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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Saturday 25 April 2009

The Media Goodfellas and other Goombahs


 

The last I heard, the appointment of Rashid Yusof as DPM's secretary is off. I hope it is temporary. On hindsight maybe it was a mistake for DPM to call 2 persons at the same time to appoint his press secs. Two posts were in the offing- one at the ministry of education, the other at DPM's office. Rashid was offered the press sec at DPM's office. That post of course carried more prestige than the press sec at the ministry. Perhaps the other person who was offered the press sec at the ministry thought he/she was more qualified for press sec at DPM's office.

Maybe it was just professional jealousy and envy that started the character assassination of Rashid. If this is so, then the other person is a true blue in the most hallowed of UMNO traditions- that of working up your network of friends and myrmidons to assassinate the other candidate. Poor Rashid, he was caught of guard.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin- next time call your prospects one by one.

There was a comment in an earlier blog asking me who is Jocelyn Tan? Well my answer is: just another nondescript journalist who made her name when the age of the internet wasn't around yet. Those halcyon days when what you said couldn't be contested and where your listening audience cannot speak back. In this age when people can talk back, Miss J.Tan will just be another run off the mill overrated stringer.

My own assessment is: Miss Tan's prowess as a journalist is vastly exceeded by her close relationship with both the PM and PM's wife.

There is also another thing I heard. Was it part of a journalist's condescending repertoire to sms direct to a sitting MB and tell him off? My sources revealed that Miss Tan smsed Dato Zambry accusing him of being a master strategist for KJ. This is certainly conduct unbecoming of a big name journalist like Miss J.Tan, unless of course Miss Tan thinks she has protection by higher powers.

The prey here is Rashid Yusof. It is therefore disingenuous to drag in Dato Dr Zambri in the picture. Zambry may have been the one to recommend Rashid to Muhyiddin. But that action has more to do with the fact that Zambry knows Rashid for more than a decade. It was a gesture to a friend in the same spirit as when Dato Najib spoke to Dato Shafee Abdullah about one Razak Baginda.

I am no supporter of Muhyiddin but I will question the motives behind moves to prevent him from appointing anyone whom he thinks can do a job well for him. Just as we don't question who the PM wants to be in his team, we should accord the same latitude to the 'looking uninspiring' DPM.

To my friend A Voice and the friend I have yet to meet up, Bigdog, Rashid's 'crime' is being associated with the Darth Vader of Malaysian politics- KJ. I don't think this Rashid guy has placed them in any harm's way. There has been nothing, except Rashid was instrumental along with many nameless and faceless others, in making KJ victorious.

For a long time, the media world was opaque. The media practitioners lead a sheltered life, concealed from the prying eyes of the public. The politics in their world is proving to be as exciting as that in any political party. I am enjoying the role of watching the watchers.

Before I post this article there was a comment from an anon in the previous article. This person has the habit of calling supporters of KJ as full of shit. I have deleted the comment. Other than saying that I am full of shit for defending Rashid, where is your argument rebutting what I have said concerning Rashid?

None- which firmly and assuredly expose, that it is really you who are a buffoon. Why must it be, that anyone who defends another must, by definition be paid by the aggrieved party? Does my knowing Rashid disqualify me from defending him?

At the end of the day, Muhyidin is the one who makes the decision as to who he wants to hire. If Rashid's appointment is no longer tenable, hire no one. If I were Muhyidin, I will automatically disqualify the one who is pushing to get the job. The person may be the one who started the prairie fire. It's none other than the person Muhyidin called at the same time as Rashid. Indirectly it proves that this person is also not suitable for the pres sec job at the ministry level either. Imagine the perpetual tension and distrust this person creates.

Muhyidin has to ignore those nincompoops who are besieged with paranoia seeing conspiracies being hatched at every move and turn. He must decide who he thinks is best suited and capable for the job. If Rashid is, then the rest of the world be dammed.

9 comments:

Anonymous,  25 April 2009 at 20:42  

Journalist also can send sms to DPM and MB...and some more a non bumi.This is truly indicative of an open govt ..truly 1Malaysia.Applause alround...btw..wats the DPM mobile number?
And,come on Dato...you can't possibly believe that our DPM decided purely on hearsay thru sms or watever.
I hv enuff faith in the intelligence n fairplay of the DPM : he must hv done his homework using his extensive network b4 making his decision
I am sorry for Mr Rashid as I am for Mr Fairuz.

A Voice 25 April 2009 at 21:22  

Bro

I acknowledge your point that Rashid didn't do any harm to me. I didn't write out of being personel on Rashid the person. It is about the association and position. I commented out of concern for DPM and party.

Rashid should have expected the possibilities from his association with KJ. He made this decision with his eyes wide open and not in a vacuum. It got nothing to do with anyone else - be it Mukhriz or Khir Toyo or Obama or Thaksin or whoever. I repeat, it is about his association with KJ. We do not have to repeat KJ the subject.

Mind you, Rashid's position is not just a job but a high profile position which is as good as being a public figure. Having someone like me raising such issue of public figure is natural. Who doesn't?

Furthermore, I am entitled to my opinion too, don't I? The points I raised are genuine concerns. If anyone differ, thats normal. So what? I can't see TSMY's decision for a change of mind be attributed to my dinky of a posting or that of Bigdog's. If so, it is merely coincidental.

Like you pointed out that it is Najib's prerogative to make his appointments. Treat it as TSMY's prerogative to change his mind.

Many agree that Rashid should lie low for a while and he should be able to come back. Please tell him to stop doing the stupid thing of calling KJ as budiman and try to save KJ. No one buy that.

Let KJ fight his own battle. He deserve his current predicament or maybe it is not a predicament.

Anonymous,  25 April 2009 at 22:04  

Dato

For now I just want to say I support fully your removing the rude comments.

If they do not know courtesy and manners, they don't deserve to be heard or seen on the screen.

If I were you, I would remove each and every comment that includes rude words the moment they appear. They irritate readers like me, clutter your blog, and distract attention from the issues you bring up for discussion.

I always enjoy your blog except when this kind of comments and the "what gives?" type appear.

fazilogic 26 April 2009 at 00:49  

I m with A Voice on this issue. Like it or not some people still consider KJ of a security threat - proven or otherwise - to UMNO and the Govt for now at least.

KJ's previous relationship (as reflected in some of Pak Lah's decisions) with S'pore is sort of a track record.

Thus it is only to be expected why those who are or have been associated to KJ in his political quest to be of suspects.

I feel sorry for Rashid but he's matured enough to make his decision in having offered himself to a team associated with KJ.

If it is true that Muhyiddin has called off the decision on appointing Rashid then I must salute the former.

He has proven that he is all ears and responded - rightly or wrongly - to the voices that want UMNO to be back on track. Well at least to one section of the Umno-centric which have been vocal to Pak Lah's actions which further proven to be bad for Umno as shown in March 2008 result.

To sum up, anything that is with KJ-flavour nowadays is not palatable to these people including yours truly.

Salam perjuangan Dato'.

Anonymous,  26 April 2009 at 01:19  

Dato',
if by associating with KJ a person is labelled as such by A Voice and fazilogic, then you're probably next to be guillotined right??

Ariff Sabri 26 April 2009 at 01:59  

anon at 01:19

you see the stance by sakmongkol ak47 in the 3 poses?

BigDog 26 April 2009 at 09:27  

Dato',

This is nothing personal about Rashid Yusof. I don't even know the guy.

This is all about protecting the 'integrity' of the institution.

It is obvious that KJ is a persona no grata to PM Dato' Seri Najib. First it was the "Berani Beubah" speech on the Perasmian Serentak Wanita/Pemuda/Puteri. Then the omission of being in Cabinet line up on 9 April and convenient appointment of KJ's Vice UMNO Youth into MT UMNO on Friday tells it all.

Tan Sri Muhyiddin should not 'antagonise' the feelings of DS Najib by bringing in KJ's closest aides into his private office, especially so soon. He should consider the 'uneasiness' that will cause in Perdana Putra when one of KJ's closest guy is there.

I'm sure Rashid @ Dergak is able to do a very good job. So will other equally good journalist with the same ept in politics.

Again, this is not about Rashid.

Yes, I agree with Fazilogic. Anything with the "KJ" brand nowadays comes mostly undesirable. Wake up and smell the coffee and roses!

Anonymous,  26 April 2009 at 09:35  

Dato,

This thing about association with KJ and the comment that KJ is a threat -

As you know better than I do (sorry for the cliche), politics is about gaining power and retaining that power. Sometimes it's dog-eat-dog world out there. Politicians read their rivals' intentions and moves. Both current and potential rivals. Loyalty to day may not be so to-morrow. We've seen that in many instances in recent years, especially since TDM and TAB handing-over times. That's why some politicians keep their current and potential rivals' compromisable letters in their drawers, their ACA/ MACC dossiers in their safes, to enable them to squeeze the rivals' balls as and when necessary.

Now, the brash young Oxford man, hardly schooled in the refined art of politics, had declared his "intention" of becoming PM by 40. Surely DSN wants to remain PM until after that time. Surely TSMY wants to try become PM before KJ. Not to speak of other aspirants. Not to mention double M who is relatively a lot younger than DSN and TSMY. So the back stabbing, scheming and conspiratorial acts against KJ would continue. Politics is damned dirty - sorry, another cliche.

The authorities have reportedly searched his new office soon after he moved out of the "4th Floor". Not just the politicians, even the bureaucrats would want to gun him down, albeit on different motivations - promotions, Datoships, Tan Sriships. This is what this country has been reduced to and we have to accept the facts of life these days.

The only way is for KJ to change his image. Go out, do things good with Pemuda, the Mat Rempits and the wayward young, organise computer classes in rural and underprivileged areas, and the like. Get the 304 voters to join him in the good deeds, bring the media people along, belanja them makan at places where the activities are organised, include the vernacular newspaper people who may be aversed to his talk about 70% Bumi share of corporate equity etc, make them more understanding of and sympathetic to him and his causes.

Personally, I don't like him, his young upstart and corruption image. But I want to see the Malays united. And he can help bring about that unity. I sincerely wish you help guide him towards that direction by writing more along those lines and urging him to do so in your blog.

Sing Song Tok Kok,  26 April 2009 at 15:16  

KJ is good man, it was RPK, Anwar and the late adlan Benan that ruined his image thru the Khairy Chronicles.

We must be objective and not be too quick to punish someone. Adlan Benan wrote all that rubbish, the same way RPK is banging Najib now.

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