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.
Sunday, April 6, 2008
Friday, April 4, 2008
Nazrein in action!
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.
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.
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Gentlemen, start your engine!
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
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.
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.
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.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Keep it up!
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
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
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Doctor who?
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.
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.
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.
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.
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