How a contrarian views reformasi. Part 2. Devil's advocate series 79.

1. We have succeeded in overthinking the corrupt system 

2. Installing Anwar as PM is not the final solution 

3. We have succeeded in overthrowing the old regime and rightfully installed Anwar as PM. 

4. Hurrah! Belts off pants down isn't life a scream! 

5. We have overthrown the house that UMNO built. 

6. But the structures that supported the house remained. 

7. We must now dismantle it one by one. 

8. Anwar's staying power as PM depends on several factors, not the blue pill. 

9. We shan't discuss these here as I am sure the PKR people know of them 

10. The need to dismantle the structures is the principal reason why nana non should be given another term. 

11. The first thing he should direct his mind is the culture of dependency created by UMNO 

12. The greatest scam UMNO has craftily dished to Malays is making them believed the Malays need UMNO to survive. 

13. There are therefore 2 stages in reformasi. We have accomplished the 1st. Which is the overthrow of the previous regime and rightfully installing Anwar as PM. 

14. The 2nd stage is a work in progress, the demolition of the STRUCTURES that supported the status quo. 

15. That requires another term where at least some portions of the 2nd stage are laid down 

16. The success of the 2nd stage will also depend of his team , the immediate one will be the PKR people 

17. To be honest , the 2nd stage will be more difficult with people with less than a reformasi state of mind. 

18. Some are revisionists and reactionaries. 

19. At the moment, the term reformasi is just a performative term, a slogan shouted at gatherings. 

20. Only the term is performing, uplifting the spirits. We haven't seen the deeds 

21. So if people thínk it's a matter of willing it and wishing Anwar be given a 2nd term without yourselves doing your part, go kiss ass . 

22. It's ask not Anwar be given a 2nd term just like that because you wish it, ask what you are doing to accomplish it 

23. The scam UMNO is doing is accomplished by thinking Malay economic progress will be achieved by picking and choosing a cabal of crony carpetbeggars . 

24. Then you piously hoped these coterie of chosen few, out of the goodness of their hearts will create spillover and trickle down effects. 

25. What actually happened, are drip down effects 

26. It's a vulgar kind of voodoo economics where you hoped the reduction of taxes on the rich will cause them to invest in society more and stimulate the economy 

27. I would attack this construct of UMNO . 

28. The implementation arm of selecting these carpet beggars are the ubiquitous central command economic centres, the EPUs, ICUs,the GLCs and so on. 

29. I will remove the superfluous outfits 

30. I will be cruel on the war on corruption . 

31. I am not here to reinvent the wheel. I will heed what LKY said. The man who rules Malaysia must have that iron in him.

32. Those guilty of corruption will go to prison 

33. Or be disciplined like zu rongzhi. 

34. No half measures when punishing the corrupt 

35. No saying we are not interested in imprisoning some as long as we get back money. But the crime remains doesn't it? 

36. Let's call for life sentence for really severe corruption say 100m and above and forfeiture of properties, assets and chattels. 

37. I can't resist about saying bad about UMNO. 

38. UMNO is like the mercenary. If you win it says it's because of it. It then holds you captive 

39. Depending on UMNO is renting your own destruction 

40. I wouldn't touch UMNO with a 10 foot pole. 

41. It's a fatal mistake to invite the enemy to share political power with you.

NB : I have deliberately not posted some articles. Altogether there are 100 articles in this devil's advocate series. They will be published in a forthcoming book, God willing. Articles 80 to 100 will also not be posted

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How a contrarian views reformasi. Part 1. Devil's advocate series 78.

1. As a perennial, enduring and everlasting ( what to do, its a finer aspect of my being), I look at reformasi from a different light. 

2. I know it's a battle cry for PKR 

3. But the ideals of reformasi, its aims are for all with the same idea. 

4. But for PKR people, they must have the reformasi state of mind. They must eat, breath sleep and repeat reformasi. Because it can be said they 'own,' the term reformasi. 

5. Heavy indeed is the head that wears the crown. 6. To me, reformasi has 2 aspects. 

7. First, the overthrow of the old regime, old status quo with all it vestiges . 

8. It's like Machiavelli says, I am not interested in retaining the status quo but in overthrowing it 

9. Now, many were responsible for the overthrow of the black mamba of Malaysian politics. 

10. PKR, DAP, AMANAH, PAS, bersatu, the Sarawak and Sabah based parties. 

11. By right, they should be in the unity government, not UMNO. 

12. UMNO is not in the equation. It cannot overthrow itself. 

13. By definition, it ought not be in the unity government. 

14. It's a political mistake to bring UMNO into the the unity government. A mistake ab initio. 

15. It's indeed a fatal mistake to invite the enemy to share political power with you. 

16. Now don't get sentimental at seeing UMNO being excluded from the ' big' family. 

17. Don't read excluding UMNO as excluding malays 18. There are Malays in PKR, DAP, AMANAH PAS bersatu and bumiputeras in the Sarawak and Sabah parties 

19. They are all Malay/bumiputera, except they are not UMNO 

20. That doesn't make them less Malay than an UMNO Malay. 

21. The problem is many of us identify our malayness as to whether we are UMNO or not umno 

22. We think we are less Malay if we are not UMNO. That's a load of BS. 

23. I am a Malay and don't need UMNO to certify I am one. 

24. Indeed it's better to differentiate our selves by economic groups. 

25. As between the have not and the haves 

26. The majority of us are the have nots and the UMNO elites are the haves 

27. Like many of you, I am Malay had father as the sole provider, where eating satay once in a blue moon is a luxury. 

28. We suffered deprivation but as kids we were not conscious of it 

29. That's better than others who had both parents working. The father as an odd job laborer, the mother as a washer woman. 

30. The Chinese who had a bus driver father doubling up as a rubber tapper. 

31. Or a father who is a fruit stall vendor or the luckier one who had fathers as shopkerpers 

31b. Or the Indian boy who had a father going house to house to tajam Batu giling and a mother who giling rempah. 

32. So it's proletariats and lumpenproletariats of Malaysia unite! 

33. You have nothing to lose but the shackles of poverty and dependence. 

34. I will not call for a rumah bangsa melayu but for a rumah rakyat Malaysia 

35. We have hitherto overthrow the house, the shell . 

36. But the component structures remain. 

37. We must now demolish the structures That will be in part 2.

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Zaabanomics vs UMNOnomics. Devil's advocate series 77.

1. In the late 1920s , a young thought about the way of progress of the Malays. 

2. His name was Zainal Abidin bin Ahmad. Popularly known as Zaaba. 

3. He was born in Batu kikir, N9. He was the earliest batches of graduates from SITC, perak. Batu kikir jambotan bosi Masak gulai sebelango Tidak kah warih pilu dihati Melihat bangsa hidup Merano Ayer dalam bosi Api dalam kaco Janganlah warih berhiba hati Den ada bui caranyo 

4. He's basically a man of literature. But he wrote a few pieces about economic progress for Malays 

5. 2 of these articles, which a think are seminal are kemiskinan orang melayu and jalan keselamatan orang melayu. 

6. Knowing that he had no formal training in economics, the pieces he wrote were quite startling 

7. But his core ideas found resonance with the thinking of people like von mises,Hayek and Friedman . They could even be traced back to the thinking of Adam Smith 

8. His 2 revolutionary ideas were, malays must cultivate a compendium of productive values internally, skills set, competencies. 

9. All of which are necessary and are at minimum sufficient to move malays forward, 

10. All of which are necessary too to make them robust , industrious and emboldened and willing to compete openly on a level playing field. 

11. I termed his ideas as Zaabanomics. 

12. I became acquainted with the thinking of Zaaba after reading a book written by prof Ungku Aziz . 

13. The book was jejak2 di pantai zaman 14. There are 4 pillars in Zaabanomics. 

15. Cultivate a compendium of values, skills set, competencies . 

16. Compete freely on a level playing field. 

17. Committed to free market economics. Everyone responsible for himself and picks himself up by his own bootstraps. 

18. Social welfare is for the old and infirmed 

19. We must understand that for most of us, our lot is not designed by nature 20. Our lot is designed by man. By political arrangements and by the system. 

21. For over 60 years that system and political arrangements were designed by UMNO 

22. It's Zaabanomics vs UMNOnomics.

23 . Whatever reasons UMNO attributes as reasons for Malay poverty, colonialism, victims of zero sum economics etc, all are BS. 

24. UMNO's answer are:-confer on them preferential treatment and protect them by affirmative policies and dictate economic activities through central economic institutions. 

25. It's simply totalitarian economics vs free market economics. 

26. Zaabanomics vs UMNOnomics. 

27. UMNOnomics result in poverty for the many, prosperity for the few. Impoverishment for the many, enrichment for the few. 

28. It's UMNOnomics that is holding back the malays, keeping them in shackles, making them dependants to be manipulated and gaslighted. 

29. UMNO is telling malays - beware brother, you are under constant siege, victims of zero sum mentality. You must be protected and defended under UMNO hegemony 

30. Everywhere and anywhere, UMNO is the scourge. 

31. Do you want to vote UMNO? 

32. There are therefore perfectly rational reasons to stay clear of UMNO . The reasons all this while hidden behind shouts of bangsa, agama dan Negara. 

33. Its all catshit.

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Making Anwar the PM is not the pot of gold of the reformasi rainbow. Part 3. Anwar's war on corruption. Devil's advocate series 76.

1. Sure, Anwar needs to secure the allegiance of the Malays. They are 70% of the population. Their support is crucial. 

2. But he must not do it the dishonorable and deceptive UMNO way. 

3. By treating the people as dependents and selling them false hopes in perpetuity 

4. If he has made promises, he differs from UMNO if he keeps them. 

5. And he made many, the lowering of oil prices , abolition of TOLs, PTPTN, free education , lower food prices, good governance, war on corruption etc 

6. We must hold him to his promises and shall not listen to excuses 

7. Giving him opportunity to make good his promises is the main reason as to why he must stay on as PM for another term 

8. UMNO has given us false hopes for a long time. Don't give it another chance to lie to us 

9. UMNO is a manipulative bastard . It preys on our short memories but long hopes 

10. Always hoping things will get better but they never did 

11. People get more deprived in many ways while the elites and leaders enrich themselves 

12. Hidden behind legalized corruption masked by sanitized terms like commissions, sedekah, business deals etc. 

13. ' what is in a name? That which we call corruption will still smell like shit 

14. Anwar must stay way clear of the UMNO way 

15. Anwar's political longevity depends on 3 important things 

16. Retaining people's faith in him as a reformist. Promises are ephemeral , deeds are eternal. 

17. That's why he must keep his promises 

18. Promises given must not be treated as election coupons. They expire faster than milk exposed under the sun 

19. 3rdly, it depends on him having a team of smart people, even smarter than him . 

20. For God sake, he is the PM mustn't feel threatened by still underlings. 

21. His declaration of war against corruption must be supported by all. 

22. It won't be supported only by UMNO people. Because corruption is 2nd nature to UMNO and we can't expect it to renounce its nature. 

23. Except his war on corruption and the conviction of the clearly guilty takes on a rip van winkles pace 

24. It may take the courts 20 years to affirm the elephant is actually not an antelope. 

25. I would like him to make as law, the conclusion of a corruption case must not exceed 3 years . Long enough. 

26. It's a matter of justice delayed is justice denied not a matter of justice rushed is justice crushed 

27. Isn't it the duty of a criminal court is to advance justice for the people/state and not humor the felon? 

28. In fighting the war on corruption , Anwar must be uncompromising and iron willed. 

29. It doesn't help things to say we are not interested to jail some people as long as we get the money 

30. The term 'some' implies that we can negotiate with some people but not with others 

31. That would mean the law varies . 

32. If the shoes fit, convict. If convicted spend time in prison. 

33. In fighting corruption, Anwar must close all doors allowing corruption 

34. UMNO monetizes all. Decisions making, giving of contracts, licenses, deals and even being shortlisted 

35. These things should be made transparent not sleight of hand. 

36. The very 1st rule is to unfollow the UMNO ways 

37. Anwar must also pay attention to the corruption committed by the civil service 

38. Everyone knows when it comes to corruption, the civil service is not civil. 

39. Corruption ravages the financial health of our country 

40. Anwar must be doctor Christian Szell to these wretched Corruptors 

41. Btw, Dr Szell is the character of the sadistic dentist in marathon man.

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Making Anwar the PM is not the pot of gold of the reformasi rainbow. Part 2. Devil's advocate series 75.

1. I say this again. Appointing Anwar as PMx was the correct thing to do. 

2. As a variant to what Augustus Comte said, demography is indeed destiny 

3. In a country, where 70% is almost Malay it would be unimaginable to have a non Malay as PM kan? 

4. Accordingly for Anwar to remain PM, he must gained the allegiance of first , the Malays and the more economically powerful non malays. 

5. But he must not do it the UMNO way 

6. By treating Malays in general as dependents 6b. He must give Malays honour and amour propre. 

7. And he must avoid giving the impression of oppressing the non malays 

8. We must have him know that even richer non malays also feel oppressed 

9. Therefore we are mistaken if we believed that forced economic equality is the answer to social cohesion. 

10. It's equality of opportunities. And that can only be obtained through free market economics. 

11. Equality of opportunities lead to social cohesion 

12. There are several economic areas I want to see reformasi applied on 

13. UMNOnomics is structured on several foundations; 1st it is built on the principles of preferential treatment and affirmative policies. 2nd, these are implemented by central command economics institutions 

14. Preferential treatment and affirmative policies encapsulated by pick and choose winners economic model. 

15. Central command economics encapsulated by institutions run by politicians and bureaucratic brahmins such as epu, ICU, GLCs run by those mentioned above. 

16. Other structures like giving bail outs to inefficiently run companies, giving of monopolies, long term contracts , exclusive licences to the picked and chosen blue eyed boys. 

17. I would dismantle these with varying speeds but assuredly 

18. I would also rein in political whimsies like Santa Claus spending 

19. Economics is about judicious use of resources; in this case taxpayers money. 

20. Every other month half past six Keynesian economists and advisors, advised the Pablo Neruda, Vaclav Havel and rendra reading PM, to make cash payouts and transfer payments 

21. The payouts will end up as consumption spending 

22. This will eventually result ultimately in inflammation 

23. The very people now jumping with joy for getting money will be the 1st to complain about rising prices of goods and services which they are now. 

24. It's Najib's brim vs Anwar's brim. 

25. Inflammation is everywhere and anywhere, a monetary phenomenon. 

26. The pick and choose winners economic model creates an elite of carpet beggars and people given bread crumbs who forget they are deprived. 

27. Spending on them this way is dangerous. You create an expectations gap. You have to continue handing out money and economic benefits. 

28. Once you slow down and scale down handouts, these people whom had expected freebies from you, will be the 1st to rebel against you. 

29. The pick and choose winners economic model, preferential treatment and affirmative policies are implemented by the central command economics institutions 

30. These institutions are nothing more than a constellation of the least productive groups in our country 

31. Remember the world bank report that reported the Malays as being the least productive of economic actors? 

32. It follows that the top people at the central command economics institutions are mostly Malays must therefore be from the least productive groups. 

33. The question that comes readily to our minds is, how can the least productive groups tell and advise us on economic matters? 

34. The advice given must by definition, be mediocre 

35. Bailing out ineffeciently and poorly managed companies to me is a poor misallocation of resources. 

36. The most infamous example in recent times is the 1b bail out of sapura energy. 

37. I have talked about this issue in previous articles 

38. Another area to which I want reformasi applied on is the retention and continuation of monopolistic 'arrangements'. 

39. A monopoly is a form of totalitarian economics and is a fetter on free market economics. 

40. Again, I have talked about it in earlier articles.

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Making Anwar the PM is not the pot of gold of the reformasi rainbow. Part 1. Devil's advocate series 74.

1. The problem with PKR people is that they don't know what reformasi entail. They are in the dark which specific areas they want reformasi to be applied on. Most don't know. 

2. They regard reformasi as slogans shouts to be vented out at gatherings. To invigorate the attendees 

3. Reformasi is not a walk in the park, saudara. 

4. It's not like drinking teh tarik or coffee, eating pasembur or roti titab, not like eating nasi Kadar ex hameediyah. 

5. It entails the clinical overthrow of the previous regime and its legacies. 

6. And don't be romantic about your previous affiliations, if you were from the previous regime 

7. You must be uncompromisingly resolute to despatch it. 

8. Send it quickly to the blackhole of politics 

9. If you don't know what reformasi entails and what specific areas you want to reform, its difficult to tell your party president 

10. If you don't know what reformasi entails and what specific areas you want to have it applied, how do you want to advise the boss? 

11. Because PKR is the mainstay of the unity government notably to PH partners, how PKR people 'moulds' Anwar or how Anwar himself carries Anwar, that becomes the business of PH partners 

12. If the conduct of PKR people does not affect PKRs partners interests, they won't give a rats ass as to how Anwar is cultivated. 

13. Anwar becoming PM is the not the pot of gold at the reformasi rainbow. It's not the holy grail. 

14. The 1st aim of ALL non BN parties was to overthrow it. 

15. On that score, all n non BN parties were responsible for it's overthrow. PKR, DAP, AMANAH, pas , bersatu. 

16. The last two did not join PH, so were out of the unity government 

17. Ideally all non BN parties ought to form the unity government sans umno 

18. Wasn't it their 1st aim? To overthrow UMNO and its lackeys? 

19. The appointment of Anwar was a politically correct decision of the unity government with PH as the dominant partner 

20. It isn't opened to anyone political party that without it there wouldn't be a unity government and Anwar wouldn't be PM. 

21. Only a party that is conceited and arrogant like UMNO would do that and wak J its village fool 

22. Now, after installing Anwar as PM,the real reformasi begins 

23. Changing the structures that have supported UMNO all the while 

24. Political, economic, cultural,legal and correcting the country's financial health 

25. God knows, our country's financial health has been ravaged and violated by the rapacious corruption and greed of the UMNO government 

26. Sure, going all out after correction, pursuing its perpetrators to their wormhole is a top priority and ought to be supported by all 

27. We shouldn't compromise on the war on corruption, not be selective about it or water it down by saying we are not interested in jailing the thieves as long as we get the money back. 

28. Corruption by any other name is corruption and appreciate retribution ought to be the response. Proper comeuppance is the answer. 

29. We don't want a bourgeois and genteel sense of justice. It must be justice fair to the people. 

30. Not willing to change the structures , cannot be regarded as reformasi. 

31. Otherwise we are all caught in the syndrome of philosophers have only interpreted the world in various ways, the point however is to change it. 

32. Or as James carville said-change or more of the same. 

33. The 1st change in the political structure ought to be keeping UMNO out of the corridors of power 

34. As long as UMNO has some semblance of power, it can claim some relevance 

35. The point is to banish it to the island of irrelevancy and keep it there 

36. Bringing UMNO to be part of the unity government is the greatest anomaly and the glaring lacuna in the political structure. 

37. Remember, it's a fatal mistake to invite the enemy to share political power with you. 

38. UMNO is the eternal enemy.

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The fatal conceit of the majority. Tyranny of the status quo. Devil's advocate series no. 65B

1. The basic premise on which UMNO prescribes ways for Malays to move forward or choose their way to economic salvation is wrong 

2. It is wrong because economic resources are Allocated Not On Rational Economic reasons but on political and racial reasons. 2b. Our country can be divided into 2 groups. The least productive group and the most productive group. 

3. 70% least productive group and 30% most productive group 

4. The way UMNO prescribes is to treat the 70% favourably 

5. Give them preferential treatment and protect them with affirmative policies 

6. The aim is to make the 70% believe that they absolutely need UMNO 

7 . Make use of race, religion and country. 

8. Some people say that's rule 11. 

9. Make malays believe they depend on UMNO . They are the dependants 

10. Meanwhile the 30% which may include 0.5% Malays are largely ignored 

11. Go look after yourselves, play with yourselves 

12. The different treatment should be abolished 

13. How can the 70% well looked after lacked behind while the ignored 30% prosper? 

14. The answer must be the 70% became wimpies while the 30% became resilient and robust 

15. But because they are 70%, they behaved badly, arrogantly and in totalitarian ways . 

16. They imposed their values on the country . 

17. As a result the country takes on the characteristics of the 30%. 

18. Less productive, unwilling to compete, no competence and no skills set . 

19. How can that be of a superior race? 

20. The race claimed by screws loose prof, to have taught Romans shipbuilding, inspired Egyptians pyramid building, inspired Chinese yee sang, taught Chinese how to fly, DNA older than Chinese and Indians? 

21. Where got road man? 

22. To add insult to injury, the least productive wants to guide the country how to develop economically . 

23. The point is how to make the least productive group into the most productive group? 

24. Certainly not by giving the 70% preferential treatment and protect them with affirmative policies. 

25. So the 1st step I will take is to remove all the structures giving preferential treatment and affirmative policies 

26. Its the cold turkey treatment on the 70% to force them to kick of the addiction to dependency 

27 . When in Italy I once asked my host, why isn't he using an automatic car? 28. He answered as a matter of factly, automatics are for handicaps 

29 . Getting rid of the culture of dependency is one of the lanes making UMNO irrelevant 

30 . Our way forward for all and economic salvation for malays is the Zaaba way or Zaabanomics 

31. Develop a compendium of competencies and skills set and compete freely on a level playing field. 

32. From each according to his ability to each according to his contribution. 

32b . The reward system must also be right musn't it? 

33. These ways wouldn't make the 70% behave despicably would they?

NB. Fatal conceit is the title to F. Hayek and tyranny of the status quo is a book by Friedman. This is an English version of article no. 65

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