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Malaysia Today - Your Source of Independent News |
- Lajim’s new gambit rattling Sabah PKR
- Khalid nudges his way in
- Political politeness
- Tanda Putera director lashes out at critics
| Lajim’s new gambit rattling Sabah PKR Posted: 09 Sep 2012 02:11 PM PDT Sabah MPs Wilfred Bumburing and Lajim Ukin's unusual terms of 'joining' PKR has raised the question and stoked resentment within state PKR. Raymond Tombung, FMT They try to keep it as quiet as possible – to subdue the irritations – but Sabah PKR just can't keep it down. The prevailing discomfort has morphed into serious disagreements and the leaders just can't keep it behind the curtains anymore. Since MPs Wilfred M Bumburing (Tuaran) and Lajim Ukin (Beaufort) and later (Senator) Maijol Mahap, "joined" PKR, several serious consequences have surfaced. First of all, Bumburing and Lajim's unusual terms of "joining" PKR without becoming actual PKR members have raised the question of their real commitment to PKR. Their choice to just affiliate themselves and "borrow" the PKR ticket when the time comes for them to contest in the 13th general election, has made their sincerity questionable. And both have allegedly been promised substantial number of seats (rumoured to be around 17 seats each). PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim, on his part, is delightedly lapping up the media hype, acting like he scored two important goals in his fight with Barisan Nasional. Anwar, the perennial opportunist, can sense making political mileage out of it. The duo had left the BN and invited him to witness their official public declarations, so why not take the golden opportunity to bask in the publicity? And although deep inside he wished the duo had actually joined PKR, they did not and have not todate. It is a smart move on Lajim and Bumburing's part. By coming into the PKR camp without really becoming members, by being pro-PKR or pro-Pakatan Rakyat but remaining independent, these MPs thought they had their cake and could eat it too. They wanted to be able to move about and speak at will without having to get any approval from PKR (read Sabah PKR). In the case of Tuaran, there was no outward clash for positions in the PKR division; Ansari Abdullah continued unthreatened as the division's head. But moving unhindered under Angkatan Perubahan Sabah (APS), Bumburing is harnessing the support from those who were in BN with him while enjoying the ready assurance of the support of the PKR members – a nice way to kill two birds with one stone. Kalakau Untol, previously in an uncomfortable position in Tuaran PKR due to his inability to forge real co-operation with Ansari, has now found his niche and purpose under APS, while still a PKR member. Will Bumburing throw his weight to field Kalakau as the Tuaran MP candidate in the 13th general election? This can only happen if Ansari decides not to re-try his luck in the MP contest this time round. Bacause if he does that, Azmin Ali (PKR deputy president) will surely decide in his favour. But the decision by the defectors not to join PKR was a smart move only to a point. This is because a clash between the duo and the Sabah PKR old guards is unavoidable – they could pretend to ignore the potential fireworks only for a while. Initially, the PKR leaders made comforting self-reassurances that co-operation was being nicely established and the whole arrangement is good for the party, no matter what.
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| Posted: 08 Sep 2012 03:01 PM PDT
Is Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim trying to secure his own political future by positioning his party boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the forefront of Selangor politics? Joceline Tan, The Star THE body language between Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim and his party boss Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has grown warmer of late. The two men have not been the best of friends over the last few years but those who attended the Mentri Besar's Hari Raya open house last month noticed that Khalid was particularly attentive and deferential towards Anwar. Quite a number of people were surprised to see Anwar and PKR president Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail at the receiving line, playing host alongside Khalid. This was essentially Khalid's do but the Mentri Besar was sharing the limelight with Anwar. This has not always been the case because Khalid has had no qualms about showing people that he is in charge in Selangor or that he is more adept at economic matters than Anwar who is the Selangor economic advisor.  Celebrity look: Khalid and Anwar (second and third from left) sporting snazzy sunglasses as they welcome guests at the Mentri Besar's recent Hari Raya open house at the state government complex together with Dr Xavier (left), Dr Wan Azizah and assemblywoman Elizabeth Wong. They even sported identical-looking sunglasses as they stood in the bright sunshine in the compound of the state government complex. The dark glasses were quite ironic because both politicians apparently had lasik treatment so that they could improve eye contact with people. Generally, dark glasses are a big no-no for politicians because it makes them look aloof and removed from ordinary folk, but it did give the pair a certain celebrity look. It is evident that Khalid has been trying to get on the good side of Anwar to the extent of inviting him as the VIP guest and to address the crowd at the Selangor Merdeka eve parade on Aug 30. With the general election widely expected in November, Pakatan also wanted to elevate Anwar's profile to remind voters that he is their candidate for prime minister. But it has since become a political issue and opinion out there has been deeply polarised over whether the state should have given the Penang-born Anwar such a prominent role. The state government scrambled to do damage control after the outcry over why Anwar, who is not Selangor-born nor a wakil Rakyat in the state, should have been up there addressing the gathering. The fact that the Selangor palace saw fit to comment only made it more awkward for the state government. Merdeka Day has never been this political or contentious. Some attributed it to the fact that this year's celebration coincided with a blue moon, a phenomenon where there is a second full moon in a month. Strange things do happen on a full moon, what more a blue moon. Pakatan leaders had accused the Barisan Nasional of playing politics over the Merdeka Day theme of Janji Ditepati. But they have been no less political: at the Selangor affair, Anwar had begun his speech by urging for fair and clean elections before proceeding to talk about national unity.  Mohd Zin: Concerned about the signal being sent out about the role of the palace. Patriotic events are always about loyalty to king and country. Hence, they are rarely complete without a sovereign figure up there. The Sultan not being there is one thing but to have Anwar there alongside the Mentri Besar did not go down well with many people. "I suppose they put him there to show that they rejected the federal government's national day celebration. They wanted to show their power in Selangor and allow people a peek at the future if Pakatan wins Putrajaya. It was their way of saying that politicians will play a bigger role than at present. But they shot themselves in the foot. Why give the Barisan a chance to attack and why antagonise the palace?" publisher Datuk A. Kadir Jasin pointed out. Or as state Barisan coordinator Datuk Seri Mohd Zin Mohamed put it: "What kind of signal are they sending out about the role of the palace?"  Nik Aziz: Wondered if trouble-makers at demonstration were possessed by evil spirits. On top of that, the police and military excused themselves from the parade pleading logistics issues. But for days after the event, rumours were rife that the two bodies withdrew because they did not want to have to salute Anwar. PKR assemblyman and state exco member Dr Xavier Jayakumar called a press conference a few days later to defend the State's action. He said Pakatan Rakyat was democratically elected and could invite anyone to speak at the Merdeka event. Datuk Seri Hadi Awang of PAS and DAP's Lim Kit Siang were also invited but could not attend. Dr Xavier is perfectly right to say that the ruling coalition can invite whomever it wants but given the fallout, inviting Anwar may not have been the wisest thing to do.  Khusrin: Fingers pointed at him when things went wrong over the Merdeka parade. "This is a very formal and official occasion but I suspect that some of them think it is like another ceramah," said restaurateur Juhaidi Yean Abdullah. Some have suggested that it was mooted largely by Khalid who looked like he was having a great time that night, especially when he called out "Merdeka!" at the stroke of midnight. It was Anwar who seemed a little unsure of himself, as though he felt out of place in the Selangor setting. Campaign bus Khalid definitely eclipsed his rival and Selangor PKR chief Azmin Ali that evening. The MB calls the shots on such occasions and Azmin looked like a bit player in the Merdeka tableau. There has been endless talk that Khalid is on the way out but it looks like the man is fighting to stay on by currying favour with Anwar who will have the biggest and last say on candidates and seats. Last month, PKR launched a campaign bus, a refurbished double-decker that is said to have cost RM500,000. Khalid paid for it out of his own pocket and it is for Anwar to use in his country-wide campaign. Both sides of the bus are screen-painted with big portraits of a smiling and handsome Anwar. It was a big gesture on the part of Khalid who is a multi-millionaire but is famous for being tight-fisted with money. The bus can seat 19 people, has a conference area, Wi-Fi, top quality public address system and a stage that folds out from the baggage compartment. But the best part about this bus has got to be the two high-end massage chairs for tired bodies. All that must have catapulted Khalid into the good books of Anwar. Khalid is evidently not as naive as he has been made out to be. For instance, he knows that the Sultan does not look kindly on street protests. Just recently, the Tuanku advised Selangoreans going on the Haj or umrah not to tarnish the country's image by holding demonstrations in the Holy Land. It was a hint of the royal figure's opinion of street protests. It is no coincidence that all those Bersih protests have not been allowed in his state. But Pakatan is in danger of making protests the centrepiece of their governing tactic. When they won in five states, there was not a word about dirty elections but now that they are not sure of holding on to those five states, they are accusing their opponents of rigging the elections. After more than four years in power, Pakatan is in danger of being associated with street politics rather than the new politics they had promised. The last two big street protests have damaged rather than won them fans among the Malaysian middle ground. The recent Merdeka eve march organised by the Bersih group of people was largely peaceful but the string of unfortunate incidents – people waving an "alternative flag", the stomping and mooning of pictures of the Prime Minister – has again hurt Pakatan. It was not a very Malaysian thing to do, and because it happened at what was basically an anti-Barisan demonstration, the incidents, rightly or wrongly, became associated with Pakatan. Utusan Malaysia frontpaged the photographs of every single culprit from the group, from the duo happily waving the "alternative flag" to the boy with the now most famous butt in the country. Pakatan politicians were quick to point the finger at Barisan saboteurs but the political alignments all seem to point to Pakatan parties. The person behind the "alternative flag" turned out to be none other than Najwan Halimi, the deputy information chief of PKR's Youth wing. Najwan, 26, works as an aide to Anwar and was a defence witness in Anwar's sodomy trial. He admitted to having designed the flag in 2007. The female stomper, a glamorous model, turned up at the police station in Johor Baru accompanied by DAP MP for Bakri Er Teck Hwa. Pakatan leaders have since distanced themselves from the acts but only Datuk Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat came down hard on the culprits, saying that Malays and Muslim should not do such shameful acts. "Maybe those involved were possessed by evil spirits. Why should we change the flag, it has been accepted by the world. I really regret that this happened," said the Kelantan Mentri Besar. The incidents had eclipsed the larger purpose of the demonstration. It was similar to what happened at the Republican convention in the United States – there were many interesting speeches but at the end of it, the most talked about part was the rambling and incoherent debut by Hollywood actor Clint Eastwood. Some Malay nationalists have wondered why Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak does not react to such provocation. There is a very simple answer to that. Najib knows that he has secured the Malay ground and that the traditional supporters have returned to Barisan. His focus is now on the middle ground, a group of people who are not aligned to either side and who will vote according to issues, candidates and situations. Incidents like these will impact this group most of all. Najib is adopting a very shrewd approach to win the middle ground. Khalid has been anxious to sort out the fiasco over his state's Merdeka do. Fingers had been pointed at state secretary Datuk Mohd Khusrin Munawi when things went wrong but Khalid has cleared the top civil servant's name. He also claimed that Anwar attended the event not as the "guest of honour" but as a "guest speaker". Some thought it rather unbecoming to downsize a VIP guest in this manner and that Khalid should have stood his ground. Khalid has secured his place in his party's list of election candidates. But his coalition is still struggling to secure its hold over Selangor and his jazzed-up campaign bus may find that the GPS may not have the roadmap to Putrajaya.
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| Posted: 06 Sep 2012 03:31 PM PDT
Culture and courtesy are under attack by youthful ignorance IGNORANCE is far too often the cause of much unnecessary grief among young people and their hapless parents. The barely adult, rebels without causes and spoiling for one in a peaceful and prosperous country like Malaysia, are easy targets for less-than-responsible politicians. That some supporters of the so-called "Janji Demokrasi" gathering on the eve of Merdeka Day were reported to the police for public displays of offensive behaviour that could lead to a public disturbance suggests that many have no real sense of the importance of constructs intended as embodiments of national sovereignty and identity -- an insult to which is punishable by law. National emblems fall within this category, and all nations go to great lengths to cherish and protect them.The National Emblems (Control of Display) Act 1949 defines a national emblem as "any flag, banner or other emblem... of any state... or any likeness or resemblance however reproduced of any national leader or former national leader of any state or the leader or former leader of... political organisation(s)". What the act does is to regulate and safeguard the public use of these emblems. Though the punishment of offenders is not severe, its writ is large and includes the power of arrest without warrant. A reasonable cause to believe that an offence under the act is being committed can be considered evidence enough. Unfortunately, how many of our compatriots know this? To many, a flag is more decoration than symbol of national dignity. This is borne out by the many faded and tattered Jalur Gemilang left to litter public spaces. But this casualness is different from the dishonour of replacing or equating the national pennant with something else. The insult alleged to have happened at the same gathering to pictures of the prime minister and his wife is also demonstrative of the infantile nature of political discourse in the country. After all, we do not wish any of us to be so profaned, so why would we wish it on our leaders? Since the 2008 general election, Malaysians have been treated to astonishing spectacles of incivility. Politicians have been happily photographed stepping on the posters of their foes. Such immaturity cannot be a good thing given that politics consists of the serious business of deciding what is best for the greater good. Every voter must participate and party manifestos, speeches and door-to-door campaigning are the given methods of persuasion. Why then this recent rush to offensive and sometimes violent expressions of protest? Why this sudden descent to barbarism? This is not how Malaysians should conduct their politics and exercise their democratic rights. |
| Tanda Putera director lashes out at critics Posted: 05 Sep 2012 02:06 PM PDT Shuhaimi Baba speaks to FMT in a brief e-mail interview about her upcoming controversial film that will depict the May 13 bloody race riots. Teoh El Sen, FMT Filmmaker Shuhaimi Baba has declared that she is open to a debate to discuss her latest controversial movie "Tanda Putera", provided that such talks be held after the movie is screened. The award-winning director, whose movie retells the story of Malaysia's second prime minister, the late Tun Abdul Razak Hussein, and deputy prime minister, the late Tun Dr Ismail Abdul Rahman, amid the bloody May 13, 1969 race riots, said in an e-mail to FMT that she would not mind sharing views as long as it was done in a "mature" manner. The director, who has received open scorn from critics lately, has also called on all Malaysians to just "cool it", stressing that she and her crew have put in a lot of love into their work and are not about "peddling hatred and propaganda". Even before it has hit the silver screen, Shuhaimi's movie, which is now re-scheduled to be screened on Nov 15, has been criticised for allegedly providing only a one-sided view of history. Shuhaimi had denied accusations that the movie promoted a pro-Malay agenda. She also had to douse accusations that it featured a character based on DAP leader Lim Kit Siang in a negative light. Another controversial aspect of the movie was that the RM4.8 million cost was fully funded by the National Film Development Corporation (Finas) and the Multimedia Development Corporation (Mdec), with questions raised over whether a movie that did not gel with the "official version" would receive such support. The film, according to critics, demonises early leftist movements, with its trailer allegedly showing scenes of Chinese groups marching through the streets of Kuala Lumpur city after the success of the opposition parties in municipal elections carrying the Labour Party flag and other banners bearing anti-Malay slogans. However, despite all the "unexpected and upsetting" response she has received, Shuhaimi maintained that she has done her legwork. "I looked as far back as confrontation to understand the deep psychological resentments at that time until May13. But the catalysts were – the 'hooliganism' – the choice of words and insults thrown at the Malays, the over-the-top celebration by the opposition parties. "The movie is not about judging and blaming any side in particular. Touchy as it may be, we needed to drive home the point of the trauma of May 13 (that we should not let it happen again) and how Tun Razak and Tun Ismail succeeded in making the country overcome the trauma and forget May 13. The movie sets out to do that as we share the journey taken by the two heroes," she said. Tanda Putera – rated PG13 – stars Rusdi Ramli (Tun Abdul Razak), Faezah Elai (Toh Puan Rahah), Zizan Nin (Tun Dr Ismail) and Linda Hashim (Toh Puan Norashikin). The film, a joint production by Pesona Pictures together with Finas and Mdec, tells the story about the friendship of the two national leaders and their struggles in healing the nation after the riots. Below are excerpts from the e-mail communiqué: FMT: Firstly, the meaning behind the title "Tanda Putera", if you could elaborate more on the choice of words? Shuhaimi: Tanda Putera means "Mark of a Leader". This is the closest my team of writers and I could draw from our original title "Incurable Hero". It was written for a documentary drama in English. However, after several friends read the documentary script , they convinced us to do justice by writing it as a screenplay and a feature-length movie. The thought was scary at first, the amount of research, detailing and design work and most of all the budget needed gave me sleepless nights. But then after going through several material, I thought: 'Yes, why not? The two heroes deserve this tribute'. Could you share with us your feelings so far, are you perturbed by the controversy the movie had courted? Controversy, well, I think it comes with the territory. You know, it's only the movies after all! Expect anything in film-making – there are always issues to deal with. There was my first horror film 'Pontianak Harum Sundal Malam' – after 30 years of horror films being banned. But I went ahead and it opened doors for the industry. There's also the first feature-length movie on local folk lore 'waris jari hantu', the tigerman and the boy-girl character (hermaphrodite). They were contentious and controversial – only because the ideas were fresh and unexplored . But the 'restless' and 'opinionated' [ones] settled down anyway and cinema goers accepted the film. So yes, I didn't expect the May13 scenes to go through without the usual noise. But I didn't expect the attention from people who don't watch local movies. They have no idea what movie-going culture is about and rant over the movie trailer! Aiyooo… what to say. Attention from politicians are much worse, I can say that much. Their reasoning is simply: 'See it my way or no way'. I have a team of young people managing the Facebook for the movie and it turned into a 'battleground'! I had to keep reminding the admin team to keep their cool and it was tough for them to manage the racial slurs and hate-mongers. But you know, like other times, I told them these are people who need to get things off their chest and they will tire. I briefed them on the background of the country's history especially from Konfrontasi onwards so that they are confident and they know what they are up against. Other than the threats, obscene language, racial slurs and hatred – I think although it was very unexpected and upsetting – we managed to calm everyone down reminding them this is nothing, we must deal with it as cool as possible. Why was this movie being done? What prompted you to take up the challenge of such a touchy topic? Difficult question. But I will try to answer. Malaysia was the only country in a unique dangerous situation – where the prime minister and deputy PM were facing critical illness at the same time – in a critical fragile situation. Their brave sacrifices needed to be told. It captured my imagination – I believe it would 'capture' others too. It's only touchy if you don't respect someone else's views and creative expression. When I first read Dr Kua (Kia Soong's) book, I thought what came out first and shining through was his prejudices against Malays and his resentment against the office of the prime minister then. His accusations – alluding to who was responsible for May 13- that is, Tun Razak, was not only atrocious but irresponsible. But then he knows that, I am sure, since he's more intelligent than most men, and he does it for effect and propaganda and to rile up Chinese sentiments. It was too easy for him. As a writer, he preferred to be biased and did not shed any light on the riots but even considered the communists had nothing to do with it.
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