Pour Less Sugar On Me...

I return to one of my earlier series that explores the relationship of subsidies with marginal economics of essential products and its consumption in Malaysia, the 'cooking oil' series. However, as there is a variation in the product focussed on, being sugar, I've chosen to alude to a completely different set of artists to Shakespeare for the title of this piece... and I only chose Def Leppard as it seems to fit one of their hits... no hidden agenda... and of course, I like their music!

Yesterday, one of my favourite NGOs, the Consumer Association of Penang (CAP), made the news again when they chose to go to press on the issue of Malaysians being among the highest, if not the highest, consumers of sugar in the world; 26 teaspoons of sugar a day! The CAP then urged the authorities to address this through education and legislation, whilst showcasing the direct and indirect medical implications of such high sugar consumption by Malaysians, such as:

1. Malaysia having the fourth highest number of diabetics in Asia which was expected to increase by more than 60% to 1.3 million in 2010.


2. ~72% of 16 million Malaysian adults are sick with a non-communicable disease like diabetes, hypertension or cancer.


3. Malaysia having the most overweight and obese people in Asia; ~54% of the adult population!

I wish to add a tangent to the lobby against sugar related more to economics though. Why is sugar consumption in Malaysia so high? I believe it is partly to do with the price of sugar, seeing as it is a controlled item, which is hence subsidised by the government! The proliferation of sugar hence is not just due to Malaysians having sweet teeth, but because as a bearer of taste, sugar is a cheap option to fulfill the demands of our discerning food-obsessed nation!

Subsidies on sugar presents a dis-economy in many ways, for not only does it boost the consumption of sugar based on an artificial demand-price trade-off, but as sugar or its raw materials are IMPORTED, there is no real benefit of its low prices to the greater economy! Sugar, unlike rice, is a luxury that is so non-essential that any increase in price leading to a consumption drop may not even result in a balancing consumption of other goods... people just consume less!

So, besides creating tycoons from these subsidised businesses, the only 'gain' to the Rakyat from low sugar prices, hence appears to be a frequently pursued transitional feel-good effect related to enjoying sweet stuff cheaply, probably as often as we can afford to! And the result healthwise...

I had expressed in an earlier posting of the need to abolish altogether the subsidies on sugar and the economics were directly related to health, as:

1. The relationship between high sugar intake and poor Malaysian health presents a link between sugar subsidies with poor worker productivity from absence or ineffective work due to illness. The direct economic impact of sugar subsidies on said reduction on national productivity would require a university thesis to quantify, but the link should be clear to us even now.


2. The direct impact of poor health of the populace would be an increased burden, and cost, on our healthcare system and infrastructure. Effectively, the cost is related not just to higher dispensation of drugs (hypertension pills, insulin, etc) and medical services, but also generally a higher cost to insure the health and death of Malaysian citizens as a whole even by public agencies and corporations.


3. The caring for the ill is still a very personal activity in Malaysia. As the number of those in need increase, the burden upon the healthy productive members of society will result in secondary inefficiencies that will further penalise the economy. Confusing? Well, imagine a working mum having to take time off to attend counselling of an obese child. Imagine the dad then being hospitalised for hypertension. Will the working mum remain working?


4. A generally less healthy populace results in the older generation being more ill and less productive at earlier age. For example, politicians are still considered young and sprightly in Japan at the age of 60, but in Malaysia, even at 55 some are labeled old! OK, politicians are perhaps not the best examples of productivity, but no one can deny the national shame at losing Yasmin Ahmad to stroke at the young age of 51!

The straight-line negative economic impact of sugar subsidies can hence be represented in the following chain (I'll chart it up nicely some other time):

Sugar Subsidies -> Higher Sugar Consumption (-ve economic impact from higher sugar imports) -> Poorer Health of Populace (-ve economic impact from poor productivity) -> Higher Healthcare Costs (-ve economic impact from avoidable increased cost of Health) -> Higher Insurance Costs (-ve economic impact from cost of Health cover) -> More Time Spent Caring for Ill (-ve impact from removal of productive workers to act as carers of the ill) -> Older Members Of Populace Relatively Less Productive (-ve impact on economic potential of population above 50 years of age)

So, whilst in theory potentially unpopular, the government should remove the sugar subsidies above all else. It makes sense in terms of ensuring better long-term health of the populace by effectively increasing the cost of getting ill from high sugar consumption. Hopefully I have also made a convincing argument as to the economic merit of removing the subsidy, not just because sugar is imported, but due to the real cost to our economy of the poor health it engenders.

DAP Pressing All The Wrong Panic Buttons

The DAP appears to be in much turmoil these days. Whilst its Pakatan chums PAS and PKR are continuing their evolution, with the former rediscovering its relationship with UMNO and the latter adding to its leadership and experience pool through BN defections, the DAP appears to be in at panic stations. Unfortunately, it also seems to be pressing all the wrong panic buttons!

Much of the furore over the last week and a bit has been revolving around the death of young DAP political aide, Teoh Beng Hock. However, it should be noted that DAP has been in hot soup and miss-stepping in response for some weeks prior to that. Worth pointing out here some notable occurances in this blogger's tangentially tuned eyes:

1. The DAP has been pointing fingers at the BN government as the instigator of recent investigations of its leaders in the Selangor state government and associated agencies. They've conveniently forgotten that the accusations of misconduct were also hurled at them by PKR MPs YB Azmin Ali and YB Woo Chee Keong, also an ex-DAP man, have been more pointed, carry more weight seeing as they come from 'allies', and mirror the MACC investigations.


2. The DAP made a major song and dance over how a few of their exco members and MPs were being investigated for what are showcased as 'minor contributions' to the 'rakyat'. In this, they have failed to realise that MACC investigations have become routine since it was formed and that far more BN stalwarts have been questioned to date! This show of moral indignation is now seen by some as immature arrogant petulance by the DAP.


3. Even prior to Teoh's death, the DAP had been hinting on the 'racism' practiced by MACC. Upon Teoh's death, this accusation rose to a crescendo! It was hence to the DAP's great misfortune when the MACC revealed that they have been pursuing UMNO, i.e. Malay, political leaders, legislators, etc. harder since the time of its formation. If the MACC was racist, Malays have greater claim of it being anti-Malay than pro-Malay!


4. Upon 'revelations' by the blog t4tbh.blogspot.com of wrong-doings by DAP strong-man and long suspected 'rumah-urut' protector, Ronnie Liu and his men, the finger pointing has now increased in dimension! Ronnie has lodged a police report on the said blog. In the meantime, his long time boss, Lim Kit Siang, has lodged a police report on threats upon DS Ong Tee Keat's life as a distracting polical gymic. Both acts may well backfire!


5. This blogger has been annoyed anyway with DAP's penchant of showing off their 'acts to improve transparency', such as involving the ACA, then MACC, in vetting potential appointees, as these wese already common practices of the BN state governments Pakatan had displaced! Now interestingly, even Ronnie in his own defence, has had to admit that some of these so called 'new' DAP practices were actually established by the BN government!

The DAP has over the years been striving to prove itself not only to be a worthy remnant of the PAP in Singapore, but also a real contender to the MCA and Gerakan as the main Chinese majority/based party in Malaysia's political make-up. However, Lim Kit Siang's incapacity to retain talent and experience superior to his own, leading to the departure of TS Lee Kim Sai and YB Wee Choo Keong, has severely crippled the party in one area, COMPETENCY TO GOVERN.

The introduction of YB Tony Pua and YB Jeff Ooi to the DAP's ranks has been very much a patch-job to cover gapping holes in the party's ability to really be an alternative for the people to choose, for beyond the rhetoric, there must be substance! One can see following their PRU12 success that there has been an effort to build some competence in the collection of young coterie idealists that revolve around Lim Kit Siang, similar to PKR's efforts.

However, the Teoh Beng Hock case has now begun to tip the DAP off its moral high ground. It can no longer claim to be a champion of Malaysian Malaysia, as its current railing against 'racism' is revealing the leaders and activists of DAP to be the actual racists in the debate! And as more evidence surfaces of the crimes of Ronnie Liu and his cronies, the DAP will soon lose its moral high ground against corruption! And all this after just over 1 year in power!

The challenge for the DAP now is to demonstrate whether it has enough maturity and nous to pause and think before it wrongly presses another panic button! Failing to do so would indicate to all and sundry that the party has even lost its COMPETENCY IN POLITICS!

If It Was My Wife...

If it was my wife who's body was found broken from a mysterious fall,
I would scream at the world,
I would blindly place blame on all nearest around,
I would rail for JUSTICE in terms that would fill the hole inside...

If it was my wife who's body was found after a time with the authorities,
I would lose all trust in those meant to protect her,
I would ask for more than the Royal Malaysian Police to seek out her killer,
I would seek personal SATISFACTION from the actions of all from Judge to Coroner...

If it was my wife who's body rests in the ground with questions unanswered,
I would rally all to my call to send those I blame to the grave,
I would insist that government forget all else but the TRUTH that I crave,
I would demand that a Royal Commission no less be formed to hammer and cleave...

... and I WOULD BE WRONG...

Pemimpin Muda UMNO Mahukan Suruhanjaya DiRaja?

Saya terkejut mendengar seorang pemimpin UMNO mendesak supaya sebuah Suruhanjaya DiRaja dibentuk untuk menyiasat kematian Setiausaha Politik kepada seorang Exco kerajaan negeri Selangor, Teoh Beng Hock. Ternyata beliau ingin mendahului para pemimpin Pakatan Rakyat yang memang gemar mendesak siasatan melalui Suruhanjaya DiRaja. Mungkin pemimpin muda UMNO ini juga serasi dengan Pakatan yang tidak yakin akan keupayaan Polis DiRaja Malaysia?

Mungkin ini sebahagian dari startegi pemimpin muda tersebut untuk memikat hati penyokong pembangkang yang tok-tok? Beliau pun dikatakan rajin ke sana-ke mari bermajlis bersama Tony Pua, budak se-Oxford yang menjadi harapan DAP. Di majlis-majlis tersebut, pemimpin muda UMNO tersebut melafazkan niat murninya untuk mempermodenkan UMNO sambil memohon kesabaran dari penyokong Pakatan kerana kononnya beliau 'tertambat' oleh 'kelapukan minda' orang UMNO.

Tetapi, saya agak hairan, rakyat sebenarnya mahu sangatkah Suruhanjaya pelbagai dibentuk seperti yang didesak ni? Saya rasa, rakyat lebih gemar kalau pemimpin UMNO mendesak supaya harga bas dan teksi diturunkan semula sedikit. Ini rasanya lebih penting kepada rakyat dari kematian seorang ahli politik, tak kiralah yang mendiang itu muda, baru nak kahwin dan baru lepas ditemu-bual Suruhanjaya Pencegah Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM).

Rakyat pun pasti hairan, kenapa pemimpin muda UMNO ini sibuk pula mahukan Suruhanjaya DiRaja ditubuhkan bersabit kematian ahli politik muda DAP tersebut? Apakah kematian beliau lebih penting disiasat dari kematian puluhan mangsa ragut, ratusan mangsa rompak dan ribuan mangsa kemalangan di jalan raya sehingga Suruhanjaya DiRaja diperlukan, padahal yang lain ini tidak? Atau mungkinkah beliau merasakan Suruhanjaya Diraja diperlukan untuk semua ini?

Gamaknya banyak benarlah Suruhanjaya DiRaja diperlukan ya!? Apakah perlu lagi Polis DiRaja dan Mahkamah sekiranya Suruhanjaya DiRaja boleh dibentuk sewenang-wenangnya pada masa ini? Pada suatu masa dahulu, Suruhanjaya DiRaja hanya ditubuhkan sekiranya ada sesuatu tragedi besar, seperti kejadian rusuhan kaum pada 13 Mei 1969 yang menyebabkan kematian ratusan penduduk dan hampir memendekkan umur Malaysia sebagai negara merdeka berharmoni.

Kematian Teoh beng Hock ini juga bukan kali pertama seorang ahli politik disyaki terbunuh. Dahulu, Datuk Mohd Taha Talib, ADUN Tampin dan Dr Joe Fernandez, ADUN Lunas, juga didapati terbunuh, tetapi tak terlihat perlu pun ditubuhkan Suruhanjaya DiRaja. Tetapi pada zaman Pak Lah, sebuah pita video pun boleh menyebabkan terbentuknya sebuah Suruhanjaya DiRaja! Adakah pemimpin muda UMNO ini terlibat juga dalam penubuhan Suruhanjaya tersebut?

Dan macamlah hasil Suruhanjaya DiRaja rakaman video VK Lingam dan yang sebelumnya untuk "Penambahbaikan Perjalanan dan Pengurusan Polis DiRaja Malaysia" berkesan sangat! Hanya sekadar menjadi modal politik pemimpin tertentu sahaja, selain meragut lagi imej dan maruah dua institusi negara, yakni badan Kehakiman dan Polis DiRaja Malaysia sendiri? Padahal yang menjamin keselamatan negara selama ini siapa, ahli politik?

Saya sebenarnya sudah jijik akan tabiat pemimpin politik memperlekehkan institusi DiRaja dengan mendesak Suruhanjaya DiRaja diadakan untuk benda-benda remeh yang seharusnya ditangani oleh Polis DiRaja Malaysia. Kematian seorang ahli politik muda, tak kiralah betapa hiba dan tragisnya, bukan petanda kiamat untuk Malaysia. Biarlah sahaja pihak berkuasa menyiasat, dari kita terus-menerus menghina dan memperkecilkan institusi DiRaja.

Saya faham sekiranya pemimpin DAP sedang bersifat dan bertindak lebih kurang rasional dari lazimnya tentang hal ini... mendiang Teoh tu anak buah mereka! Tetapi mungkin sudah tiba masanya para pemimpin DAP mencapai sedikit kearifan tentang adab dunia. Dunia ini tidak berpaksikan sesiapa... Allah punya semuanya... maka hormatilah adab dunia ini, bukan semuanya harus menurut pendapat dan keinginan DAP... Institusi DiRaja bukan alat politik semata...

Ha, pemimpin muda UMNO yang berkenaan pun kelihatan buang tabiat pula... tapi kenalah faham... pemimpin muda mana yang dimaksudkan...

Hari Ke 103...

Kita di hari ke-103 Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak di tampuk kuasa sebagai Perdana Menteri Malaysia. Saya sebenarnya agak hairan dengan keghairahan pihak media meraikan 100 hari pertama DS Najib berkuasa. Keghairahan ini sebenarnya bukanlah berasaskan sesuatu kejadian atau budaya Malaysia, mahupun Asia, tetapi menumpang keghairahan lazim Barat yang berasaskan tempoh kedua Napoleon berkuasa selama ~111 hari (20 Mac - 8 July 1815).

Sebenarnya, dari segi kekerajaan, tempoh 100 hari pertama mentadbir tidaklah semestinya sepenting mana. Malah sebagai seorang ahli UMNO, hari ini, yakni juga hari ke-109 DS Najib menjadi Presiden UMNO adalah lebih penting dari segi politik pentadbiran beliau. Pada hari ini, UMNO berentap dengan PAS di hati pengundi Manek Urai dan walaupun faktor tempatan menjadi tumpuan pada PRK ini, dalam senario politik semasa, isu nasional juga kuat mempengaruhi.

Dari segala segi, DS Najib dan pentadbirannya terlihat setidak-tidaknya berusaha untuk menyelesaikan masalah rakyat. Walaupun ada keputusan yang dibuat menimbulkan kegusaran, pembatalan PPSMI contohnya, namun di sebalik keputusan seumpamanya, ada hujah-hujah jitu yang menunjukkan keutamaan rakyat dalam agenda DS Najib.

Walaubagaimanapun, malang bagi DS Najib dan kepimpinan baru kerajaan BN, segala usaha baik mereka setakat ini mungkin tidak dapat memikat kembali rakyat pengundi dalam masa terdekat oleh kerana beberapa faktor yang masih harus ditangani:

1. Masih ada ide-ide perosak negara yang muncul di dalam agenda pentadbiran DS Najib, seperti ide membina jambatan ketiga dengan Singapura. Ide beracun seperti yang tersebut mungkin timbul hasil dari wujudnya sisa-sisa pengaruh 'Tingkat Empat' Pak Lah di sisi Najib seperti dikatakan di sini. Ya lah, DS Najib memerlukan teknokrat juga di sampingnya, tetapi diharap beliau menjauhilah jenis yang GAGAL dalam hebat bersuara sebegini...


2. Dari segi penerangan, terlalu banyak usaha kerajaan dengan mudah dapat diputar-belitkan, menyebabkan rakyat sama ada keliru atau terus memikirkan inisiatif terbaru BN tidak merakyat. Jentera penerangan UMNO dan BN kelihatan masih kurang lincah, terutama di seluruh alam media baru. Yang merunsingkan adalah, apabila ramai mengaku 'ahli' semata-mata untuk mencari nama tapi tak reti! Bagaimana harus masalah pokok ini ditangani?


3. Idola-idola RASUAH masih ada di dalam barisan kepimpinan UMNO dan menjadi simbol masalah parah yang harus ditangani segera oleh DS Najib untuk mengembalikan kepercayaan rakyat. Walaupun DS Najib dengan penuh bijaksana mengecualikan individu tersebut dari kabinet beliau, namun rakyat memerlukan lebih dari itu. Islam sendiri mengamalkan hukuman sebagai sebahagian dari proses pemaafan, maka... bila nak hukum ni?

Saya ternanti-nanti keputusan Manek Urai dengan penuh harapan. Namun, saya lebih berharap hal-hal di atas ditangani, tak kiralah siapa yang menang di Manek Urai. Kerana hari ini baru hari ke-103 DS Najib menjadi Perdana Menteri dan ke-109 berjawatan Presiden UMNO. Ada masa lagi... dan sasaran kita haruslah PRU-13...

The End Of PPSMI? - Part V... Alternatives, Salvation And Hope?

I intend for this to be the final chapter of this series... or at least until the tabling of the amendment to the PPSMI on Wednesday.

We begin by sharing what I discussed with my wife last week on PPSMI. She shared the following with me, which I was compelled to agree:

1. The introduction of English in teaching Maths and Science would be disruptive AT ANY LEVEL. If we are dead keen on doing so, for whatever reasons, we must choose the stage which will cause minimum impact. Her point of example were some of our colleagues from the JPA British Top University program who were struggling with the transition when doing A-Levels in the UK... and these were among the top students of the year!


2. Due to the above, she believes that to minimise the pain, if we choose to go with PPSMI, we should go all the way, and not even consider my alternative of having PPSMI begin at Secondary school only. The problem is that the transition, though perhaps less painful, would still be disruptive at the point of moving from Standard 6 to Form 1. By the same token, if the decision is to remove it, PPSMI should be dismantled entirely.


3. The wife's biggest grouse over PPSMI, specifically for our children who are ~bi-lingual from home, was that the infrastruture, including the teaching staff, appears unable to cope with it as it stands. We have found repeatedly a conflict in priority on whether the English or the Maths and Science is important when teachers grade exam papers. And the teaching is clearly hampered, one of my kids find the Maths being taught incomprehensible!

This leads me to amend my views as the above opened my eyes to the disruptive nature of such a transition in teaching and learning. For whilst I still view the retaining of PPSMI at Secondary level for whatever reasons a choice, I now see it as a poorer one and smacking of a need to compromise between the different sides of the PPSMI divide. In fact, I am happy to showcase 2 analogies to illustrate the level of disruption from abolishing PPSMI at Primary School only:

1. Vernacular Primary School students have to go through transition classes or "Kelas Peralihan" in order to cope with the move to a Malay teaching medium. Significant time is given for this transition as it is disruptive to the learning process. This implies that having Maths and Science taught in Malay at Primary and retaining PPSMI at Secondary level would also require transition classes across the entire Malaysian student body in public schools!


2. Those agree with the Parent Action Group for Education, a pro-PPSMI lobby, that learning Maths and Science in Malay is crippling students due to lack of a robust nomenclature, can imagine how parents who practice English as their first language appreciate this 'disruption' argument as it is probably what they fear for their kids. I.e., imagine the horror of a child who does not understand when the teacher says 'Berdiri!' at the first day at school!

But then, how can we salvage the PPSMI or enhance the uptake of English in the rural areas? Ironically, if we take the all or nothing approach on PPSMI, i.e. that it should applied from Primary School or not at all, the solution to both questions would be the same, especially as it is precisely the concern over the impact of PPSMI on the learning of Maths and Science in the rural and urban poor areas that has many intellectuals and educationist opposing PPSMI.

You simply have to start teaching English earlier! Many urban families have the advantage of sending their kids to day-care or kindergartens that do expose kids to English, at least conversational English, early. In the rural areas, what should be done is the Kemas or Kebajikan Masyarakat kindergartens and the like need to be upgraded from being a day-care with teaching only basics to kids in their own mother-tongues, typically Malay, to also introducing conversational English.

Interestingly, such a revamp of the 'Tadika Kemas' would also rejuvenate the program which has been in a bit of a rut in recent years. I even dare argue that in the midst of the current economic downturn, the economic activity related to this effort would have a positive multiplier effect, not just from the need to re-train Kemas officers and teachers to enable to impart conversational English, which is not too hard, but also from having our rural kids catch up on their English!

In writing the above, I realise that perhaps I am only addressing the concerns of the Malay Maths and Science inclined educationists and intellectuals, but analogous solutions exist for the other communities as well. Why not introduce English at temple? Why not have the Chinese kindergartens go bi- or tri-lingual?

In the end, what I also wish to impart here is that, wherever you sit on the PPSMI debate and whatever the decision by the government, there are always options... and there should always be hope...

Punca Sebenar 'Kekalutan' Pakatan Rakyat... Dan Bahaya Kepada BN...

Perpecahan yang kelihatan menjadi-jadi antara anggota Pakatan Pembangkang kini sedang kuat di'analisa' berpropaganda oleh BN. Amnya saya setuju yang pertelingkahan pelbagai yang berlaku ini berpunca dari perlawanan prinsip dan dasar antara ahli Pakatan. Namun, saya rasa terlalu awal untuk menyatakan perpecahan berikut bakal memastikan masa depan BN sebagai parti pemerintah, apatah lagi kembalinya 2/3 Parlimen dan 5+1 negeri secara mutlak kepadanya.

Ketiga-tiga ahli Pakatan mempunyai matlamat berbeza dan tiada kesatuan tujuan selain benci terhadap BN; DAP mahukan Malaysian-Malaysia, PAS memperjuangkan 'Negara Islam' manakala PKR mahukan keadilan untuk DS Anwar Ibrahim, yakni menjadikan beliau Perdana Menteri. Ini lain dengan dasar kesatu-paduan BN yang dari pasca tahun 1969 berlandaskan perlunya keamanan di antara kaum di Malaysia.

Namun, kalau dilihat dari segi keputusan PRU-12 yang lepas, ketidak-samaan dasar bukanlah menjadi faktor utama kemenangan Pakatan Pembangkang di 5+1 dan kebanyakan kerusi Parlimen. Pada saya, 2 punca pokok kemenangan tersebut adalah:

1. Kebencian rakyat terhadap kepimpinan, dasar dan tindak-tanduk kerajaan Pak Lah yang menyebabkan BN amnya ditolak di banyak tepi undi. Malah kalau dilihat, di banyak lokasi, BN kalah kerana pengundi BN enggan keluar mengundi. Kumpulan tidak mengundi inilah yang membawa risiko terbesar untuk BN, sekiranya mereka bukan sahaja tidak mengundi pada PRU-13, tetapi langsung menyokong parti lawan!


2. Kejayaan DS Anwar Ibrahim menyatu-padukan PAS, DAP dan PKR sepanjang tempoh pilihanraya, justeru itu menubuhkan kerajaan-kerajaan negeri dari kalangan Pakatan Pembangkang sahaja. DS Anwar sebenarnya adalah satu-satunya pemimpin Pakatan yang ahli dalam politik persatuan antara parti ini, hasil latihan Tun Dr M sewaktu beliau dalam persediaan mengambil kedudukan Presiden UMNO sekaligus Ketua Barisan Nasional.

Dari segi peranan DS Anwar sebagai 'gam' yang mencantumkan parti-parti Pakatan supaya terduduk bersekongkong, bersuara senada, berpesta seirama, ia telah dibuktikan berkali-kali. Contoh yang terkini adalah apabila beliau kelihatan berjaya, melalui hubungan 'Erdogan'-nya, mematikan usaha PAS untuk bermuafakat dengan UMNO untuk perpaduan ummah Melayu.

Oleh itu, kita tidak sepatutnya hairan yang 'gam' antara parti-parti Pakatan pada masa ini lekang sedikit. Ini kerana 'gam' tersebut, DS Anwar, tengah sibuk dengan kes sodomi beliau terhadap bekas pegawai khasnya Saiful! Kerana beliau kini kesibukan memantau pengendalian kes tersebut, maka tak hairanlah kita melihat DS Anwar kurang mampu meleraikan keruncingan terkini antara 'teman-teman' Pakatannya, sehinggakan mesyuarat kepemimpinan pun ditangguhkan!

Namun, BN harus waspada! Pada masa ini, perpecahan menjadi-jadi kerana ketiadaan DS Anwar sebagi penyatu Pakatan dan ini adalah keadaan yang berkemungkinan SEMENTARA sahaja. DS Anwar mungkin selamat dari tuduhan Saiful, tetapi walaupun sekiranya beliau didapati bersalah dan dipenjarakan semula, masih ada kemungkinan timbulnya 'gam' baru bagi menggantikan DS Anwar dari kalangan pemimpin Pakatan... 'gam' yang nescaya lebih berkesan!

Sebenarnya, BN tidak harus menghiraukan langsung bersatu tidaknya Pakatan Pembangkang kerana pada dasarnya, kita bukan kalah kerana PAS, DAP dan PKR menarik bebenar kepada rakyat, baik dalam Pakatan mahupun dengan sendiri. Malah, kekalahan BN berlaku sebelum Pakatan Pembangkang diisytiharkan secara 'rasmi'nya. Kalahnya BN pada dasarnya kerana isu 1 di atas; kita ditolak hasil kebencian rakyat terhadap kepimpinan, dasar dan tindak-tanduk Pak Lah.

BN seharusnya terus meningkatkan usaha mengembalikan kepercayaan rakyat, baik menerusi dasar dan perkhidmatan mantap mahupun dengan meneruskan pembersihan parti-parti yakni dengan pembuangan anasir-anasir yang dibenci orang kebanyakan. Tugas berat juga harus dipikul oleh bahagian Penerangan setiap komponen BN, yang juga harus celik media di alam kepelbagaian sumber maklumat, terutama bagi menarik pengundi muda. Futsal dah tak cukup oi!

BN juga harus waspada yang kita tidak terus 'syok sendiri', bukan sahaja dengan apa dilihat sebagai kejayaan di dalam parti, tetapi juga anggapan perpecahan lawan di luar. Yang penting adalah pendapat rakyat dan isi hati pengundi terhadap BN... kerana merekalah yang bakal menentukan nasib pemimpin menjelang PRU-13...

Antara Ketua Pengawas Dan Pemangku Ketua Pemuda - Bhgn II

Saya pernah menulis bagaimana konflik kian mekar di Pemuda UMNO antara 'Ketua Pengawas'nya, YB Khairy Jamaluddin atau KJ dengan 'Pemangku' Ketua Pemuda, YB Dato' Razali Ibrahim. Kini pertembungan antara kedua-dua pemimpin ini pasti meruncing hasil 'pengiktirafan' PAS bahawa Dato' Razalilah pemimpin Pemuda yang lebih sesuai berinteraksi dengan Ketua Pemuda Pas, Nasharuddin Hassan Tantawi.

Ini jelas apabila Razali dan Nasharuddin bersama-sama terlihat berusaha menghidupkan lagi muafakat demi perpaduan Melayu menerusi cadangan "wacana" antara Pergerakan Pemuda kedua-dua parti yang merupakan usaha terkini PAS untuk merapati jurang persefahaman dengan UMNO. KJ tak nampak pun...

Tiba-tiba... terbit pula KJ dengan sidang akhbarnya sendiri tentang usaha tersebut! Wah, sang Ketua Pengawas boleh pula mencadangkan yang perbincangan tidak patut 'dihadkan' kepada hal Islam dan perpaduan Melayu sahaja, tetapi isu-isu semasa juga! WOI! Orang Melayu bimbang tentang hal ni! Tau la sdr KJ minat 'isu-isu semasa', tapi biarla kita FOKUS tentang yang penting untuk orang Melayu, bukan sekadar isu diminat KJ! Dahlah lepas KJ SIBUK PULAK NAK JEMPUT PEMUDA BN LAIN JOIN SAMA! SABOTAJ KE?

Hari ini, Karpal Singh memberi sebab kenapa KJ tidak layak menjadi pemimpin Pemuda dalam perbincangan serius seumpama diterajui YB Dato' Razali dan Nasharuddin... Karpal tempik yang KJ "KORUPSI!" dalam Parlimen! Malang bagi UMNO yang kali ini Karpal di buang Dewan kerana menyatakan yang benar dipersetujui oleh Lembaga Disiplin UMNO sendiri...