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Sakmongkol ak 47

ariff.sabri@gmail.com

Wednesday 18 June 2014

The Hermit of Langgak Golf



History will be unkind to people like Tengku Razaleigh. Those who have grown up with him and witness what the country has become, will judge Tengku Razaleigh harshly for choosing to sit idly by, living out his life as a political hermit at Langgak Golf.
This treatment contrasts unfavourably with the contributions this man has made to Malaysia. His good deeds to UMNO seem to have been forgotten by the present greedy leadership of UMNO. Many of the assets which UMNO now has were either transferred or were given free to UMNO by Tengku Razaleigh.
The UMNO HQ stands on a land donated by Tengku Razaleigh to UMNO. The Fleet Group which once owned New Straits Time belonged to Tengku Razaleigh.
He has served as an important cabinet minister since the days of Tun Razak. He was the economic czar at one time. He was responsible for creating and starting many of the institutions that were supposed to help advance Malays economically. Bank Islam, Bank Bumiputera, Pernas, PETRONAS, and many more.  The paper for the setting up of Universiti Islam Antara bangsa was given to him and he later gave it to Anwar Ibrahim to make a splash of an announcement. Of course Anwar claimed credit for thinking and setting up of UIA.
As we celebrated 40 years of ties with China, not many people know that it was Tengku Razaleigh who actually paved the way for Malaysia –China relations.
At this 40th anniversary, the PM who once served as assistant to Tengku Razaleigh has chosen to forget the man responsible for opening up China before Tun Razak went to China. A few years ago, the Chinese government sought to buy back a painting given to Tengku Razaleigh by Zhou En Lai- China’s grew eminence.
He is now the longest serving MP. In Parliament, he sits with 2 others who are also veteran MPs. But he sits as a forlorn figure watching the country deteriorate being mauled by greedy BN leadership. He has watched as the history of our country unfolds from a less anxiety-ridden country and where the was relatively racial harmony and religious tolerance to an anxiety ridden country with racial and religious tensions.
And history will judge him unkindly because as a person who is capable of doing something such as providing a much needed leadership righting the many wrongs done to this country, he has stood like a hermit and allow this country plunge into a mess and quagmire.
He is probably in the last leg as a serving MP. He was cheated once at being a PM for this country. He took a band of dedicated politicians and formed Semangat 46 to wrest power from Mahathir. Having lost and making peace with Mahathir and disbanding Semangat 46, he has retreated almost hermit like at his residence at Langgak Golf licking his wounded pride. Once in a while, he will create some noises only audible however to a few conscientious fellows. Meanwhile, the country as a whole is plunging deeper into an abyss.
This country is in a mess. The much touted transformation plan has hardly transformed the economy and the politics of the country. The only transformational effects to be felt in the kampongs and villages are the various money hand-outs most notably BR1M. Najib in on TV almost every night preaching BR1M like it is a godsend transmitted by God’s emissaries in the form of BN politicians.
History will ask- when all these things took place, where was Tengku Razaleigh and what has he done?

31 comments:

bruno 18 June 2014 at 09:32  

Dato,Tunku Razazeigh's fighting spirits have all vanished into thin air.He is still licking his wounds after his loss to Mahathir.He saw how many of his prominent supporters went bankrupt or nearly bankrupt especially his staunch lady supporter and big time developer Marina.

With his big time supporters all becoming paupers have sapped the fighting spirits and energy out of Razaleigh.That is the reason he made a pow wow with Mahathir promising to be a good follow the boss type of politician,a yes man.Maybe because he wanted to save face and also some of his rich supporters from squatting by the roadside with an empty can begging for pennies.

Razaleigh has his own reasons of staying quite and living under the tempurong.Maybe we have to ask him or Mahathir why?

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 10:06  

This is no country for old men. It is where memories are short and BR1M holds sway.

The public's consciousness has been irreparably traumatised by multiple Tahun Meliwat Malaysia events, nothing is sacred anymore. People try to forget.

Govt servants are more and turning into "Stepford wives". I wish it weren't true.

The Ministry of Truth will not publish Tengku Razaleigh's contributions to the nation. It is up to independent thinkers and scholars to set the record straight.

But if TR is content to stay a hermit, should we not honour it?


Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 10:58  

The rare gentlemen politician, which is a dying breed here.
Yes, he has many accomplishments which laid the foundations for many institutions & rightly should be proud of it. But don't expect the younger generation to know nor be bothered about it. They were brainwashed to worship Dr Mahathir.
If TR was PM, M'sia would not be what it is today.
If TR was PM, UMNO would not be what it is today
if TR was PM, we would be on par with S'pore

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 11:03  

Dear Dato Sak,

Your article about Tengku Razaleigh is indeed heart warming. However I disagree with you when you wrote about Ku Li taking a "band of dedicated politicians and formed Semangat 46....". The so-called band of dedicated politicians are all selfish individuals who crawled on their knees back into UMNO when Semangat 46 was disbanded. And who are these band of so-called "dedicated" politicians? Do you mean disgraceful turncoats like Rais Yatim and Ahmad Zahid Hamidi are "dedicated" politicians? These turncoats are definitely "dedicated" solely to their own selfish needs for power and wealth.

Tiger 18 June 2014 at 11:50  

If only he would do something about it.
Either he thinks he can't, or he's too tired or afraid of losing something.
But I think it's not too late for him to do what's right, and the cost will not be too high for him. At the same time, our country is slipping into the abyss and the cost may be too great for all Malaysians.

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 12:32  

Reminds me of tragic figures in the political history of other nations:

Alexander Kerensky and Russia

Ramsay MacDonald and the UK


Phua Kai Lit

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 12:48  

Like i said before, he is too coward to step forward. A big boaster but no action.

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 13:29  

He is NATO. I have lost respect for him; he knows our country is in a rut, yet despite knowing he can do something about it, being a man of position, he only talks and thinks people will heed his advice. I agree with YB that history will judge him negatively. He deserves it.

TC 88,  18 June 2014 at 13:41  

Agree w Anonymous that the band of dedicated individuals KL took w him to Semangat 46 all deserted him. Rais said that "he has burned his bridge" when he joined KL. He crawled back to get ministerial benefits. Same with Syed Hamid and several others.

Agree with Tiger that KL, together with Musa Hitam and many other elder statesmen could have done so much more to stem Mahathirism. Badawi has the best chance but he either didn't use it or lack support.

The country is rich in talent. Many were driven away or encouraged or forced to leave. Others like Ku Li are prevented or not encouraged to contribute for the powers to be to preserve and protect their own agenda. This country to drift aimlessly, broken, dismantled, heartbroken through 22 years of Mahathirism and continues to do so, even now.

I want my Malaysia Back! For my children, their children, etc. I want the Malaysia of Tunku, Razak, Tun Dr Ismail, n Hussein Onn. Is this too much to ask?

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 14:11  

TR can take Malaysia by storm if he just puts aside his hermit stance. If Dr M can still take over Proton management, any reason why TR cannot for this country?

Oh, btw, read that Azmin will remain in PKNS. Hope this chap has learnt his lesson and does not allow this to go to his head again by bringing in all his kakis and supporters to flood PKNS. The Selangor rakyat are now getting smarter than Azmin and will slap him down if he tries!

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 14:38  

Askm tok
Kuli perlu keluar dr langgak utk lakukan tindakan yg lebih berani utk memimpin satu kitaran baru kpd negara
Atau dh selesa.. Tunggu pencen dr jadi mp....

clearwater 18 June 2014 at 15:10  

I am sad for Tengku Razaleigh but I am even sadder for the the present generation of Malaysians who did not know the more tolerant, kinder and gentler Malaysia that once existed. We lost it and am unable to find a way back.

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 15:52  

"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." Edmund Burke.
I once respected Kuli, that was, when he was Semangat 46 president but lost that respect when he returned to UMNO Baru with his tails between his legs. He also ate his words that he would NEVER join UMNO Baru even if he dies and is reborn.
This man is a washout. Just forget him as a good for nothing fellow.
Past contributions mean nothing when he can sit and see the country being destroyed and yet belong to the party that is destroying the country.

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 17:48  

"History will judge him unkindly ..."

Dato, we do not need to wait for him to die so that "history will judge him". Everytime now, when I read about him in the media or in blogs, I have nothing to say but expletives about him.

I, a citizen of Malaysia, born and bred in Malaysia, am judging him now. I have nothing good in my judgement of him.

If he WAS as great as you said, with his stature, he has the ability and power to change Malaysia for the better, even until his last breath. All he needs to do is to step up and lead. Many will follow.

But he chose to be a coward and remain with UMNO Baru. He chose to stick his head in the sand and turn a blind eye. Occasionally, he will come out and say a few words. After that he goes back to his cave.

I have no respect for a old man like him. Even as I write this, I am controlling my urge to spew expletive words about him.

Dato, you are not doing him any favour by writing about him like he is a folklore hero. If you really care about this old man, you should wake him up!

Does he want to spend the last years of his life this way, watching all his life sacrifices going down the gutter?

Does he want to leave this world with a disgrace legacy, not unlike Mahathir?

You claimed that he has sacrificed a lot during his younger days. Shouldn't he sacrifice one more time NOW, to reclaim what he has lost (not the PM-ship, but all he has done in his earlier life), to save the millions of Malaysians who are at the mercy of UMNO Baru?

TAG 18 June 2014 at 18:28  

TR failed the country when he could have made a difference. He is irrelevant now and will always be.


Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 18:42  

The nation is getting messier, with the mega crony planning to set up a new casino with an estimated investment to the tune of three billion ringgit. The fastest way to rake in huge profits ? Need quick hard cash to fix investments elsewhere. Will not the number of ah longs, household debts, loss of jobs, mental health issues and a linkage to other major issues, increase exponentially ?

Even with the enactment of Casino Control, Rules, Regulations and Surveillance and Credit Control, they can be bent by cronies in Bolehland as someone might just bark through the phone that such an amount of hard cash is needed urgently.

Also a huge amount of hypocrisy is involved when it comes to empowering people to do better, creating more and equal opportunities for them to earn decent living by producing far better quality products, newer products and providing high courteous services at all times to beat stiff competition in this volatile climate, whilst maintaining the reasonable pricing, which will then translate to a safe, happy, meaningful life than to lead them to murky waters and be sucked into poverty, extreme poverty and despisableness. Only PAS, not UMNO Baru, will speak up against this.

Anonymous,  18 June 2014 at 21:05  

He loves UMNO so much but let the country going down!!!!

the gaffe guy who know's,  19 June 2014 at 03:02  

Kuli is like Najib.They do not have fire inside them so they cannot fight on a level playing field.If Kuli was a fighter he would have been PM instead of Mahathir.

Greenbug 19 June 2014 at 03:26  

I had a lot of respect and regards for Tengku Razaleigh once before but not now... I think he is either too afraid or too selfish to ever help this country... or someone actually has a file on something he did wrong... whatever it is, he is not a folklore hero you try to make him out to be, he could have been great but he stopped doing so he actually never succeeded....

Anonymous,  19 June 2014 at 11:33  

If Ku Li steps in at this juncture, he would only be a figurehead. He will be used for his symbolic value, and he would have no real power. He would have no power or influence to make appointments - putting in places people he knows can be trusted and who can perform, no standing to make any deals - those that are strategically sound and can be carried through above board, or form any policies - because he has been isolated very far from the elite corridors of power. I feel the chances are high that the same people who will laud him when he re-enters the ring, especially within the UMNO old guard, will be the ones who want to retain that real power exclusively for themselves. These are people who have proven themselves to be mediocre and unable to see what Malaysia needs for the present and future, so they prescribe old medicine and tell and re-tell their old myths. Therefore there will be no change. On the other hand neither will Ku Li achieve much if he joins Pakatan Rakyat. To cut the long story short, Pakatan Rakyat is just the way it is at the moment, and Ku Li will not be able to help much by his participation. Civil society suffers from a lack of public uptake. We are only dimly aware of civil society. We probably know more about Fan Bingbing's marital life and the latest Hollywood news and the availability and stock of cartoon soft toys than we know about the efforts of civil society in laying the groundwork for policy change.

So what is it that we expect Ku Li to do? Ku Li has done much but he has also already staked everything in Semangat 46. That was the biggest struggle of his life. Ever since he lost, he has only diminished in stature, even as many others rose. Not all of this would have been his own doing. Ku Li has gone by in years. He is old. What I really want to know if the qualities that made Ku Li who he is still survives in Malaysians and if he bothered to pass something on, because to be honest at ground level I do not really see much of it. Not nearly enough.

Now look at the comments on even your own blog. Isn't it a disease when the greater masses of Malaysians have to pin their hopes for change always on the actions of others, and not on what they themselves could do?

I think we should ask not what Ku Li can do for Malaysia, but what specific actions Malaysians can do for their own country. Surely this does not entail only playing the roles of the animals in Orwell's book. There is too much bleating and neighing.

Anonymous,  19 June 2014 at 16:23  

I think, like the older generation to which he belongs, pride more than anything now is what he wants to preserve. He doesn't want to end up like Tunku. Out of the fold, forgotten and spent. He doesn't want to go down fighting, he just wants to fade away and hope bits and pieces of his legacy remain. A pity, because 50% of Malaysians will judge him harshly for his inaction...and the other 50%, those in UMNO and BN just wouldn't care to remember.

bat8 19 June 2014 at 16:43  

Dato

Saya m3nyokong Kuli sejak dari beliau kalah lawan Mahathir dalam tahun 1987 hinggalah 10 tahun yang lalu. Saya kecewa dengan sikap beliau. Kita mengharapkan beliau memimpin kita di barisan depan bukan dibelakang press conferences sekali s3kala.

Pada saya sekarang Kuli hanyalah " A PARTTIME POLITICAL COMMENTATOR" s3karang ini.Tak lebih dari itu. Sesetengah dari kita tahu sebab sebenar b3liau banyak dok menyorok di rumah agamnya. Bukan soal gentl3man yang m3njadi sebab utama.

Anonymous,  19 June 2014 at 17:23  

History will ask- when all these things took place, where was Tengku Razaleigh ?

He is quaking, al kutty is beside.

bruno 19 June 2014 at 20:33  

Dato,what about the 'celaka Umno' fiasco.Is Umno also considered a "Sacred Cow" too.Instead of trying to achieve a dream of beyonds of achieving to be a developed nation,our leaders are aiming to be the number one of an international nation of jokers and clowns.

Sumpitan Emas,  20 June 2014 at 00:14  

1/2
PKL, may I add Liu Shao Chi of PRC. Not only did he fail to reach the top he was hounded to death by both Mao and wife. Mao’s treatment of Zhou En Lai and many other comrades was no better.

Is the freedom to do as one pleases with one’s time, now, sufficient recompense for a man who has contributed so much to the nation? I don’t know, but I think it is safe to bet, given his background and upbringing, the recompense is in knowing that he was responsible for the formation and development of the many institutions which are now part of our corporate and non-corporate landscape.

I particularly like the gem about the painting sought by the Chinese government. I am reminded of the gift of a few lotus seeds by Zhou to a Japanese socialist friend when he arrived in Japan to further his studies — that was all he had. World II came and went, and China became the PRC in October 1949, and years later it was reported that descendants of the man who had received the lotus seeds presented to the Chinese government seeds which came from the original lotus grown in Japan — the lotus has returned home! Will the painting ‘return’ home?

Now, back to realUMNOpolitik :

“I have come to think that in UMNO there is no place for losers. It’s the power of the incumbent that rules, and members, notably those in the top ranks, who have as much to gain as to lose if the President falls, will always back him. Those defeated in the Presidency polls and top party members who quit or are sacked by the party will also likely fail to make a comeback.”

“That goes for ex-presidents too, whether they relinquish their seat in a gentlemanly manners, as in the case of Tunku Abdul Rahman and Tun Hussein Onn, or quit the party, like Datuk Onn Jaafar and Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. Yes, Mahathir was once sacked by the party but his re-entry and ascent would not have been possible without the help and blessings of no less than then party president and prime minister Tun Abdul Razak.”

“... In the case of Tunku and Hussein Onn then and Mahathir now, party members especially those close to the power base, began to shun these former leaders once they became critics of the party’s president and government. Indeed, those who oppose the leadership can become political lepers overnight.”

“…Tunku and Hussein Onn, who became severe critics of Mahathir, eventually left the party — the same position Mahathir finds himself in today. But the former two’s criticism of Mahathir was nowhere as hofostile as his tirade against current president and prime minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Badawi…To expedite change in leadership, he is asking UMNO and Barisan Nasional members of parliament to quit the ruling coalition.”

“This political ploy will only work if there is support within UMNO but at press time, it seems that the party’s hierarchy and BN are very much behind Abdullah. Still, will Mahathir’s persistence encourage enough divisions to support Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah in his bid to challenge Abdullah for the party’s presidency this December?”

“Mahathir… should be sceptical about the support he will get. The Malay political psyche, notably that of UMNO — supporting only the winner and not the loser — is unlikely to change.”

Sumpitan Emas,  20 June 2014 at 00:15  

2/2
“…Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim aptly described this Malay political psyche in an interview with Off The Edge magazine in December 2006: ‘Mahathir. Despite being a very intelligent man, totally didn’t understand the Malay culture. While he wrote about the Malay Dilemma, he didn’t understand … that Malays (the majority of them) are culturally a ‘post-supporter’. And what is meant by post-supporter? Malays only support the winner. If you the winner, you will get the supporter. It’s very traditional since the Malay hardly rebels.’”

“He said … ‘So, during Mahathir’s time, he was overwhelmingly supported. He thought people supported for his vision and all that … people supported him because he was the winner. When he left and Abdullah came in, he could say, ‘Abdullah is not as good as I am; I am a first division player and Abdullah a third division player’. But to the Malays, that doesn’t matter.”

“…This is because the post of party president, which comes with the premiership of the country, is a powerful one. And it was Mahathir who actually consolidated this position by imposing the quota system, where a candidate needs the support of 58 divisions to challenge the president. In UMNO politics today, this is seemingly an impossible task.”

“The quota system meant that support could be bought and divisions could be controlled through money politics and patronage. This practice has become so ingrained that many of those close to the party’s top ranks will not want to go against the leadership for fear of losing their positions and benefits.” [extracted from “The real Malay dilemma” by Azam Aris, The EDGE MALAYSIA, May 26, 2008]

In the light of the last two paragraphs, in particular, my heart goes to Tengku Razaleigh, not because he is a fellow Kelantanese, but because the odds were all stacked against him in the new political culture introduced by a man who, while not yet prime minister could cheerily quipped to Dr. Syed Hussin Ali, “Those of Arab descent should not have any right to talk about political issues of this country.” This episode is recounted in the review by Dr Bakri Musa of Syed Hussin Ali’s memoirs in Din Merican’s blog of 9 June: http://dinmerican.wordpress.com/2014/06/09/bakri-musa-reviews-dr-syed-hussin-alis-memoirs/

‘Post-supporters’ is the Malaysian equivalent of Imperial China’s ‘Mandate from Heaven’?

Anonymous,  20 June 2014 at 00:17  

Sak, si celaka al kutty telah menjahanamkan ramai kehidupan orang2 yang tidak bersalah. The country could have taken a differnt path if not for the cheating of votes count duringbthe umno election. The black out before the final count. Lost by 43 votes. In short TRH kalah kerana ditipu oleh al kutty n the gang termasuk lah Sanusi Junid yang ketika itu menjadi the bashing boys of al kutty. Tapi jika di tanya, al kutty akan jawab dia lupa. Ini gaya yahudi yang di amalkan oleh al kutty. Not worth to mention kerana ramai lagi melayu2 bodoh yang menganggap al kutty ini Hang Tuah moden. Ada juga yang berkata al kutty ni dari keturunan Alexander the Great !!!

Dave,  20 June 2014 at 06:44  

I shook his hand a few days ago. He still has a strong grip. If you heard his keynote address at our conference, you could tell he's far from finished. He still has a spring in his steps. He's the ONE.

Anonymous,  20 June 2014 at 09:20  

This what SAA onetime UMNO Baru arse licker has to say"
.....Can someone ask in Parliament exactly how much money Petronas has lost in Sudan, Egypt and the potential losses in Iraq? The PM's closest advisor is now a Board Member of Petronas.

They want to pass a Bill in Parliament where taxpayers have to pay a special 1.5% processing fee to the Income Tax Department for collecting taxes from us !!

Plus they want the power to invest part of our tax contributions in the stock market and such.

I think I know the traitorous snake who would have proposed such stupid ideas. He has done it once before. Police reports were made but predictably no action was taken against him.

Then we come to 1MDB. I think this name 1MDB has very bad feng shui.

1MDB can mean :

Satu Malaysia Deficit Budget. Or
Satu Malaysia Die Berhutang. Or
Satu Malaysia Deficit Bankrupt. Or
Satu Malaysia Dilanda Bencana.

Maybe Kak Ros can tell hubby to change the name. RM38 Billion of taxpayer's money sudah hilang. Try lah 1MBH - Satu Malaysia's Black Hole. Or 1MBT - Satu Malaysia in Bermuda Triangle.

What does the gomen do? Fuel subsidies have been cut, menteri sardin cap ayam said 'jangan makan ayam', PM says GST will be implemented - so that the gomen can cut losses from all this financial mismanagement.

Lets list some of Kadir Jasin's points again:
• (spending was) 3.2% of GDP in 2008
• (jumped to) 6.7% of GDP in 2010, first budget under Najib
• deficit rose - 2009 41.24% of GDP, 2010 52.8%, 2014 est. 54.8% of GDP
• debt increased from RM362.3 billion 2009 to RM519.3 billion 2013
• increasing deficit - country's rating from stable to negative last year
• removed subsidies for fuel & electricity caused public anger
These are terrible achievements. If this were Japan, both the PM and Finance Minister would have been handed ceremonial swords - with no cakes to cut. If the PM and FM were the same person they may do a ninja thing as well.

Now here is the cake. Najib also coolly said he has spent RM7.2 Billion on consultants alone. Doing what? All of the above crap?

These numbers speak so loudly that they will drown out the kuliah subuh from that mosque which is 5 km away from your house.

Our country is in deep sh*t. The corruption, wastage and the incompetence will not only get the BN kicked out in 2018 (which is becoming a foregone conclusion) but the country (thats the people ok, you and me) are suffering irrepairable damage.

Its no more a question of politics anymore - of whether BN rules or the Opposition takes over. It is a question of whether the country can survive all this crap. I really hope the Elders will step up once more to save the nation. Do not turn your back on the nation. The nation is far, far greater than a Prime Minister.
Anyway here are two more headlines at the the bottom of that Malaysian Insider report :
• Flight MH370 will not affect tourism, says Nazri Aziz – Bernama
• Malaysia rated world’s top Muslim-friendly holiday spot, says Najib – Bernama
I rest my case....."

As for Tunku Razaleigh. Just forget him . This royalty does not care.

Anonymous,  20 June 2014 at 10:39  

Dato'
Tengku Razaleigh is like the golden cobra; rare and precious and hence worshipped and protected but is of not much value otherwise. All his thoughts and actions are limited to
speec making and gracing functions.
Tengku Razaleigh made a great impact just before the 1987 elections when his Semangat 46 and partners were clear favourites, but by a cruel twist of "fate' he was blanked out by fabricated lies and the believing of these lies by the very people who had been a day earlier behind him. Ku Li, they believed had become coolie.
He became a recluse and hence the name of Golden Cobra associated with him. Unless he shows his sting again, he is bound to remain the golden cobra.

Anonymous,  21 June 2014 at 12:49  

Tuan,

Tengku Razaleigh sebenarnya ialah seorang yang baik, jujur tetapi dayus.Dia tahu semua tektik kotor yang diamalkan dalam UMNO tetapi tidak cuba untuk memperbetulkannya.

Jadi untuk kebaikan kepada rakyat beliau tidak ada apa2 nilai.

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