When the Map is Unrolled, the Dagger is revealed.
"When the Map is Unrolled, the Dagger is Revealed." This is a famous figure of speech in China. It means that only at the end we see people's real intentions and their true nature. This is the impression I read about the drama that is unfolding within the MCA. That's how I see the recent developments within the MCA. The dagger is in the form of Liow Tiong Lai and his group of like minded make haste MCA politicians. Calling themselves as the 3rd force, their real intention was to actually kill off both OTK and CSL. The group is said to have the backing of Ong Ka Ting, Ong Kah Chuan and a key player in the PKFZ financial scandal- Chan Kong Choy.
It's also reported that he is the preferred MCA president candidate by UMNO. Now, where does this kind of dubious name dropping originate from? Which section of the UMNO leadership prefers him? In fact, when I read the PM's exhortation to the 2 feuding MCA leaders not to allow outsiders to interfere in their efforts to sort out MCA, I take this to mean the death knell for the so called 3rd force and with that, the beginning of the end for Liow Tiong Lai too.
The name dropping may very well be a product of the fertile imagination of newspaper stringers. Sure, some UMNO leaders have this fixation with krises and other pointed stabbing weapons. But I don't think the LTL is the sharp instrument that fits into UMNO's scheme of things.
It is impossible for UMNO to have but a cursory interest in what's going in MCA. What's going on in MCA, a principal partner in the BN coalition is a cause for concern-yes. As I wrote a few months back, the BN whole cannot remain healthy if one of its parts is diseased. But beyond expressing concern and alluding to higher political good, UMNO cannot directly interfere into MCA. The present leadership can't do a repeat of Ghafar-Baba-ing MCA so that the feuding parties are shocked into sensibility. I hope our MCA friends can interpret UMNO's calculated reluctance to enter MCA territory as something proper on the part of the senior BN partner. UMNO's thoughts on what's going on in MCA and its suggestions made through the top two leaders can only be 'persuasive' and nothing more.
As I also said the last time, our wish to allow MCA be MCA must also be demanded on the other side of the equation- allowing MCA to deal with this on their own.
But UMNO must send the right signals as its form of showing concern. How so? It can do so, by supporting the leadership in MCA that corresponds favourably with its own leadership trend. UMNP leadership is embarking on a leadership transformation itself as spelled out vociferously and loudly by the UMNO president recently. You know, a few of us in UMNO, when listening to PM Najib's speech as UMNO president recently were thinking: however thunderous and ear splitting the exhortations were, if the UMNO joes heading the cawangans and bahagians choose to be impervious and thick-skulled, UMNO can never transform itself.
What kind of leadership? A leadership that is crusading for radical changes on how politics is played at operational and fundamental levels.
And how should the game be played? It's a politics that has reached maturity stage where politics is operated on the principles of values such as integrity, meritocracy, transparency, accountability , good working ethics, all leading to the formation of a good party and eventually good government. UMNO wants to become a party of good men and so does MCA. You appear to be good, when you are willing to declare initiatives, policies, thinking, to that effect. OTK is doing that when he has declared to operate on the aforesaid principles. UMNO, through DS Najib has declared that through his presidential speech. The common commitment should be sufficient to exclude a leadership that thrives on shadowy intrigues and underhand subterfuges. Very sorry, but LTL has suddenly found himself described in such politically debilitating terms.
UMNO is about to embark on a transformation of its own. I hope those UMNO people and members know what's expected when you undertake a transformation. It's not so farcical and shallow as being able to quote Blue Ocean strategy the book, (not the substance) to indicate one's understanding of the meaning of it. Accordingly, transformation doesnt take place just because the UMNO rank and file, can and will often from now, parrot the term TRANSFORMASI!
It essentially boils down to a revolutionary change in the objectives-of struggle perception. The UMNO president calls for a struggle to achieve objectives inspired by noble intentions, higher values. It also means a gradual rejection of a struggle designed for immediate material gratification. For UMNO this is a revolutionary concept.
But why should UMNO be interested in what's going on in MCA? The answer is because the MCA is a major partner in the BN coalition. Ignoring MCA on whatever excuses to justify inaction, would leave a dissonant note to that great idea that is being sold currently- 1 Malaysia.
What is happening in MCA cannot be looked as an isolated development that will not affect BN and UMNO. As an important member within the BN fraternity, the BN whole cannot stay healthy; if one its part is injured.
UMNO simply cannot stand by idly while its partner is drowning. It must step in to assist where ever possible without appearing to supervise what MCA does to itself.
When the first EGM was held, we were watching with great interest what would be the outcome. The principal purpose of the EGM was to ascertain the position of Chua Soi Lek. But the resolution on double 10 which annulled the expulsion meant that in effect, CSL was reinstated as the legitimate Deputy President. The resolution to bump off OTK also failed because it did not get the 2/3 mandate requirement. This was the Mexican standoff that suddenly paralysed MCA.
It was a turf war between MCA leaders. A number of MCA leaders were pushing hard to bump off Chua Soi Lek and hid behind the shield of Ong Tee Keat. OTK said ok- he will go along if that is the collective wish. The group said yes- it's the collective wish. But the CC was also reminded that in the event, the resolution to kick off Chua Soi ek is rejected, then the collective wish also carries with it, a collective accountability. That means, to any right minded thinking people, that you ought to be responsible for your collective behaviour. And so, the double 10 EGM did indeed turn the tables on those over eager to kick out CSL.
What ought an honourable leader to do? He said he will resign and was told to in menacing terms. But there's one catch. If the president of MCA resigns, then the principle of collective accountability would require that those pushing for the agenda of beating the hide of CSL are also bound by his decision. This means, that on the basis of collective accountability, the entire CC members must offer resignation and seek re-election.
9 comments:
just a matter of historical interest.
the title originated from an attempt by jing ke from the state of Yan to assasinate the emporer shi huangdi from the state of Qin. Shi huangdi was attacking all other states to unify china into one country.
jingke presented the emporer with a map of a state of yan, but inside the map was a dagger. when the map was unrolled, the dagger was revealed and jingke took it to stab the emporer, but he only manage to pierce the emporer's lengan baju. chinese in those days where the very big baju jubah.
jinke was arrested and killed.
Catch Liow, Wee and Chew Mun and cut their heads off. Shi Huandi had to do this. So also must Ong Tee Keat.
We need polly like this;
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=STKkWj2WpWM
Leng Chai
A: 'Where's walla?'
B: 'Last i saw her she was washing her clothes; her washing machine had broken down but she couldn't afford to have it repaired.'
A: 'Sigh..how sad.'
B: 'It'll be bad for everyone too when the petrol subsidy is lifted; there'll be another rash of sticky price increases.'
A: 'And here we are feted with political dramas instead. Do you think the rakyat care a hoot?'
B: 'Well, there's not much entertainment in town ever since the royal london circus had moved on with their chimps and clowns. And the papers can't just be reporting the next murder, rape, frog-jump....you know, the usuals.'
A: 'Do you think all this (waves hand) will end one day soon?'
B: 'It certainly did for the Qin dynasty. His drive created his own cell of imprisonment. Even with all the powers of the land, he was imprisoned in his own fears that one day his mortality would end his achievements. True enough, after he died his legacy lasted on for only a few years.
You see, A, ends don't just means. Achieving unification at the cost of so much destruction beggars the meaning of the original objective.
Applying that lesson to ourselves, there is only one consideration. If a political party wants to work for the rakyat, it must not use methods that it knows will hurt them.
The political transformation in view has to be a true and complete transformation. You cannot excuse draconian or bravura tactics on grounds of a desire for some future vision. This is all the more true when all records have shown that in the past you have been anything but altruistic towards the rakyat.'
A: 'The blogger said that Umno did not have puppeteering designs on the MCA. Do you think that's true?'
B: 'I don't know. Perhaps you should address that question to one particular branch of the enforcement arm. Ask them whether one of their remits is to tail the leaders of BN's component parties and build dossiers. Ask them whether their masters had anything to do with, for instance, the resignation of one MCA president, the sabotage of another, and the ascension of a third whose span was only shortened by charges made in another country.
If you see it in that light, the MCA EGM delegates had no other recourse. In Badawi's cabinet, CSL called spades spades. He was outspoken on matters affecting the nation. It was double standards tarring him and Eli when the rakyat can still see for themselves how one home minister and two chief ministers had gotten off by the abbreviation of charges on accessory to murder, rape of a minor, and money laundering, respectively.
A, politics is dirty because only hypocrites can console themselves that it is alright for ends to justify means.
So don't blame the rakyat for concluding that mischief's afoot to unseat OTK because of his revelations on PKFZ. Because the revelations will harm those who know what they have done and how they must be thinking they can get away because they have positioned themselves above the law whose workings seem to leave much to be desired these days.
In other words, you know what is painful to the rakyat? They are pained in their conclusion that even if the culprits are found out, they will be teflonized by a tainted legal system.
Now, given that, tell me how you are going to effect transformation.'
A: 'With yesterday's run on PKR's PK assemblyman turning independent, maybe that will put some filip into the process, B.'
B: 'Really? Can you first define for me what is meant by the word independent when it is to be read as BN-friendly independent? How can one be independent and yet friendly to another party or coalition? Secondly, if that guy is so BN-friendly, why pull wool for so many months over the eyes of those who had voted for him? Thirdly, if he knows that he has not been doing his job, why didn't he resign his post earlier? Or is it he thinks being an elected politician is just to warm his seat, earn bunny points, and increase nego value for crossover later? Fourthly, is that the sort of politician the receiving coalition would want in its roll of honour, what more when it wants to change itself to be a better animal? Fifthly, what exactly then was his problem with the party on which his ticket to office had been earned? In all other words, where is his conscience or shame for not doing what is expected of him when his colleagues of the same party are still running around trying to provide services to the rakyat on budgets indirectly shaved by Umno's treasury? Please answer my questions.
By the way, no one had missed how the chief on tv last night was affecting a body language on that matter that unfortunately for him was only too reminiscent of the sarcastic carriage of another PM. You know, A, when you affect a facial feature that doesn't carry well, it shows three things; one, you are not sure of your own standing, two, you are trying to hitch a ride on the assumed popularity of a past character, and three, you torpedo the essence of what you are trying to do by revealing the one characteristic that the rakyat hate: arrogance.
A leader who is about to effect massive transformation must first transform himself. Otherwise how can he sell what he is trying to do? The first change is not to attack others. If he attacks them, he attacks the rakyat who had voted for them. If the opposition is facing problems, then his face should show concern for the rakyat who will be affected. If he really cares for the rakyat. True, or not? Adopting a combative stance against other parties does not a really great leader make. True again, or not? It is not noble. It is not conscionable. It is in fact cheap. A leader who has transformed himself will not waver from one focus - that he really also believes in people first and performance upheld, that he is not just some guy who is eager-beaver to take cheap pot-shots at others who are also trying to do their best for the rakyat. That he is more aggrieved, for instance, why a state budget could be passed without real review, or, for example, why three girls had to die on his 1Malaysia endeavor; maybe they were too malnourished to hold onto the cable? In other words, that he is really pro-rakyat.'
A: '(grins) hummm, do i detect a double entendre there, B?'
B: 'It doesn't matter what i say, A. I don't give a damn for this life anymore. But i do give a damn for all the people listening in, for this country, for the notion of what Malaysia must be.
Look, A, we have serious problems and we all have serious issues with our politicians. There is nothing in the annual budget which says we really will be having meaty thrusts in the next malaysia plan. In fact, if i don't sniff now, i am worried of another plausibility.'
A: 'What's that, B?'
B: 'That the tepidness of the budget is because we ain't got no more money, honey.'
A: 'You mean the stimulus packages were just rearranging the musical chairs of the titanic?'
B: 'Politicians, bankers and economists may disagree. But the rakyat know better, no?'
A: 'It's like last night's "Hero" when the assassin had no way to miss finishing off the Qin emperor inside ten paces. Yet he didn't because both believed in the vision of just three words: All Under Heaven. The vision of a common unification to end years of provincial and clan conficts.
Unfortunately for the assassin who was the real noble rakyat, the emperor had other ideas; he finished off the assassin because his underlings said it was the law of his clan. In the end the unification he had achieved was drowned in the suffering of the people and conflicts continued for a long time.
Let's replace those three words with walla's four. Do the right thing.'
A: 'She will be proud of you, B.'
B: 'She cooks great rendang.'
A: 'Let me try and remind her for you.'
B: 'Meanwhile, let's save the rakyat a few hundred million of their tax-paid money. Let's re-highlight what has been pushed down too fast. That PDRM logistics RM1 Billion contract that is due: http://is.gd/4HGNd '
A: 'You miss nothing, do you?'
B: 'I miss her, A. I miss her a lot.'
Now, we know who are the ones who stirred trouble and fished in troubled waters.
OTK was blind not to notice the apple polishers holding knives behind their backs.
OTK & The 3-Gang Team should resign.
well written article from a non-mca member
Dear Dt sak
Do you think PKFZ scandal is chinese kind of thing.Minister is chinese,contractor chinese,consultant chinese,,these people when they cheat and embezzle not in small amount huh..must be 3 generation worth.i kind of wonder,,just like perwaja.they left nothing behind..
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