What to do? The rice has become porridge.
DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has decided to relent, apologizing for any offence the palace might have suffered as a result of yesterday’s statement that DAP will boycott the appointment of PAS state secretary Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin as Perak Mentri Besar.
Apparently, Kit Siang has slept over it, listened to his advisers, and decided it was better to be a gentleman rather than flog a dead horse.
Accordingly, the DAP will be attending the swearing in ceremony at Istana Kinta at 4pm today.
The palace has yet to announce the Deputy Mentri Besar II, which will come from Parti Keadilan Rakyat and represent the Indian community.
DAP Perak chief Ngeh Koo Ham, who will be sworn in As Deputy Mentri Besar I, has stated his willingness to work with Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin, a move perceived as conciliatory and sensible given the population makeup of Perak.
With the election of representatives from each of the major races to the chief posts of the state legislative assemblies in Penang and Perak, it looks like these two states will be at the forefront of the Great Malaysian Experiment. Penang will be led by DAP man Lim Guang Eng as Chief Minister, PKR’s Mohamed Fairus Khairuddin as Deputy CM I and PAD Prai assemblyman P. Ramasamy as Deputy CM II.
Mohamed Fairus Khairuddin is 32, a graduate from UK while P. Ramasamy, 58, is a political scientist. Both are fresh faces in the political scene.
In Selangor, there is still no news of the appointment of its Deputy Mentri Besar although PKR secretary-general and Ijok assemblyman Khalid Ibrahim will be sworn in as Mentri Besar at Istana Bukit Kayangan in Shah Alam at 2pm today.
Among the candidates being considered for the Deputy post are Kinrara assemblyman Teresa Kok, who is also Seputeh MP; Pandamaran assemblyman Ronny Liu; and Sungai Pinang assemblyman Teng Chang Khim. All three are from the DAP. Teresa Kok’s candidature is followed with keen interest as it would make history for Malaysia should she be chosen. It would make her the first woman Deputy Mentri Besar in the country.
Wednesday, March 12, 2008
A Whiffy Situation
Obviously something has gone very wrong. The DAP has turned 180˚ from its position of accepting whatever Raja Nazrin decides concerning the appointment of Perak’s new Mentri Besar to refusing to turn out for the swearing-in ceremony of PAS man Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin on Thursday.
From the way things are playing out, it seems DAP had been belabouring under the idea that even though three nominees where submitted to the Ruler in actuality only two were really up for consideration, namely that of the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
Now who and whatever gave them this idea, I wonder? Was it an impression formed by the DAP itself or had someone deliberately misrepresented the situation to trick the DAP into agreeing to the submission of three names?
How many of us have heard stories of unscrupulous lawyers saying, ‘it’s ok, just sign the form, don’t worry about the small print, it’s only a mere formality,’ when in reality the small print talks of signing away all of one’s inheritance and possessions?
Now, the situation is so bad the even DAP supporters themselves are baying for blood, offended that Kit Siang and the DAP are being ultra-Chinese, rejecting a PAS man just for the heck of it.
I wonder who advised the DAP concerning the submission of three names. If the DAP can very quickly inform the public of this, it would most certainly clarify their position and prevent mischief-makers from accusing them of disrespecting Raja Nazrin’s decision.
Better yet if the DAP can name names so that all of us can know who those with forked tongues are and steer clear of them.
From the way things are playing out, it seems DAP had been belabouring under the idea that even though three nominees where submitted to the Ruler in actuality only two were really up for consideration, namely that of the DAP and Parti Keadilan Rakyat.
Now who and whatever gave them this idea, I wonder? Was it an impression formed by the DAP itself or had someone deliberately misrepresented the situation to trick the DAP into agreeing to the submission of three names?
How many of us have heard stories of unscrupulous lawyers saying, ‘it’s ok, just sign the form, don’t worry about the small print, it’s only a mere formality,’ when in reality the small print talks of signing away all of one’s inheritance and possessions?
Now, the situation is so bad the even DAP supporters themselves are baying for blood, offended that Kit Siang and the DAP are being ultra-Chinese, rejecting a PAS man just for the heck of it.
I wonder who advised the DAP concerning the submission of three names. If the DAP can very quickly inform the public of this, it would most certainly clarify their position and prevent mischief-makers from accusing them of disrespecting Raja Nazrin’s decision.
Better yet if the DAP can name names so that all of us can know who those with forked tongues are and steer clear of them.
Time To Say Goodbye - Con Te Partiro
Gerakan acting chief Koh Tsu Koon has offered to resign, accepting responsibility for his party’s disastrous outing in Saturday’s general elections. Ong Ka Ting has announced he will not accept a Cabinet position since he too accepts responsibility as MCA president for the party terrible defeat in the 25 out of the 40 parliamentary seats it contested.
Pak Lah, however, has stated he is not going to resign despite the debacle.
And, Samy Vellu has stated he will work even more vigorously than ever to ‘rebuild’ his party, the MIC.
Rightly or wrongly, the first two men have been perceived as gentlemen. Repentant gentlemen who accept the rebuke they received from the Rakyat.
The latter two?
In order to answer this question, one must first explore the necessity and viability for Pak Lah to resign as Umno president. What’s the mood in the country? Is it ready to accept second-in-command Najib Tun Razak in the event of Pak Lah stepping down?
One suspects not. Not while the Altantuya murder case is meandering somewhere in the ether, tied up in the knots of legal technicality. The Malaysian of 2008 isn’t a dithering idiot with Attention Deficit Disorder. He remembers Altantuya the Mongolian beauty is murdered by explosives, blown to smithereens by military-issue C4. He remembers testimony that cops were seen bundling the woman away. He remembers Altantuya is Abdul Razak Baginda’s self-confessed former mistress. He remembers Abdul Razak Baginda’s ‘kam-ching’ relationship with Najib as confidante and head of his political think-tank. He knows the case is going into technicalities which he does not understand but is patiently waiting to see whether justice will be done or whether some shady lawyerlike character will pick up his phone and ‘correct, correct, correct’ the whole sordid affair into oblivion.
So Pak Lah cannot step down. Not yet. Not till there is a viable candidate to take over. And by viable, one must absolutely discount then Khairy Jamaluddin, Pak Lah’s son-in-law. Never in the history of general elections has there been such an outpouring of hatred and anger towards this one chap. Young, cocky, ambitious to the hilt. Hundreds of blogs have dedicated airspace to vilifying him. And it didn’t help that in these elections, he went up against a popular Parti Keadilan Rakyat man Chegubard, defeating the man by 5,000 votes under extremely shady circumstances. (Initial report said Badrul Hisham Shahani won by 140-odd votes, the fight went into a recount, and then KJ suddenly emerged victor with a decent majority.)
Which leads us to Hishamuddin Hussein Onn. This is one man whose name actually encompasses that of three men: his, his father’s and his grandfather’s. Blue blood to the core as far as Malaysian politics go. Too bad he went around waving a keris and annoying the hell out of millions of Chinese and Indians. But then again, if we forgave Anwar Ibrahim his rabid rantings against the Chinese, who are we to withhold a pardon for Hishamuddin Hussein Onn?
So Pak Lah gets to stay. For now.
Samy, Samy, Samy. Ayoyo. Sometimes one feels really sorry for him. On his 72nd birthday, he gets booted out of Sungai Siput by Dr D. Jeyakumar Devaraj of PKR.
Not only did he lose, all but three members of his platoon was wiped out. Deputy and successor-in the-wing G. Palanivel also got chucked into the burning bier like an unwilling sati widow. What a way to go.
And now Samy says he will stay to ‘rebuild’ the MIC.
One really questions the logic of this reasoning.
Has no one told Samy yet why the MIC lost?
It lost because of Samy. Samy is the cancer. Not the cure. If he needs evidence of that, just go read some of the posters and banners plastered all over town by the Indians. And now Samy wants to play doctor and ‘heal’ the MIC. Someone seriously needs to let him know that honorary doctorates from Annamalai University does not qualify one to perform heart-and-brain surgery.
Minority Rule
The Raja Muda of Perak has made his choice.
PAS state secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin will be Perak’s new Mentri Besar. Nizar, 51, is an engineer by qualification and a businessman by occupation.
DAP’s state chief Ngeh Koo Kam, a lawyer, will be one of two Deputy MBs, a first in the state’s history. Ngeh, 47, is a lawyer.
The second deputy has yet to be named but it’s understood that he will come from the Indian community.
According to a report by The Star, DAP’s central executive committee is flabbergasted by this decision since PAS has the least representative in the state legislative council.
Apparently, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has announced the party will boycott the swearing-in ceremony of the new MB on Thursday as a sign of protest.
An unreasonable gesture?
It is unclear what has influenced Raja Nazrin’s decision. It would be helpful if the people of the state heard from the Raja Muda himself.
While it is said the choice of Mentri Besar is the Ruler’s prerogative, it would be naïve for one to assume in today’s political scenario that such a choice is made without the influence of rivalling political forces.
Talk is PAS members kicked up a big ruckus over Ngeh’s candidature as the Mentri Besar because he is a Christian.
If this were true, then it is damning indeed and proof of PAS’ bigotry towards Malaysians of the non-Muslim faiths. It will also be strong evidence of PAS’ insincerity in honouring the coalition’s agenda of working towards a fairer and less racially divided Malaysia. If it were true.
Perak, with its almost 50-50 ratio of Malays and non-Malays, is in dire need of assurance that it will not be thrown back into the Dark Ages of racialism and cronyism. Will this decision sit well?
Raja Nazrin has had to make a tough call. And he has chosen to take an unbeaten path, making Perak probably the first state in the history of Malaysia to be led by a Mentri Besar from the smallest minority party within the state.
Can Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin hold things together and be a leader for every man, woman and child in Perak or will things fall apart like an unset jello?
Only time will tell. The next few weeks will be very interesting.
PAS state secretary Mohammad Nizar Jamaluddin will be Perak’s new Mentri Besar. Nizar, 51, is an engineer by qualification and a businessman by occupation.
DAP’s state chief Ngeh Koo Kam, a lawyer, will be one of two Deputy MBs, a first in the state’s history. Ngeh, 47, is a lawyer.
The second deputy has yet to be named but it’s understood that he will come from the Indian community.
According to a report by The Star, DAP’s central executive committee is flabbergasted by this decision since PAS has the least representative in the state legislative council.
Apparently, DAP leader Lim Kit Siang has announced the party will boycott the swearing-in ceremony of the new MB on Thursday as a sign of protest.
An unreasonable gesture?
It is unclear what has influenced Raja Nazrin’s decision. It would be helpful if the people of the state heard from the Raja Muda himself.
While it is said the choice of Mentri Besar is the Ruler’s prerogative, it would be naïve for one to assume in today’s political scenario that such a choice is made without the influence of rivalling political forces.
Talk is PAS members kicked up a big ruckus over Ngeh’s candidature as the Mentri Besar because he is a Christian.
If this were true, then it is damning indeed and proof of PAS’ bigotry towards Malaysians of the non-Muslim faiths. It will also be strong evidence of PAS’ insincerity in honouring the coalition’s agenda of working towards a fairer and less racially divided Malaysia. If it were true.
Perak, with its almost 50-50 ratio of Malays and non-Malays, is in dire need of assurance that it will not be thrown back into the Dark Ages of racialism and cronyism. Will this decision sit well?
Raja Nazrin has had to make a tough call. And he has chosen to take an unbeaten path, making Perak probably the first state in the history of Malaysia to be led by a Mentri Besar from the smallest minority party within the state.
Can Mohamed Nizar Jamaluddin hold things together and be a leader for every man, woman and child in Perak or will things fall apart like an unset jello?
Only time will tell. The next few weeks will be very interesting.
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
A Mentri Besar For Perak
What a terrible insult to Perak. People are saying Perak, especially the Malays, do not have the ability to be led by a democratically elected leader except he be Muslim and Malay also.
They say that even though the DAP has taken 18 state seats, the party has no right to submit a candidate for the Mentri Besar post because none of the victorious candidates are Malay.
The Mentri Besar, they argue, must come from either Parti Keadilan Rakyat or PAS, which had won seven and six state seats respectively since among these two parties are found Malay-Muslim candidates.
What racist balderdash. And how utterly unconstitutional. Do these punters think the people of Perak still live in trees?
According to the state constitution, Perak’s Mentri Besar is to be Malay and Muslim as a first choice. However, the Ruler of the State can waive this condition so that a qualified non-Malay can also be MB.
The question is this. Among the DAP is there no person qualified?
Last year Raja Nazrin, delivering the keynote address at the Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia: Challenges and Prospects for Nation Building, made a very important statement.
He said: ‘Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun. Only when each citizen believes that he or she has a common home and is working towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long haul.’
Today, Raja Nazrin, as Regent of Perak has to decide who the MB would be. How should the people of Perak want the monarch to decide? To look at a man’s skin or to base it on something deeper than that?
These are the three candidates before Raja Nazrin:
DAP Perak chief Ngeh Koo Ham, Sitiawan assemblyman.
PKR’s Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.
PAS’ Pasir Panjang assemblyperson Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin.
Between these three men, who possesses the greatest number of qualities of a good leader? Which one has integrity and vision? Which one can make decisions, take risks, motivate others and build teams? Which one can communicate effectively and cares about helping others, more than himself, to succeed? Which one has the strength stand up for what is right and the humility to face up to correction?
Perak needs a man of passion, competence and accountability.
Since the DAP won the most state seats amongst the opposition alliance, it is only fair and just that we give its state chief a first shot. Eighteen seats, after all, is eighteen constituency mandates. So the question is: does Ngeh Koo Ham have the abilities of a good leader?
If he does, then give him the job. If he doesn’t, then only consider the next candidate. To sideline DAP’s Perak chief just because he isn’t Malay and Muslim would be a terrible act of racism. And the people of Perak might as well just hand the keys of Ipoh city back to Tajol Rosli and his men.
They say that even though the DAP has taken 18 state seats, the party has no right to submit a candidate for the Mentri Besar post because none of the victorious candidates are Malay.
The Mentri Besar, they argue, must come from either Parti Keadilan Rakyat or PAS, which had won seven and six state seats respectively since among these two parties are found Malay-Muslim candidates.
What racist balderdash. And how utterly unconstitutional. Do these punters think the people of Perak still live in trees?
According to the state constitution, Perak’s Mentri Besar is to be Malay and Muslim as a first choice. However, the Ruler of the State can waive this condition so that a qualified non-Malay can also be MB.
The question is this. Among the DAP is there no person qualified?
Last year Raja Nazrin, delivering the keynote address at the Roundtable Discussion on National Unity and Development in Malaysia: Challenges and Prospects for Nation Building, made a very important statement.
He said: ‘Malaysians of all races, religions, and geographic locations need to believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that they have a place under the Malaysian sun. Only when each citizen believes that he or she has a common home and is working towards a common destiny, will he or she make the sacrifices needed for the long haul.’
Today, Raja Nazrin, as Regent of Perak has to decide who the MB would be. How should the people of Perak want the monarch to decide? To look at a man’s skin or to base it on something deeper than that?
These are the three candidates before Raja Nazrin:
DAP Perak chief Ngeh Koo Ham, Sitiawan assemblyman.
PKR’s Behrang assemblyperson Jamaluddin Mohd Radzi.
PAS’ Pasir Panjang assemblyperson Mohamad Nizar Jamaludin.
Between these three men, who possesses the greatest number of qualities of a good leader? Which one has integrity and vision? Which one can make decisions, take risks, motivate others and build teams? Which one can communicate effectively and cares about helping others, more than himself, to succeed? Which one has the strength stand up for what is right and the humility to face up to correction?
Perak needs a man of passion, competence and accountability.
Since the DAP won the most state seats amongst the opposition alliance, it is only fair and just that we give its state chief a first shot. Eighteen seats, after all, is eighteen constituency mandates. So the question is: does Ngeh Koo Ham have the abilities of a good leader?
If he does, then give him the job. If he doesn’t, then only consider the next candidate. To sideline DAP’s Perak chief just because he isn’t Malay and Muslim would be a terrible act of racism. And the people of Perak might as well just hand the keys of Ipoh city back to Tajol Rosli and his men.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Here's A Kleenex, Tajol Rosli
Post-elections, there is an astonishing article in Utusan Malaysia concerning the outgoing Mentri Besar of Perak, Tajol Rosli Mohamed Ghazali.
Apparently, he is so devastated by Saturday’s general elections results he is holed up inside the official residence weeping like a boy.
Word is he is unable to compose himself long enough to even talk to the press and make an official statement conceding defeat to the opposition alliance.
Yes, it is shocking that the alliance between DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS, has won 31 out of the 59 state executive seats. But really, is it surprising – especially in Perak where years of neglect and incompetence has turned the state into one of the poorest economic performers in the country?
For the last 30 years, Perak has had to live with the disgrace of starting off brilliantly – thanks to mining and rubber – and ending up dismally. Its state capital Ipoh does not even have a university. In fact, many parts of the city have fallen into decay and disrepair as more and more businesses close shop and move out of Perak. From one of the richest and most well resourced states in the country, Perak has fallen to the par of the rice-growing states. We have the per capita of a true ‘pomelo country’ here.
With the lack of a thriving economy in the heart of the capital, Perak has lost a whole generation of youth and manpower to dynamic neighbouring states. The joke is there is an invisible community of interstate commuters. Young men and women who work in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya from Monday to Friday and coming home to their families in Perak on Saturday before leaving again on Sunday. But it ain’t a haha-funny kind of joke. Not when people from richer states snigger and call you ‘Ipoh mali’ to your face.
And then there are the issues of flyovers being built over people’s heads and light industrial areas being allowed to be developed 100 metres from residential doorsteps. Hills that are cut down indiscriminately, marring one of the most beloved natural limestone landscapes in the country. Elderly people being mugged and killed on evening walks. Illegal plastic factories. The $4.5 million Perak State Park two-storey building that collapsed in Tasik Banding.
When a man can’t even ‘cari makan’ in his own hometown, when his kids don’t even have access to a proper university (without being subjected to the humiliating process of passing a KULIT-FICATION test), when on a daily basis his health, safety, economic and moral welfare is being threatened, what do you think he’ll do?
Because of all these things, Umno has lost. Barisan has lost. Yes, Tajol Rosli, cry. It’s your party and you should cry because you need to.
Apparently, he is so devastated by Saturday’s general elections results he is holed up inside the official residence weeping like a boy.
Word is he is unable to compose himself long enough to even talk to the press and make an official statement conceding defeat to the opposition alliance.
Yes, it is shocking that the alliance between DAP, Parti Keadilan Rakyat and PAS, has won 31 out of the 59 state executive seats. But really, is it surprising – especially in Perak where years of neglect and incompetence has turned the state into one of the poorest economic performers in the country?
For the last 30 years, Perak has had to live with the disgrace of starting off brilliantly – thanks to mining and rubber – and ending up dismally. Its state capital Ipoh does not even have a university. In fact, many parts of the city have fallen into decay and disrepair as more and more businesses close shop and move out of Perak. From one of the richest and most well resourced states in the country, Perak has fallen to the par of the rice-growing states. We have the per capita of a true ‘pomelo country’ here.
With the lack of a thriving economy in the heart of the capital, Perak has lost a whole generation of youth and manpower to dynamic neighbouring states. The joke is there is an invisible community of interstate commuters. Young men and women who work in Kuala Lumpur and Petaling Jaya from Monday to Friday and coming home to their families in Perak on Saturday before leaving again on Sunday. But it ain’t a haha-funny kind of joke. Not when people from richer states snigger and call you ‘Ipoh mali’ to your face.
And then there are the issues of flyovers being built over people’s heads and light industrial areas being allowed to be developed 100 metres from residential doorsteps. Hills that are cut down indiscriminately, marring one of the most beloved natural limestone landscapes in the country. Elderly people being mugged and killed on evening walks. Illegal plastic factories. The $4.5 million Perak State Park two-storey building that collapsed in Tasik Banding.
When a man can’t even ‘cari makan’ in his own hometown, when his kids don’t even have access to a proper university (without being subjected to the humiliating process of passing a KULIT-FICATION test), when on a daily basis his health, safety, economic and moral welfare is being threatened, what do you think he’ll do?
Because of all these things, Umno has lost. Barisan has lost. Yes, Tajol Rosli, cry. It’s your party and you should cry because you need to.
Saturday, March 8, 2008
A Bloodbath Indeed
Samy Vellu is out. Palanivel is out. Sothinathan is out. Koh Tsu Koon and the whole Gerakan team are out. Sharizat Abdul Jalil is out. Aziz Shamsuddin is out. Zainuddin Maidin is out. Donald Lim is out. Chew Mei Fun is out. Kayveas is out.
Barisan Nasional has taken eight states. But the rest - Kelantan, Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah - have fallen into opposition hands. For the first time in Malaysia's 51 years of history, the Barisan is also denied a two-third majority in Parliament.
The final score at our 12th general elections: 140 to 82.
Parliament is going to get very, very interesting from now on. Bet nobody’s ever going to catch forty winks ever again while a session is running.
The only problem is now that almost all the cyber-journos have joined politics, who’s going to give us the unbiased news? It’s no good looking at the mainstream papers and TV stations; they’ve all been either bought, beaten up or muzzled ages ago and are about as honest, gutsy and impartial as a judge on the take.
The alternative media?
Well, can we really trust journalists who are also part of the let’s-carry-banners-and-shout-political-slogans crowd? Too much emotions involved, no objectivity. Some perhaps are even as rabid and sycophantic as an NST editor, if not more, except for the fact they’re pro-opposition.
I blame the Barisan. They started all this. Partisan journalism. Now even Jeff Ooi and his gang have been suckered into the trap. Goodbye, bloggers; hello, politicians.
Damn.
Anyway, here's something for a good laugh. From the Comedy Court duo Allan Perera and Indi Nadarajah:
Barisan Nasional has taken eight states. But the rest - Kelantan, Penang, Selangor, Perak and Kedah - have fallen into opposition hands. For the first time in Malaysia's 51 years of history, the Barisan is also denied a two-third majority in Parliament.
The final score at our 12th general elections: 140 to 82.
Parliament is going to get very, very interesting from now on. Bet nobody’s ever going to catch forty winks ever again while a session is running.
The only problem is now that almost all the cyber-journos have joined politics, who’s going to give us the unbiased news? It’s no good looking at the mainstream papers and TV stations; they’ve all been either bought, beaten up or muzzled ages ago and are about as honest, gutsy and impartial as a judge on the take.
The alternative media?
Well, can we really trust journalists who are also part of the let’s-carry-banners-and-shout-political-slogans crowd? Too much emotions involved, no objectivity. Some perhaps are even as rabid and sycophantic as an NST editor, if not more, except for the fact they’re pro-opposition.
I blame the Barisan. They started all this. Partisan journalism. Now even Jeff Ooi and his gang have been suckered into the trap. Goodbye, bloggers; hello, politicians.
Damn.
Anyway, here's something for a good laugh. From the Comedy Court duo Allan Perera and Indi Nadarajah:
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