Remembering and Emulating Tun Razak.

There are many ways to remember Tun Razak’s legacy. The choice is up to us. A few days back, the government celebrated the 40th anniversary of Tun Razak’s passing.

What is so special about celebrating the passing of this great leader after 40 years is anybody’s guess. I suspect, its all because of politics. Najib's politics that is. 
In the past, as I remember it, Tun Razak’s remembrance day was a low key affair. Tahlil would be performed. Prayers would be offered. This year it was special.

This time, the organisers wanted to do a commemorative conference. It must have been expensive. They even bought air time on the History Chanel. The organisers wanted to do an upbeat remembrance day celebrating the life of this great man. We are reminded of his humility, frugality, and his upright democratic principles.

A crucial democratic principle is accountability. Otherwise, this country will become a banana republic ruled by a kleptocracy. Only thieves do not account for their conduct.

Then there was the politics of Tun Razak. Others have written and commented on that. Tun Razak was PM for Malaysians. All of us.To the Malays, Tun Razak may have his personal foibles; but he never trampled Malay interests. People can accept unchallenged that Tun Razak's goodness far outweigh his weaknesses. Najib can never measure up to that.

I thought it was purely a family affair in remembering Tun Razak. Nobody will quarrel with that- the issues of a great man doing their devotional obligation to remember a great father. Legions of people from Pahang including I, have only the fondest and deferential memory of Tun Razak.The image of Tun Razak walking on a log bridge in Kampung Penor Pekan is forever etched indelibly in my mind.

Regrettably I was wrong on Najib’s motive. Just as he is saying don’t believe accusations (read the opposition’s take of things) that are politically motivated, I will tell people never to believe Najib’s politically charged statements.

Why should people disbelieve when the opposition states somethings, but believe whatever the Najib government says? Najib and his government has not been able to tell it straight.

If Najib confers on himself and his government that quality called believability, the same should be given to the opposition. Either you believe all or you disbelieve all. This simple principle should be understood by even Najib.

PM Najib Razak did not waste the opportunity to remind the nation his link to his biological father and by virtue of that, the hope that people will think of him as constituting the highest leadership material.

I am very sorry to not accept that subtle trick. This time around, even Tun Razak’s name cannot save Najib.

PM Najib said his father did not wish him to become a politician. I heard a different version as to why Tun Razak did not want Najib to become a politician. Sanusi Junid will be able to tell us more.

Our prayers still go to Tun Razak. At the time of his death, the UMNO general Assembly was growing critical of his leadership. Dark tales were beginning to emerge. Out of reverence and deference to the departed, we shall not dwell on those developments then. There are many people who tell me that God loves Tun Razak and recalled him from this earth.

Which brings us to PM Najib; no amount of pious reference to Tun Razak can excuse Najib for his dreadful conduct since becoming the PM in 2009. If PM Najib says he measures himself against the standards set by Tun Razak, people will ask, where is the humility, where is the frugality, the propriety, where is the accountability and where is the principled politics?

Does anyone notice that some luminaries associated with Tun Razak were absent or left out? I heard Hishamudin Hussein delivering a speech. Other than being nephew to Tun Rahah, Hisham’s knowledge about Tun Razak is as good as any man in the street. More are qualified to tell the story of Tun Razak.

40 years ago, Hishamudin was but a boy then, more playful as to understand what Tun Razak did. Nobody places a high premium on the mumblings of Hishamudin a few days ago. He was probably 14-15 years olds then.

Musa Hitam was noticeably left out from this 40^th anniversary of Tun Razak’s death. Possibly this was because Musa Hitam has asked Najib to resign. I am told by a reliable source, Musa’s name was on the list of speakers, but Najib crossed out his name.

And the biggest bete noir? Dr Mahathir was also not invited even though Dr Mahathir has always admitted that he owed a lot to Tun Razak. This year, only those who have not clashed with Najib and have only good things to say about him, were invited.

Many have passed on anyway, and so, the kampong men with the ‘common wisdom’ and folksy stories this year, are nowhere to be seen.

Soon, there will be no one left who will attest to the goodness of Tun Razak. Tun Razak’s generation in Pekan has also disappeared. The younger generation do not know Tun Razak.

They now know the following:-

Now they know of the hypocrisy of quarreling with the Chinese but privately doing business with them. They now know of 1MDB, the RM2.6 billion and other financial scandals. They know of his extravagances, they now know of rising costs of living, they now know of GST.

The father built up Felda, the son is dismembering it. Felda assets are now manhandled with wanton abandon.

The price of oil palm has fallen. The price of rubber has fallen. The price of rubber wood has also fallen. Felda settlers owe money to Felda. Those who had taken loans to buy FGV shares are paying RM50 a month or RM600 a year. In 2014, FGV declared a dividend of 0.04 to a unit of share. The felda settlers get around RM32 dividend. The pay RM600 a year and got RM32 a year.

What can we say further?

A few months back, the UMNO division head of Raub made a much noised about visit to Felda Lembah Klau Dam in Raub. For what purpose we don’t know. Everyone now knows the dammed up area into which flow 13 rivers, will serve as the reservoir channelling water to Selangor into the Langat 2 facility. The water will not be available to Raub dwellers. So why did he visit the area?

Probably on a mission to discover ways to transport some 100 over heads of cattle stranded on an island in the huge man-made lake.

No felda settlers who have boats wanted to ferry him into the lake. In the end he had to call the Fire department to bring a boat and ferry him around.  That’s how much people like UMNO now.

But the other thing I want to tell readers is that some 1300 acres of Felda settlers land were reclaimed by the government. I am made to understand that the UMNO division head recommended the 1300 acre fruit bearing land to be contracted out to a Bumiputera friend.  Who else? Every action by UMNO is for religion, race and Country.

The Bumiputera of course speedily sub-contracted the 1300 acres to a Chinese businessman from Bentong.

So every day, the felda settlers watch white-eyed as lorry after lorry comes in and out transporting harvested fruits. As the Malay is wont to say, puteh mata tengok lori keluar masuk.

That is what UMNO does to the Malays. It has now become an axiom; behind every successful UMNO man, there must be a Chinaman.