Political Realities in the age of NEM

Who champions Malay rights/economic interests?

Our rights are already enshrined in the constitution. You read Article 153 of the Constitution. We have many other provisions. We have the demographics. But always, we realize that our Achilles heel is the economy. Political power grows out of the barrel of the economy gun.

So Ibrahim Ali and his people demand this and that. They presented the PM with a compilation of resolutions from their Economic Convention. The PM accepted it, grimacing I thought at the idea of having to go through the list of demands.

He has commissioned the NEM. It was done by a group of academicians and intellectuals. Here, now, a group led by Ibrahim Ali, the rabble rouser, the gadfly is thumping his nose. At that point in time, the PM reacted as anyone would normally do. Yes, we will listen to what you have to say. We will not abandon the Malays. I, the son of the PM who thought about the NEP will not betray my father. When one is reduced to seek refuge behind a father figure (in DS Najib's case literally), one has lost the argument. It was Ibrahim Ali and his group that carried the day, that day.

But still we feel, these must be protected by extra-constitutional means. Perkasa imposes its will on the leadership. Protection of rights, done additionally by extra-constitutional means reveal only one thing. We finally realized that rights are earned, fought for and not given gratis or are given from without. Rights are earned from within. That which we fought for and gained, cannot be taken as easily as that given to us from without.

You have honorific titles? They are easily taken away as shown recently. But does Chua Jui Meng lose his intelligence; lose his education (a lawyer by training)? He loses none of these. These were the things he worked for, fought for, struggled and earned. These cannot be striped away. It's in the person. In personam as they say legally.

But the LCE/SRP dropout, who gains an honorific title, does not lose his imbecility or his mental level shortcoming. Such a fellow, if he loses his honorific title, is left naked with his deficient mental state baldly exposed.

It's the same principle in my mind. Rights earned, fought for, struggled for and gained are not easily taken away compared to rights provided for by legislation. Economic rights conferred by above to Malays are insecure if not supported by intrinsic abilities and capabilities. That' where our solution lies, I think.

But can DS Najib dismiss Perkasa outright? Ibrahim Ali is dismissible anytime. He just wants to get back to UMNO for the simple reason, even he realizes, there is no party the Malays wish to align with than UMNO. They may forsake UMNO for a while on account of leadership, on account of arrogance, on account of UMNO's detachment from the heartland. They may even be willing to punish UMNO in order to reset UMNO. It's a Machiavellian behavior of being cruel to be kind.

We don't know what Perkasa is championing about- some noises about Malay supremacy to be obtained by way of decree, fiat, and legislation. Are these forms of new violence in the spirit of power comes from the barrel of the gun?

If indeed they are, then PM Najib is in trouble. It is an unsophisticated gun of raw Malay hopes and aspirations. That raw power greatly flustered the PM during the Perkasa Economic Convention a few months ago. The raw power came in the form of explicit declarations that Malays are giving up everything and getting little back; that if this government headed by the son of the man who laid down the NEP cannot take Malay economics to the next level, then, the people will change the government.

Many people would like to see Ibrahim Ali disappear. That would be a serious mistake. Ibrahim Ali is but a cog in the wheel- the raw Malay community who sees much of their eminence eroded. PM Najib, rightly or wrongly is seen as kowtowing and pandering to Chinese wishes. Today he plays Chinese Chess. He probably doesn't know how to play Malay Chess. I was saying, maybe some people need to invent a halal bak kut teh so that the PM can show that he likes all things Chinese. Maybe Taek Jho Lo who gets a large chunk of land in Johore under his personal name, can provide some personal lessons.

Here is the deal. We can dismiss Ibrahim Ali as a charlatan or jaguh kampong. But it would be stupid and outright foolish to ignore the raw voices he represents. Yes, those who attended his gatherings dressed in traditional Malayu garb, with ketayap, songkok, etc. these are the voices PM Najib cannot ignore. They are ready to shoot and mow down UMNO who is still sleeping. They should be cultivating Perkasa not try to ouplay them.

His advisors will look more stupid if they try to sponsor and prop up rival Malay NGOs to balance things up. You are likely to become a Johnny come lately. Bolting the barn doors when the horses have already scooted off. You are like the chisel about to make noises, when the house is already completed. This shows the PM and UMNO president isn't counseled well. His advisors must be sleeping.

What is Najib's major problem? He hasn't got a major domo or in the more current term ala Da Vinci Code, he hasn't got a seneschal. He can't possibly take care of everything under the sun. He has ministers who wait for his decision, unwilling to take charge. He has a second finance minister who appears hesitant in making major decisions.

Dr Mahathir who has a constitution of a superman had two major domos- Daim Zainudin and Megat Junid. People who did the dirty works- whatever the term means. Who has Najib got? Dato Najib seems to be indecisive.

Right now, I think, he needs people like Jamaludin Jarjis. His place is here instead of in Washington dealing with lobbyists and the political operatives. You can't have a better operator than someone who can perform the maghrib prayers twice, can you? You need a person who can work around and with people and win them over. Our PM's own occasional walkabout forays are just PR work- a beginner's way of operating. People are cynical. JJ can be a street fighter who isn't shy about getting muddied and yet he has the brain power to mix it up with the uppity guys. He is definitely one major domo that PM Najib must have at his side.

He is not an operator like his father was. The father was brilliant in being able to rope in first SUPP, then Gerakan into BN's fold. PAS came in very much later. Gerakan was headed by the intensely anti UMNO/Malay Lim Chong Eu. Tun Razak understood the inner dynamics of the opposition leaders who had tasted power. They wanted to remain in power for as long as possible. Tun Razak gave them precisely that- share power and give them the feeling both in form and substance; they are together in the driver's seat.

Najib hasn't got the smarts like his father. What is his greatest problem now? Just look at him playing Chinese Chess, visiting the Chinese temple in Sibu the last time, all out with his lu tolong gua, wa tolong lu approach. What do these represent? They represent his attempts to secure Chinese support. He knows whatever he does; the Chinese will not support BN and UMNO. Here's a further reality check- wherever in any constituency, 60% of the voters being Chinese, BN hasn't got a rat's ass chance of winning. All the opposition needs is get 80% of that Chinese votes and just 30% of Malay votes there, they are in.

PM Najib must start thinking outside the box now. All those brainy people around him- his polsecs, his special advisers- think la for him what to do. Look at history fellers. When Lee Kuan Yew was active in Malayan politics the last time, campaigning right into Kuala Lumpur, speaking in the Malayan parliament, what was it that he wanted? He wanted to be part of the Alliance government. He wanted to share power but was realistic enough to know, the route of sharing power in Malay Malaya was to ride along with the alliance. But the alliance wanted to bring along only the MCA- the party representing big capital.

The MCA is nothing now. It can't deliver anything with just 15 MPs and it can't deliver if it cannot marshal Chinese allegiance. So what must Najib do?

He should be thinking of cultivating the DAP. Invite them to share power. Guan Eng in Penang will want to retain Penang as long as possible. Talk to him. Guang Eng isn't enamored with Anwar Ibrahim beyond the latter's usefulness. The usefulness of Anwar lies in his ability to unite the disparate groups for a common purpose of unseating the government in power. These people have gone beyond Anwar- they have tasted power. Think about this.

Find common ground. What does the DAP want? They want good government, reject corruption, independent judiciary. They are more of the idealistic operators. Najib should give them the opportunity to apply these through the levers of power. Share power with the DAP. You stay in power at the same time. Najib must examine ideas that work. Ignore sentimentalism- MCA is no longer top dog as far as Chinese allegiance is concern. That role has been taken over by the DAP. It's the top dog brother.