Archive for category 1Malaysia
Is Najib ready and prepared when Tahrir Square comes to Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building on Monday, 6 June 2011
The wind of change in Malaysia continues to blow strong and hard 39 months after the 308 “political tsunami” – this is the most important message from the weekend’s PAS party elections.
Mukriz Mahathir, one of the aspirants for the highest Umno leadership position when Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak stumbles and falls, said “Congratulations to the DAP and PKR for succeeding to influence PAS to the extent that only those aligned to them (no ulama) were elected as PAS vice-presidents and even the deputy president”.
I say to Mukriz: “Congratulations for your wild, baseless and irrational comments as it is the best demonstration and proof to all Malaysians, particularly to the young generation of all races, that there is nobody in UMNO and Barisan Nasional who could live up to their aspirations for change to make up for Malaysia’s lost decades in building an united, just, democratic, progressive, prosperous and competitive nation.” Read the rest of this entry »
The clueless person’s guide to Sarawak
By Erna Mahyuni
March 30, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
MARCH 30 — Hello, West Malaysians! Most of you have not visited the lovely state of Sarawak though you at least know that it’s not in the peninsula.
If you don’t know that, I am afraid there is no help for you so stop reading.
For the rest of you, you first need to know the following fact. Remember it. Commit it to memory.
Kota Kinabalu is not in Sarawak. No. It is the capital of Sabah so please get your geography straight. There is no faster way to alienate an East Malaysian than by mixing up Kuching and Kota Kinabalu. Kota Kinabalu is in Sabah; Kuching is in Sarawak.
If you still find that hard to remember, imagine a big smiling fat cat in the chief minister’s office when you think of Sarawak. Geography teachers, feel free to thank me.
On to other essential facts for you West Malaysians to know so the natives will dislike you less. Read the rest of this entry »
Will we vote for Ibrahim Ali?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Mahathir, Najib Razak, nation building, Perkasa, UMNO on Friday, 3 June 2011
– Lucius Goon
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 02, 2011
JUNE 2 — This is a serious question. Will we vote for Ibrahim Ali?
I believe this is a relevant question for Malaysians to ponder because with each passing day this Perkasa mouthpiece seems to have pushed Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and other Cabinet ministers from the mainstage of decision-making and politics.
After watching the local political scene for a few months, we can conclude a few things: Ibrahim is Umno and Umno loves Ibrahim.
Najib is scared of upsetting Ibrahim and Perkasa, probably out of some fear that the right-wing group can influence the outcome of how Malays vote and/or concern that not bowing to Ibrahim’s wishes will upset Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, supporter and patron of Perkasa. Read the rest of this entry »
Perkasa, you have done enough
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Friday, 3 June 2011
– Dr Kamal Amzan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 02, 2011
JUNE 2 — As a man of science, I am a sceptic and don’t believe in many things.
But I believe in the spirit of being a true blue, white and red Malaysian, not differentiated by skin colour or religion.
I believe that Malaysians should only be recognised by their citizenship and contribution to the country and not where our forefathers hail from, who’s equal rights are protected and upheld in the constitution.
I believe that this country is blessed and rich enough to be shared by all Malaysians who are mature enough to live together, without being antagonized by politicians every day. Today, politicians appear as a group of selfish, hypocrite Malaysians who lives like a king amongst paupers, burning racial sentiments that brings no benefit to the masses or the nation.
A group that never seems to learn who are the masters and who are the servants in a democratic society. Read the rest of this entry »
Nakhaie buries Najib’s 1 Malaysia!
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Friday, 3 June 2011
– P. Ramakrishnan
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 02, 2011
JUNE 2 — If an ignorant man talks nonsense we can easily forgive him for you don’t expect any spectacular wisdom from an ignoramus. But when a person who is perceived as educated and scholarly speaks rubbish, you are rightly outraged.
This is exactly what happened when Mohd Nakhaie Ahmad, the former president of the Islamic Da’wah Foundation Malaysia (Yadim) and one-time lawmaker-turned-traitor to the voters who elected him, came out with statements which are clearly scandalous, seditious and atrocious regarding the non-Malays in this country.
Nakhaie questioned the loyalty of non-Muslims in the country, declaring that the community’s rights must be re-evaluated — obviously forgetting his own shameful past when he showed no loyalty to the party that sponsored him as a candidate and those who elected him. He had displayed a total absence of integrity without any qualms when he became a frog and leaped over to the Barisan Nasional. He is not in the least qualified to talk about loyalty. Read the rest of this entry »
Perlis issues fatwa against 1M’sia structures
By Norsyafinas Ahmad Sukri | Jun 2, 11
Malaysiakini
The ubiquitous structures or monuments in the shape of the Najib Abdul Razak administration’s 1Malaysia logo is haram (forbidden), according to a fatwa (edict) by the Perlis Fatwa Council.
When contacted, Perlis Mufti Dr Juanda Jaya said that the council was of the opinion that such structures may be subject to pemujaan al-Ansab (idolatry).
This was decided during the council’s meeting on April 18 and 19 and it was approved by the Perlis Islamic Council (MAIP). Consent from the Raja of Perlis has also been obtained.
Read the rest of this entry »
Now, Kit Siang calls MCA biggest block to 1 Malaysia
By Debra Chong | June 02, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 2 — The DAP’s Lim Kit Siang added today the MCA to a growing list of what he termed the “greatest obstacles” in the way of Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1 Malaysia dream as he questioned the Chinese party’s relevance to the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition.
The opposition leader continued to fire shots at its political foe over the controversial award of Public Service Department (PSD) scholarships to deserving students, blaming the MCA for frustrating the aspirations of the nation’s best and brightest and leading to the drop in public confidence in the Najib administration’s national reforms.
Read the rest of this entry »
MCA among the greatest obstacles to realization of 1Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, MCA, Najib Razak, UMNO on Thursday, 2 June 2011
The headline “Time to stop thinking along racial lines, says Soi Lek” in the MCA owned newspaper, the Star, today must have caused a general shaking-of-heads by its readers, not because of disagreement but at his naivety or downright dishonesty.
There must have been more intensive shaking-of-heads when the MCA President, Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek expressed his belief that Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s “1 Malaysia concept could be realised by 2020 when affirmative action policies shift towards being merit- and needs-based instead of the current race-centric arrangement”. (The Malaysian Insider)
In actual fact, Malaysians have never been more polarised along racial and religious divisions under Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and MCA is undoubtedly among the greatest obstacles to the realisation of Najib’s 1Malaysia.
Read the rest of this entry »
A guide to West Malaysians for Sabahans
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building, Sabah on Thursday, 2 June 2011
by Erna Mahyuni
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011
JUNE 1 — Since I have written a guide for West Malaysians about Sarawak, perhaps it is only fair I write about Sabah. But writing “Sabah 101” seemed boring so I flipped it around and now here’s a handy reference for Sabahans dealing with the influx of West Malaysians thanks to AirAsia.
1. Most West Malaysians really don’t remember September 16, 1963, and when asked, will only remember that “Malaysia gained its independence in 1957.” Don’t blame them; blame our badly-written history textbooks. Incidentally, they were written by West Malaysians.
2. West Malaysian Muslims are a lot more uptight than the ones in Sabah. If you take them to a soto stall that is situated outside a Chinese coffee shop, don’t be offended if they refuse to eat in fear of the food not being halal (kosher). If they are Malay and Muslim, make sure the eatery has a halal signboard.
3. Expect them to be very nosy about what race or religion you are. If you happen to look Chinese but greet them with the Muslim salam or you look Malay and are eating pork in front of them, prepare for either looks of shock or ones of taking offence. West Malaysians seem to get offended easily, for some reason. (Proof can be found in the comments of my columns, funnily enough written by people in West Malaysia) Read the rest of this entry »
A dream of Malaysian unity
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Thursday, 2 June 2011
– CKL
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011
MAY 31 — I have read with sadness the many letters you have published regarding Malaysia’s brain drain. I am one of those, who left Malaysia for many reasons, chiefly, because I did not see any future for my children in a country which had become increasingly racist, moving from moderate to fundamentalist Islamic and also increasingly intolerant.
To those who say that I am unpatriotic and that I should stay on to help change the country, I tell you that it cannot be changed! Whilst working as a professional in Malaysia, I also served for 14 years in the Territorial Army of Malaysia (Rejimen Askar Wataniah), rising to my last rank of Major.
Rejimen Askar Wataniah is the army reserves of Malaysia and we undergo weekend military training every fortnight. During those years, not only was I prepared to risk life and limb for King and country, but I also initiated and helped set up Askar Wataniah societies in mainly Chinese tertiary institutes which recruited Chinese students into the Askar Wataniah. Every year, those societies recruited some 100+ Chinese students into the Rejimen Askar Wataniah, compared with a miserly 10+ in the regular army.
I expected nothing from my efforts because I enjoyed my time in the Askar Wataniah and I was patriotic, then! But I certainly did not expect brickbats and every effort being made by my fellow Malay officers to run me down because they were jealous (my efforts in recruiting such large numbers of Chinese into the Askar Wataniah had caught the attention of the military top brass and also assorted politicians, in particular MCA politicians) or as one of them told me, “perasaan dengki” which Malays always seem to have for those who are more successful than they are. Read the rest of this entry »
I will not give in to fear
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Wednesday, 1 June 2011
— Lim Ka Joy
The Malaysian Insider
Jun 01, 2011
JUNE 1 — Dear Malaysia,
It is with great joy and hope and also some apprehension that I undertook this task of writing why I have decided not to forsake you even though I have watched you grow from bad to worse over the years.
I speak to you as a single entity because that is what you are. You are a nation. Though not every part of you will understand this, but I am sure your brain does and that is all we need at the end of the day.
Just for the purposes of a personal intro, I am your average Gen-Y Malaysian who hails form Kuching, Sarawak. I was a victim of discrimination after SPM and STPM. However, thanks to my parents who funded the major portion my tertiary education, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in December 2008.
That year, my dad encouraged me to look for a job overseas. “Don’t work in Malaysia,” he said, “it is not worth it. Salary is one reason for leaving, but with the current un-meritocratic and un-progressive stance on politics, education, economics and social issues, our country is going down the proverbial drain.” Read the rest of this entry »
Umno anti-1 Malaysia, Kit Siang tells Soi Lek
By Clara Chooi | June 01, 2011
The Malaysian Insider
KUALA LUMPUR, June 1 — DAP’s Lim Kit Siang told Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today to observe Umno’s refusal to discard racial politics before defining 1 Malaysia as the government’s “Malaysian first, race second” vision.
Lim pointed out to the MCA president that Umno’s repeated attempts to lure PAS into forming a unity government with Barisan Nasional (BN) was in itself against the concept of 1 Malaysia.
Read the rest of this entry »
Kalau ada ‘fulus’ apa pun boleh lulus
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Corruption, Mahathir, Najib Razak on Wednesday, 1 June 2011
— Aspan Alias
The Malaysian Insider
May 29, 2011
29 MEI — Ramai juga yang tidak selesa dengan komen saya dalam banyak isu yang berkaitan dengan ‘intution’ saya yang tidak begitu sedap dalam menghadapi pilihanraya yang akan datang. Kadangkala saya berfikir juga kenapa saya perlu sibuk untuk menulis tentang isu-isu itu kerana ianya hanya memungkinkan saya di rembat dengan hebatnya oleh pihak yang tidak gemar dengan pandangan saya.
Kadangkala ada juga penyesalan kerana saya terlibat mengambil tahu tentang politik ini. Walaupun tidak bergiat secara fisikal lagi benak saya tetap berfikir tentang politik ini. Saya tetap juga memberikan pandangan secara terbuka kerana saya tidak pernah berusaha untuk menaiki tangga kejayaan politik dan saya tidak pernah menyesal dengan keadaan itu.
Oleh itu saya tetap dengan pendirian untuk bercakap dan menulis ketika ada ruang untuk berbuat demikian kerana saya tidak dapat mengelak dari melihat dan mendengar apa yang berlaku di sekeliling saya. Saya bukan seorang ‘social climber’ dan apa yang saya perkatakan itu adalah pemikiran yang sejati tanpa dikotori oleh kepentingan peribadi. Justru saya tidak ada perasaan gentar dan takut untuk memberikan buah fikiran dan pandangan saya secara terbuka. Read the rest of this entry »
Negara Ku no more
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Tuesday, 31 May 2011
By CeeKay
May 30, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
MAY 30 — I was born in 1958, a year after Merdeka. My dad came from China and my mom was born in Kota Bahru, Perak. I have known Malaysia to be my one and only home and I am proud to say that I am a Malaysian anywhere I go despite all the shortcomings of this nation.
I grew up in a kampung near Alor Star where there were fewer than 10 Chinese families but we were treated well by our Malay neighbours. We celebrated Chinese New Year and Hari Raya together, visiting each others’ homes, with no fear of whether the food was halal or against our religion?
Konfrontasi bought the villagers together and I can remember my Dad and my brothers helping out doing guard duties together with our Malay neighbours. May 13 came and went without any incident and, in fact, the Chinese families were escorted out to town by our Malay neighbours. Some of my best friends were from this kampung; we swam in the stream and played in the padi fields. These are fond memories. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I returned
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Tuesday, 31 May 2011
By Walter
May 30, 2011 | The Malaysian Insider
MAY 30 — I left Malaysia in 1988 not long after the upheavals in the Malaysian political scene, which included Operation Lalang and the sacking of the Lord President.
I spent a total of 16 years away — in Singapore, the Middle East, France and the US — as an expatriate, and experienced living abroad. During the period, I had many opportunities to become a permanent resident elsewhere but home is where the heart is… and my heart was not in any of those places. Once our youngest child left for university in 2004, I chose to return to Malaysia. Why? Read the rest of this entry »
At a crossroads
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Sunday, 29 May 2011
MD
The Malaysian Insider
May 28, 2011
MAY 28 — My wife and I met while we were studying overseas. After graduating, I returned to Malaysia while she completed her studies and eventually returned two years later. We started our careers and eventually got married and started our family. It never crossed our minds to settle anywhere else other than Malaysia. In university, I was active in the students’ movement and was determined that when I returned I would make a difference in my country.
That was 20 years ago.
Five years later, my brother decided to migrate. Deep inside I was angry and thought that he was foolish. He was an engineer with two degrees and an MBA, and he was seeking greener pastures? Well, he can leave… but no sir, I will stay and make this place I grew up a better place. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I stay, but why my children should not
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building, NEP on Saturday, 28 May 2011
Ekompute
The Malaysian Insider
May 27, 2011
MAY 27 — When the New Economic Policy was first launched in 1971, I really thought that it would only be for 20 years, just as what the government had said. But anyway, who can argue against the NEP when its two-prong objectives are to:
1. eradicate poverty, irrespective of race;
2. restructure society so as to eliminate the identification of ethnicity with economic function.
However, as Yogi Berra says, “In theory, there is no difference between theory and practice. But in practice, there is.”
If the two objectives had been pursued honestly and diligently, I think no one will object to the NEP, even if it runs perpetually.
However, the NEP has been turned into a political tool and interpreted to serve only those in power, such that even after double the time frame since its inception, the ordinary Malays are said to be still poor.
How can any wakil rakyat reconcile himself to this fact, that the people he claims to be fighting for are still living in poverty, while he himself, as a people’s representative, lives in a multi-million ringgit mansion? Read the rest of this entry »
No, Perkasa does not represent me
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Saturday, 28 May 2011
Dr. Kamal Amzan
The Malaysian Insider
May 27, 2011
MAY 27 — This country is in a mess.
Before I begin, let me just say once and for all that Perkasa doesn’t speak for me. Neither does it speak for my family members and colleagues. Come to think of it, it does not speak for most of my patients, their family members and friends either.
Neither do the politicians and media in cahoots with this group of people with “special needs”. They will never represent me, be it in the present or in the future. Ever.
In case you are wondering, yes I am a tanned Malaysian, a group that Perkasa frequently embarrasses by claiming to represent.
Before they start rattling off their empty cans and pick a new fight, let me remind them that our purchasing power is about a third that of the Europeans. Our first-quarter economic growth at a pathetic 4.6 per cent is behind Singapore, Vietnam and even Indonesia, and while other countries woo talented minds into their midst, we are losing ours left, right and centre, replaced by none other than cheap unskilled foreign workers who are prepared to work harder than an average Malaysian.
Other countries are cutting down on fuel subsidies and consumption, searching for alternative fuel and going green. Many are abandoning their cars, motorbikes and taking to the streets on foot and bicycles and the same time finding ways to increase productivity to offset the expensive fuel. Read the rest of this entry »
Why I would leave Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Thursday, 26 May 2011
Hafidz Baharom
The Malaysian Insider
May 26, 2011
MAY 26 — There are a few things in every nation that a person can’t handle. With our nation now in a state of brain drain (or maybe not), it comes as no surprise that there will be people wishing to migrate for what they may consider greener pastures. I have mine as well even if the country’s national flag features a red maple leaf.
The truth is, I do love this country. To be more specific, I love my hometown of Shah Alam. I love the friends I grew up with even if some of them continue to argue that I should join PAS for some odd reasoning that I personally can’t comprehend. I love my dysfunctional and quirky family and perhaps would even go so far as to say that I love the people in the country when they’re not bigoted idiots running on emotional steroids.
What I don’t enjoy in this nation is the fact that we have a government and government agencies that are run exactly like our Parliament, where a whip is so strictly enforced that minority opinions cannot be promoted. In 2009, Shahrir Abdul Samad said that a Member of Parliament from his own party should be censured, and this motion was denied because nobody would go against the whip. Read the rest of this entry »
The reasons I stayed
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Brain drain, nation building on Thursday, 26 May 2011
Adrian Ng
The Malaysian Insider
May 26, 2011
MAY 26 — There are actually more reasons to leave than stay in Malaysia. But then again, I decided to stay… at least for now. Why?
1. I love the food; I can step out in the middle of the night and still find my favourite food — nasi lemak (tambah telur mata kerbau) with teh tarik kurang manis.
2. I love the weather here, though it sucks at times, but it is still better than being in 20 inches of thick snow or being roasted to death in a 42-degree heat wave. Read the rest of this entry »
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