Archive for category 1Malaysia
What social contract?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Constitution, nation building on Monday, 6 September 2010
by Clive Kessler
Malaysian Insider
September 06, 2010
“Najib warns against questioning ‘social contract’,” it is reported.
This claim is plain and simple “historical revisionism”.
To what “social contract” precisely is the PM referring?
In the 1980s a new political idea was created: that of “Ketuanan Melayu”, of Malay ascendancy, supremacy, domination.
Thereafter, especially from 2008 it has been ever more powerfully promoted, generally in association with the suggestion that a “social contract” had been entered into and constitutionally enshrined in the mid-1950s.
How was this manoeuvre executed? With what purpose and consequences? Read the rest of this entry »
Is Najib prepared to put his 1Malaysia policy to the test by leading a nation-wide “Say No to Racism” campaign starting with errant Umno leaders, government officials and Utusan Malaysia?
Although the Director-General of Education Tan Sri Alimuddin Mohd Dom has issued a circular dated August 26 to all school principals and teachers warning of action to be taken for racist remarks in schools, the absence of action against the two school principals in Johore and Kedah who had made racist remarks stands out like a sore thumb.
More than three weeks have passed and both principals had not yet been referred to the police, let alone the Attorney-General’s Chambers.
This is totally at variance with the “Zero tolerance for racism” belatedly made by the Prime Minister two weeks after the deplorable incidents involving the two school principals.
The Prime Minister should realize that the escalation of the rhetoric of race and religion makes a total mockery of his 1Malaysia slogan, one reason why there is so little national enthusiasm for the Natioal Month theme of “1Malaysia – Transforming the Nation”.
Read the rest of this entry »
Mahathir is the major obstacle to Najib’s 1Malaysia and National Transformation Agenda
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Mahathir, Najib Razak, nation building, NEM, NEP on Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad blogged on the 53rd National Day eve that “today the races are more divided than ever”.
The implications of Mahathir’s statement merits attention.
Here we have the country’s longest-serving Prime Minister in fact telling the current Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak that despite this year’s Merdeka Month theme: “1Malaysia: Transforming the Nation” and the latter’s 1Malaysia policy and National Transformation Programme for 18 months since assuming the highest office in the land in April last year, national unity and inter-racial relations had never been so bad at present as compared to any time in the 22 years Mahathir had been Prime Minister from 1981 – 2003.
Would Najib agree to this Mahathir assessment as the present Prime Minister was during those 22 years of Mahathir premiership either Pahang Mentri Besar or a Cabinet Minister, starting as Minister for Youth and Sports before being appointed to Education and later Defence portfolios – while in Umno, occupying the posts of Umno Youth Leader (especially during the Operation Lalang years) and Umno National Vice President from 1995-2003?
Read the rest of this entry »
Quo Vadis Malaysia 18 months after Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Monday, 30 August 2010
This year’s Merdeka Month celebrations with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” should give all Malaysians a new sense of pride and worth of being a Malaysian.
Instead, the cacophony of the racist rhetoric had never been more raucous, discordant and divisive in the first year of any previous Prime Minister in the nation’s 53-year history – reducing Najib’s 1Malaysia policy and slogan into tatters.
The 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme (GTP) Roadmap launched by the Prime Minister in January this year declared that “the goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”
This goal of 1Malaysia was rendered hollow and meaningless when the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin declared that he is Malay first and Malaysian second, and no Cabinet Minister dared to contradict him!
Read the rest of this entry »
National Day on August 31 is deadline for Najib to prove he is serious about “zero tolerance” for racism in the country, particularly by public servants
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Saturday, 28 August 2010
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak should have received public feedback that his declaration yesterday of a “zero tolerance” towards racism and pledge to take immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs had been received with great cynicism countrywide as another Najibism which is good for soundbites and publicity but never to be taken seriously – that it would be forgotten once delivered.
In fact, public cynicism about Najib’s political will and leadership after 16 month as Prime Minister in his various policy pronouncements because of the large gulf between proclamation and action has culminated in Merdeka month celebrations this year with the theme “1Malaysia transforms the nation” highlighting the failures of Najib’s 1Malaysia rather than celebrating the new Prime Minister’s signature nation-building programme.
The question now is whether Najib can inspire confidence in time for National Day on Tuesday, August 31st in his “zero tolerance” policy for racism by taking firm and decisive action in the next 60 hours against racists who had created inter-racial misunderstandings and tensions in the past weeks?
Read the rest of this entry »
Najib should walk the talk of a zero-tolerance policy for racism and religious incitement starting with Utusan Malaysia with zero-tolerance for delay in taking action
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Media, Najib Razak, nation building on Friday, 27 August 2010
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak has finally broken his silence, declaring a “zero tolerance” policy towards racism and pledging immediate action against those found to have made racial slurs.
It is welcome although belated – provided it is not an empty declaration. Najib’s belated declaration raised the question whether he means what he says for two reasons:
Firstly, it has taken him two long weeks to make his first public statement since the deplorable incident at the launch of the Merdeka celebrations of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, Kulai, where the school principal Hajah Siti Inshah binti Mansor said: “Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu.”
In my statement on Tuesday 17th August, I had asked the Prime Minister and the Cabinet to put the issue on top of the Cabinet meeting the next day for two reasons: Read the rest of this entry »
Has Mahathir crossed the Rubicon to declare war on Najib, 1Malaysia and NEM?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Mahathir, Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Shock, outrage and consternation are understatements of the reactions to the latest outbursts by former Prime Minister, Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad when he denounced the proponents of meritocracy as “racists too” and warned the Malay community that they risk losing political control of the country if they remain disunited.
It is not just the spectacle of the former longest-serving Prime Minister of Malaysia adding oil to the cauldron of the politics of race and religion but the repudiation of the Vision 2020 and Bangsa Malaysia which he had proclaimed two decades ago.
In 1990, beginning his second decade as Prime Minister, Mahathir spelt out Vision 2020 to achieve in 30 years a fully developed Malaysian nation made up of one “Bangsa Malaysia” with a sense of common and shared destiny, distinguished by the pursuit of excellence, fully aware of all its potentials, psychologically subservient to none, and respected by the peoples of other nations.
Read the rest of this entry »
There is a sickness in the country which is total mockery and negation of Najib’s 1Malaysia policy
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Media, Najib Razak, nation building, UMNO on Monday, 23 August 2010
With eight days to go before the National Day proper on August 31 and 24 days before Malaysia Day on Sept. 16, Malaysians regardless of race, religion or region should be celebrating a new sense of pride and unity as Malaysians after 18 months of the 1Malaysia slogan and policy proclaimed by Datuk Seri Najib Razak after he became the sixth Prime Minister in April last year.
But every 24 hours is demonstrating the opposite.
There is a sickness in the country as illustrated by several headlines in a matter of a few hours by online media Malaysian Insider yesterday, viz:
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“Perkasa, MPM want Soi Lek arrested under ISA”
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“Pakatan wants to ‘destroy’ constitutional monarchy, claim Malay groups” (a lie)
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“Ibrahim Ali follows Tee, tells those who disagree to get out”
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“Malay groups want vernacular schools abolished”
MCCBCHST CALLS FOR A CHORUS OF DISAPPROVAL
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building on Saturday, 21 August 2010
Rev. Dr. Thomas Philips
President
MCCBCHST
21 August 2010
In the light of the latest, in an increasing line of provocative racist remarks, this time by a principal of a school in the state of Johor, MCCBCHST calls upon the authorities to take prompt, and appropriate action to demonstrate that such dastardly acts and words perpetrated by government servants regardless of their rank is not and will not be tolerated in Malaysia.
The Johor school incident occurring as it did in the runup to the coming National Day celebrations casts a sombre shadow over the nation’s commitment to a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society where all citizens can be guaranteed a shared destiny in Malaysia as Malaysians based on peace and justice.
The time has passed whereby mere platitudes and words from the national leadership and enforcement authorities in themselves will be enough. The nation needs just and fair actions rather than just words. Read the rest of this entry »
Forget about Talent Corporation and other transformation initiatives of NEM and TMP if Najib cannot stop extremist forces exploiting race and religion from rearing their ugly heads
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Saturday, 21 August 2010
This should be a special and unique month not only in the 53-year nation-building of Malaysia but the 18-month premiership of Datuk Seri Najib Razak as the theme of the Merdeka month celebrations from August 1 to September 16 is “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” – first time after Najib’s full-year premiership and less than six months after the unveiling of the transformative NEM.
Messages and the spirit of Malaysian unity and inter-racial and inter-religious goodwill, harmony and solidarity should be pervading all nooks and corners of the country and infusing Malaysians with what they are saying are doing in these six weeks to put into practice and action the 1Malaysia slogan which Najib had proclaimed since becoming Prime Minister in April last year.
But the opposite had been the case as never had Malaysia been so divided, discordant and un1Malaysia in the past two decades, with persistent, irresponsible and inflammatory incitement of the politics of race and religion in recent months to stoke racial and religious animosity and hatred in plural Malaysia, going against the very grain of what 1Malaysia stands for.
Even the schools and the young generation of Malaysians are not spared, as illustrated by the cases of the racist outbursts against school children, one in the south in Kulai and the other in the north in Sungai Petani, demonstrating utter contempt and intolerance of 1Malaysia and our ethnic, religious and cultural diversity which are the country’s richest assets by school principals who should be the “role models” and standard-bearers of Najib’s 1Malaysia! Read the rest of this entry »
Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline is the most irresponsible act in history of Malaysian journalism
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Media, Najib Razak, Penang Government on Friday, 20 August 2010
The Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline today “Nama Guan Eng ganti Agong – Disebut dalam doa khutbah Jumaat: Umno Pulau Pinang bantah” is the most irresponsible act in the history of Malaysian journalism – utterly baseless, a mischievous and dangerous incitement to religious hatred, tension and discord in plural Malaysia and goes against all the principles and values espoused by 1Malaysia.
The first Merdeka month celebrations themed “1Malaysia Transforming the Nation” should celebrate Malaysia’s unity in diversity of ethnicity, religions, cultures and beliefs, the concepts of inclusiveness, social justice and the 1Malaysia principles of culture of excellence, integrity, wisdom, humility, loyalty and the twin commitments of People First, Performance Now.
But we have the opposite as illustrated by Utusan Malaysia’s front-page headline of falsehood and dangerous incitement to religious hatred, discord and tension.
Read the rest of this entry »
Racial remarks: Headmistress must be sacked
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, nation building on Friday, 20 August 2010
It is difficult to reconcile how a principal of a secondary school could be so insensitive and dumb as to utter derogatory words to denigrate students under her care. She had shown utter contempt to the Chinese and Indians in this country.
It is unbelievable that she could have said, “Chinese students…can return to China.” It is amazing that she could have likened the prayer strings worn by Indians to a dog leash.
It is difficult to believe that she is a teacher and an educator. With this warped and distorted view of the Chinese and Indians, what kind of values can she impart to her students under her care? What kind of character can she inculcate among her students? She comes across as subhuman.
How she got promoted is a mystery. How she got selected to be a teacher is a wonder. Unfortunately, there are many of her ilk in the Teaching Service doing immense damage to this nation. Two years ago, we had one dumb discipline teacher in Anderson School who ordered Hindu students to remove their religious wristband and shave off their moustache and beards, which they had allowed to grow ahead of fulfilling their vows during Thaipusam
We have this kind of people not only in schools Read the rest of this entry »
DAP supports Anwar’s call for proof of allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Constitution, DAP, Najib Razak, nation building on Thursday, 19 August 2010
DAP supports the call by Parliamentary Opposition Leader and Ketua Umum PKR Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for proof of the allegation of the existence of an alternate constitution to replace the current one to erase special rights of the Malays and the position of Islam as the official religion.
This allegation by the Perak Mufti Tan Sri Harussani Zakaria is a very serious and inflammable one and should not be made without proof.
This allegation has already been the basis of a very alarmist front-page Utusan Malaysia headline “Elak perang besar” on Tuesday and an incendiary article entitled “Benar, ‘perang besar’ boleh berlaku di Malaysia” yesterday.
DAP leaders had never heard or known of such an alternate constitution.
Any such an alleged alternative constitution could not have emanated from Pakatan Rakyat as the component parties of PKR, PAS and DAP had reaffirmed commitment to the fundamental principles of the Malaysian Constitution in a common platform last December.
Read the rest of this entry »
Who decided on the Cabinet gag order yesterday on any public discussion of “Allah” controversy?
Who decided on the Cabinet gag order on any public discussion of the “Allah” controversy announced by the Deputy Prime Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin after the Cabinet meeting yesterday?
Was it with the full support of the four MCA Ministers and all other non-Muslim Cabinet Ministers – or did they express and register their protest and objection?
Malaysians had been told that the Cabinet operates on the principle of consensus – which means that if there is one Minister objecting, a decision on a new policy or measure would not be taken by the Cabinet.
If so, if the four MCA Ministers had spoken out against the gag order and asked the Cabinet to consider resolving the long-protracted “Allah” controversy by deciding that the Home Ministry should withdraw its appeal against the Lau Bee Lan judgment in the Kuala Lumpur High Court in January this year
Read the rest of this entry »
Is this Muhyiddin’s 1Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Education, Muhyiddin Yassin on Wednesday, 4 August 2010
Pakatan elected reps kept out of S’gor schools
Christine Chan
Malaysiakini
Aug 4, 10
A circular that allows specified BN leaders to attend events organised by Selangor schools but keeps out those from Pakatan Rakyat, has been criticised as an example of double standards.
The circular dated Feb 16, 2009 states that the education minister has appointed 57 leaders from Selangor Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan to represent him at these events in the state.
Signed by the principal secretary to the minister, the circular was sent to the director of the Selangor Education Department.
It also states that the BN representatives have each been issued a certificate of appointment, copies of which were attached to the circular with a full list of names and posts held in the respective political parties.
When contacted, Hannah Yeoh, the DAP state assemblyperson for Subang Jaya said that – by implication – school authorities have to get the minister’s permission to invite Pakatan representatives.
“(When the schools ask for permission), it is never given,” she claimed. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib should explain why after 16 months of his 1Malaysia slogan, Malaysians are even more divided with even the former Prime Minister Tun Mahathir declaring that he is confused and does not know the meaning of 1Malaysia?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Mahathir, Najib Razak, nation building on Tuesday, 3 August 2010
I do not agree with the former Prime Minister Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad who criticized the Najib administration’s 1Malaysia slogan, claiming that the concept needed further “explanation” to prevent it from interpreted differently by various races.
But Mahathir is right that Najib’s 1Malaysia slogan which he introduced after he took office in April last year had failed to unite Malaysians as a whole.
This is not because the 1Malaysia slogan is vague or Najib failed to provide an explanation or definition of what his slogan means.
An official definition of 1Malaysia was given by the 1Malaysia Government Transformation Programme Roadmap released by the government in January this year, which states:
“The goal of 1Malaysia is to make Malaysia more vibrant, more productive and more competitive – and ultimately a greater nation: a nation where, it is hoped, every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first, and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic background second and where the principles of 1Malaysia are woven into the economic, political and social fabric of society.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Scrap the 10-yr-old Education Ministry circular restricting formation of non-Muslim religious societies in schools – against 1Malaysia and NEM to educate a critical and creative generation of Malaysians
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Education, nation building on Monday, 26 July 2010
The 10-year-old Education Ministry circular restricting the formation of non-Muslim religious societies in schools is the best example of Little Napoleons running riot in the civil service working against the national interests of educating a critical and creative generation of Malaysians and harnessing the multi-racial, multi-religious and multi-cultural assets of plural Malaysia.
What is the use of boasting about Malaysia as a model of ethnic, cultural, religious and biological diversity and Malaysia’s rich and unique cultural heritage when restrictions continue to be in place affecting the formation of non-Muslim societies in schools?
The Cabinet on Wednesday should scrap the 10-year-old Education Ministry circular restricting the formation of non-Muslim religious societies in schools as it is against Prime Minister’s 1Malaysia slogan and policy and the New Economic Model objective to educate a critical, creative and innovative generation of Malaysians.
The Education Ministry circular dated 16th December 2000 stated that non-Muslim religious societies formed before 2000 need not have to be registered but remain as status quo. Those set up from 2000 onwards need approval by the registrar, which is the state education department director.
For ten years, the circular was used by Biro Tatanegara-trained Little Napoleons in the Education Ministry to discourage, hamper or downright disallow the formation of non-Muslim religious societies. Read the rest of this entry »
How to scare away investors – the Perkasa Way
The government’s New Economic Model structural reform agenda is aimed at raising average annual growth to 6% until year 2015. While implementation of the agenda would be positive for Malaysia’s economic fundamentals, even the talk of reform has already provoked considerable political opposition.
When first introduced, the NEM was supposed to be Malaysia’s new selling point to local and foreign investors and the country’s passport to a better future. It now appears to be aborted before birth. Or at best, it appears to be a newly arrived baby in the critically ill ward, and needing an incubator and special attention if it is to survive at all.
Chief amongst its enemies has been Perkasa and Dr Mahathir Mohamad. From them emerged harsh talk about Malays losing power in the country and of Umno allowing the situation of Malay dominance to be so badly eroded that the community is facing a bleak and hopeless future.
Read the rest of this entry »
Every Cabinet Minister and Barisan Nasional component party should take a stand – whether in support of Muhyiddin or Nazri on Perkasa and formation of Chinese, Indian, Iban, Kadazan Perkasas
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, MCA, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 14 July 2010
Two diametrically opposite stand on the recrudescence of racist posturings and outpourings in Malaysia 53 years after Merdeka, 47 years after formation of Malaysia with Sabah and Sarawak and 15 months after Prime Minister’s Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s proclamation of 1Malaysia policy.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz rightly smacked down the ridiculous idea of the MCA Vice President Datuk Lim Siang Chai for a Chinese version of Perkasa to counter Perkasa.
I fully agree with Nazri when he described Siang Chai’s suggestion was “ridiculous” as it would only cause racial tension among the Malays and Chinese at a time when the government should be defusing it.
It is utterly shocking that a Deputy Minister of the Najib administration which advocated a 1Malaysia policy could envisage and even publicly propose the formation of Chinese, Indian, Iban and Kadazan Perkasa to counter the extremist racist posturings and outpourings of Perkasa, as it is a great disservice to five decades of Malaysian nation-building and a total repudiation of Najb’s 1Malaysia policy to create a vibrant, productive and competitive nation where every Malaysian perceives himself or herself as Malaysian first and by race, religion, geographical region or socio-economic group second.
But what is even more shocking is that the MCA Deputy Minister’s ridiculous suggestion of a plethora of ethnically-based Perkasas has the blessings of the Deputy Prime Minister and Umno Deputy President, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who came to Siang Chai’s defence. Read the rest of this entry »
Chinese Perkasa the most irresponsible and worse possible response by MCA to Perkasa
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, MCA, nation building on Monday, 12 July 2010
The proposal by the MCA vice president and Deputy Finance Minister Senator Datuk Lim Siang Chai for the formation of a Chinese version of Perkasa to counter Perkasa is the most irresponsible and worst possible MCA response.
It is also the latest and most potent proof of the complete failure of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia to unite Malaysians of diverse races, religions, cultures and languages in the country.
Is it seriously suggested that the way into the future for Malaysia is for the sprouting fo ethnic versions of Perkasa – not only Chinese Perkasa, but also Indian Perkasa, Iban Perkasa, Kadazan Perkasa and Orang Asli Perkasa?
If Najib’s 1Malaysia policy is successful as a meaningful Malaysian nation-building policy, there would be no Perkasa let alone the ridiculous suggestion by a top MCA leader for the formation of a Chinese Perkasa to counter Perkasa.
Read the rest of this entry »
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