Change of national flag Jalur Gemilang never a Pakatan Rakyat agenda and never discussed or raised in any PR meeting


When the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday personally led three senior UMNO Ministers to attack the Pakatan Rakyat with the canard that PR wanted to replace the national flag Jalur Gemilang, it was more than anything else a reflection of their sense of desperation about UMNO/Barisan Nasional prospects in the impending 13th General Election than respect for the truth.

I do not believe that with all the police and intelligence resources at their command, the Prime Minister and the Home Minister, Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein could be unaware that there is completely no basis whatsoever in the canard that Pakatan Rakyat wanted to change the national flag.

The change of the national flag is never a Pakatan Rakyat agenda and has never been discussed or raised in any Pakatan Rakyat meeting.

This was why I had yesterday twittered in response to the allegation that PR wanted to change the national flag:

“Never came across such scatter-brained idea before. UMNO/BN dirty-tricks dept very busy”

I had not expected the UMNO leadership to be so desperate about their prospects in the forthcoming general election as to jump on the issue as if it is a “God-sent” to accuse the Pakatan Rakyat of disloyalty and being anti-national, throwing in other lies and falsehoods against the PR like wanting to abolish the royal institution and turn the Malaysia into a republic.

But what was really surprising was this “political offensive of lies and falsehoods” was so high-powered, as it was not left to the army of UMNO/BN cybertroopers, but was spearheaded by none other than the Prime Minister himself, with three senior UMNO Ministers, viz Hishammuddin, the Minister for International Trade and Industry Datuk Seri Mustapha Mohamed and the Agriculture and Agro-based Industry Minister Datuk Seri Noh Omar providing the back-up to mount the quadruplet of attacks on the Pakatan Rakyat yesterday.

But these attacks were clearly cooked up by the UMNO/BN dirty tricks department, for there is no truth whatsoever in the allegations that the PR wanted to change the national flag or to abolish the system of constitutional monarchy.

This was the reason for the later chronology of my eight tweets yesterday on the subject:

1. Signs UMNO dirty tricks department fast at work? http://goo.gl/3ttJt Mustapa warns bid turn Malaysia into republic – amend Constitution/flag (TMI)

2. Rising paranoia of UMNO/BN leaders with hyperactivity by dirty tricks department? http://goo.gl/0o2ej Najib wants BN ‘wall’ around Putrajaya (TMI)

3. Hysteria + paranoia! How come I know nothing about it? http://goo.gl/F9QF8 Najib alleges PR behind bid to replace national flag (TMI)

4. Can Najib tell us more about what PR has decided that DAP leaders know nothing about? Umno dirty tricks department really work overtime involving PM

5. Reminds me of old film, Its A Mad Mad Mad Mad World. PR leaders from PKR PAS also do not know what Najib talking about http://goo.gl/F9QF8

6. UMNO dirty tricks dept concocting “agenda” for PR like change flag/Constitution to allow PM/UMNO leaders to get hysterical, irrational, extremist

7. Fourth UMNO Minister same day make baseless charge PR wants to change Jalur Gemilang http://goo.gl/DiX9a PR has lost direction says Noh Omar (TMI)

8. Next UMNO Minister to tell canard about PR want 2change national flag – after Mustapha Hisham Najib Noh Omar? Having pack of liars in Cabinet?

Pakatan Rakyat, through its various policy pronouncements, including the Pakatan Rakyat Common Policy Framework in December 2009 and the Buku Jingga on December 2010, had reiterated the PR’s commitment to uphold the fundamental features in the Malaysian Constitution, in particular “to defend the role and responsibility of the institution of Constitutional Monarchy”.

It is the height of irresponsibility for the Prime Minister and senior Umno Ministers to spearhead the Umno/BN dirty tricks department’s campaign of lies and falsehoods against PR as when the four UMNO Ministers repeated the canards that PR wanted to change the national flag and to turn Malaysia into a republic.

Everyone is expecting the 13th General Election to be the dirtiest in the nation’s history of elections.

Is Najib prepared prove them wrong, and as head of Barisan Nasional make a national compact with the Pakatan Rakyat to conduct a free, fair and clean election campaign in the 13th General Election in keeping with his claim that Malaysia is the world’s best democracy?

Najib should be reminded that “Stopping Dirty Politics” is one of the eight demands of Bersih 2.0 for clean, free and fair elections. As Bersih 2.0 rightly pointed out in its statement of May 24, 2012:

“In addition to repeated instances of political corruption, politics in Malaysia has grown increasingly dirty in recent times. There have been increased incidences of personal slandering, distortion of issues and spreading of rumours and lies.”

The ball is in Najib’s court. Is he prepared to set an exemplary leadership to ensure clean, free and fair elections or is he going to spearhead the “dirtiest general election” in the nation’s history?

If the former, then the first thing Najib should do is to disband UMNO/BN’s “dirty tricks department” which have been responsible for the heap of lies and falsehoods against PR leaders lately.

  1. #1 by PRmaju on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 3:25 pm

    The man isn’t known as najis for nothing!

    Malaysians is seeing and will see more these unprecedented amount of najis in the political scene. All these, thanks to Apanama Mamakthir , the half past 6 PM, who always thought he was very clever and unconventional and did things his way! We the Rakyat are paying the unimaginable heavy price for his 22 years of foolhardiness and recklessness. This najis fella has so much najis on his back, he can’t even be an office boy for a reputable company, but apanam mamakthir put him there so that he can be the de facto PM,

  2. #2 by monsterball on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 3:29 pm

    Najib speaks nothing but lies and keep trying to fool voters.
    He is a fickle minded and not seen because he is constantly watched not to sound like a childish idiot.
    He said…
    “Lets move forward. Trust me..I am People’s PM” many times.
    What he is actually saying is asking voters to forgive all his ins and give him a chance to be the best PM.
    He played out Tunku Razaleigh at the last minute…and Mahathir henceforth became his godfather.
    Najib loves dirty politics …like his godfather.
    You trust Najib is like trusting the Devil.

  3. #3 by ShiokGuy on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 3:48 pm

    Dear YB LKS

    My contribution and blog about the Jalur Gemilang..

    http://shiokguy.blogspot.com/2012/09/i-love-my-jalur-gemilang-not-umno-look.html

    Feel free to share,,

    Regards
    ShiokGuy

  4. #4 by Loh on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 4:28 pm

    It seems a lot of comments are on moderation. There has not been many new comments for the past two days.

  5. #5 by Loh on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 4:30 pm

    That is why Mahathir said trust the Devil you know; he meant Najib, the devil.

  6. #6 by monsterball on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 5:39 pm

    The problem with this blog is that you need to speak like a politician and not as you feel and let go your steam…as one sees fit…as an ordinary man in the street.
    You need to wait for LKS getting very angry with BN blighters to approve all comments.
    Maybe LKS is being extremely cautious not to get into trouble…with 13th GE coming soon.
    That’s what I am presuming ..that many of my comments are under moderation..and I had to change words..cut short to get next one approved.
    I wonder how many commentators get their comments not under moderation…but totally cut off half way?
    Without vulgar words….comments can be moderated that discouraged many commentators and stop commenting.

  7. #7 by monsterball on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 6:08 pm

    Imagine…National flag is twisted by Najib and his gang to fight PR in most absurd ways.
    It needs Lim Kit Siang to fire back and kill Najib’s low class dirty politics to stay in power.
    If you keep track with what they are saying and accusing…you can clearly see how desperate Najib needs to win 13th GE..where fooling Malaysians is the only weapon they must keep on using.
    In that sense…LKS must stay free and battle them with words…to expose Najib’s lies.
    Nothing please Najib more than to see LKS in jail…for all sorts to nonsensical reasons they can drum up.
    Anwar is lying low…giving Najib no chance to upset him.
    DAP is getting more and more respect from Malaysians..especially from Muslims….and Najib’s people are out to bite him…waiting for LKS…making one false move.

  8. #8 by gofortruth on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 7:38 pm

    A cheap trick to divert attention. Najib is behaving like a drowning man.

  9. #9 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 9:08 pm

    Think about it. At the rate Pakatan is going, promises it has made, it MIGHT become necessary to change our flag, the Jalur Gembilang.

    PR goes to East Malaysia and tell the people there it will honour the 20 /18 points Agreements with Sabah and Sarawak making these two states on par with a single Malaya (11 states combined).

    So if Pakatan wins, then it will have to honour its pledges and we will have three equal entities – Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak. Possibly four with the FTs thrown in as well.

    So what has to happen then?

    Can we continue to have a fourteen pointed star and fourteen stripes on our flag ?

    No, we will need to have a three (or four) pointed star and three (or four) stripes then to reflect the three or four entities.

    So it might come to pass that the country has to change our ‘stars and stripes’ because of the change in government and ‘promises to be kept’ by Pakatan.

    Think about it, Pakatan. What will you do then when you win?

    Changing the flag and the country’s crest etc are really dependent on the wishes of the people. (Some Commonwealth countries want to drop the British flag from their country’s flag – Australia, NZ, and become republics). If there is proper consultations and the people wants it or if it becomes necessary (e.g. as in the changing US flag), then it should be properly done according to law and proper process. No need for politics here.

    Remember some fifteen or more years ago Mahathir changed the tempo of Negara-ku to a marching beat only to reverse the decision later when it was not popular ?

    A lot have been said about our flag being too similar to that of the US flag and Liberia’s. Our national anthem has been said to come from a ditty from French Seychelles, a Hawaiian love song or an Indonesian melody and there are considerable evidence to support these claims.

    Consequently, may be it is time for Malaysians to take a deep look at our national anthem and flag and decide whether we should change them and have a fresh, honourable start, politics aside.

  10. #10 by boh-liao on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 9:24 pm

    LIES n MORE lies fr AhCHEATkor, UmnoB/BN, n Utusan – dis is 4 sure, JANJI ditepati: I PROMISE by Almighty G od dat I will tell LIES, the whole LIES and nothing but LIES
    Just like they lied abt LKS pissing at d flagpole in d MB’s residence many years ago; if true, LKS’s ku ku cheow would hv been chopped 2 pieces n he would not b alive 2 tell tales now
    AhCHEATkor, d devil, thinks dat rakyat r dumb n happily believe d devil during dis Hungry Ghost Festival

  11. #11 by Dipoh Bous on Sunday, 2 September 2012 - 11:14 pm

    I agree with what Sheriff Singh says above. The strips and the pointed stars should be changed. There should only be Malaya, Sabah and Sarawak : 3 pointed stars. 3 strips also. FT? Well, does it exist in the document / agreement that saw the birth Malaysia?

    If the rakyat so desires, it’s nothing wrong to become a republic. There were never any loyalties before the arrival of the so-called ‘prince’ from Palembang. Perhaps more wealth would have been enjoyed by the rakyat then. Think about it…..

  12. #12 by Winston on Monday, 3 September 2012 - 1:10 pm

    The fact that the behaviour of the Federal government has deteriorated to such an extent, especially in the dirty tricks and everything goes dictum, is indeed a culture shock for LKS who is the most straight laced of all politicians in this country.
    But such things are to be expected from such crooks who are expert in such fields.
    What makes matters worse is that they know very well that this time their butts are really on the line!
    And not the butt dancing routine kind!
    The Malaysian electorate is very keen to kick their butts for all the malfeasance perpetrated on them all these decades.

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