Sunday, August 30, 2009

Menjelang MERDEKA, Punca Pertelingkahan Antara Kaum Terpampang Buat Rakyat Selangor


Saya hanya mendengar 2 kali sejak 1Malaysia dilancarkan, pendapat jelas akan apa dimaksudkan slogan tersebut yang bolehlah masuk akal sedikit sebagai pencinta sejarah. Terus-terang, kita pernah berdenyut senadi sebagai rakyat 1 Malaysia, dan ini jelas sepanjang alunan sejarah sebelum kepimpinan Pak Lah. Mungkin ada juga segelintir rakyat, terutama yang membangkang, terus menerus membawa modal ketidaksama-rataan kaum, tetapi ini kerana mereka tak reti...

Malangnya bagi kita, kelembapan pentadbiran dan keunggulan ikon-ikon korupsi pada zaman Pak Lah, membuka jalan untuk kegusaran rakyat diasak dan ditujukan ke arah propaganda ketidaksama-rataan antara kaum yang dicanang PKR dan DAP. Malangnya, kepimpinan lama disokong oleh pemimpin-pemimpin komponen BN yang sama ada lemah, seperti TS Koh Tsu Koon, atau diakhir hayat politik, seperti DS Samy Vellu.

Dalam kelemahan ini, tiada yang dapat terus mengingatkan rakyat apakah punca harmoni kita yang lama: kompromi yakni tolak-ansur yang berpada-pada! Tidak mungkin dalam suatu masyarakat berbilang kaum boleh wujud keharmonian tanpa kompromi. Kompromi antara hak, dan kehendak, selagi tidak melanggar keperluan mana-mana kaum adalah formula yang telah menjayakan Malaysia sejak 13 Mei 1969. Tidak ada mana-mana kaum yang mendapat segala-galanya...

1Malaysia-lah usaha untuk mencetus kembali ingatan tua dan mencanang hingga generasi muda faham yang bersatunya kita sebagai rakyat bukannya berdasarkan prinsip setiap kaum, agama malah rakyat mengecapi semua 'hak' dan kehendak mereka, seperti dibawa oleh ide Malaysia-Malaysia DAP. 1Malaysia seharusnya membawa dengan lebih jelas... ingat kembali! Kita sudah pun 1 Malaysia dahulu! Kita menghormati tuntutan hak semua dan berusaha dalam kompromi...

Kompromi adalah kata-najis politik. Ia diconteng ke muka pemimpin yang kononnya menderhakai perjuangan. Oleh itu, susah mungkin untuk pemimpin BN mengakui bahawa kompromi dalam mengejar hak antara kumpulan rakyat yang diwakili parti-parti komponen adalah antara sebab BN berjaya mengekalkan keharmonian antara kaum selama ini. Sudah tentu, tidak ada satu-satu kaum yang benar-benar puas... tetapi amnya tiada yang berasa ketinggalan...

Pra-PRU 12, isu menegangkan keharmonian antara kaum, yakni perobohan kuil Hindu yang dibina tanpa kebenaran tuan tanah, seperti biasa timbul. Kepimpinan BN yang kuat dan berhemah, disokong majoriti, sudah pasti dapat membawa kompromi untuk menyelesaikan masalah ini. Mungkin masyarakat Hindu diberi kuil ganti sebagai tawaran perdamaian oleh pemimpin Melayu yang terlibat. Ini kompromi. Tak mungkin semua puas, tetapi keperluan diisi dan harmoni kembali.

Kini kita melihat, di Selangor, propaganda Pakatan memakan diri. Propaganda inilah yang dicanang sewaktu rakyat gusar atas salah-silap Pak Lah dahulu. Dikatakan bukan korupsi sahaja membawa merudumnya kemakmuran rakyat kebanyakan. Dikatakan, ini akibat 'politik perkauman' yang diamalkan selama ini! Dikatakan DEB tidak menguntungkan sesiapa selain yang berkuasa. Dihapuskan dari ingatan yang kompromi harus ada untuk kita makmur dalam harmoni...

Sudah berbulan-bulan kita melihat bagaimana kerajaan Pakatan negeri Pulau Pinang GAGAL menyelesaikan isu sekular yang juga berbau perkauman, yakni pengambilan tanah Kampung Buah Pala. Dalam isu tersebut, sebuah pengusaha Cina ingin membuang penduduk India dari tanah milik antara lain koperasi pekerja kerajaan negeri yang amnya Melayu! Padahal, penyelesaiannya merupakan antara janji-janji pokok Pakata sewaktu PRU-12!

Buat masa ini, kerajaan Pakatan Pulau Pinang yang kepincangan dari pelbagai hal terselamat akibat kelemahan kepimpinan BN negeri diterajui TS Koh Tsu Koon. TS Koh dibenci kaum Melayu dan India kerana sifat perkaumannya sehingga disangsi bangsanya sendiri! Tetapi, kejadian menyepak kepala lembu sebagai bangkangan terhadap pembinaan kuil Hindu oleh pemimpin Islam PKR Selangor menunjukkan betapa pada dasarnya, Pakatanlah golongan yang bersifat perkauman!

Bagaimanakah mungkin suatu parti yang berpropaganda hangat akan penolakkan politik kononnya 'ala-perkauman' BN boleh bersifat begitu kurang ajar sekali terhadap kaum lain? Ini kerana idealisma yang dipropaganda oleh Pakatan Rakyat dan parti komponennya adalah yang serong. Ia suatu idealisma kurang matang dengan melulu menjanjikan hak mutlak segalanya bagi setiap kaum, tanpa memberi kesedaran akan perlunya benteng kompromi berpada-pada!

Perbincangan tentang hal ini harus diteruskan oleh semua rakyat Malaysia. Tak kiralah politik mana yang disuka, jelas, rakyat Malaysia harus memahami apa itu maksud 'perkauman', apa baiknya 'kompromi' dan kembali ke masa di mana 1Malaysia bukan slogan semata-mata. Pada hemah saya, Pakatan Rakyat sendiri harus dibetulkan paksinya, kalau tidak, giliran mereka pulalah untuk ditolak rakyat yang dahulu dibuta-tulikan pemimpinnya dengan janji-janji manis-palsu.
Sekadar merenung, mengisi:

MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA!

Monday, August 24, 2009

The Cane Mutiny... By Kartika, With Shahrizat, Then Bar Council... Lagi?

I'm disgusted by the Kartika Canning Saga. First of all, this woman was caught drinking, which is an offence for Muslims. It does gall me though how easily some Muslims get caught (then sentenced) for drinking, and how some get away with it being a chic trendy activity of the 'upper class'. One drinker (since taubat? I dunno...!) was even known to have been Chairman of a Halal Forum! Such hypocracy should offend all Malaysian Muslims!

OK, so lets forgive our religious establishment a while and give them the support to carry out this punishment against this offending woman. But then no... lets not! A whole bunch liberals, real and pretend, including the ever confused Sisters in Islam, started crying foul on the 'cruel' punishment of whipping a woman under Syariah. Their voices were lent further 'weight' by the leaders of both major Malay Muslim parties, DS Shahrizat Jalil for UMNO and YB Dr Lo'Lo' Ghazali from PAS.

Rather disappointingly, all this defence for the offending woman was done in ignorance. All this complaining was done without finding out what Syariah whipping by the cane is like, thinking it's like the vicious whipping by cane regularly sentenced to drug dealers by the secular courts. When th syariah authorities revealed how relatively mild Syariah canning was, the PAS lady rather embarrasedly withdrew her protest! DS Shahrizat just went mum for a while...

In the meantime, whilst the world press got to enjoy bashing Syariah Law... again... as well as Malaysia... again... the person who seems to be benefiting from all this is... the offending woman! She is now seen in full glamour, on the front pages of newspapers, walking at her kampung, waving to people, she's everywhere! She is supposed to be shamed by the punishment, instead, she's revelling in it! Even her father gets quoted in the press!

As a friend remarked on Facebook,"Any 5 minutes of fame is always good for a part time model what?!! After this she should be receiving a lot of modelling offers, I am sure..."
Disgusting!

Now we have two extremes coming out of the Pakatan or quasi-Pakatan side of the political divide:
  1. Selangor Pakatan exco and PAS Commissioner Datuk Dr Hassan Ali, fresh from hugging Ronnie Liu in front of DS Anwar Ibrahim, has given the state's Mosque officials power to nab Muslims drinking alcohol! HO HO! Not sure really whether this is because of the Kartika case, seeing as the offending woman was nabbed in a BN state (!), or if it is Round 2 of the state DAP vs PAS slugfest!

  2. Bar Council President Ragunath Kesavan, in response to fresh news that the punishment will be postponed to after Ramadhan, and perhaps in heat with the chance to bantai our Syariah courts, which is NOT Bar Council territory, declares he wants 'whipping' abolished! One wonders whether he feels the same about the more vicious mandatory whipping sentence against convicted drug dealers? If so, why not declare something earlier on that?

In the end, all these people are declaring this and that to get the same thing Kartika is now getting, a chance to be prominent in some way... WOI! THE WOMAN GOT CAUGHT DRINKING ALCOHOL, SHE IS MUSLIM and SHE'S BEING PUNISHED! Dah la tu! This is between her and Allah! The religious authorities are just facilitating this and her family has at least 'shown her the light'! WE SHOULD BE WISHING MORE OFFENDING MUSLIMS ARE CAUGHT AND PUNISHED!

But nooo... the saga continues! Sure punya...

Amnesty International, an organisation that has singularly failed to achieve any change in the world, but continue to get money by pretending to achieve stuff, now has jumped into the band-wagon! Please-lah Amnesty, go achieve something more meaningful first lah, like stopping Palestinian kids and babies from being killed by the Zionists, then maybe we and the rest of the world will listen to you more... No need to butt into our small local drama ...

So, 'siapa lagi?', who else wants to wade into this one?

Sunday, August 23, 2009

YB Radzhi Lari Dari PKR, Bukan Ke PAS, Tapi Kenapa Tidak Ke UMNO?

Sejak semalam bertubi-tubi penulis menerima sms tentang hal larinya YB Mohd Radzhi Salleh, ADUN Lunas, dari PKR. Katanya beliau ADUN bebas sekarang. Katanya beliau rela terus berkhidmat sebagai Exco Kerajaan Negeri Kedah yang diterajui PAS (?!) walaupun beliau sekarang ADUN bebas. Katanya beliau sedia kekal di Exco kerana ini sesuai dengan hak DYMM Sultan Kedah melantiknya lalu beliau juga sedia dipecat Sultan.

Sebab kenapa YB Radzhi keluar parti? Katanya kerana,"...PKR tidak lagi memperjuangkan kepentingan bangsa Melayu sebaliknya hanya mengutamakan kepentingan politik peribadi dan pemimpin-pemimpin atas pula hanya pandai bersandiwara dan bermain politik peribadi."

OK, setakat ni, nampak gaya skrip yang cukup 'standard' sahaja, tetapi mungkin boleh kita ajukan beberapa teori akan kenapa YB Radzhi mengambil beberapa keputusan:
  1. Kenapakah beliau keluar parti PKR. Yang ini ada banyak teori, tetapi sebenarnya saya sendiri akui TAK TAHU tentang hal ini! Ahli Parlimen PKR Padang Serai, YB N Gobalakrishnan dah cukup hangat menuduh YB Radzhi dan yang keluar parti bersama dengannya, sehingga terbubarnya PKR Bahagian tersebut, macam-macam - strategi nak menang PRK Permatang Pasirlah, semuanya dah lama bertindak-tanduk memang mencurigakanlah...

  2. Kenapakah YB Radzhi tak lari ke PAS memandangkan beliau sedia untuk kekal di Exco Kerajaan Negeri? Siapa kata dia tidak mencuba? Soalnya sekarang, kalau dia cuba pun, PAS tidak mungkin sedia menerimanya kerana ini pasti akan menimbulkan ketegangan di antara PAS dan PKR Kedah. Dah la PAS dan DAP Kedah tak ngam pasal babi! Lagi pun, Pengerusi PKR Kedah, YB Ahmad Kassim, memang rapat dengan PAS sejak zamannya di ABIM lagi.

  3. Soalan yang paling menarik sekali, kenapakah YB Radzhi tak lari ke UMNO! Ha, ini soalan cepumas ni! Yang ni kena huraikan sedikit lagi... di bawah...

KENAPAKAH YB RADZHI TIDAK MENYERTAI UMNO:

  1. Jelas YB Radzhi, beliau tidak mahu dikatakan 'kena beli'. Wah, nampak gaya kalau ada orang lompat ke UMNO atau BN, akan terus dilabel 'kena beli'! Bukannya kerana prinsip atau kepincangan parti Pakatan mahupun untuk berkhidmat dengan lebih berkesan. Tetapi terus kena label 'kena beli'! Malah, YB Radzhi lebih rela tak berparti dan seksa menguruskan ADUNnya tanpa bantuan dari kena label 'kena beli' dari masuk UMNO!

  2. Kenapakah ada imej 'kena beli' pada yang lompat ke UMNO/BN? Mungkinkah kerana UMNO masih berimej 'membeli' undi? Mungkin ini bukan kerana aksi BN pada PRU atau PRK, tetapi cerita beli-jual undi pada pemilihan dalaman parti adalah antara yang menjijikkan rakyat! UMNO pula masih membiarkan mereka yang sudah bertaraf ikon korupsi berleluasa dalam parti! Manalah orang tak anggap yang melompat ke UMNO jenis 'dibeli'?

  3. YB Radzhi juga mengatakan,"selepas Pilihan Raya Umum 8 Mac lalu (2008), saya lihat hala tuju parti (PKR) telah berubah. Ia menjurus kepentingan peribadi pula, orang yang bekerja kuat untuk pucuk pimpinan parti pula diketepikan." Ha, mungkinkah sebab YB Radzhi tak menyertai UMNO kerana pada beliau parti kita sama buruk dengan PKR yang baru ditinggalkannya? Mungkinkah ini juga tanggapan rakyat?

Ramai 'pakar' akan membuat pelbagai terjemahan terhadap keluarnya YB Radzhi dari PKR, tetapi saya lebih tertarik dengan soalan kenapa beliau tidak menyertai UMNO. Soalan inilah harus diberi perhatian oleh pemimpin UMNO untuk memperbaiki keadaan, kerana kalau tidak, bukan sekadar wakil rakyat lawan yang kecewa sahaja bakal menolak Barisan Nasional dan parti tunjangnya!

Friday, August 21, 2009

Kejijikan Imej Calon Pemimpin Malayu-Islam Menenggelamkan Isu... Setibanya Ramadhan!

Pilihanraya Kecil (PRK) Permatang Pasir menjijikan saya. Saya jijik melihat bagaimana calon-calon parti-parti Melayu beragama Islam diperburukkan imejnya semata-mata untuk mengejar kemenangan. Lihat sahaja calon BN, sdr Rohaizat, bagaimana masalah firma guamannya, yang jika benar menjadi isu, sudah tentu sudah terhalang pencalonannya oleh Suruhanjaya Pilihanraya (SPR). Lihat pula calon PAS, ada juga isu yang boleh menidakkan imejnya yang kononnya luhur!

Disamping itu, saya semakin sakit hati melihat telatah, mahupun masalah peribadi pemimpin besar Melayu juga semakin comot terpampang di kalangan rakyat. Lihat sahaja Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim, yang kononnya tokoh korporat, kini terdedah bagaimana beliau seorang penghutang besar! Selain itu, bertelingkah pula dengan pemiutangnya BANK ISLAM... katanya kini YAB MB Pakatan Selangor diarah mahkamah membayar hutangnya!

Tak cukup pemimpin UMNO segala kecomotan diheret ke depan rakyat berbilang kaum negara kita, fitnah tidak tak kiralah... persepsinya buruk benar, terutama sekali selagi ikon-ikon korupsi masih bebas ber-Harrier ke sana-sini! Kini, nampak gaya pemimpin Melayu Pakatan pun kelihatan begitu pincang sekali! Katalah yang kes liwatnya Anwar isu basi, tetapi dari segi korupsi, nampak gaya pemimpin Melayu ISLAM Pakatan pun 2 X 5 juga! Apa, tidak ada alternatif lainkah kita?

Perit lagi, usaha menjijikkan keperibadian orang ini menyembunyikan isu-isu penting bagi masyarakat Melayu. Contohnya di Permatang Pasir sahaja, kenapakah ADUN PAS tiada dalam Exco kerajaan negeri Pulau Pinang, terutama sekali memandangkan PAS-lah pembawa majoriti undi Melayu ke Pakatan. KeAdilan cuma membawa undi pembelot UMNO dan golongan muda Melayu liberal. Apakah Melayu berpaksi Islam tiada tempat dalam kerajaan megeri?

Isu ini menjadi lebih penting apabila kita melihat, Ketua Pegawai Ketua Menteri DAP Pulau Pinang merangkap Ahli Parlimen Jelutong, YB Jeff Ooi, sendiri menggambarkan sifat anti-NGO Islamnya, dengan melabelkan Jemaah Islah Malaysia, JIM, suatu NGO profesional Islam, sebagai golongan ekstremis! Adakah ini menunjukkan kerajaan Pulau Pinang anti-Islam, dan Ketua Menterinya rajin berarak Maulud Nabi semata-mata mengabui mata umat Islam di Pulau Pinang?

Oleh itu, apakah maknanya apabila Tok Guru Nik Aziz, Mursyidul Am PAS yang tak diundi tetapi kekal di tampuk kuasa PAS atas dasar hormat, menyelar masyarakat Islam yang tidak menyokong PAS? Tidakkah ini menggusarkan hati orang-orang bukan Islam? Kalau pemimpin tertinggi PAS tidak menerima orang Islam yang bukan separti dengannya, adakah ini bermakna orang bukan Islam lebih mudah diterima olehnya?... kalau bukan kerana politik?... Ikhlaskah kepimpinan begini?

Isu-isu di atas jauh lebih penting dari kejijikan yang boleh dihamburkan ke atas mana-mana calon pemimpin Melayu Islam di Malaysia. Kenapakah yang ini tidak diketengahkan? Kenapakah orang PAS tidak rajin mempersoalkan kenapa Exco kerajaan negeri Perak pimpinan BN bersedia memberi tempat kepada semua pemimpin parti komponen kerana mereka menyumbang undi, sementara PAS yang membawa kemenangan Pakatan terus tersisih di Pulau Pinang?

Fikirlah teman-teman seagamaku... Ramadhan sudah tiba...

Thursday, August 20, 2009

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR: TOP OF THE PREMIER LEAGUE! WOOHOO!!

Sorry, it's been too long, so you can hardly blame me for being this excited about Spurs doing so well this early in the season... or at all! And it was on the pitch, not from selling our top players at prices higher than they are worth! Nevertheless, in line with this blog always taking a tangent, I celebrate by quoting one of Spur's heroes from history, Danny Blachflower:
“Football is not really about winning, or goals, or saves or supporters- it’s about GLORY. It’s about doing things in style, doing them with a flourish; it’s about going out to beat the other lot, not waiting for them to die of boredom; it’s about dreaming of the glory that the Double brought.”

Saturday, August 15, 2009

Orang Jahat DAP (Tertuduh...) Kena Tangkap, Tapi Yang UMNO?

Alhamdulillah. Terlihat Suruhanjaya Pencegah Rasuah Malaysia, SPRM, tidak teragak-agak menangkap orang-orang yang disyaki JAHAT atau RASUAH di kalangan pendukung kepimpinan kerajaan Pakatan Selangor. Nampak gayanya wayang kulit pembangkang yang berunsur perkauman tak lut! Jelas juga walaupun menerima tekanan dari penyiasatan yang berterusan tentang kematian Teoh Beng Hock, pihak SPRM masih gigih menjalankan tugas!

Tindakan ini juga insya'Allah akan meleraikan rasa gusar sesetengah penyokong kerajaan yang terasa pemimpin BN sahaja yang disasar oleh SPRM. Ternyata, walaupun pemimpin BN merupakan sasaran asal, dan terus lagi disiasat seperti yang bertanggungjawab isu skandal PKFZ, pemimpin Pakatan seperti DAP yang kini buat kali pertama berpeluang 'sapu' duit rakyat juga diburu!

Malangnya satu sahaja. Tindakan SPRM seperti ini mungkin juga terjejas sedikit kredibilitinya, sebab IKON-IKON KORUPSI BN MASIH BELUM TERTANGKAP! Bila nak humban jenis macam ini ke muka kehakiman? Dah la Tan Sri Kasitah Gadam baru lepas... ye lah, beliau didapati tak bersalah, tetapi kalau netul dia salah, untungnya bersih sedikit nama BN! Tetapi rakyat sebenarnya tak peduli sangat orang dah bersara macam TS Kasitah Gadam.

IKON-IKON KORUPSI UMNO yang masih di tampuk kuasa dan berpegang kepada jawatan-jawatan tinggi UMNO macam mana? Tambah yang muda... Yang ini harus diberkas SPRM... barulah rakyat, terutama yang muda, akan mula berputik keyakinan di hati...

Wednesday, August 12, 2009

Has The Selangor State Government Lost The Plot?

I do not understand the Selangor state government. OK, I admit to being biased, but this Teoh Beng Hock issue on the back of the MACC's continued probe of the state exco should not be driving them to distraction the way it is.

Today, we saw the unveiling of yet another strange policy of the state, of course reported by the pro-Pakatan newspaper, The Sun, as some sort of breakthrough of things "Democratic". The Sun had it as its main headline (admitting again which side of the policial divide they stand) whilst the other, less sensational and more sensible mainstream press didn't see any merit in even reporting it! Something to do with making making the State Legislature 'more independent'.

???

I had a look at what this new policy was 'delivering' to the Rakyat, and this is what I interpret from the way it's described:

  1. The state assembly will now have its own budget and committee to manage its administration. It will not have to 'rely' on the state government. Comment: Isn't the state government made up of the legislature, indeed making up it's majority? In actual fact, the state government is NOT independent of the state assembly! So, other than allowing Pakatan to now appoint more of its ADUNs into 'positions' in the 'assembly management', how does this benefit the Rakyat?

  2. The state assembly now can manage its assets independently. Comment: Hmmm... the state assembly is supposed to be fully funded by the state government. Its job is to pass state laws, act as a voice of the people as check-and-balance to the state government, so, why does it need assets? It has assets mah? Wah... maybe this way Pakatan can sapu the people's money more easily, via the state assembly's 'new management and independence'!

  3. The state assembly now will have a committee managed by the Speaker and will have members of both sides of the political divide in it. Comment: So, who really runs the place? Where is the state secretary and other civil servants in the management of the assembly? Are they doing this to try and take power from the civil servants charged with managing the assembly's workings under the auspices of the Sultan? Are they trying to create a barrier to what happened in Perak? How is that more democratic? And the poeple?
The Pakatan government of Selangor should stop wasting their energy on such pathetic policy changes that bring no benefit to the people! It should focus on real problems that are CURRENT and yet to be solved, like:
  1. Continued rising crime in Selangor!
  2. Cleaning up the exco from all negative influences, especially criminal elements, real or percieved.
  3. Clearing up the beer sales issue.
  4. Figuring out how to run the state's finances properly so that they don't need to sapu the Baitulmal (Muslim charity/zakat) money!
  5. etc
  6. etc
  7. ...
  8. ad nauseum
The Selangor Pakatan came into the state government with the impression they could be more clean than their BN predecessors. Well, before that, they must prove first that they are AT LEAST as competent! At the moment... the INCOMPETENCE OF PAKATAN SELANGOR IS MORE APPARENT...

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

A Couple Of Worthy Plugs

Was asked to, checked out and agreed to plug a new comedy program that an old friend, former Angkasawan candidate and fellow UK grad, Zaid Zahari, has been working on. Check it out from tonight, Wednesday, 9.30pm on Astro RIA. The program's a sketch series that is common in the UK but not so common here... yet. It's called Alamak and they have a website for you to check out.

Whilst I'm plugging, noticed recently that my Ayah has started writting again, and in more earnest than previously! He's now got an irregular column in Berita Minggu and his blog has had a few of postings already that are both informative historically and still relevant to the present. He is my Ayah, so please check out his write-up on the ISA (he was Deputy Home Minister) if you don't think I'm credible as a plugger :-)

I'm rather proud that my Ayah is writing these pieces though, as he's showcasing a better way for political veterans and former leaders to contribute to society - through views, reflections and ideas that do not impose, but simply instigate debate and greater depths in thought. And also hinting that you don't have to be a Tun to do so...

Saturday, August 01, 2009

Bingung Rakyat... Demo Pro Dan Anti Semalam Untuk Apa?

Saya faham sekiranya rakyat bingung akan motif di sebalik demonstrasi jalanan yang diusahakan oleh Pakatan Rakyat yang bertopengkan 'Gabungan Mansuh ISA' (GMI) semalam. Demonstrasi tersebut jelas gagal; pengelola mengakui 'penangguhan' usaha menyerahkan memorandum anti-ISA ke DYMM YDP Agong, di antara lain disebabkan terlalu sedikit penyokong Pakatan turun padang kali ini, sekitar hanya ~5 ribu, orang jauh sedikit dari ratusan ribu yang diwar-warkan.

Lebih buruk dari itu, demonstrasi tersebut mencemarkan nama baik negara di kaca-mata pengunjung apabila porak-peranda perasarana bandaraya KL akibat pertembungan gerombolan GMI dengan polis. Saya sendiri melihat bagaimana kegusaran terpahat di muka para pelancong asing di sekitar KL Sentral akibat ketiadaan teksi untuk pergi-balik ke kota. Apakah mungkin terlintas di hati warga asing yang menonton aksi GMI secara langsung? KL sebahaya Bangkok/Jakarta?

Kalaulah benar rakyat mengutamakan pemansuhan ISA, lebih dari kesejahteraan ekonomi, keselamatan awam dan perpaduan, sudah tentu lebih ramai rakyat turun berdemonstrasi bersama-sama GMI. Tetapi ini tidak! Mungkinkah ini kerana warga kota tidak merasakan pentingnya melakukan demo untuk isu ini kerana ia tidak berbaloi memandangkan apa-apa kejadian seperti semalam bakal mengancam ekonomi, membahayakan orang awam dan menimbulkan perpecahan!

Lagi pun, DS Najib telah dengan penuh bijaksana meleraikan banyak dari kegusaran yang timbul hasil dari salah-guna ISA oleh pentadbiran Pak Lah. Langkah-langkah seperti membebaskan kurungan ISA, termasuklah yang dirasakan tak patut dikurung rejim Pak Lah, seperti BSA Tahir dan sesetengah pemimpin Hindraf, dan usaha terbuka untuk merombak Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri untuk mengelakkan salah-gunanya di masa akan datang amat dihargai.

Malah, warga KL dapat membandingkan sendiri aksi lebih sopan kumpulan pro-ISA, yang dipelopori gabungan MAGARAN, yakni NGO-NGO GGMM, Pewaris dan Perkasa. Mereka berkumpul di Pasar Seni untuk menunjukkan sokongan, kemudian sedia bersurai apabila digesa oleh Polis. Para pemimpin pro-ISA kemudian ber * kereta ke Istana Negara dan berjaya menyerahkan memorandum menyokong ISA dan usaha kerajaan merombaknya kepada Istana.

Apabila ditanya rakyat yang bingung seperti saya sama ada kumpulan pro-ISA ini juga berdemonstrasi kerana membangkang cadangan DS Najib untuk merombak ISA, mereka menjelaskan bahawa:
  1. Kumpulan pro-ISA menyokong ISA dirombak supaya lebih sesuai dengan zaman pasca 50 tahun merdeka. Namun ISA haruslah kekal!

  2. Kerana menghormati nasihat DS Najib supaya demonstrasi tidak diadakan, mereka tetap berkumpul untuk menunjukkan bahawa ada kumpulan rakyat prihatin yang mahu ISA dikekalkan.

  3. Sesuai dengan saranan DS Najib agar cadangan diajukan untuk memperbaik-pulih ISA dari sedia-ada, memorandum yang serahkan MAGARAN ke DYMM YDP Agong juga membawa 5 baris ajuan pindaan kepada Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri.

Ha, kan lebih sopan cara yang dibuat oleh kumpulan pro-ISA ini? Mereka menghormati undang-undang negara, menerima nasihat pemimpin, malah tidak menyokong ISA membuta-tuli lalu menyerahkan cadangan bagaimana ia dapat dibaik-pulih! Pihak GMI pula, beria-ia menggerak penyokong mereka, termasuk para pelajar universiti, untuk berdemonstrasi tanpa jelas niatnya atau terlihat hasilnya selain porak-peranda. Seperti kata orang tua sayalah:

GMI/Anti-ISA seolah orang yang:

NIAT JAHAT, KERJA TAK RETI,

DOSA DAPAT, KERJA TAK JADI!

Manakala MAGARAN/Pro-ISA pula:

NIAT BAIK, KERJA RAPI,

PAHALA DAPAT, KERJA MENJADI!

Namun, akhir kata, yang paling rugi dalam kejadian semalam bukanlah warga KL, bukan juga pelancong mahupun para pendemonstrasi jalanan. Yang rugi sekali adalah Pemuda UMNO. Oleh kerana pemimpinnya, YB KJ, tidak tergerak melawan kata bapa mertuanya, yang baru sahaja menyarankan ISA dimansuhkan, maka Pemuda UMNO, telah terlepas peluang menunjukkan kematangan, kebijaksanaan mahupun keberaniannya sebagai sebuah kumpulan pendesak.

Yang untung adalah MAGARAN dan pertubuhan-pertubuhan anggotanya sebagai gagasan NGO pendesak gantian untuk masyarakat Melayu...

*Kemaskini 1: Sebenarnya, yang menghantar memorandum MAGARAN/Pro-ISA ke Istana hanyalah seorang wakil sahaja ... dan tidak berkonvoi pun! Tak perlu demo-demo pulak...!!!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

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.

Monday, July 27, 2009

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!

Wednesday, July 22, 2009

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...

Friday, July 17, 2009

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...

Monday, July 13, 2009

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...

Saturday, July 04, 2009

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...

Friday, July 03, 2009

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...

Thursday, July 02, 2009

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...

Sunday, June 28, 2009

Kegusaran Terhadap Pindaan Perlembagaan UMNO

Pemuda UMNO Cawangan Bendang Baru yang diketuai penulis baru selesai mesyuarat tahunan pada hari Sabtu lepas. Ketua Pemuda Bahagian, saudara Norsaidi Nanyan berbesar hati menghadiri majlis dan sudi memberi sepatah-dua kata sebagai ucapan penangguhan mesyuarat.

Mesyuarat tahun ini agak santai kerana tiada pemilihan dan kami bersyukur dapat juga cukup kuorum untuk bermesyuarat! Namun yang mengecewakan adalah, mesyuarat tidaklah seharusnya sesantai ini, kerana bukan sahaja kita dalam usaha merebut kembali negeri Kedah dengan mempertahankan kedudukan BN di Langkawi, tetapi tahun ini Mesyuarat Agung UMNO akan meminda perlembagaan!

Tetapi kita di cawangan pun sebenarnya tertanya-tanya, kalau betul perlembagaan nak dipinda, mana dia usul yang nak dibawa untuk meminda? Kenapa tak dibawa ke mesyuarat cawangan untuk dibincang? Atau mungkinkah prosesnya hanya beberapa cawangan atau bahagian sahaja diberikan kepercayaan untuk berdebat dan berbincang tentang pindaan perlembagaan?

Proses apa pun hendak diambil untuk meminda perlembagaan UMNO, yang menimbulkan kegusaran penulis dan ramai ahli UMNO lain adalah bagaimana sesetengah cadangan pindaan diketahui ahli melalui akhbar! Contohnya, saya mendapat tahu yang ada cadangan melanjutkan usia 'Pemuda' ke 45 tahun. Dahlah cadangannya kita tak suka - tapi tak apa, kita buat usul mengekalkan umur Pemuda kat 40 - tapi kenapa tak dihebahkan khusus kepada ahli dulu?

Pindaan perlembagaan bukan hal remeh, tetapi satu proses seakan pembedahan organ yang rumit ke atas badan organisasi UMNO. Untuk memastikan pembedahan berjalan dengan lancar, segala kegusaran anggota yang mungkin menyebabkan halangan mahupun kegagalan haruslah ditangani dengan berhemah. Berhemah kerana kalau tidak, anggota yang tak diubat awal mungkin bernanah atau menjadi kanser padahal pembedahan difikirkan berjaya.

UMNO bukannya organisasi yang berdasarkan retorik semata-mata seperti PKR, di mana tak relevan yang ahlinya kini boleh mengundi pemimpin pusat, sebab DS Anwar Ibrahim yang bukan ahli pun lebih berkuasa sebagai 'penasihat'. UMNO bukan PAS di mana 'Mursyidul Am' tak diundi lebih berkuasa dari Presiden yang diundi. UMNO bukan (lagi?) parti milik Bapa-Anak/Menantu seperti DAP. UMNO parti yang pada dasarnya masih demokratik, maka haruslah diubat dengan betul.

Janganlah usaha pindaan perlembagaan ini menjadi suatu lagi peluang untuk pemimpin menunjuk gah. Janganlah pandai-pandai nak pinda perlembagaan di luar lingkungan memperkukuhkan amalan demokrasi dan mengelakkan dari gejala RASUAH dari terus menular di dalam parti. Janganlah kecualikan ahli pada mana-mana peringkat sekalipun untuk memberi maklum-balas mahupun ide tentang pindaan tersebut.

Dari usaha mempertuakan Pemuda dan cadangan seperti menaikkan kuorum untuk mesyuarat tahunan yang bakal membunuh Cawangan pada tahun bukan pemilihan, kenapa tidak pertimbangkan:
  1. Penggunaan semula perkataan RASUAH dalam semua perbincangan parti tentang 'Politik Wang'. Dah RASUAH tu cakap aje RASUAH! Kata nak benteras, tetapi kemudian maniskan pula namanya. Shakespeare menulis lebih kurang,"Bunga Ros dengan nama apapun tetap harum baunya". Maka RASUAH pun sama busuk perlakunya betapa dirempah namanya sekalipun!

  2. Pembatalan semua hukuman 'amaran' kepada ahli yang didapati bersalah mengamalkan RASUAH oleh Lembaga Disiplin. Kalau dah RASUAH tu, GANTUNG TERUS!!! Apa amaran-amaran lagi, BUAT MALU AJE! Tengoklah budak yang menang lepas kena hukum 'amaran' aje lepas buat RASUAH... sekarang bila ada PRK aje, dialah jadi MASALAH!

  3. Memberi jalan-cara jelas bagaimana menangani situasi apabila ahli didapati bersalah RASUAH di luar. Contohnya, sekiranya ahli dihukum kerana RASUAH selepas tangkapan bukan sahaja SPRM, tetapi Pesuruhjaya Sekuriti dan mana-mana pihak yang bersabit. Sebaiknya kalau diluar dah dihukum sebab RASUAH, secara serta-mertalah Lembaga Disiplin hukum untuk RASUAH dalam parti!

  4. Serta-merta melucutkan apa-apa jawatan parti dan menggantung hak ahli memegang jawatan sepanjang menjalani hukuman penjara atau apa-apa pergantungan di luar (bankrap atau tak layak menjadi pengarah syarikat) kerana didapati bersalah kerana RASUAH.

  5. Tetapi dalam meminda perlembagaan dan undang-undang kecil parti seperti di atas untuk membenteras RASUAH, kenalah disediakan peraturan jelas tentang duit minyak (had bayaran sepanjang kempen, kelayakan menerima, dsb), mengadakan keraian atau majlis semasa kempen, sumbangan kepada program semasa kempen dan sebagainya.

  6. Best juga kalau perlembagaan memberi hak mutlak berkempen kepada mana-mana ahli dalam pertandingan dalam parti. Ini masa kempen dalam parti tak boleh buat ceramahlah, tak boleh ada majlislah, mengarut aje. Parti politik apa macam ni?

OK, melalut sikit bab-bab akhir... tapi kalau simpan aje nanti nanah bang...

Monday, June 22, 2009

The End Of PPSMI? Part IV... Ramblings On Race And Leaders

This series is getting rather rich and burgeoning as one is able to see the various interplaying forces that make the formation of a national education policy a socio-political nightmare. I have great sympathy for the views of Professor Khoo Kay Kim such as here, himself variously renounced for being both idealist and traitor to his race for his integrationist ideas.

This is not the only forum where I share my views of PPSMI, which has broadened to an expression of a need for a single school system. At the same time, my blog has not been a one topic forum either. Nevertheless, it is astounding how socio-politics affects the debate and 'conclusion' of issues in Malaysia, as opposed to economics or faith, and rather pathetic how socio is defined by racial interest whilst politics defined by who's taking which side on an issue.

Professor Khoo is not the first to lament over how across our entire history, our various communities have resisted integration. It is easy for political parties to point fingers at each other. Indeed, one of Pakatan Pembangkang's successes in the run-up of PRU-12 was to brand BN as being too UMNO dominated, whilst at the same time accusing it of encouraging 'race-based' politics. Ironic then when Pakatan governments also drive policies along ethnic lines...

The truth is, political parties do what they do to curry favour from the electorate. If there is a race-based slant to our country's politics then, it could hardly be the fault of our political leaders alone. It is our communities, and its leaders, who must answer the accusations over why this nation is not as integrated as it should be. It is the penghulus, Chinese educationists, Indian temple guardians, these are the people who also have to answer for our continued polarisation.

So when we talk about the racial aspects of a policy, is it really the politicians pushing their agenda, or are they proxies for the leaders of our communities?

Malay elders tend to be visible, even as they take a back seat with little driving beyond 'teguran', with Tun Dr M likely being an exception on the amount of influence wielded. But for the other communities, the Chinese especially, can we get some clear accountability on who's leading? At least with the Indians we are now seeing greater visibility of their 'social' leaders through Hindraf (with all its failings) as well as other more open and liberal Indian led NGOs.

What we really need is honesty, the kind of honesty that Hindraf may have started trying to express , even if we are to accept race as the driving socio element in much of our policy-making.

So, when is a Chinese elder going to admit that the reason why their educationists are against PPSMI is because teaching Maths in Mandarin helps in the teaching of the 'mother-tongue', unlike say... English! And when is an Indian elder going going to pull a small group of other elders aside and admit,"Sorry la, we Indians, especially Hindus, are naturally passionate. One of our 2 main religious texts is an epic love story mah! What can you expect?"

We should then also not be in denial by declaring it wrong to decide based on race! Is it wrong? Remember, the Malaysian model is meant to be an integration model, not an assimilation model. Hence, differences are not just meant to be respected, but celebrated. Hence the issue of race taking primacy on socio-related choices no longer becomes a question of bias, but of fairness; i.e. in accepting we do champion our races' interests, what line shouldn't be crossed?

On race though, it may seem to many that PPSMI is one issue that is actually uniting. Many point to parents from all races uniting in support of PPSMI, but similarly opposition to PPSMI also comes from groups of all races, though typically polarised between the pro-BM and pro-vernacular crowds, myself being one of many exceptions. However, this hides a fact that we have a quasi-'race' in Malaysia supporting PPSMI, Malaysians that have English as their mother tongue!

As they say in Malay,"Bahasa JIWA Bangsa".

Finally, much of the confusion over race is also fueled by personality driven politics that still prevail in Malaysia. Sure, we'd like to say that we support abolishing tolls, but is this really because we have thought about it, or because that is what DAP and Lim Kit Siang has been saying, without sound economic basis by the way, for 3 decades? It is populist, espoused by a populist leader, but it is not mature to support a stand due to who backs it.

Returning to PPSMI, there are many who support it as it is Tun Dr M's idea. Besides that, other leaders have now invested themselves in its success, such as the former Education Minister, Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Hussein. His supporters naturally see an attack on PPSMI as an attack on DS Hisham's record. It would not be wrong also to say a successful revamp of PPSMI would bring pride to TS Muhyiddin's supporters... unless DS Anwar's camp spins it his way of course!

Hence the madness of socio-politics in Malaysia, that is the personality cult behind what is real-politik in our country, threatens the resolution of an issue that is of great importance to our children and successive generations. But PPSMI is not alone in this... Malaysians should focussing on ISSUES, not personalities. The problem is, focussing on issues take EFFORT. Are we mature enough to take the effort? If not, we will continue to be at the mercy of our leaders...

There are too many issues in Malaysia that are being decided by the illogical bi-polar socio-political effects of racial interests and politicals of personalities. My hope is that with PPSMI, the Single School System debate and the need for a total review and reform of our education system will SNAP US OUT OF IT! We need to focus on ISSUES. Then only can we the people truly say we deserve the future we all wish for our children.

NB: One would think we would be more mature having been independent for 50 years. No? Maybe we should be more matured as the literacy and other metrics of education have been ever-improving over the years. No? Egads man, the Malay, Chinese, Indian communities in Malaysia can trace back the origins of over some 2 Millenia, even more! Still we are immature?! Indeed... we are human... not an excuse though!!!

Tuesday, June 16, 2009

The End Of PPSMI? - Part III

My learned friend Jebat Must Die (JMD) presented yet another impressive treatise, and again puts me to shame. Instead of focussing on individual policies such as teaching Maths and Science in English (PPSMI) or Satu Sekolah untuk Semua (SSS), he has chosen to attack the lack of a comprehensive education revamp whilst mounting an attack on the vested interests and outright profiteering that may the root cause of the mayhem in our education system!

I have chosen to build on my comments at his blog here as part of my body of writing on PPSMI as I believe it is important to put my views on it also in the context of my support for SSS.

The politics of education in any country is passionate, and rightly so, but the policies and implementation are too readily buffeted by other considerations, like politics. Unfortunately, in my view, even high minded goals like achieving or strengthening National Unity is also an irrelevance, or is at best, a secondary consideration, when deciding on our education policy.

The education policy should be focussed on education, the right education for the needs of our children, in order to attain a livelihood and be able to afford to be good citizens of the future, whatever that may mean in the decades hence from the time they begin kindergarten. (And they should all be given a chance to experience kindergarten.) Statistics such as those indicating education being the best long term enabler of social justice help justify such a course of action.

My support for SSS is hence not with National Unity or primacy of Bahasa Malaysia as a national language as a key reason, but simply because SSS if implemented properly would deliver the most efficient allocation of resources to achieve optimum delivery of education to the masses in the history of our young nation!

Just on beauracracy alone, SSS must represent a savings, and when you add to that removal of the need for compensatory mechanisms in the system like ‘kelas peralihan’ all the way to killing the debate and political cost on vernacular schools, it is a step in the right direction!

Perhaps then, it is the sheer efficiency of SSS that the more intelligent of the profiteers of our education policy fears… wallahualam...

In any case, perhaps aiming for compulsory passes in SPM English to lead to the abolishing or amendment of the PPSMI policy, together with strengthening the English syllabus and returning compulsory credit for Bahasa Malaysia at SPM are too shallow as aspirations. Perhaps as JMD has indicated, it is time for not just the Minister of Education, but all of us, to 'Carpe Diem', seize the day, and drive for a total revamp of our education policy once and for all!

Be damned the profiteers... SSS is turning out to be a truly worthy cause to champion!

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