut bersama, oleh kerana proses demokrasi tidak berjalan, oleh kerana UMNO yang ada sekarang bukan lagi UMNO yang ditubuhkan 62 tahun dahulu, saya berpendapat penyertaan saya sebagai ahli UMNO tidak bermakna dan tidak berguna lagi.

Justeru itu saya ingin umumkan bahawa saya sudah keluar daripada UMNO.

Saya ingin tegaskan bahawa saya bebas dan tidak menyokong mana-mana parti lawan.

Saya akan pohon untuk masuk UMNO apabila Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi sudah berhenti daripada menjadi Presiden UMNO, Pengerusi BN dan Perdana Menteri Malaysia.

Dr Mahathir bin Mohamad (bekas ahli UMNO No 1)
Dr Siti Hasmah binti Mohd Ali (bekas ahli UMNO No 2)

Resignation Letter

2008-05-19T21:53:00.004+08:00

this is my resignation letter as an UMNO member. it was not an easy decision. but it is the only right one for me to make. Tun M shall not walk alone.

two generations of my family served UMNO. my grandfather and father were wakil rakyats representing UMNO. i joined UMNO so that i could continue their work. i joined UMNO so that i could repay my debts to UMNO - if i ever could. help my fellow malays. be part of nation building.

well, i will continue doing my part for the malays and the country. just that, it would not be within UMNO - for the time being. I still believe UMNO is the only party for the malays. it is an institution that must be protected. but the current leadership has failed to make UMNO a strong party. the current leadership has failed to listen. there must be accountability. lead by example. but do not lead us to the grave.

i do not hold any position in UMNO. so i do not lose anything.

UMNO will always be with me.

19 Mei 2008

Setiausaha
Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO
Bahagian Kemaman
Terengganu Darul Iman

Tuan

Keahlian UMNO: 02851601

Adalah dengan hormatnya saya merujuk kepada perkara di atas.

Saya dengan berat hati meletakkan keahlian saya sebagai ahli UMNO Cawangan Chukai, Bahagian Kemaman, Terengganu Darul Iman.

Saya berdoa UMNO akan kembali menjiwai pemikiran serta aspirasi bangsa Melayu.

Sekian. Wassalam.

Wan Azrain Adnan

Berita Terkini

2008-05-15T08:36:00.002+08:00

Saya menerima sms ini dari seorang kenalan pada pukul 1.35 am tadi. Beliau adalah seorang yang berjawatan di dalam pergerakan pemuda UMNO Selangor. Berikut adalah sms penuh beliau:

Berita Terkini - Barisan Rakyat Pimpinan Pak Lah.

Presiden: Pak Lah
Timbalan Presiden: TS Mohamad Taib
S/U Agung: Tengku Adnan
Bendahari: Dato Azim
Ketua Penerangan: Dato Shabery Cheek
Naib Presiden: Dato Khalid Nordin
Dato Adnan Yaakob
TS Rahim Tamby chik

Kearah UMNO perkasa, mesra, prihatin, gemilang & terbilang. Misi nasional untuk rakyat Malaysia. Kembalikan UMNO ke perjuangan asal. Tradisi membela rakyat.

komen saya:

saya tidak setuju. ini bukanlah barisan kepimpinan yang boleh menjayakan UMNO.

Malaysian Idol

2008-05-13T09:09:00.005+08:00

Sunday Star: May 11, 2008

He’s the best

READING Huzir Sulaiman’s comments on the former prime minister (Mahathir vs the Malay Rulers, Wide Angle, StarMag May 4) made me sick.

Whatever you may say about Tun (Dr Mahathir Mohamad), it doesn’t make him less of a man than he is. He is the best Prime Minister Malaysia ever had. Others pale in comparison with him in every way.

In his time, he built Malaysia to what the country is today. He has touched so many lives. He has improved the quality of life of millions, including your parents.

He has helped to produce so many middle-class families, especially in the Malay community, including thousands of lawyers, doctors, engineers and other professionals.

He has made our lives so much easier that now, when things are a bit rough, we can only whine and complain.

The Malays held their heads higher during his time. He doesn’t believe in Western expertise. He believes in us, the Malays, and our ability to head everything.

He has put the royals in their right place and maintained a good lifestyle for them because Malaysia could afford it during his time.

He delivered what he promised. The Opposition was nothing during his time. Now, it seems the Malays are doing everything wrong.

Maybe Huzir is not aware of all this because, in his time, when he wanted to go to school, his mother dropped him off; when he wants take a drive, he can take the highway; when he wants to buy things, he goes to the hypermarket.

We, in our time, had to walk to school, take a rickety bus to town, buy groceries from an old Chinese shop in the kampung. In the evenings, we had to help our mothers in the padi field, tap rubber, jual kuih, etc.

We appreciated the good deeds of others instead of highlighting their faults.

Huzir, ask yourself what have you done for the people, for the country. How many people’s lives have you personally touched?

Where were you when there was no water in our kampung, when the padi field did not yield a good harvest, when our children needed scholarships?

Have you ever been to a kampung, helped the needy, tasted what it is like to work in the padi field or vegetable plot, or tap rubber?

Jangan nak berlagak pandai. Just look deeper in your roots, then you will see the greatness that he has done rather than being preoccupied with finding his faults.

Taoyebah Abd Aziz

Ruling The Rulers - Part III

2008-05-13T09:05:00.003+08:00

Sunday Star: May 4, 2008

Mahathir vs the Malay Rulers

WIDE ANGLE
By HUZIR SULAIMAN

In the concluding instalment of the three-part series, Ruling the Rulers, our columnist looks at the outcome of Dr Mahathir’s 1983 standoff with the Sultans.

BY October 1983, Malaysians were becoming aware that a constitutional crisis was in full swing. The Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1983 had been passed by both houses of Parliament, but the King, under pressure from his fellow rulers, was refusing to give his Royal Assent to it.

The bill would remove the need for the King to assent to legislation, and would similarly do away with the need for Sultans to assent to State laws. It would also take away the King's power to declare an Emergency and give it to the Prime Minister.

The Rulers publicly rejected these amendments after a meeting in Selangor on Nov 20, 1983. When the public became aware that a storm was brewing, Dr Mahathir’s administration initiated a propaganda war to put pressure on the Rulers.

There took place a “series of illegal public rallies held by Umno in Alor Star, Bagan Datoh, Seremban, Batu Pahat, Malacca, for the Prime Minister with reports of officially inflated crowd figures?.” as Lim Kit Siang would later describe them in the Dewan Rakyat.

These rallies, staged in order to generate sympathy for the Government’s cause, were illegal in the sense that police permits were neither sought nor granted.

Whether or not the crowd figures were inflated by the Umno-aligned media – it is true that they generally reported these events in positive terms – it is clear that the 1983 rallies were exciting evenings, with republican sentiments on everyone’s minds, if not exactly on their lips. One of the most arresting images in Rais Yatim’s Faces in the Corridor of Power is a photograph of two youths at one such rally. They are wearing T-shirts bearing Dr Mahathir’s picture and the words “DAULAT RAKYAT”.

Although the Prime Minister denied wanting to abolish the monarchy, at these rallies “the historical moment of unfolding Malay nationalism was relived as a continuing battle of Malay popular sovereignty against royal hegemony,” as Khoo Boo Teik writes in Paradoxes of Mahathirism.

At a rally in Alor Star on Nov 26, Dr Mahathir declared that “It was the rakyat who had protested against the Malayan Union after the Second World War; it was the rakyat who wanted a democratic system that would enable them to choose their own leaders. It was always the people who had fought for their destiny.”

At the largest rally, in Batu Pahat, Dr Mahathir told the crowds, in a thinly veiled dig at hereditary rulers, “We weren’t born Ministers ? We’re up here because we were chosen by all of you.”

The propaganda war continued, with tales of royal extravagance and impropriety emerging. The Government leaked the fact that they were compiling dossiers on the Sultans. RTM announced they were preparing a year-long TV series on the Rulers and the Constitution.

Yet pro-royal rallies took place too – especially in Kelantan and Terengganu, where Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah was rumoured to be responsible for them – and they drew large crowds, although they went unreported by the media.

Upping the ante, the Umno Youth executive council called for the Government to gazette the Constitution (Amendment) Bill without waiting for the King's assent, effectively daring the Rulers to challenge it in court. Dr Mahathir did not immediately adopt this strategy, but held this “nuclear option” in reserve while behind-the-scenes negotiations continued with the Rulers.

Public opinion was divided over the issue. Rural Malays tended to support the Rulers; urban Malays, while not uncritical of Mahathir’s strategies and motives, were more ready to accept egalitarian ideas.

As for the Chinese community, R.S. Milne and Diane K. Mauzy note in Malaysian Politics Under Mahathir that “One might have expected that, since the rulers and the Agung were symbols of ‘Malayness’ the Chinese would feel little loyalty to them. Paradoxically, they were quite pro-royalty, because they did not really trust Malay politicians. Indeed, they viewed the Agung and the rulers as protectors of their vital interests.”

There seemed to be no way out of the impasse except by compromise – which is what happened. The Rulers agreed to the Constitutional (Amendment) Bill 1983 on the condition that many of its provisions were modified or repealed immediately with the introduction of the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1984.

The new bill, passed in January 1984, meant that the King could now only delay a piece of non-money legislation for a month. It then had to be sent back to Parliament with his objections. If the King still opposed it in the form in which Parliament then passed it, he could only delay it for another month before it was gazetted as law.

The King could therefore only delay legislation for up to two months before it became the law of the land.

But this principle was no longer extended to the State level: Sultans still needed to assent to State bills before they became law, which was an important symbolic victory. Most importantly for those who feared Dr Mahathir’s supposed plan to concentrate power in his own hands, the bill removed the proposed ability of the Prime Minister to declare an Emergency by himself, and restored it to the King.

Nonetheless, Dr Mahathir saw himself as having won, declaring at a victory rally in Malacca that the feudal system had ended. He had brought his theatrical, confrontational, unapologetically antagonistic style to a high-stakes arena and had, by some accounts at least, triumphed over the Malay Rulers.

He quickly moved to consolidate his gains. Stories had been circulating that the head of the army, Jen Tan Sri Mohd Zain Hashim, was opposed to Mahathir’s approach and believed the armed force’s loyalty lay with the Rulers. Mohd Zain took early retirement. This was followed by a reorganisation of the army and some 500 other early retirements and dismissals.

When the independent-minded Sultan of Johor took over as Yang di-Pertuan Agong in 1984, some feared (and some hoped) that royal activism would reassert itself.

As Roger Kershaw writes in Monarchy In South-East Asia: Faces of Tradition in Transition, “From the beginning, the Agong had made no secret of his contempt for Mahathir on the grounds of his mixed blood, calling him, to his face, ‘Mamak’ (a derogatory nickname for those of Indian Muslim ancestry). [?] But Dr Mahathir had proved more than a match for this difficult sovereign. Having got the measure of the King’s essential vanity and exhibitionism, he prudently pandered to it, even to the extent of placing a more convenient Royal Malaysian Airforce helicopter at his permanent disposal?.”

Through this and other measures, Dr Mahathir maintained good relations with the new King, enlisting him in his 1987 move against the judiciary, the effects of which are still felt today.

The Prime Minister’s campaign continued. He silenced the Rulers over the issue of the 1987 ISA detentions; staged a hostile debate on the monarchy in the 1990 Umno general assembly after the loss of Kelantan to PAS; removed the Rulers’ immunity to prosecution following the constitutional crisis of 1992-93; stripped away their flights, outriders, and special hospital wards; and in 1994, with little opposition, finally removed the need to obtain the Rulers’ assent for State laws.

Looking back, we can see how the bars of the yellow silk cage began to go up in 1983, closing in year after year.

Should we find it surprising, then, that after 25 years the tigers within should want to break free? Can we not understand that the Rulers might want to regain what has been lost?

And here is the hardest question of all: without giving up our democratic ideals, in a cynical and disloyal age, can we find a way to let our Rulers rule?

Huzir Sulaiman writes for theatre, film, television, and newspapers.

Ruling the Rulers - Part II

2008-05-13T09:03:00.003+08:00

Sunday Star: April 20, 2008

The Mahathir years

WIDE ANGLE
By HUZIR SULAIMAN

In the second segment of Ruling the Rulers, an analysis of the challenges faced by the Malay Rulers over the years, Wide Angle examines the post-Merdeka period.

THE 1960s, although a tumultuous decade for many other reasons, was relatively quiet in terms of intervention by the Malay Rulers in matters of administration and politics.

The relationship between the Sultans and the Alliance Government was still benefiting from the effort both parties had been obliged to make to find common ground in the run-up to their negotiations with the British in 1956.

(Eventually, the Rulers had been persuaded to drop their opposition to the granting of citizenship to non-Malays born in Malaya, a provision insisted on by the British, championed, naturally, by the MIC and MCA, and accepted by Umno only with a certain amount of trauma.)

But the honeymoon period of the new constitutional monarchy couldn’t last forever.

By 1981, when Dr Mahathir Mohamad succeeded Hussein Onn as Prime Minister of Malaysia, the country was in the giddy throes of a surge in royal activism.

The period from 1977 to 1983 saw several Sultans make their presence felt in the political arena to a far greater degree than had been previously seen.

The close of Hussein Onn’s premiership saw conflicts between several Sultans and Mentris Besar erupt into the open.

In 1977, the Sultan of Kelantan attempted to intervene in a crisis caused by the deteriorating relations between PAS and Umno (then in a short-lived alliance).

The Sultan attempted to postpone the dissolution of the State Assembly following a vote of no confidence in the Mentri Besar, in order that a replacement MB could be found from PAS without elections being called.

Unrest followed, which was ample pretext for the Federal Government to declare a State of Emergency in Kelantan. In the subsequent State elections, Umno came to power, a situation that the Sultan had been trying to avoid.

Things were heating up elsewhere, too. In 1977 the Sultan of Perak ostracised his Mentri Besar to the point that he was forced to resign. In 1978, the Sultan of Pahang rejected the Umno nominee for MB and, in 1981, the Sultan of Johor forced his MB to resign after 14 years in office.

We cannot know with any certainty what the new Prime Minister’s attitudes were towards the Malay Rulers when he assumed office in 1981 in the midst of this burgeoning atmosphere of royal assertiveness.

However, in Paradoxes of Mahathirism: An Intellectual Biography of Mahathir Mohamad, Khoo Boo Teik argues that “Mahathir was not necessarily an out and out ‘anti-royalist’. He found heroes in strong modernising sovereigns such as Peter the Great and the Meiji Emperor but his attitude towards the Malay royalty was less admiring.”

Khoo notes that “Mahathir’s disdain for the Malay rulers had ? been expressed in oblique criticism before.

“C.H.E. Det (Mahathir’s pen name in the late 1940s) had cast the 1949 conflict between the Malay royalty and the nascent Umno leadership as a conflict between ‘rulers and rakyats’. Then, C.H.E. Det stood with those who thought that the rulers had either to yield to the wishes of Umno and its supporters or to forfeit the loyalty of the Malays.”

What is almost certain is that Dr Mahathir would have been aware that the independent-minded Sultans of Perak and Johor were the two most likely candidates to become the next Agong in 1984.

Indeed, their Highnesses were shortly to demonstrate their autonomy in ways that led to a measure of public distress.

In 1982, the Sultan of Perak, in his capacity as Head of Religion in his State, looked at the two permissible methods used to calculate the timing of Hari Raya Puasa, and chose the one different from that used in the rest of the country.

That year the fasting month ended a day earlier in Perak, disrupting travel plans and inadvertently making it a rather stressful holiday for the Malay community.

The following year, both the Sultans of Perak and Johor used the alternate method, and their two States celebrated Hari Raya a day earlier than the rest of Malaysia.

Some commentators have suggested that the distress of the “variant Hari Raya” prompted Dr Mahathir’s subsequent desire to concentrate administrative power in the Federal Government.

But R.S. Milne and Diane K. Mauzy, in Malaysian Politics Under Mahathir, citing interviews with Umno ministers, suggest that what became known as the 1983 constitutional crisis “was precipitated by reports, received by Mahathir, that the Sultan of Johor stated at a gathering that when he was elected Agong he would unilaterally declare a state of emergency, and with the aid of the army, throw out all the politicians.

“Compounding this were stories that the Sultan was close to certain key military men, and that the army chief, General Tan Sri Mohd Zain Hashim, had criticised Mahathir’s approach and had questioned where the army’s loyalty rested.”

Whatever the case may be, on Aug 1, the Government brought the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1983 before both houses of Parliament, and it was quickly passed.

The bill put forward 22 amendments to the Federal Constitution, including three very significant changes to the position of the Malay Rulers.

First, it removed the need for the Agong to give his Royal Assent to a piece of legislation before it could be gazetted as law. Instead, it stipulated that if the Agong did not give his Assent within 15 days, he was deemed to have done so, and the law could come into effect.

Second, it introduced parallel provisions removing the need for a Sultan to give his Assent to State laws.

Third, it transferred the power to declare an Emergency from the Agong (who was, in any case, supposed to act on the advice of Cabinet in this regard) directly to the Prime Minister, who was not obliged to act on anyone’s advice.

The Prime Minister’s Department had ordered a press blackout on the Constitution (Amendment) Bill 1983 and, so, while the fact of the bill’s passing was mentioned, its significance was downplayed, and the debate – including an impassioned speech in opposition to it by DAP’s Lim Kit Siang – did not appear in local media.

For the following two months, nothing appeared. But a right royal storm was brewing.

Immediately, the liberal intelligentsia opposed the provision that allowed the Prime Minister to unilaterally declare an Emergency.

On Aug 2, 1983, Aliran issued a statement condemning the Bill, claiming the proposed amendment “opens the way to political abuse. For the Prime Minister is, in the ultimate analysis, a political personality very much involved in the conflicts and compromises of party politics. There is no constitutional mechanism for ensuring that he will not use his emergency powers against his political foes from any quarter.

“It is simply not possible to prevent an ambitious Prime Minister in the future from emerging as a ‘supremo’ after the proclamation of an emergency.”

But, under the strict press blackout, it was not reported.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to the public, the Agong, under pressure from his fellow Rulers, refused to give his Assent to the Bill.

The Rulers maintained that the Bill contravened Article 38(4) of the Constitution, which stated that “No law directly affecting the privileges, position, honours or dignities of the Rulers shall be passed without the consent of the Conference of Rulers.”

The Rulers had also come to understand the full legal implications of removing the need for Royal Assent to legislation. It meant that if Parliament voted to abolish the monarchy, the Rulers would be powerless to stop them.

Tensions continued to build behind the scenes. It was only in October, when Senu Abdul Rahman circulated a letter condemning the amendments, followed by Tunku Abdul Rahman defying the gag order by writing about them in the pages of this newspaper, that Malaysians woke up to the crisis.

There were also disagreements within Umno; as Gordon P. Means notes in Malaysian Politics: the Second Generation, “? many in the ruling coalition were distressed by the contents of the amendments and the confrontational style of Dr Mahathir towards the Malay Rulers.”

Some establishment figures believed the Prime Minister had far-reaching aims. In a 1988 interview transcribed in K. Das & The Tunku Tapes, Tunku Abdul Rahman and the veteran journalist discuss the constitutional crisis.

If one can look past the bitchy, surat layang (poison pen letter) tone of their stories about Dr Mahathir’s children, one can get a snapshot of the groundswell of suspicion.

Tunku: “You see, the Malays have a cause for adat, resam and so on ? tradition. I have a respect for it but he has none. He dislikes it. You see, his whole aim is to upset the constitution and turn this country into a republic. His son was in London talking quite openly amongst the students that his father is going to be the first President of Malaya.”

Das: “I head his daughter was also talking about it here ? Apparently she was caught talking about it at a party not knowing that behind her was one of the Tengkus from Negri Sembilan who overheard it. She said that as soon as the constitution amendment is signed, it is finished, we can become a republic.”

Against this background of suspicion, the 1983 constitutional crisis spilled out into the open, and the conflict grew even more intense.

In the next instalment of Ruling the Rulers, Wide Angle will look at the propaganda war and the resolution of the crisis. And, the other crises that lay in wait for Dr Mahathir and the Malay Rulers.

Huzir Sulaiman writes for theatre, film, television, and newspapers.

Ruling The Rulers - Part I

2008-05-13T08:59:00.003+08:00

Sunday Star: April 6, 2008

Ruling the Rulers

In the first of a two-part series, Wide Angle columnist Huzir Sulaiman looks at the challenges faced by our Sultans throughout history.

IN 1779, the Dutch Governor of Malacca commissioned a study of Malay court ceremonies. The scribes took as their source a learned mosque official named Abdulmuhit who knew of the traditional ways of the Malacca Sultanate two centuries past. The resulting manuscript, the Adat Raja-Raja Melayu, mentions the ritualised insolence of the Prime Minister towards the Sultan.

According to the commentary of Prof Panuti Hudjiman of the University of Indonesia, when the Sultan summons the Bendahara, or royal Prime Minister, to attend a betrothal ceremony, “the Bendahara has a peculiar way of responding to this royal summons. When the messenger approaches him for the first time, he replies, ‘Datanglah kita mengadap’ (We will come).

“Instead of going straight away to the palace, the Bendahara takes a bath. Again a messenger is sent, only to be told by the Bendahara to return to the palace, as the Bendahara is coming. The Bendahara lets people wait for him: he gets dressed, and waits for a third summons before he obeys.?

“This is to show his position in relation to the king: the Bendahara is chief advisor to the king and is regarded as the power behind the throne. The use of the pluralis majestatis “kita” (the royal “we”) must be an assertion of superiority or arrogance.”

This is not just an isolated case being reported; the Bendahara repeats this ritualised show of arrogance when a new Sultan is crowned and the Bendahara is called back to serve, refusing to approach until the third summons.

We can see from the Adat Raja-Raja Melayu that the tensions between the Malay ruler and his powerful ministers were already encoded in the culture of Malay kingship at the time of its early flowering in the Malacca Sultanate – and I would argue that we are seeing echoes of it today in the recent standoff between Seri Paduka Baginda Yang di-Pertuan Agong, who is also Sultan of Terengganu, and the Prime Minister.

It’s tempting to interpret the degree of interest shown by Their Highnesses the Sultans in the recent selection of Mentris Besar as a sudden flowering of royal activism, to be viewed with either glee or concern, depending on your attitude towards the Federal Government.

Seen from a historical perspective, however, this supposedly new royal intervention in the political arena is just the latest recurrence of the natural and understandable desire of the Malay ruler to actually do a bit of ruling once in a while – a desire that in the last 100 years has been continually constrained by the demands of British imperialists and Malay nationalists alike.

We should not be surprised that the Malay Rulers are making noise now; rather, we should be shocked that they have been quiet for so long. Much as they once had to deal with a ritually rude Bendahara, Their Highnesses have been obliged to accept as graciously as possible the interference of others.

In the colonial period, in the years before World War II, the Unfederated Malay States of Kedah, Perlis, Kelantan, Terengganu, and Johor had British Advisors who in the course of their “advising” attempted with varying degrees of success to govern indirectly.

From 1896, the Federated Malay States of Perak, Selangor, Negri Sembilan, and Pahang had British Residents imposed on them by treaty, and who governed quite directly, making proclamations and decrees that began with the famously offensive formula “The British Resident is pleased to?”.

The Japanese Occupation of Malaya saw some Sultans deposed by the new invaders, and others intimidated into cooperation. After the Japanese surrender, the British Military Administration presented itself to the Malay Rulers as the sole authority capable of recognising them as legitimate. If the Rulers were deemed to have collaborated with the Japanese or, more crucially, if they were not prepared to sign a new set of treaties turning over all their authority to Britain, they would be removed.

Brigadier H.C. Willan’s report on the Sultans on Oct 7, 1945, is a chilling example of the cynical exercise of power:

“In my view it would be wise to approach the Sultan of Johore first with regard to the negotiations for the new treaties. I think in his present state of mind he will sign. He is a realist and is fully aware that he is dependent on H.M.G.’s support ?

“(The Sultan of Selangor) is a pleasant person with not a very strong character and at present is so overjoyed at the return of the British and re-recognition of himself as Sultan, that in my view, he will sign the new treaty ?’’

“In my view the Yam Tuan of Negri Sembilan should be approached next. In his present state of mind he is somewhat depressed and appears to me to be perplexed as to how his State can recover itself and would welcome directions rather than advice?.”

In the end, on pain of being deposed in favour of someone more accommodating, all nine Malay Rulers signed the MacMichael treaties, giving up virtually all their sovereign powers, except those relating to religion and Malay culture.

This first step towards Britain’s planned Malayan Union angered the burgeoning Malay nationalist movement, but scholars have pointed out that it was not so much the curtailment of the Malay Rulers’ powers that affronted Datuk Onn Jaafar and his comrades, as it was the British proposal that citizenship be granted to non-Malays born in Malaya.

It was the perceived threat to the powers of the Malay community, as opposed to the Malay Rulers, that truly galvanised the nationalists. (Indeed, Onn was arguably ambivalent about the Sultans, having in his younger days written newspaper articles critical of the Sultan of Johor.)

On March 30, 1946, the Malay Rulers were gathered in Kuala Lumpur to attend the installation of Sir Edward Gent, the new Governor. As Harry Miller tells it in his biography of Tunku Abdul Rahman, “That afternoon Onn personally conveyed to the Rulers a message from the United Malays National Organisation that it was the ‘desire of their people’ that they should not attend the Governor’s installation, and, indeed, they should ‘desist from taking part in any function connected with the Union.’

“The message went further: If the Rulers insisted on meeting the Governor they would be disowned by the people, who were determined to boycott the Malayan Union.”

Thousands of demonstrators gathered in front of the hotel where the Sultans were staying, shouting “Daulat Tuanku!” and “Hidup Melayu!”

As Miller puts it, “The Rulers walked down to the great crowded porch to receive the obeisance of the demonstrators. This was also a touching scene, although the more unyielding of the leaders in the U.M.N.O. said later, ‘We brought them down those stairs to teach them a lesson. They were lucky we did not destroy them completely for having signed the MacMichael treaties. As it was, we told them we would support them.’”

Caught between the “rock” of the British colonial authorities and the “hard place” of the angry Malay nationalists, the Malay Rulers complained to London that they were coerced into signing the MacMichael treaties, boycotted the Governor’s installation, and maintained a distance from him in public (while maintaining warm and cordial relations in private) until the British realised that the groundswell of opposition to the Malayan Union was too strong, and backed down.

The Federation of Malaya, the compromise constitutional scheme reached in 1948, saw Britain appointing Advisors who were truly advisory, with the states’ executive powers passing to the Mentris Besar.

Nonetheless, it appears clear that the Malay Rulers still feared that they would be emasculated by Umno, and Onn could not entirely reassure them.

As Sir Malcolm MacDonald wrote to Sir Henry Gurney on Dec 15, 1949, “In my talk with him on December 12th, Dato’ Onn told me of his recent talk with the Mentris Besar ? They asked him whether he proposed that the Rulers should be ousted in the near future. He replied emphatically in the negative. He said that probably in due course at least many of the Rulers would be abolished, because the Malays themselves would wish this. But that would not happen for a long time and depended on Malay public opinion.” (Emphasis mine.)

For Malaysians of my generation, who have grown up conditioned by the Sedition Act to not entertain the slightest republican thought, it is shocking to hear the founder of Umno coolly tell the Sultans’ ministers that he supposed Malays would one day wish for the abolition of their Rulers.

Six decades later, that day is still unthinkable.

But from the pre-Merdeka negotiations of the Alliance through to the events of the 1981-2003 era – when the metaphorical Bendahara was not so much ignoring the Sultan’s summons as trying to do the summoning – the Malay Rulers have had to stoically endure many more attempts to curtail their powers. I will examine this in my next column.

> Huzir Sulaiman writes for theatre, film, television, and newspapers.

mystory - 12 may 2008

2008-05-12T18:17:00.003+08:00

news one.
The Star: Prove them wrong.

UMNO members must counter the notion that they are arrogant and corrupt, said PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi.

"We should not close our ears to these accusations. God gave us ears to hear. We must dispel these accusations against and clean up what is not right" he said, adding that there was strength in integrity, a virtue that every UMNO member must have.

my thoughts:

ironic.

mystory - 11 may 2008

2008-05-11T16:02:00.005+08:00

news one.

The Star: I'm up to it.

UMNO VP TS Muhyiddin has come out with the strongest indication yet that he would be contesting one of the top two positions in the December party polls.

He said he had received a lot of feedback from 'grassroots, advisers and proposers' who told him that it was time to move up the party hierarchy. As VP, a 'move up' would mean a challenge for the deputy presidency or presidency.

my thoughts:

This is the announcement that everybody has been waiting. Off late, the talk of leadership change has been very muted. so quite that some even questioned whether it would ever take place. this announcement surely puts the momentum back to full throttle.

there would be 3 senarios.

ONE, DS Najib stays loyal to PM Abdullah Badawi and defends his no. 2 position. therefore would fight-off the challenge from TS Muhyiddin. if that were to happen, i believe it would be a tough fight. but DS Najib would be the likely winner.

this senario favours PM Abdullah Badawi as nobody else would have the necessary clout to challenge him. not even Ku Li. many agree that he wont be able to get enough nominations for the top post. so PM Abdullah Badawi would remain as President. uncontested. and may then delay the transfer of power indefinitely.

but the interesting question is, who would PM Abdullah Badawi back in that fight between DS Najib and TS Muhyiddin? quietly of course. it is an open secret that, back in 2003, when he became PM, he was inclined to promote TS Muhyiddin as DPM, instead of DS Najib. not until Tun M 'intervened' by publicly saying that DS Najib should be the DPM. maybe this time around, PM Abdullah Badawi would get his wish after all.

TWO, DS Najib goes for the presidency and 'hand over' the no. 2 post to TS Muhyiddin - unless someone else do decide to contest for the post. so far nobody else has expressed any intention to do so.

In this senario, PM Abdullah Badawi certainly has the edge. simply because he has the advantage of being the incumbent. plus the quota system favours the incumbent. moreover, in the event of a 3-corner fight, (if both DS Najib and Ku Li manage to get enough nominations to fight PM Abdullah Badawi), PM Abdullah Badawi would likely be the winner - as the split between DS Najib and Ku Li would benefit PM Abdullah.

THREE, TS Muhyiddin jumps over DS Najib and goes straight for the top post. unlikely senario. i do not see this happening. but if that were to happen, again it favours PM Abdullah Badawi. and he would most probably be the winner.

this time around, i believe UMNO members would vote intelligently, with their conscience. and not be swayed by offer of money or positions of power. i would be counting on them to make the best decision for the party. for the Malays. for the country.

Today is UMNO's 62nd birthday. It is no coincidence that TS Muhyiddin has decided to make this all important announcement today. Every 11 may, UMNO members should take some 'time off'. and reflect on our contributions towards our party, our race and our country. TS Muhyiddin has done just that. and he has listened well.

pictures..

2008-05-11T02:54:00.002+08:00

a few pictures of the Forum "Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini".

Selamat Hari Jadi.

2008-05-11T01:25:00.003+08:00

Selamat Hari Jadi UMNO. Hari ini UMNO berusia 62 tahun. Dalam tempoh ini, UMNO telah melalui pelbagai cabaran dan dugaan. Sejarah UMNO mengajar kita supaya senantiasa mengekalkan perpaduan parti. Sejarah UMNO mengajar kita supaya senantiasa peka dan prihatin kepada suara serta hati jiwa orang Melayu.

Pada hari ini, marilah kita menilai semula sumbangan kita kepada parti, bangsa dan negara. Marilah kita mengambil ketetapan yang baru . Marilah kita membuat tekad yang baru. Taat setia kepada parti. Bukannya hamba kepada pemimpin. Berkhidmat kepada rakyat. Bukannya untuk diri sendiri. Semoga kita bersama dapat terus mendukung agenda serta aspirasi bangsa Melayu. UMNO itu Melayu.

Sempena Hari Jadi ini, saya secara peribadi ingin mengucapkan terima kasih kepada UMNO. Saya telah dapat meraih pelbagai ‘nikmat’, hasil usaha kerja UMNO.

Terima kasih kerana saya dapat menikmati kemerdekaan.
Terima kasih kerana saya dapat hidup di dalam sebuah negara yang aman damai.
Terima kasih kerana saya dapat menjalani kehidupan seharian di dalam suasana selamat dan tenteram.
Terima kasih kerana saya mendapat pendidikan.
Terima kasih kerana saya bangga menjadi rakyat Malaysia.
Terima kasih kerana saya dapat berdiri tinggi sebagai anak Melayu.

Hutang emas, saya boleh bayar (mungkin secara ansuran). Hutang UMNO, saya tidak mampu membayarnya. Apa yang terdaya ialah senantiasa bekerja untuk UMNO. Menjaga UMNO. Memperkasakan UMNO. Dan mengucapkan - Terima kasih UMNO!

mystory - 10 may 2008

2008-05-10T23:57:00.002+08:00

news one.
The Star: UMNO to win back 'runaway' members.

UMNO will take steps to win back support for the party and make sure that members remain loyal, said PM Abdullah Badawi.

"We have to take steps to get support back and make sure those with us remain with us and those who have 'run away' return".

'To do this, we must make sure that our party is strong and united and there is no quarrel among us".

my comments:

Well and good Mr Prime Minister. UMNO must continue to listen and act on behalf of the malay community. we have lost a lot of ground. lost our credibility to represent the malays. some have even questioned the relevancy of UMNO in the new political order. as such, i welcome your call.

in general, i believe UMNO members have remain loyal to the party. there are no 'real' quarrels among party members, except for jostling for positions. which is normal in a political party. and i do believe UMNO members are united. the only thing is that, they are not united with the current leadership! until and unless that is resolved, UMNO is not going anywhere.

as a whole, UMNO is intact. altho morale is low, especially in the 'fallen' states, the party's machinery is still solid. members are ready and raring to work. what they need now is leadership.

my speech

2008-05-10T21:13:00.008+08:00

this is my opening speech at the Forum "Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini".

As’kum w.r.t.h.

Salam Sejahtera.

Selamat datang ke majlis anjuran Sekretariat Melayu Muda.

Sekretariat Melayu Muda adalah satu perkumpulan informal yang didukungi oleh professional melayu muda. Sejak tahun 2000, kami senantiasa berusaha menyediakan platform untuk generasi muda berinteraksi dengan kepimpinan negara. Bersama berbincang mengenai agenda pembangunan bangsa dan negara.

Saya melihat banyak kawan-kawan lama. Ramai juga muka-muka baru pada malam ini. Terima kasih di atas kehadiran serta sokongan saudara saudari sekelian.

Kepada saudara-saudari ahli-ahli UMNO, saya ucapkan Salam Perjuangan.

Kepada saudara-saudari yang bukan ahli UMNO, saya ucapkan salam persahabatan.

Tetapi pada malam ini, itu semua tidak penting. Marilah kita buang dan tinggalkan label-label ini di pintu masuk. Kita berada di dalam dewan ini atas dasar persamaan. Iaitu bangsa kita melayu. agamanya islam. dan negaranya malaysia.

Di atas dasar persamaan inilah kita akan membincangkan topik forum pada malam ini iaitu – ‘Malaysia Baru : Senario Politik Masakini’.

Dan bersama kita untuk mengupas topik forum ini, ialah :

1. YB Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir – Ahli Parlimen Jerlun, EXCO Pemuda UMNO Malaysia, Ketua AMAN Malaysia.

2. YBhg Saudara Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah Sanusi – Pengerusi Pro-Tem Alumni Melayu UK (AMUKE), Ahli Dewan Profesional Muda Malaysia (Promuda), Blogger.

Terima kasih Datuk Mukhriz dan Saudara Akhram kerana sudi hadir pada malam ini.

Sebagaimana yang kita sedia maklum, pada 8 march 2008 telah berlaku tsunami politik di negara kita ini. Tidak pernah di dalam sejarah negara kita, kerajaan yang memerintah hilang 2/3 majoriti di Parlimen. Tidak pernah di dalam sejarah negara kita, 5 negeri dikuasai oleh kerajaan alternatif.

Rakyat telah bersuara. Dengan suara yang amat kuat dan jelas, mereka menyatakan tidak lagi sehati sejiwa bersama kerajaan memerintah. Mereka menuntut perubahan. Mereka mahukan sebuah kerajaan yang benar-benar bersih, cekap dan amanah. Bukannya sebuah kerajaan yang hanya melaung laung slogan tersebut.

Keputusan pilihanraya ke-12 ini telah menimbulkan pelbagai persoalan. What happened? – apakah telah berlaku ? what went wrong ? dimana silapnya ? what next? – apa seterusnya?

Keputusan pilihanraya ini juga telah menimbulkan keresahan. Bukan sahaja rakyat Malaysia. Malah para pelabur. Pelabur-pelabur sekarang merasa agak bimbang mengenai kestabilan politik di negara kita ini. Kerajaan memerintah dilihat sebagai goyah. Parti memerintah dilihat mengalami krisis kepimpinan. di tambah pula, kepimpinan Pakatan Rakyat menyatakan mengenai kemungkinan segelintir ahli-ahli parlimen akan lompat parti dan mereka bakal mengwujudkan kerajaan baru di dalam masa terdekat.

Oleh kerana itu, para pelabur mungkin mengambil pendirian ‘tunggu dan lihat’. Kita tidak boleh salahkan mereka. Dan ini boleh menjejaskan prestasi ekonomi negara kita. Kerana selama ini, kestabilan politiklah merupakan tarikan utama pelabur ke negara kita.

Jadi samada kita suka ataupun tidak, samada kita sedar ataupun tidak, keputusan pilihanraya ke 12 yang baru lalu akan mempunyai kesan ke atas negara kita dan kehidupan rakyat Malaysia. Sudah pasti, kita mengharapkan keputusan tersebut akan menghasilkan kebaikan. Tetapi kita juga perlu bersedia sekiranya ia membawa kesan yang buruk. “We hope for the best. and we prepare for the worst.” Mengharap yang terbaik, bersedia untuk yang terburuk.

Saudara-saudari - Siding hadirin

Saya menghantar jemputan ke forum ini kepada rakan-rakan melalui emel dan sms. salah seorang daripada mereka membalas emel saya. dan Emel tersebut berbunyi : ‘The last election, the concept of Bangsa or Ketuanan Melayu has been rejected. Especially if you're young. Does anyone in UMNO "get" that??"

maksudnya: ‘Pada pilihanraya yang lalu, konsep bangsa ataupun ketuanan melayu telah ditolak. Terutamanya jika anda orang muda. Adakah orang UMNO dapat mesej tersebut?’.

Walaupun saya telah mendengar ada yang mengatakan demikian, saya terkejut. Namun saya hormati pandangan beliau yang jujur.

Maka timbul 2 Persoalan. pertama – benarkah generasi muda menolak sama sekali konsep ketuanan melayu? Dan kedua, kenapakah generasi melayu muda sendiri menolak konsep ketuanan melayu ini?

Bagi saya, ketuanan melayu bermaksud melayu kekal berkuasa. Kenapa tidak? Bangsa melayu adalah penduduk majoriti. Dan sebagai penduduk majoriti, ia perlu memainkan peranan utama di dalam kepimpinan serta agenda pembangunan negara. Untuk melayu kekal berkuasa, bangsa melayu mesti memiliki salah satu daripada kuasa ini - kuasa politik ataupun kuasa ekonomi. Bangsa melayu tidak mempunyai kuasa ekonomi. Jauh sekali. Pegangan ekonomi kita masih sedikit berbanding bangsa bangsa lain. Oleh yang demikian, bangsa melayu mesti memiliki kuasa politik. Dan kuasa politik ini bukannya kuasa mutlak yang dimonopoli oleh bangsa melayu. Bangsa melayu memerintah bersama dengan bangsa bangsa lain. Ini penting kerana ianya menjamin kestabilan dan keharmonian negara kita.

Ketuanan melayu tidak sama sekali merendahkan bangsa lain. Ketuanan melayu tidak sama sekali menidakkan hak bangsa lain. Ketuanan melayu ialah satu doktrin untuk mengingatkan kita tentang perpaduan. Tentang maruah bangsa. Tentang sejarah bangsa. Kita tidak boleh lupa. Kita telah hilang kuasa politik dan juga kuasa ekonomi selama lebih 400 tahun. Pisang tidak boleh berbuah dua kali. Sekiranya kita hilang kuasa, kita tidak boleh salahkan bangsa lain. Kita adalah racun kepada bangsa sendiri.

Bangsa lain tidak perlu takut akan ketuanan melayu. Melayu bukannya bahaya. Malah melayu dalam bahaya. Lihat sahaja statistik statistik yang ada. Penagih dadah. Kes HIV. Siapa di atas? Bangsa melayu. Mat rempit. Siapa di atas? Budak budak melayu. Siswazah menggangur. Siapa yang ramai?! Anak-anak melayu.

Saya tidak percaya generasi muda menolak sama sekali konsep ketuanan melayu ini. Kenapa mahu ditolak? Ianya sesuatu yang mulia. Sesuatu yang baik. Untuk memartabatkan maruah. Meningkatkan daya saing bangsa melayu.

Saya berpendapat bahawa generasi muda bukannya menolak, tetapi merasa malu. Malu kerana Ketuanan Melayu telah dipolitikkan oleh sesetengah pihak. Dipergunakan untuk kepentingan peribadi. Hinggakan bangsa melayu dipandang serong. Hinggakan bangsa melayu dilihat sebagai perkauman.

Kita memakai pelbagai topi. We wear different hats.

Kita memakai topi sebagai seorang professional – sebagai peguam, petani, jurutera dan sebagainya.

Kita juga memakai topi sebagai ahli keluarga – seorang bapa, anak, ibu dan sebagainya.

Kita juga memakai topi sebagai seorang berbangsa melayu.

Kita juga memakai topi sebagai rakyat Malaysia.

Kita juga memakai topi sebagai seorang beragama islam.

Pelbagai bagai topi. Dan setiap topi ini mempunyai prinsip, pegangan serta pemikiran tertentu. Jadi apabila kita berdepan dengan sesuatu isu, kita akan merujuk kepada topi-topi ini.

Apabila bercakap mengenai isu islam, kita memakai topi islam. Apabila berdepan dengan masyarakat dunia, kita memakai topi rakyat malaysia.

Mungkinkah di dalam Malaysia Baru, kita tidak perlu lagi topi-topi ini? Kita hanya perlu memakai satu topi sahaja – dimana topi ini dapat merangkumi kesemua pegangan, prinsip serta pemikiran tersebut?

Di dalam senario politik masakini, apa yang pasti ialah bangsa melayu, terutamanya generasi melayu muda, memerlukan satu payung di mana kita boleh bergerak sebagai satu pasukan. Di mana kita boleh bersama di dalam agenda pembangunan negara.

Persoalannya - apakah wadah perjuangan tersebut ? UMNO ? Keadilan ? PAS ? atau perlukah satu wadah baru diwujudkan untuk menerima idealisma dan pemikiran generasi muda ?

Sekian. Terima kasih.

mystory - 7 may 2008

2008-05-06T15:38:00.008+08:00

news one.
"The Star: Finance Ministry plays major role"

The Prime Minister holds the Finance Minister's portfolio as the ministry plays a major role in the Govt's daily administration, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Dept DS Nazri Abdul Aziz.

He told Fong Po Kuan (DAP-Batu Gajah) that the Finance Ministry was an influential portfolio responsible for agencies like Bank Negara and the Securities Commission as well as GLCs, among others.

He said the PM could run the country effectively by holding on to the Finance's Minister's post.

my comments:

I disagree. as a rakyat, i strongly believe the Prime Minister should not at the same time hold the post of Finance Minister. it is a matter of governance and transparency.

as mentioned by DS Nazri, Finance Ministry is indeed very influential. not only in its role supervising agencies like Bank Negara etc. but also in its role as guardian of the country's treasury. and in its role in project planning and implementation. it has a big hand in determining who gets what - either through open tender or direct nego.

in the private sector, we would not see a CEO doubling as a Finance Director or CFO. it is just not accceptable. the separation is essential to provide some form of check and balance in the running of an organisation. so similarly, the Prime Minister as CEO of Malaysia Inc, should not hold the post of Finance Minister. He should appoint a professional to manage and safeguard our treasury. The Prime Minister should then concentrate to provide overall leadership as a CEO. setting vision for the country.

some might say, even Tun M held the post while he was the PM. so why not? my answer is simple. at that time we were still in a crisis mode. adjusting to the effect of the financial crisis. plus he held that post only for a short while. assuming the post after Tun Daim resigned.

If Malaysia is to be run as Malaysia Inc, then it must adopt best practices. all the way to the top.

The Star: 4 may 2008

2008-05-04T10:55:00.004+08:00

Youth wing faces new dilemma

INSIGHT
By JOCELINE TAN

Umno Youth’s two top leaders are struggling with their own demons as the wing struggles to find its direction in the new political landscape.

DATUK Mukhriz Mahathir was recently featured on the cover of a lifestyle magazine alongside Nurul Izzah Anwar.

The two newly elected MPs, one for Jerlun and the other for Lembah Pantai, were photographed standing back-to-back, in James Bond poses, with the caption, “It's our turn”.

Mukhriz is definitely in demand these days.

He is seen as a voice going against the political conventions in Umno and there is much interest in and curiosity about what this Jerlun MP has to say about politics and Umno.

On Wednesday, he was the prime speaker at a Sekretariat Melayu Muda gathering in downtown Kuala Lumpur. The other speaker was Akhramsyah Sanusi, an oil and gas engineer who also has a famous father, namely, former Umno strongman Tan Sri Sanusi Junid.

The warm reception accorded both men was also because of who their fathers are, given that the audience hailed from the “Mahathir generation”, people who grew up in the Mahathir era.

Both men were essentially speaking to a home ground kind of crowd because the Sekretariat Melayu Muda membership comprises youngish, well educated and, more important, thinking Malays. They are not into yes-men type of politicians and they appreciate critical thinking.

The crowd that evening was essentially seeking answers to the future of the country's Malay leadership after the March 8 results. And because quite a number of those present were Umno members, there was also an unmistakable concern about the sort of political culture surrounding Umno and the future leadership of Umno Youth.

“When you sit down and listen to what people say about Umno these days, it can be a painful experience,” said Akhramsyah, 34, an Umno member since age 20.

Many of them are watching developments in the Youth wing, especially the unfolding contest for the Youth leadership.

There is no doubt that Mukhriz appeals to their notion of a young political leader. They are quite critical of Datuk Seri Dr Khir Toyo and even more critical of Khairy Jamaluddin, the two other potential candidates.

But the trouble is that young Malays like them are not part of Umno's realpolitick and, thus, have little say on who leads the Youth wing.

And that is Mukhriz's dilemma. His appeal outside the party is greater than his appeal within. For instance, his attempt to meet up with Umno Youth division heads in Kedah resulted in only the Youth heads from Jerlun, Pendang and Merbok showing up.

But as some have pointed out, the Youth wing itself is facing its biggest crisis since the debacle of 1998.

Outgoing chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein is still reeling from the backlash from his apology of sorts over the keris.

The Umno rank and file basically find little wrong with Umno Youth's use of the keris, however offensive it may have been to those outside Umno. They regard Hishammuddin's apology as a sign of weakness.

Malay blogs have slammed him mercilessly and his aides have been deluged by critical smses.

To be fair, Hishammuddin had apologised to non-Malays as well as Malays. To the non-Malays, he said his intention was not to cause fear and that he regretted it. To the Malays, he was sorry he had been unable to defend their cultural symbol.

Hishammuddin was supposed to move on from the Youth wing in a blaze of glory but the general election losses have turned things topsy-turvy.

And with the apology backfiring in his face, he is probably at the lowest point in his political career. As the Malays say, it is truly a case of keris makan tuan (the keris has stabbed its owner).

He is quite aware of that and a few days ago, he said that he was willing “to sacrifice my political career for the party.”

He probably took a calculated risk in biting the bullet.

“I asked him about it and he said it was better to state it now than later. It is now up to the grassroots to evaluate and react to what he had said and done. He is prepared for the consequences,” said Penang Umno Youth chief Datuk Salim Bari.

Hishammuddin, as some have pointed out, is basically an urbane and civilised person at heart.

“He knew people were unhappy with him and he is trying to put the issue to rest so that people can move on to focus on the real issue,” said Umno Youth secretary Datuk Rahman Dahlan.

Hishammuddin is not alone in his dilemma. His deputy Khairy has also been badly damaged.

Actually, public opinion had not favoured Khairy even before the general election but like many political leaders, they seem cushioned from the real world outside and it took the March 8 results to drive the reality home.

It is ironic that groups like the Sekretariat Melayu Muda do not identify with him for he is basically of their generation.

Khairy's problem is the reverse of Mukhriz’s. He has support within Umno Youth but enjoys little respect outside the party.

Many people have noticed how Khairy has taken a much lower profile since the elections. He has in a way lost the mandate to comment on public issues and the next few months will see him concentrate on his role as a parliamentarian.

In that sense, most of the obvious candidates for the top Youth post are imperfect in their own ways.

But the bigger dilemma is that with the two top Umno Youth leaders struggling with their own demons, the wing is finding it hard to play its role or find its way out of the election aftermath.

Hishammuddin has been going down to meet the wing's grassroots leaders in states where the Barisan Nasional lost. He has been to Kedah and Penang and the feedback has been fierce and demanding. But underlying the complaints voiced, there was also a sense of confusion about where Umno Youth was heading.

The Youth wing is not as resilient as the Wanita wing and those in the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states are probably feeling quite lost.

Whoever takes over will have to seriously revamp the wing and bring in a new political culture.

Umno Youth has become rather too pro-establishment over the years. It has to try to reflect young Malay priorities rather than constantly defend the top leadership's stand on issues.

The next Youth chief also has to realise that he cannot be a Malay ultra in the party and still hope to be seen as a national leader to those outside. He will have to learn how to strike a balance.

It is also a known fact that many young people were turned off by politics because they see politicians as self-serving and politics as dirty and corrupt. Many of the Umno Youth politicians probably do not realise how off-putting it is to see young politicians arriving for village functions in a convoy of expensive SUVs.

Given that, many young Malays if not Malaysians, are likely to be drawn to the idealism and less conventional style of the new and young faces on the Pakatan Rakyat side.

These new wakil rakyat from the other side will be Umno Youth's biggest rivals for the support of Gen X.

Umno Youth will have to match the new talent from the other side if it wishes to re-establish itself among a wide spectrum of young Malays, be it rural youth or thinking professionals like those in the Sekretariat Melayu Muda.

Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini

2008-05-01T14:36:00.002+08:00

Alhamdullilah. the forum went well last nite. in fact it was better that expected.

firstly, the turnout. about 150 people registered to come. then yesterday noon, we heard more would be coming. so we added more chairs. and yet last nite, some guests had to stand. based on what i saw, my estimate would be 300 people attended. thank you everybody.

secondly, we had a lively discussion during the Q&A session. from the questions raised, it was evident that we had guests from both 'sides'. and it was good that altho we have different affiliations, we could still discuss issues rationally and openly. at the end of the day, we want the Malays to be strong and stay united.

special thanks to YB Datuk Mukhriz and Sdr Akhram for attending the forum.
thank you also to the organising committee. job well done.

i provide here a link to a blog belonging to Sdr Zakir. he attended the event last nite.

http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com/2008/04/30/mukhriz-kelemahan-pm-flip-flop-abdullah-tangani-masalah-sebab-no-1-rakyat-tolak-bn/

Today is the Day!

2008-04-30T02:22:00.004+08:00

Sekretariat Melayu Muda akan menganjurkan Forum: "Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini." pada hari ini, rabu 30 april 2008 @ 8pm di wisma sejarah, jln tun razak (di hadapan institut jantung negara).

panel forum:

1. YB Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir
Ahli Parlimen Jerlun, EXCO Pemuda UMNO Malaysia, Penyelaras AMAN Malaysia

2. Sdr Akhramsyah M.U. Sanusi
Pengerusi Pro-tem Alumni Melayu Uk & Eire(AMUKE) , Ahli Promuda, Blogger

datang. dengar. bersuara.

azrain adnan
pengerusi
sekretariat melayu muda

Ooi Chuan Aun.

2008-04-29T22:51:00.005+08:00

The Star today carried an interview with Jeff Ooi, under its My MP column. i have been following this column since it started right after the GE. i have to congratulate The Star on this initiative. a good way to 'humanise' our YBs. otherwise we only know our YBs as people who 'reside' in a house on Jalan Parlimen.

so who doesnt know Jeff Ooi. from blogger to politician. he is now an MP, representing DAP. and also the Chief of Staff to the Chief Minister of Penang. he should be credited for promoting blogging in malaysia. i would say, his blog, together with malaysiakini and malaysia today are the top three sites in the country. these are the sites where people would turn to to get 'inside info', or latest news. he has built such a credibility that people would quote his writings. even my friends would say - but Jeff Ooi said that..or Jeff Ooi said this. so it is not a suprise that in 2005, Paris-based Reporters Without Boundaries (RSF) voted his blog the 'Freedom Blog Asia', out of 60 blogs worldwide.

i read through the interview. questions ranged from type of music to what car he drives. interesting to know that Jeff Ooi plays the guitar. his fav song is Hotel California. he loves Indiana Jones series. and he hates golf.

and to the last question, he answered: Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. He is 70% a good man. he has fired the imagination of malaysians to excel.

what was the question?! "Name an idol (dead or alive) whom you look up to and why."

imagine that. coming from a DAP MP, i was shocked. pleasantly shocked of course. at a time when UMNO leaders (some of them anyway) are running down Tun M. and here is a man from a party that fought Tun M for more than 20 years, admitting publicly that he idolises Tun M. cool.

My Dear BALKIS..

2008-04-28T09:16:00.002+08:00

no la. i am not talking about a woman. but a group of women. BALKIS is Badan Amal dan Kebajikan Isteri-Isteri Wakil Rakyat Selangor (translation: Wives of Selangor Assemblymen and MPs Welfare and Charity Organisation). i have been following the BALKIS issue for the past week. a quick summary. three days after the recent GE, BALKIS members decided to dissolve BALKIS and had transferred RM 9.9 million from its coffer to BAKTI (Association of Wives of Ministers and Deputy Ministers).

i wont touch on its legality. if they say they acted within the constitution of BALKIS, then i would take their word for it. but i do have a couple of nagging questions to ask:

ONE, in Sunday Star, Datin Seri Zahrah Kechik, the head of BALKIS (wife of Dr Khir Toyo, ex Selangor MB), said that they did it to prevent the funds from falling into the hands of the new government. and Dr Khir was quoted as saying that they are worried the money, which was raised for the welfare of children, would not be used for the correct purpose.

it is heartening that you are concerned about the children. but on what basis made you worry the new government would use the money for other purposes and stop assisting the children?! if they were to do that, then the rakyat would know - we would make sure of that. and they would be 'punished' in the next GE.

TWO, in The Star today, Dr Khir said that the membership of BALKIS is not exclusive. wives of all reps and MPs could join, but membership was not automatic. it is subject to the approval of BALKIS's committee at the AGM.

If that is so, what is there to be afraid off. it means that the current committee can still have control of BALKIS by not admitting new members ie wives of Pakatan Rakyat's reps and MPs. let's not argue on morality - whether it is right to do so. i am talking purely on strategy. the current committee of BALKIS can still be in power and continue with their social work.

The dissolution of BALKIS and transfer of the money have left a bad taste in my mouth. it should not have happened in the first place. if you say it is an NGO, then leave politics out of it. you should have welcome the wives of other reps and MPs into BALKIS. and work together. as i said in one of my posts, social work is an area where both sides should and could work together. who would benefit here? the children. our children.

Glass Eye.

2008-04-27T20:53:00.007+08:00

Kaca Mata (translation: Glass Eye) is a column in Berita Minggu. the writer is none other than Hishamuddin Aun. the Big Boss himself - Group Chief Editor of the NSTP Group. in today's article, he wrote about BBC's HardTalk program with Tun Mahathir, that was aired earlier this week.

I am appalled. and disgusted. from the very beginning, this article is out to run down Tun Mahathir. he did little to present the interview in a wholesome manner. just taking portions of it to discredit Tun Mahathir. this is definitely not journalism. i know that NSTP is supposedly 'controlled' by the government. but this is very low indeed. truly unprofessional. this is a classic case of finding fault. if you are out to run down someone, you would find anything to use against him/her. you could well find a needle in the haystack. i have to ask this question. by writing this article, what do you get? what does the government get? more support? think again.

i have a confession. i am big fan of Tun Mahathir. i believe he is a great statesman. an outstanding leader. a thinker. a visionary. do i agree with all his policies/actions? mostly yes. but not all. (i can think off one right now. guess. clue: no. 6). is he perfect? no. (was taught that only our Prophet was perfect and beyond reproach). and that is exactly my point. he is human. and human makes mistakes. but with this 'imperfection', he did his best. and he achieved a lot. for the malays. for malaysians. for malaysia. for third world countries. etc etc etc. we had been very fortunate to have him as our PM. and we would be very lucky to have another leader with similar charisma in our lifetime. look at all civilisations. great leaders do not come often.

I watched the interview on You Tube recently. at one point, the host said:"is that why you were not a democrat..why you were in the end behaved like a dictator." it would be futile to argue if that is the perception. and already imprinted in their mind. so be it. i called it "necessary dictatorship".

mystory - 26 april 2008

2008-04-26T11:32:00.003+08:00

news one.
'The Star: Hisham regrets wielding keris."

DS Hishammuddin Hussein, UMNO Youth Chief, has admitted that his raising of the keris was among the causes of the BN's poor performance in the GE.

He said: " if it affected anyone, i cannot run away from the reality of it. i apologise to the non-malays and the malays. to the non-malays because of the fear to a symbol which was not my intention. and to the malays for not being able to uphold their symbol of heritage."

my comments:

thank you sir. it takes a man to apologise. and it takes a great man to accept responsibility. altho some would say it is too late - 'nasi sudah menjadi bubur'. but for me, it is never too late. hopefully everybody would accept this sincere apology. so that we can move on.

malays are not dangerous. in fact, malays are in danger. we are our own poison. just look at the statistics. drug addicts, HIV cases, etc. who top the lists? the malays. what about other social problems - mat rempits for example. who top the lists? the malays.

mystory - 24 April 2008

2008-04-24T09:11:00.003+08:00

news one.
"The Star: PM - work as a team."

PM Abdullah Badawi said he wanted political secretaries to work as a team and be people-friendly especially with the scrapping of the parliamentary secretary post.

He said this at the swearing in of 27 political secretaries to ministers.

my comments:

one notable name missing from this list is Datuk Norza Zakaria. looks like he is no longer the political secretary to TS Nor, the Second Finance Minister.

Datuk Norza is a member of UMNO supreme council. he is also the UMNO Youth Chief for Federal Territory. so he holds some powerful positions in UMNO. plus he is closely associated with Khairy Jamaluddin.

so wonder what is the real story here. did he ask to leave? or was he dropped? if yes, then why? the one that i heard is that. official story - he asked to leave to concentrate on something else. but the 'real' story is that he was dropped. either way, he would still be in the news. his name has been mentioned a number of times as a possible candidate for the position of UMNO Youth Chief. so is he making his move? we should know soon enough.

Kah Choon: Revisited

2008-04-23T16:15:00.002+08:00

Latest news. Datuk Lee Kah Choon had decided to quit Gerakan with immediate effect. this should be the end of this saga. at least for Gerakan and BN. Lim Guan Eng may still face some criticisms from his own party members. even Karpal Singh chided him for making the offer in the first place.

Gerakan and BN should surf the webs and blogs. then only they could gauge what the people think about this. by far, from what i could gather, people have given their support and approval. and they want to see more cooperation from both side of the aisle. because at the end of the day, who would benefit? our people. our country.

mystory - 22 april 2008

2008-04-22T08:00:00.005+08:00

news one.
"The Star: Bad move, Kah Choon told."

DS Najib said, members of BN component parties should not take up appointments in Pakatan Rakyat-led state governments.

(Former Gerakan deputy Sec-Gen, Datuk Lee Kah Choon decided to accept the appointments as director of InvestPenang and Penang Development Corporation. Datuk Lee said that he accepted the posts to serve Penang and its people. He also considered politics as history for him.)

DS Najib added: "Since it is a party matter, i want to know Gerakan's stand on this. as a matter of principle, Barisan doesn't encourage or allow any of its members to be working for the opposition."

Meanwhile, Gerakan adviser, DS Dr Lim Keng Yaik said it would be difficult for Lee as both Gerakan and DAP would be suspicious of him - "Gerakan will be wary of him as he will be promoting the agenda of the Pakatan Rakyat state government, while DAP would be guarded as he is still a Gerakan member."

Lim Guan Eng, Chief Minister of Penang - who made the offer, said the state government was charting a new course with Lee's appointment and he was ready to face any criticism as the move was part of the reform process. he added: "let us take the bitterness and unnecessary anger out of politics."

my comments:

Lim Guan Eng is either very brave and very smart, or very stupid. since i know little of him, i must assume he is brave and smart. (was taught to see the good in people unless seen or heard otherwise). he has made a shrewd move. a calculated gamble. as i see it, with this one stroke, he gained tremendous goodwill and approval from the public - the rakyats. for many many years, the rakyats have seen partisan politics whereby the ruling party and the opposition 'quarrel' on every issue - agree on nothing, disagree with everything. let alone working together. i believe many of the rakyats, especially Penangnites, regardless of political affiliation, would back Lim Guan Eng on this. am not too sure however what his party members would say. if they look at the big picture, they must support him coz what he did is for the best interest of Penang, so he claimed. isnt it the objective of any political party to serve the people with their utmost ability?

so the ball is in Gerakan's court now. also BN's. what action to take against Datuk Lee? if they do not take any action, then it is as good as saying it is ok for their members to work for the opposition. and therefore breaking/bending their own golden rule of not 'sleeping with the enemy'. if they reprimand him, some would say it is too light. if they expel him, that may further alienate the support of the rakyats - which something they do not want to happen. so what to do? very tricky indeed. Datuk Lee should know better and resign as a Gerakan member. make life easier for everybody.

my gut feeling is that, Gerakan would not take any action against Datuk Lee. Gerakan performed badly in the recent GE. and they lost Penang - their crown jewel. (it would take a long time for them to win back Penang. akin to what UMNO faces in Kelantan.) they need to win back the support of the rakyats - fast! they need to show that they are willing to work with the present state government for the benefit of the people - people first, politics second. plus, they may argue that those appointments are professional in nature and not political. as such, do not clash with BN's ideology. so Gerakan in their meeting this sunday may decide to do just that and let it be. if that is so, what is BN going to do? would they then 'reprimand' Gerakan?

(remember what happened to Datuk Sothinathan? In 2005, Datuk S. Sothinathan, the then Deputy Minister of Natural Resources & Environment, was suspended for 3 months as a deputy minister, for breaking ranks with the government. apparently he criticised the government in Parliament on an issue pertaining to the de-recognition of Crimea State Medical University.)

anyway, hypothetically, if we were to look at 3 key areas seperately- politics, economics and sosial, there may be room where both sides can work together. obviously politics is out of the question. but the other two areas should and could be explored. for example, if a PAS member is a recognised and respected scholar in islamic law and economics, why not appoint him/her as a director of Tabung Haji? or Bank Islam? or appoint a DAP member as a member of Social Institute of Malaysia, if he/she has the expertise and experience? if everybody can embrace the big picture and be professional, it may work. who knows. but someone must start the ball rolling. or has it?

Letter to NST Editor - 21 April 2008

2008-04-21T14:12:00.002+08:00

JUSTICE FOR JUDGES:
It’s not Abdullah who should apologise
Abdul Rahman Suleiman, Kajang

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/Letters/2219285/Article/index_html

As someone who lived through the 1988 judicial crisis, I am happy that the prime minister has brought closure to this matter. His acknowledgement of the contributions, pain and suffering endured by the sacked and suspended judges was a sincere gesture of healing a wound that has never been treated or even looked at for the last 20 years.Some would have preferred an outright apology and others would have wanted the entire episode to be reviewed thoroughly. But, as the prime minister said, it is time for us to move on.I am sure that for many, the government's recognition of what the judges have gone through is a sufficient gesture to bring this matter to a close.While the prime minister was right to say that the goodwill ex gratia payments made to the judges cannot be equated to the humiliation they endured, it is nonetheless an offer made in good faith.

This is especially befitting since these judges lost out on their incomes, their full pensions and any post-retirement appointments in the corporate sector because many of them were ostracised by the government. I only hope the ex gratia payments reflect these losses the judges endured. I also think the question of an apology is best put to those who were actually involved in the judicial crisis. As far as I remember, the present prime minister was sacked from the cabinet before the judicial crisis for being part of the so-called Umno "Team B" that challenged Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamed in the party election.In fact, the roots of the judicial crisis go back to that Umno dispute which resulted in the "old" Umno being deregistered by the courts and increasing Dr Mahathir's anger towards the judiciary.

So, the question of the prime minister apologising for something that he never had a hand in does not arise.If anyone needs to apologise to Tun Salleh Abas and his contemporaries, and arguably to the nation, for destroying the judiciary, it is Dr Mahathir. But we know that such an apology will not be tendered. Dr Mahathir has said that the dismissal of the judges was legal and constitutional, and will continue to hide behind this excuse, even though any informed Malaysian with a memory of the crisis remembers that it was a political move to crush the judiciary.But it must not just be Dr Mahathir who apologises.

We very quickly forget that one of Dr Mahathir's strongest cheerleaders during the judicial crisis is still very much on the political stage today.For those who remember, we will not easily forget that Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim -- the self-styled champion of justice today -- was one of the most outspoken politicians defending the sacking of the judges in 1988.It is ironic and sad that his wife, Datin Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, could share a table with Salleh at the Bar Council dinner without even acknowledging that her husband, too, had a role to play in the destruction of our judiciary.

In his blog, Anwar has the temerity to criticise the government for not tendering a simple apology. He must think Malaysians had forgotten his role in this. If Anwar is truly the "leader-in-waiting" that he claims to be, he must apologise for being a part of the attack on the judiciary.

my comments:

spot on. there is a saying " jika kita menunding jari kepada orang, 3 jari menunding ke arah kita". (translation: if you point a finger at someone, three fingers would point at you"). try it.

mystory - 21 April 2008

2008-04-21T12:42:00.002+08:00

news one.
"Berita Harian: Muhyiddin jawab kritikan 'tak cerdik'."
http://www.bharian.com.my/Current_News/BH/Monday/Nasional/20080421104824/Article/index_html

KUALA LUMPUR: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin semalam menjawab kritikan Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz yang membidas segelintir pemimpin Umno, termasuk menggelar mereka menteri yang 'tidak cerdik' kerana terus meminta Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi berundur sebagai Perdana Menteri. Naib Presiden Umno itu berkata walaupun Mohamed Nazri tidak menyatakan nama menteri yang dimaksudkannya, ia mungkin merujuk kepada dirinya kerana beliau antara menteri yang banyak memberikan pandangan mengenai perubahan kepimpinan dalam parti. “Kalau yang dimaksudkan itu adalah saya... saya sedar saya tidak secerdik beliau. Kelulusan saya pun tak setinggi Mohamed Nazri dan pandangan saya agak sempit dan kekampungan,” katanya yang juga Menteri Perdagangan Antarabangsa dan Industri.

Beliau mengulas kenyataan Mohamed Nazri kelmarin yang membidas segelintir pemimpin Umno termasuk yang bergelar menteri kerana tidak putus-putus menyarankan Abdullah berundur sebagai Perdana Menteri. Muhyiddin berkata, agak aneh apabila ramai tokoh politik dan bukan politik dalam serta luar Umno bersetuju serta memberi sokongan kuat kepada kenyataan yang beliau buat mengenai kepemimpinan Umno dan masa depan orang Melayu. “Kalau tak cerdik saya, maka tak cerdiklah mereka. Lagi pun saya tak pernah menyebut di mana-mana sama ada dalam wawancara atau kenyataan kepada media bahawa saya sudah meminta Perdana Menteri meletak jawatan walaupun saya ada menyatakan perlunya perubahan dalam Umno termasuk dari segi kepemimpinan dan yang lain.

“Sebenarnya yang menyarankan agar diadakan pelan peralihan kuasa secara berhemah oleh Umno Johor datang dari saya. Dia kata Perdana Menteri dipilih oleh rakyat tetapi mengikut pandangan saya yang tak cerdik ini tak tepat. Abdullah sebenarnya dipilih oleh ahli Umno yang memilih beliau sebagai Presiden dan mengikut konvensyennya sebagai Pengerusi BN dipilih sebagai Perdana Menteri,” katanya. Ahli Majlis Tertinggi (MT) Umno yang juga Pengerusi Gagasan Badan Ekonomi Melayu (Gabem), Tan Sri Rahim Thamby Chik, pula berkata ahli Umno bebas memberi pandangan mengenai apa saja isu atau hal ehwal berkaitan situasi Umno serta masa depan orang Melayu. Sementara itu, Ketua Penerangan Puteri Umno, Datuk Shahaniza Shamsuddin, berkata adalah lebih baik semua ahli Umno berhenti bercakap dan jangan memberi tekanan kepada Perdana Menteri.

my comments:

enough said.

mystory - 21 April 2008

2008-04-21T10:21:00.002+08:00

news one.
"The Star: Dont waste money on needless luxuries, agencies told"

The Finance Ministry has instructed all government agencies to reduce frills when organising official funcions to cut cost and prevent wastage.

Second Finance Minister, TS Nor Mohamed Yakcop said a circular has been sent out earlier, but he was 'renewing' the directive as a reminder to all department heads.

"Government agencies should not hold events at five-star hotels, which is quite unnecessary and very costly".

my comments:

great call Tan Sri. hopefully it does not stop there. shouldnt it involve GLCs as well? for a start, why not make them use Proton as official company cars. if Proton is good enough for our Prime Minister, it should be good enough for any CEOs. except for certain companies like Sime Darby. why? coz sime darby is in the motor industry selling brands like BMW, Ford and Hyundai. so these car brands are used as company cars. others have no reason not to use Proton.

UMNO should follow as well. imagine this. UMNO has three wings - Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri. each has its own set of programs/events every year. more often than not, each event/program organised by either one of the wings, would involve a set of cap and t-shirt with logos and what not. if say Pemuda organises 10 programs every year, most likely there would be 10 sets of caps and t-shirts. that is only at the national level. not counting the programs at divisional and branch levels. so at year end, one would have a collection of caps and t-shirts, that most likely would not be worn anymore except maybe for sleeping or gardening.

some would argue that these items are essential to commemorate and promote the events. the question is - whether we can get the desired results without them? the impact of the program. if we can save money without the 'non-essentials' then we can organise more programs for the benefit of the members and rakyats. and we can reach out more. form vs. substance.

news two.
"The Star: Dr M - Najib should not be PM"

Tun Dr M said he had second thoughts about DS Najib becoming Prime Minister as Najib has failed to speak up about the real reasons behind BN's losses in the GE.

He said that Najib was not 'brave enough' to directly say anything that was not liked by his boss.

"Najib will face competition from others such as Muhyiddin, Rais Yatim, you never know". However, Tun M said if PM abdullah adawi were to step down now, it would pave the way for a smooth transition as Najib would succeed him in accordance with UMNO tradition.

my comments:

this is the second time Tun M has expressed his 'dissatisfaction' with Najib. earlier this month, at a forum organised by mykmu.net, he said: “For now, I can’t say who (should replace Abdullah). Although I have said before it should be Najib, I don’t know why for ‘some reason’ I have now changed my mind." as i wrote in my earlier post, i dont think Tun M is actually withdrawing his support to DS Najib. i dont see that happening.

i believe Tun M is frustrated that DS Najib is playing it safe - too safe. not willing to take the risk and speak out against the boss. of course, that is one of the 'pitfalls' being the no 2. DS Najib has to be very careful of his actions and words. he is expected to obey the boss - through thick and thin. in sickness and in health. one wrong move may be the beginning of the end of his long political career.

Tun M is still influential. whatever he says still carry a lot of weight. if he is frustrated, then UMNO members will get frustrated together with him. therefore, DS Najib must act now.

mystory - 20 april 2008

2008-04-20T18:53:00.003+08:00

news one.
"Mingguan Malaysia: Tak berhak minta PM letak jawatan."

UMNO tidak berhak meminta PM, DS Abdullah Ahmad Badawi meletakkan jawatan sebagai Presiden UMNO dan Perdana Menteri. Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri, DS Mohamad Nazri Aziz berkata, ini kerana pemilihan Abdullah sebagai Perdana Menteri dibuat oleh rakyat, justeru UMNO tidak boleh menafikan hak rakyat.

"Kenapa UMNO menafikan hak rakyat yang pilih Pak Lah sebagai Perdana Menteri dengan memintanya meletak jawatan. UMNO tidak ada hak menafikan kemahuan majoriti pegundi yang mengundi Barisan Nasional, yang tahu Pak Lah adalah Perdana Menteri" katanya.

Menurutnya, adalah tidak sesuai bagi parti meminta Perdana Menteri meletak jawatan kerana semasa pilihan raya yang lalu, rakyat telah memilih BN yang menjadi parti majoriti di Parlimen.

my comments:

with all due respect DS Nazri, in this country the rakyats do not choose the Prime Minister. in an election, the rakyats would choose the party that they think would be best to govern the country. this is not America whereby the voters directly elect the President.

BN has 14 component parties. As a coalition, it works on consensus. in theory, the leaders of BN would deliberate and choose among themselves who would lead BN and become the Prime Minister. by tradition, the President of UMNO would also be the Prime Minister. simply because UMNO is the biggest party in the coalition - it has the most number of members and most number of elected representatives. as such, the President of UMNO is deemed to have the mojority of the support.

and who elects the President of UMNO? its members. every 3 years, UMNO election would take place to elect its top leaders. and that 'power to elect' rests with some 2500 delegates. they elect the President of UMNO. and indirectly elect the Prime Minister as well. that is why UMNO election is closely watched by everybody.

therefore, the members have every right to ask PM Abdullah Badawi to step down as the President of UMNO. by stepping down he would have to resign as the Prime Minister as well - it's a package deal. 2 in 1 kind of thing. well, theoretically he can continue as Prime Minister without being President of UMNO if he can get the BN MPs to support him. but that is highly unlikely. in this country, tradition goes a long way.

mystory - 18 april 2008

2008-04-18T10:10:00.002+08:00

news one.
"The Star: Delivering justice, Renewing trust"

PM Abdullah Badawi addressed the Malaysian Bar council dinner last nite, and delivered a speech titled - Delivering justice, Renewing trust. among the things he touched on:

ONE, PM Abdullah Badawi called for everybody to work towards a new chapter in Malaysian judiciary.

TWO, a Judicial Appointments Commission would be set up to make the process of nominating, appointing and promoting judges more transparent.

THREE, a review of the judiciary's terms of service and remuneration to ensure that the Bench can attract and retain the best talent.

FOUR, he also spoke on the 1988 judicial crisis. "For me, personally, i feel it was a time of crisis from which the nation never fully recovered".

my comments:

Judiciary is one of the pillars of government. the other two being - the executive and the legislature. judiciary plays a very important role in any government system. a strong and respected judiciary would be good for the country. it provides stability. it provides a just recourse for all.

I fully support any judicial reforms that would create a strong, efficient and respected judiciary. Thank you PM Abdullah Badawi.

However, as i wrote in one of my earlier posts, i still have reservations about the appointment of TS Zaki Azmi to the bench and his rapid promotion. PM Abdullah Badawi mentioned in his speech last nite that "...a judiciary that delivers justice and is seen to deliver justice".

as such perception is important. perception is important in politics. what more the judiciary. i was told, a perception of biased can be a ground for appeal in a court case (correct me if i am wrong. i am not a lawyer). in no way i am questioning TS Zaki's integrity and professionalism. he may be fully qualified to be elevated and promoted. it's only a question of perception.

mystory - 17 april 2008

2008-04-17T08:16:00.003+08:00

news one.
"The Star: Leadership change before elections, says Shahrir"

Datuk Shahrir Smad said the change in the UMNO leadership can take place any time as long as DS Najib Tun Razak has sufficient time to prepare for the next general election.

meanwhile, Johor Wanita UMNO chief said that the transition process must start now, and not after the party elections. It must be done now so that a new management would be ready after the party elections in December.

Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir echoed a similar sentiment and said that the leadership should not wait until after the polls.

news two.
"The Star: Najib - Abdullah didnt say when he will step down"

DS Najib had a meeting with leaders of UMNO Selangor to gather feedback on the party's performance in the recent GE. outside the meeting place, banners were put up urging Pak Lah to set down sooner than later: "We love Pak Lah but we love UMNO more. speed up the transition of power to Najib and Muhyiddin".

According to DS Najib, PM Abdullah Badawi has not expressed his intention to hand over power in 2010. PM Abdullah Badawi has not given any indication of timing as yet.

my comments:
some still believe PM Abdullah Badawi should stay and continue to lead. but they are in the minority. most have accepted that the change in leadership is inevitable. this transfer of power is a very important piece in the healing and rejuvenation process of UMNO. any delay would definitely not be in the best interest of the party.

while we are engrossed with this leadership issue, who is actually monitoring and checking on the opposition? they are quietly working and strategising. they are solidfying their cooperation - moving forward together. they are gaining momentum without much fight - inch by inch. or maybe metre by metre now. and we cannot fight back 100% unless this leadership issue is settled quickly. then only we can fight, we can attack to win back the support of the malays. and the rakyats.

(by the way, there is not a single news covering PM Abdullah Badawi in The Star today - none. did he not have any official functions yesterday? is he on leave?)

mystory - 16 April 2008

2008-04-16T13:59:00.002+08:00

news one. (The Sun)

DS Rafidah Aziz, Wanita UMNO Chief, had a meeting with wanita UMNO leaders yesterday. here are some of her remarks:

ONE, "remember, we are not just changing the UMNO president, we are changing the prime minister. other parties can change their president tomorrow, they can tell their president to go today; not UMNO. we are talking about the prime minister and this country has never had a prime minister who has been pushed out in our history; always remember that".

TWO, "no one should say 'i'm free of blame', there should be no such nonsense as everyone at all levels - be it president, deputy, exco, supreme council and grassroot level - should not absolve themselves of blame. only the proportion of the blame is different, but it is not fair to point fingers".

my comment:

i agree on point one. yes it is unprecedented. but we are also in unchartered waters. new political senario altogether. BN lost its 2/3 majority - never before. the opposition won so many parliamentary seats, plus 5 states - never before. as they say - there is always a first for everything. so under these new circumstances, should we stick to our so-called tradition of doing things? we are in a crisis. and crisis demands immediate and drastic measures.

i am 100% with you Datuk Seri on point two. everybody must shoulder the blame. but more importantly, be accountable. be responsible. if you just shoulder the blame but do nothing, what is the point. and it is not a case of pointing fingers, it is about accountability. politicians always talk about accountability. but somehow, it is only talk. it seems that everybody else must be accountable except politicians. when GLCs do not perform well, you install new CEOs. you make the CEOs accountable. well and good. but when you lose a state, what do u do? nothing. you continue to be the state liaison chairman. is there no honour in politics anymore?

one more thing Datuk Seri. i propose you to be the new sec-gen of UMNO. your combative style may be what UMNO needs in this new political landscape.

mystory 16 April 2008 - malaysia in history

2008-04-16T09:46:00.005+08:00

news one.

last week i wrote that MUBARAK (Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat) would be meeting PM Abdullah Badawi. yesterday they did. conclusions from the meeting:

one, MUBARAK President denied that the association gave its support to PM Abdullah Badawi and wanted him to stay on.

two, the association supports the transition from PM Abdullah Badawi to DS Najib in a systematic and gentlemanly manner.

three, the transition is to restore the confidence of the public and UMNO members.

my comment:
this is another call for PM Abdullah Badawi to step down. although they no longer hold any high ranking UMNO or government positions, members of MUBARAK are prominent figures - that includes former ministers, MBs, supreme council members etc. many of them are peers of PM Abdullah Badawi when they were active in politics. so what they say still carry some weight.

news two.

Dato Seri Azalina Othman Said, the Tourism Minister said a couple of things today:

one, she only plans to contest for an UMNO Supreme Council post. she denied talk that she would challenge DS Rafidah Aziz for the post of Wanita UMNO Chief.

two, she also said that it was inappropriate for party members to ask PM Abdullah Badawi to step down as UMNO president. we should not disrecpect our leaders by telling them they are no longer wanted. It is not Malay culture for leaders to be told to step down.

my comment:
let me ask this. is disparaging our past leaders part of our culture? dont think so. Tell that to your cabinet colleagues Dato Seri.

we cant pick and choose which part of our culture to suit our intention. for example: when a muslim man wants to marry more than one, he would say to his wife - "Darling, in islam i am allowed to have up to 4 wives". yea now you talk about the religion. what about other tenets of islam - do you uphold them? maybe not. so you use part of the religion to suit a particular intention. get the drift? same case with our culture. bashing past leaders seem to acceptable, as many leaders are doing it. but to criticise the current leadership is not part of our culture - un-malay?! where is the logic. what about being accountable - is that un-malay also?

Ketuanan Melayu

2008-04-15T20:46:00.008+08:00

Yesterday, i sent out invitations to the forum "Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini", to a number of friends and acquaintances. One of them replied: "The last election, the concept of Bangsa or Ketuanan Melayu has been rejected. Especially if you're young. Does anyone in UMNO "get" that??" (translation: ketuanan melayu=malay supremacy). i was shocked, to say the least. one, coz it came from a fellow malay. two, coz it was very blunt. all the way home, i kept thinking about it.

so i have to ask this question - is it really so? that the concept of Ketuanan Melayu has been rejected, by the malays? if yes, then why the malays, especially the young ones, are rejecting it? and what can UMNO do to correct it, if it can at all?

before we answer that, what is actually Ketuanan Melayu? for me, ketuanan melayu simply means that political powers reside with the malays. ketuanan melayu does not mean malays are superior than other races. ketuanan melayu does not mean malays get all, keep all. ketuanan melayu does not mean malays can do whatever they like, whenever they like. in fact, ketuanan melayu is meant to remind malays to stay united and stay focus. it is meant to instill pride so that malays can stand tall with other races of the world. it is to remind the malays of their roots, culture and history. so ketuanan melayu is not meant to scare or belittle other races. far from it. we lost our political and economic powers for more than 400 years. why? because of our own internal squablings and jealousy. we know what happened before. history must not and can not repeat itself. once bitten, twice shy!

this is my own understanding of ketuanan melayu. others may have their own interpretations. and their actions are based on their own interpretations of ketuanan melayu. so you have malays spread across the board - from one extreme to the other. but i believe the majority of the malays are in the middle - recognising the fact that we live in a multi racial country. as such subscribing to the principles of sharing, tolerance and understanding. working together. and co-exist. should malays be apologetic when they speak out about rights and privilleges? no. should other races question these rights and privilleges? no. why? coz nobody is going to win if we go down that road. these rights and privilleges have been provided for and agreed by our forefathers. so let's move on.

so if some malays do reject ketuanan melayu, what are they actually rejecting? the concept itself? or the implementation of the concept? or both? whatever reasons given, we come back to these two - the concept and the implementation. personally i could not find fault with the concept. it is a mechanism to keep us on our toes - a reality check. so that we stay true to our objective - to uplift the maruah (dignity) of the malays. and i believe malays, young and old, still support the concept of ketuanan melayu. it is noble. to an extent sacred. how can they reject it?! if that is the case, then it must be becoz of the implementation. that is Sherlock Holmes' logic - if we eliminate all the impossibles, whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.

the implementation has been less than desirable. issues of cronisym and transparency have been raised many times. the actions of some malays, including some politicians, did not help either. some may have gone overboard with their actions and words. but to be fair, most of the times, they were pushed to the corner by certain quarters. so they reacted accordingly. for example - certain quarters kept harping on whether malaysia is an islamic state. why, why, why?! it is enschrined in the constitution that islam is the official religion. so drop it. leave it at that.

so if implementation is the factor, then it is fixable. new ways of doing things could be put in place. the way we re-act to issues could be done in a more acceptable manner. so my friend, to answer your question - does people in UMNO 'get' that?. i can only say, i sure hope so. for the sake of the malays.

Dream Team.

2008-04-15T14:50:00.004+08:00

Peralihan kuasa (translation: transfer of power) is the hottest topic in town now. from coffee shop to coffee house. from perlis to sabah. some are excited. some are anxious. some are elated. whatever it is, most agreed that this transition of power would be the start of the rejuvenation process of UMNO. only a start. UMNO has five years to win the hearts and minds (and aslo souls) of the malays. and the rakyat.

Would this be the dream team?

President: DS Najib Tun Razak

Deputy President: TS Muhyiddin Yaasin

Vice Presidents:
DS Hishammuddin Tun Hussein
Datuk Ahmad Zahid Hamidi
Dato Abdul Ghani Othman

Youth Chief: Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir
Deputy Youth Chief: Razali Ibrahim

Wanita Chief: DS Shahrizat Jalil

Puteri Chief: Nolee Mohd Radzi

Sec-Gen: DS Rafidah Aziz

Treasurer: Datuk Dr Awang Adek

Info Chief: Datuk Md Alwi Che Ahmad

Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini

2008-04-14T16:11:00.001+08:00

As'kum.

Salam Sejahtera.

Sekretariat Melayu Muda, satu gagasan yang dipelopori oleh profesional Melayu muda, akan menganjurkan satu perbincangan bertajuk: "Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini"

Ianya akan diadakan pada tarikh dan tempat seperti berikut:

Tarikh: Rabu, 30 April 2008

Masa: 7.30 pm

Tempat: KL/PJ (akan ditentukan kemudian)

Tetamu jemputan adalah:

1. YB Datuk Mukhriz Tun Mahathir
Ahli Parlimen Jerlun, EXCO Pemuda UMNO Malaysia

2. Sdr Akhramsyah M. U. Sanusi
Pengerusi Alumni Melayu UK & Eire (AMUKE), Blogger

Senario politik negara sudah berubah. samada kita suka ataupun tidak, samada kita sedar ataupun tidak, ianya akan mempengaruhi kehidupan kita. Bersamalah kita menentukan halatuju bangsa Melayu. Datang. Dengar. Bersuara.

hebahkan kepada rakan-rakan. tempat adalah terhad. sekiranya berminat, sila email kepada: sekretariat.melayu.muda@gmail.com

Terima kasih. Semoga berjumpa pada 30 April 2008.

Sekretariat Melayu Muda

April 14 2008

2008-04-14T09:26:00.003+08:00

Today is an important day. at least in the political world. Today is the last day of the ban on Anwar Ibrahim from contesting in an election. come tomorrow, he is a free man - truly free. the last shackle is finally coming off. and tonite keadilan is organising a big bash to celebrate.

in 1999, he went down fighting. the support for him was strong. no doubt about it. the BN took a beating in the ensuing election, especially UMNO. he went to jail for about 6 years and was released in 2004. (interesting fact: KJ himself went to Anwar's house to deliver his passport for him to go overseas to seek treatment for his back problem). he is now 60 years old. whether we like him or not, he is making a comeback. in a big way. So with this ban gone, what is his next move?

he has few options. ONE, he continues to be the de-facto leader of Pakatan Rakyat, without being in Parliament. very unlikely. he needs to be in parliament to legitimise his role as the leader of the opposition - prime minister in waiting. if he wants to be the prime minister, he has to be in parliament. no two ways about it. plus he wants to be visible and vocal. and parliament is the best place - it is the best speakers' corner in the country. so he has to be elected to parliament soon. he cant afford to wait till the next GE, as the political climate might change then. he has to capitalise on the current sentiment and attack, attack, attack!

so option TWO, get elected to parliament. for that to happen, there must be a by-election for a particular parliamentary seat. but where? there are three areas that have been bandied around - permatang pauh, lembah pantai and bandar tun razak. the MP for permatang pauh is his wife. whereas, the MP for lembah pantai is his daughter. and the MP for bandar tun razak is TS Khalid Ibrahim, the Selangor MB. permatang pauh is his stronghold. he was its MP for a long time when he was still with UMNO. his wife was called a reluctant politician when she took over the seat from him in 1999. but over the years, she somewhat became a symbol for women in politics. so she is an asset to keadilan. and Anwar may not want to sacrifice her. his daughter, nurul izzah represents the young generation. anwar also may not want to sacrifice her. therefore, the likely sacrifice is TS Khalid. TS Khalid is the MB of Selangor. it is a 'hot' position - with constant media and public scrutiny. he needs to focus on that job, without being distracted with other responsibilities. and last week he resigned as sec-gen of keadilan. is this the cue that he may also resigned as an MP? we will know soon.

then there is option THREE. force a by election in an area not represented by the opposition. how? get the incumbent to resign and jump ship. or wait for election cases to be decided by the court. the court may decide in their favour. why? simple. they would get an extra seat in Parliament. but this scenario is unlikely coz it is risky.

whatever he decides, one thing is for sure. our political scene would never be the same. ever. we pray for the best, prepare for the worst.

change - the buzz word.

2008-04-13T16:25:00.012+08:00

Yesterday morning, i got an sms from my friend Dr Siva:"buy mingguan. interesting interview with muhyiddin." so instead of buying one, i went to the internet and read the interview. Interesting indeed. even the title is "Masa untuk perubahan" (translation: Time for Change). Read on.

Mingguan Malaysia: Interview with TS Muhyiddin Yaasin.

Masa untuk perubahan

MINGGUAN: Bagaimana Tan Sri melihat pencapaian UMNO dan BN dalam pilihan raya kali ini?

MUHYIDDIN: Kita mencapai keputusan yang kurang baik kerana di peringkat Parlimen, Barisan Nasional (BN) hanya menguasai 140 kerusi. Di negeri-negeri pula, banyak kawasan yang dimenangi dengan majoriti agak rendah atau terus kalah. BN kalah teruk di Pulau Pinang, Kedah, Perak, Selangor dan Wilayah Persekutuan.

Di Kelantan prestasi BN bertambah buruk. Di beberapa negeri seperti Negeri Sembilan, BN menguasai 20 kerusi negeri, pembangkang 15. Di Johor walaupun ia dikenali sebagai kubu kuat UMNO, buat pertama kali dalam sejarah ia ditembusi pembangkang. Walaupun kita bersyukur kerana masih berkuasa di peringkat Parlimen, tetapi dalam keadaan tidak mempunyai majoriti dua pertiga, ia adalah kemerosotan paling besar dalam sejarah BN. Ini kerana dua pertiga adalah bagi menunjukkan kekuatan. Biarpun Perdana Menteri menyatakan kita masih menang dengan simple majority, tetapi ia meletakkan kita dalam keadaan tidak kukuh (openly disagreeing with PM Abdullah Badawi). Semua ini musibah yang amat membimbangkan dan cukup bahaya. Ia isyarat bahawa rakyat tidak puas hati dengan BN dan menunjukkan kemarahan melalui peti-peti undi.

Apa langkah yang perlu diambil bagi membaiki keadaan?

MUHYIDDIN: Kita akan mengadakan post-mortem dan berharap ia akan dibuat secara bebas supaya tidak ada pihak yang mengubah suainya untuk kepentingan sesiapa. Kita hendak tahu, apakah sebenarnya yang menyebabkan kita kalah teruk walaupun di peringkat awal orang sudah membuat andaian-andaian. Pertama, mereka sebut soal kepimpinan, mereka menyalahkan Perdana Menteri yang juga Presiden parti dan Pengerusi BN. Mereka juga mengaitkan dengan apa yang sering disebut 'fakta KJ'. Mungkin ia tidak betul atau persepsi tetapi dalam pilihan raya dan politik, persepsi itu penting.

Kita boleh kata kita sudah bangunkan negara selama 50 tahun, bawa banyak pembangunan dan nikmat. Tetapi kenapa rakyat tolak kita? Itulah yang harus difikirkan. Apakah mungkin kita memahami ada beberapa perubahan besar dari segi pemikiran rakyat iaitu generasi selepas merdeka dan generasi baru yang umumnya dikatakan tidak menyokong BN?

Ada rakyat yang mengatakan kepimpinan BN tidak menyerlah, lemah dan tidak berupaya menangani keadaan semasa. Ada yang sebut soal-soal berkaitan ketelusan, hak kebebasan dan nilai-nilai baru yang mungkin kita tidak sedari mulai menyerap dalam pemikiran generasi baru. Kita masih berfikiran lama. Orang sudah berubah, kita tidak berubah.

Oleh itu, mereka lebih kritikal terhadap apa yang kita lakukan. Bagi sesetengah pengundi, mereka tidak lihat pembangunan sebagai keutamaan. Mereka lihat aspek-aspek lain seperti harga barang, sistem kehakiman, kebebasan bersuara, soal mengongkong yang dilakukan oleh kepimpinan kerajaan dan macam-macam lagi.

Maknanya, kalau BN hendak menarik perhatian pengundi, parti itu perlu melakukan perubahan?

MUHYIDDIN: Ketika ini orang bercakap soal kepimpinan sama ada kepimpinan Perdana Menteri mahupun komponen BN sehingga memungkinkan mereka menolak UMNO, MCA, MIC dan Gerakan di beberapa peringkat. Apakah perlu satu perubahan? Di banyak negara bila ada pilihan raya tema paling popular ialah change dan dalam pilihan raya lalu pihak pembangkang menggunakan tema perubahan.

Di peringkat kita sekarang, harus menilai apakah perlu ada perubahan. Itu persoalan yang cukup kritikal yang perlu ditimbang semasak-masaknya. Ada orang kata kita perlu merombak semula parti untuk menyesuaikan dengan situasi pemikiran dan keadaan semasa. Ini memerlukan satu rombakan dari segi pemikiran dan minda bagi membolehkan UMNO terus relevan.

Contohnya, orang kata parti-parti komponen bersama BN kalah kerana mereka terlalu didominasikan oleh UMNO. UMNO menjadi teras kerajaan dan banyak polisi hanya melibatkan kepentingan orang UMNO dan Melayu sahaja. Jadi saya fikir kita perlu teliti balik kenyataan seumpama ini dan perbaiki.

Kalau kita mahu membantu parti komponen BN kita harus lihat bagaimana hendak membantu mereka. UMNO tidak boleh bersendirian dalam situasi yang sudah berubah ini. Kita memerlukan sokongan masyarakat bukan Melayu. Jadi ini memerlukan rombakan dari segi pengurusan dalam BN. Saya sudah syorkan dalam mesyuarat pengurusan parti supaya kita membentuk pelan tindakan memperkukuhkan semula UMNO dan BN.

Ia bukanlah sesuatu yang dibincangkan secara ad hoc sebaliknya satu pasukan diwujudkan bagi menggubal pembentukan semula pendekatan kita sama ada dalam parti mahupun kerajaan.

Apakah pembentukan semula ini turut menuntut supaya kepimpinan parti juga perlu berubah seperti mana didesak oleh banyak pihak?

MUHYIDDIN: Saya lihat dengan jelas perasaan tidak senang hati terhadap kepimpinan parti. Saya sebut ini bukan saya cakap tetapi berdasarkan kepada maklumat yang dikumpul. Dalam percakapan mereka yang dilakukan secara terbuka dan ikhlas tanpa 'digagahi' oleh mana-mana pihak, satu perkara pokok yang disebut ialah soal kepimpinan. Di luar parti pun ada yang bercakap perkara yang sama, dikaitkan dengan masalah keluarga dan sistem yang diamalkan.

Justeru saya bimbang jika tidak ada satu perubahan berlaku seperti mana yang bukan sahaja dituntut oleh UMNO tetapi orang luar UMNO, rakyat akan terus tolak BN dan UMNO. Oleh itu, ahli parti harus fikir secara matang, Perdana Menteri sudah buat kenyataan. Pertama, beliau akan pergi bila sampai waktunya. Kedua, beliau menyebut Datuk Seri Najib bakal penggantinya. Ketiga, beliau kata, ''beri saya sedikit masa untuk perbetulkan parti sebelum saya menyerahkan parti kepada pengganti saya.''

Ramai berkata, itu bagus dan jelas dari segi pelan peralihan kuasa tetapi mereka juga bertanya, bila?

Saya fikir ada satu perasaan membuak-buak di peringkat bawah iaitu perasaan tidak puas hati yang ketara. Oleh itu saya berpendapat, kalau tidak berlaku perubahan dalam UMNO maka banyak perkara tidak baik akan terjadi. Justeru saya takut jika saya tidak bercakap dengan benar, ia akhirnya boleh membawa bencana kepada orang Melayu dan UMNO.

Sebab itu saya perlu bersuara walaupun tidak lantang tetapi tegas dan jelas kerana apabila saya bercakap ini, saya tidak melihat (membayangkan) muka sesiapa, sama ada muka Pak Lah, Najib, Muhyiddin atau Mat Taib atau mana-mana pemimpin UMNO. Apa yang saya bimbang ialah UMNO dan orang Melayu akan kalah. Saya benar-benar takut kalau saya tidak mengatakan yang hak (benar) walaupun yang hak itu adalah pahit maka UMNO boleh terjerumus ke dalam keadaan lebih teruk.

Bukan setakat terjerumus tetapi disebabkan UMNO tidak lagi unggul maka UMNO akan hilang kuasa. Saya bertemu ramai tokoh, mereka berkata kalau tidak berlaku apa-apa perubahan, kita akan kalah lebih teruk.

Sebab itu saya rasa bertanggungjawab untuk bersuara walaupun mungkin ada pihak yang membaca kenyataan saya ini, ia satu yang mungkin agak luar biasa tetapi akhirnya saya harus menyatakan perkara yang benar. Tetapi saya menyerahkan kepada kebijaksanaan kepimpinan untuk memikirkan bagaimana caranya (peralihan dilakukan).

Mungkin sesetengah menganggap kenapa perlu UMNO melakukan perubahan kerana turun naik adalah adat dalam pilihan raya.

MUHYIDDIN: Jangan anggap situasi sekarang adalah biasa, mungkin kita dibuai oleh lagu-lagu lama seperti dondang sayang dan rentak-rentak Mawi, maka kita lupa sedangkan situasi sekarang agak berbeza. Apa yang terjadi sekarang adalah luar biasa, kita tidak boleh memperkecilkan gerakan parti pembangkang. Mereka mendapat semangat baru, mereka boleh tumbangkan kerajaan BN, sudah ada Pakatan Rakyat diwujudkan.

Saya pernah sebut PKR hanya ada nafas ikan, saya salah. Banyak pihak kepimpinan kita pun membuat tafsiran salah. Mereka bukan sahaja ada nafas baru malahan kekuatan baru. Jadi kita harus fikir secara drastik untuk mencari formula terbaik untuk selesaikan masalah ini. Dalam soal ini kita ambil pendekatan berhemah. Kalau tarik rambut dalam tepung, rambut jangan putus, tepung jangan berselerak, itu peribahasa yang cukup tepat dalam situasi sekarang.

Persoalannya, modus operandi dan caranya bagaimana? Ia lebih terletak di atas bahu Presiden parti. Kami dalam barisan kepimpinan yang lain bersedia memikul amanah besar, bukan untuk diri saya atau Datuk Seri Najib atau sesiapa tetapi untuk orang Melayu. Dalam situasi ini semua orang harus berfikir mengenai kepentingan parti, bukannya nasib mana-mana individu.

Sekarang adalah waktu kita bersemuka dengan fakta sebenar dan menyatakan kebenaran, kalau tidak bencana lebih besar boleh menimpa kita.

Sejauh manakah ahli UMNO akan menerima apa yang Tan Sri cakapkan ini dan adakah peralihan kepimpinan boleh menyelesaikan masalah?

MUHYIDDIN: Saya meninjau di banyak tempat dan mendapat banyak maklum balas serta ditemui banyak pihak. Selain Khidmat Pesanan Ringkas (SMS) dan panggilan telefon, mereka yang saya temui berpandangan begitu. Mereka kata Tan Sri mesti cepat buat sesuatu, cakap terus terang, berkata yang benar.

Saya sudah buat apa yang sepatutnya saya buat, saya fikir saya tidak keseorangan dalam hal ini. Cuma dalam UMNO sudah ada satu adat dan cara kita yang masih boleh kita gunakan dengan terhormat. Apa yang penting perlu ada ruang kepada kepimpinan baru untuk memulihkan parti sebelum pilihan raya akan datang.

Jadi saya serah kepada kebijaksanaan Presiden parti, beliau yang cakap (untuk serah kepada pengganti), saya rasa dalam hati Perdana Menteri dan Presiden parti beliau akan bersedia dan sedang memikirkan soal ini. Saya berdoa kepada Allah membuka pintu hati Pak Lah untuk berfikir dengan semasak-masaknya. (very polite way of saying - think again PM Abdullah Badawi. think carefully what you need to do next.)

Adakah peralihan itu harus dilakukan pada Disember iaitu ketika pemilihan parti berlangsung sedangkan ia dilihat satu tempoh yang masih lama?

MUHYIDDIN: Itu (pemilihan parti) tidak mengapa, tempoh itu sudah ditetapkan begitu kerana ada sebab-sebab dari segi teknikal. Tetapi proses perubahan dan peralihan boleh dilakukan bila-bila masa. (in other words, it has to be now?!)

Apa yang harus diingat pelbagai perkara lain yang tidak kita ramalkan boleh terjadi. Sama ada jawatan Presiden ditandingi ataupun tidak, Timbalan Presiden akan ditandingi atau tidak, peralihan akan dibuat secara licin ataupun tidak, inilah masanya. Saya berfikir secara mendalam dan jelas kerana sebagai seorang pemimpin dalam UMNO saya harus tahu arah tuju saya, bukan politik saya, tetapi UMNO.

Saya kena tahu di mana saya boleh berperanan. Kenyataan saya tidak bermaksud apa-apa tetapi untuk menyelamatkan UMNO, Melayu dan Islam dalam negara kita, sebab itu saya bersedia untuk bercakap walaupun bagi sesetengah pihak, saya menanggung risiko.

Jadi Tan Sri bersedia menghadapi apa juga risiko dengan memberi pandangan ini?

MUHYIDDIN: Saya sanggup tanggung risiko, itu tidak mengapa, setidak-tidaknya saya sudah menyatakan apa yang hak (benar) kerana ini adalah sesuatu yang perlu dilakukan. Ini bukan soal main-main, tidak pernah berlaku dalam sejarah UMNO dan negara kita berhadapan dengan situasi begini. Bagaimana kalau kuasa politik yang tinggal sedikit dalam tangan kita ini, terlepas daripada genggaman kita, macam mana kita hendak mendapatkannya balik? Seratus tahun belum tentu lagi.

Bolehkah peralihan berlaku sebelum mesyuarat bahagian?

MUHYIDDIN: Saya memetik kenyataan Presiden yang meminta beliau diberi masa untuk memulihkan parti bagi diserahkan kepada Najib. Saya kira kalaupun beliau hendak buat begitu, beliau tidak boleh buat berseorangan. Biarlah kita lakukan. Sekarang adalah waktu kita pula untuk menyumbang dan bekerja keras. Saya bersedia untuk bekerja keras. Semua pemimpin UMNO harus menumpukan perhatian lebih banyak kepada parti daripada kerajaan. Tetapi jangan tinggalkan langsung urusan kerajaan.

Tan Sri dilihat salah seorang yang layak untuk ditonjolkan di peringkat lebih tinggi.

MUHYIDDIN: Saya tidak fikir soal itu, itu terserah kepada ahli-ahli parti. Kalau mereka fikir saya boleh berperanan, saya akan jalankan tanggungjawab itu untuk menyumbang kepada parti di mana juga peringkat tetapi saya tidak minta. Sekarang ini kedudukan saya adalah Naib Presiden, saya bersuara lebih daripada pihak-pihak yang lain, saya tidak kisah. Kadang-kadang ada orang kata saya lebih banyak bersuara daripada Najib, bercakap lebih daripada Pak Lah, tetapi kalau mereka tidak bercakap saya bercakap.

Saya tidak boleh tutup mulut, justeru soal hendak pegang jawatan bukanlah terlalu penting. Namun kalau ditakdirkan oleh Allah saya diberi amanah untuk memegang jawatan lebih tinggi, saya sanggup apa sahaja. Ini bukanlah beban yang selesa. Dalam kedudukan saya, saya tahu apa yang boleh saya buat iaitu bersuara. Kalau dalam agama ini adalah iman yang paling lemah. Agama kata, bertindak itu dan ini tetapi kalau kamu tidak boleh berbuat apa-apa, kamu bersuaralah. Itu yang saya lakukan, terserahlah kepada ahli-ahli memikirkannya.

Ada atau tidak desakan di kalangan ahli UMNO yang mahu Tan Sri bukan sekadar bersuara tetapi lebih daripada itu - bertanding jawatan tinggi?

MUHYIDDIN: Tidak ada desakan tetapi pandangan ada. Kalau mereka melihat saya berani bersuara dan berkata sesuatu yang hak, boleh berperanan penting dan ada gaya kepimpinan itu terserah kepada mereka. Pada waktu ini saya tidak mahu menilai diri saya.

Saya tidak berfikir langsung inilah peluang terbaik untuk masuk bertanding di mana-mana peringkat bagi melawan sesiapa. Namun kalau ahli fikir, Muhyiddin boleh berperanan membantu parti dalam kedudukan mana sekali pun, saya terima. Tetapi penentuan ini bukan saya tetapi mereka dan Allah menentukan, saya hanya bersedia untuk berkorban demi parti. Bagaimanapun apabila tiba masanya, saya hendak membuat keputusan sama ada untuk pertahankan jawatan atau bertanding peringkat lebih tinggi, saya akan umumkan.

Apa nasihat Tan Sri kepada ahli-ahli menjelang pemilihan parti bagi memastikan mereka memilih pemimpin yang benar-benar berwibawa?

MUHYIDDIN: Ini satu proses demokrasi yang harus digunakan sebaik-baiknya untuk meremajakan UMNO, menyuntik semangat baru, membariskan kepimpinan bertenaga dan berwibawa yang boleh memberi kekuatan baru kepada parti agar UMNO terus relevan.

Interesting isnt it? without a doubt, he is making his move. he is positioning himself as the conscience of UMNO - objective and rational. is he really taking a risk? dont think so. nobody is going to censure him. he is the vice president of UMNO. in fact, he is becoming the voice of UMNO members. I remember meeting TS Muhyiddin in the UK more than ten years ago. He attended a talk organised by Kelab UMNO Coventry & Warwick. after the talk, the committee had a close door meeting with him. i remember him being polished and articulate. looks like he still is.

"Float like a butterfly, sting like a bee" - Muhammad Ali

x-factor.

2008-04-13T09:20:00.007+08:00

I was in Kajang yesterday with my friend Nazrein. we were there not for satay kajang. but to attend a forum titled: "Krisis Kepimpinan - Mana Silapnya" (translation: Leadership Crisis - What is wrong). It was organised by UMNO Bahagian Hulu Langat. The speakers were Tun Dr Mahathir and Tan Sri Sanusi Junid. so it was no surprise that the hall for the forum was filled to the brim. in fact many had to stand. when Tun M entered the hall, it was pandemonium. shouts of 'Hidup Tun' (translation: Long Live Tun) vibrated throughout the hall. and people rushed forward to shake his hands. it was as if he is still the Prime Minister. This doctor still has the x-factor.

Tan Sri Sanusi spoke first. He said his job that afternoon was to 'warm-up' the audience. Basically he said, here is a man well respected all over the world, and yet condemned in his own country. he related a number of incidences:

one, when he met Prince Saud of Saudi Arabia, he saw that the Prince had many books on Tun M on his bookshelf. The Prince told him that he has very high regards for Tun M.

two, when he was introduced to President Musharaf of Pakistan, the President said to him: " I know you are close to Mahathir. Please advice him not to resign."

three, the Prime Minister of China wanted to appoint him as an advisor to the Chinese Government. Why? so that he would be the bridge between the Chinese Govt and Tun M.

Tan Sri Sanusi went on to talk about what Tun M had done for the country - to instill patriotism, to develop the country etc. and to end his speech, TS Sanusi sang the song 'Warisan' - but with new lyrics. i know this song. when i was in MRSM, we sang 'Warisan' everyday - right after Negaraku. it is a song to remind us of our history. and to remind us about our maruah (dignity) and unity. i have not heard this song for quite sometime. and to hear it again in a forum about the crisis in Malay leadership - very moving. i reproduce here the song for us to contemplate its meaning.

Anak kecil main api,
Terbakar hatinya yang sepi,
Air mata darah bercampur keringat,
Bumi dipijak milik orang

Nenek moyang kaya raya,
Tergadai seluruh harta benda,
Akibat sengketa sesamalah kita,
Cinta lenyap di arus zaman.

Indahnya bumi kita ini,
Warisan berkurun lamanya,
Hasil mengalir ke tangan yang lain,
Peribumi merintih sendiri.

Masa depan sungguh kelam,
Kan lenyap peristiwa semalam,
Tertutuplah hati terkunci mati,
Maruah peribadi dah hilang.

Kini kita cuma tinggal kuasa,
Yang akan menentukan bangsa,
Bersatulah hati, bersama berbakti,
Pulih kembali harga diri.

Kita sudah tiada masa,
Bangunlah dengan gagah perkasa,
Janganlah terlalai teruskan usaha,
Melayu kan gagah di nusantara

By the time for Tun M to speak, the audience was highly charged. Tun M spoke at length on the current state of Malay leadership and unity. He touched on the result of the recent GE with his usual dry humour.

eg: "Not only Kedah is under the opposition, when i want to go back to Alor Star, i have to go thro all opposition states - selangor, perak and pulau pinang."

he reminded UMNO members that if they want to see change, they have to act. and not depend on others to help them. they cannot expect others to act first. they have to act now!

Hate him. or love him. he speaks his mind. and when he speaks, people listen. i did.

Terengganu again.

2008-04-11T08:18:00.003+08:00

On Wednesday, the new Terengganu state cabinet was formed. Ten assemblymen were sworn in as state executive councillors (EXCO) and given specific portfolios. Congratulations to all. I sincerely hope they can work well as a team. All we, the rakyat of Terengganu, are asking from you - be honest and committed. nothing more, nothing less.

The State of Terengganu, through its agencies, owns a number of public listed companies. namely - TDM Berhad, EPIC Berhad and Golden Pharos. all of them are listed on the main board of Bursa Malaysia. Overall, these companies are doing pretty well. in fact, TDM announced today that they are acquiring another 30,000 hectares of land in West Kalimantan for oil palm plantation development. am actually proud. indirectly, i feel that i own these companies, maybe 0.0000000000001%.

The chairman of TDM Berhad is Dato Wan Hisham. the chairman of EPIC Berhad is Dato Mohamed Awang Tera. both were appointed in april 2004, right after BN won back the state from PAS. at that time, Dato Wan Hisham was the state EXCO in charge of Infra Development, Public Utilities and Communications. whereas, Dato Mohamed Awang Tera was the state EXCO in charge of Industrial Development and Tourism.

This is where i have a problem. i totally disagree that state EXCOs, who are part of the executive branch, be appointed as chairmen of public listed companies. i have nothing personal against them. and i am not questioning their integrities. but this is an issue of governance. Their chairmenship of these companies are akin to a minister being a chairman of a GLC. can you imagine say, TS Nor Mohamed Yakcop - the 2nd Finance Minister, being chairman of Sime Darby? or Dato Shabery Cheek - Minister of Information, being chairman of Media Prima Bhd.

Dato Wan Hisham lost in the recent GE. So he is ok to continue as chairman of TDM Berhad. Dato Mohamed Awang Tera has been appointed as a state EXCO for another term.

I hope MB Mad Said would not re appoint Dato Awang Tera as chairman of EPIC Berhad. appoint someone who is not part of the executive branch. why not appoint someone from the industry. let state EXCOs concentrate on their main job - serving the people.

Karpal to the Rescue!

2008-04-10T08:50:00.008+08:00

"DAP minta Dr M henti kritikan" (translation: DAP wants Dr M to stop criticising). That is the title of an article in Berita Harian today. That title caught my eyes and compelled me to read.

Karpal Singh said:

Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad tidak sepatutnya mengambil alih tugas pembangkang dengan mengkritik penggantinya, Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, secara berterusan kerana beliau sendiri banyak melakukan kesilapan ketika menjadi Perdana Menteri. Pengerusi DAP, Karpal Singh mendakwa, penyalahgunaan kuasa oleh Dr Mahathir diakui pemimpin Umno sendiri termasuk Abdullah yang secara terang mendedahkan bekas Perdana Menteri itu ialah orang bertanggungjawab terhadap Operasi Lalang. "Salah guna kuasa itu antara lain termasuk mengenakan sekatan terhadap kebebasan media, penangkapan dan penahanan 106 ahli politik, pemimpin kesatuan sekerja serta pekerja gereja dalam Operasi Lalang, Oktober 1987.

"Cukuplah perbuatan beliau memperalatkan badan kehakiman termasuk bagi memecat Timbalannya ketika itu, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Dr Mahathir sepatutnya menghabiskan masanya sekarang bermain dengan cucu. "Biarlah pembangkang yang kini mempunyai 82 kerusi Parlimen memantau dan mengawasi kerajaan pimpinan Abdullah. Sokongan Dr Mahathir tidak diperlukan pembangkang untuk memastikan Barisan Nasional (BN) tidak menyalahgunakan kuasa," katanya dalam kenyataan di sini, semalam. Beliau berkata, pembangkang tidak memerlukan orang seperti Dr Mahathir yang sanggup membubarkan Umno pada 1988 dan bertindak seperti diktator, selain menyerang pemimpin kerajaan lain sehingga menjejaskan imej negara dan keyakinan pelabur asing. "Dr Mahathir sepatutnya mengambil sikap berhenti menyerang. Sudah tiba masanya beliau berdamai dan membiarkan pembangkang memantau kerajaan pimpinan Pak Lah," katanya.

Dear Mr Karpal, please correct me if i am wrong. If i remember my history, it was the court (presiding judge: the late Justice Harun Hashim) that ruled UMNO was an illegal party. This came about after a group of UMNO members (the UMNO 11) who were dissatisfied with the 1987 UMNO election result, filed a court case. The rest is history. Because of the ruling, Tun M had to re-established UMNO. and had to start from ground zero. His membership no. is 001, Tun Siti is 002. and TS Sanusi Junid's is 007 (licensed to kill?!). So Tun M did not disband UMNO. It was not even his fault that UMNO was declared illegal. For you, or anyone, to put the blame on him is beyond me. If we really want to blame someone, shouldnt it be the disgruntled UMNO 11?

Let's think. why does Karpal Singh, or the whole opposition for that matter, want Tun M to stop criticising PM Abdullah Badawi? Logically, they should be cheering on Tun M. Pour more fuel to the fire. Any attacks on PM Abdullah Badawi could weaken the government. and the opposition would definitely benefit. law of equilibrium - if one side is weak, the other side would be strong. It seems that Karpal Singh/DAP is 'rescuing' PM Abdullah Badawi. surely that cant be true. unless i woke up in a different country today.

Or with Abdullah Badawi as the PM, they fancy their chances to actually win the next GE? so they need him to continue be the PM. it would be in their best interest. is that why he is jumping to rescue Abdullah Badawi? Karpal to the rescue..you think?

"To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to". - Khalil Gibran

sacro what?

2008-04-08T08:28:00.007+08:00

On page 48 of The Star today, i read a letter to the Editor with the title " The New Malay Dilemma". The writer is one Halimah Mohd Said from Kuala Lumpur. Having read her letter, one came to a conclusion - she is well educated and very perspective.

The thing that really made me think is when she wrote: UMNO is not sacrosanct. Sacrosanct means very sacred or holy. So Puan Halimah is saying UMNO is not sacred. UMNO is not holy. I respect her for saying that.

The way i read her statement is:

ONE. UMNO is not perfect. UMNO is not beyond reproach. UMNO can make mistakes. and if UMNO can make mistakes, leaders of UMNO can also make mistakes. law of logic. as such, UMNO and its leaders must listen and accept criticisms. If UMNO and its leaders think that they can do no wrong, then they are living in fantasy land. definitely not in Malaysia Boleh Land. Coz today in Malaysia Boleh Land, respect for UMNO is no longer there, waning at best. Am i being too dramatic? i hope so. otherwise, that respect may never be re-claimed without a major overhaul. UMNO members talk about leadership change. yes there should be leadership change for the rejuvenation of UMNO to start. but that is only superficial. and the rakyats would know. they can smell it a mile away.

It is no longer a question of should or would. The survival and relevancy of UMNO is at stake. There must be room for debates. There must be room to accommodate multiple views and opinions. Of course some would argue that UMNO does provide that. If you want to express yourself, you can always speak up during UMNO meetings - either at branch, divisional or even national meeting. Really? Plus, all the time, leaders of UMNO would say - if you want to voice your opinions, use the proper channel. What channel?! please tell me. is UMNO annual meeting a channel?

ok let's digress a little bit. as long as you are a member of a branch, you can attend branch annual meeting. (branch is the lowest in UMNO hierarchy.) But you need to be a delegate to attend divisional annual meeting (at branch meeting, they would choose a specified number of people to attend the divisional meeting). Same goes for the national AGM. you need to be a delegate, chosen at divisional level. there would be a proper election (not just a show of hands) to choose the delegates. even Tun Mahathir, after he resigned as party president, he had to contest to be a delegate. unfortunately he lost. mind you, it is a big deal to be a delegate to attend the national AGM. Competition to be delegates could be intense - especially in the UMNO-election year, like this year. so you see. not just anybody can speak in these meetings. only the chosen few. the voice of the grassroot might not be heard at all at the national AGM.

TWO. UMNO is not so sacred that Malays will forever support it. unless it braces change, it will be part of history rather than the maker of history. The relevancy of UMNO has been questioned many times. for me, there are two ways for UMNO to be irrelevant - one, it has achieved all it set out to achieve eg education for the Malays etc etc. therefore, nothing to 'fight' for anymore. Perjuangan sudah selesai. two, when UMNO is no longer in-sync with the Malays. what the Malays want and what UMNO fights for are not in tandem. therefore, UMNO could no longer claim to be representing the Malays. as such, irrelevant. scenario one is unlikely as UMNO's agendas change with time (at least theoretically). so it would always be relevant on this note. scenario two is the most likely to happen and sentence UMNO to its grave. in fact, it is happening now. the younger generation is said to be critical and cynical of UMNO. if it is true, then UMNO must be ready to change and accept new idealism. new ways of doing things. I still believe all Malays want the best for the Malays. just a matter of how to achieve that. For a start, tonite UMNO Youth is having a discussion with a group of young Malays - to get their views and opinions. a little too late? hope not. better late than never.

All this while, maybe UMNO has taken for granted the support of the Malays. That is why some UMNO leaders behave like they are god's gift to the Malays. They forgot who is the master and who is the servant. The Malays have spoken - you ek, we act (ek=eksyen=sombong=show off).

Saboteurs, saboteurs - where are you?

2008-04-07T11:18:00.009+08:00

The headline on page 6 of The Star today screamed: "Barisan was sabotaged. PM blames loss of Kedah and Perak on UMNO members." PM Abdullah Badawi said acts of sabotage had taken place in 14 parliamentary and 22 state constituencies in these 2 states during the recent GE. If not for it, BN would not have lost the two-thirds majority and the two state governments.

For me, it is both not surprising and not so important. It is not really rocket science. In many constituencies, if all BN members (members of all 14 BN component parties) were to vote for BN, there is no way BN could lose in those areas. No way! You add up all BN members in a particular area, they would make up the bulk of the voters, thus ensuring BN's grip in that area. These areas are labelled 'white areas' - safe seats, whereby BN would and should win comfortably. Therefore, if BN loses in a white area, you can automatically conclude one thing - BN members did not vote for BN. Straightforward conclusion. So this admission of sabotage is of no significance. What is important is why. You know the disease. and you must also know what causes it. if not, how are you going to fix it.

(Digest this. In 2006, UMNO's Secretary General disclosed that UMNO has 3.2 million members. UMNO has 191 divisions all over the country, except Sarawak. One division represents one parliamentary seat. As such, on average, UMNO has approximately 16,000 members per division. It has been estimated that 15% of the members are non-voters for various reasons eg below the age of 21 etc. Therefore, you have about 13,000 UMNO-member voters per division. of course these are simple calculations. add other members of BN component parties to the figure, and you get the idea.)

PM Abdullah Badawi however declined to elaborate what he meant by sabotage. I am sure he has the necessary evidence. Since he didnt elaborate, we have to assume some types of sabotage occured during the recent GE. Sabotage can take many forms. I have heard many stories - leaders telling their supporters not to help campaign, the Bilik Gerakan (so-called War Room) not properly set-up or manned, posters and other election materials were not distributed etc. If any UMNO members indeed sabotaged the party, i say hang them! figuratively of course. No matter how angry you are towards UMNO (for whatever reason), as a party member, you should not in any way let UMNO be in a disadvantage position during the GE. You should not resort to any dirty tactics to weaken UMNO. You must work for UMNO, and never against it. That is your duty. You as a voter can show your anger at the ballot box. That is your right. If you cant get yourself to vote for the opposition, then either spoil your vote. or dont go to vote at all. Not that i approve. all i am saying, you have options rather than sabotage UMNO with dirty tactics. Not acceptable. Duty vs. right.

According to my Collins Paperback English dictionary, sabotage means deliberate obstruction of or damage to a cause or effort. as such, can the act of voting for a party other than BN be considered as a sabotage, if you are a member of a BN component party, eg UMNO? Based on the definition, it is debatable. If the answer is yes, then, polling stations should only have three rooms/lines - one for BN supporters, one for the opposition parties and one for others.

Actually this question is also applicable in our legislative halls. For example: can a BN MP vote against a certain bill proposed by the government? In current practice, he/she cant. Why? Simple. You were chosen to represent BN. as such, you must at all times, uphold the aspirations of BN. so you are expected to vote for the government. this has led to MPs being labelled as rubber-stamping whatever the government wants to do. To be fair, some BN MPs have been critical on certain issues that compelled the government to revise certain policies. But most of the time, they vote along party lines. The Chief Whip would ensure that. if anybody dares to be different, he/she would be 'whipped'. Literally!

Eid Mubarak so soon?

2008-04-06T17:06:00.003+08:00

Eid Mubarak literally means "Blessed Festival". It is a phrase of greetings used by muslims to congratulate each other on holidays eg eid al-fitr (Hari Raya AidilFitri). But Ramadhan is 6 months away.

The Mubarak i am talking about is MUBARAK (Majlis Bekas Wakil Rakyat) - council of ex people's representatives ie MPs and ADUNs. Basically, it is an organisation of retired politicians. Although they are no longer active in politics, they still give support and views to the government. Why am i talking about them?

Heard that they have requested for an appointment to meet PM Abdullah Badawi soon. Tengku Ahmad Rithaudeen, former Foreign Minister, is said to be leading this delegation. The agenda - resignation of PM Abdullah Badawi. Really?

We will know soon enough. Maybe the festival is early this year.

The whole truth, nothing but the truth!

2008-04-06T14:57:00.008+08:00

In Bernama news website, TS Muhyiddin called on UMNO members to be brave in stating the truth and not tell lies to make the leader feels good. He added if a weakness existed in the party, they should accept it with an open heart and be prepared to overcome it, instead of just listening without doing anything. It is a lie to say everything is good when we know a weakness exists.

Well said Tan Sri. UMNO should always aspire to achieve that. But the problem is nobody is listening and willing to listen. And worst, if you dare to speak up, your are condemned and threathened. Case in point: Dato Ahmad Tajuddin, Secretary of Pahang UMNO. On Friday, he called for all UMNO Supreme Council members to resign. He disclosed that the Pahang MB told him that he would be sacked for making that statement. Do i agree with Dato Tajuddin? I dont. But he stated his stand. exercised his right to speak. In no way he should be sacked! I have a copy of UMNO's constitution. I cant find any provision saying that a member can be sacked just for speaking up. If i am wrong, God saves us.

Dato Sri Najib can surely relate to what TS Muhyiddin said. In 1999, his political career almost came to an abrupt end when he only won his Pekan parliamentary seat with a 241-vote majority. A case of everybody telling him "all ok chief", whereby the real situation was far from it. Wonder what would have happened, had he lost. Muhyiddin as DPM? Well that is academic. The real question now is whether he would go against Dato Sri Najib for the no. 2 post? In fact, Tun Mahathir mentioned his name as a potential for the presidency recently. He must be elated.

Nazrein in action!

2008-04-04T09:27:00.003+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BU6NMwQu8II

This is my friend Nazrein in action. i mentioned him in one of my earlier posts. He attended the forum organised by mykmu.net recently and posed a question to Dr Khir Toyo. If you had read the report in The Star, Dr Khir Toyo admitted that there were some outside influences in determining the candidates for the GE. (http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/4/2/nation/20820704&sec=nation)

You can always count on Nazrein to ask questions - especially the difficult ones. Bravo Sir.

Gentlemen, start your engine!

2008-04-03T23:12:00.005+08:00

The race is on. Dato' Seri Hishammuddin, UMNO Youth Chief announced yesterday that he would not be defending his post in the coming UMNO election. He is paving the way for a new leader to take over. Thank you Dato Seri for making your intention clear. UMNO Youth members can now start deliberating on who should be the next chief. With this prompt announcement, UMNO Youth members would have more time to consider various options and various candidates to strenghten the movement after the disastrous GE.

Dato Seri Hishammuddin took a risk by making this announcement so quickly and so early, as now everybody can guess his next move. It is out in the open. Although he did not say which post he would be contesting, he would most probably vie for one of the VP posts. It is the most logical choice. The position of UMNO Youth Chief is the same level as VPs anyway. so it would be the natural progression. (there are actually six VP level positions in UMNO - the 3 VPs, Wanita Chief, Youth Chief and Puteri Chief - in that order.) It is very unlikely that he would contest the deputy president's post, as long as Dato Sri Najib is there. They are cousins. and blood ties do count. They would never fight each other. Not in a million years. He would only go for the no. 2 position if Dato Sri Najib fights for the top post. Also an unlikely scenario at this point of time. although that might change actually. Recently, Tun Mahathir was quoted as saying that he is withdrawing his support for Dato Sri Najib. I dont think so. He is in fact pushing Najib to centrestage and 'telling' him to challenge PM Abdullah Badawi. Tun Mahathir wont say " Najib please contest the President's post". That is not his style.

Back to UMNO Youth. as we know, two leaders have indicated that they would consider contesting - Dr Khir Toyo and Dato Mukhriz Mahathir. Since now Dato Hishammuddin has stated his intention, it is only proper for them to state their intentions. To contest or not to contest. That goes for others as well - those who aspires for the top position but have kept their cards very closely. No more guessing game. State your intention. Dont be too calculative.

I remember this chorus but cant remember the song nor the singer. "Jangan tunggu lama-lama, nanti lama-lama...dia diambil orang".

"Only those who dare to fail greatly can ever achieve greatly" - Robert F. Kennedy

A Funeral. No wedding.

2008-04-03T12:25:00.005+08:00

I just got back from a funeral. On the way to work this morning, i received a call from my sister - Dato Abu Mansor passed away yesterday evening. I quickly went home, changed to something more comfortable, put on my songkok and off to Selayang, to Dato Mansor's house. I got there at about 845am, and there were already many people, outside and inside the house.

I went in and saw his covered body in the middle of the living room, with few people reciting the Yasin near him. I purposely did not want to lift the cloth covering his face, although many who came later did. Not that i was afraid. I told myself, i dont want his lifeless image to be imprinted in my mind. I want to picture him as he was - full of life and ever smiling.

Dato Mansor is a very good friend of my father. They go way back to their student days, studying law in London together. They had taken different career paths. He sticked to his legal career, whereas my father ventured into politics at one point, before going back to the legal service. As fate has it, they both became judges. and had offices next to each other. So over the years, they kept each other company as being judges can be lonely. It was no surprise when my father asked him to speak at my wedding on his behalf.

I still remember the Friday routine when i was younger. I would follow them for prayers at the Bangsar mosque. and later would go for nasi daun pisang, at a shop opposite Maybank Bangsar. I wonder whether it is still there. one of these days, i should go for old time sake.

And i still remember the day my father passed away. I saw him cry. He had lost a dear friend. At that point, i saw true friendship. A bond so strong that only death would set them apart. My father was indeed fortunate to have him as a friend.

So Uncle Mansor, i bid you farewell. May Allah bless your soul.

To Auntie Faridah and family, my condolences. Time does not heal. It just let us cope better.

Al-fatihah.

Keep it up!

2008-04-02T12:08:00.012+08:00

Yesterday, mykmu.net organised a forum entitled "UMNO Post 12th General Election: An Assessment". Congratulations to the organiser. Keep up the good work. Mykmu.net has been in existence for a number of years (http://www.beritakmu.net/). They have lively discussions on UMNO, malay agenda, islam etc. If you have an open mind and want to get more insights on UMNO, do visit. Otherwise give it a pass. Nobody would hold it against you. Your right, your choice.

Few of my friends attended the forum. I was told that the response for the forum was overwhelming. many had to follow the proceedings from outside the hall (Utusan Malaysia estimated the numbers to be more than 2,000). Not surprising as they had an impressive line-up of speakers - Tun Dr Mahathir, Datuk Mukhriz Mahathir, Dato Seri Dr Khir Toyo and Dr Puad Zakarshi. Combined you have a past president, an UMNO Supreme Council member, an UMNO Youth Exco member, two divisional leaders, 2 MPs, 1 ADUN, an ex-Prime Minister and an ex-Menteri Besar. I am sure everybody is familiar with the first three names - they need no further introduction. FYI, Dr Puad won the Batu Pahat parliamentary seat in the recent GE. He is the Head of Batu Pahat UMNO Division. He is also the Information Chief of UMNO Johor. In the last Parliament, he served as a Senator. And prior to that he served as the Political Secretary to Dato Ghani Othman, MB of Johor. (Political Secretary is equivalent to Chief of Staff. remember West Wing?)

Apparently emotions ran high throughout the forum. A little incident also occurred when someone actually suggested/asked whether Anwar Ibrahim should be brought back into UMNO - he was heckled and had to be taken out of the hall. Pity him. No one should be castigated for expressing his/her opinion. Whether we agree or not with that opinion is secondary. One should be allowed to express oneself. The right to speak openly is crucial for UMNO to move forward. We must always uphold the principle of 'agree to disagree'. At least, he had the courage to broach a sensitive issue openly, which a lot of UMNO members discuss quietly anyway.

So what can we conclude from this forum?

One, pressure is mounting for PM Abdullah Badawi to resign. even Dr Puad was quoted in The Star asking PM Abdullah Badawi to resign. Considering he is from Johor, the birthplace and stronghold of UMNO, his call is an eye-opener. Think about it. If someone from Johor is asking for PM Abdullah Badawi to resign, imagine the sentiment within UMNO. Should PM Abdullah Badawi be worried? 20% of his cabinet ministers are from UMNO Johor (6 ministers). Or that actually ensures his grip on the state.

Two, emotions are still high. Since the disastrous performance in the GE, top leadership of UMNO has yet to engage the members - to discuss the result, to have a heart-to-heart talk. TS Muhyiddin even admitted this today in The Star. (he said "..top party leaders had not even gone down to the ground to address members' concerns and revive their spirits...") The longer you wait, the worse it becomes. not better. MCA, MIC and Gerakan have had special briefings for their members. When is UMNO's?

Three, the big turnout suggests that people are looking for an outlet to express themselves. they have so many questions to ask. so many things to say. and so many emotions suppressed inside. They need directions. They want leadership. Now.

"We are not creatures of circumstance; we are creators of circumstance" - Benjamin Disraeli

Doctor who?

2008-04-01T16:37:00.011+08:00

Well. At last the cat is out of the bag. Yesterday, Dato Seri Dr Khir Toyo admitted that he would consider contesting for the post of UMNO Youth Chief in the coming UMNO election. He is currently seeking the inputs/views from the grassroot before he makes the final decision. That is standard politician talk. In simple layman terms, this is the translation - I want to contest, please nominate me. Sometimes we just wish they say what they want, direct to the point. Or is this another example of practising 'adat budaya melayu' (malay culture) - be humble, do not be a show-off (menunjuk-nunjuk). anyway, politically it would look better if you were nominated, rather than you offer yourself as a candidate.

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2008&dt=0401&pub=Utusan_Malaysia&sec=Politik&pg=po_02.htm

This open admission by Dr Khir is not surprising. UMNO members and political observers have been talking about this possibility for quite sometime. It all started when Dato Seri Hishamuddin, the current UMNO Youth Chief, hinted sometime last year, that this would be his last term as the chief - having been in charge since year 2000.

This admission is also a 'siren' to his loyalists/supporters. They would start to mobilise, campaign and 'sell' his name to the grassroot. This of course would be done quietly and slowly. Meetings and discussions would be done in small groups over a period of time. Why? Few reasons. One, they do not want to be seen as too aggressive, as that would put off some UMNO members. Two, they can better gauge the sentiment/support for their boss. Three, the election is in December. So they have to pace themselves as not to 'peak' too early, for some other candidates to slip in and snatch the support of the grassroot from under their feet. (case in point: Hillary vs Obama)

Who doesnt know Dr Khir Toyo. He is both famous and infamous. He rose meteorically in UMNO. Luck played a big role in his political life. A classic case of being at the right place, at the right time. In August 2000, Dato Abu Hassan resigned as the MB of Selangor. At that point, Dr Khir was serving his first term as an ADUN, having won a state seat in the 10th GE that was held earlier in Nov 1999. After that GE, he contested and won as an UMNO Youth Exco member. To the surprised of many, he was picked as the new MB, against a field of more senior and experienced candidates. He was only 35 years old. I was surprised, sceptical and happy, all at the same time. Surprised coz a greenhorn, barely a year into his first term as a wakil rakyat, was chosen. Sceptical whether he would be able to perform without enough experience as a politician and a leader. Happy as i saw the appointment as a vote-of-confidence to the younger generation. In fact, he attended two events organised by my friends and I, thro our group Sekretariat Melayu Muda. Many who attended find him to be approachable and soft spoken. He has this natural unassuming common touch. And you can tell it is real, not made-up. Another person who has this similar trait is TS Muhammad Muhd Taib. Regardless what we have heard about them, we cant take away that from them.

Over the years, Dr Khir had his ups and downs. But at the same time, he got himself really close to UMNO members. In the 2004 UMNO election, Dr Khir Toyo contested and won a seat on UMNO's Supreme Council - with the highest vote! Remarkable by any standard - considering it was achieved within a span of four years. Clearly he had a strong support base within UMNO. And although Selangor fell to the opposition in the recent GE, he still commands sizeable number of supporters - so i've been told. If that is the case, i believe he fancies his chances and go for broke. What has he got to lose? He already lost a state.

I remember.

2008-04-01T09:09:00.003+08:00

I remember. When i was younger, my father would buy 5 newspapers daily - The Star, NST, Utusan, Malay Mail and Harian Metro. I did question (to myself) why he needed to read 5 papers? Being a teenager, I thought one is more than enough, let alone 5! What a waste of money. So initially, i would only read any one of them. Then after awhile, i added more to my reading, and more. until one fine day, i would read all 5. Then i started to realise something. Different newspapers - with different editors, different writers, different journalists, have different 'souls and minds'. More often than not, they could be poles apart on the same issue. Right or wrong is irrelevant. By reading these papers, one would have better understanding on issues for one to make sense of things. At that point, i got my answer.

I gained alot. Sowed my reading habit. Brushed up my language and writing skills. and above all, this simple daily 'exercise' opened my eyes to the world. Issues. Tragedies. Happenings. Opinions. Stories. Etc. Etc. Reading the papers, with different viewpoints and angles, developed my critical thinking. A trait (some may say a skill), useful in our daily lives - both at home and at work. So when i started buying papers on my own, i continued with this tradition. Till i stopped doing so a couple of years back. It hit me. The reporting of some of these papers became too one-sided and unobjective. It's a pity. I used to enjoy reading NST, especially when TS Abdullah Ahmad (aka Dollah Kok Lanas aka DKL) was in charge. His writings/editorials were interesting read. and who could forget Princess Pushy. (guess we would never know who she is. actually i did ask him before. he would not tell.)

Nowadays, i only buy The Star. The rest i read from the internet. I find The Star to offer the best 'value for money'. For one, it is thick. More importantly, The Star is open and objective (at least for Malaysia's standard). and progressive. I applaud The Star for continually educating us and increasing our political awareness. If you have not noticed, The Star features interviews with elected wakil rakyats, so that we know them better. Make them less mysterious and more human-like. their education background. their fav idols. even their fav food. Well and good.

Just a thought. Every election, papers publish the list of candidates and the results of the previous election - who won, majority etc. Why not go a little extra and publish details of the candidates as well - age, educational background, work experience etc. So that voters can make better decisions - voting not only for the party, but also for the candidate. Otherwise, voters who do not have the time to attend ceramahs, would definitely not know the candidates involved. Come voting day, they would vote solely based on party manifesto or sentiment. That may give rise to a situation where the manifesto is good, but the candidate lousy. Maybe EC should prepare a template for candidates to fill on nominations day and publish them for the public.

Thanks to The Star, I now know i have something in common with many of the YBs - afraid of heights. If that is a criteria to be a YB, i certainly qualify.

Noraini oh Noraini!

2008-03-31T15:22:00.002+08:00

I am sure many have heard of Datuk Noraini Ahmad. For those who have not, a quick update. Datuk Noraini Ahmad is Head of Puteri UMNO Malaysia. The position of Puteri UMNO chief is equivalent to the vice presidents. So in UMNO AGM, she would sit in the front row, together with the President, Deputy President, VPs, Wanita Chief, UMNO Youth Chief, Sec-Gen, Tresurer General and Information Chief. So her position is very senior in UMNO's hierarchy.

In the recent GE, she contested and won the Parit Sulong Parliamentary seat, replacing an acquaintance of mine, Syed Hood Edros. And was duly appointed as the Deputy Minister of Human Resource - shadowing the only MIC rep in the cabinet. Her appointment did raise some question marks - her being a first term MP. and also her performance as Puteri UMNO Chief has been mediocre as political observers would say, for her to be rewarded handsomely. In truth, she had big shoes to fill. Her predesessor, Dato Azalina Othman Said did an excellent job in setting up and attracting young malay ladies to join Puteri UMNO. (whatever stories we have heard about Azalina, let's be objective. credit is given where credit is due.) Her combative style has won her admirers, as well as 'enemies'. So unlucky for Noraini, comparison is always made to Azalina. Put them side by side, Azalina is way ahead in terms of leadership, maturity and eloquency. So her appointment may be a reward to younger generation, a voice for the young in the new administration, rather than for her personal achievement. Whatever it is, let's hope she would be able to articulate the aspiration of the young and carry that responsibility effectively.

Last week the issue of postponing UMNO's election came up. UMNO leaders, including her, gave their opinions. Some said yes, and some said no to the postponement. She however said both. Doing a complete one-eighty, all within 4 hours. (check out: http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/Frontpage/20080326195716/Article/index_html) Flip-flopping on this important issue further fuels the case whether she is suited for high office. Whether she has the political maturity and charisma to assist the BN government in winning back the hearts and minds of the rakyat, especially the younger generation.

And today, she gave her opinion on the proposed abolishment of the quota system in UMNO. This is what she said in Utusan Malaysia.

(Ketua Puteri UMNO, Datuk Noraini Ahmad berkata, pelaksanaan sistem kuota mampu memastikan tiada individu yang tidak memiliki sokongan kuat di akar umbi cuba menentang presiden. “Jika seseorang itu mampu melepasi kuota yang ditetapkan, maka barulah dia seorang yang memiliki kredibiliti tinggi dan layak untuk mencabar presiden,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini hari ini.
Tambah beliau, jawatan Presiden UMNO perlu dilihat dalam perspektif yang luas iaitu individu yang memegang jawatan itu akan turut menjadi Perdana Menteri.
Situasi itu kata beliau menjadikan jawatan Presiden UMNO hanya boleh dipegang oleh seseorang yang benar-benar berwibawa dan mendapat sokongan secara menyeluruh.)

I am sorry, Datuk. I disagree. Even if a person gets the necessary nominations as per the quota, he/she would not and could not win any contest without the necessary grassroot support - be it for the presidency or even as Puteri UMNO chief. So the issue of imposing a quota in the first place, as mentioned by you, is irrelevant. I wonder whether Puteri UMNO members feel the same as you, Datuk. The quota system must go. Now. I hope you will continuously engage the young. Channel our ideas. Be our voice. We dont need another yes-man (or yes-lady) in the government. We have plenty already.

Just say sorry!

2008-03-31T09:21:00.003+08:00

"Zam: Dr M to blame, too" screamed the title in The Star today. Dato Seri Zainuddin Maidin, the former Information Minister, said that Dr M must shoulder some of the blame for Barisan Nasional's worst ever performance in the recent general election. Dr M's various accusations swayed the people to vote against Barisan. Laying all the blame on PM Abdullah Badawi for Barisan's losses is not right because it is clear that Dr M is full of anger and uncontrolled vengeance.

You also said that the statement by Tun M on the role played by Khairy Jamaluddin and his advisers in the country's politics and economy had even caused Gerakan adviser, Datuk Seri Dr Lim Keng Yaik to ask PM Abdullah Badawi to get rid of his advisers. Wow. Is this how you regard your former cabinet colleague? Just parroting what Tun M said, without thinking on his own. Wonder how highly he thinks of you.

My Dear Dato Seri, i respect your right to speak and put the blame on Tun M. You have exercised that right using words like full of anger, uncontrolled vengeance etc. Whether it is done objectively or not, that is debatable. Now i would like to exercise my right as an UMNO member and a citizen.

I put some of the blame on your shoulders Dato Seri. You were the Minister of Information. You headed the ministry that is responsible to inform the rakyat on government policies and agendas. The Ministry that is suppose to be the eyes and ears for the government. Jabatan Hak Ehwal Khas (JASA) is under your purview.

(These are the functions of JASA, which i took from their website.

1. Mengatur rancangan dan melaksanakan strategi, program, aktiviti bagi mendidik serta meyakinkan rakyat kepada pemimpin Negara
2. Menggerakkan pembaharuan pemikiran ummah bagi menghadapi gelombang globalisasi dan teknologi maklumat
3. Menangkis dakyah, fitnah, tohmahan dan pemikiran jumud serta ekstrimis agama di kalangan rakyat
4. Membuat analisa pola dan sikap pengundi sebelum, semasa dan selepas pilihanraya
5. Menjalankan penyelidikkan dan menyediakan laporan isu - isu sosio politik dan agama 6.Mengenalpasti dan memantau setiap isu yang boleh menggugat kepercayaan rakyat terhadap kerajaan)

So Dato Seri, looking at the funtions of JASA and the result of the recent GE, i say you have failed miserably as the Minister-in-charge. You have failed your party. You have failed your country. Dont shift the blame. Just say sorry for your failure. I would have forgiven you. But now...

Dr M speaks up..

2008-03-28T13:42:00.002+08:00

http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2008/3/28/nation/20080328122936&sec=nation

Dr M as he is. A Statesman.

Finally!

2008-03-28T09:27:00.003+08:00

Finally. UMNO Supreme Council has decided to recognise and fully support Dato Ahmad Said as the Menteri Besar of Terengganu. Thank you to all Supreme Council members for making a decision. The impasse has gone far too long that any decision is welcomed. So this decision yesterday is indeed a relief to everybody, especially the rakyat of Terengganu. To my fellow Terengganuians, let's take this in our stride. We now have a new Menteri Besar. He needs all of our support to perform his duties and responsibilities. Let's give him our full undivided support. He certainly deserves a chance to prove himself.

Phase 1 of post-election has finally come to an end. (Phase 1 being the appointment of key office bearers.) We can now proceed with Phase 2 - addressing the issues/grouses raised by the rakyat. From issues as delicate as race relations and integrity, to as basic as leadership qualities. This is crucial for the BN government to keep power in four years' time. Power is everything. That is the no. 1 objective of any political party in the world. You need power to implement your agendas or perjuangan. For you to have power, you must first win the election. How do you win an election? By listening to the rakyat, the voters - the decision makers. It is as simple as that.

Congratulations to Dato Mad Said. (not Mad=crazy but Mad=short for Ahmad). You are now the CEO of Terengganu. CEO, and not the Chairman. CEO sets the tone of the organisation. CEO leads, not just manages. As i mentioned before, Dato Mad is my Ketua Bahagian. I have met him. I find him to be approachable, down to earth and grounded. and eloquent. Hard working also, someone related to me. So he has the necessary qualities. He is qualified. We have proposed, and God has disposed. Now Act 1 - Part 1: Dato Ahmad Said Takes Charge.

Abraham Lincoln once said "If you want to test a man's character, give him power". All the best Dato Mad. I sincerely hope you pass the test.

Yes Minister?

2008-03-27T11:20:00.007+08:00

Last Sunday Dato Zaid Ibrahim, the newly appointed Law Minister, proposed that the government should apologise to the judges that were involved in the 1988 judicial crisis. He said the government should seek forgiveness as in the eyes of the world, the judicial crisis has weakened our judiciary system. This open apology would be one of his three main goals. Others being - revamping the appointment and promotion process of judges, and to strengthen the judiciary with the cooperation from all stakeholders eg Bar Council, AG Chambers etc. Bravo Minister Zaid. I applaud you. You seem to know what are the issues and concerns in our judicial system. Why wouldnt you. You were chairman of Zaid Ibrahim & Co, the largest law firm in the country.

The way i read your proposal is this - the rejuvenation (i like this word) of our judiciary system could not start without an open apology from the government to the judges involved. However, at the same time, you also said there is no need to re-open the case and have a judicial review. Now i am confused. I am not a lawyer. So i may sound stupid. Why should the government apologise for something that was decided through the legal process?

In 1988, i was 14 years old. So like any other teenagers, i was more self absorbed in my own world and didnt care much of the so-called crisis. Sports especially football was no. 1 priority. But i do remember this. The judges were 'tried' by judicial panels, (panel members being their peers) formed according to the law. They were found guilty and 'sentenced' accordingly. So as far as i am concerned, they were given due process. All done as required by law. Having said that, i have to confess. I have read 'May Day for Justice" - a book written by Tun Salleh Abas on the 1988 judicial crisis. Read it in my twenties, after i had out-grown football and the rest. There may be some truths in what Tun Salleh wrote. Who knows. The point is whether that would render the whole process invalid? And the sentence void. Thus a miscarriage of justice. I dont know. All i am saying is that i dont understand why you propose for an open apology without having a judicial review first to ascertain the legality of things? That does not make sense at all. I thought lawyers work on fact, and not sentiment. Confirm the facts and then decide. Otherwise, there would be many apologies awaiting the government. Why this particular case? Why not also apologise to former ISA detainees? Then writing apologies would be your full time job for the next four years. Unless you want to open a floodgate, let's just move on. You have things to do, remember?

One more thing. You also said that Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi is serious about revamping the judiciary and making it transparent. Then tell me this. Why did he appoint Tan Sri Zaki Azmi as a judge? Let's not argue on technicality. Yes, Agong appoints judges. But on the advice of the Prime Minister. Tan Sri Zaki Azmi was appointed straight to the Federal Court, (highest court in the country) bypassing two levels - Hight Court and Court of Appeal. Then some 3 months later, promoted to President Court of Appeal, (second highest post in the judiciary) again bypassing 2 levels - Chief Judge of Sabah & Sarawak, and Chief Judge of Malaya. As the current Chief Justice is due to retire this year, he would most certainly be the next one, occupying the position his father did many years ago.

Before his elevation, Tan Sri Zaki was the deputy chairman of UMNO's Disciplinary Committee. The committee which handles disclipinary cases in umno, including money politics. He was also active in the corporate world, with directorships in few companies. Incidently, he was in the limelight back in 2005 for a wrong reason (can refer to NST 6 Aug 2005. interesting read.). He was seeking a declaration in the Syariah Court that his second marriage is null and void. Apparently, he married his second wife in Perlis, presided by a kadi from Thailand. Things didnt work out with the second wife and thus the case in the Syariah Court. Dont know what is the status of the case now.

He may have all the legal knowledge. But he is too close to the corridors of power for comfort. And the speed of his elevation and promotion raised more than the eyebrows. So Minister Zaid, is Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi really serious about restoring the confidence of the rakyat in our judiciary? Certainly not with this appointment. Win me over, and i will support you.

UMNO leader in action!

2008-03-26T13:01:00.000+08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vMS5XbtTeAs&NR=1

Please watch this video. My friend Akhram related this incident to me awhile back. Arrogance has been cited as one of the factors for the downfall of UMNO in many places. This must be one of them. Seeing is believing.

Back in 2004, Dato Mokhtar Dahlan of UMNO won this Kota Damansara seat with a majority of 8,099. Considering the total number of voters of about 29,000, that is a very comfortable margin. In 2008, BN lost with a majority of 1,075. If we assume ceteris paribus, all things being equal, (in this case we assume total voters remain the same for both years), that means a total of 9,174 voters have changed their mind.

I live in Kota Damansara. My business is in Kota Damansara. Am sure glad he is not the wakil rakyat. By saying that, am i a traitor to UMNO?! No. It means that I demand a leader who is trustworthy, humble and hard working. A leader that i can be proud of. A leader i am willing to die for, figuratively of course. Wishful thinking maybe, but there is no harm in hoping and dreaming.

Hope is a good breakfast, but a poor supper. -azrain adnan-

Dear Tan Sri

2008-03-26T08:26:00.000+08:00

Dear Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib

In The Star today, you were quoted: "...that at a time when the situation was proving difficult for UMNO, its members might not be able to make rational decisions." I am an UMNO member. My membership no is 02851601. My cawangan is Chukai. My bahagian is Kemaman, Terengganu. And I am deeply insulted. Thank you for your faith in my ability to think and to rationalise.

Let's go back to the issue at hand. Now leaders of UMNO are proposing to postpone UMNO elections to next year. They feel that if the election were to be held now, it would be disastrous to the party. The UMNO Supreme Council would meet tomorrow to decide on this. Honestly, I am not surprised. A friend informed me last week that this would happen. And when i actually read about it yesterday, it was surreal.

By this admission, things are getting clearer. Not only the rakyats who are angry but also UMNO members. Angry enough that top leaders are taking this drastic measure. The last UMNO election was in 2004, few months after the 11th GE. According to UMNO's constitution, election must be held every three years. As such, it was supposed to be last year. However, coz of the impending GE, top leadership decided to postpone it till after the GE. It has somewhat become a tradition. The constitution stipulates that the Supreme Council can defer the election up to 18 months. So it is provided for. It is within their powers to do so. In short, it is legal. But is it morally right? H*ll no!

If the Supreme Council do decide to postpone the election, i would consider that as double postponements. From 2007 to 2008, 2008 to 2009. (As far i can remember, this would be a first. I hope i am wrong. Coz if I am rite, this would set a bad precedent). Yes it is true that when it was postponed last year, no actual date was set. It was only said that it would be after the GE. and that could be anytime. Are we going to be annal about it and argue? come on! it is generally expected that election would be this year. The GE has come and gone. The result has been disastrous for UMNO. The rejuvenation of UMNO could not start without fresh blood. How can it? We have leaders who, whether we like it or not, contributed to the the loss. If they were to stay on any longer, we lose our credibility by the day. (these leaders would have been in their positions for five years with the proposed postponement, as opposed to three as intended by the constitution). Therefore, it is imperative that we have the election as soon as possible.

So now i wonder who would benefit most from this postponement? UMNO or leaders who have passed their due date. If you think you are saving UMNO by postponing the election, you are wrong. Dead wrong Tan Sri.

To be or not to be..

2008-03-25T10:28:00.000+08:00

To be or not to be. This is perhaps the most recognizable phrase of all Shakespeare's literatures. A phrase immortalised by this one man, used by many - generations after generations. I must confess, i have not read any of his works. I tried once, a long time ago. But somehow, through other means - movies especially, i can proudly say i have heard of this man and his works. In fact, i visited his birthplace a couple of times. On the first trip, i went with my girlfriend (now my wife). By the time i went on a second trip with my family, i was like a pro, telling the family what's what and who's who. So if you have any money stashed away, i do recommend you visit Stratford-upon-Avon.

8th March 2008 is a day i will remember for a very long time. That day i woke up early and excited. I skipped breakfast so that i could be at the polling station as early as possible. By 930am i had performed my duty as a citizen and a father. A citizen - to ensure the country is put in good hands. A father - so that my kids can live in a country where they can dream and fulfill their dreams, with the hope they would one day inherit a better country, a better place. That is the sacred bond between us and the next generation. It is unwritten. But it is expected that we make it a better place . Otherwise, i have failed. otherwise, we have failed as a society.

So that nite after dinner, i started to receive smses from friends all over the country. Disturbing news. Then the pins began to fall one by one. First it was Penang. then Kedah. By that time i got a call from my good friend nazrein. He was very upset. In record time, he came by the house and off we went to PWTC. When we got there, the first thing that came to mind - where are the people? I was at PWTC back in 1999. It was buzzing with people. But this particular nite, not only the air was sombre, but the people, the members, the supporters are missing. So another question came to mind - is this the beginning of the end of PM Abdullah Badawi?

So while there, we deliberated, not only as UMNO members but also as citizens. No matter how we argued, from this angle, that angle, this side, that side - we came back to the same conclusion. The voice of the people is loud and clear. They are not in-sync with the government anymore. They have given the government a red mark for its report card. That is why they are willing to take the risk and give power to the opposition. DAP has never tasted power since its inception in 1965. Not even close. They couldn't even smell it. They have no experience in governing a state, let alone the country. And yet the rakyat is willing to give them a try.

In 2004, PM Abdullah Badawi won 90% of the parliamentary seats and 63% of the popular votes. In 2008, he won 63% and 51% respectively. At the same time, losing 5 states to the opposition (we have to consider Wilayah Persekutuan as a state, as it has its own Liaison Committee. Out of 13 seats, BN only won 3). From one of the biggest mandate in our history to the worst, amazingly in four short years. So what the h*ll happened? In 2004, although he is a BN man, with a clean and religious image, the rakyat gave him the benefit of the doubt. They thought this is the man that would bring change. This is the man that would take us to greater heights with "Cemerlang, Gemilang, Terbilang'. That is why they gave him that huge mandate. They accepted his call - ' come work with me'. But over the years, that hope turned to despair. And despair turned to anger. well the rest is history, or is it HIStory?! The message is clear (at least to me) - the rakyats apparently do not want to work with this administration anymore. Their trust have been betrayed. And that is the worst feeling in the world. Now many quarters are asking him to shoulder the responsibility for this dismal BN performance. They say be accountable.

So to be or not to be...that is the question. And only PM Abdullah Badawi has the answer.

Surat Terbuka Daripada Golongan Profesional Muda

2008-03-25T09:40:00.000+08:00

Surat Terbuka Daripada Golongan Profesional Muda

Kami organisasi-organisasi yang mewakili golongan profesional muda ingin merakamkan rasa terkejut dan dukacita dengan keputusan Pilihanraya Umum ke-12 yang baru lalu. Keputusan pilihanraya ini membuktikan rakyat masih mempercayai proses demokrasi yang ada di negara ini dan telah menggunakannya untuk meluahkan perasaan mereka. Tahniah juga kepada Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR) kerana dapat menganjurkan pilihanraya dengan baik. Secara keseluruhannya, rakyat telah dapat menunaikan hak dan tanggungjawab mereka dengan aman, tanpa gangguan serta tekanan.

Rakyat telah bersuara dengan kuat dan jelas. Mesejnya tidak boleh dipertikaikan lagi. Rakyat sudah tidak sehati sejiwa bersama kerajaan mengenai pelbagai isu. Ini merangkumi aspek-aspek ekonomi, hubungan antara kaum, integriti serta kedaulatan negara. Kami berpendapat bahawa malangnya dalam menangani isu-isu tersebut, pendapat serta pandangan rakyat, termasuklah generasi muda telah tidak di hiraukan.

Pada Pilihanraya Umum ke-11, rakyat telah memberikan mandat terbesar di dalam sejarah negara kepada kepimpinan YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, dengan harapan yang tinggi untuk perubahan. Amat mengejutkan, dalam jangka masa yang singkat, mandat tersebut telah ditarik balik dan kini rakyat memberi mesej bahawa mereka tidak lagi mahu bekerja bersama kepimpinan tertinggi yang sediada. Rakyat telah menilai kepimpinan YAB Dato Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, dan memberikan markah merah untuk Kad Rekodnya (Report Card).

Golongan profesional muda masih berpendapat bahawa Barisan Nasional adalah gagasan yang mempunyai agenda yang jelas dan menyeluruh untuk rakyat serta negara. Gagasan ini masih mempunyai keupayaan dan dapat mewakili aspirasi seluruh rakyat Malaysia. Demi kebaikan bersama, institusi gagasan ini harus dipertahankan. Apa yang diperlukan dengan segera ialah perubahan kepimpinan kepada yang lebih peka kepada suara dan kehendak sebenar rakyat. Kepimpinan untuk rakyat, kepada rakyat.

Kami golongan profesional muda yang telah meraih manfaat daripada dasar pendidikan negara, telah dididik mengenai prinsip ‘accountability’, dimana seseorang itu harus bertanggungjawab di atas apa yang berlaku. Kepimpinan nombor satu negara mesti mendengar suara hati rakyat ini dan menerimanya dengan terbuka. Demi kesejahteraan masa depan rakyat serta negara, harus memberi laluan kepada kepimpinan yang lebih berupaya berkhidmat dengan lebih prihatin.

Sekretariat Melayu Muda
Alumni Melayu UK & Eire (AMUKE)

Sad but true!

2008-03-24T15:34:00.000+08:00

When i was younger, i used to listen to the group Metallica. And one of their great songs is 'Sad but true'. I remember this particular song coz i am sad. and i am angry. and i am dissapointed.

I am from Terengganu you see. Reading the news lately about the happenings in my home state is disturbing, to say the least. The 12th GE ended 16 days ago. Unlike some other states, UMNO Terengganu performed quite good in retaining its power, albeit losing some seats here and there. But the state is the only state without a head, a leader - a Menteri Besar. This is why i am sad.

Over the weeks, speculations were intense as to why a Menteri Besar has yet to be appointed. It was supposed to be a shoe in for Idris Jusoh. He led the Gelombang Biru that wrestled Terengganu away from PAS in 2004. And in 2008, he again led UMNO to a comfortable win with two-thirds majority.

So to cut a long story short - Idris Jusoh is the chosen one of PM Abdullah Badawi. But the Terengganu Royalty apparently is not in favour of Idris Jusoh for a second term, to the extent - anybody but Idris. There was a stand-off till yesterday when Ahmad Said, ADUN Kijal accepted the offer from the palace and received the 'watikah' for his appointment as the next MB of Terengganu. (Incidently, Ahmad Said is the head of UMNO Kemaman, which is my Bahagian.) By accepting the offer, Ahmad Said now risk being expelled from UMNO for the act of disobeying party directive. By presenting the appointment letter to Ahmad Said, the palace has made its move. The ball is now in UMNO's court. So what next?

Lots of people - ADUNs, politicians and rakyat have voiced their sentiment. The UMNO assemblymen is so supportive of Idris Jusoh that they have threatened to resign if he is not reappointed. Resign as assemblymen?! This is why i am angry. You should not, cannot and will not use that as a bargaining chip. On second thoughts, i say go ahead and resign. Let's see whether you can afford to go for another round of election. Are you really confident you can still win after what have happened to other states eg Kedah and Selangor? Or are you just making an empty threat thus mocking the sanctity of the position and trust of the people? Either way, the losers would be the rakyat of Terengganu. Please bear in mind, there is no 'government' in Terengganu for the past one month or so, since the dissolution of the state assembly. So things are not actually moving without a proper 'government' in place.

On Saturday nite (i think!), i watched the news - the press conference by Sabri Alwi, Head of Terengganu UMNO Youth. In short, he said the palace should not interfere in the appointment of the MB. (FYI, Sabri Alwi is the wannabe 'hero' who asked Tun Mahathir to resign from UMNO for criticising PM Abdullah Badawi.) It is not so much of what he said, but the way he said it. So rude. So disrespectful. Obviously he threw away two of our Rukunegara out the window - Kesetiaan Kepada Raja dan Negara, Kesopanan dan Kesusilaan. That is why i am dissappointed. Dissappointed coz this is someone i am suppose to call my leader. Dissappointed coz this someone has managed to slip through the crack and become not only an UMNO Youth leader, but Head of Terengganu UMNO Youth - Head of Heads.

So i am still sad. Still angry. Still dissappointed.

azrain.adnan

whose fault is that?

something stinks...who did that?!

what's up? part deux

what's up?

Joke of the year!

Jemputan Forum

so what is the truth?

Minister Zaid...again!

Hail to the Chief!

sir, may i have some more...

mind your own business...

My Lord...

flip-flop..flip-flop..flip-flop...

the end justify the means...

the saga continues...

score points...

he is back!

Return of the Prodigal Son 2

Return of the Prodigal Son 1

bye bye rocks...

a roller-coaster ride...

Funny Haha or Funny Hahahahaha.....

Official Statement by Dato' Mukhriz

Official Statement by Tun M

Resignation Letter

Berita Terkini

Malaysian Idol

He’s the best

Ruling The Rulers - Part III

Mahathir vs the Malay Rulers

WIDE ANGLEBy HUZIR SULAIMAN

Ruling the Rulers - Part II

The Mahathir years

WIDE ANGLEBy HUZIR SULAIMAN

Ruling The Rulers - Part I

Ruling the Rulers

In the first of a two-part series, Wide Angle columnist Huzir Sulaiman looks at the challenges faced by our Sultans throughout history.

mystory - 12 may 2008

mystory - 11 may 2008

pictures..

Selamat Hari Jadi.

mystory - 10 may 2008

my speech

mystory - 7 may 2008

The Star: 4 may 2008

Youth wing faces new dilemma

INSIGHTBy JOCELINE TAN

Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini

Today is the Day!

Ooi Chuan Aun.

My Dear BALKIS..

Glass Eye.

mystory - 26 april 2008

mystory - 24 April 2008

Kah Choon: Revisited

mystory - 22 april 2008

Letter to NST Editor - 21 April 2008

mystory - 21 April 2008

mystory - 21 April 2008

mystory - 20 april 2008

mystory - 18 april 2008

mystory - 17 april 2008

mystory - 16 April 2008

mystory 16 April 2008 - malaysia in history

Ketuanan Melayu

Dream Team.

Malaysia Baru: Senario Politik Masakini

April 14 2008

change - the buzz word.

x-factor.

Terengganu again.

Karpal to the Rescue!

sacro what?

Saboteurs, saboteurs - where are you?

Eid Mubarak so soon?

The whole truth, nothing but the truth!

Nazrein in action!

Gentlemen, start your engine!

A Funeral. No wedding.

WIDE ANGLE
By HUZIR SULAIMAN

WIDE ANGLE
By HUZIR SULAIMAN

INSIGHT
By JOCELINE TAN