Palanivel, Cabinet numbers and Parkinson’s Laws

If Palanivel is the deeply religious person everyone seems to think and has any moral compunction, he will decline the offer of a cabinet post. But as everyone knows, these MIC leaders have too much of the mandore-quotient to let this opportunity go.

Surely, we will be told that in the name of service to the nation, Palanivel will accept the gratuitous offer for a cabinet post. Why not? It comes with the prestige and the chance to coast along giving the appearance of being hardworking.

What has Palinivel offered? He didn't win any parliamentary seat. His contribution to Hulu Selangor when he was MP there nearly cost the BN the seat last time. We all heard the folks in Hulu Selangor lambasting him for not being seen as the constituency. He was the invisible man.

He was made a senator, deputy minister and now full minister on account of what? He will do UMNO's biddings. The MIC president will be Uncle Tom-ming all along or in his case, Uncle-Jibbing all the time. Lacking the merit and mandate how can Palani speak with conviction about Indians? The just released Dr Jeyakumar is held in higher esteem than Palanivel.

What he has done is just to add to the notoriety of the Najib cabinet being the largest in our history. Tengku Abdul Rahman had a cabinet of some 16 people I think. Pak Lah had 33. Najib now has 39? That's one short of the fabled number of a group of 40 people who made a living by relieving others off their wealth and property. But then the current crop of members in the cabinet has achieved notoriety surpassing the fabled band of 40.

The Najib cabinet is eerily becoming what Mugabe is doing to the Zimbabwean cabinet. People seemed to think that the seriousness of governance is measured by the increase in the number of cabinet positions. Mugabe in an effort to demonstrate substance keeps on increasing the number of cabinet members.

Bu Jove! Parkinson's Laws do work everywhere after all.

One version of the law states that the increase in the number of employees at the Colonial Office is highest as Great Britain's overseas empire declined; the Colonial Office had its greatest number of staff at the point when it was folded into the Foreign Office because of a lack of colonies to administer.

Could it also be that the increase in our own cabinet members becomes more prominent while the actual cabinet tasks declined? That is scary.

How can we explain this fetish to increase the size of the cabinet? Perhaps two forces are at work here:

1. A Minister wants to multiply subordinates, not rivals.
   
2. And Ministers make work for each other.
   

That reminds me of my late Economics professor at UM, Harcharan Singh used to say, in Russia there's no unemployment of any kind because one cow is looked after by 40 people. We have a zero unemployment cabinet then. What will Palanivel do as a minister which job is not being done by someone else now? Refer to Parkinson's laws above.

That is in defiance to the promise by our PM to have a small cabinet. PKR has more Indian MPs than MIC. In the next round, MIC will probably be decimated. PPP claims to also represent the Indians. I know cabinet appointments are the prerogative of the PM as head of the cabinet. But I think cabinet appointment must also reflect a moral standing. Palanivel didn't win any seat via elections, why should he be appointed a cabinet minister. MIC which won only 2 seats last time, now has 2 full ministers. That's a 100% achievement. In addition it has deputy minister's post.

MIC Indians are a privileged lot then. Threaten the PM and he will succumb to threats. I would have thought, the PM should have taken up the dare by the MIC Indians that they will not support the BN. see if the MIC leaders can talk big without any positions in the government. They will be running groveling at the feet of the PM and will tell him, he is the greatest PM since Samy Vellu. Yes sir, Samy Vellu was PM to Malaysian Indians.

Tweet

Read more...

Part 3- Amanah Agenda

There's a practical side as to why I usually break up my articles into several parts. One is I am writing from memory and therefore the output depends on my power of recall; if the issue at hand has decelerate I can discontinue. I am also able to include responses to comments that come in if I judge them to be of material relevance.

Many of the comments on my articles on Amanah for example said they know of Tengku Razaleigh's well-meaning intentions and all that. But they lamented that this country needs action. The action will come in the next elections is the short answer.

I think, if I may put it as such, we don't have to rush Tengku Razaleigh into doing something strategically not opportune. It will eventually be incorporated into a political agenda on a political platform. For the moment a little patience is prudent.

It's true, that the faces on the stage have long passed their political prime. But some of them are not looking for offices. Amanah isn't a political party; it is at the moment, an NGO where like-minded concerned citizens come together to find the means for articulating their concerns. Kadir Sheikh Fadzir said so himself- we on this stage sudah tak tahan lagi. We have to speak out.

So why not speak out through existing political parties if it's not BN they want to do so? My answer is they chose Amanah precisely because it's led by Tengku Razaleigh. The other non BN political parties simply do not have a figure that can serve as a singular rallying point. DAP is practical minded. PAS knows its own limitations. PKR- has other problems. But in Tengku Razaleigh, it is possible to find such a figure.

Why is UMNO quiet about it? Because they can't do anything about it. Even among UMNO members there is increasing disquiet about how things are managed. Saifuddin Abdullah's recent 'out-of-line' statements and Khairy Jamaluddin's conscientious objections are only tips of the icebergs. Tengku Razaleigh is merely pointing out the realities. He is still an UMNO member- so what can UMNO do at the moment? It can't sack a person of his stature without precipitating its own implosion. So go ahead- sack him and it will make the days of many.

Tengku Razaleigh is of course mindful of the possible repercussions of his actions. He may not be fielded as an UMNO candidate in the next elections. He may lose the support of UMNO Gua Musang. The last time I spoke to him, he was telling me of these reservations. I pointed out to him that his victory doesn't just depend on UMNO votes. It depends on the rakyat. Given the history of seeing only 60% of UMNO members voting for their own candidates and 60% of Malays voting for non UMNO candidates, I would rate his chances as being above average. The opinion of the present UMNO leadership is quite simply inconsequential.

So that is why UMNO is quiet about the whole thing.

At the moment this is what Amanah provides. A platform for speaking out against the abuses on the Merdeka heritage. The assault on fair and free elections. Because if I may continue from the last article, the means by which we achieve our end, to get a clean and fair government, is also the end itself. The clean and fair government which is the end, must be justified by clean and fair means. We want to speak out against the endemic corruption that has engulfed this country; the assault on the judiciary which has caused public distrust and haplessness, the divisiveness of the people because of opportunistic racism and all that.

The first portion of Kadir's speech was interesting. How does a government hold on to power?

Whoever wrote the American diplomatic dispatch which was made available to us through Wikileaks and Malaysia Today gave what seems to be some correct observations:-

The ruling party wants to stay in power indefinitely;
for instance- the ruling party defines national security primarily as a matter of protecting UMNO's superiority and ensuring that "people power," or a level electoral playing field, cannot become the opposition's means of toppling the ruling party.

That would explain the bludgeoning of the Bersih planned rally.

The ruling party is relying primarily on its own party structure and the embedded system of carrots and sticks to keep party membership in line. As in other one-party states, the party is seen opportunistically as a mechanism for personal advancement and enrichment.

The ruling elite maintain control over the security apparatus through party stalwarts who run the security institutions, mainly the police but also the military. We believe the military will remain loyal to legitimate leadership and is not a likely tool to overturn an elected, royally-approved and Malay-led government from either the ruling or opposition side. The police, on the other hand, follow orders from the ruling party.

That is why I find Kadir's anecdotal description of Nigeria's political experience while amusing, very instructive. He was telling the story of how the Nigerian President Goodluck Ebele Azikiwe Jonathan came to power.

In Nigeria, there is a rotation system whereby Christian and Muslim leaders take turns to become president. Goodluck Jonathan is a Christian and the current roster is for a Muslim to be President. Having served as deputy president for the maximum allowed period of 2 terms, he was obliged to retire. Jonathan does not have a standing to offer himself as presidential candidates when by convention, it's the other fellow's turn.

But he successfully offered himself by doing the unconventional but doing what Nigerians have always wanted. The North and the South gave him the victory. How? Jonathan did offer himself by promising to do what justifies the end of getting a clean and fair government. He does it by offering the Nigerians the only means to get the end- clean and fair means. He changed the head of the judiciary; the head of the police install a neutral and fair minded elections commission and so forth. These fair and clean means to achieving a desired end, in the end rallied the people behind him.

Malaysians have a choice really- to adopt the method by which Goodluck Ebele Jonathan retains power or the way, the American diplomat observed above.

That is the typical way by which totalitarian governments keep their power. Everything is defined in terms of primarily their interests. Hence Bersih's march for fair and clean elections is taken as a challenge to Malay security, an assault on Islam and Malay rulers etc. hence a threat to UMNO's security is taken as a threat to the country.

The Amanah platform now serves primarily as a clarion call for people to set aside their partisan politics and see what the country has become into. The beneficiaries of an independent country are now witnessing the blatant abuse of what has been bequeathed to them by our founding fathers.

While it serves as a clarion call or sounding board, the cudgels will be picked up by others hopefully. True, Tengku Razaleigh hasn't got the organizational structures at the moment, but only because it's only just launched and its not a political organization. But more important, I think, by launching this Amanah, Tengku Razaligh Hamzah is signaling his is ready and willing to offer leadership.

Tweet

Read more...

The Amanah agenda- Part 2

This is a gathering of concerned citizens. On the stage forming the committee members of Amanah were Kadir Sh Fadzir himself, Daniel Tajem, Subramaniam( a former MIC deputy President), Tengku Razaleigh as chairman, Ong Tee Keat, Bujang Ulis from Sarawak and a sitting MP from Sabah.

The audience was made up of mainly concerned citizens of all races with Malays making the predominant number. I am sure not everyone in there in the hall that day will commit themselves to the rigors of field politics; but I was sure of one thing. Everyone were united in the revulsion and rejection of what is going on in the country- the politics, economy, the divisiveness in our society, the future of democracy, the future of this country. Being present there is already an indication that attendees cannot accept the things that are happening in the country.

The feelings were adequately expressed by Kadir Sh Fadzir. What he said was exemplary; coming from a person who has had everything- wealth, power, service to the country, enjoyed the esteem and respect of his peers. He would rather be enjoying his leisure days. So too would the others- Daniel Tajem –a sincere looking fellow who is committed to uplift the Sarawak people out of misery, Subramaniam (he may be motivated by his own pursuits), BUjang Ulis, Ong Tee Keat- the MCA man who wanted to do the right thing with regards to the PKFZ.

What the current UMNO is, MCA is that to the Chinese. MCA cannot be a den of thieves and plunderers irrespective of how many truckloads of class A durians the perpetrators of the PKFZ financial fiasco bring over to the bosses. A former MCA leader when he was a deputy minister would often treat his boss at TNB first class durians from Bentong!.

What the country has got itself into is no longer tolerable. These 'has-beens' and veterans of Malaysian politics cannot endure the transgressions, the abuse, the bullying and the direction the country is traveling. It's made worse by a leadership who is more suited to become a poster boy, popular but incapable of managing this country properly.

Amanah is really for now, a group of conscientious objectors. Our objection must therefore be well put.

And what do we object to?

Utusan Malaysia recently revealed the kind of warped thinking the leadership of this country has or even worse, they are unthinking at all. It writes that it's a common outcome of those subjected to interrogation to commit suicide. This kind of thinking is just another unfortunate and grossly stupid gloss of the general notion that the all ends justify all means. Hence the deaths of persons under the duty of care of the custodians are but collateral damages to the desired end of achieving the truth. Except the truth in this case, as Colonel Jessup says in 'A Few Good Men' can't be handled by the truth seekers.

So, it will be used at a general explanation- that all transgressions- corruption, cronyism, are all justifiable means because of our desired end. What is the desired end then? This is the basic objection to these totalitarian tendencies. For that is what these transgressions amount to- not objected they will serve the interest of totalitarian tendencies. The government wants to govern and rule unchallenged.

This country is teetering towards totalitarian tendencies which require objections from all fronts. The diversity of parties and NGOs pursuing the same objectives must be seen as the necessary repeat of struggles and fights to overcome wrong politics. So don't decry if Amanah emerges as- ah, it's just 'another one of those bodies'. It's NOT just another but is the sufficiently and necessarily required instrument in the pursuit of victory over evil that must be fought over and over again not just by one, but by as many as possible.

We must be clear what our general objection is. Very often we inure ourselves and accept the various transgressions and abuses as necessary evil or the ends justifying the means thinking. We must also be clear about this- when we object to the idea that the means are not justifiable no matter what the ends are, we mean, really that the actual end is not the end itself but the means for achieving that end. Hence to elicit truth does not justify murdering someone. To achieve development can be never justify the cronyism and corruption and the marginalization of whole people. Solving the traffic woes of people cannot justify building RM 50 billion worth of edifices. The list goes on and on.

This is our most fundamental objection- the means by which we achieve whatever ends must be correct and principled.

Tweet

Read more...

Tengku Razaleigh’s speech at the launch of Amanah

"SUARA MENUNTUT KEBENARAN, KEADILAN DAN RASA TIMBANG RASA"

 

Ucapan YBM Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah

Di Majlis Pelancaran AMANAH, Hari Jumaat, 22 Julai 2011, 9.00 pagi di Memorial Tunku Abdul Rahman, Kuala Lumpur

 

    Allow me to bid all of you, dear Associates and friends, a very warm welcome to this launching ceremony of Angkatan Amanah Merdeka or in short AMANAH. I am deeply grateful for your attendance today. I believe that as we start out on this journey we will have some extremely important choices to make before us – choices that we must make even against all odds. This morning can just be another interesting social event in the Malaysian landscape or it could be the start of something unprecedented that it could alter the course of our country's future and directions.

 

2. Let me state unequivocally that I love my country dearly as I am sure all of you do too. We are not gathered here today to start a protest movement and neither are we here to play politics. We are here because many of us are genuinely very concerned, grieved and saddened by what is now happening in this beloved country of ours. Right-thinking and fair-minded Malaysians must no longer stand by in passive and courteous submission to or acceptance of the situations created over the years by such horrible misdeeds as corruption, cronyism and communalism; we must act quickly before they reach a stage of no return leading ultimately to the total destruction of the very fabric of our social, moral, cultural, legal and constitutional foundation on which this nation of ours has sustained all these years. We must not wait before it will be too late for us to change.

 

3. We are here because we need that voice of conscience for the nation, to articulate our voice for the nation, to engage the authorities in a democratic fashion as guarded and guided by our constitutional rules and our common tradition as peace-loving rakyat. We must never allow acts of political manipulation of any kind and from any quarters to divide the majority with policies and decisions that deliberately cater to the interests of the minority. From the time of pre-independence right through the past 54 years, Malaysia has proven that its people can co-exist in a spirit of unity, harmony and tolerance. The tolerance among our people has been exceptional and if we look at our beginnings, racial interaction and religious tolerance have never been our problems. Time and again, Malaysia has been cited by the international community as a model of interethnic co-existence. It is this spirit, this model of racial unity as the foundation of our national solidarity, that we must all strive to restore and preserve. If today this spirit is seriously lacking – as we are seeing it happening daily - then something must have gone very wrong in the governance of this nation. I say that it is time to stop this terrible spiral downward trend. Let us not allow a denial of the situation to cover up the reality of the situation.

 

4. I have watched with great alarm the worrying deterioration of inter-racial and inter-religious harmony in recent years and if I add to this the actions of some groups and individuals to unobtrusively, perhaps deliberately destroy the institutions of unity in our country to serve their own interests, I must confess to you that I am deeply troubled.

 

5. For too long, those of us who belong to the voices of moderation have stood aside and avoided the specter of confrontation because we wanted to just live our individual lives that are free from problems and unnecessary troubles. Such an attitude is no longer acceptable because standing back now would result in dire and irreversible consequences.

 

6. This is the time for the silent majority to make their voices heard. This is the time for the quiet family man to join in the chorus of voices and say , "We want the truth and not a facade of deceptions." This is the time for the quiet housewife to say, "I want a future for my young son and daughter that is free from problems created by various political, economic and social interest-groups and individuals". This is the time for the young working adult to say, "We want to know where our country is headed to and we want to know that the choices are right!". Yes, this is the time for you and I to say NO to the massive corruption and racial discord, the latter is being spread under the guise of religious and racial protection. Say "Enough is enough". At no other time in the history of Malaysia is this need to stand up against such situations as urgent as the present.

 

7. When our beloved father of independence Almarhum Tunku Abdul Rahman founded Malaysia, he talked of the different races as part of one big happy family. He said, something to the effect that "If we really want to come together as a family and live under one roof called Malaysia, we must be sincere with one another – Malay, Chinese, Indian, Dayak, Kadazan, Siamese and others – Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, Christian, etc. If we are sincere, then we cannot say anything that will hurt one another. We cannot also do anything that will hurt each other. As sincere members of one family, we must always be there to help one another. The rich must help the poor and the successful must help the unfortunate. Only then can we be one people and a country that is united and strong. Everyone will be happy. Only then will Malaysia be respected by the world….."

 

8. What powerful words of simplicity and wisdom. He intended for us to live in this manner as one big happy family. After 54 years, where are we? Are we already living as one big family? As I have said, if we are not, then something must be very wrong! We cannot wait any longer for us to take our country back on course. We must do something and do it now!! Every right-thinking Malaysian must be a part of this move to have our voices heard and it must be loud and clear.

 

9.    Tunku Abdul Rahman practiced what he preached. Since the government did not have too much money at the time, he successfully persuaded his non-Muslim friends and others to contribute to the building fund of the national .mosque. The mosque was built only at a cost of RM10 million. It is not only a tribute to the Tunku but also became a symbol of Muslim and non-Muslim cooperation to help forge a better understanding between the various different ethnic and religious groups in the country. The Tunku also persevered to bring peoples of different Islamic countries together for the promotion of economic cooperation, peace and stability. Finally, the idea that he floated became a reality when he successfully brought together people of 52 Islamic nations, big and small, rich and poor, as an organisation of Islamic countries after he obtained the endorsement of the late King Faisal of Saudi Arabia. to form the Organisation of Islamic Conference. This organisation now stands as a monument to the Tunku for his tireless effort to bring solidarity .to the Islamic people.

 

10.    In the field of sports, Tunku promoted football, badminton, sepak takraw, golf, etc. I cannot help but repeat what I have said at some other functions how sports was promoted by the Tunku as a means to instill team spirit and togetherness in this country. "Thinking of football, Tunku managed to bring teams from the Middle East and across Asia to play in Kuala Lumpur in the Merdeka tournament. Teams from South Korea and Japan came to participate and we defeated them routinely. Today our FIFA ranking is 157 out of 203 countries. That puts us below Maldives whose ranking is at 149, the smallest country in Asia with just 400,000 people living about 1.5 meters above sea level. In ASEAN we are behind Indonesia, Thailand, Singapore, whom we used to dominate. The names of our football heroes used to roll off the tongues of our school children and they copied them on the school field. Where are they now? The likes of Soh Chin Aun, Arumugam, Isa Bakar, Santokh Singh, James Wong and Mokhtar Dahari? It was not about being the best in the world, but about being passionate and devoted to the game. Similarly, we used to see little kampung boys hit the shuttle cocks with broken rackets at the back of their dilapidated kampung houses calling themselves Wong Peng Soon. Yes, Peng Soon was a Malayan hero, just like our football heroes. Now we do not have an iota of that feeling." Where have they all gone?

 

11. "Our achievements in achieving growth with equity were recognized around the world. Our peer group in the economic development were South Korea, Hong Kong, Singapore and Taiwan and we led the pack. I remember when we used to receive South Korean delegations coming to learn a thing or two from us about development. Now, unfortunately, we have fallen far behind this group. And today, we are entering the peer group of Cambodia, Myanmar and the Philippines as an investment destination. Without a doubt Malaysia is slipping. Yet we are gathered here in comfort. People say it is due less to good management than to the extraordinary wealth of this country. Malaysia is blessed with immense resources, both natural, cultural and social but, unfortunately, due to this mismanagement and corruption, we are declining." Yes, people say Malaysia is rich, but compared to its neighbours we are still relatively not free.

 

12. When Tunku declared independence for this country 54 years ago, we were told that Malaysia will be a Parliamentary democracy with an independent judiciary.

 

13. I pray that you will no longer stand back and be mere uncommitted spectators to watch things move, thinking that others will do what is necessary. If we do this, we will be living in a fool's paradise and will deserve the consequences when they come. We have to make that difference and if we want to make that difference, I would like you to join us in this move that we are starting. For the sake of your children and your children's children, we cannot afford to fail!!

 

14. We are starting an NGO called Angkatan Amanah MERDEKA (in short AMANAH) to mobilize our voices and our efforts and to make this an avenue of the new Spirit of Malaysia. It will be a voice of solidarity and truth and we will stand unwaveringly against the ills of corruption, cronyism, communalism, extremism and extravagance. We will say national interest and the interest of the rakyat first. This is our primary objective. All other policy priorities, decisions and choices must be subject to this primary national objective.

 

15. The conditions of the poor and the impoverished, especially in the rural areas – they still form the majority of our population - must be uplifted through systematic and systemic policy planning and decisions, and not through hollow slogan chanting. The legacy and vision of Tun Razak's policies of rural development, eradication of poverty irrespective of race and colour, and an overall national policy of socio-economic development based on the principles of Justice, Fairness and Balance across all sectors, will have to be revisited and remodeled if need be. We will relentlessly promote Almarhum Tunku's vision of the "One Happy Malaysian family". We will ensure that the basic or fundamental rights of the rakyat, rights that are not only defined in the Constitution but more importantly rights that are embedded in and shared by our religious, moral and cultural traditions, are promoted and observed as a function of the Nation.

    

16. I will personally go to every corner of this great country of ours (and I would ask you to come along with me) to bring down the barriers of discord, suspicion and insensitivities. I know that the Malays – and the other communities – are not 'racists' but the Malays and the others are becoming communalists because they have been manipulated to behave and think and act as communalists. To the Malays such behavior and attitude of mind is totally against the teachings of Islam. And when the Malays become less Islamic they tend towards 'racialism', going back to the age of jahiliah, the age of Ignorance before the Prophet Muhammad (P.B.U.H.) preached against that "jahiliahism".

 

17. We can and we will pledge ourselves to uphold integrity and we must not fail in this urgent quest to bring back the core values of acceptance and unity.

 

18. The people want change and anticipate change and there is great urgency for us to move in that direction. It is now up to all of us, you and I, to make a difference. I would like to encourage you to get family members and friends to help us secure their support for this noble endeavor. Encourage them to continue to send this out to their friends. Let us make this a move of 'viral' proportions! No longer should the silent majority be taken for granted in a country that we are so proud of and cherish. Thank you my valued Associates and friends for giving me this chance to be heard. Let us not fail in this endeavor or labour of love for our country!

 

19. Let me end with a quote from that great man, Nelson Mandela. He says "Let there be justice for all, Let there be peace for all; Let there be work, bread, water and salt for all. Let each know that for each person - the body, the mind and the soul have been freed to fulfill themselves." Mandela's message is in fact a reiteration of a message of the universal mankind, a message that is true at all times and a message that is inherently, a human fitrah or human nature, shared by all of us, all of mankind. Let this be our call to strive for excellence – that every Malaysian will be given a platform for freedom and fulfillment.

 

20. Managed correctly and sincerely, this great nation of ours can be a platform of prosperity and peace for all Malaysians. Thank you.

Tweet

Read more...

The Amanah Agenda- part 1

Last Friday, Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah launched the setting up of another NGO. It is called Amanah. Its full name is Angkatan Amanah Merdeka. The name suggests that, independence and the wider meaning term, freedom, is a responsibility entrusted upon our shoulders.

It seems the main ingredients of an independent nation are being eroded and violated with irresponsible impunity. Our economy is slowly going to be run by powerful economic plutocracy. An elite group has taken over the planning and running of the country. We are simultaneously enthralled and goaded into believing that our economy can get better miraculously through stylish presentation using Microsoft PowerPoint authored by expensively paid consulting companies. Those people in Balakong, Sungai Besi and Jalan kelang Lama did not need power point presentations authored by McKinsey consultants. They didn't have to pay Idris Jala for leveraging on McKinsey people either!

The economic elite are working hand in hand with the political elite of this country so that from democracy, we are moving toward Plutarchy. Plutarchy is the combination of plutocracy- the rule of the wealthy and oligarchy- the rule of the few. These people are no longer talking about development costs of millions- they are now talking about billions- the billion Ringgit MRT, the billion Ringgit River of Life Project, no billion- no talk. How is our country's finances managed? Can we trust them?

Our founding fathers gave us a Westminster's type of democracy and we accepted it. We accept wholeheartedly that the way to form a government is through peaceful means and that is through fair and clean general elections. It must also mean that combatants and contestant are accorded the same facilities and treatment en route to forming a government. 

We accepted also a constitutional monarchy whereby the Malay rulers accept unreservedly that this country belongs to the people. By that, the rulers accept that they are also subjected to the powers of the constitution, whereby, rulers are also governed by the rule of law and do not have unbridled and absolute discretionary powers.

What has happened then? The tipping point came in the late 80s when one person hijacked the democratic heritage and enthralled the nation with the glitter of fast-tracked material advancements. Since then, this country has traveled only on one option- divisiveness. Our heralded and self-congratulatory development is generally paid by the erosion of the democratic ingredients that we spoke of above. We praised and patted ourselves by calling our leaders, fathers of this and that. These terms are alas, empty phrases aimed essentially at according ourselves the feel good feeling.

The aim of Bersih for example, was directed at one of these- which is, fundamental in a democracy is the way we choose our government. It must be done in a fair and clean manner. We have chosen a free market economy but nowadays, what is free, is the freedom by certain cliques in our country to plunder and gobble up the economy. Hence we no longer speak of millions and even 100 of millions but billions. The traffic congestion which is the bane of people in the Kelang valley can easily be solved cheaper by construction of elevated highways. But powerful economic oligarchs proposed to build an MRT whose final costs cannot be determined as yet.

I am not going to repeat its agenda, mission statement etc. these can be found in the concise booklets that were handed out on that day.

Let me cut to the chaff or cut to the chase what Amanah actually stands for. I attended the inaugural launch the other day. I had the chance to listen to the rather long welcoming speech by Kadir Sheikh Fadzir.

Now, Kadir has never struck me as a thoughtful and thinking person. He was the quintessential bon vivant with the bow tie. He would, I think be more at home dining at Lafite at Shangri-La rather than with the thrust and parry of raw politics. On that day however, he was talking sense. Perhaps the articulation was the product of a profound appreciation of the sorry state of affairs that has overtaken our country.

But that, my readers, will appear in the next installment.

.

Tweet

Read more...

A forgotten older and enduring ideal

Was the Bersih agenda wrong? The agenda was simply the call for the EC to conduct its business cleanly and fairly. That to my mind is a legitimate and acceptable agenda. This government responded by demonizing Bersih. This was all part of the boxed-in mentality of the ruling government to prevent any mass movement snowballing into a popular movement. When it responded the way it did, the very dreaded effect it wanted to avoid, came into effect. Because public and international opinion made Bersih into the impression of a popular movement rather that a localized event it should have been.

Well, that's what you get if the government is reactive by nature rather that proactive in a thoughtful way. It doesn't want to engage Bersih preferring the bully tactics so liked by people like Ibrahim Ali.

When the marchers took the streets in a peaceful manner, it took a life of its own. It wasn't any more about Ambiga or Anwar or whoever else. They may have set the tone and did some synchronization, but once out there, the people called the shots.

This I think is what the government doesn't understand and because of that it responded the only way, a government believing in its own infallibility and invincibility behaves.

In the UK, our PM said that street demonstrations are not the way to form a government. He is stating what is already universally accepted nowadays. In Malaysia, no right thinking people harbors any thought about securing governmental power, through undemocratic or unconstitutional methods. Indeed we quarrel a lot to ensure the sanctity and integrity of a democracy be preserved. UMNO people went to court to seek a declaration that the 1987 UMNO elections were subverted. A new UMNO was formed in 1988. From then on, UMNO could never qualify to have practiced real democracy.

Malayan communism was ended half a century ago. Because the idea of forming a government through armed insurrection could never be accepted. Plus, there were a lot other complications such as religion and ethnic composition. Government is formed through the democratic way- through free and fair elections. We all do it through fair and clean elections, we are all democrats.

The statement which the PM raises and which is fortified further by the solemn declaration of the DPM when he said no more street rallies- raises important points.

Why does a democratic system still make possible for other forms of collective political expression take place? If elections sort out all issues, if a democratically elected government is supposed to end all issues, there wouldn't be a need for other forms of collective political expression, would there?

The response towards Bersih has been handled badly. So the government becomes the target of international censorship and sharp criticisms. The issue has not died down in our own country. Bersih has increased awareness among citizens on the importance of having clean and fair elections. That's a simple demand. The circuitous responses by the EC and government supporters will surely widen the divide between voters and the ruing government.

Behind the whole issue of Bersih trying to prop up mass awareness and the government's trenchant and violent response is the issue of a forgotten older ideal. Which is: that the power of all authorities exercising governmental functions ought to be limited by long run rules which nobody has the power to alter or abrogate in the service of particular ends.

How does a government that has forsaken this older universal principle rule the country then? It rules mainly through the stalwarts system by ensuring those who hold the levers of authority are its obedient servants. The judiciary?- an emasculated and pliant one, the chief law officer?-their man; the chief of police? –One who does its biddings, the chairman of the elections commission? - Its chief apologist. The chief secretary- maybe the one who will stall the swearing in of a new legitimate government come the next GE.

Tweet

Read more...

The voice of conscience: AMANAH

EVENT: - MAJLIS PELANCARAN ANGKATAN AMANAH MERDEKA (AMANAH)

PLACE:-DEWAN AUDITORIUM MEMORIAL TUNKU ABDUL RAHMAN JALAN DATO ONN KUALA LUMPUR.

WAKTU: 09:30 AM.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS OLEH: YBM TENGKU RAZALEIGH HAMZAH- THE PM WE NEVER HAD.

I am asking my fans and readers to come and listen to the inaugural speech by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah this Friday. He will launch AMANAH, an NGO committed to the ideals of saving this nation from political insanity. This NGO is not a political party or grouping at least not for the moment. In the future, the NGO will remain an NGO but we cannot preclude members or supporters of Amanah taking the plunge into party politics. They are free to go support ant political parties they wish.

Some UMNO people are already worried and in the coming days will do their best to demonize Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. Never mind them. They are just gasping for air and clutching at the last straws.

In the past few years, this country of ours has been put on a course of self-destruction. Our economy is not doing that good compared to the countries in south East Asia. UMNO which claimed they represent the Malays can't put on a straight face to say whether they have done well for the Malays. It only takes one example to demolish their self-conceit- the wealth disparity among Malays is greatest in Malaysia inspite of all the help that UMNO says it has given. We are inundated daily with all sorts of pious reminders that we ought to be grateful.

I want UMNO people to now realize why we are now reaping what we have sown. The UMNO we have (whatever happened to the word Baru that ought to accompany UMNO), this one reformed in 1988 was formed on a fundamentally flawed foundation. The UMNO of 1946 was formed on the basis of Malays coming together. The various Malay groupings subjecting themselves to a common goal and united for a purpose. The UMNO of 1988 was formed on the foundation of Malay divisiveness- the UMNO was split into two.

The man responsible for the creation of UMNO baru is now this time retired, next time not retired, or will do whatever he damn pleases. The other person also linked to the split is now making things right.

People can read the agenda of Amanah in the write-ups. I am writing from a different perspective. Amanah is here to put things right- by first organizing themselves, then by offering solutions, offering criticisms and later probably urging all political parties to surrender to permanent ideals rather than to transient personalized solutions.

Amanah sets out to reaffirm, inculcate and re-ignite the sense of togetherness and true family spirit that prevailed among all Malaysians during the time of our common struggle for national independence.

Its other objectives are:-

* To earnestly acknowledge, affirm and respect the sovereignty of the constituent states of the Malaysian Federation, consistent with the principles of federalism, democratic principles and in the true spirit of the Federal Constitution.

* To ensure that our national institutions respect and uphold the rule of law, democratic principles, rights and universal values.

* To support a government and administration that is transparent and accountable, truly competent, efficient, free of corruption and cronyism, clean and honest, fair and trustworthy, and that will be fully able to serve its functions and meet its responsibilities, freely and fairly; an administration that will always be mindful of the rights and interests of the people in whose name and cause it is appointed to serve.

* To promote the socio-economic well-being of the people, so that all Malaysians may enjoy truly advanced, progressive, fair and equitable lives – individually upholding filial piety and other noble values and collectively joined together in sincere family kinship as members of our national community and as stakeholders in our common national destiny.

 

* To support an economic policy that will help achieve and sustain a high standard of living for the people, based on the principle of justice, fairness and balance, consistent with the constitution and under a stable monetary condition.

I invite everyone to be there to listen with an open heart. I shall certainly be there and will be writing on Amanah in the next few articles.

Tweet

Read more...