Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Jangan tadbir kerajaan seperti mengurus khairat kematian
- Azalina’s hidden agenda
- Shahrizat's back on track
- While wishing Malaysia “Happy Birthday”...
- The Malaysian malaise
| Jangan tadbir kerajaan seperti mengurus khairat kematian Posted: 14 Sep 2013 01:53 PM PDT  DAP telah gagal untuk membuktikan yang parti itu adalah 'multiracial' dalam PRU yang lalu. Yang nyata parti itu tetap parti Cina dan jangan ada yang menafikannya. DAP tidak boleh menyorok di sebalik telunjuk atau disebalik pelita yang terang. Aspan Alias BN khususnya UMNO perlu kembali kepada asas (basic) politik sebenarnya yang telah membezakan kejayaan dahulu dengan kegagalannya sekarang ini. Tidak munasabah tidak ada kelainannya jika tidak ada perbezaan dahulu dan sekarang. Jika ia sama seperti dahulu masakan sekarang keadaan rakyat tidak seindah dahulu. Benar, lain dahulu lain sekarang, dan keadaan berbeza tetapi asas perjuangannya jangan sekali-kali berubah. Ia mesti berdasarkan kepada menjaga perpaduan kaum dan mengisi kemerdekaan negara dengan pembangunan rakyatnya secara menyeluruh yang berpandukan kepada budaya dan identiti negara dan rakyat yang kukuh. Tetapi faktor penyebab kenapa dahulu kita berjaya perlu diperkaya dan diperkuatkan, itu merupakan tuntutan zaman dan waktunya. Sebenarya budaya kehidupan termasuk budaya politik merupakan faktor yang terpenting. Apabila perubahan kepada budaya itu berlaku maka kita semua harus bertanggungjawab dengan perbezaan dengan dahulu itu, kerana itu adalah hasil dari perbuatan dan perlakuan kita sendiri. Hidup ini termasuk politik mesti mempunyai nilai dan 'virtues' yang selari dengan keadaan rakyat dan dalam kes negara kita ini, budaya itulah yang difahami dengan baik oleh pemimpin-pemimpin dahulu seperti Onn Jaafar, Tunku Abdul Rahman, Razak dan Hussein. Asas kita bersatu diantara semua kaum contohnya, ia terlandas kepada asas yang sangat sempit dan tidak boleh dianjak dan dialih dengan mudah jika kita mahu perpaduan itu terus menerus wujud dan mengamankan kehidupan kita semua. Tetapi oleh kerana kita dipimpin oleh seorang atau kumpulan pemimpin yang kononnya hendak melakukan semua perkara semasa pemerintahannya, maka isu moral dan nilai serta adab dan adat yang ada kepada kita diketepikan maka kita terimalah badainya sekarang ini. Setiap kaum dan bangsa ada adat dan cara hidupnya sendiri. Bermula dari kepimpinan lapan puluhan, semuanya ini telah diubah diatas nama kemajuan dan kemodenan. Kita hilangkan identiti kita sendiri. Menganjak dan mengalih 'paradigm' yang dilakukan oleh Mahathir dahulu memulakan perbezaan keadaan siasah negara kita. Mengalih dan menganjak budaya siasah kita itu telah menghilangkan segala sahsiah politik kita dan ia telah menjadikan rakyat lupa kepada nilai dan 'virtues' yang baik yang ada dikalangan bangsa-bangsa dinegara ini. Jika kita baca dan lihat Bab3 Perlembagaan parti pemerintah UMNO itu pun tidak terlaksana. Dalam Bab itu telah nyata ditulis yang budaya rakyat mestilah budaya keperbilangan kaum yang berteraskan kepada kebudayaan Melayu. Malahan pemimpin-pemimpin besar pun ada yang belum pun terbaca Bab ini dan tidak pun memahami kandungan Perlembagaan parti yang telah menjadikan masing-masing pemimpin yang bernama dan bergelar. Itu sebenarnya penyakit yang dihadapi oleh siasah negara kita hasil dari peralihan 'paradigm' yang sangat sensitif itu. Maka wujudlah masalah dalam mana kerajaan terpaksa melakukan tindakan tanpa perancangan dan tindakan mereka selalu dilakukan secara 'ad hoc'. Masalah tidak diselesaikan dengan perancangan yang betul. Pembayaran BRIM, bayaran 'one offs' kepada beberapa sektor awam itu semua tindakan 'ad hoc' tanpa perancangan tersusun. Semuanya ini merupakan tindakan menghilangkan sakit tetapi tidak pernah berusaha menghilangkan penyakit yang menghinggapi negara. Semuanya tidak terancang sehinggakan terpaksa memujuk kaum India dengan berbelanja puluhan dan ratusan juta ringgit untuk sekolah Tamil dan berbagai-bagai lagi dorongan untuk kaum India. Begitu juga dengan sekolah jenis kebangsaan Cina yang disogok dengan pemberian dan peruntukan secara 'ad hoc' semata-mata kerana hendak membeli jiwa dan raga kaum Cina dalam setiap pilihanraya. Berbelanja secara 'impulsive' ini membebankan rakyat. Jumlahnya berbillion-billion ringgit. Kita bernasib baik kerana kita ada Petronas yang ditubuhkan oleh pimpinan masa dulu yang sentiasa dijadikan sumber kewangan bagi kerajaan berbelanja seperti membelanjakan wang datok nenek mereka sendiri. Selain dari itu sumber wang rakyat yang lain seperti KWSP dan KWAP (Kumpulan Wang Amanah Pencen) dan yang lain-lain terpaksa menjadi bahan gadaian untuk kepentingan politik parti yang kian hari kian lemah. Sumber kekayaan dari Petronas itu jika ada di negara Scandinavia atau negara Eropah yang lain kita tidak dapat bayangkan bagaimana kemajuan negara-negara tersebut. Tanpa sumber asli seperti minyak itu pun negara-negara tersebut telah menjadi negara yang mempunyai pe kapita pendapat yang lebih tinggi dari negara G8 sendiri. Disebaliknya disebalik kekayaan yang kita ada kita masih ketinggalan dengan banyak negara, waimma dari negara-negara jiran kita sendiri. Cara Najib dan barisan pimpinannya berbelanja tidak memerlukan orang yang cerdas. Sesiapa yang diberikan kuasa seperti itu boleh berbelanja. Bak kata setengah orang, 'nothing to shout about'. Pengurusan kerajaan bukannya seperti pengurusan khairat kematian. Bagi Najib, wang yang dibelanjakan itu bukannya wang beliau, tetapi wang itu adalah wang rakyat. Kerana apa keadaan ini berlaku? Jawapannya kerana mereka bukannya 'planners' atau perancang yang berkemampuan. Itu sebab semuanya dilakukan kerana kepentingan politik peribadi dan kepartian masing-masing. Apabila negara di urus secara tidak tersusun dan baik, maka wujud kesan sampingan seperti rasuah dan penyalahgunaan kuasa yang berterusan tanpa had. Di tambah pula dengan kefakiran jiwa kepimpinan itu maka rasuah menjadi cara hidup dan siasah negara. Politik menjadi kacau bilau dan parti-parti politik yang mana sekali pun tidak dapat diyakini. Kekeruhan perhubungan diantara kaum semakin menjadi-jadi dan polarisasi kaum bertambah nyata. Tidak ada satu kaum pun mempunyai rasa percaya dan mempercayai diantara satu dengan lain. |
| Posted: 14 Sep 2013 01:46 PM PDT
The fact that Najib is willing to make Azalina the head of a GLC says it all. It has never been Najib's concern that his cronies are ill-experienced to head an organisation. Jeswan Kaur, FMT On Aug 22 former Puteri Umno head Azalina Othman Said announced that she was contesting the Wanita Umno chief post as she wanted to rejuvenate the movement. "This is in line with Umno president (Datuk Seri) Najib Tun Razak's drive to transform and revitalise Umno. "If elected, I plan to bring some changes and approaches to the Wanita wing as I don't want to see a tsunami of young people against Umno in the 14th general election. "The party's polls this time around is a healthy competition to ensure that Umno remains relevant to the Malays," Azalina had said after being interviewed on BernamaTV's Hello Malaysia programme. She added that Umno needed new leaders to guide the younger generation to embrace the party's struggles. Azalina, the Pengerang MP and Umno division chief even rebutted claims that her intention to contest could cause a split in the party. "Only those who are afraid and have lost faith and self confidence are negative when faced with a challenge," said on a Faecbook posting on Aug 21, responding to claims by Shahrizat's supporters that a contest for the No 1 post would disunite members. Shahrizat had wrestled the Umno Wanita top post from her one-time boss Rafidah Aziz in 2009. But 20 days after Azalina spoke of 'rejuvenating' Wanita Umno, the lawyer-turned-politician made an about turn, saying she was backing out of the coming Wanita Umno race. The reason? A government-linked-company (GLC) top post carrot dangled by premier Najib in return for Shahrizat staying put as the Women Umno head. Azalina's hidden agenda On the Facebook page "Azalina Othman Said for Wanita UMNO", set up in July this year presumably in conjunction with her contest bid, Azalina, the former Youth and Sports Minister said she made her decision from the "advice" she received. "Kpd semua kawan2, keputusan atas dinasihati. Tq," she wrote. (Translation: To all my friends, decision made as advised. Thank you) The so-called 'advice' was actually an offer by Najib for Azalina to head a GLC in lieu of her refusal to take Shahrizat on for the Wanita Umno top post. Not only that, Azalina it seems would also be gunning for an Umno supreme council post. A lucrative GLC deal compared to the run-of-the-mill Umno politics – the shrewd Azalina chose the obvious. It is apparent that Azalina was never truly interested in rejuvenating or resuscitating Wanita Umno. She however was more interested in bringing Shahrizat down and working her way back into the folds of Putrajaya. Had the 'fate' of Wanita Umno been Azalina's agenda, she would have been appalled at the offer made by Najib for her to forgo her desire to challenge Shahrizat in return for an advantageous GLC deal. Claims by Azalina supporters that she is a party loyalist and has Umno's best interest at heart is simply gibberish, going by the fact that Azalina did not bat an eye in welcoming the pact devised by Najib. If it was all about achieving a personal agenda, Azalina should not go about feigning care for the party. And neither should any other politician display a similar superficial concern for Umno and reflect disappointment over Azalina's decision not to compete against Shahrizat. Najib might assume he is on a win-win situation by having 'thwarted' Azalina's plan to challenge Shahrizat but the premier forgets that the rakyat stands witness to all his machiavellian ways. |
| Posted: 14 Sep 2013 09:55 AM PDT
Shahrizat's support from the Wanita grassroots also opened the eyes of the men to a new phenomenon – the days when the male division chiefs could compel the Wanita heads in their division to vote for the Wanita leader whom the men preferred are over. The women have finally come into their own. Joceline Tan, The Star DATUK Seri Shahrizat Jalil must have been aware of the chatter among her women supporters since early this week.The ladies have been all aflutter over the news that Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said was pulling out of the contest for the Wanita Umno leadership. News about Azalina's change of heart broke on Monday and Shahrizat may be on the way to retaining the top post uncontested. The Wanita Umno leader was in a chatty mood when The Star arrived at her house for a scheduled interview on Wednesday. She seemed prepared to talk about almost everything except the Azalina development. Her response when pressed about it was cool, to say the least. Shahrizat is a seasoned politician and she was not going to be drawn into a premature discussion of what may or may not happen. Whether Azalina is in or out will be confirmed on Sept 21 when those vying for posts in the Wanita, Pemuda and Puteri wings of Umno file their papers. Until then, Shahrizat is taking a wait-and-see stance. Shahrizat was dressed in a simple silk top and white pantaloons. Her hour-glass figure is still holding up great although she turned 60 last month. Her press secretary Eikmal Rizal Ripin and her long-time aide Rose sat in at the interview. Rose is actually her aunt although they are like sisters. She is very protective about Shahrizat and watches over her like a mother hen. Shahrizat has regained her centre of gravity now that the worst of the storm over the National Feedlot Centre or NFC issue has passed. Her appointment as adviser to the Prime Minister on women entrepreneurship and professional development has brought added purpose to her role as Wanita chief. She is brimming with ideas and plans about what she wants to do in her new post and, a day earlier, she had invited several women NGO figures to her house for discussions. But it is Shahrizat's role or rather grip over Wanita Umno that fascinates those in Umno. The Umno men have been asking each other: How on earth does she do it? Umno members were upset with Shahrizat when the NFC issue erupted but they admit that the lady has emerged stronger than before. She is arguably one of the most powerful figures in the party today. It is also ironic that Azalina's attempt to topple her has instead resulted in reinforcing Shahrizat's clout in the Wanita wing. Some of the Umno men had initially thought that Azalina had a fighting chance but the notion quickly fizzled out when it became clear that the majority of the women were staunchly behind the woman whom they know simply as "Kak Ijat". Shahrizat's support from the Wanita grassroots also opened the eyes of the men to a new phenomenon – the days when the male division chiefs could compel the Wanita heads in their division to vote for the Wanita leader whom the men preferred are over. The women have finally come into their own. Actually, Shahrizat's charismatic hold over the Wanita wing was already on full display at the special Wanita gathering at the PWTC last year, shortly after the NFC issue broke out. Everyone, including Umno president Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, was stunned not only by the way the women packed the three halls at PWTC but by their emotional outpouring for Shahrizat. There was electricity in the air and, looking back, Shahrizat admitted that she was as flabbergasted as everyone. "I think all those women knew what I was going through. They felt for me," she said. The thing is that even when she was down, she stayed loyal and continued to work hard for the party. Bukit Bintang Wanita chief Mariany Mohd Yit who was with Shahrizat during the general election campaign had this to say: "Everywhere she went, the women came out in force. She went down, she worked very hard." A journalist who was looking through some of Shahrizat's tweets realised that she was everywhere in the weeks leading to the general election and throughout the campaign. "She didn't get much press coverage after losing her minister job. But did you know she was in Lahad Datu when Parliament was dissolved? After that, she was in remote places in Sabah and Sarawak," said the journalist. She could not be there for the graduation of her only daughter Izzana Salleh because of the election campaign. Izzana, or Yana as she is known, graduated with an MBA from the Imperial College London on May 1. Shahrizat had tweeted: "Yana, you r graduating now and I can't join you. Lump in my throat." Another tweet followed moments later: "I had to miss your graduation. I love your pix. MBA Imperial young woman, Alhamdulilah." Izzana is no spoilt brat despite her privileged upbringing. At a previous interview at their home, Izzana was the one who moved about serving food and clearing plates. Her mother only had to tap on her empty glass and Izzana would jump to her feet to fill up the glass. Lack of support Azalina's camp has portrayed her backing out as the action of a party loyalist who does not wish to cause a split. But everyone knows that the Pengerang MP and former Puteri leader was staring defeat in the face. "It is better to withdraw than to lose. Azalina has been going around all the states. Surely she knows she does not have support," said Pahang Wanita chief Datuk Rosni Zahari. Several of Shahrizat's supporters are openly scornful of the withdrawal. Kedah Wanita chief Datuk Maznah Hamid was quoted in a leading Malay daily as urging Azalina not to withdraw but to fight on. It was her attempt at being sarcastic and ironic. Unfortunately, the reporter took it rather too literally and the comment came across as support for the challenger. Poor Maznah was bombarded by calls from her Wanita friends and she had to make another statement in the same Malay daily, this time minus the sarcasm. "I wanted to tell her that if she still does not know how the ground feels, she should go ahead and find out by contesting. I wanted her to contest, to lose and keep quiet for three years," said Maznah. There is speculation that the Umno president had personally asked Azalina to reconsider her bid for the Wanita post. He is said to have told her that Umno needs to consolidate after a bruising general election and that she has a role in the party even if she does not contest. Azalina's willingess to compromise also stems from her desire to preserve her legacy as the founding leader of Puteri Umno. Getting crushed in the Wanita contest would diminish her early success. Azalina is also said to have had a secret pow-wow with Shahrizat during which Shahrizat is said to have indicated that this may be her last term as Wanita chief. Sources from Azalina's camp have since suggested that Azalina should be "rewarded" with an appointed post in the women's wing for pulling out and that she could be the next Wanita information head. Her supporters have even suggested that she is the "future face" of Wanita Umno but that is another three years down the road – and that is a long time in politics. During the interview, Shahrizat simply could not be pinned down on what sort of role Azalina could play in the Wanita wing. The question was asked six times in six different ways and she side-stepped it in as many times. But the point is that Shahrizat is negotiating from a position of strength – she is the incumbent and she has support from the women. It is for Azalina to ask and for Shahrizat to agree or disagree. Shahrizat's grassroots support stems from the fact that she has made real effort to push for legislation that defend and promote the interests of women. In her time, she has been able to translate government policies on women into programmes and action. Within the party, she has set up the political infrastructure for the Wanita members on the ground. She ensures that the women have resources and funds to run political activities and carry out programmes. For instance, if she sent down laptops for the women leaders at the division level, she would also send people to coach the women on how to use the computers. She was also keen to clear the air on opportunities for Puteri girls after they graduate into the Wanita wing. She rattled off names of ex-Puteri politicians who had been successfully incorporated into positions in the senior wing. She often reminds her ladies that, "Puteri adalah anak kita, bukan madu kita". She wants her ladies to nurture the Puteri girls like their own daughters rather than as "madu" or honey, an innuendo for second wife or rival. "They will not be sidelined but things cannot come on a silver platter. They have to work for it, to compete. We senior ladies built the highway, the younger ones will drive the vehicle," she said. The women's overwhelming support for Shahrizat's re-election has been an important part of her recovery from what she calls her "family tragedy" aka the NFC issue. It is only now that she is able to talk about that dark period when she felt the world crashing around her. Asked which was the lowest point of that period, she said it was the day she accompanied her husband to court to face charges and her eldest son stood up to post bail for his father. Many people had noted her remarkable composure throughout the family's problems. She said she "carried the tears in my heart" and allowed the tears to flow only when she was alone in the bathroom or when everyone had gone to sleep. "I accept my fate," she said. She said recently that it is all those women in Wanita Umno who have helped her to smile again. "Getting support from my Wanita ladies is like getting the cake. The support from the top leaders is the icing on the cake," she said. The journey continues for Shahrizat. |
| While wishing Malaysia “Happy Birthday”... Posted: 14 Sep 2013 09:52 AM PDT
Do we want a Malaysia which is "is truly worthy of the aims and hopes we have shared" or a Malaysia with endless hatred, bigotry, bickering and fractiousness? Art Harun, TMI On August 28, 1963, Martin Luther King Jr, among others, led a civil rights march on Washington for "jobs and freedom". There, he delivered his famous "I have a dream" speech, saying he was there to "cash a cheque" for "Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness." He spoke of an America where his children "will not be judged by the colour of their skin but by the content of their character". He concluded: "And when this happens, when we allow freedom to ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, 'Free at last, free at last. Thank God Almighty, we are free at last'." Nineteen days later, our father of independence, Tunku Abdul Rahman, stood before a nation and said: "Now finally, the peoples of Malaysia are celebrating the establishment of Malaysia. This is the time to think earnestly and hopefully on the future of Malaysia as the whole country resounds with joy. "So I pray that God may bless the nation of Malaysia with eternal peace and happiness for our people. "The Federation of Malaya now passes into history. Let us always remember that the Malayan Nation was formed after many difficulties during a long period of national Emergency, yet its multi-racial society emerged, endured and survived as a successful and progressive nation, a true democracy and an example to the world of harmony and tolerance. "As it was with Malaya, so it can be with Malaysia. With trust in Almighty God, unity of purpose and faith in ourselves, we can make Malaysia a land of prosperity and peace. "In doing so, let every Malaysian in all the States of Malaya, Singapore, Sarawak and Sabah ensure that our Malaysia is truly worthy of the aims and hopes we have shared, the trials and stress, we have endured, in working together to achieve our common destiny. "MERDEKA! MALAYSIA!" Both of them were great men. Both shared a dream. While King dreamed of a day "when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands", the Tunku recognised that Malaysia's "multi-racial society emerged, endured and survived as a successful and progressive nation" and he wished for a Malaysia that "is truly worthy of the aims and hopes we have shared". Fifty years on and now America has a black president. Unfortunately, Malaysia is still grappling with the "ownership" of the word "Allah"; which race should get more or less; which institute of higher learning should be restricted to which race; who should be empowered to determine the religion of a child and the likes. We should not, however, forget that Malaysia is only 50 years old while America is 237 years old. In terms of nation-states, Malaysia is but a small kid in pre-school. The greatness of any country is not measured by the absence of crisis but, in my opinion, by how the country rises from a crisis to become better, stronger and wiser. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/while-wishing-malaysia-happy-birthday |
| Posted: 14 Sep 2013 09:49 AM PDT
The Barisan Nasional government uses subsidies as a tool to make people dependent on them – a form of crass populism. Aerie Rahman, MMO Have you ever been to Brunei? I find it to be an eclectic blend between Kelantan and Putrajaya. From the airport to the city centre, Islamic billboards are many – emphasising the Islamic character of the nation. Swanky government buildings scream of modernity, like those in Putrajaya. The government edifices appear anachronistic next to the private buildings that seem to be frozen in the 70s. The same goes for oil rich Arab nations. Artificial cities like Doha and Abu Dhabi emerge from the middle of the desert, akin to some grandiose oasis. These countries all share a certain commonality in the sense that they are petro-dictatorships. The same could be said about Venezuela, Iran, and Russia which have vast oil reserves. I consider them dysfunctional democracies. Is oil a poison to democracy? No taxation without representation While eating at a KFC outlet in Brunei, I noticed that on the receipt there was no tax charge. Apparently in Brunei nobody pays any tax. In Qatar, citizens who are mostly Arab Qataris lead well-subsidised lives – all due to winning the geographical lottery of oil being situated under their feet. Nevertheless, because people from petro-dictatorships hardly pay any taxes, their demands (if any) for some sort of democratic representation lacks any moral weight. The dictator can simply point to the benefits trickled down to the people to justify his legitimacy. There is enough largesse for all, even for the excesses of leaders. When the Arab Spring gained traction, it was impoverished and oil deficient Arab countries that were badly affected. Petro-dictatorships simply poured in more oil money to silence any form of dissent. If someone petitions to offer to pay taxes for some modicum of representation, he would look foolish. The dictator would just use the petition as toilet paper. To appease the masses, petro-dictatorships spend tons of cash on infrastructure. The exterior of the nation is beautified to demonstrate that the money is channelled properly. Subsidies are increased in order to bribe the people. The trade-off for this populism is, unfortunately, democratic institutions and values. You don't need money to have representation and accountability. All you need is the will to do so. But money funnelled to bribe citizens and quell dissent – by funding the burgeoned security apparatus – is a recipe for an enduring dictatorship. The relationship between the ruler and the ruled is highly distorted because of oil. Despite citizens of petro-dictatorships being able to afford education in Western liberal democracies, these values are not internalised because once back in their home nations they have no space, desire or moral authority to demand for elections. They will be perceived as ungrateful (tak bersyukur) to the benevolent dictator if they demand for change. Sounds familiar? Read more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/opinion/aerie-rahman/article/the-malaysian-malaise |
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