Malaysia has never been in more dire straits in more than half-a-century of nationhood going by the avalanche of challenges and problems confronting the the nation and people even before the first week of the new year is over.
Heralding in the 2014 New Year, the country was convulsed for two weeks by the Inspector-General of Police’s “fairy tale” plot of a conspiracy to “topple the government” on New Year’s eve in Dataran Merdeka just because there are Malaysians who want to exercise their constitutional rights of peaceful protest against the series of price hikes which would add to the economic hardships of the people.
As a result, the police wasted over 2,000 police man-hours over some 2,000 police reports lodged by trouble-makers all over the country who wanted to exploit the “fairy-tale” plot of a “topple government” conspiracy, when these precious 2,000 police man-hours could be more productively spent on making the Malaysians, investors and tourists safer from crime in Malaysia.
Malaysians entered the new year totally clueless about the national educational crisis of deteriorating standards, highlighted by the poor performance of Malaysians students in the 2012 PISA (Programme for International Student Assessment) results, which confirmed the poor results of Malaysian students in the 2011 TIMSS (Trends in International Maths and Science Study).
As a result, the Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin spent the whole of last month avoiding comment on the poor performance of Malaysian students in the 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA, for they showed up the impractical and utopian objective of Malaysian students performing multiple educational miracles so that Malaysia can catapult from the bottom-third to the top-third of TIMSS/PISA international educational assessments when in fact Malaysian educational standards have been heading southwards in the past decade.
Also as a result, the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak shied away from comment on the 2011 TIMSS and 2012 PISA results and deteriorating educational standards in the country, and was reduced to re-tweeting Deputy Education Minister Mary Yap Kain Ching’s post on the Malaysian Education Blueprint – that the government will do all it can to ensure that initiatives under the blueprint will be fulfilled.
Imagine the Prime Minister having to re-tweet the Deputy Education Minister on the government’s education plans for the new year – as if the country has no Education Minister, when in fact we have two: Deputy Prime Minister who is also Education Minister as well as the second Education Minister Idris Jusoh. A most sad and pathetic state of
governance in Malaysia.
Most shocking of all, the new year started with the illegal and unconstitutional raid by Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais) of the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM) and seizure of Malay and Iban Bibles – which would not have taken place if the illegal and unconstitutional trespass had not been aided and abetted by the police.
This is why I had yesterday asked the Inspector-General of Police why the police had aided and abetted Jais in the illegal and unconstitutional act, which also violated the 10-Point Solution to resolve the Bible controversy which was endorsed by the Cabinet in April 2011 anf there has been no reply from the IGP.
The country has been moving in the wrong direction all these years under the Najib premiership, with this year the worst of all.
It is for this reason that I call on Najib to ask the first Cabinet meeting of the year next Wednesday to endorse the 10-Point Solution as well as for a Summit of Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders on National Reconciliation to rebuild National Unity.
This is the time for all Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat leaders to rise above political differences and work in unision to rebuild national unity through a national reconciliation blueprint.
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 9:55 am
These challenges were already evident to most of us TEN YEARS ago when Badawi took power and we gave him the biggest victory in UMNO’s history. When Badawi failed to carry through, he was punished by UMNO led by Mahathir for even trying. Najib came into power believing he only had to make the appearance for fundamental change while carrying on the old policies. No one bought the lie, the remnant support merely refusing to admit the difficult truth.
So we come full circle to the same problem we have known for LONG TIME now. Looking to the same elites that have failed us again and again for so long already makes absolutely NO SENSE to face the challenges.
This mess is an opportunity for real discussion, the problem with “Allah issue” is the same problem with Corruption, Education, Crime, Cost increase-low income, etc. Its simply a matter of time all of the messes of UMNO catches up just like the mess they made of religious issues.
Its WE the people who must fix THIS and ALL THE OTHER problems. UMNO/BN is NOT going to do it. Making excuses, blaming others and avoiding them is what they do with hard problems.
Najib knows he messed up for a while otherwise he would not have admitted he care not for the legal arguments – he knows they were wrong just that he did not want to spent his political capital and possibly sacrifice himself to the problem – being a TRUE PATRIOT. Does Najib look like a hero to ANYONE?
That is what this country need to fix THIS and all the other problems – TRUE PATRIOTS – willing to die for the country stuff – THAT IS NOT UMNO/BN ALMOST ENTIRELY..
#2 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 12:18 pm
This country has really gone upside down and our ‘leaders’ are not around or are just incapable to doing anything intelligent using just basic common sense. The public is indeed alarmed. All the government can do is just to shoot up some fireworks into the sky to appease the spirits and pray and hope for the best.
Who is currently in charge? Who has the grip of things ?
Things Fall Apart – Chinua Achebe
#3 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 12:27 pm
In other advanced democratic countries, the PM would have cancelled or cut short his (their) holidays and return home to deal with the crisis. But to NTR and Rosmah, their holidays come first.
#4 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 1:45 pm
Actually a larger question surrounds this issue.
UMNO has lost this issue whether they will admit it now or later. The issue is how they deal with it. Its a sign of of how they will deal with it when they lose Federal power which they will eventually also. If they don’t deal with this honestly and directly, it will be very very bad indication of any transition of power..
#5 by boh-liao on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 3:10 pm
Ai yoh, don’t U know dat perhaps najis n UmnoB/BN sent Marina n frens 2 give flowers 2 Christians dis morning in Klang?
#6 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 3:52 pm
An instruction from a cheating prawn-farmer Minister the day before and ONLY 50 people, all clearly linked to UMNO, showed up just to refuse to admit they were wrong.
This WHOLE THING was made up by UMNO and Najib could have ended this thing LONG AGO if only he was willing to spent his political capital to deal with it. But he was too greedy from the easy political capital for the marginal votes to do it for the people and the country.
Its a total condemnation of Najib first and foremost and Muhiyiddin and the rest of UMNO..The pretense of issue is SILLY and already lost. The farce should be stopped and all it requires is just MATURITY on their part to make it go away not even real skill of leadership.
#7 by pulau_sibu on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 5:48 pm
May I suggest to print the cover of Bible using the pig skin, just like those using crocodile skin, etc.
#8 by boh-liao on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 8:43 pm
Now d chairman of a Muslim NGO demanded apology fr Herald editor
Dis ignorant FOOL claimed dat d WORD is only meant only for Muslims
Go read http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allah
#9 by sheriff singh on Sunday, 5 January 2014 - 9:25 pm
To put things in perspective, it all started in 1985-86 when Dr Mahathir and his government started the ban which resulted in all the state enactments with their prohibitions.
And the Tun said recently the Christians are ‘annoying’ the Muslims.
#10 by Noble House on Monday, 6 January 2014 - 3:07 am
Little will change when it comes to UMNO policy on the contentious issues doing with race and religion. 56 years of independence have not taught us and the politicians anything. The same hypocrites today still playing their moral cards and if that wasn’t bad enough for the country, we keep re-electing the same morons every election comes.
I cried for you, Malaysia. When I looked at you but never understand WHY!
#11 by waterfrontcoolie on Monday, 6 January 2014 - 7:32 am
When all the progressive nations are striving to find solutions to make their nations competitive and remains relevance in the ever challenging 21st Century; we find ourselves reverting back to “tribal” issues! As said, after 2 generations of corruption and creating a society of finding EASY CASH, what will become of our next generations? Do we think that they will suddenly change themselves and pick up the challenges of the new century with much ado? It may take them another 2/3 generations to adjust their focus; and by then we may find ourselves behind even behind Myanmar and Vietnam; forget Thailand and Indonesia then. Without doubt, the way the Thais and Indonesians are approaching their national problems today, they will see positive changes in the next generation! The current issues are unnecessary issues which the leaders can easily nib them in their buds. Yes, we are sacrificing our future for immediate convenience of the current leadership which seems to suit them as they keep EXPORTING national reserves out of the country. Solution is simple: with more younger Malay voters beginning to be aware of the current economic situation, we can expect a more exciting GE 14th!
#12 by lee tai king (previously dagen) on Monday, 6 January 2014 - 9:02 am
Well what say you jibby boy?
“… errr
hmmmm…..
well.
errr….
………
zzzzzz”
Translation by umno’s publicity machinery: “Malaysia is already the best place in the universe. No further actions needed.”