It is interesting that Pakatan Rakyat (PR) says the position of DPM “would be based on the federal constitution” when the constitution says nothing about the post of DPM!

Unless PR means, and is taken to mean:-

1. the DPM’s post infers in fact the eligibility to the PM’s post for if the PM resigns halfway like TDM, DPM Pak Lah took over as PM or if Pak Lah resigned also mid term DPM Najib took over!

2. That 1. above is the correct inference is based on the fact that when one uses constitution as benchmark, it has to be the PM’s post because the constitution makes NO reference to the non-existent post of DPM but only that of the PM based, according to the constitution, on Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s judgment of who is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)!

3. if commanding “the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat)” were the only constitutional benchmark, which PR says is its position, then it further infers that PAS’s position articulated by Nik Aziz – that the PM is expected to be a muslim – is not on all fours with the PR’s position since the Constitution does not qualify eligibility to PM’s post by religion, or for that matter race.

By reason of 3. above, no wonder PAS president Hadi Awang is not so excited when he was reported to have said: “There is no need to get excited over this because, have we won the general election yet? The right choice will be made at the right time.” (It does not take a rocket scientist to predict that PAS does not agree with the principle of leadership being severed from factor of Islamic faith).

Hadi is however right if he were to imply that (barring the most exceptional circumstances) the prospect of non Muslim non Malay holding PM’s position is (in realistic and practical terms at least within foreseeable future) extremely remote unlss all following 4 conditions are met (a) PR coalition wins electoral power by overwhelming majority and (b) that person to be given PM’s post has the support of the majority of the winning coalition and (c) the Yang di-Pertuan Agong’s also adjudges him one who is likely to command the confidence of the majority of the members of that House of Representatives (Dewan Rakyat) and (d) PR’s pact amongst all 3 component parties – that major decisions like PM’s or DPM’s post has to be unanimous requiring all 3’s agreement and not just 2 majority against 1 – does not pose an obstacle.

PR’s defacto leader Anwar might try hard to push divisive issues under the carpet (by saying that the PR convention/leadership council was no place to bring up the matter) but for so long as PAS is component party, the scenario of a non Muslim in leadership position is simply not on – and will never be on, if PAS could prevent it.

For PAS will never abandon its objective to pursue for an Islamic theocratic state.

Although it avoids the mention of such an Islamic State – being anathema to supporters of other component parties and mainstream Malaysia – its consistent policy objective is to establish such a state, the sooner the better, and if necessary, by fait accompli in “stages”.

“Islam is not just a religion but also a way of life, and it encompasses all aspects of daily life,” said Hadi in an exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider.

Per MalaysianInsider report of Dec 11th PAS has renewed its push for an Islamic state with hudud law to be implemented in “stages” if it wins the next polls.

“PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang had admitted the concept had yet to gain significant traction among even PR component parties, but claimed that opposition towards the idea was only because there was a lack of ‘understanding’ about the concept. The veteran leader told The Malaysian Insider recently that the Islamist party would focus on introducing such laws in PAS-governed states like Kelantan and Kedah first, to allow Malaysians to ‘evaluate’ the merits of Islamic and hudud law” – the report said.

“He had said that the federalism model practised by Malaysia would enable PAS to slowly enforce relevant Islamic and hudud laws in states which were currently under PAS.”

(So what PAS is saying is that in pursuing its agenda of hudud ala Islamic state, it is also abiding and following the constitution, and it is consistent with the constitution that hudud laws are implemented in certain states!)

The way people interpret, reading into things or rather skew the interpretation of laws and constitution to suit the agendas of accommodating hudud laws, it also implies that if and when PAS agrees with PKR / DAP that appointment of DPM or PM follows the constitution, it does not mean that PAS’s idea of our constitution is necessarily similar to that of PKR’s or DAP’s or that PAS agrees DPM or PM’s position may be held by a Non Muslim.

Anwar may want to concentrate on matters of common ground between all 3 component parties for election but realistically how long can matters of differences be shelved under the carpet?

If there were no agreement on common logo for PR would there be for a weightier issue of who (DPM or PM) holds position next in line after Anwar?

Digressing.

This is reported by Sydney Morning [Herald Philip Dorling and Nick McKenzie] December 12, 2010 under caption “Big fat red faces for Singapore leaders” based on cables, leaked exclusively to The Sun-Herald by WikiLeaks on what some of Singapore’s highest ranking officials [Singapore’s Foreign Affairs chiefs Peter Ho, Bilahari Kausikan and Prof Tommy Koh] said to US officials.

“MALAYSIA’S “dangerous” decline is fuelled by incompetent politicians, Thailand is dogged by corruption and a “very erratic” crown prince, Japan is a “big fat loser” and India is ”stupid”.

“The, detail separate meetings between senior US officials and The trio, who at the time of the 2008 and 2009 cables occupied some of the most senior positions in the foreign ministry, all give US officials damning assessments of Malaysia. According to one cable detailing a meeting in September 2008, Mr Kausikan told US Deputy Secretary of Defence for East Asia David Sedney there was a “distinct possibility of racial conflict” which could see ethnic Chinese “flee” Malaysia and “overwhelm” Singapore…Mr Ho’s assessment of Malaysia in March that year, given to another US official, is also unflattering and includes claims that former prime minister Mahathir Mohamad had been “throwing stones” at his replacement, Abdullah Badawi…”

In his September meeting with Mr Sedney, Mr Kausikan savaged Thailand’s political elite, labelling Thaksin Shinawatra as “corrupt” along with “everyone else, including the opposition”. Mr Kausikan was also critical of Mr Thaksin’s relationship with the Thai crown prince, saying he “made a mistake in pursuing a relationship with the crown prince by paying off the crown prince’s gambling debts”. In a September 2009 meeting, Mr Koh savaged Japan and India, describing Japan as ”the big fat loser” in the context of improving ties between China and ASEAN, a cable says, adding: “He was equally merciless towards India, describing his ‘stupid Indian friends’ as ‘half in, half out’ of ASEAN.”

Link to Sydney Morning Herald:
http://www.smh.com.au/world/big-fat-red-faces-for-singapore-leaders-20101211-18teg.html?from=smh_sb

If true, luckily when referring to incompetent politicians, the S’pore officials didn’t specify anything about Malaysian Opposition parties or their leaders!

“There is no need to get excited over this because, have we won the general election yet,” PAS president Hadi Awang, who was also present, told reporters. “The right choice will be made at the right time.”

Wow, Hadi Awang must have had the prescience to know what WikiLeaks would leak (now disclosed in The MalaysianInsider & RPK’s MalaysiaToday – and tomorrow mainstream media front page).

On fallouts/political repercussions: It must necessary mean the issue of whether DPM as stated by Anwar could be a Chinese based on Constitution will become irrelevant as the very question whether PR can even now win the general election (with Anwar/PKR leading the show), as highlighted by Hadi, becomes moot, unless as he would soon spin, he leads the show to bring the country nearer to the Almighty’s state, a situation whereby the DAP itself may have to part ways and perhaps join up with 3rd Force if there’s one. RPK’s Malaysian Civil Liberties Movement will be given a boost!
It may mean M’ysian govt can drop the charges against Anwar as WikiLeaks has done and will do a better job than the AG, himself facing accusations! What the govt of M’ysia says has less credibility than what statesman Lee Kuan Yew says.

It may mean an immediate GE soon as BN sets in to leverage – watch the mainstream media spin on this.Spin there must necessarily be because leverage is “limited”.

If the BN govt is going to leverage on what WikiLeaks leaked, then it must be on a “whole” and Not Selective basis. One can’t say that a certain part of what WikiLeaks leaked about Anwar is true and the other part about a deliberate entrapment “set up” job by the powers-that-be is not true! If one were guilty of that alleged against him, then the other is guilty of deliberately setting a trap!

The fact is if WikiLeaks were of any credibility, it has by one stroke, discredited the leading politicians on both side of the Malaysian political divide!

WikiLeaks has given and will give people around the world an unprecedented insight into the shenanigans, peccadilloes and hypocrisy of politicians, as a class, world over. It will revolutionise politics and demystify politicians. More than ever people will come to grip with the old aphorism that politics is an art of deception! Reverbrations from its disclosures will rock many parts of the world. Hilary Clinton has said “ its war on the world” when its actually war on the politicians of whatever political affiliation and persuasion world over. People will come to distrust more and consider many of them as charlatans and dream spinners. In this region at least the unity of ASEAN governments will be strained when leaders know what the other gossiped about them behind their back. In Malaysia, politics will also reconfigure.

(Moderator please delete my earlier comment under moderation).

About 994 secret cables from Kuala Lumpur are not yet but expected to be published by Wikileaks. A lot of fellas are going to have sleepless nights from now on, with political careers on the line and some cases public demand for investigation and prosecution.