Since the last general election, the party that has gained the most is , unlike what many people thought, not PKR, but rather PAS.
The nonMalay voters used to view PAS as dangerous and fanatical, what with the constant reminder by main stream media that this is a party out to form an Islamic state and that advocates implementation of the hudud.
Time and again, not matter how dissatisfied these nonMalay voters were against UMNO and BN component parties, when it came to voting, they would still vote UMNO and the component parties. As the saying goes: “It is always better to deal with the devils we are familair with than to vote for something that is unknown”..
After MArch 8, this perception against PAS has drastically changed. Non Malays have no qualm to vote for PAS now, as seen in the recent Bukit Gantang by election.
Does this mean that Non Malay will continue support PAS?
At the present moment, based on the sentiments from the ground, the Malay votes are split, with slight advantage to UMNO.. maybe in the region of 53 to 47%. However, 80% of the Chinese votes are now for opposition (and most of these will have no qualm to vote for PAS), with about 65% of Indian votes supporting the opposition. What this means is that if this level of support does not change, BN will find itself losing power comes the next general election.
The support for PAS is not due to NonMalay suddenly embracing the ideas of an Islamic State . Many who supported PAS have expressed the feeling that things cannot be worse than now, so even an unknown entity is now better than the devil, so to speak.. SO the support for PAS is basically because the nonMalays yearn for a change .
PAS knows that its rebranding as a National Party has a lot to do with NonMalay support. WIthout this support, it cannot hope to become a party with National appeal. . And this support is given because people want a change.
Now, the president and the deputy president of PAS are talking about forming a unity government with UMNO. IS this what their Non Malay supporters want?
What is a unity government anyway? In my mind, it will be like what happened after May 13, when the Alliance gave way to Barisan Nasional, and in the process, opposition parties like PMIP (the present PAS), Gerakan, PPP and parties in East Malaysia, all became part of the coalition partners inside BN ..The BN then was a form of unity government, but as time went on, the concept of the unity government gave way to become a coalition in which one party towers over all the other component parties.
What followed the formation of BN was that opposition voices were weakened, and a dominant party had surfaced. This dominance was translated to an almost absolute power . As we all know, absolute power corrupts . That is what brought us to the present state we are facing : mediocrity in almost all fields including the judiciary and tertiary institutions, increasing polarisation, loss of transparency and accountability, loss of excellence , corruption, abuse of power and so on.
The good thing about 308 is that a rudimentary 2-coalition system has taken shape. No matter how imperfect this 2 party system is, it is still a better system of check and balance. Even those in BN have acknowledged that this will be good for the country in the long run. As an example, even Khairy has mentioned that personally he was happy that a 2 party system has resulted from the last election (refer to his interview in Malaysiakini). Those in BN should not feel bad about this 2 party phenomenon. In a way, if BN loses the next round, it will pave the revival and true reform of BN as in the case of Kuomintang of Taiwan. Partisan politics aside, a 2 party system is good for the country and the rakyat in the long run.
PAS’s leadership should understand that the support from the NonMalays for PAS is not a certainty, rather this support needs to be earned. This support can only be earned if the party supports a 2 party system that most nonMalays now yearn for..
This article is carried in Malaysian Insider as well as Malaysian Bar.
Dr. Hsu's forum 
Jun 08, 2009 @ 18:04:46
PAS should know conservative Islamic stance on many issues have no standing today, where the majority of the voters are getting younger. Liberalism (in terms of many aspects) is slowly gaining in our society and fundamental human rights should be of utmost importance to everyone, and should not be subject to Islamic interpretation. For example, what one wears is one’s business (subject to the views and norms of that particular society), and not subject to religious involvement.
If the PAS Muktamar were any indication of what the future of that party holds, I am sure non-Muslims, and many non-Malay will not support it. Banning SIS and teaching Science and Mathematics in Malay – those motions have to be some sort of a joke. Worse, those motions either come from, or are seconded by supposed liberal leaders like Nizar Jamaluddin and Khalid Samad.
Honestly, I am disappointed with both the leaders and the party.
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Jun 08, 2009 @ 19:53:58
I M CONFUSED
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Jun 08, 2009 @ 21:07:35
My UMNO friend is very happy with the PAS general meeting. In Many ways, UMNO will gain the benefit.
1. Unity govt with Pas – UMNO will dominate with the Malay votes
2. No unity govt – UMNO will gain the upper hand with a split and weaker PAS. A weaker Pas that is leaned to the conservative will break Pakatan.
Either way, UMNO is happy. The only losers are PAS, Pakatan. Divide and conquer is still the best strategy.
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Jun 08, 2009 @ 21:30:29
It is not hard to imagine who has the means to disrupt formation of 2-party political landscape in Malaysia. Non-Malaysia can see better.
“The means”, means power, money & political tools. Politicians, puppets without morality are everywhere succumbing to “the means”. They are happening before 2 years tenure is up….
It can be a case of so near and yet so far for Malaysia if the happening not being arrested by Pakatan Rakyat. The stake is too high now….
Religious ? So what if have no morality, no conscience……Morality is not important?
who makan cili, who rasa pedas.
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Jun 08, 2009 @ 22:59:52
monk,
Human failed to solve problem
or missed the chance to solve problem
never mind, divine intervention can
if human cannot
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Jun 08, 2009 @ 23:13:32
http://thinkorbeeaten.blogspot.com/2009/05/its-something-else-entirely.html
The Difference Between Leadership and Domination
It is commonplace to refer to our dearly elected as leaders. But are they leaders? Who or what do they lead? Using the word in the strict sense of going first while everyone else follows, our elected officialdom consistently takes the country in the wrong direction; away from where the people who live and work here, by vast majority, want to go.
That is not leadership. It is something else entirely.
I think it’s important to define leadership and understand its purpose. I have some strong ideas on leadership and what a leader is. I offer them to you for your perusal and consideration. If you find that you agree with my take on what a leader is and what they are supposed to do, then you can decide for yourself what our dearly elected in Washington D.C. are actually up to. You may come to the same conclusion that I have, that they are not by any stretch “leaders”.
There is an easily discerned line between leaders and tyrants. It would do us well to know the difference.
The main role of leadership is to help people get where they want to go. Leadership is specifically about individuals. It challenges individuals to think in new ways and to try to achieve things they don’t believe they can achieve. Leadership is coaching. It is guidance. It is experience and wisdom. Leadership is never about the leaders because the end goal of good leaders is to become useless; to no longer be needed by others in order to achieve their goals. Leaders empower others.
The main goal of dominators/controllers is to get people to go where they themselves want to go and do what they themselves want done. Nothing is done for the benefit of the individuals they control, in fact those being controlled give much more than they receive in return. Domination and control is all about the dominators and controllers. Individuals become irrelevant when they are controlled or dominated. Domination is undemocratic. There is rigidity in thought and action and a tendency to focus on the letter of the law as opposed to the spirit of the law. Domination and control is about hierarchy and illegitimate power over others. Dominators use others for their own ends. Dominators and controllers jobs are never done because people will always need to be controlled or they’ll be something other than what the dominators want them to be. Dominators disempower others.
Leaders don’t tell people what to do, or what to think. Leaders are not controllers, dominators or enforcers. We have different words for all those things because they are not the same things, they are different. Leadership may at times encompass certain elements of these other things but it will never be fully comprised of them, else leaders cease being leaders and become controllers, dominators or enforcers. If that happens it should be clear that leadership has nothing to do with it, and it becomes something else entirely.
Leaders are first and foremost guides. Facilitators. Enablers who help others get where they want to go. Leadership is about management, but management that is intensely people focused and very personal. Leadership is specifically about people; it is guiding people out of their own way to help them realize themselves. When it’s done right, individuals are empowered and armed to go forth and use the best of themselves to full capacity. When it’s done wrong, individuals are controlled and dominated down to being what their “leaders” demand, usually at the cost of individuality and critical thinking, as well as personal dignity, creativity, power, and choice.
There is a world of difference between domination and leadership.
Dominators/controllers do tell people what to do and what to think. They’ll have slogans and posters to reinforce required thoughts and desired opinions. Dominators confine and subordinate extraneous creativity and intellect. They are threatened by critical thought and questioning and will seek to silence these things and crush the people who do them, often quite brutally. Dissenters are minimized and ridiculed. Dissent is punished.
Dominators insist there is only one way of seeing and doing things, which is 100% unquestioningly their way. Dominators demand loyalty and do not respect individual will. Dominators demand total submission and revile anything that deters from the conformity and adherence to rules they demand.
When leaders see hidden potential they work to encourage its development. Leaders encourage critical thought and questioning, trying to expand the self-limiting thinking most people have and take it beyond the imposed mental boundaries that exist nowhere in reality but in beliefs and perceptions. Leaders say there are many ways to do things, but right ways and wrong ways and the right way is better, and they can explain why. Leaders know that no two people are alike.
Leaders who have power use it to clear immovable obstacles out of the paths of those that look to them for guidance. When those without power cannot move the boulders out of their own paths, leaders will use their legitimate power to move it for them and get them back on their desired paths. The use of power to control or dominate others, to force submission, to instill fear, to create dependence or to demand obedience is the misuse of power. Legitimate power is used to help others who are weaker. Illegitimate power is used against weaker others to benefit those who are strong. Legitimate power is not about getting your own way. Illegitimate power is only about getting your own way, often at any cost to others.
Leaders take personal and direct responsibility for their actions. Power without responsibility is tyranny, which is precisely what we have in government and much of officialdom today. An important element of legitimate power is that those who make decisions that affect others lives take full responsibility for those decisions. If mistakes are made or harm is done as a result of their actions or decisions it can be defined and corrected and steps can be taken to assist and recompense those who were harmed. Without absolute responsibility attached to power, people get hurt, often seriously and there is nothing to be done about it by law.
Legitimate power is never used to force others to serve or obey those in power. Legitimate power serves those who are unable to exact justice or instigate necessary change for themselves. Legitimate power helps people out of their myriad prisons and ruts and shows them how to use what they’ve got to become independent and strong.
Domination/control reduces people to nothing, to powerlessness, and refuses to hear their voices. Illegitimate power separates itself from others. It isolates and exists in privacy. It is not transparent. It explains nothing. It constructs enormous self protective boundaries around itself while concurrently stripping away all protective boundaries from those they control. Dominators usually hold double standards giving all good to themselves and projecting all negatives onto those they dominate and control and those they see as threats. Illegitimate power never cleans up its own messes. It expects to be waited on hand and foot. It asserts that what it extracts from others is due and owed and those it is extracted from must give over or be punished. Disagreement is punished. Dissent is silenced. Facts are obfuscated. Truth is censored. Obedience is required.
Illegitimate power removes alternatives, coerces choices, diminishes possibilities, and in so doing corrupts justice and denies human dignity. Illegitimate power is wholly self excusing but falsely proclaims the guilt of others, even without any semblance of proof. Illegitimate power is hypocritical and brutal, deceptive and expensive, unjust and offensive. Illegitimate power is unaccountable and unreasonable. It does not bow to common sense. It is spoiled and self-obsessed. It cannot be trusted. It is cowardly and demands special treatment and special privileges that are never extended to others. It feeds on others, and it is insatiable. It will feed on others to their deaths.
Good leadership empowers people to think and act for themselves. Good leadership explains and exemplifies good ethics and moral behavior. Leaders are role models. They know they will be emulated and they seek to do and be their personal best. A good leader is not a hypocrite and does not play favorites. Leaders earn trust while controllers simply demand it.
Leaders empower others. Because leadership is very much about setting people free from things that prevent them from reaching their potential, when necessary, as it often is, leaders literally must give people “permission” to loose those bindings and become the strong capable beings they really are. By and large, people who are used to being dominated, controlled and coerced into compromised positions in order to receive a necessary benefit are unable to release themselves from externally defined and demanded boundaries. They need someone else whom they perceive as an equal to their dominators to give them permission to be free. Once that is done it can elevate people to full capacity. Once permission is embraced, further permission is no longer needed and indeed, may be passed on to others.
The goal of good leaders is to make themselves useless. When leaders are no longer needed because those who have looked to their leadership are fully empowered and capable of handling whatever comes their way, the leaders are free to go on to new challenges and do the same for a new group of people. Good leadership produces tangible, measurable results
.
Individuals who look to that leadership know they are better off, stronger, more comfortable with themselves and the world they live in. They will see things differently, meaning seeing a bigger picture. They will feel better off and will often acknowledge and appreciate the good leadership that changed their lives. Things do change for the better under the guidance of good leadership. Change for the worse comes from the lack of good leadership, not due to the presence of it.
Leaders are motivators. The best skills of leaders aren’t necessarily taught, they are human and real. Leaders understand others or at least seek to understand them. Leaders care about people. Leaders correct others without insulting or belittling them, they positively motivate others out of erroneous thinking and behavior. It requires tremendous personal commitment and involvement to be a good leader. Above all it requires selflessness.
I don’t think we see much selflessness out of Washington D.C. On the contrary. That place is a raging cesspit swimming with narcissists, thieves and liars, abusers, cronies, and dark dealers. They play to enrich themselves and we get passed the bill for all their partying.
Observing the behaviors that have become standard operating procedure in the hallowed halls of government, one should be struck by the utter lack of selflessness and true guidance and leadership there is. In fact, the few solo voices that stand up and make a case for common sense or benefiting the public instead of the private interests of those who lobby them brings on an automatic cold shoulder and an instant rejection from the corrupted herd behavior and self centered parasitic feasting on public funds and abuse of the citizenry in literally every avenue across the board that is the status quo amongst our dearly elected.
Politicians are liars first and foremost. I’m sorry if that offends anyone but it’s not a news flash. “Lying politicians” is a term that’s been with us for a very long time. We should expect politicians to be liars. They are successful because they are such compelling orators, they can sell themselves as completely believable and trustworthy because they are salesmen and that is their product. They are unequaled at saying what people want to hear. They are unrivaled at coming up with reasonable sounding excuses for consistently failing to bring home the things that people most want and need, the things that people have always wanted and needed. The perceived battle of politics is that it is so hard to bring about the needed changes that will finally, after hundreds of years, lift all people out of poverty and lead them to self sufficiency. That particular ruse has been worn threadbare after so many years of us paying through the nose and getting nothing back for it. It would not be that hard to achieve the right things but it is impossible to achieve the right things when that’s not the goal. What is consistently achieved is exactly the opposite. That’s what our elected achievers consistently achieve.
Leadership doesn’t give people bread it teaches them how to grow the grain and make the flour and bake the bread themselves. That is the last thing this government wants. It wants a dependent populace. It needs a dominated populace of loyalists, of non-thinking, non-questioning obedient submissive children who will swallow every lie and calmly take every abuse, theft and indignation without complaint. That is what modern patriotism amounts to. Blindness, deafness and dumbness. Servility. Cheer leading for your side even though you always lose and they always win at your expense.
Dominators have the skill to get inside people’s minds and make them feel good about being abused, make them believe that sometimes governments have to lie to get “the job done”, and all other manners and styles of making people look at something but see it as something else. That’s not leadership. That’s not even moral. It’s very scary stuff. It’s also status quo.
I’ve wondered a lot lately why so many people want to be dominated, because they do. The people of our country, inclusive of both the left and right, in a very sweeping general sense, seem to me to represent a division between those who prefer leadership and those who want to be dominated. At first glance it may seem that there is no common ground here so this rent in the populace can never be mended. If you look again though, there is still a firm bit of common ground.
That common ground is the desire to do right and be right. It is inherent in most of us I believe, that we want to do the right things. If we stop and think about what we do, we can always ask ourselves, regardless of the specifics of any given situation or moment, is this the right thing or the wrong thing for me to do? We can do that whether we prefer to be individual thinkers or followers of a dominant personality. Right and wrong still exists no matter what we believe.
Identifying what is right is half the battle. Rejecting what is wrong is the other half. And therein lies the ultimate continuing struggle, the battle that is within every one of us and always has been and always will be. Shall we do right or shall we do wrong? Which will we choose and why? If our appetites over rule our desire to be better human beings we will dismiss what is needed for what is wanted. We will behave badly, immorally, to others in order to satisfy our wants and egos, our selfishness and greed, our racism, narcissism, aggression, and desire for revenge. We will take sides as if life was a team sport and lose our own dignity and purpose. We will dilute ourselves down to a common mind and seek to meld ourselves into the team logos we root for and tell ourselves we are right when we’ve never honestly stopped to think about whether that’s true or false. Right becomes something that is asserted, something that we can contrive or define ourselves, and that’s simply not possible. Right is right and wrong is wrong already. It is very much a natural law, just like gravity is a natural law. You can’t defy gravity, and you can’t sell wrong as right for too long. When we embrace officially provided definitions of right and wrong instead of locating the truth of what is right or wrong for ourselves, we will without fail be led to wrong that is called right. The consequences of that cannot be escaped. Or denied. We live in a time when the consequences of many decades of lies have empowered thousands upon thousands of team sport motivated non-thinking status quo promoting gas bags to gorge their own appetites to public detriment and poison our environment to near collapse and our public morality into a clueless decomposing corpse.
We are war mongers and hypocrites from the top down. Motivated by personal gain, incapable of respecting others, demanding loyalty and obedience. When we see something we want we take it by force, even when force is not necessary. We behave like giant scary infants who think of nothing but themselves, and don’t grasp the concept of tomorrow or of cause and effect. Like infants we are totally self obsessed and self centered, expecting everyone to see to our every whim and want and do it now. And when we don’t get what we want we have destructive tantrums and seek vengeance. We want to teach lessons to those who don’t instantly give us our every demand.
The people who set the direction of this country don’t have a clue what leadership is. I’m not even convinced they’re adults sometimes. I wouldn’t bet that they retain concepts in their heads of right and wrong. Indeed, in the cesspool of big government, reality is what they say it is. They’ve said so in their own words.
Surely anyone with a functional brain knows that we don’t decide reality, it is what it is regardless of us. Ignoring truths is not the same as solving problems. Pretending things are okay when they’re not is a rigged contest of selling lies to get more for ourselves.
Can compassion win out over greed? Can respect and tolerance take the place of ignorance and violence? With good leadership it certainly could be that way. With good leadership we could go about anywhere and achieve limitless possibilities. I have to conclude that what we have passing as leadership for this country is in fact the exact opposite of leadership. It is anti-leadership. It is un-American. It is against individual power and dignity, and demands submissive obedience. It extracts more than it gives back. That which is us is being systemically minimized and disempowered while that which is them is being enlarged and hyper empowered, defying common sense and in blatant contradiction to their stated reasons for being there in those positions.
We now work for them. On their terms. Our wants and needs don’t matter. They want our money and demand our compliance. If they say starve we’re supposed to lay down and starve. When bankers predate us to death, they tell us to lay down and die. When police drive Army tanks down our city streets, electrocute us with “compliance” devices, snap our necks in holding cells and beat us to death, they tell us that is protecting us and to lay down and take it. I see a pattern here. To those at the top there is one answer for everything. Death.
If you are poor, die.
If you are sick and can’t afford medicine or a doctor, then die.
If you need an education but can’t purchase it, die.
If you need help, die.
If you are weak, die.
So that I can be happy and prosperous, you must die.
That’s not leadership. But it’s what they’re giving us and telling us to love it.
Ultimately, leadership is service. It is unselfish. It is never about the leader or serving the leader but about the leader skillfully, effectively showing those who follow him the way to get where they want to go. Leaders don’t have to be cuddly or warm and fuzzy but they must be moral and ethical and fair. They must be generous people who do care about every person under their responsible leadership and they must honestly desire to give each of those people something of real value that will make them stronger people, equipped with knowledge and philosophies that will carry on the good foundational values the leader possesses and lives by. Leading by example is the real thing. “Do what I say but not what I do” is not valid, at least not in adult settings and certainly never in political settings. Leaders are not superiors and whatever authority they have should be given them out of respect and voluntarily. Leaders operate from respect and really good leaders make everything they do and everywhere they go better somehow. People honestly love good leaders and learn a great deal from them that empowers them and makes their own personal lives better.
With that in mind, how close do you think our dearly elected, or our whole system for that matter, measures up? Not so good, huh? That leaves an obvious question to ask. If our elected officials aren’t really leaders, then what the hell are they and what are they doing and why? What do we have here? If it’s not all about us, and it’s not, then why would we want it? It’s supposed to be there for us, it’s supposed to be us. It only exists because we’re here. The way they’re doing it they’ve made clear that the first priority is covering their own asses and generously taking care of themselves. We rarely enter the picture and every time we do all hell breaks loose. Just asking for what’s rightfully ours brings on a balls out cat fight. Clearly the status quo likes things the way they are and they’ll defend it with all they’ve got; and they have way more than we have. Why shouldn’t they like it. The way it’s set up is that they benefit and we pay for it and get as little as they can get away with giving us back for it.
The shame of the congress giving itself magnificent raises and lifetime benefits while at the same time excusing themselves from raising the minimum wage year after year after year frames the truth of this picture. Food stamps for the hungry are hyped as the dishonest ploy of lazy, immoral people who want something for nothing; while corporate welfare in the hundreds of billions of dollars to the most profitable wealthy corporations in the world is not a ploy of lazy, dishonest, immoral people who want something for nothing by the truckload; that’s good. Sure it is. If you’re the corporation. If you’re anyone else it’s a blatant breathtaking rip off.
Which in essence, at least in my humble opinion, is exactly what our hulking, expensive, closed circle of privately owned and operated for profit government has become, a rip off. That’s not nearly as much of a news flash as it used to be but I doubt anyone’s made the case with as much to back it up as I just did from the perspective of an ordinary person. Let’s stop slathering our dearly elected with unearned compliments that only serve to further spread the myth that what they do is actually “leadership”. It’s not. It’s something else entirely.
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Jun 08, 2009 @ 23:20:12
If PAS thinks that their gains at the last GE is because of a major shift in the voters support, whether Malays or non-malays, they are probably in for a big surprise. One must not forget that many voters voted opposition ( especially PAS) because they just wanted to vote against UMNO/BN, not that they supported PAS and its ideology. As most of the seats were straight fights between BN and a PR candidates, voters do not have a choice on the side of the opposition.
Should PAS decide to work with UMNO/BN, then PAS will surely know that they will not enjoy the “support” as they did in 2008.
PKR and DAP must think carefully if the same 2008 GE arrangement will lead to PAS betraying the PR coalition. With the direction that PAS intend to take, I think PR should drop PAS from the coalition and put up a candidate in every seat that PAS will contest, or at least where there is a chance that the voters may wish to support PR, but not PAS. Give the voters another choice other than PAS!
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 01:56:00
60 questions which need truthful answers.
http://romerz.blogspot.com/2009/06/60-questions-which-need-truthful.html
Ps. Don’t worry doc, I still know what is right from wrong despite abandoning your party and taking up arms with DAP!
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 09:27:24
The so-called ‘unity government’ proposal is a devious trap for PAS by Umno. If certain PAS leaders cannot see through its subterfuge, their party will lose voters’ support at the next GE. They are being seduced by the promise of power and tribal ties to forsake their PR brothers and their grassroots supporters. Where does 1Malaysia fit into all this ethnic and religious profiling? Do BN-Umno leaders and power brokers ever share anything unless they have to? Do these PAS leaders have such short memories of Umno hypocrisy? Can they abandon their conscience so easily? We are watching and waiting.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 10:43:02
What we should do is withdraw support for PR and PAS in Perak and in Manik Urai – Kelantan. There is little actual damage by doing so, except morale.
The purpose is to drive home the point that PAS has to drive the talibans into the background. This is to give support to the moderates in PAS.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 10:44:48
Will BN lose power in the next general elections?
The answer is dependent on a complex mix of interrelated factors of which PAS is just one. Please read my article at Hornbill Unleashed which comes in 3 parts due to its length.
http://hornbillunleashed.wordpress.com/
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 11:00:36
Kenny. Very good piece of analysis and writing. Thanks for sharing.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 11:27:05
Kenny,
Thanks for the link. Indeed a very good analysis.
🙂
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 13:01:53
Kenny,
I like this part of your analysis,
“But even if Umno understands what the youth of today wants, it is doubtful that they can do anything about it. To put an end to the massive corruption that is their trademark, is like asking a drug addict to voluntarily stop taking drugs. To repair damaged institutions like the police, the Attorney-General’s Office, the judiciary, the MACC, the Election Commission and the press would directly threaten their hold on power. In these days of a resurgent opposition, abusing the institutions to protect the political masters, is seen as even more crucial to their continued wellbeing.”
To me, the word “Malay” has be manipulated to the maximum by Umno so to paint a picture where Malay and non-Malay cannot come together to achieve common objectives that benefit all races, and to create jealousy between both groups of rakyat.
This kind of perception have shifted somehow as we see in 308 GE, even though, according to Kenny’s analysis, Malay swing against BN is only 5%. Umno in all these years, succeeded in creating the word “Malay” into a word that is “sensitive” for non-Malay. Any mention of the word becomes a taboo to many people and in a way, resulted in divisive line between Malay and non-Malay.
With the emergence of internet and alternative source of information, this taboo getting thinner day by day, and resulted in playing racial sentiments more difficult to achieve. But, to be fair to our Malay friends, maybe we should mention Umnoputras and non-Umnoputras, as from what I know, many Malays do not want to have anything to do with Umno, like what we see in the recently concluded PAS Assembly.
What we, non-Umnoputras aspire to see is policies that can benefit all rakyat. Is this so hard to do on your part, Umno?
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 13:40:44
Hee, hee Cilipadi,
Human in the first place CREATED the problem. It is not the mosquito, not the animals, not you or me or Kim, but the POLITICIANS. There are politicians in TAKBOLEHLAND than true leaders.
Look at the “Chow Mei Fun” (fried kwee teow wanita chief of MCA) or DAP Tony Pua called her the “longkang MP”. Always shouting “Taliban, Taliban” to scare Malsysians over the recent controversy of Unity Talks over the PAS AGM.
She had “no balls” scolding UMNO for wanting to work with PAS but had the “balls??” scolding DAP when the Opposition had an electoral understanding with PAS. We all remember!
Since she is chicken, dare not scold UMNO, so she accused PAS being Taliban.
Maybe MCA or UMNO should send her to Taliban Land for a course, then she can really confirm whether PAS is Taliban or not. Just because non-Malay reporters were asked to wear head scarfs, Chow Mei Fun issued a hundred press release to condemn PAS.
So Cilipadi, what problem? If you go to a Muslim house and you see your host don’t wear shoes inside the house, do you as a guest defy that and insisted to wear shoes entering? If you are requested, do you scold your host and label them Taliban?
So who created the problem?
monk
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 13:57:55
Just thinking aloud. Given the scenerio Intellectual vs Ulama in PAS… will it lead to a possible breakaway by PAS intellectual forming a party of their own ????
I for one do not trust the ulama and ulterior motive if any.
Time to do some hard thinking.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 14:28:30
Sometimes one cannot blame the mca idiots for picking on DAP. In my view DAP has a more stable outlook and more estabished in their ideals as compared to mca.
Similarly of the 3 in PR, DAP is also the most stable but unfortunately the prostitute HEE came along to pour some shit on the party.
They the mca have to find balls to undermine DAP….rightly the mca wanita chief has no balls otherwise how is she going to service umno goons….for a laugh
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 14:41:47
monk,
Someone said, embrace, not tolerate
This someone can try embrace this MCA lady first…
Embrace means no more talk to PAS, can?
Some humans like to create problem, then try to solve it… like nothing better to do?
Fried kwee teow without cilipadi, nice?
siapa makan cili, dia rasa pedas
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 14:52:37
Dr Hsu. Any news on Huan’s show cause letter case?
Malaysia kini reported:
Gerakan veep will not jump ship’
Humayun Kabir | Jun 9, 09 12:37pm
Despite the widespread speculation, Perak Gerakan does not believe that disgruntled party vice-president Huan Cheng Guan will cross over to PKR.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 15:10:54
klm,
from what i know , he has no yet submitted his letter. For those who know better (eg Huan himself), correct me if I am wrong.
He still got time to do so. If he got valid reasons, and if some of the senior members spoke on his behalf, I think he will most probably remain.
That is my personal view.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 16:49:10
Dear Dr. Hsu,
I am very supprise by this
if “HCG got valid reasons, and if some of the senior members spoke on his behalf, I think he will most probably remain.”
So much demages he have done to Gerakan in the pass two weeks and he is still allow to remain?
Not even a say three years membership suspension for him? An example or precedent need to be set here!
过路客
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 16:58:28
SOrry,I think you are putting words into my mouth.
when I say he will most probably remain, it does not mean that the party would not give out any punishment. I only speculate that if he has valid reasons to defend himself,or there are mitigating factors, then he will probably not be expelled but most probably he will be punished, maybe with a suspension, who Knows?
ANd when I say he will most probably remain, again this is my speculation, since i am not Huan and I have absolutely no communication with him. I speculate only on his ties with UMNO and certain members of the party , which will probably make him think twice to leave the party. Afterall, he is still an elected VP..
When I said he will remain in the party,i mean that he probably ‘wants’ to remain, if the party does not expel him…
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 17:21:36
Thank you for your compliment Dr. Hsu. There’s more to come. In a later part I discuss Umno reaching out to PAS and what an Umno-PAS pact means. Strangely, such a pact will benefit PR and hence unlikely to happen but the danger comes tangentially. Don’t miss it.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 17:31:05
Thanks to klm and a True Malaysian also.
True Malaysian, Umno has manipulated public opinion via the mass media but this is ineffective now as they have practically lost control of the flow of information. As you can see it is now very difficult to give different messages to different races through the vernacular press. Whatever is published in Utusan also gets spread around.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 17:54:37
Kenny,
You are most welcome.
The thing the scared most is being deserted by non-Umnoputra. I can tell from reading blogs, that this in fact is happening. That is why they try to capitalise on issue of Unity Government with PAS. I doubt they will succeed. PAS is on reverse gear as per what reported in Malaysiakini.
What is going to happen if Umnoputra deserted also? It is anyone guesses.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 18:39:45
In a nutshell, the political culture of “divide and rule” by UMNOputra leadership is breaking down and within component parties, the “herd” mentality (cow, goat or sheep population of members) is also eroding.
But not good enough, the bacteria disease of the “herd” mentality is still there, given the “election results” shown by both the BN and Opposition parties, electing lesser leaders (i.e. Gerakan, MCA, UMNO and PAS) in particular.
Somehow, I don’t see much wisdom in the delegates so far.
monk
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 21:02:08
Kenny
You are welcome. You did a good job.
As for UMNOputra, not so long ago and not much publicity given, Rais Yatim talked about money politics in UMNO and that it was controlled by businessmen.
If businessmen are in control of UMNO, then the govt is serving these businessmen. The question is who are these businessmen. Rules and regulations are made to serve these people.
One of the scenario played around before was the Underground buying influence. What better way than for them to buy UMNO delegates? Did this happen. Probably yes.
Similarly, other businessmen of other shades and races can and will the same.
So UMNO election is not just for the Malay.
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Jun 09, 2009 @ 23:46:46
PKFZ forum tomorrow at 8pm at Chinese Assembly Hall. Speakers include Captain Yusof Ahmad (Former pilot superintendent of Port Klang Port Authority and pioneer general manager.
Lim Kit Siang
Tony Pua etc
Theme: Will heads roll?
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 00:36:47
Dear Dr. Hsu,
Very sorry Dr., maybe what I wanna say is not very clear to you…
You know lah with the standard of english that the teachers are teaching in our school nowadays, english gramma also not teach one lah… It is time the government stop issuing the SPM cert. to student who do not pass the SPM English paper with a at least a credit ( oh ya ah, that SPM English paper must be at least equal in standard to the cambridge O level paper).
What my little question on HCG is that after he announced very loudly in the mainstream media that he will quite the party in 3 weeks ( and why he need the 3 weeks ? ) if the party do not change and attack the Penang State leadership on just a small little government allocated position, he still allowed to remain in the party if NOW he wishes to remain, then a bad presedent will be set for Gerakan… It is fair to the rest of Gerakan members?? Yes, he is an elected VP, so what?
过路客
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 08:01:43
Read my comment again:
“If he got valid reasons, and if some of the senior members spoke on his behalf, I think he will most probably remain.
That is my personal view.”
At no time in my first comment, did I mention that the party would not or should not take actiona gainst him. The party i believe will certainly punish, most likely a suspension. (again this is my speculation, based on my opbservation of the leadership, but my view can be wrong).
How you deduce that the party would not punish him from my personal view I cannot understand….
ANyway, this will be decided by CWC , the mangem
ent committee in the party.
You can of course voice out to the leadership what they should do.. It is up to you to recommend..
And I have mentioned above, I do not know this person well, I do not know what is his motive, but from what i gather based on my observation, this type of person with close ties to the establishemnt would not leave BN so easily..So it is up to you and your people to recommend expulsion from the party if you think he should not remain..
And if you know how I view money politics and UMNO-centric leaders, you will know my personl feelings against this type of politicians… SOmetimes when we draw figures, we do not have to draw the intestines…DO we?
……………..
Having said so, I think it is important for any committee that decides on punishment to look at the facts and issues of the case itself (the merits of the case itself), and we must cast personal feeling aside.
We must judge a case on its merits or demerits and not on whether we like that person or dislike that person, or that person is an UMNO lackey or so on., or that person is a friend or foe… everyone must have the basic right to defend himself against any charge.
If some times a murderer can have his sentence reduced because of certain mitigating factors, then the same consideration MUST be given to all people being charged, whether it is in judicial court, opinion court or any committees for that matter.
If offenses can be mitigated according to circumstances, then we must not prejudge anyone before hearing his side of the whole story, before hearing any circumstancial evidence that he may have. This is fairness, and our party ideology is about fairness.
Aren’t you already passing the death sentence before even hearing the defence, from what you implied?
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 12:11:49
Dr Hsu,
Huan Cheng Guan looks like not going to resign. That’s what he told NST and seems a lot of people ask him to remain in the party.
Do you think it is good for him to remain in Gerakan?
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Wednesday/National/2578600/Article/index_html
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 12:12:19
Dr. Hsu,
The mismatches that I was commenting about is now an issue now.
http://malaysiakini.com/news/106147
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 12:28:53
Dr Hsu,
just read Malaysiakini and found that PKR is going to reduce the age limit of the youth section from 40 to 35 yrs old.
Do you think that is right?
But then, looking back at Gerakan, youth can go up to 45 yrs old and sometimes more if they already hold position.
http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/106151
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 12:52:27
I like to throw my 2 sen worth in the discussion on the Huan fella. My view is purely from power play and strategy. I personally do not know Huan or how how Gerakan works inside. But ambitious and power hungry people alway behave the same way throughout history.
1. My argument from the beginning was that he would not leave Gerakan. That was a gambit. (A maneuver, stratagem, or ploy, especially one used at an initial stage)
2. His objective – Gerakan President . Nothing else is worthwhile of this kind of move.
3. He is testing his strength and probing the weak points of the current leaders.
4. If he gathers strength, he will mount an attack in KTK in the next election.
Then Gerakan will become UMNO troops.
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 13:01:19
a Gerakan member. The limit of the age for youth wing should be below 30. I dont understand why Gerakan have somebody 45 heading the youth wing.
No wonder Gerakan and BN cannot win the new voters. They cannot understand what the young people are concerned about. The point here is that BN think that young people are not mature. That is how wrong they are. From the perspective of someone at 17 or 18 years old, the person at 45 is uncle – an old man. Some one out of date. Just ask your teenagers.
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 13:57:19
A gerakan member
I think PKR’s move is good to wipe out money politics. This is their way of cleaning the house.
To give all members the right to choose the top leaders will do away with the culture of warlords, politics of patronage. INfact, i think UMNO , MCA and Gerakan can seriously look into this type of direct election.
Secondly, to call a person 45 years old ‘youth’ is a bit too far fetch.. Perhaps they want to have the youth controlled under a middle age person, since young people in their 20s can be impulsive and may rock the boat, so to speak.
BUt to be able to connect with younger voters, it will be good to lower the youth age to 35..
IN any political party, the youth is the vanguard. They are the ones that cen be easily motivated to do battles.. They are the ones that do most of the ground work. So maybe this is the right time to reduce the age of youth?
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 15:48:26
Perhaps, the youth of Gerakan should voice up in this year’s AGM to lower the age in youth section.
I agree 45 is too old. It should be 40 max, but 35 should be better.
But again, do you think the Gerakan Youth will agree to this? mmm………
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 16:40:46
I think “a gerakan member” must be dreaming.
No way Gerakan Youth will ever change its youth age limit. The reason is simply because the Youth Chief would still want to remain in power together with all the cronies. That’s the same in UMNO and MCA!
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 16:42:36
can someone please tell how old is the current youth chief of gerakan? I got no idea who is he.
But Wee Ka siong of MCA is definitely more than 40 already.
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 17:09:28
Ah Kenny. This gerakan youth chief is the son of Lim Keng Yaik. Lim Si Pin. He should be 40 this year. He is definitely not a youth.
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 17:10:27
And no way will he agrees to lower the age of the youth chief to 35.
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 22:59:59
Klm,
do you think Gerakan Youth should lower the age limit? And to what age? 35 or 40?
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Jun 10, 2009 @ 23:02:04
Dr Hsu,
what is the current age limit of Gerakan Youth? 40 or 45yrs old?
And klm, I forgot to ask, what do you mean that Lim Si Pin is no longer youth – since he is the Youth Chief as claim by you?
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 00:40:11
monk,
As I said, outsider can see Malaysia clearer than any Malaysian.
I see Umno is trying to create ‘openings’ to attack PR. Umno cannot afford to lose another bye-election in Manik Urai at all cost. Another defeat will spell the end for Umno.
‘Opening’ starts with Chin Peng talk….. to raise up racial sentiment among umnoputra (not Malay but umnoputra as someone defined),
then, plant moles in PAS, purposely raise Unity government talk with Umno…..Khairy and MCA follow….then Mahathir follow…in all hay wire directions,…
At the same time, raise banning of SIS, Kulim MP follows suit, umnoputra NGO chip in….to raise Muslim ultras sentiments…..
Also, boycott in Penang,……Selangor Alam Flora contract
Haha, openings all over. Clear how clever genuine PR leaders counter attack……very interesting.
Both sides cannot eat without cilipadi, lack of cilipadi like no oomh while eating…..
I know who are the moles
moles makan cili, moles rasa pedas
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 10:12:34
kenny
Gerakan youth is defined by consitution as anyone who is below 45 years old. So the present head is still qualified since he is about 40.
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 13:19:49
Dr Hsu,
do you think Gerakan youth need to lower its age group to either 35 or 40? Is 35yrs old a little bit too young?
45 yrs old to me, sound a little bit too old.
tq for earlier reply
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 13:30:57
ISA and the panopticon: the anatomy of fear an
article written by Sim Kwang Yang read at hornbill unleashed site.
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 13:32:21
Cilipadi,
Invite the moles for a cup of tea-tarik. Call me too.
monk
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 13:45:38
kenny
yes, i think it should be reduced. Maybe to 38 years old.
45 yrs and still a youth?a big far fetch…
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 15:04:23
Dr Hsu,
any idea what is the process to reduce the age limit of gerakan youth?
Do we need to call an AGM/EGM at youth or mainbody?
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 15:05:30
I m thinking whether we should do it this year……
WE NEED A REBRANDING OF GERAKAN YOUTH…..
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 15:14:36
it is well known that gerakan youth is only for the inner circle of lim keng yaik’s son n all is around 40. So, in order to stick on to power, they will not change the age limit.
Instead, they may increase to from 45 yrs to 50 yrs old! So, don’t push them.
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Jun 11, 2009 @ 20:20:31
Kenny. You are right. Gerakan Youth need a rebranding. GERAKAN YOUTH FOR MORE MALAYSIANS. GERAKAN YOUTH MOTIVATE MALAYSIANS BE YOUNG.
Henceforth, youth shall mean any member age 50 and below. That means more Malaysian can join and be Gerakan Youth.
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