PRK Teluk Intan Miss-Step Of A Legend

It has not been a good few months for YB Lim Kit Siang (LKS). The impact of the loss of his staunch colleague in the trenches, YB Karpal Singh, will only tell in the coming months, as his beloved Democratic Action Party, DAP, still remains at the tipping point of illegality, a scenario that will surely put pressure on the status of YB Lim Guan Eng as its Secretary General.

 

Dyana at the Founding of Perkasa

One would then have expected the choice for candidate for PRK Teluk Intan to be a prudent one, rather than an ambitious gamble! Certainly the candidacy of Dyana Sofea Mohd Daud, the first ever Perkasa-linked election candidate for the party, appears at times very much a gamble. For one, the candidate is far from ideal, relying really on sentiment, be it for being young, hence 'fresh' and apparently brave for being a Malay DAP candidate.

 

Dyana the First Perkasa DAP MP?

At times, especially early in the campaign period, Dyana's candidacy appeared to be another masterstroke by LKS, adding to his legend as an opposition figure who has survived, almost through sheer force of will, the ebb and flow of support for DAP. From his flagpole pissing days at the eve of 13th May, through failures of various Tanjung projects, massive loss in 2004 to arguably its strongest position today, LKS and DAP are inseparable.

 

However, one wonders whether Dyana's candidacy was not so much a decision made from a position of strength, but one taken in desparation.

 

Implications Of A Mah Win In Teluk Intan

 

There is a common misconception that DAP is the opposition alternative to the MCA. Actually, this is not true. There is no real opposition alternative to the MCA. The MCA champions Chinese rights in a specific context, that is the jus soli and other rights that are trade-offs against Malay Rights in the Malaysian constitution. This is why MCA finds itself bound to the Chinese Education lobby and over time has also evolved to champion Chinese commercial interests.

 

The DAP hence is very comfortable in taking a moral and 'pluralist' high ground against the MCA. Never mind the claims over the DAP's chauvinist policies, these are also inaccurate as the DAP is really not pro-Chinese, but rather it is anti-Malay and Malay Rights, hence it is anti-UMNO. In a scenario where Chinese education is secure and irrelevant in the political debate, DAP leaves MCA, with its other image of being a 'taukeh party' far in the dust.

 

Gerakan is another matter. It is Gerakan as a party that is the real problem for the DAP. Gerakan is a party formed by community leaders seeking more than a race-based approach to politics in Malaysia, with 2 strong intellectuals in the late Tun Dr. Lim Chong Eu and arwah Prof. Dr. Syed Hussein al-Attas as its founders. Whilst as Chinese dominated as the DAP, Gerakan always had a moral advantage as it was truly open to all races... it was NOT anti-Malay!

 

The problem with Gerakan since the 2004 elections has been with its former leader, TS Koh Tsu Koon. Whilst TS Koh was leader, he practiced a less open form of leadership. Whilst many claim him to be racist based on his supposed actions as Chief Minister of Penang, he is actually equally rejected by Chinese in Gerakan, especially intellectuals such as YB Jeff Ooi and YB Dr Ong Kian Ming who left Gerakan for the DAP soon after TS Koh took over Gerakan's Presidency.

 

It is Gerakan's sunset period and near political demise actually that has assisted in the DAP's rejuvenation over the last 2 elections. The DAP suddenly found itself hardly challenged as a multi-racial party that champions Malaysia Malaysia, with only DS Najib's 1Malaysia approach only serving to confuse rather than truly erode its growing strength. The coming of age of a new generation of non-Malay Malaysian political activists that did not see a convincing pluralist representative among BN's parties flocked to DAP.

 

Mah Being Congratulated As New President

Hence, a rejuvenation of Gerakan, under a new leader with credibility and a willingness to return it to its pluralist roots is a real threat to DAP's future. Whilst Datuk Mah Siew Keong's actions since becoming President of Gerakan, such as appointing his rival for the Presidency into his committee to unite the party and beginning steps to limit the terms of Presidency, points to a return to old Gerakan values. All Datuk Mah lacks is polical credibility as a winner at the polls... which is what PRK Teluk Intan could deliver!

 

The Error Of Dismissing Mah As A 2-Time Loser

 

And it is a mistake to assume Datuk Mah could not win this PRK due to his losing twice before! Despite his loses, Datuk Mah still remains personally quite popular. If there was ever a victim of 'Tsunami Melayu' against Pak Lah in 2008 and 'Tsunami Cina' against BN in 2013, he would be it! Coming from a mixed electorate makes Mah especially vulnerable to disaffection by either one of the 2 major racial groups in Teluk Intan.

 

To make matters worse for the DAP is the reason why the Chinese voted so overwhelmingly against BN in PRU-13. Many an UMNO leader and activist, even this humble blogger, had Chinese friends and neighbours coming up to apologise for voting Pakatan during that election. The reason given? The Chinese voters then were convinced that Pakatan would win, believing DS Anwar Ibrahim's lie that the majority of Malays would also vote Pakatan!

 

In the end, the majority of Malays chose to support BN again, as many were at last convinced of the immorality of DS Anwar Ibrahim, with PAS also being rocked by disunity due to the pro-Anwar 'Erdogan' group. With BN now in power, the reason for voting against BN thinking Pakatan is to take power disappears, and with Datuk Mah likely to join the cabinet if he won, Chinese voters were likely to swing back to BN, maybe not in majority, but enough...

 

... and it would seem extremely vicious for an electorate to reject a candidate that will have the resources to develop Teluk Intan from a cabinet position should he win, as the Prime Minister himself has promised! 

 

Enough to bring credibility to Datuk Mah's leadership and potentially Gerakan to the forefront of pluralist politics in Malaysia! Hence, DAP and LKS was facing the reality of a real threat to its current pre-emminence in its political history.

 

The Real Gamble With Dyana

 

So, in truth, LKS choice of Dyana as candidate was in full consciousness of the real risk of Chinese voters if not swinging to support Datuk Mah, at least choosing not to vote at all such as shown in Kajang and Bukit Jelutong recently.The choice not to vote by the Chinese in particular would hurt DAP more as even if the Chinese supported Datuk Mah, it was not expected to be a swing to a majority position. So LKS needed a way to attract the Malay votes in Teluk Intan. 

 

Enter Dyana, a Perakian, with Perkasa credentials to boot! Young, educated, attractive and surely loyal to LKS as one of his personal entourage. The problem with Dyana though is that she would be a surprise choice for everyone in Pakatan, especially as she is, whilst unknown, was a relative novice, well away from it being her 'turn' to even be considered as a candidate. She wasn't even from Teluk Intan! Hence, her choice would appear to be to pander to LKS' own ideas for maintaining control of the party, especially so soon after the loss of Karpal and against the power of the Ngeh-Nga axis in Perak.

One notes the absence of many Pakatan Heavy Hitters on the ground in Teluk Intan, especially among their younger leaders. And I am not talking about potentially disaffected PAS leaders shying away due to DAP's and Dyana's opposition of Hudud, but also the absence of YB Hannah Yeoh, YB Nik Nazmi and their entourage continued with their scheduled tour of Australia. There were even rumours of YB Nurul Izzah being forced to campaign in Teluk Intan!

To make matters worse, Dyana's potential role as a Trojan Horse, especially after the revelation of how close her mother was to Datuk Ibrahim Ali who appeared to 'bless' her candidacy over a dinner just prior to her nomination as DAP's candidate cannot be dismissed. With Karpal gone, LKS may well see the risk of revolt in DAP from his choice of Dyana, even if she wins. And if she losses...?

Teluk Intan A Gamechanger?

Many believe that Teluk Intan is a potential gamechanger for BN should Datuk Mah win, but this blogger already believes it is. For one, this election confirms that the trend of BN promising gifts and largess to the Chinese community specifically, via its temples or Chinese vernacular schools, is truly over. Should Mah win, it also spells the return of Gerakan to centre-stage, as a real alternative for the pluralists among the young of parties in the BN line-up.

So next... will we see former Gerakan intellectuals such as YB Ong Kian Ming returning to gerakan?

Will we see the demise of the LKS legacy in DAP...?

This posting was written after votes had been cast at PRK Teluk Intan to avoid accusation of it being a campaign piece. This is an analysis of the ramifications of the results of the PRK, potentially regardless of who wins!

Kenyataan Calon Ketua Pemuda Malaysia, Akhramsyah Sanusi, Bersabit Keputusan Pemilihan 2013

Saya ingin mengambil kesempatan ini untuk merakamkan rasa terima kasih kepada semua pihak yang telah membantu pada pemilihan ini. Jalinan hubungan serta persahabatan baru yang terjalin dari Masjid Tanah ke Penampang, JB ke Bachok, Pokok Sena ke Kuantan, serta banyak lagi, amatlah dihargai.

Saya juga ingin merakamkan rasa puas hati bahawa setidak-tidaknya sepanjang tempoh 3 minggu lepas, laungan Hidup Melayu kembali ke bibir Pemuda setelah meninggalkannya begitu lama. Jelas Pemuda mahukan laungan tersebut kembali dan saya harap pemenang-pemenang pemilihan menyedari hakikat yang masih perlunya ada peranan Pemuda sebagai pendesak, bukan beraktiviti liberal dan progresif semata-mata.

Terdapat pelbagai perkara boleh dipelajari dari pemilihan ini, yang banyak sekali perlu diperbaiki. Contohnya, tata-etika berkempen yang berubah-ubah sehingga terlalu memberi kelebihan kepada penyandang mana-mana jawatan, jelas terlihat pada keputusan sayap-sayap Pemuda dan Wanita. Pengalaman saya dalam melalui pertandingan ini insya Allah akan saya rakamkan dalam sebuah buku untuk diamati oleh semua yang berminat.

Di sini, saya ingin merakamkan juga rasa syukur saya yang mahkamah rayuan telah menolak rayuan majalah Kristian Herald untuk membolehkannya menggunakan Kalimah Allah. Ini merupakan kejayaan gabungan NGO Islam serta Melayu dalam mempertahankan hak serta aqidah ummah. Saya juga ingin mengucapkan 'Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha' kepada semua umat Islam.

Akhir kata, saya ingin mengesyorkan semua perwakilan UMNO yang layak memilih barisan kepimpinan UMNO yang baru pada 19 Oktober ini, pilihlah Datuk Paduka Mukhriz bin Tun Dr Mahathir sebagai salah seorang Naib Presiden kita. Terima kasih.

Ikhlas, Akhramsyah Sanusi
Di Perkarangan Kompleks Mahkamah Putrajaya

Kenyataan Akhramsyah Sanusi, Calon Ketua Pemuda, Tentang Tohmahan Tony Pua Terhadap Utusan Dan Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS)

KENYATAAN AKHBAR
Tarikh : 10 Oktober 2013Masa : 9.00 pagiTempat : Sunway Hotel, Seberang Perai, Pulau Pinang

Bismillahirrahmanirrahim.
Assalamualaikum WBT dan salam sejahtera.
Terima kasih di atas kesudian rakan-rakan media untuk hadir ke sidang media hari ini.
Sidang media ini diadakan dengan tujuan untuk menyatakan pendirian saya mengenai isu penghinaan Ketua Publisiti DAP, Tony Pua ke atas Pendaftar Pertubuhan (ROS) dan akhbar Utusan Malaysia.


Anjing Yang Setia

Tony Pua mungkin tersilap merujuk gelaran "anjing" kepada ROS dan akhbar Utusan Malaysia itu, yang sebenarnya ditujukan kepada dirinya sendiri kerana beliau dilihat begitu setia dan konsisten ‘menyalak' demi mempertahankan tuannya dalam parti DAP. 

Sebagai graduan salah sebuah universiti tersohor di dunia, adalah agak meragukan sekiranya Tony Pua tidak faham punca sebenar (root cause) tentang isu pemilihan CEC berbanding dengan pemikiran seekor anjing.

Untuk makluman semua, yang buat pemilihan CEC adalah parti DAP, yang tidak menghantar surat jemputan kepada perwakilan adalah di kalangan pengurusan tertinggi DAP, yang tidak tahu menggunakan perisian Microsoft Excel adalah juga di kalangan pengurusan DAP dan yang paling penting aduan yang dibuat kepada ROS adalah dari kalangan ahli-ahli DAP sendiri.

Justeru itu, mengelarkan ROS dan Utusan Malaysia sebagai ‘anjing' UMNO dan mengaitkan ketiga-tiganya adalah satu perbuatan yang bertentangan dengan logik akal manusia. Ini berbeza dengan tabiat dan pemikiran seekor anjing yang pasti akan menyalak setiap kali tetamu datang ke rumah tuannya, walaupun sebenarnya tetamu tersebut adalah daripada kalangan saudara terdekat tuannya.

Perlu diingat UMNO dahulu pun pernah diharamkan ROS pada tahun 1988. Ini menunjukkan kewibawaan dan profesionalisma ROS dalam menjalankan tugasnya memantau pertubuhan-pertubuhan termasuk DAP juga.

("Maybe Oxford grads are just good to be barking dogs", which I believe it is not true)


Kesimpulan

Saya secara peribadi serta mewakili rakan-rakan Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO dari seluruh pelusuk tanahair ingin mengucapkan syabas dan tahniah kepada pihak ROS yang telah menjalankan tugas mereka berdasarkan aduan-aduan yang dibuat oleh ahli-ahli DAP. Ini menunjukkan bahawa walaupun sebagai agensi kerajaan di bawah pentadbiran parti Barisan Nasional yang ditunjangi UMNO, ROS tidak memilih bulu dalam melaksanakan tugas yang telah dipertanggungjawabkan kepada mereka walaupun aduan-aduan tersebut dibuat oleh ahli-ahli parti pembangkang sekaligus menunjukkan ketelusan, kepercayaan dan kebergantungan rakyat kepada agensi kerajaan yang selama ini dilabelkan dengan pelbagai persepsi negatif.

Kami juga ingin menzahirkan penghargaan dan terima kasih kepada akhbar Utusan Malaysia yang berterusan melaksanakan tanggungjawab sosialnya dalam membawa suara akar umbi ahli DAP yang mahukan satu proses pemilihan parti DAP dijalankan secara telus, walaupun selama ini Utusan Malaysia seringkali dikaitkan sebagai milik parti UMNO dan hanya membawa suara orang Melayu sehingga dituduh sebagai akhbar bersifat rasis. Kini terbukti tuduhan tersebut tidak benar kerana Utusan juga menjadi penyambung lidah dan keluh kesah ahli-ahli akar umbi DAP yang majoritinya bukan Melayu.

Sebagai seorang ahli UMNO, sebuah parti yang meletakkan kesucian agama Islam sebagai salah satu asas penting dalam penubuhan dan perlembagaannya, saya mendesak Tony Pua memohon maaf secara terbuka kepada seluruh ahli UMNO, kakitangan ROS dan kakitangan Utusan Malaysia di atas tindakannya yang begitu biadap dan celupar sehingga melangkaui batas serta nilai-nilai murni kehidupan masyarakat yang selama ini hidup harmoni dan memahami serta menghormati pegangan agama masing-masing serta sensitiviti antara pelbagai kaum.

AKHIR SEKALI, SAYA INGIN MENGESYORKAN AGAR SETIAUSAHA AGUNG DAP, YAB LIM GUAN ENG, MELETAK JAWATAN ATAS KEGAGALANNYA MENTADBIR DAP SEHINGGAKAN MENGAKIBATKAN DAP KINI DI AMBANG PEMBATALAN PENDAFTARANNYA. MUNGKIN TUGAS YAB LIM SEBAGAI KETUA MENTERI PULAU PINANG TERLALU BERAT UNTUK DIPIKUL BERSAMA DENGAN TUGAS SETIAUSAHA AGUNG PARTI DAP, WALLAHUALAM PUNCA KEGAGALANNYA, TETAPI JANGANLAH BIARKAN PEMIMPIN PARTI DAP LAIN MENJADI MANGSA SEMATA-MATA UNTUK MENUTUP KECACATAN PERLAKSANAAN TANGGUNGJAWAB YAB LIM SEBAGAI SETIAUSAHA AGUNG DAP.

"Demi Agama, Bangsa dan Tanahair"


Yang Ikhlas,

AKHRAMSYAH MUAMMAR UBAIDAH BIN SANUSI

Pergerakkan Pemuda Lari Dari Halatuju

Setelah menapak ke 10 negeri setakat ini dalam usaha memahami masalah Pemuda di peringkat Cawangan, suatu yang jelas terbukti adalah ramai di kalangan Pemuda, terutama sekali dari golongan lebih berpengalaman, merasa gelisah tentang halatuju kita. Ramai yang menimbulkan isu-isu perlaksanaan seperti terlihat pada projek BL1M, tetapi dalam keselesaan berteh-tarik, isu halatuju pasti timbul.

Ramai tidak memahami kenapa Pemuda pada peringkat pusat begitu membisu walaupun dalam isu yang membabitkan akidah ummah seperti tuntutan penggunaan Kalimah Allah oleh pendakwah agama lain! Bukankah tugas Pemuda untuk mempertahankan hak ummat Islam di negara kita ini selain dari memajukan Agenda Melayu ke hadapan? Kalau bukan, apakah halatuju yang ingin dibawa oleh kepimpinan Pemuda yang sedia-ada?

Inilah sebabnya kebanyakan perwakilan Pemuda yang sempat bertemu-bual agak sedia untuk menerima wadah Hidup Melayu! Tiada yang salah tentang wadah tersebut. Ia sesuai walau pada zaman ini kerana ia wadah perjuangan parti UMNO, yakni Persatuan Kebangsaan MELAYU Bersatu. Perwakilan Pemuda gembira ada yang saya ingin menumpukan diri serta Pemuda ke arah perjuangan Agenda Melayu, bukan seronok beraktiviti sahaja dengan rakan-kongsi Barisan Nasional.

Teks Ucapan Pada Sidang Akhbar Mengumumkan Tawaran Diri Untuk Dipilih Ke Jawatan Ketua Pergerakkan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia Oleh Akhramsyah Sanusi

Assalamualaikum Warahmatullah i Wabarakatuh,

 

Salam Sejahtera, Salam Satu Malaysia,

 

Terima Kasih atas kehadiran semua di sini pada hari ini, baik dari kalangan wakil media dan terutama sekali kawan-kawan yang sudi melepaskan diri dari tugas harian untuk bersama-sama.

 

Nama saya Akhramsyah Muammar Ubaidah bin Sanusi, lazimnya dikenali sebagai Akhram sahaja. Sebagai pengenalan, saya seorang anak kelahiran DEB (Dasar Ekonomi Baru). Pendidikan awal saya di Maktab Rendah Sains MARA Balik Pulau, Pulau Pinang sehinggalah berjayanya saya menggenggam segulung ijazah Sarjana Kejuruteraan Kimia dari Imperial College, London semua hasil dasar kerajaan pimpinan UMNO yang berlandaskan Dasar Ekonomi Baru.

 

Dengan bermodalkan ilmu tersebutlah, saya berjaya menarik perhatian sebuah syarikat minyak antarabangsa yang terkemuka mengambil saya sebagai serorang profesional. Selama 16 tahun saya bertugas sebagai seorang jurutera, konsultan sehingga kini mencapai peringkat pengurusan syarikat tersebut. Dalam masa itu, saya berpeluang bekerja di luar negara, menimba ilmu serta pengalaman teknikal mahupun organisasi, untuk kemudian di bawa pulang demi memajukan negara bangsa. Segala peluang serta kejayaan ini bertitik-tolak dari perjuangan UMNO, dan saya bersyukur atas pengorbanan pemimpin-pemimpin Melayu yang berjasa terhadap kami generasi muda.

 

Namun, sejak kebelakangan ini, telah tertimbul rintihan pada peringkat akar-umbi parti, terutama sekali pada golongan muda, yang UMNO terlihat seperti tidak dapat lagi menjaga kebajikan mereka. Segala usaha serta dasar kerajaan yang baik dilancarkan, tetapi kurang mengena sasaran, dan ini menimbulkan kerunsingan. Rintihan akar umbi Pemuda juga timbul tentang sentuhan kepimpinan yang dikatakan tak cukup kerap sampai ke bawah. Dan lebih parah lagi, ada orang muda yang kini menuduh Pemuda sebagai tidak lagi mendesak, tidak lagi menjulang obor perjuangan Agenda Melayu.

 

Oleh itu, memandangkan rintihan kawan-kawan, jiran-jiran serta penyokong tentang perlunya perubahan kepimpinan Pemuda, saya dan keluarga saya telah mengambil keputusan mengorbankan kerjaya saya untuk menawarkan diri, dengan rendah diri, sebagai calon Ketua Pergerakan Pemuda UMNO Malaysia. Agenda yang akan saya bawa insya Allah sekiranya terpilih sebagai Ketua Pemuda yang baru adalah menghidupkan kembali agenda perjuangan Melayu yang seharusnya menjadi tanggungjawab Pemuda UMNO. Oleh itulah, laungan Pemuda haruslah tidak lain dari HIDUP MELAYU!

 

Terima Kasih. Saya membuka majlis kepada soalan...

 

Ikhlas dari Calon Anda, Akhramsyah Sanusi

Salam Hari Malaysia: Pemimpin Harapanku

Blogger ini agak terkejut apabila penulisan tentang niat bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda UMNO Malaysia semalam mencetuskan perbincangan rancak di Media Sosial Malaysia sehingga melonjak ke Media Arus Perdana. Syukur alhamdulillah, niat saya agar perbincangan demi menempatkan Pemuda  UMNO sekali lagi sebagai penggerak agenda Melayu sudah bermula. Ini memperteguhkan lagi niat untuk menjadi calon pemilihan Ketua Pemuda.

 

Semalam saya telah mengunjung ke Pasir Salak untuk menyertai program Ambang Hari Malaysia yang dimajukan oleh teman akrab saya, penyandang gelaran Juara Sajak Patriotik Gapena sekarang, saudara Azmi Ismail. Berikut sajak yang saya sampaikan...

 

Pemimpin Harapanku

 

Pemimpin,

Padamu Ku Amanahkan Masa Depan Negara Bangsa,

 

Tak Ku Peduli Warna Kulit Mu,

Asal Melayu Di Jiwa,

Asal Malaysia Di Hati,

Bukan Sekadar Manggis dan Pisang,

Yang Gelap dan Kuning Di Luar,

Tetapi Putih Penjajah Di Dalam...

 

Tak Ku Peduli Tubuh Mu,

Kurus, Gemuk atau Sasa,

Asal Tubuh Mu Sedia Berdiri,

Menahan Bedil dan Peluru,

Menahan Dari Tertimpa Anak Cucu Waris Ku...

 

Tak Ku Peduli Asal Mu,

Miskin, Kaya, Bangsawan Atau Jelata,

Asal Yang Makmur Rakyat Semua,

Bukan Yang Rakus-Rakus Di Sisi Mu Sahaja...

 

Tak Ku Peduli Ilmu Mu Dari Mana,

Biar Pondok,

Mahupun Dari Menara Gading Nun Jauh Di Sana Datangnya,

Asalkan Minda Mu Diperah Untuk Kesejahteraan Kita Semua,

Bukan Ilmu Menjadi Selendang Riak Semata-Mata...

 

Ku Ingin Pemimpin...

Yang Mendengar Apabila Ku Merintih,

Ku Ingin Pemimpin...

Yang Lantang Bila Diri Ku Terkedu,

Ku Impikan Pemimpin...

Yang Tegak Benar Di Lautan Kepalsuan,

Ku Rindukan Pemimpin...

Yang Berjuang Untuk Ku Mati-Matian!

 

Pemimpin,

Pada Mu Terpikul Harapan Negara Bangsa,

Jangan Kau Sia-Siakan Amanah Ini,

 

Untuk Ku, Untuk Mu,

Ku Mahu Pemimpin Bangun!

Ku Mahu Pemimpin Gagah Ke Hadapan!

Ku Mahu Pemimpin Ikhlas, Berani,

Sedia Mengabdikan Diri

Demi Memimpin Ku Ke Malaysia Jaya...

 

Ikhlas Nukilan,

Akhramsyah Sanusi

Pasir Salak, 15 September 2013

 

Calon Anda...

 

Apakah Di Sebalik Niat Blogger Ini Bertanding Jawatan Ketua Pemuda UMNO Malaysia?

Beberapa blog serta halaman media sosial lain telah mula memberi komen tentang kemungkinan Blogger ini bertanding jawatan Ketua Pemuda UMNO Malaysia pada pemilihan ini. Banyak persoalan dan andaian timbul tentang niat, taktik serta kemungkinan pencapaian saya apabila berentap dengan Ketua Pemuda yang bukan sekadar mempertahankan kedudukannya, tetapi juga sedang menyandang jawatan Menteri Belia dan Sukan.

 

Blogger ini tak akan dapat menjawab semua persoalan ini dalam satu posting sahaja, namun, bersedia untuk memulakan perbincangan tentang pertandingan ini dengan mengesahkan bahawa pada masa ini, memang menjadi niat saya untuk bertanding merebut jawatan Ketua Pemuda UMNO Malaysia. Insya Allah, blogger ini akan melakukan deklarasi rasmi tidak lama lagi, tetapi ingin saya berkongsi niat di sini dahulu demi menghormati warga sosial media yang mula menimbulkan persoalan ini secara serius.

 

Persoalan asas kita sebagai orang Melayu yang beragama Islam apabila membuat sesuatu adalah, apakah niat di sebalik perbuatan tersebut. Maka di sini, ingin blogger ini mengakui yang niat bertanding ke jawatan ini adalah kerana saya ingin mengabdikan diri, BERGANDING BERSAMA kawan-kawan, untuk MENGEMBALIKAN KEGEMILANGAN ke PERGERAKKAN PEMUDA UMNO MALAYSIA berlandaskan nilai-nilai keIKHLASan dalam PERJUANGAN serta BERSATU dalam meLAKSANAKAN AGENDA MELAYU.

 

Pengupasan Niat serta Agenda akan diteruskan dalam perbincangan. Blogger ini berharap kawan-kawan Pemuda UMNO mahupun sahabat-sahabat serta bekas Pemuda UMNO di ruang Media Sosial sudi menyertai perbincangan membentuk wadah baru Pemuda UMNO Malaysia yang dirasakan perlu dibawa oleh saya sekiranya berjaya merebut jawatan Ketua Pemuda tersebut.

 

Agenda Pemuda UMNO pimpinan saya bukanlah agenda saya sendiri, tetapi haruslah membawa harapan seluruh masyarakat Melayu amnya, dan kesemua warga muda UMNO khususnya.

 

Ikhlas dari calon anda... Akhramsyah Sanusi

Is Hj Hadi Honourably Bowing Out By Challenging DS Najib In Pekan?

I thought that it being election day in the US and with the PM being overseas, that there would hardly be any local political news left to capture my imagination. Then I saw the news in the NST reporting an earlier tabloid report of Hj Hadi Awang, the PAS President, considering contesting against DS Najib for his parliamentary seat in Pekan!

Those in the know know that this is not really a silly notion. DS Najib's seat, despite being held by his family, with his father before him, since independence, excepting the period when he was Menteri Besar of Pahang, is not actually safe! DS Najib almost lost the seat in the 1999 General Election and it has ever been the target of the opposition since.

However, since 1999, DS Najib and his organisation has taken some significant steps to make the seat more secure. Certainly since 2004's PRU11 landslide, when the seat was held by a Deputy Prime Minister for the first time in some 3.5 decades, the likelihood of DS Najib being beaten off the seat has dimished significantly. So, any opposition leader challenging DS Najib in Pekan, even DS Anwar Ibrahim, would be committing harakiri!

So, is that really what Hj Hadi Awang is after? A noble political death at the hands of DS Najib at the pollbooths of Pekan? It should be noted though that there may be more reasons that one for Hj Hadi to wish for an end to his political life. Among them?:

1. Hj Hadi's leadership of his party has been increasingly undermined over the period of his tenure. In the first place, Tok Guru Nik Aziz's role as an unelected spiritual chief seems ever at odds with him on some quite temporal matters. I would not see him as being too comfortable staying in the role if he keeps being treated like so.


2. The loss of YB Nasharuddin Mat Isa to YB Mat Sabu must still rankle. Whilst Hj Hadi is ever pragmatic as a politician that has survived the ups and downs of politics for so long, I am sure he would prefer YB Nasha as his presumed successor to be groomed - the younger, more educated and urbane man being more suited to attract the more educated younger generation to the party.


3. Hj Hadi is also likely feeling the physical limits of his age now. Word on the ground in Marang over the last Hari Raya Haji was that he could not do the full circuit of mosques in his constituency to participate in the physical slaughtering of the animals for 'Qurban'. He had to delegate half as he was not fit enough. This may also be the reason why he does not 'turun padang' as actively as before.


4. Hj Hadi may end up losing in Marang this time around as UMNO and BN in the area has revived, with Dato' Rahman Bakar, the 'giant-killer' who had beaten Hj Hadi before likely to be involved in PRU13, either as a candidate or at least as a key contributor to any BN campaign.

So, a political HARAKIRI! may be just the tonic Hj Hadi needs to ease him towards a final retirement from politics. In fact, he may well have seen the light from observing how much YB Nasha and even YB Hasan Ali has been able to continue to contribute despite being expelled from the mainstream of PAS party politics. Perhaps he feels it is time for him to invest the last years of his life in something more constructive than being PAS President?

The Third Force Arises In Malaysian Politics

I have been speaking with many, again, about the possibility of a 'Third Force' arising in Malaysian politics, but with little personal conviction. Tonight I see such a force actually coming together as a culmination of the dedicated effort of 2 friends with a smile.

Perhaps what we need is a different view as to what constitutes such a 'Third Force'. Tonight we see it bring together a political legend and a new generation of those who care in both old and new media. Tonight, Teh Tarik Bersama YB comes of age...

Published with Blogger-droid v2.0.4

Why PRU13 Is Likelier After Hari Raya Haji Rather Than Before Puasa

Pakatan Rakyat is in a mess. Not only is the coallition still reeling from the 9 January court decision in favour of DS Anwar Ibrahim, scuttling their plans to politically 'martyr' Anwar and replace him with a 'new' leader to lead them to glory, but the component parties are themselves facing internal rifts, most recently afflicting PAS in Kedah.

One would think, and many do, with the government roll-out of populist plans hitting high gear and the uncertainties of the world economy potentialy hitting Malaysia hard in the second half of the year that PRU13 is drawing near. With the natural aversion of number 4 adopted form the Chinese, May and June are running neck-and-neck for favourite PRU13 month.

However, this blogger takes a different view. An analysis of Pakatan woes and recent government populism or even globe-trotting economic scenarios should not be the pre-occupation of DS Najib Tun Razak and his various advisors on this matter. For as PRU12 shows us, BN's electoral performance would depend far more on its own electability as opposed to any other externality.

And this problem for BN is, whilst far from intractible, is not nearly nearing resolution due to specific incidents, a tendency to dodge difficult, politically precarious decisions and continued excess in respecting form over substance.

This blogger could easily pluck examples related to the handling of the MAYC issue (still unresolved despite pronouncements to the contrary on RTM at the end of last year) or other youth related issues. However, this is not even the easiest of actions that DS Najib could take to correct public perception over BN's continued credibility to govern... not that I said CREDIBILITY not CAPABILITY which on the balance most would still agree they have.

The question most on the lips of the electorate today, after the 'when are the elections' question, is "When is Shahrizat getting sacked!?" The exclamation mark, red and larger fonts are not for simple text emphasis only, but more often than not, this is also a reflection of the emotion behind the question.

Imagine the scenario, whereby hundreds of millions of ringgit of the rakyat's money was handed over to the husband of a sitting minister to deliver a national program. Not so bad as this has been done before in other countries, with some outcry, that is typically quitenned down when the sitting minister's husband, or wife, ACTUALLY DELIVERS WHAT WAS INTENDED TO BENEFIT THE RAKYAT.

However, in this case, the husband not only FAILS in the delivery, of all things, cows, or at least the meat off cows to the market. The husband blames everyone for his failure but himself, and to compound matters, he is found to have been buying condos with the money instead! And to add, the husband HAS BEEN APPOINTING HIS CHILDREN TO THE COMPANY!

All is still fine with the minister at this point. She could condemn her husband, distance herself from the act, even focus on saving her children, but no... SHE DEFENDS HER HUSBAND'S ACTIONS?! On a national platform, the party's annual convention! Sorry, is this not morally compromising enough and sufficient grounds for Shahrizat to be sacked?! She isn't even an MP, so where is the risk, really, vs. the significant benefit of gaining credibility?

And to add icing to the cake, KJ has been supporting Shahrizat, making people ask the question, why? Is he on the take too? How? As of course KJ's credibility is so low that anything he does is seen with circumspection, typically accompanied with not small measure of derision!

Until DS Najib and his team get big decisions like sacking a minister that is clearly morally compromised in the public eye right, BN is better off putting of PRU13, unless of course he is happy with repeating Pak Lah's feat of gaining a simple majority win. But of course, only a 2/3 majority will satisfy all that BN has regained its credibility with the rakyat, rather than just being grudgingly lived with for its capability.

Who To Leave Out Of DS Najib's New Cabinet?

Smses have been flying around about a new cabinet to be announced by DS Najib today or tomorrow. Rather than pitch for any new additions, I would suggest that the following ministers' relevance be reviewed. I would argue that they are primarily vote losers, not vote winners. Even if not dropped, they should be moved from their current portfolio, except no 1 and 2, they have to go:

1. DS Nazri TS Aziz - Much disliked due to his frequent verbal abuse of Tun Dr M, opposition, critics, bloggers... actually, everybody! Being a big shot's son does not help, personafies the image of UMNO 'nobles' at its worst, arrogant and disconnected from the Rakyat. Recent taxi rate hikes backfired with taxi drivers claiming it was 'to his benefit' and saving of BN's blushes at the Budget vote would not have been necessary if he did his job as party whip!


2. TS Koh Tsu Koon - What is the point of having this man, known as an ultra-racist in civilised clothes even among some Penang Chinese, still in cabinet? He lost PRU12, his party lost the state of Penang, the party still struggles for leadership, with BN cringeing at the idea of a Gerakan candidate for the potential Batu by-election, and he cannot do any cabinet work! DS Najib had to appoint DS Idris Jala to do TS Koh's work! Just sack TS Koh already!


3. DS Hishamuddin Hussein - Some would argue it would have been worst leaving him in the Education Ministry, unfortunately, I am not so sure! As the custodian of our police and internal security forces, he may have not presided over as enormous boo-boos as his predecessors, Pak Lah and TS Syed Hamid, but his penchant for seeking the media spotlight does not suit a ministry that works very much in the background... when it is doing well...


4. DS Rais Yatim - As one who supported his bid for UMNO Vice President on the back of his experience, I am actually disappointed at how poorly DS has performed in his 'super-ministry'. He remains cultured and well spoken, but appears to be overwhelmed by the ideas of the day and the media tools now needing to be mastered in the increasingly 'post-digital' era. It's about ideas man... let them roam... don't just tell us... build your message with us...

I am sure to have incited some anger and hatred... again... but then what to do? I'm hardly the only person saying the above.

PS - I didn't mention explicitly about the new 'private' being made a Cabinet Minister as the idea is too moronic to contemplate. DS Najib does still want to win PRU13, I am sure.

How Important Is The Hulu Selangor By-Election?

I have only managed to get 2 hours sleep overnight. yesterday was a little better at about 5 hours, but have been driving incessantly over the last 2 days. Am glad I took leave Thursday and Friday as was feeling quite run-down, but I certainly cannot blame the work telecons I still dialed into yesterday if I come in exhausted and late on Monday.

The driving has been incessant as the person who I would usually share the burden of these tasks has had knee problems. Have had to organise food primarily, with so many people coming. And as usual, we've had to cater for a variety of palates; not too much spicy or savoury, not too much sweet, not too heavy... and of course, it doesn't help that we still haven't got a maid...

Maid? Hulu Selangor? What the?

Actually, I'm not in Hulu Selangor today, in line with my view of the pointlessness of 'penamaan calon' as an exercise in support of the party's chances of winning an election. It may help boost the morale of the candidate and party workers, sure, but I have my son's birthday party to worry about today... yes, I have been busy with that, buying food, getting stuff, running around as my wife has to do less. All the above has nothing to do with any PRK.

So, what do I think of this coming PRK? I have no reason not to be consistent where a pattern is set - it isn't really relevant! Both sides may wish to make of it more than it is; proof of 1Malaysia's acceptance, or not, proof of Pakatan support in Selangor, or not. Unfortunately, the proof is IN the pudding, as they say, and frankly, both sides have not shown any 'proof'! OK, BN is ahead due to some developments like 1Malaysia and the NEM whilst Pakatan's accident-prone, but...

So, in the end, it is down to... the quality and acceptance of the candidates! In the end, politics is local, so for the locals, the way heart-strings are pulled may well overwhelm any national-level propaganda. And on this I must say, knowing the candidates for who they are, BN is ahead... assuming Zaid is still to be the PKR candidate for this one...

But in the grander scheme of things? I say we wait till there's more meat on the bone to show from both sides... else, in a national context, DS Najib's apparent popularity and DS Anwar's eminent doom nonwithstanding, status quo will likely prevail, for the most part.

Searching For MCA's Soul... Part 2... The Loser, The Disgraced And The Boy Scout...

It has been difficult to fathom how things have come to pass at MCA. From a near ideal appearance of potency in leadership (no pun intended) by the combination of the youthful DS Ong Tee Keat and experienced DS Chua Soi Lek as President and Deputy respectively, augemented with characters such as DS Liow Tiong Lai and DS Ng Yen Yen as VPs, it looked to be ready to recover from the devastation of PRU 12. It is hence unfortunate to see things come to pass as they have.

Now DS Ong Tee Keat is being challenged for the Presidency by the man he succeeded, TS Ong Ka Ting, the man who shouldered the responsibility for the massive losses incurred by the MCA at PRU 12. This presents a particular quandry for MCA. Many would agree that what MCA needs now is a leader who can unite the party, something that DS Ong Tee Keat had patently failed to do. It is no wonder then that we find him trailing in the polls despite being the incumbent!

However, few insiders will really agree that TS Ong Ka Ting is the ideal replacement as President. OK, so, there is all this rhetoric about how he is still 'respected' in the party. Nevertheless, many in the party would quietly agree that it was TS Ong and his brother's manuevering of MCA candidates that shares part of the blame, with Pak Lah's weak leadership, for creating a pre-election rift in the MCA leading to the subsequent Chinese electorate's rejection of BN and MCA.

For MCA, this leaves the party with only one other choice to unite the party, the 'Hollier Than Thou' DS Chua Soi Lek! However, this is a man that, having being caught with his pants down, remain unrepentant! OK, so, if he needed care only of the moral sensitivities of his more forgiving core Chinese constituemts, he may be fine, but as a senior BN leader, DS Chua has to be a morally acceptable to all religions and creeds... and he wants to be THE Chinese leader for ALL Malaysians!

And so, MCA is now left to choose as their President, an Election Loser, a Disgraced Poltician and a Boy Scout! Boy Scout? Well, everyone knows that what redeems DS Ong Tee Keat to the Rakyat in general is his apparent steadfast course in resolving the Port Klang Free trade Zone (PKFZ) issue, including bringing all the corrupt involved to book! That the MCA Youth Chief, somewhat implicated in the scandal, is opposed to DS Ong adds further spice to it.

Unfortunately, the Rakyat's sympathy towards DS Ong Tee Keat is not in line with political reality. You see, DS Ong, being a 'Boy Scout', has been rather naive in his years in power. There is an attempt to 'reform' MCA being pursued whilst he's been its president. The effort may have started as something else, but at least at present, the aim is to make MCA a 'true' political party, divorced from special interest groups, such as not just triads, but also business and education...

... hold on, MCA not representing Chinese business and education groups? What the...? So, what's the point of the MCA then!? Hello, putting aside that a political party not tied to 'special interests' is an oxymoron... how is it even conceivable that the MCA would not be working hand-in-hand with Chinese NGOs and 'special interest' groups like in the past? Kicking out any triad influences is OK, but surely cutting off Dong Jiao Song would be political suicide... oh... DS Ong...

In addition to all the mess described above, it seems no one serious about who leads the MCA in the long term is really focussed on the 28 March MCA Presidential elections. This is because, whoever becomes President this time around will only hold the post for 1 year, following which there will be another election, where... jeng, jeng, jeng... the TRUE PRESIDENT of MCA that will lead the charge into PRU 13 will emerge...

So if we don't focus on the next MCA President, should we be focussing on the candidates for Deputy then? One candidate has already declared his rival should really be running for President! Perhaps DS Liow simply being cautious when running for Deputy? Perhaps DS Liow is continuing to take advice from his mentor and some time protector, TS Lim Ah Lek? Perhaps knowing what a mess this election will be, TS Ong Ka Ting was asked to contest to protect DS Liow?

Whatever it is that is really happening behind the scenes, to an outsider, even an informed one, it appears MCA is still lost. Ironically, I believe TS Lim Ah Lek himself should take over the MCA rather than leave it to TS Ong simply to protect his protege of unproven worthiness. If it is only for 1 year, why not? Else, the second irony is, perhaps DS Chua Soi Lek is the best choice after all! Disgraced to some, perhaps, but at least he's neither as divisive nor a puppet President.

Searching For MCA's Soul...

I get confused about my party UMNO, often-times, but have to say, MCA's recent turmoil beats PKR's mess even! At least PKR is not confused about who leads it... its President right? No... its Advisor... eh? How can? Both are busy with PKR Advisor's case now, so is it the Deputy President? What, that socialist? No la, PKR is now run by the VP who's the husband of the party Advisor's ex-ehm-ehm... eh? Aiya, confuse la! Let's focus back on MCA!

Well, the MCA of today would be is a GREAT example on how too much democracy is NOT a good thing. Here we have a party that was synonymous with 'big business', which should be securing the Chinese cake from erosion under the New Economic Model. On top of that, its President, from being a champion of chair throwing youths of the past, survived recent failure in cyberspace, to have evolved into a champion against corruption by his handling of the PKFZ issue.

Instead of charging along strongly into the future, we have with MCA a party that is exercising democratic destruction in all its pride and glory! OK, it must be admitted, the handling of Holier Than Thou 'strong'man DS Dr Chua Soi Lek could have been better in the past, but the 'peace plan' seemed to be working. DS Dr Chua was having the time of his life grinding DS Liow Tiong Lai's political reputation into the ground by ridicule... in open press as well!

Now, everyone has to wait and seewhat is to become of the MCA. And whilst many may smack their lips at the weeks of headlines sure to showcase myriad twist and turns that is also part of over-democracy's crass appeal, I lament. I kinda liked the Ong Tee Kiat - Chua Soi Lek Combo. It felt right somehow for the Chinese. A younger reformist partnering with an old-guard grassroots man. The resolution of the PKFZ scandal would have been the beginning of many things...

Which then leads to the question... is PKFZ the reason why OTK's leadership has always been on shaky ground? Is PKFZ or its beneficiaries the real killers of MCA? And when the dust settles after the 28 March MCA AGM, after its orgy of over-democracy, would MCA be left stronger? Or would 'democracy' leave MCA an empty shell... still searching for its soul?

Ignorance Reigns On Merdeka And Malaysia Day...

As a lover of history, I am appalled by the running results of the current poll being run by the Star Online. Assuming the poll results are legitimate, at this point, it show Malaysians giving equal footing if not greater importance to Malaysia Day (16 September) than Merdeka Day (31 August). Obviously this is in large part due a succesful propaganda campaign by Pakatan, especially PKR, that carry the view that Malaysia Day is 'fairer' to Sabah and Sarawak.

Unfortunately, this bit of propaganda, however succesful, is based out of a falsehood! For many who have chosen Malaysia Day as the more important day, the view is formed of the belief that 16 September was the day Sabah and Sarawak achieved independence via Malaysia. Actually, the truth is that 16 September is only the official date of the formation of Malaysia, whilst Sabah and Sarawak achieved independence from British rule a little earlier!

Sarawak actually gained independence on 22 July 1963, whilst Sabah, interestingly, was declared independent as North Borneo on 31 August 1963! The formation of Malaysia was originally planned for 31 August 1963, to coincide with the independence of Sabah and Singapore, however, it was postponed to 16 September whilst a diplomatic solution was being sought to address opposition to Malaysia's formation by Indonesia and the Philippines.

That Malaysia Day happened on 16 September was hence an accident of regional politics, however, 31 August carried greater significance, at least for Sabah and Peninsular Malaysia. It was hence decided together, in unity, by parties from Peninsular, Sabah and Sarawak, that 31 August should be celebrated as Merdeka Day, whilst 16 September be declared Malaysia Day in honour of the formation, but would carry far lesser weight due to the history leading to the date.

And now, some 52 years after independence of Malaya and 46 years after the independence of Sabah and Sarawak, followed by the formation of Malaysia, for the sake of politics, ignorance is fanned across the masses! Much of leadership relies on history, often said to avoid past mistakes, but more importantly so we know where we came from and how our values as a nation came to be. Certainly politics is no good reason to trample upon our history as a nation.

And why is Merdeka then more significant a date for all 3 parts of the Federation that is Malaysia? Because Merdeka is the day we threw off the oppressive yoke of the English and became a free nation. This is surely more momentous to any part of Malaysia than the coming together of the parts! It is also better to celebrate grandly on the date when we originally chose to form Malaysia, than on a date forced upon us by powers opposed to our formation, that is 16 September.

If Pakatan is ever to come to lead Malaysia as a nation, it should first learn to respect history, as history is a large part of what defines us as a nation. Twisting history into propaganda simply for the pursuit of power, is disrespectful of our ancestors and disenfranchises our descendants of the truth of who we are. Unlike politics, our history is sacred to the nation, and it would do well for us to know it in case those irresponsible choose to lead us astray for their own gains...

NB: Please note I have used well referenced Wikipedia pages to back the above historical dates, in an attempt to balance the younger generation's irrational level of trust of Wiki with presentation of historical fact.

Active Spinning Of Bagan Pinang By Pro-Pakatan Press Begins

As expected, the news spinning and propaganda around the Bagan Pinang by-elections have begun in earnest. Whilst PAS has started early by questioning the validity of postal votes, more as a preparation to explain its likely defeat, the pro-Pakatan the Sun newspaper has chosen a very naughty but potentially more effective approach to attack BN's most likely candidate early.

The Sun's Tim Leonard's best line in the piece comes at the end, when an UMNO Icon of Corruption is,"Asked about selecting a candidate with a tainted record which could affect BN’s chances of victory...". On the on-line version, the impact would have been greater, as the line was published beside th photo of BN's most likely candidate! I have to hand it to the Sun, that's a brilliant piece of spinning!

Whilst the candidate is not explicitly mentioned, Tim Leonard neatly laid doubt on the character hinting on recent history 'taint'ing the man that may be fresh in everyone's mind. What made it worse was he asked an Icon of Corruption this, hence reinforcing the message. However, this spin conveniently ignored one thing. THE TRUTH!

The truth is that there was once a man who was elected Vice President of UMNO. Though not a saint, hard to be one in politics, this man was the cleanest of the 3 who won Vice Presidency that year. In fact, the man was about the cleanest of all the candidates that contested that year! He was also interestingly the best public speaker and the youngest of the 3. There was just one problem... he came from the same state as a very young ambitious and upcoming Icon of Corruption...

In UMNO, one of the unwritten traditions is that the President and his Deputy should be from different states, better still if from different regions. This was behind the tension between DS Anwar Ibrahim and Pak Lah - Anwar's rise to Deputy President curtailed Pak Lah's desires. One can sense tensions appearing between the TS Muhyiddin and DS Hishamuddin as well now. So, the rise of a Negeri Sembilan Vice President would hinder to another 'power' in the state.

And so a conspiracy was hatched to not just topple the 'threatening' UMNO Vice President, but to taint him with the label 'Corrupt'. This was of course easily done by someone related to and so loved by a weak party President that he was willing to move mountains... tainting and disposing of the political career of a promising hope for the party's future leadership? No problem!

Time passes by, and surprise-surprise, the toppled and then falsely disgraced former Vice President has a chance to rejuvenate his political career. In the meantime, the ambitious youngster, now diminished as an ex-President's son-in-law and himself so elevated to Icon of Corruption status that the party's Disciplinary Council could not find him innocent of Money Politics even whilst his father-in-law was still President, he sees karma dealing him another blow...

Everyone loves a good telling of a conspiracy... well this is a juicy one... and please, don't take my word for it... and I do not mean the spinning by the Pro-Pakatan press such as the Sun... read here, here, here and here...

Selamat Hari Raya!

MIC Now In Real Trouble?

It is very strange what has happened at MIC. They have an immensely unpopular President, outside of satire that is, yet, in the greatest traditions of what appears to be a disturbingly increasing norm among BN component parties, DS Samy Vellu retains the faith of the party's divisional leadership and delegates, as indicated by the election of only his endorsed candidates at its recent AGM!

DS Samy Vellu's longevity as MIC President has been said to be due to many things, including:

1. Caste Politics - this is supposedly sensitive, to whom I am unsure, so I will just link to an article extracted from pro-Pakatan Malaysiakini as an example of such criticism. No cow's head here!


2. MIC has not been spared the typical accusation of Pakatan and its various media - so of course they say DS Samy is popular due to corruption!


3. I am sure that internally some people will start claiming 'phantom voters' and biased vote counting as reasons for DS Samy's choices winning top posts...


4. The pro-Samy 'accusation' would be that 'there is still no other credible alternative'! Of course, one could say that this is also DS Samy's own failing.


5. My own satirical favourite is that DS Samy has put a toll in front of MIC HQ and gives a free pass to all his supporters and charges variable toll rates on his opponents according to the level of anti-Samyness. Now that voting is over, the anti-Samy get a discount!


6. etc.


7. etc.


8. ad-nauseum...

However, there are perhaps more fundamental issues that need to be discussed by the Indian community and its various political fronts like MIC, PPP, IPF, Hindraf, etc. moving forward. These issues revolve around where the Indian community sees themselves in Malaysia moving forward. Until this matter is resolved at the community level, the Indian community will remain unhappy with its lot of life as participants in the great Malaysian experiment.

Why do I say this? In my view, the Indian community has been tossed about by political forces far too easily over the last few years. This in turn is symptomatic of a community that struggles with:

1. A large income and educational disparity within the community, with neither a clear majority in influence nor an active middle-class visibly bridging the gap in priorities within the community.


2. A passionate culture imbued by the spirit of the Ramayana that permeates across the community, despite a sizable minority not being Hindu in religion. This results in a tempestuous nature that can easily be stoked from individual anger into mob behaviour, especially when injustice is perceived.


3. An undeniably strong link to its mother country India, and in many cases, the various home provinces of individual ethnicities, that impacts upon the community's outlook on issues. This link is sustained not just by pilgrimages to India, but a steady influx of Indian nationals into Malaysia for a variety of employment forms, from temple priests to Mamak store workers.


4. A community that is still fractured by the various differences between internal groups, from sub-ethnicities (Tamil, Malayalam, Punjabi, etc) through to religion (Hindu, Islam, Christian, etc) with no universal defining point of unity such as what the Mandarin language has become for the Chinese. OK, maybe Ghandi, but everyone loves Ghandi! So, what else?


5. A community that is very open to the influences of leaders of other communities, especially the majority Malay leadership. Where this is benign, then it is fine, but where it leads to mob behaviour such as the norm of the 'Anwar Ibrahim' type of Malay 'leadership', it actually leaves the community worse off.

So to my own question, whether MIC is in real trouble now, I would say yes it is! With DS Samy's grip on the party clear, the community may give up on a political solution to its woes and look for alternatives. The alternative may be political, but in this case, DS Samy's likely right in guessing an Indian political rival to MIC is some years in coming. However, Indians may choose to move primarily through community NGOs, like the Chinese, which would risk making MIC an irrelevance.

That Hindraf rose to prominence so quickly, putting aside its racist rhetoric, dramatic claims and mob behaviour, is indicative of not just the role NGOs can fulfil but also the readiness of the Indian community to support them! Support for the Kampung Buah Pala Residence Association's efforts is another.

The saving grace for MIC is that it is attempting to cap its troubles with some key constitutional amendments, such as to the President's term in office, and at least it is ahead of PPP with regards to its Youth Chief, who is the community's choice, not DS Samy's and is smart enough not avoid silliness like asking the government to make the UMNO Youth chief a minister! However, it has to do something to bridge the high risk period which is the now to the future.

I am glad though that DS Samy, for all his faults, does retain a good political head on his shoulders. It is smart of him to allow others, mainly junior reps of the party, to respond against Tun Dr M's recent comments against his leadership... and smarter still for defending Tun Dr M after...

Too Many Malaysians Missing The Point... Problem Or Norm?

The chat on priorities I had with my daughter recently has brought certain behaviours of the press, public and indeed the Malaysian on-line community into sharp focus. I had shared my teaching of the importance of prioritising matters to my daughter and then rambled on a bit about this in my last posting, primarily as a whinge against our politicians and leaders in government. However, eventually, one cannot avoid wondering whether the problem is with Malaysians as a whole!

For instance, my learned friend 'Jebat Must Die' (JMD) recently posted a series rebutting the contents of the book by a Dr Kua Kia Soong that claims to 'reveal the truth' of the 13 May riots using 'recently declassified sources'. JMD's postings are refreshing as whilst it successfully demolishes Dr Kua's primary contention, he has done so with great impartiality and has used information so easily verifiable that it nicely unmasks Dr Kua's 'revelations' for the bunk that it is.

JMD's series on the 13 May riots are currently delayed from completion due to a technical problem with his PC. However, I do look forward to a version to be published in book version, with the hope that it would also reveal Malaysians to be the root cause of many of our nations problems! On hopes JMD's writings to be welcomed and more greatly celebrated by all as a genuine attempt at bringing the riots into context... significant seeing as JMD is from the post riot generation!

You see, there is a stark difference between Dr Kua's book and JMD's writting. When one goes back to the Dr Kua's references when reading, you will discern the learned Dr's actively CHOOSING material that supports his main contention, that the riots were due to a Machiavellian plot to seize power among the Malay leaders; LOL... but seriously, it's a claim that is just plain rude! It hence galls me when the Star at the time also chose to publicise the book. WHY?

I am willing to excuse the Star's irresponsible and ignorant act here perhaps... OK Pak Lah's regime was game for a lot of 'openness' then, at least at face value, and certainly was clueless of priorities, but does the Star not see themselves as at risk of being complicit in the spread of Dr Kua's libel? Then again, judging from the rabid racially charged comments to JMD's writing, you can see how the Star can be confused... the Malaysian public or at least many on-line are to!

Today I glanced at Joceline Tan's analysis of BN's decision not to contest at Penanti. Again I found the Star disappointing! OK, I don't really blame Joceline and have found her to be personally very correct in her analysis and postulations. However, in essentially analysing that BN wouldn't contest because it was going to lose and just wanted to take wind out of PR's sails, she missed the bigger message; that DS Najib wishes to focus on its responsibility running the country!

I have to admit to not entirely agreeing to BN's complete withdrawal from Penanti. I had expressed before my own views and was heartened that this view was shared by the majority who bothered to participate on my blog poll on this matter. However, DS Najib seems to have led BN into taking this decision in line with Ghandi's contention that,"A 'No' uttered from the deepest conviction is better than a 'Yes' merely uttered to please, or worse, to avoid trouble."

So, what an ideal opportunity to showcase to Malaysians how the new BN leadership is so focused on delivery of its pledge to govern that they're giving politics a miss! Unfortunately, even the Star has different priorities. As far as the Star is concerned, its main customer base in Penang and Klang Valley are still leaning towards PR, so they also have to pander to their customer's biases (by saying BN would lose anyway), even if it means priorities are lost to sales...

So our problem is essentially a Malaysian problem... most of us don't appreciate what's important! If that's the case...

Finally, I found this blog some time ago. Thought the guy was a one-offer, but he deserves some pluggin here I think... the stupidity of Hindraf's Uthayakumar and how he needed ISA is showcased with some brilliance here... Relevance to this posting? Well, I think reading the postings in this blog is a higher priority that reading Dr Kua's drivel, but reading JMD's write-up is of the highest priority!

Snippets From The Hospital Bed...

At last, a legit reason for not posting for a while! I'm in hospital again with back problems! Disc is prolapsed again, but on the right side this time.

BKT SELAMBAU & BKT GANTANG

Actually got my injury when accompanying Ayah campaigning at Bkt Gantang. Glad it didn't hit me earlier - the night before was important for me as I gave my first election campaign ceramah at Bkt Selambau.

During my walk-about I kind of sensed we'd lose in both places. We left the electorate for the UMNO General Assembly and Pak Lah's late departure from the PM' post left very little time to convince the electorate with change.

Put that together with Samy Vellu's presence in Bkt Selambau, Pakatan's Race-Based politics in Bkt Gantang & KJ being UMNO Youth Chief, it's no wonder that the same sections of the electorate rejected BN.

But at least the more mature Malay electorate is coming back to BN.

NAJIB'S NEW CABINET

The overall reaction to DS Najib's new cabinet has been positive. Some of the surprise choices are inspired, such as appointing the straight arrow Dato' Husni Hanadzalah as 2nd Finance Minister.

I'm also happy with some blatant exclusions from the cabinet, such as Dato' Zin 'Badak', who messed up the decision on raising road tolls recently.

HEALTH

In any case, not sure if I can blog again before discharge. Need to focus on my health first. If all's well, I'll be blogging from home next week!

Posted using my HTC TytnII