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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Rama’s political future hangs by a thread
- Apa Anwar buat ketika dalam kabinet?
- ‘Umno’s a giant ponzi scheme’
| Rama’s political future hangs by a thread Posted: 11 Dec 2011 08:40 PM PST DAP's central executive committee is expected to meet tomorrow night to discuss the open spat between Ramasamy and Karpal Singh. An observer, Hindraf Makkal Sakti CEC member S Thiagarajan, said Ramasamy has failed to implement permanent solutions to resolve pressing Indian issues such as land matters of Hindu temples, Tamil schools, settlements and cemeteries in the state. Athi Shankar, Free Malaysia Today It is a very brave man who dares take on DAP party elders such as Lim Kit Siang, Karpal Singh or Dr Chen Man Hin. Before P Ramasamy's ill-judged outburst against DAP national chairman Karpal Singh, there were others who attempted a tilt at the leadership. Heavyweights like Lee Lam Thye (MP for Bukit Bintang) and Wee Choo Keong (MP for Kuala Lumpur Bandar) felt the wrath of the elders and had to leave the party. Compared to the others, Ramasamy can be considered a novice in politics. The first-time Member of Parliament (Batu Kawan) is on the naive side when it comes to the internal workings of DAP which depends on Chinese votes. The former academic has knowingly or unknowingly found himself in the centre of the Indian problem within DAP. Barring any miraculous eleventh hour party leadership-initiated truce, Karpal's fiery speech at the state party convention in Prai on Sunday has sealed Ramasamy's political fate in Penang, and maybe in the party. All this is because he took on the mantle of championing the Indians in Penang. Some, including Indian grassroots supporters, want his wings clipped. On the surface, the spat between Karpal and Ramasamy, the deputy chief minister II, looks like a clash of personalities. But in reality it could be an attempt to play down the Indian mess within the party. His outburst against Karpal surely could not have been vindictive. After all, Karpal was and is Ramasamy's mentor. Cronyism He was supposed to only contest Batu Kawan against Gerakan president and chief minister Koh Tsu Koon. But Karpal decided to give him Prai as well because the veteran parliamentarian thought Ramasamy may not have a chance against Koh. Although Ramasamy was a newcomer, acting on views expressed by party grassroots members, Karpal decided Ramasamy should also be given a starring role in the newly elected DAP-led Pakatan Raykat state government. He was also appointed deputy chief minister II to show the Indian face of DAP. But nearly four years later, the perception is that Ramasamy failed to deliver anything worthy for Penang Indian community . An observer, Hindraf Makkal Sakti CEC member S Thiagarajan, said Ramasamy has failed to implement permanent solutions to resolve pressing Indian issues such as land matters of Hindu temples, Tamil schools, settlements and cemeteries in the state. He also alleged that Ramasamy had helped only his cronies, reflecting the sentiments of many delegates at the state DAP convention. But the novice politician made a huge blunder when he tried to bypass the central working committee (CEC), the party's supreme body, and announced a list of candidates for the next election. This premature announcement on party candidature through Tamil daily Makkal Osai on Nov 28 was the final straw that made Karpal and party grassroots members to decide "enough was enough".
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| Apa Anwar buat ketika dalam kabinet? Posted: 11 Dec 2011 04:18 PM PST Bukankah ketika itu kesempatan terbaik untuk beliau memansuhkan akta-akta drakonian tersebut dan mengheret jerung- jerung yang menerima rasuah ke muka pengadilan? Selain itu, keutamaan dasar Mahathir untuk menyelamatkan syarikat-syarikat kroni dengan menelan belanja berbillion ringgit akibat kemelesetan ekonomi ketika itu tidak dipersetujui oleh Anwar yang ketika itu Menteri Kewangan telah memburukan lagi hubungan mereka. Nazli Ibrahim, Free Malaysia Today Setelah 12 tahun Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim dipecat dari semua jawatan dari kerajaan dan Umno, pada 2009 lalu beliau bergiat semula dalam sepak terajang politik negara ini. Jikalau dahulu, semasa di dalam kerajaan beliau menjalankan dasar-dasar kerajaan, berbeza dengan sekarang, beliau ialah ketua pakatan pembangkang yang disegani. Kelantangan beliau mengkritik dasar-dasar kerajaan hari ini, khususnya terhadap rasuah, Akta Keselamatan Dalam Negeri (ISA) dan Akta Universiti dan Kolej Universiti (AUKU) kadang kala menimbulkan persoalan, apa yang beliau lakukan semasa beliau berada di dalam kabinet? Apabila berbicara mengenai hal ini, perkara yang sering tidak lepas dari persoalan ialah adakah Anwar memang benar-benar menentang rasuah yang semakin membarah dalam kerajaan, akta-akta yang menindas kebebasan bersuara – ISA, AUKU dan lain-lain akta yang seumpamanya. Persoalan mengapa beliau tidak melakukannya semasa beliau berada di dalam kerajaan dahulu pasti dipersoalkan dan tentunya lebih kerap dimainkan oleh pemimpin-pemimpin Barisan Nasional (BN) dan kolumnis media-media kawalan kerajaan. Bukankah ketika itu adalah kesempatan terbaik untuk beliau memansuhkan akta-akta drakonian tersebut dan mengheret jerung-jerung yang menerima rasuah ke muka pengadilan? Umum mengetahui, menjadi seorang Timbalan Perdana Menteri (TPM) kepada Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad berkuasa tidaklah semudah menjadi Timbalan Perdana Menteri kepada Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak dan tiga PM sebelumnya. Bagi Abdullah Badawi memadai dengan hanya seorang timbalan berbanding Mahathir yang mempunyai sehingga empat orang Timbalan Perdana Menteri. Malah kuasa pemutus keputusan penting oleh para menteri yang ada dari dahulu hinggalah hari ini juga tidaklah mutlak walaupun dalam bidang kuasa kementerian masing-masing. Contohnya, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin sebagai Menteri Pelajaran tentunya tidak akan menarik semula pelaksanaan PPSMI jika tidak dipersetujui oleh Najib. Begitu juga dengan Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein sebagai Menteri Dalam Negeri, tentunya tidak akan berani, walaupun sekadar menyebut pindaan ISA akan dikaji jika tiada lampu hijau dari Najib atau mungkin juga diilhamkan sendiri oleh Najib. Sama juga dengan isu kenaikan harga gula, beras, petrol dan lain-lain. Walaupun menurut mereka, pada dasarnya, setiap keputusan yang dibuat telah dibincangkan dalam mesyuarat kabinet, namun kuasa veto Perdana Menteri adalah pemutus utama tidak dapat dinafikan. Akhirnya, telunjuk 1Malaysia itulah juga akan dijadikan kiblat. Apatah lagi menjadi timbalan kepada Mahathir, tentunya memerlukan seseorang yang sehaluan dengannya, seseorang yang mampu menari seirama dengan tariannya, tidak kira samada tindakan itu menguntungkan rakyat atau menguntungkan kroni. Apa yang penting, harus bersedia mengungkapkan kata-kata 'yes boss'. Perilaku seperti ini tentunya bertentangan dengan jiwa Anwar sendiri hinggalah mengundang pertengkaran demi pertengkaran antara kedua mereka. Kejadian pertengkaran antara mereka ini diakui sendiri oleh mereka yang rapat dengan Anwar seperti Azmin Ali, Ezam Mohd Nor malah Mahathir sendiri turut pernah mengakuinya. Pernah dalam beberapa ceramah politik oleh Ezam dan Azmin sekitar tahun 1999, mereka menceritakan bagaimana pada suatu hari, Anwar keluar dari bilik PM dengan muka yang merah padam setelah bertengkar dengan Mahathir berkenaan isu penyelewengan yang dilakukan oleh Menteri Kabinet dan VIP Umno yang lainnya. Sikap Mahathir yang melindungi perlakuan menyeleweng ini sama sekali tidak dapat diterima oleh Anwar. Selain itu, keutamaan dasar Mahathir untuk menyelamatkan syarikat-syarikat kroni dengan menelan belanja berbillion ringgit akibat kemelesetan ekonomi ketika itu tidak dipersetujui oleh Anwar yang ketika itu Menteri Kewangan telah memburukan lagi hubungan mereka.
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| Posted: 11 Dec 2011 04:15 PM PST Malays in the rural areas are not exactly insular in their outlook and they too can read between the lines. The ones making money are the Umno chieftains, cronies, families. Umno operates a giant Ponzi scheme, not dissimilar to Bernard Madoff's multi-level marketing. Mohd Ariff Sabri Aziz, Free Malaysia Today Allow me to share this posting which I received from a reader. "Dengar cerita CEO National Feedlot Centre (suami Shahrizat Abdul Jalil – Minister of Women, Family and Community Development) dapat gaji RM100k sebulan, anak sulung (aged 31) dapat gaji RM45k sebulan, anak kedua (aged 27) dapat RM35k sebulan, anak ketiga (aged 25) dapat 35k sebulan. Jika ini betul, ia sesungguhnya memalukan. Ambil duit rakyat buat bayar gaji besar. Anak saya pun graduate juga. UPSR, PMR, SPM dapat semua A. Umur 24 tahun. Kerja swasta. Dia pun work hard. Balik kerja paling awal jam 9 malam. Kadang-kadang sampai 1 pagi. Gaji dia RM2,700/sebulan. Adakah anak saya akan sokong BN/Umno kalau begini keadaannya? Saya dah tahu jawapannya. Umno tak boleh kelentong orang cerdik. Umno is not capable of changing, not with the current leaders. When more than 50% of our working population is earning less than RM2k/month, tak tahu malu ke mereka-mereka ini. Merompak siang dan malam, 7 hari seminggu. Perompak Ali Baba P Ramli pun ada cuti hujung minggu." Even if we refuse to admit it, the above is an outpouring of bitterness. This kind of anecdotal and very personalized tale of feeling marginalized and alienated reflects the wider bitterness of Malays with Umno. There is nothing that Umno can do about it now. It's a discredited brand. It's synonymous with pillage and plunder, corruption, arrogance that can only be the result of being far too long in power. The 2011 Umno general assembly was an occasion for an orgy of vituperative shouting match. Listening to the maddening speeches by Umno delegates, I am reminded of what Arthur Schopenhauer in his Essays and Aphorisms said: "Every miserable fool who has nothing at all of which he can be proud, adopts as a last resource pride in the nation to which he belongs; he is ready and happy to defend all its faults and follies tooth and nail, thus reimbursing himself for his own inferiority." That is what Umno has become – an inferior good. It is a good that decreases in demand as social awareness increases. Malays in rural areas are not exactly insular in their outlook. They read the papers, understand what's written in between the lines. Their children come back and inform parents. Umno can't fool all the people all the time with its scare mongering tactics. People know. They talk among themselves. They know Umno has become a huge money making juggernaut. The ones making money are the Umno chieftains, cronies, families. Umno operates a giant Ponzi scheme, not dissimilar to Bernard Madoff's multi-level marketing. It can't defend itself on its track record other than reminding people that Umno has done much for the people and country.
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