— Ali Kadir
The Malaysian Insider
Sep 17, 2011
SEPT 17 — Humility is a virtue which everyone of us should aspire to but many of us prefer pride.
So we should not be surprised that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional are claiming credit for announcing the removal of some laws which the BN government has used for decades to stifle dissent, lock up critics and control the press.
Strange isn’t it that they are silent about being the architects of the ISA and other laws but quite happy to claim credit for proposing their demise.
This is like a factory owner or dare I say rare earth plant, which pollutes the neighbourhood for 20 years, and then congratulates itself for shutting down the factory, not saying sorry for the increase in the number of deaths from cancer.
But it’s OK, by claiming credit Najib and BN are behaving just like humans or like desperate governments anywhere in the world.
I just have a few points to make.
One, this is a proposal, a whole bunch of nice words but only words.
Two, the test of sincerity of any policy or initiative is timing. If Najib proposed these changes and implemented it within his few weeks in office, then he could make the argument that his DNA is that of a reformer.
But he and BN are only doing this now because it is his last gambit, not because he believes that Malaysia is a mature democracy.
The real mature people are the Malaysians who have fought with blood, sweat and tears for a better country.
Remember the Hindraf men who were detained for speaking up for their community, the Sin Chew journalist who was jailed for alerting Malaysians to the racism of Ahmad Ismail, politicians who were deprived of sleep and tortured for no other reason that they didn’t agree with the government, Raja Petra Kamarudin who was detained because he was too troublesome.
Many unnamed Malaysians fought evil and refused to be scared of the might of the powerful. They deserve our respect and gratitude.
If Najib and BN want to claim credit, we can’t stop them. But we don’t have to join in their frenzy of self-congratulation.
We have more important work to do, namely regime change.
#1 by Bigjoe on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 8:17 am
Najib is really a screw up for claiming credit for removing ISA as a reaction to PR claiming credit when its the Rakyat that did it. Seriously its very ordinary and good Malaysia as this article point out. Its not PR, its not BN..
#2 by yhsiew on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 8:29 am
///So we should not be surprised that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Barisan Nasional are claiming credit for announcing the removal of some laws which the BN government has used for decades to stifle dissent, lock up critics and control the press.///
If they know how to claim credit, they must also be responsible to compensate for those who had been ISA-ed in the past. They can’t just wash their hands and walk away.
Opposition please make sure that they paid every single sen to those who had been unjustly ISA-ed and received humiliation and mistreatment under the law.
#3 by monsterball on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 9:00 am
Whenever Najib speaks of good news….he must add politics into it.
Claiming it is his decision t listen to the Rakyat and abolishing the ISA…one good news killed by his arrogance and hypocrisy…all seen again.
Actually he hates the Rakyats that demand this or that…agreeing with the Opposition’s views.
Traitors we are to him…and with his life…he will defend PutraJaya….talking like a 10 year old boy…lost his toy….so stupidly….keep contradicting …finding ways and means to win confidence from Rakyats…to have ratings go up……..instead of downward.
His low class politics for past two years…clearly seen.
#4 by monsterball on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 9:02 am
Whenever Najib speaks of good news..he must add politics into it…making the good news so hypocritical.
#5 by drngsc on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 9:26 am
Anything but BN / UMNO. These BN / UMNO people need a long time away from government to cleanse them of their arrogance, deceit and corruption.
Anything but BN / UMNO.
We must change the tenant at Putrajaya. GE 13 is our best chance. failure is not an option. We must all work very very hard.
#6 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 10:41 am
It is not so simple to just ask the question is UMNO sincere in the reforms: if not anything but UMNO. This is because it is not just UMNO but the power struggle within that affects this whole issue. Bottom-line Najib’s main intention is to keep his post. His party’s rivals’ is to usher/edge him out, the sooner the better. If Najib’s selling point, on taking office, was positioned “centrist” and “moderate” to lead his party to take Malaysia on the route of democratic/liberal reforms, then his rival’s position would have to be the opposite to provide an alternative: ie hard line, right wing and conservative status quo. Vice versa if his main platform had been hard line, right wing conservative status quo right at the beginning, then his rival’s would be to champion the opposite of democratic reforms as an alternative to his. It is all about age old power struggle ostensibly over contrary policy decisions to show who has better vision to preserve the party’s dominant position and power for the long run. That’s all to it. The question of whether he is sincere in the slew of reforms is irrelevant: Whether he would or could sustain this reform drive or let it trail off as a publicity stunt is a function of the ebb and tide of this internal power struggle and its outcome.
#7 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 10:45 am
The PM & advisers realise that for UMNO led BN to do well in a nation wide GE, it would need support of Middle/Moderate Malaysian support. However because the PM position by convention hinges not directly on national mainstream support but on UMNO delegates’ support & votes in party elections, the issue of staying or losing position depends on which – the moderate or hardliner factions/supporters within and outside the party – are stronger to galvanise the delegates’ support for president’s post. He has accommodated right from the beginning the right wing faction, even though they make a joke of his 1 Malaysia/ETP based on liberalizing and deconstructing in small steps the NEP architecture because he felt that this hard-line faction is stronger, and he weaker. Which would be natural because there are invariably more party members/delegates afraid of losing their perks and vested interests by any reforms that he trumpeted as new marker for his administration!
#8 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 10:53 am
However, when the hardliners do not show any sign of letting off pressure in spite of this placating/accommodation and the effects of the hard-line’s policies of whacking Bersih back fire, and daily hard-line messages from the party’s media organ diminishes his image/popularity and alienate more and more moderate voters – when it also becomes plain to him that the rival’s strategy is to make sure that he does not shine as leader in the coming GE by reason of being unable to recapture for BN the 2/3 majority in Parliament and that this will be used as an excuse to pressure him to relinquish his post exactly in the same modus operandi his predecessor was pressured so to resign – he has now no choice, when pushed to the corner, but to take this unprecedented step of repealing ISA, EO and other draconian legislations (unpopular to the rakyat but popular with the hardliners and others determined to protect vested interest) that all preceding Prime Ministers had not done so. He’s also waiting for the budget to give another slew of goodies to win over voters’ goodwill.
#9 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 10:55 am
To sum: All things done including talking about in principle, even if not actually done yet, is aimed at trying to recapture this 2/3 benchmark in coming GE to diffuse and neutralise the very excuse that will be used by rivals against him.
However this places the Opposition & Middle Malaysia in a sort of unenviable dilemma. If they support Najib’s initiatives and criticize him less, it may bolster his personal position (as against hard-liners) convergent with reforms that the country badly needs and eclipsing the influence of his hard-line rivals bent on taking the country to the cleaners. But this would also mean BN would recover and do better than it otherwise could, relative to the Opposition in the GE. Somehow Najib has maneuvered to a position that keeping him safe and harmless in his post from the attacks of his hard-line rivals becomes parallel with the bipartisan higher interest of the nation, which is at the same time is contrary to the political interest of the Opposition in terms of taking over PutraJaya.
#10 by tak tahan on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 11:03 am
Whatever their internal problem let it be but just keep on pressure on Najib and his admin to reform and walk the talk.Ubah is what Rakyat wants and nothing else matters!
#11 by Jeffrey on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 11:32 am
Ubah is well & good. However one must also wonder what’s the likely scenario if the Opposition does not do well enough in next GE to take over PutraJaya but well enough to continue deprive BN the 2/3 by perhaps even a bigger margin paving the way for Najib to be eased out by his hardline rivals using that as an excuse? It means as far as the ruling coalition goes, the political culture and legacy of Mahathirism will be even deeper entrenched, and unshakeable (without even the rhethoric of a breakaway).
#12 by boh-liao on Sunday, 18 September 2011 - 11:57 am
D only constant DNA NR n UmnoB hv is ‘How 2 remain in Power’ via lies, threat
At d moment, prior 2 d next GE, NR must cheat n lie 2 neutralise PR n 2 con voters 2 vote 4 UmnoB/BN, n he brought in RM, d lady PM with d real power
At d moment, NR has no choice but 2 PRETEND, 4 he n UmnoB r being pushed by PR
They hv 2 steal ideas fr PR n pretend 2 b nonracist n friendly 2 ppl
They never hesitate 2 use tear gas n water cannon on defenceless rakyat, but of cos now they pretend 2 care (a bit takut of Arab Spring mah)
NR now puts on his smiling MASK while his cronies continue 2 hammer AI
We r treated with more videos coming out fr d cesspool of UmnoB