The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday defended his 1Malaysia concept, claiming that it had not failed but merely a “work in progress”.
He admitted that the concept could not become a “full realization” today but would do so eventually with the help of all segments of society.
Najib’s 1Malaysia concept is not “work in progress” but “work in regress”, especially if he proves to be a new Mr. Flip-Flop as Prime Minister, putting the former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to shame.
In back-pedalling from Umno’s recent decision to disentangle and distance itself from Perkasa as announced by Umno Secretary-General Datuk Sri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor only a week ago, Najib has exuded negative vibrations and sent out the negative message that he is not prepared to be the leader for all groups and component parties in Barisan Nasional let alone be the Prime Minister for all Malaysians.
Nobody is expecting the impossible of “a full realization today” of the 1Malaysia concept but it is disingenuous and even dishonest to claim that his 1Malaysia concept is “work in progress” when he himself lamented in his Malaysia Day message at the rising tide of extremism in his 18 months of premiership with unprecedented outpouring of the rhetoric of race and religion unseen in the first 18 months of all the first Prime Ministers of Malaysia – Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, Tun Mahathir and Tun Abdullah!
And what has made this “rising tide of extremism” in the first 18 months of Najib’s premiership even more unhealthy and undesirable is that they emanate primarily from the ranks of Umno and allied or outsourced groups!
Five days before the August 31 Merdeka Day, Najib broke his long two-week silence to declare a “zero tolerance” policy towards racism and pledged immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs – but this has been followed by more than two weeks of inaction against two school principals who had made unacceptable racial and religious slurs against students in their schools!
This is not the stuff to inspire confidence in his political will and commitment to achieve the goal of 1Malaysia “to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society”. (1Government Transformation Programme Roadmap: p11)
Najib has come out with a “patriotic litmus test” to determine the political attitudes of those aspiring to positions of authority, questioning a person on his or her priorities in achieving greater unity and harmony among Malaysians, viz:
• “One has to ask whether his actions would affect people of other races and religions.
• “Would you be promoting harmony and unity or inciting hatred towards your race?
• “Could your actions lead to better understanding among people of different races, or the contrary?”
If Najib put his Cabinet and the leadership of all the Barisan Nasional component parties to such a 1Malaysia litmus test for their words and deeds in the past 18 months, how many of them will pass?
Utusan Malaysia, the Umno mouthpiece, will not only fail these tests but will be among the most egregious offenders, breaching these three tests on a daily basis.
In fact, Utusan has reached a new low as illustrated by its irresponsible and contemptible attempt to racialise and politicise the heinous and gruesome mass murders of Datuk Sosilawati Lawiya and three others against the DAP when it has nothing to do whatsoever with DAP.
Utusan Malaysia is guilty of double lies against DAP as none of the suspect killers were DAP members let alone DAP life-members, but also because DAP had condemned the heinous and gruesome mass killings right from the beginning.
When news broke on Sept. 12 of the horrific mass murders of Datuk Sosilawati, DAP Secretary-General and Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, who was in Shanghai tweeted his “shock”, condemned the quadruple murders as “ghastly” and extended condolences to the families of the victims of the “horrible tragedy” of the mass murders.
I was also in Shanghai for the World Expo. In my first press conference and public statement on my return from Shanghai, made in Kota Kinabalu on Sept. 15, I condemned in the strongest possible terms the heinous, gruesome crimes of the mass murders of Sosilawati.
Yet Utusan Malaysia could publish such garbage the next day on Sept. 16 to insinuate that the DAP is siding with the mass murderers and had been silent on the mass murders either because the “Datuk” killer is DAP member or DAP “fights for the rights of a certain race only”.
I have a video recording of my press conference in Kota Kinabalu on Sept. 15 condemning the mass murders of Datuk Sosiloawati and three others but I do not think the Utusan Malaysia editors would dare to ask to view them.
Coming back to Najib’s 1Malaysia test. Najib should do something simpler – ask his Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and all his Ministers at next Wednesday’s Cabinet meeting whether they are prepared to be Malaysians first and race second as a first step to show their support and loyalty to his 1Malaysia concept, and if not, to tell them that they have no place in his Cabinet and government if his 1Malaysia concept is not to be taken as an empty and meaningless slogan!
#1 by asia on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 3:16 pm
The Reid Commission Report original stated article 153 to be review in 15 years.
There is a written record lie in UK Parliament 1957 record stated that the Federation of Constitution 1957 proposal meeting/discussion in UK Parliament hall stated that the Alliance have update the condition of review of article 153 Not in 15 years but agreed to be reviewed from times to times.
It is 100% written record in the UK parliament.
Remember Malay alone would not be granted Malaya independence from British.
Without the support of Chinese and India the British would not granted Malaya Independence.
The Alliance formed by Malay, Chinese and India majority the British granted the Malaya Independence.
After independence this land belong to the new self-government/owners formed by Malay, Chinese and India.
Anyone of them have the absolutely rights demand equality in this land which they granted from the British administration.
Must Demand to get it.
#2 by DAP man on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 3:23 pm
Najib is selling a donkey named “1 Malaysia” but wants the people to believe it is a racehorse.
This talk, talk, talk PM is a national disaster.
#3 by k1980 on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 3:57 pm
Najib is selling a beruk named “1Malaysia” but wants the people to believe it is a panda.
#4 by yhsiew on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 5:21 pm
UMNO is 1Malaysia’s no. 1 enemy.
People who are anti 1Malaysia – Utusan, Perkasa, Tun Mahathir and Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin – are all from UMNO.
Najib should have sought the consent of his own party members on the 1Malaysia concept before pushing it to the rakyat. How can he sell the 1Malaysia concept when even his own people are against it?
#5 by dagen on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 5:36 pm
From my observation chinese (cant speak for indians, my apology guys) embrace the 1malaysia thingy a great deal more than malays. But then again an unwanted/excluded child would always work hard to gain inclusion right. And on the contrary, malays in general could not appreciate the feeling and insecurity of exclusion, of being unwanted and excluded. Fortunately, in spite of that many malays extended their arms. Unfortunately, dr mamak, perkasa and (now proven by jib’s refusal to castigate perkasa) umno decided to wave the keris instead.
Wonderful. Wonderfully stupid move.
#6 by yhsiew on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 5:50 pm
///1 Malaysia policy would remain a work in progress unless Najib made a strong stand against groups like Perkasa.
“It will continue to be a work in progress unless he (Najib) gets some guts. You have got to show conviction that you believe in your policy,” said political observer Azmi Sharom./// – The Malaysian Insider
What 1Malaysia?
Even the author of 1Malaysia does not believe in the policy that he created.
#7 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 6:08 pm
///Najib’s 1Malaysia concept is not “work in progress” but “work in regress”, especially if he proves to be a new Mr. Flip-Flop as Prime Minister, putting the former Prime Minister Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to shame./// – YB Kit.
YB Kit of course will have to say what he has said – to advance Opposition’s cause and the country’s interest.
To be fair to Pak Lah & Najib, who else within and presently leading the BN (before regime change by Opposition if that happens) will ever not be a “flip flop” after Tun Dr Mahathir (“TDM”)?
By contemporary world’s standards TDM is second only to Fidel Castro in terms of length of tenure in near absolute power. There are others “long stayers”.. In the first place they stayed in power that long because – apart from the aphrodisiac of power and the drive of ego – they believe, often with passionate conviction, that their thoughts and ideology understood by them to be only best for the country are necessary to keep their countries on course.
This invariably does not happen as planned unless such leaders died or were kicked out by revolution of something like that…. .It also tends not to happen with even anointed successors in the ordinary course of succession. The reason is because firstly the country and the conditions affecting it might have changed by the time of the take over. Besides every anointed leader, no matter how loyal to the preceding patron, must think of doing or saying new things to hold active attention – to make his own mark, so to speak whether it be changing First world infrastructure to First World mentality or 1 malaysia! This is where the old previous leader gets angry. They are telling him his administration/legacy is inadequate. He would ask, “why did I anoint you” amongst various contenders? It is because I want you to keep the country on course the way I would have done if I had not handed over power. I want my legacy the way I define it. These anointment is based on that sacred unwritten contract and bargain…”.
And a leader who has stayed for a very long time in power does not and is not foolish enough to give up all measure of control over his successors who may deviate from the chosen path as is natural for him to do so.….
First of all he has a extracted a moral obligation from them by anointing them and they cannot harm him, that’s the least that can be expected if not respect. Secondly he has record and dossier on their many foibles. He can contradict or expose them. Thirdly the ex leader has a lot of informal power. He has contacts and allies, both in government, out of government in business and corporations, people of wide influence and affluence who are beholden to the ex leader and will support him against any antagonist even in power. Fourthly, an ex leader of long tenure will always retain a built-in political audience for any whisper of a remark from him. In a conflict between a long reigning ex leader and the present anointed one, it is natural, as a matter of social psychology, for people (whether as voters, cabinet ministers or party cadres, to remember a leader (especially when he’s not overthrown or discredited), as he was at his height power deposing 3 rival deputies, taking royalty on when he clipped certain of their powers, taking the judges in 1988 and hedge fund traders in 1997 on) rather than the present anointee of his, with no such fights in his record. People gravitate towards strength never mind if the strengths were wielded for a right or wrong course.
#8 by Jeffrey on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 6:33 pm
Here a powerful ex leader is not ever whispering his displeasure with 1 Malaysia & NEM or internationalizing once again the Ringgit. He is shouting it. Yes Perkasa is a mere NGO, govt can listen and not heed, but can one take action against them if backed by the ex leader who has also wide influence over some of one’s ministers as well, and playing the king maker role of tilting balance of power against the other in party elections and challenges if any?
Let’s be realistic. Our constitutional structure is one whereby the paramount leader – the PM – is not voted by the majority of rakyat (as the case with the Am,erican system) but by party delegates. So this means even if majority of rakyat are supporting the PM for change, he cannot do it if a powerful ex leader could galvanise his party cadres and warlords resisting change for reasons of vested interest against him to force him out of his apex position in party and government. Without that position one cannot also effect change. So how?
That’s the dilemma. A head-front confrontation is pointless against someone who has an impeccable record of taking the bull by the horn and enjoying a good open fist fight, leaving his rivals bloodied and kicked off from positions…..
So one does tai chi, flip flop here and there, go hither and thither, to and fro, hem and haw and other moves based on what one perceives are innovative counter- maneuvers, hopefully to buy time and hoping new situations and combination of forces will over time develop to assist one’s position.
“Work in progress”, it is and for the time being will be. It cannot be wrapped up for so long as the principal opponent that one is not in the position to knock out does not for whatever reason or situation, exit from the ring and that adversarial stance to do the fight….
Who else within BN can do better? Ku Li? I don’t think so – for all his talk – if he were actually in the ring and facing the heat!
#9 by Godfather on Saturday, 18 September 2010 - 6:48 pm
The only difference between Najib and Badawi is that the latter sleeps during meetings and discussions. Both have low IQ, are never punctual, and are surrounded by even lower IQ advisors.
May All@h help Bolehland.
#10 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 19 September 2010 - 12:14 am
Now we must all ask ourselves why would the PM Najib take such huge political risk of pushing for NEM in place of NEP and advocating 1 Malaysia in denigration of the prevailing Ketuanan ideology of which his party warlords and Perkasa/patron TDM defend and oppose him so vigorously – unless according to his calculations, and those of his advisors, the Barisan Nasional will, as evinced by the paradigm shift in mainstream support in 308 political tsunami, lose support of the pivotal 10& swing vote the next GE if not the next to the Opposition, unless UMNO gives up the old ways and be seen to re-invent?
If Najib and his advisers were 100% right about this (calculation) on where the bets should be placed, then the obstacles put in the way of his tentative NEM reforms and more pluralistic nuanced 1 Malaysia by the conservative NGOs led by TDM will only lead to UMNO led BN to lose ultimately to the benefit of the Opposition…..
This assumes that the fierce and loud résistance of Perkasa & related NGOs will help garner no significant new Malay votes – as what KJ calculated – but might result, in the reverse, the unintended consequence of alienating further whatever residual remnants of non malay support and votes for the other BN component parties so that on balance, when the arithmatic of plus and minus is done, the BN as a whole loses more votes than it wins in the next GE due to all these chest beating on racial/religious issues….
The fact that these non component parties – and UMNO stalwarts like KJ, Nazri and Tengku Adnan- support Najib and incur the ire of Perkasa underscores the real prospect that this may well be the net net outcome…
It also implies that these right wing NGOs and other UMNO’s reactionaries in fighting for their vested interests identified with the status quo are indirectly weakening in an unintentional way UMNO/BN further at the polls next or to come, and facilitating, as unseeming allies, the Opposition’s march to Putrajaya.
Ultimately, their patron who built UMNO and with whom so much the party is identified with may be recorded in the history of the future to be ironically the very same who breaks and implodes it.
#11 by Loh on Sunday, 19 September 2010 - 7:47 am
Najib is working within UMNO to present ‘balanced-view’ on NEM and 1Malaysia, he proposed and other oppose as scripted so that he would show ‘peace-loving’ Malaysians that it is still not time yet to implement NEM let alone remove NEP. Najib only wants the prospect of NEM kindle in the minds of non-UMNO voters hoping for change. That is the strategy to gain votes, and UMNO policies since Independence has concentrated in getting votes to remain in power. Of course it was Mamakthir who showed UMNOputras the highway to institutionalized robbery with impunity. To Najib it is clear that if he implements NEM then he has used up his only trump card in guiding the country to reform. When the country is free from racial tensions, he will have to compete with other political parties based on the issues of governance and leadership for which UMNO only have 53 years of baggage. Thus Najib still wants to rely on race, religion and more importantly the convenience NEP offers UMNO the bottomless war chest.
Is Mahathir that powerful that Najib has to defer to his influence within UMNO? I suppose preserving that myth helps Najib play the double-handed games. Remember Mamakthir could not even get elected as a representative to UMNO AGM in a branch election. Yes Mamakthir claimed that he failed because of money politics. Mamakthir is also resourceful in money politics and yet he lost. That confirms Malay saying: Minta pada yang ada. What Mamakthir has now is money, but Najib has in addition the power to appoint.
Najib flip-flops so that he does not have to deliver now, but keep people hoping that he would.
#12 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 19 September 2010 - 8:25 am
“Work-in-Regress” is perfect, not just for 1Malaysia but for our nation – it fits perfectly our national description right now, and in fact for long time now – at least after Mahathir rule and started during his time already.
The is work, just not good enough and only keep falling behind.
#13 by Taxidriver on Sunday, 19 September 2010 - 9:49 pm
Kassim Amat and his quote of the 21st century: ” I would rather my country not so developed and live with my own people than a developed country surrounded by foreigners ”
How to ”progress” when there are many Kassim Amats?
#14 by Taxidriver on Monday, 20 September 2010 - 2:13 am
Banana Republics don’t come about suddenly. First, we must see no progress. then we see everything in ‘regress’ mode. Finally, when the citizens ‘eatgrass’ like the cows, there you have it-a new Banana Republic.
Bangkitlah Rakyat Malaysia. Jangan Tunggu Sampai Terpaksa Makan Rumput. Tendang Keluar UMNO/BN