Where are the evidence that the Barisan Nasional government has learnt the lessons of the March 8 political tsunami and has begun to be more an unifier than divider of Malaysians, more Malaysian-centric and less communalistic, more democratic, fair and just to be a government of all Malaysians than just half the population in the country?

In other words, a government that inspires unity rather than foments disunity among Malaysians of diverse races, languages, cultures and religions.

The Ninth Malaysia Plan Mid-Term Review is a good illustration. The 120-page 9MP MTR is the slimmest of all Five-Year Plan mid-term review documents, with some previous Mid-Term Reviews like that of the Eighth Malaysia Plan review running into four times the length of the 9MP MTR of over 500 pages. Is it because there is very little to say and inspire Malaysians in the 9MP MTR?

When the Ninth Malaysia Plan was launched in Parliament in March 2006, it was hailed as a historic document finally delivering the Prime Minister’s reform pledge and programme which at the time had been stalled for 30 months – or to quote the words of an MP in the present Parliament, “a blueprint not merely for the next five years, but for the next few decades”, and that the Prime Minister “has set in motion reforms that will reverberate for generations to come”.

In the event, the Ninth Malaysia Plan had not “reverberated” for a single day! This person had even written in the article “From short-term lucre to long-term wealth” that the Ninth Malaysia Plan would not see “the return of the gravy train” but I do not think there would be much disagreement if he is described as the “driver” of the RM220 billion (now increased to RM250 billion under the MTR) “gravy train” as to become the world’s richest unemployed – creating a new class of the bumiputra wealthy at the expense of both the bumiputra and non-bumiputra poor. Read the rest of this entry »

The heading of one blog today, “BN’s Credibility to Rule Disappearing by the day!”, reflects the feelings of increasing number of Malaysians that although the Barisan Nasional had survived the political tsunami in the March general election, it has not learnt any lesson at all.
The post-general election claim by the Prime Minister that he has finally heard the voice of the people is not true at all.

This is best reflected by the first 100 days after the March 8 general election, where at the state level, the five state governments under the Pakatan Rakyat becomes more stronger and more consolidated while in contrast, at the national level, the second Abdullah premiership seems to be tottering from Day One, under siege in Umno and Barisan Nasional internally as well as externally.

Although the March 8 general election suffered a historic defeat in losing its hitherto unbroken two-thirds parliamentary majority, it still enjoys a strong 58-seat majority with its 140 MPs against 82 from Pakatan Rakyat.

In other democracies, a ruling coalition with a 58-seat majority in Parliament would be as safe and fit as a fiddle. Why is this not the case in Malaysia? Read the rest of this entry »