Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News
Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Neither DAP nor PAS respects Azmin
- Borneo politics moves another notch forward
- A slap in the face for Perkasa’s Malay agenda
- Don: Don’t make same mistake
| Neither DAP nor PAS respects Azmin Posted: 19 Dec 2011 08:50 AM PST PKR must find within its ranks a leader they can trust implicitly. And so I tell Anwar this: "If I know that PAS and DAP will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR, is it not time that you take cognizance of their stand and fall into line with this consensus too?" CT Ali, Free Malaysia Today Last week, I wrote that PKR must ready itself to lead the opposition Pakatan Rakyat with or without Anwar Ibrahim. The operative word I said was "ready itself". There are now within PKR three people who can do this (lead PKR): Azmin Ali, Saifuddin Nasution Ismail and Nurul Izzah Anwar. Three candidates without any common ground between them that would enable them to work together as one for the good of PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. So PKR must choose one. First we talk about Azmin. Azmin is Anwar's choice. I am not going to go into Anwar's reason for doing so because my business is not to second-guess him. My business is to tell Anwar and you all why we should or should not agree with what Anwar wants to do. Remember what I have said before: "Where does our responsibility to Anwar end and our responsibility to PKR and Pakatan start?" It starts when I believe that Anwar has made a decision that will harm PKR and Pakatan. Anwar must defer to views When Anwar chose to endorse Azmin overtly or covertly, then PKR and we will have to decide if what he did was right. My stand is very simple. PAS will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR. DAP will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR. You and I should defer to the wisdom and experience of Tok Guru (Nik Aziz Nik Mat), Abdul Hadi Awang, Lim Kit Siang and Karpal Singh. And so I tell Anwar this: "If I know that PAS and DAP will not accept Azmin as leader of PKR, is it not time that you take cognizance of their stand and fall into line with this consensus too?" "To do otherwise would only harm what you want for PKR and Pakatan Rakyat. It is enough that PAS said in no uncertain terms that Zaid Ibrahim is back within Pakatan Rakyat's fold. Now will they have to tell you that they want Azmin out?" Second comes Saifuddin Saifuddin is a good man loyal to Anwar. What we can hope for is that his loyalty to Anwar will see him do what is best for PKR no matter what his personal preferences are. I doubt that he will have the stomach to immerse himself totally in the cut and thrust of PKR's politics but if push comes to shove, Saifuddin will do what is best for Anwar. And what is best for Anwar is a strong and cohesive PKR! We are now left with Nurul Izzah. And what a choice she is for us! Nurul Izzah is a riot of possibilities. Let's look at her pluses. She carries the goodwill of many of our young people and that of many women in Malaysia with her decision to go into politics. The others will give her room to develop politically and are not overly critical of her too tentative foray into Malaysian politics – but the clock is ticking. Her greatest strength is the potential and promise she exudes to do good in politics. But has she got what it takes to do what her father has done in the face of adversity? Does she have the ability to stand and fight when all is lost and what is left is only belief in yourself to do what you know is right? Will she stand up to Azmin and Saifuddin if they stand in her way? Nurul Izzah is still to be tried and tested in the cut and thrust of politics as it is done in Malaysia.
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| Borneo politics moves another notch forward Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:40 PM PST Most of the media missed the significance of Jeffrey Kitingan's press conference last Friday. The Borneo Alliance would be the third force in the Malaysian Parliament, neither for nor against its two rivals but willing and ready to assist one of them to form the Federal Government. For East Malaysians, there's not much of a choice between BN and Pakatan. It therefore stands to reason that they need to look elsewhere after half a century of Malaysia. Joe Fernandez, Free Malaysia Today Jeffrey Kitingan, true to form, inched his politics forward yet another notch last Friday in Kota Kinabalu. However, the media was too upset to notice anything significant since he didn't announce, as they expected, the formation of a brand new political vehicle that would do battle with both Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat. The rumours had been floating around, even from before Jeffrey quit PKR early this year, that he would head his own party and soon. This would be the only news from Jeffrey that would interest the media. The rest of Jeffrey they can't fathom and prefer not to bother with. One newsman, probably echoing the thoughts of his colleagues, said Jeffrey had "not taken the bull by the horns but indulged in even more political bull than usual". This was one too many vague generalisations even from Jeffrey, they bawled in unison. They had expected a little more meat this time and went away sorely disappointed. Another newsman, the doyen of local reporters, literally demanded that the Friday gathering begin rather than end with the press conference. The organisers gave in and the newsmen left in a huff after the press conference and skipped the speeches and high tea that followed. (It was the first anniversary of Jeffrey's United Borneo Front, UBF.) Many newsmen even swore they would not turn up again if Jeffrey had the temerity to call for another press conference to announce yet another "important political direction". According to them, Jeffrey has made too many announcements of important political directions that turned out to be anti climactic. The truth is somewhere between the two extremes. Jeffery has always been consistent in his politics even as he went through as many parties as he could between 1994 and early this year, beginning with Parti Bersatu Sabah (PBS) and ending with PKR. The emphasis has always been on the struggle for the rights of Sabah and Sarawak under the 1963 Malaysia Agreement. Rivaling BN and Pakatan Once he realised that a particular political vehicle had no intention or was incapable of embracing the agenda, he lost little time in quitting, letting his numerous followers to decide whether to follow him or part company. His exit from any party was sometimes not easy, especially if preceded by a challenge by him, egged on by his supporters, for the number one post or resulting in a permanent state of crisis until he left. Jeffrey has been labelled King of the Frogs for this tendency not to remain for long with any party. He doesn't reject the crown, but has always pointed out that he's "a good frog", whatever that means. He has also lived up to the blood-is-thicker-than-water perception, as underlined last Friday, when he indicated that he would not head a political party as long as his brother, Joseph Pairin Kitingan, remained PBS chief. Even the proposed Parti Cinta Sabah, linked to him since early last year, does not have his name in the line-up. If the media have lost sight of the significance of Friday's press conference, it's because they have allowed wishful thinking on Jeffrey to cloud their judgment. Last Friday was important because it confirmed that the Borneo Alliance would emerge as a rival to both BN and Pakatan. However, don't expect the alliance to be registered anytime soon as "Borneo" is a taboo word with the Registrar of Societies. The Borneo Alliance would be the third force in the Malaysian Parliament, neither for nor against its two rivals but willing and ready to assist one of them to form the Federal Government. For East Malaysians, there's not much of a choice between BN and Pakatan. It therefore stands to reason that they need to look elsewhere after half a century of Malaysia.
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| A slap in the face for Perkasa’s Malay agenda Posted: 18 Dec 2011 03:37 PM PST Withdrawing 'Interlok' from schools is a win-win situation and Perkasa should learn to respect the rights of non Malays instead of whining. Perkasa has got it wrong – it is Interlok author Abdullah Hussain who has insulted the dignity of the Indians and Chinese, so the issue of MIC and Indian votes does not arise. Clearly, all that Perkasa wants and cares about is safeguarding Malay rights, never mind that it makes this movement a buffoon for its nonsensical views. Jeswan Kaur, Free Malaysia Today When Karpal Singh dubbed Malay right-wing group Perkasa's anger and objection to Interlok being removed altogether from the school syllabus as 'weird logic', he was putting it mildly. The truth is Perkasa is angry because it failed to keep the momentum of its 'Malay-agenda' going. That Interlok humiliates the Chinese and Indians and only creates hostility among Malaysians of different racial backgrounds is far from Perkasa's concern. "It's wrong for an extremist organisation like Perkasa to criticise the government's decision to remove Interlok," Karpal had said. The novel which chronicles the lives and struggles of three families – a Malay, Chinese and Indian during pre-independence Malaya was made compulsory reading for Form Five students as part of the Malay Literature subject in Selangor, Kuala Lumpur, Negeri Sembilan and Putrajaya. The novel contains racially offensive words such as 'India Pariah', 'Melayu Malas', 'Cina Kuai', 'perempuan totok', 'babi' and 'syaitan putih'. It sparked an outrage, especially from the Indian community. Interlok was also criticised for portraying unhealthy elements such as pre-marital cohabitation, infidelity, spirit worship, trading in humans. And yet, Perkasa found no reason for Interlok to be removed as a reading subject in schools. Its secretary-general Syed Hasan Syed Ali said the group was very angry with MIC president G Palanivel over the withdrawal of the Form 5 literature text. He expressed Perkasa's disappointment and regret over the government's decision. "The government is too weak and has failed to withstand pressure from a minority group that is big headed. Perkasa is aware of MIC's need to bank on the Indian vote for the GE13. This is very insolent. Because of the Indian vote, the dignity of a Malay writer is being insulted," said Syed Hassan. Such views are far from "weird logic ". They, if anything, are a clear sign that Perkasa has no intention whatsoever of respecting the rights of the non Malays. Unity between rakyat of different racial beliefs is not Perkasa's concern. Perkasa has got it wrong – it is Interlok author Abdullah Hussain who has insulted the dignity of the Indians and Chinese, so the issue of MIC and Indian votes does not arise. Clearly, all that Perkasa wants and cares about is safeguarding Malay rights, never mind that it makes this movement a buffoon for its nonsensical views. Perkasa a threat to 1Malaysia unity Its consistent track record of threatening and insulting non-Malays has made Perkasa a threat where national security and peace are concerned. Ironically, such bigotry and venomous show by Perkasa time and again has never been a concern with the BN government. Should the trend of condemning the other races by Perkasa persists, there is no denying the animosity that is bound to erupt. Intervention has to come fast to put a leash on Ibrahim Ali, the face behind Perkasa who calls the shots which are without fail, injurious to Najib's 1Malaysia unity. It is baffling that an entity like Perkasa has been granted the right to exist, when all it continues to do is to malign the Indians and Chinese. What is stopping Najib from confronting Ibrahim, cautioning him of the harm Perkasa keeps doing through its extremists beliefs. It was Perkasa that labelled election watchdog Bersih 2.0 chairperson S Ambiga as dajal or antichrist when she agreed to officiate the 'Seksualiti Merdeka' festival last month, an event which provided the much needed space to the gay, lesbian, transgender, intersex and queer communities.
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| Posted: 18 Dec 2011 11:41 AM PST 'Failure to include ethnic ties expert on education review panel may have serious consequences' "As far as I know, no expert on ethnic relations is a member of any of the six committees. This neglect on this matter is a real surprise for a society that claims to be 'Malaysia truly Asia'. The expert or experts could have pointed out on what is sensible and sensitive to our multi-ethnic society," he said. Azril Annuar, The Malay Mail THE flames of hate and racial anger over issues such the controversial Interlok novel might once again be resurrected should the government continue to neglect to include ethnic relations experts on its Special Committee to Review Education in Malaysia. Independent Panel on Interlok chairman and Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia's (UKM) Institute of Ethnic Studies director Prof Datuk Dr Shamsul Amri Baharuddin voiced out his concern that the "Interlok incident" might occur again. "The Special Committee to Review Education in Malaysia, appointed last week, is made up mainly of scientists and nonspecialists on ethnic relations. They have popular knowledge but not deep research-based knowledge on ethnic relations," he told The Malay Mail. "Isn't our education system an ethnic-oriented one, with vernacular schools still functioning and alive? I am not surprised if we were to make the same mistake again, like the Interlok episode, when the review was done devoid of research-based knowledge on the dynamics of ethnic relations in Malaysia." Shamsul said there were six zones with different textbooks for secondary school literature, with each zone having its own committee to select and review each textbook. However, he was surprised there were no ethnic relations experts in any of the committees. "As far as I know, no expert on ethnic relations is a member of any of the six committees. This neglect on this matter is a real surprise for a society that claims to be 'Malaysia truly Asia'. The expert or experts could have pointed out on what is sensible and sensitive to our multi-ethnic society," he said. Touching on whether or not politics had taken hold of Malaysian education with the cabinet decision to withdraw the controversial novel, Shamsul said it was not about politics. "This is about being knowledgeable and educated about our own society, with the depth and breadth expected from a society that has 1,700 professors in the public universities. "It is not ignorance but neglect that is the critical issue here, neglect as a result of and informed by the simplistic notion that having 'goodwill' is enough for this multi-ethnic society to survive. We need more than goodwill to survive in the long-term." Asked whether the panel had wasted its time negotiating and discussing the novel as it was going to be withdrawn from the Form Five school syllabus next year, he said "negotiations for peace and stability of the society is never a waste of time". He said the withdrawal meant the selection process of textbooks had been improved. Shamsul also said he was proud of the negotiation process handled by the independent panel as it was resolved amicably, where he witnessed "social cohesion" being alive and functioning in Malaysia. Written by national laureate Abdullah Hussain in 1971, Interlok was made a compulsory Bahasa Malaysia literature text for Form Five students this year. It was criticised for containing material offensive to the Indian community, such as the inclusion of the words kasta pariah. On Friday, MIC deputy president Datuk S. Subramaniam said the cabinet had, in its meeting, decided to withdraw the novel from the school syllabus.
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