The Benefit Of Being Malay First
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, nation building on Tuesday, 5 October 2010, 8:31 am
by Jacqueline Ann Surin
The Nut Graph
4th October 2010
ARE you Malay first? Or Malaysian first? That is the current rhetoric in some parts of our political landscape and is spurring some Malaysians to engage in a contest over what it means to be Malaysian.
For certain the question is not a new one. The DAP has for the longest time been brandishing the motto of “Bangsa Malaysia” in an attempt to dismantle the Barisan Nasional (BN)’s race-based politics. DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, for one, is nowhere close to letting up on this issue. He has demanded repeatedly for, especially, Umno politicians to declare if they are Malaysian or Malay first.
And while Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin seemingly failed the test question, Datuk Seri Nazri Aziz recently scored some points by declaring he was “Malaysian first and Malay next”. But is the question really about which should come first? Why does it seem to matter so much? And which of the two labels — one about race and the other about citizenship — is more profoundly important to us as Malaysian citizens? Read the rest of this entry »
Anwar waves his magic and and thrills European audiences
Posted by Kit in Anwar Ibrahim, Islam, Pakatan Rakyat, Tunku Abdul Aziz on Tuesday, 5 October 2010, 8:09 am
by Tunku Aziz
My Sinchew
4.10.10
I have had to come all the way to Brussels and Berlin to discover a side of Anwar Ibrahim that I was wrong about.
Reading the Barisan Nasional-owned newspapers that consistently portrayed him as a “traitor to Malaysia” who exaggerated the situation obtaining in the country given half a chance, I have, I must admit, tended to view him as a self-serving political demagogue who could not care less about the fate of his country as long as he achieved his ambition of becoming prime minister.
Anwar spoke last Monday evening (28 September 2010), on “Liberal Values in the Muslim World – Why Islam and Democracy are Destined to Coincide” to a packed hall of some of Europe’s powerful decision makers. These were men and women with wide international experience and could not be easily hoodwinked even if he had tried.
It was vintage Anwar, perfect smooth as silk delivery of a complex, serious subject to a critical audience. He knew his stuff. His was more than a speech; it was an intellectual journey mapped out by someone who knew the area traversed like the back of his hand. Read the rest of this entry »
Last rites begin for Gerakan
Posted by Kit in Gerakan, Thomas Lee on Tuesday, 5 October 2010, 8:01 am
by Thomas Lee
My Sinchew
4th Oct 2010
The last rites for Gerakan have started to be performed by no lesser person that its former president Tun Dr Lim Keng Yaik, who has announced that he is quitting as the party advisor due to the lack of confidence in current party chief Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon.
The outspoken maverick KengYaik said on Monday 4 October 2010 that he would be resigning as the party advisor because of disappointment over the politically infirm Tsu Koon’s tendency to “bury his head in the sand.”
Formed on 24 March 1968, the party descended to its worst electoral performance during the March 2008 general election, losing control of the Penang state government which it held for nearly 40 years, and winning only two parliamentary seats compared to 10 previously. Tsu Koon was among those kicked out by the Penangites. Read the rest of this entry »
New IGP must seriously grapple with the new Malaysian phenomenon where crime index falls but Malaysians feel even more unsafe!
DAP Member of Parliament for Rasah and Negri Sembilan State Assemblyman for Lobak Anthony Loke, who is also DAPSY National chief, was the latest victim of crime when he was rudely awakened early this morning by five parang-wielding robbers who broke into his Seremban home and tied him up, along with his elderly parents.
The 4am incident took place after the robbers cut through the front door lock, and woke the occupants in the double-storey terrace house in Taman Yoon Chan, Seremban – hitherto quite crime-free but no more safe.
Recently, both the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein had made great play about the successful NKRA on crime reduction, claiming that there have been a drastic drop in the crime rate with improvement of the crime index since January this year.
However, up and down the country, ordinary Malaysians do not feel this dividend of fall of crime index in their daily lives as they do not feel comparatively safer in the streets, public places or privacy of their homes as compared to previous years as highlighted by the terrible ordeal which Loke and his parents went through early this morning.
Read the rest of this entry »
Can civil servants and BTN officials make incendiary, racist and insensitive statements going against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept and claim as protection that they are personal views made in private functions?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, Perkasa on Monday, 4 October 2010, 5:38 pm
Biro Tata Negara (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husain today lodged a police report at Sentul district police headquarters against news portal, The Malaysian Insider, and one of its journalists over an article that claimed that he had uttered racist remarks.
Hamim refused to comment when quizzed by the press as he left the police station, and declined to reveal the contents of his police report.
Instead, he merely recited the al-Fatihah and prayed for Muslim unity outside the police station.
Hamim has added salt to injury and compounded his utter contempt for Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.
Is the BTN committed to Muslim unity or the 1Malaysia and Malaysian unity?
Hamim was accompanied by the Perkasa youth chief Arman Azha Abu Hanifah when he went to the Sentul police station to lodge the report and acted as his spokesman.
Read the rest of this entry »
The Life Story Of A 100 Ringgit Note
by Richard Loh
I was having a beautiful dream, sleeping among the other 100 ringgit notes banded in stack of 100, when suddenly the loud noise from the opening of heavy metal door woke me up. The lights were switched on and by now all other denominations notes were wide awake as well.
We were inside a strong bank vault with two armed security guards guarding the opened vault. Inside, all new notes comprising of the various denominations were stacked separately from the old notes.
I was part of the new note, under the 100 ringgit denomination. I was just released yesterday, after being dressed so beautifully in colors with security input and a serial number which I supposed was to be my name, from the authority of Bank Negara to my new owner, the Bank.
The old notes were laughing at us, the new notes, and I asked why they are laughing at us. One 5 ringgit note started yelling, afraid that we could not hear him because the bankers inside the vault were talking so loudly. “You all are going out to face the world, you will be squeezed, splashed with saliva, argued and fought over, love and hate, all kinds of hands will be touching you and you may get to travel all over the world. The Chinese New Year is just a week away and you all will be in great demand. We the old notes are tired and needed some rest, so good luck to you all.” Read the rest of this entry »
The Tengku Razaleigh factor
Posted by Kit in Election, Pakatan Rakyat, PAS, UMNO on Monday, 4 October 2010, 1:03 pm
by Jema Khan
The Malaysian Insider
October 04, 2010
OCT 4 — The upcoming Galas state seat by-election is interesting on many fronts. It was a seat won by PAS in the last general election though Umno won the Gua Musang parliamentary seat which encompasses Galas.
By many accounts winning the Gua Musang parliamentary seat has nothing to do with Umno but more due to it being the stronghold of its long-standing MP, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah.
Who is this man known colloquially as Ku Li?
Well, if you read “Malaysian Maverick” written by Barry Wain which is actually about Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad, you would know. Ku Li is an elder statesman in Malaysia who also, by many accounts, could have been PM of Malaysia.
A jovial, effervescent and decent man who has within him the institutional memory of this country, he really personifies all that was good in our founding fathers. Ask him about any of them, be it Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tun Razak, Tun Hussein, you name it, he was there at the time and can still give you a decent recollection of what they stood for.
He has a very Malay way of putting his objections to all the bad things that are happening to our nation. See him on YouTube under Mycitizen and you will get a flavour of the man. Our founding fathers were the generation that really sacrificed their wealth and wellbeing for this country and their views would be very similar to that of Ku Li’s today.
In fact, the irony of it all is although Ku Li sacrificed so much personally for Umno, it is the opposition that today have a greater appreciation for his integrity and intellect. They accept him as an elder statesman that they would love to have on their side. Read the rest of this entry »
Crime index down but do you feel safer?
Horrible experience by AnthonyLokeMP/SA/DAPSY chief. He his father mother tied up by burglars @Taman YoonChan Rahang terrace hse 4am n robbed of $10k
10/04/2010 08:49 AM
(Contd) of cash valuables. Freed themselves abt 5am. House ransacked Luckily no one harmed by parang-wielding robbers. Loke’s area was quite crime-free but no more safe
10/04/2010 08:53 AM
Crime index down but ppl feel even more unsafe. Let’s have twitterpoll- do u (where?) feel safe? RT @ekpoptani Are our police stats correct?
10/04/2010 10:19 AM
Key political risks to watch in Malaysia
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, Corruption, Economics, Elections, Islam, Najib Razak, nation building, NEM, Sarawak, UMNO on Sunday, 3 October 2010, 9:43 pm
Oct 1, 10
Reuters/Malaysiakini
Malaysia has unveiled ambitious plans to boost its economy by mobilising hundreds of billions of dollars of private investment, although questions remain over whether the money will materialise.
Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s cut in fuel, gas and sugar subsidies in August triggered a political backlash that may see him holding off more reforms ahead of the next general elections due by 2013.
Najib has pledged to reform the country’s subsidy bill to tackle the budget deficit. But he is wary of upsetting the country’s majority ethnic Malays, a critical votebank whose support will be vital as he tries to revive his ruling coalition which was hit by record losses in general elections in 2008.
Following is a summary of key Malaysia risks to watch:
Political conflict
Political tensions spiked after the 2008 general election when unprecedented opposition gains transformed the political landscape. BN coalition’s 52-year grip on the country was dented when it ceded control of five states and lost its two-thirds parliamentary majority to an opposition led by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.
The political uncertainty has weighed on foreign investment with net portfolio and direct investment outflows reaching US$61 billion (RM188 million) in 2008 and 2009 according to official data. Money has since flowed into the bond market according to central bank statistics, but little has flowed into equities.
What to watch:
• Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim’s sodomy trial. Anwar says the case is a political conspiracy, and a contentious verdict would anger his supporters. Any marked increase in political tensions could see more foreign money pulled from stocks, bonds and the ringgit. But with limited foreign portfolio investment still in the country, the impact will be muted.
• Elections in the Borneo state of Sarawak, expected by the end of this year. The state’s chief minister has directed the ruling coalition to ready itself for state-wide polls, and analysts say nationwide elections could follow soon after. BN’s shock defeat in a May by-election in Sarawak raised doubts over its support levels in the state. Read the rest of this entry »
Loss of Young Talent Thwarts Malaysia’s Growth
Posted by Kit in nation building on Saturday, 2 October 2010, 4:13 pm
By LIZ GOOCH | NY Times
Published: October 1, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR — With its dazzling skyscrapers, bright lights and ubiquitous symbols of modernity, Singapore has long worked its magic on Rachel Liew, 20.
Even as a young girl visiting the city-state with her family from her native Malaysia, Singapore’s clean streets, convenient public transportation and modern lifestyles made a lasting impression.
As Ms. Liew grew older, she came to believe that Singapore could also offer a better education than her homeland, and in 2008, she packed her bags and headed south across the border to pursue a degree in mechanical engineering at Nanyang Technological University.
“I might return to Malaysia if I had a really good job offer there, which I think would be unlikely, or if I eventually get married to a Malaysian who wants to live in his hometown,” said Ms. Liew, one of about 700,000 Malaysians living abroad. “But other than that, I think I would probably settle down in Singapore.”
Read the rest of this entry »
Ethnic outbidding and red herrings
By Mavis Puthucheary
October 01, 2010
Ethnic outbidding is a favourite pastime among Umno politicians and they have become very good at some “innovative” ideas. We have been treated to “Ketuanan Melayu” and the declaration that Malaysia is an Islamic state.
Now we are told that as the Malaysian Constitution does not state that the prime minister should be a Malay, there is a chance that of this happening if the opposition coalition captures power at the federal level in the next election.
What are we to make of this “warning”?
First of all, we must distinguish the legal or constitutional aspects from political realities. In all democratic constitutions the person who becomes the prime minister is either directly elected by the people (in a presidential system) or is the leader of the party that has won the majority of seats in the elected house of parliament.
The Malaysian Constitution does not deviate from this basic democratic principle.
Read the rest of this entry »
Don’t turn cash aid matter into a religious issue
Posted by Kit in Penang Government, Religion, UMNO on Friday, 1 October 2010, 11:52 am
By Thomas Lee
More than 40 Muslim senior citizens have returned cash aid from the Penang state government due to suspicion and uneasiness over the sources of the funding.
Bernama quoted an imam from Pulau Mertajam, Saidin Chik, 72, as saying that he decided to return the money as he learned that it was from non-halal activities.
“I received a RM100 aid sometime this year, but I heard over television and read in the newspapers that the money was from gambling activities. We have been praying everyday and suddenly we get a cash aid from non-halal sources and spent it. What is going to happen to our prayers?” he said.
Saidin told reporters this after handing over the money to Penang Umno secretary Azhar Ibrahim on Wednesday 29 September 2010.
Read the rest of this entry »
Would Najib dare to revamp his Cabinet to ensure that only Ministers who publicly declare undivided loyalty to the 1Malaysia concept to build a nation where every Malaysian regard himself/herself as Malaysian first race second have a place in government?
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Thursday, 30 September 2010, 10:43 am
The weak-kneed Cabinet decision on the latest anti-1Malaysia offence of the Biro Tata Negara (BTN) is a great disappointment and shame and the greatest disservice to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak’s 1Malaysia concept.
In the first place, why was the announcement of the Cabinet decision to ask the Chief Secretary to investigate the latest racist remarks of a Biro Tata Negara (BTN) official made by the MIC Minister for Human Resources Dr. S. Subramaniam and not by the Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who had chaired the Cabinet meeting during Najib’s absence?
Is it because the controversy over BTN’s latest offence against Najib’s 1Malaysia concept is regarded as a trivial matter not serious enough to warrant the personal attention and concern of the Deputy Prime Minister?
Secondly, the juxtaposition of the pronouncement by the Gerakan President and Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Tan Sri Dr. Koh Tsu Koon on the same day, warning against over-reaction in race disputes, seems to be a message on behalf of Umno leaders not to take too seriously the latest infraction of the BTN – serving only to undermine public confidence that much is to be expected of the Cabinet decision, especially bearing in mind the 48-day government inaction over the two school principals for their incendiary, racist and insensitive statements against students in school.
Read the rest of this entry »
Malaysia in the Era of Globalization #34
Posted by Kit in Bakri Musa, globalisation on Thursday, 30 September 2010, 10:32 am
Chapter 5: Understanding Globalization
Leveling Effects of Globalization
What critics in the West fear most about globalization is its leveling effect. It means that an uneducated American will fare as badly as an illiterate Indonesian, but at the same time, a skillful Indian programmer can compete equally with his American counterpart. The much coddled and highly unionized American workers panic when they discover that Mexicans earning a fraction of the wages can do the same work just as efficiently and skillfully. Consequently many major American manufacturers are moving their plants to Mexico. It is this aspect of globalization that is most feared by America’s Pat Buchanans and Ralph Naders.
Manufacturing jobs are not the only ones heading south. Typists in India do the transcriptions for many American hospitals. My medical dictation at the local hospital is digitized, encrypted, and then transmitted via Internet to India, where it is downloaded and transcribed, and then re-transmitted back to America, ready for my patients’ charts by the next morning. Many of these typists are Indian doctors who found that they could earn more as medical transcriptionists working for American companies than as practicing physicians paid by the Indian government. Looked at differently, American capitalists value these Indian physicians for their typing skills while the Indian government does not value their healing skills.
Read the rest of this entry »
No place for religious bigotry
Posted by Kit in nation building, Religion, Thomas Lee on Thursday, 30 September 2010, 6:31 am
by Thomas Lee
My Sinchew
29.9.10
The Council of Churches Malaysia (CCM) should be commended for taking a firm stand against a so-called Christian preacher for attacking and insulting Islam in a series of videos posted on YouTube.
Certainly, there is no place for such a bigoted hostile attitude toward those of another faith from one’s own in our plural nation, with its multi-racial, multi-religious, multi-cultural and multi-lingual population.
As a Christian myself, I am very ashamed and disgusted with such intolerance, and the fanatical and uncompromising pursuit and propaganda of the Christian faith by the immature and uncouth preacher, who has brought shame to the name of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The CCM is right in clarifying that the so-called preacher had acted in his individual capacity representing his own views, but it is incorrect to say that there is an “official view of the churches in Malaysia”, as there is none, although generally the Christian community abhors and loathes such destructive religious zealotry.
The assault on the people of another faith is not in the teaching of the Lord Jesus. Such bigotry is judging and degrading the human persons created by God in his own image on the basis of preconceived and bias opinions, and that is evil. It is definitely wrong, even sinful, when we participate in thoughts and actions that are based on pre-judging and condemning people of other faiths. Read the rest of this entry »
Let Najib declare on his return from his “Rise, Moderates” speech in UN whether he is prepared to “galvanise” the moderates in Malaysia to draw the line against the rise in extremism, whether racial bigotry or religious intolerance, led by DPM Muhyiddin
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Muhyiddin Yassin, Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 29 September 2010, 4:18 pm
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak in his just-completed foreign trip made a strong call for global moderation, not only making it the theme in his maiden address to the United Nations General Assembly but also publicly commending United States President Barack Obama for the latter’s “courageous public position” in dealing with Islamophobia in condemning the proposed burning of the Quran by a Florida pastor and urging Obama “to galvanise the moderates, bring in the non-governmental organizations and social movements so that more people could see the importance of taking a moderate stance”
He told Malaysian media at the end of his six-day visit to the United Nations and the United States that his proposal for a “Global Movement of the Moderates” aimed at rallying leaders and intellectuals of the Islamic world to come forward and state their stand openly and firmly against extremism had received positive response, enhancing Malaysia’s profile particularly in the West.
Najib should know that the question all Malaysians are asking is when he is going to walk the talk and provide leadership in the country to galvanise the moderates, NGOs and social movements in Malaysia to take a stand against the rise of extremism – both racial bigotry and religious extremism – in the past 18 months of his premiership.
What is most ironical is that the rise of extremism in Malaysia, both racial bigotry and religious intolerance, is under the patronage of his No. 2 in government, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.
This is why for 47 days, as DPM and Education Minister, there is not only government inaction against the two school principals who made incendiary, insensitive and racist statements against students in school, there is not a word of condemnation from Muhyiddin against such open challenge and contempt for Najib’s 1Malaysia concept.
This is also why there is a such a recrudescence of the worst form of racial bigotry and religious extremism from Biro Tata Negara which, instead of instilling national unity and integration, has been doing the opposite – fomenting inter-racial and inter-religious misunderstanding, distrust and division. Read the rest of this entry »
Najib put in an embarrassing quandary
Posted by Kit in Najib Razak, nation building on Wednesday, 29 September 2010, 9:35 am
By Thomas Lee
While Datuk Seri Najib Razak was urging all nations of the world to “choose moderation over extremism” to promote international peace and harmony in his maiden speech at the United Nations General Assembly on Monday 27 September 2010, it is surely shocking that back in Malaysia at about the same time, a senior civil servant spewed out one of the most extremist and venomous speeches against the Chinese and Indian communities.
Federal Territory Biro Tata Negara (BTN) deputy director Hamim Husin referred to the Chinese and Indian communities as Si Mata Sepet and Si Botol when speaking at a Puter Umno function.
“The Si Mata Sepet who has never gone to a mosque or surau only has one vote. The Si Botol who only knows how to go up and down Batu Caves only has one vote,” Hamim was quoted as saying, when talking about getting votes from the non-Malay voters.
It surely is most malevolent and seditious for the senior BTN officer to use such a contemptuous, pejorative and derogatory terms of Si Mata Sepet (slit eyes) and Si Botol (alcoholic) to describe the Chinese and Indian citizens.
Read the rest of this entry »
International deluge of criticisms on persecution of Anwar
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Anwar Ibrahim, Court, Economics, Foreign, Najib Razak, NEM on Tuesday, 28 September 2010, 4:58 pm
By Dr. Chen Man Hin, DAP life advisor
International deluge of criticisms from the conspiracy to convict Anwar of sodomy 2
Suddenly there appears to be a deluge of international personalities criticising the Malaysian government for persecuting Anwar on trumped up charge of sodomy 2.
It started with ex US vice president Gore, and IMF chief Stiglitz, followed by Barry Wain former AWSJ correspondent as well as a former US ambassador to Malaysia John Croft
All of them unanimously condemned the conspiracy to paint Anwar as a sodomist and therefore not fit to be the Opposition Leader.
These are all distinguished members of the international community who are shocked in unison by this serious transgression of justice, democracy and the rule of law by the Malaysian government. UMNO, the power behind the prime minister, intends to perpetuate their power by trying Anwar on trumped up charges of sodomy, to convict and imprison him, thus denying him the opportunity to be the next Prime Minister.
Read the rest of this entry »
Cabinet tomorrow should dissolve BTN and institute action against BTN deputy director Hamin Husin to prove that Najib’s call for the triumph of moderation over extremism is not only meant for international consumption but also at home
Posted by Kit in 1Malaysia, Najib Razak, nation building on Tuesday, 28 September 2010, 3:36 pm
The Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday made the sterling call in the United Nations, saying it was time for moderates to reclaim the agenda for peace and pragmatism.
In his maiden speech at the UN, the prime minister said there was a need to marginalise the extremists, and the “global movement of the moderates” of all faiths was needed to work together to make this a success.
Najib said these extremists had held the world hostage with their bigotry and bias, adding that “we must choose moderation over extremism.”
“We must, and I repeat, we must urgently reclaim the centre and the moral high ground that has been usurped from us.
“We must choose negotiations over confrontation. We must choose to work together and not against each other. And we must give this effort utmost priority, for time is not on our side.”
Malaysians fully endorse the Prime Minister’s call in the United Nations that moderates must win over extremists, except that Najib would have set a new record for Malaysian Prime Ministers addressing the United Nations in the past 53 years – evoking the least credibility and greatest cynicism among the Malaysian public although Malaysians fully agree with the sentiments expressed.
This is because Malaysians are seeing an almost daily breakdown of authority, credibility and legitimacy of Najib as Prime Minister, coming not from the national Opposition, the Pakatan Rakyat or the civil society, but from within his own camp in Umno and the government bureaucracy with its contingent of Big and Little Napoleons. Read the rest of this entry »
The BN dilemma
by Mariam Mokhtar
Sep 27, 2010
MalaysiaKini
Former prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s warning that “Malays would lose power if Pakatan Rakyat were to come to power”, is not his first racist rant since his retirement.
He delights in taking pot-shots at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak’s administration and excels at instigating unrest. Why would the Malays lose power under Pakatan? The Malays lost whatever power they had under 22 years of Mahathir’s rule.
Mahathir is racist, but Najib would not dare charge him with sedition. Mahathir certainly acts like he is the ‘co-premier’ and his flirtation with extremist NGOs like Perkasa, must embarrass the current administration.
At times, we can be forgiven for thinking that he must be the second most powerful person in the government. His ruthless desire to cling onto the reins of power and pretend to speak out for ordinary Malays must create chaos in government circles. He is great at divide-and-rule.
If he is the ‘Father of Modernisation’, then he is out of touch with the people of 21st century Malaysia. Most Malaysians would be open-minded and accepting of one another, but for the politicians. I would accept a non-Malay prime minister of either sex and sexual preference, provided that person is a strong and capable leader. Read the rest of this entry »
