Sunday 22 March 2009

The Tyranny of status quo

Mukhriz is enjoying the advantage of having TDM as his campaigner. TDM has not missed any opportunity to make pronouncements on Malaysian politics. He is after all the accomplished master of unsolicited counsel.

So, the Pemuda delegates must examine carefully, who actually has the advantage?

I have written a number of articles on perception. Perceptions are illusory and are dependent on personal and private motives. They are unstable to be used as criteria for the selection of leaders. Tuan Guru Nik Aziz at one point in time, perceived Abu Hassan Omar the former MB of Selangor as a good person. Abu Hassan turned out to be a rogue. TDM himself paid for his mistakes on misperceptions. The names of Anwar Ibrahim, Musa Hitam and even Pak Lah come immediately to mind. Why should we now believe he has got it right this time?

The 794 delegates must differentiate between perception and reality. Perception is a tricky variable, subject to manipulations and subterfuge. Reality is obtainable via direct interaction. I am sure that those 98% of the 794 delegates who have met up with KJ are wiser to identify the differences.

When I was serving as a wakil rakyat, even when a person's chicken is run over by a car, the wakil rakyat is faulted. The main reason for that is because it is convenient to blame someone who has authority. It is also practical. Why blame the motorist who has scooted off? Nor can the owner of the dead fowl blame his neighbours. The next proximate person is the wakil rakyat. He can be a convenient scapegoat. Blame him for all the ills, sons and daughters failing to meet academic grades, houses catching fire, burst dams and drains.

KJ is the convenient scapegoat. However remote that political calamity, it is practical to lay blame on someone. It's now time, for those who assigned blame to KJ for all the misfortunes that have befallen them to pay KJ for his services for being the punching bag.

As we near the date of reckoning, KJ will be judged by many quarters including professional writers. They are motivated by various motives. Some writers are into the game because of economic necessity. They have bills to pay, medical expenses for children, funds for business. One of the most recent books that came to my attention is the one written by Yahya Ismail. The book is entitled Tuah dan Sial Khairy Jamaludin. It is essentially a re-spin of what Yahya Ismail has already written many times before. Being the literary luminary that he is, the book transports you to the world of battles among warriors battling it out in the ring arena. It is a melodramatic rendition of the alleged wrongdoings of KJ woven by Yahya's competence of the Malay language. The integrity of the message that Yahya wishes to convey is eclipsed by his penchant for verbosity.

Sad to say, there is nothing new. Its juts a regurgitation of tiresome stories about KJ's ill-gotten wealth, abuse of position, son in law status, the link between KJ and UMNO's future. It even questions whether KJ is Malay enough to be the Ketua Pemuda.

This is precisely my point. If KJ has been painted in the vilest of terms, why should his presence strikes fear among his opponents? Yahya Ismail beckons us to go back to the old system of business as usual. It is the system within which the mantle of leadership is parcelled out among the chosen few. And Yahya Ismail has patronised the delegates by pre-selecting Mukhriz for you without adducing any cogent reasoning except for tired old clichés.

Most of the rebuttals to the issues raised were already answered by my various articles. The issue of KJ being the SIL has already been answered many times.

Then there is of course the issue of linking KJ to the loss of BN in the recent general elections. Commentators seem to be missing the point. The ills of UMNO can never be attributable to one person. The problem is with UMNO which is mired and infested with incompetent leadership. It is the height of incredulity to assign blame for UMNO's defeat to one person. UMNO was defeated because of many reasons. The leadership has become arrogant and incompetent. The UMNO leadership has alienated the people. The policies the UMNO led government has failed to benefit the majority of people. UMNO suffers the disease of political dystrophy which requires total restructuring of the political machinery. UMNO would have lost IN SPITE of KJ and not BECAUSE of KJ. If we want to assign blame, the entire leadership of UMNO must do the honourable thing. Everyone should resign en bloc.

The calls for us to reject KJ and usher in Mukhriz even if they come from the respected TDM belittle and insult our intelligence. By painting KJ as the bogeyman, it is just another slick political move to infer that only one particular person schooled in one particular system is fit to become the Ketua Pemuda.

We must decline and resist such calls. UMNO is on the brink of ushering revolutionary changes. The Pemuda can decide that NOW it wants to free itself from the tyranny of the status quo. The Malay world is no longer dominated by new princes and princesses and the stage is no longer the pseudo palaces of the new aristocracy.

28 comments:

  1. Dear Dato',
    Once again a well written article, and a reader, regardless of their political persuasion, would be educated by the expert sentence construction, choice of words and idea development.

    I think one of KJ's biggest drawback was the fact that the transfer of power plan initially left his as a political lame duck, as the idea pre-Sept 2008 was that KJ's only strength was that he was the Prime Ministers Son-In-Law. Perhaps due to that, his popularity took huge a nose dive around Q3 - Q4 2008, and I bet that he himslef must have had some very dark days during that period.

    But one thing is that is undeinable even amongst his most ardent enemies is that KJ is a fighter. He proceeded to double down his efforts, took some risky manoeuvres in first calling for a debate, then taking on PAS in Kelantan, and lastly injecting himself 200% in the Kuala Trengganu by election.

    His performance over the last 6 months or so have led delegates to reexamine KJ, as less of KJ the SIL, but more of KJ the figther. Contrast this with DM perhaps still unsure whether he wants to break a sweat for this race and DSKT, relying on the old rules of the game to try and garner support.

    Going into in the penultimate leg of this one of the most closely watched KP contest, reports are slowly but surely filtering in that KJ has taken a lead, some say it is clear, other say its marginal. In this regard, the entire LD saga has made KJ look like the real 'outsider' in a party that is steeped in its own ways, no matter how destructive or outdated those ways may be, and with the UMNO ground increasingly restless, perhaps it may look more than a bit ironical that it is KJ who is most identified with the slogan "Berani Berubah"

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  2. dato,
    its a bit unfair to imply that mukhriz have a bigger advantage simply because of tdm. How could an old man who is not even an umno member without any trappings of power be so influential as compared to the father in law. I sincerely believe that kj have benefitted fully and i dare to say, have been enjoying and exploiting the advantages of being the sil for the past 5 years. Should your argument that kj is a victim of perception and association the same argument is valid for mukhriz too
    mattau

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  3. I think one of KJ's biggest drawback was the fact that his is bribing for votes.
    Mahathir already remind Najib to avoid those who are not clean, prominently KJ. PAU is paytime for his greedy.
    Its good to hear the old man remind those melayu lupa as written in this blog.
    FAM with KJ is doomed, UMNO need not to keep those person.
    puteratanahmelayu

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  4. Yeah right wenger. KJ is now berani berubah and DM is now setiakawan. Bull of crap coming from a person whose suppose to educate us with choice of words.
    Now Wenger, when all this election dust settles, I hope you don't go around begging and kissing DM foot for the slanderous year you have immersed yourself.
    As for Dato' Sak, I still respect him for his articulate argument.
    But I still think he is vouching for the wrong guys.
    But then again, he kept on promoting or reminding us all, though indirectly, on all KJ's sin and flaw.
    I think readers is smart enough to read between the line.
    As for me and my group, we are still not going to vote for KJ.
    Ciao now, got to attend AGA and vote. May the best man win.

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  5. he's found guilty of the same crime as Ali Rustam

    he's allowed to contest with a mere warning??

    is he THE victim here??

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  6. Di saat2 akhir ni, buatlah apa yang patut untuk meraih simpati, jadilah Ketua Pemuda atas belas ehsan. Kalau perlu air mata, menangislah tanda keikhlasan...

    Manatau kot2 drama arahan maya karen boleh menang award tahun ni !!!

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  7. kepada semua pewakilan pemuda...tanyalah diri anda..kenapa kj bersungguh2 benar menghantar pasport ke rumah anwar sebaik saja dibebaskan...hasilnya..anwar kini ibarat raja di bumi malaysia..

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  8. KJ, the scapegoat????? U should ask the pemudas of gelang pata, kuala kangsar and many others!!!
    Yeah Wenger, a political lame duck, all of a sudden Aziz pulled out of the running, and your beloved lame duck aka KJ won uncontested.

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  10. To all the anti KJs outthere, number of your likes have been declining since the start, as evidenced by the usual suspects who would comment negatively on Dato's article. You know kluangman, puteratanahmelayu, Reverse Psychology, (Piggy Singh in disguise as anonymous), same old story.

    What do we hear: People telling us for the billionth time that he ain't gonna vote for KJ, do we hear anything else from the likes of you. Omong went so far as to add that the KJ factor is responsible for FAM poor standing. Ok how? Convinient excuses, lacking in any analysis.

    ZERO. Argument ZERO, IQ ZERO, intellect capacity to engage in a debate ZERO. So what happens if lets say the man you support wins and is supposed to articulate the views of the Youth wing? Will the message of Pemuda be intellectually incapitated if all you can do is just blame KJ?

    As to those who remark that I would kiss Dato Mukhirz's foot, if he indeeds emerges the unlikely winner, let me just add, I know you were the lot who kissed KJ's twinkly toes when it served your purpose, but now have been his sworn enemy.

    The likes of you come cheaper by the dozen.

    *I don't understand this Reverse Psyhocology fella. Bizzarre and weird .

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  11. What else and whats more can you say of this guy KJ.

    He was found guilty by the disiplinary board of money poltics.

    Is it not true what TDM says of him.

    Do we condone money politics or bribery in our life.

    Must we vote a person who is guilty of bribery or money politics
    to be our leader.

    So, SAKMONGKOL AK47, it's surprising to read your articles, championing and indirectly campaigning for this corrupt poltician KJ for the post of Ketua Pemuda.

    " KEBERSIHAN ITU SEBAHAGIAN DARIPADA IMAN "

    Tak tau lah kalau rasuah dan politik wang tak termasuk dalam takrif kebersihan.

    Insaf lah dan bertaubat lah dan jangan lah mengalakan segala jenis kejahatan dan kemungkaran.

    Akan hancur lah negara dan hancur lah semua orang melayu jika kita mengatakan yang kotor itu sebenar-nya bersih.

    Fikir-fikirkan lah.

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  12. Dato',

    Pure masturbation your article is.

    KJ was found guilty, indirectly they say.Nevertheless guilty of money politics. Any action necessary by MACC, my friend?

    KJ is the richest jobless Malaysian. He admitted to owned shares of... apanama... ECM Libra... they say value of the shares more than RM9 million at the time.

    KJ won the Timb Ketua Pemuda uncontested only after a couple of years in UMNO. Super meteoric, err.. too meteoric to anybody's comfort I would say.

    KJ has various times made statement on behalf of ministers and Prime Minister and yet he is nobody in the government. Err.. Not even a Timbalan Menteri.

    KJ had various time conducted street demo without permit, illegally.

    Wow... What a resume. He is as corrupted as your mind is, Dato.

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  13. KJ is corrupt. KT was accused but was suspiciously not found corrupt. MM was not accused but was suspected to be corrupt.

    What absolute and utter rubbish in UMNO.

    Dear delegates

    You don't have to vote for them. It's secret ballot and you can do anything you like to the bloody piece of ballot paper. Show everybody that you abhor and detest the situation and that you have a sense of responsibility to the Malays and the nation.

    Vote only when you find sincere and non-corrupt people wanting to become leaders.

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  14. I shall not lose faith in the System, and by extension the Lembaga Disiplin. Yes it is not an investigative body, with enforcement powers. Yes, it is not anti-corruption agency or a grouping of ideologues articulating their grand visions for Umno.

    It acts on reports! A book-length literature could actually be devoted discussing this line alone. Who should be authorised to file reports? PKR supporters who remain in the party somehow?

    Lembaga Disiplin is a necessary platform and should be strengthened with time. It will have to look into the question of transparency more. LD should introduce its members to the nation because Umno belongs to us all, non-members included. As judge and prosecutors, they must tell us their politics, backgrounds, and beliefs, nature of business. This is an area where properly retired souls, people with savings determined to serve country and people.

    Next the Lembaga will have to provide progress reports on its business. Put the information on the Umno website. Enlighten us on the trigger-point for each investigation. I think I heard the LD said Ali Rustam was investigated because there were too many reports on him!

    Like the vote-by-sms contest this can be easily manipulated.

    Lembaga Disiplin will have to accept reforms. As the most transparent party, LD's conduct demands far greater scrutiny than what the newspapers and bloggers are prepared to give.

    Khairy Jamaluddin would not have been penalised by any court of law for the supposed "transgression" of mid-2008 for which he was hauled up. I am merely quoting the Umno website which subsequently clarified that the link between Khairy and the said meeting was tenuos.. so why he is deemed guilty then? Beyond reasonable doubt?

    The worst possible verdict on Khairy was Guilty with Amaran.

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  15. Anonymous at 20:49,
    Continue with the sexually explict innuendos, perhaps it reveals more about yourself and that it was ineed best to hide behind the cloak of anonymity for saying such things.

    I re-read it a couple of times, and it is clear what that these comments are written by the stooge of the DAP.

    As such, I am glad that KJ inspires such fear and wonder amongst you lot.

    (2) Dehra Dun,
    Why not call a spade a spade. There is no such thing for money politics if no friend of a Minister can get the 10% cut of multibillion dollar contract. Without money, there is no money go round. Ok repeat after me, A R B

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  16. precisely like what it was written,
    the leadership has become arrogant and incompetent. The UMNO leadership has alienated the people. One of them is KJ.

    WHY DO WE WANNA VOTE FOR HIM?

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  17. Kj berada tercorot dalam jumlah pencalonan sehingga tamat mesyuarat Pemuda Bahagian dan dari segi moralnya, dia sudahpun tewas walaupun menggunakan agen yang tidak dikenalinya untuk 'politik wang'.

    Selepas dituduh, disiasat dan didapati bersalah tetapi dilepaskan dengan amaran KJ juga wajar berada di tangga tercorot dengan harapan tipis untuk menang.

    Jika ada tangan tangan ghaib yang mahu mengangkatnya, memberi harapan dan masih terus cuba mempengaruhi nyata usaha itu seolah cuba memperbodohkan perwakilan dengan cerita dongeng mereka.

    Mereka memberi harapan kosong dan menzalimi 'majikan' mereka sendiri sebelum dan selepas Jawatankuasa Disiplin bersidang.

    Both of you - Wenger J Khairy, Sak - you are fired !!!

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  18. http://melayu-lama.blogspot.com/2009/03/kj-made-report.html

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  20. Saudara Keluangman,
    Saya tak pernah bergaji dengan siapa siapa, so macam nak kena pecat bro?

    (2) Proses di 2008 di panggil proses pencalonan. Yang kita bersusah payah mengadakan mesyuarat agung ni untuk proses pengundian.

    Ianya berbeza.

    Walaupun agak berbeza dari pandangan mu yang sememangya tidak berat sebelah, kajian yang dibuat oleh Universiti Malaya melihat KJ telah mengorak langkah untuk berada di tangga teratas.

    (3) Kalau yakin sangat yg puak KJ ni akan mengalami kekalahan mengapa pula berhempas pulas nak suruh dia mengeluarkan dirinya dari bertanding?

    Itu tak logik bro, saya rasa nukilan saudara ni berbaur hambar.

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  21. hahahaha
    Hei kluangman! KJ tiba2 engko jadikan macam Donald Trump apahal ni? Tu laah..asyik bergayut je kepala pun dah mereng!For your info Dato sak ni takpernah berjumpa dengan KJ yet!Dato sak menyokong KJ kerana he believes that young fellow has more potential leadership qualities than the other 2.TDM ni knapalah takberhenti kacau the pemuda race? Leave these guys to battle it out lah.While KJ is a fighter, MM is a coward.Suruh bapak dia yang tua fight his war!Shame on him!

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  22. I like reading your blog as I find you rather among the intelligent ones...especially you conversation with TR Hamzah.
    I respect the fact that you have every right to form opinions of candidates in the upcoming UMNO General Assembly, being a politician yourself.
    You talk about perceptions and TDM's not so subtle attempts to support his son's candidacy, and you more or less condemn his efforts whilst at the same time you try to neutralize the issue with your not so subtle support of KJ...even mentioning the issue of your past constituents blaming you for the wrongs in the events of their lives and likening it to KJ being found guilty of Corruption by the Disciplinary Board of UMNO.
    You shot yourself in the foot this time and like the Malay proverb; "Meludah di Langit".
    You seem to try to "menegakkan benang yang basah"
    We are talking about the INTEGRITY of LEADERSHIP here.
    KJ should find somewhere in his heart to let go of this 'Battle' and plan to win the WAR.
    I personally admire him very much and believe that someday he will make a great leader...Prime Minister even, but now is the time to show that he has the integrity and dignity to Respect the party's decision and back down for this time so he shall have the respect of every member of UMNO and be remembered for it in future.
    I do not support anybody for any posts in this upcoming event and even if I do have any choices, I don't count. but I sincerely want to help in the rebuilding of Maruah dan Semangat Bangsa Melayu that has eroded so very fast in the past years.
    On the same token, I just want to say this...Of all those responsible for the deterioration in Race relations in this country, the MEDIA, especially the Press (had and have been so irresponsible,)is the biggest culprit.

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  23. Temuljin.
    How can you stupidly compare sak's subtle support for KJ and TDM's subtle support for his son? Dato don't have any blood relationship with KJ and have not even met him! And you're saying that the other 2 did not and are not dishing out money?? Why pledge the innocent mentality? TDM had made loads of bunglings in his 22 years.Yet many pretend to not notice them because noone dare to comment.And now he wants to control again the political scenario through his son??? What rubbish integrity are you trying to pull?
    And must the DB explain what kind of wrong KJ's agent did? Hoi! Curi ayam and curi duit lain laah! Why the bodohness? Because you just hate this KJ guy thats why!
    So please!Cut the crap of pretending to be of virtuous quality!

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  24. Kalau TDM mahukan anaknya selamat dan dapat jawatan tertinggi, dia tak perlu bersusah payah sekarang, dulu lagi semasa menjadi PM, dia boleh gunakan mentaliti Dolah, Anwar, Lim Kit Siang dan Karpal untuk meletakkan anak2 sebagai pewaris dinasti.

    Sebagai negarawan, TDM memberi pandangan dari tempat yang lebih tinggi untuk 27 juta rakyat Malaysia khususnya untuk kebaikan orang Melayu, dan jika ada mengaitkan sebagai sokongan kepada anaknya, nyata nada itu dari orang yang belajar tinggi tapi pakai otak di buku lali.

    Wenger J Khairy dan sekutunya memang hebat dan berpelajaran tinggi seperti majikannya, mereka hebat dalam sindrom denial yang berterusan, semoga mereka tidak terlewat untuk bergegas ke PWTC meraikan kemenangan atau mereka balik muram dengan satu lagi teori konspirasi.

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  25. Wenger J Khairy 22:52

    I am not PR or DAP supporter. But we all hide behind the cloak of anonimity. You included. Only Dato Arif has revealed his Sakmongkol identity.

    In addressing Dehra Dun, are you condoning money politics? If you are, I say you are detestable, irresponsible and are yourself corrupt, in mind at least. Money politics is corruption and all forms of corruption simply cannot be condoned. It's people like you calling for people to accept it (calling a spade a spade) that has made corruption so rampant that it has become a norm of behaviour. Dirty, uncouth, cowardly and destructive behaviour. They impose the death penalty for corruption in China.

    Don't call money politics money politics. Or commission collection. Let only Pakistan be known the world over to have a Mr 10% running the country. Call money politics corruption. Call for the corrupt to be jailed. It may be difficult to get rid of corruption but don't ever condone it.

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  26. Saudara Keluangman,
    Ko ingat Tun Dr Mahathir ni disukai diseluruh pelusuk negara? Kao ni belum bertandang ke Sabah beb.

    Saudara Anonmymous at 09:57,
    Well if there was a scale of anonymity, perhaps I am midway, you know where to find my thoughts and a few may even know who I am.

    What I attacked was the injection of an unnecessary sexualy explicit metaphor. Please join me in condemning the use of such language when Dato has penned his words so very well, so it is uncalled for.

    What did I say to Dehra Dun. I said if you are serious in tackling money politics, politicians should not be billionaires, because if they are billionaires they will use their money to enagage in politics. Surely you can see the connection, so I said, all this about strengthening the Lembaga Disiplin is 'melepaskan batuk di tangga.' You want to attack the problem, attack it at the root, and the root is the large amounts of money politicians get by commissions.

    Not only UMNO is guilty of this, MCA and MIC is equally guilty of this, just in case the 'holier than thou' disease starts to creep up.

    I can smell things pretty good from a mile away.

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  27. Dear Wenger J Khairy,

    I think you love yourself too much, bro.

    Look in the mirror. You know you are sorry for yourself.

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  28. i really don't know just who the hell u are....but u must be a very stupid old man who keeps on trying to tell us how much u adore that corrupted SIL....bukan saja bersungguh2 bersusahpayah cuba menunjukkan SIL cukup sempurna sifatnya, malah bermati-matian cuba mempengaruhi (baca : membodohkan) pembaca disini...seolah-olah, kamu saja yang bijaksana di alam cyber ini...Actually, i believe, to many readers, it just so obvious that u are so stupid, not the readers...

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