A Sibu Sunday

 

Today, the town of Sibu goes to the ballot box. Will BN retain this seat?

It's going to be a very close finish in Sibu. This current PM breaks with convention by going down to campaign in by elections. Since it's only a convention and if it serves no advantage, it can be broken and no explanation need be given. It only shows that the leadership is determined to win. We want a determined leadership. Plus we are in this game to win.

Sibu has a population of around 52,000 people, comprising of 67 % Chinese, 10% Malays and 23% Sarawak Bumis. It's impossible for the DAP to garner total support from the Chinese community. The BN Chinese candidate comes from an influential family. He enjoys reasonable standing in Sibu. Therefore, it's not a foregone conclusion with regards to DAP's mastery over Sibu's Chinese voters, kampua mee or not.

Right now BN probably has a 3000 vote advantage in the form of postal votes and other guaranteed voters. It can lose if support from the Chinese community dips below 35%. If BN gets at least 40% of the Chinese votes, then BN should win Sibu with around 1000 vote- majority. Let us say that today, on this Sunday, 42,000 people vote. A likely scenario is as follows:-

Voters	BN	DAP
Postal votes	3000	0
Chinese	10,000	18,000
Malay	3000	1000
Sarawak Bumis	7000	3000
TOTAL	23,000	22,000

 

The crucial voting block is the Chinese voters. If BN can secure at the very least 35%, it can win this election by a hair thin margin of around 1000 votes. The DAP is strong, yes- but significantly among the Chinese community. Earlier on I said- that if the Sibus working in Semanjung choose to go back and vote, then BN's chances of winning is greatly compromised. We haven't heard of an exodus of Sibu people from Semenanjung.

That should be good news for BN.

Tweet

Read more...

Initial thoughts on Sime Darby

This is a preliminary assessment. Only two words to describe the financial debacle at Slime err, I mean Sime Darby. Losses and weaknesses.

The PM was being prescient when he stated that the government will not cover up losses and weaknesses. That is a signal that something massive will take place over Sime Darby in days to come. Do a mama Bell or Papa Bell as the immediate step. Break them up into smaller, nimble and controllable business units or Bell children. It's a jungle out there and such a Byzantium and serpentine labyrinth, where tricksters and corporate thieves hide and make hay while the sun shines. In that jungle, Musa Hitam is probably, the anaconda.

The losses could only have come through some malfunction in management. And malfunction is a gross understatement- it must necessarily include elements of some gross negligence, outright fraud, deliberate cost over estimates. It does not stop at the CEO's desk. While he makes the decision, those decisions are tabled at board meetings seeking their counsel, deliberations etc. this is not your bloody money. You have caused a loss- a massive financial hemorrhage of more than RM1.5 billion and you can only respond, by asking the CEO to go on an indefinite leave? We may be fools but we are no bloody fools.

So what does extended or indefinite leave mean? A sabbatical for the CEO to atone, maybe go perform the Umrah or something like that? Suddenly, the great Sime Darby suffers a loss for words and seems to have contracted tongue-gilitis? It has always been the norm of sinners, fornicators, aspirants for higher office, those who think they are about to be dropped from government appointments, those wishing to be selected another term to perform this mini Haj pilgrimage. I think, Sime Darby just cant wash away this hemorrhage by asking Mr Zubir to go for an extended leave.

In China, people like MR Zubir will be arrested and made to spill the beans. So why don't we don't we do the same instead of asking M Zubir to go for this euphemism of 'extended leave"

Musa Hitam and the entire board of bloody directors should be made to resign. Or he if has any moral compunctions, or any sense of honor, he should offer his and the entire board of directors immediate resignation.

But hark- I can inaudibly hear the word- elegant silent!

Tweet

Read more...

Re-educating of UMNO.

I haven't been writing for a few days. Actually I have been doing some research into UMNO. To that effect, I have chosen to rely more on anecdotal accounts as they are raw opinions, often unguarded but in my opinion, reflect a truer perception on UMNO.

But before that, I will say something on the election in Sibu. I have not been there and have been receiving daily on the spot assessments from my contacts in Sibu. The general verdict is: it will be a difficult one for BN this time. If the Sibuans staying in Semanjung choose to go back and vote, BN will surely lose the election.

Let's face facts. 67% of the population is Chinese who are likely to go along with the DAP. The Bumis have no love lost for its current ADUN. When our TVs show the squalor and the pitiful site of Malay villages in Sibu that is a clear suggestion that the ADUN there, Awang Bemee hasn't been doing anything. The Ibans are loyal to BN- on paper but we cannot discount the increasing awareness of these people about their rights and general discontent to 'rambut puteh'- the moniker given to Taib Mahmud.

Let me get back to discussing what's closer to my heart. The Future of UMNO.

UMNO celebrated its 64^th birthday recently. Although, technically, the present day UMNO was reformed in 1988, it nevertheless lay claim to be a direct and substantive successor of the UMNO formed in 1946.

The purists will dispute this claim. But we can't go against the logic and belief of 3 million members. To them, this present UMNO, yes this one, though cannibalized by Dr Mahathir in 1988, is still the same UMNO. It is the party whose ideals, ordinary Malays, unsophisticated in thinking subscribed to. Not a small number will continue to assign blame to Dr Mahathir for reconstituting the original UMNO formed in 1946 and thereafter fashioned UMNO, as it were, entirely as a mechanically functional instrument designed to further his own personal convictions. In later years, he will lament the wishy-washy attributes and stodginess of UMNO members to subscribe to his vision. He will berate, cry and eventually offer prayers to invoke God's help to change the UMNO mindset.

The greatest challenge of UMNO now and of its current president is how to rekindle the substance of UMNO's objectives and reinterpret them in the present time. It must carry out that adjustment quickly to stay relevant amidst changing political and social landscape.

It can only do this by:-

• Revamping the power structure of UMNO.
  
• Bring in good leadership- determined, dedicated and with single mindedness
  
• Re-mind its followers.
  
• Refashioned the idealism of UMNO and making it relevant.
  

It must position itself within a more sophisticated political milieu comprising of a sophisticated Malay populace, an emboldened Chinese section of the population empowered by their economic might and a generally marginalized Malaysian Indian population. Most of all, UMNO must reinvent itself as a party viewed and accepted by all, as fit to rule not only Malays but Malaysians.

I shall be quick to add, that this last proposition does not necessarily entail UMNO giving up its 'political personality' as custodian of Malay interests. But it does involve leavening that role and responsibility with a sense of realism that we can't ship out the Chinese and Indians back to their historical homeland just as the Arabs cant bomb Israel out of existence. In other words, it's now a Malaysian UMNO and not just a Malay UMNO.

Because of this, the emergence of Perkasa that disparate group of Malay-firsters serving as a life-support machine for Ibrahim Ali stands directly opposed to the ideals of UMNO. It shouldn't even be counted as a pseudo UMNO. There's nothing UMNO about Perkasa other than it being made up of entirely Malays. It is just another vehicle for Ibrahim Ali to stay relevant. I have nothing personal with Ibrahim. We don't even know each other.

If the UMNO president detects a perceptible but surefooted approval of UMNO in recent months, he must also realize that this favorable slant is a contingent one. It can be ephemeral and fluid. It is contingent upon UMNO being able to carry out what it promises to do.

However, let's not throw caution to the wind. I don't think, acceptability of UMNO is achieved by mechanically carrying out its normal duties as in servicing the community, fulfilling election promises. Those come about as a natural product of being elected. Moreover, these things were done by previous UMNO and yet in 2004, UMNO was soundly trounced. We can't just explain that catastrophe to Pak Lah's leadership. Pak Lah's emergence reflected on the whole what UMNO has become. A safe haven for warlords bent on making hay while their political sun shines. It has metamorphosed into a soulless being. Hence UMNO just can't re energize itself by adopting the same much publicized commitment to community service.

You have to do it whether you like it or not and indeed, failure to do will be reared with being booted out.

More important, is to give meaning to UMNO 's and Malay existence. Is UMNO's cause served by treating and turning Malays into pitiable supplicants?

UMNO must provide that leadership which resonances with a new consciousness among the progressive Malays. Though small in number now, this is the group that will shape the Malay mind in the years to come. Chief among the attitudinal resetting is a rejection of the image of the Malay as a mindless supplicant to a re-tooled image of the Malay wanting to earn his right. Because he, the Malay, now has the tools- education, mobility, social interactions, and a cynical general distrust of UMNO politics.

Next….breaking up the power structure.

Tweet

Read more...

UMNO and the Royal Houses.

I have always been against the usage of a show of force to enforce opinions, thought, ideas etc. In this context for example, I treat with sadness the approach taken by a group of Perkasa young men, demonstrating in front of the PKR office. It was in effect a show of force, sadly unrestrained by the police nearby as they claimed to have received no instructions to intercede (sic). It also shows, those people who resorted to a show of force, have no reasonable answer to challenge Zaid's essay.

Stating that Zaid is disloyal to the king is also hurting UMNO's credibility because UMNO had also in the past clashed with the Royal Houses. UMNO's confrontation with the Malaysian Monarchy then was more severe and intense leading to widespread belief, that Malaysia was going the Republic way. Some of those people calling for the emasculation of the monarchy are still around today in UMNO, projecting themselves as shameless paramours of democracy for the people. What they meant was power unto themselves.

Even in this instance, the thunder was stolen from present day UMNO because the group that is now standing and being counted as defender of the King is Perkasa. It's led by the Pied Piper of Malaysian politics- one Ibrahim Ali. UMNO Selangor through its deputy head could only muster a feeble riposte by beseeching HRH Sultan not to receive Zaid. Why should the Sultan be dissuaded to see Zaid if HRH chooses to? The King is King to all his subjects- UMNO and non UMNO people. The King does not belong to UMNO.

I found one stupid trait among UMNO people as regards people not from the state but who have adopted their current state of domicile as their own. In Pekan for example where I come from, we have many Kelantanese voters who have stayed in Pahang for over 30 years. Whenever these people ask for land or assistance or facilities from the state, the UMNO people will always create a ruckus. Shamelessly, during elections, all UMNO people want are their votes ignoring and treating the state of origin of the voters as non issue. By his admission, Zaid says he has stayed in Selangor for over 30 years. On that basis, he is entitled to the same treatment and rights as Noh Omar who is a Selangorian and a ' fofesyional'. Zaid has as much right to see the King as Noh Omar has.

Needling Zaid on the royal house issue is counterproductive. First it will serve as opening up of old wounds inflicted on the royal houses by UMNO of 1988. Second, it exposes UMNO's weakness in the mosque centered activities department- UMNO is weak when it comes to carrying out mosques and surau based activities. UMNO people want to be office bearers because of the power therein and the social standing the posts confer; but are insignificant when it comes to prospering the mosques. All this while, aren't the mimbars and pulpits in the mosques employed to disseminate current issues of use and benefit to the government of the day? It's a tit to UMNO's tat. UMNO is now forced to answer this weakness by finding ways to enliven its own role in this department. Sermons by UMNO preachers are not endearing the devotees.

So when Noh Omar asks his rhetorical question, people ask back- why you are not doing the same. And don't hide behind the cloak of honoring the sanctity of royal commands. People already know what UMNO has done and is capable of doing to royal commands. Only when UMNO is weak, does it overplay its royal cards.

What did Zaid do? Zaid had opined that the statements given by HRH Sultan of Selangor were personal opinions and don't carry the force of law. The Selangor Sultan was said to have expressed his unhappiness at mosques pulpits being used as political platforms.

Those statements were quickly seized by UMNO people as royal command which, if met with non compliance or even contrarian viewpoint are tantamount to disloyalty and perhaps treasonable. By taking an early position on the high ground, UMNO sounds to the world, that only UMNO owns loyalty to king. In any case, isn't loyalty to the King enshrined in Article 3 of UMNO's constitution? Unfortunately such manifest expression of unrivalled loyalty to the King by UMNO, coming from self serving UMNO claims must be treated with circumspect.

Zaid says we don't live in a feudal society anymore where the word of the sultan is law. Even with regards to Islamic religion, the sultan needs to sit in council, which is the Majlis Agama Islam of their respective states, to have his opinions enforceable as law. In Kartika Sari's case, the King of Pahang was advised by the Majlis Agama and Fatwa Negeri Pahang.

Here is where we part company with Zaid. Zaid got it wrong when he wants us to think that it is only the monarchial system in Malaysia which represents the actual feudal system. The actual feudal system, my dear Zaid, is the one practiced by UMNO.

Look at the essence of UMNO power hierarchy. Just like William the Conqueror, UMNO's power structure was based on similar principles. King William and the Normans rewarded his chiefs, vassals and others with land in exchange for loyalty and for the supply of military and material support when facing common wars. Everyone owed allegiance to his immediate superior. The King was at the apex demanding and receiving allegiance from the 190 ketua bahagians, who demand and are owed allegiance by the many many ketua bahagians and ketua bahagians demand and are owed allegiance from ketua cawangans. The bottom was occupied by the rakyat who are herded and corralled. Each successive leadership levels is help captive by the promises of material reward.

Wasn't it UMNO in the 80s which went around cutting the clips on the monarchy here in Malaysia? Indeed I can still remember, Musa Hitam announcing to the world at large, the presence of UMNO's 7 heroes including at that time Anwar Ibrahim and Dato Seri Najib? He made that announcement in Batu Pahat I think. He regarded the 7 as the magnificent seven.

And so, if suddenly now, UMNO rediscovers the value of an institution that preceded its own deliverance to the world today 64 years ago, I say, all praises be for the Almighty.

Tweet

Read more...

Nor Yaakob’s mobility for Bumiputera economic progress

 

"We need to make sure there is economic and social mobility to form a larger Malay middle class base in the march towards a developed country status," he said, adding that, thus continuous efforts must be done to build a world class Malay-based talent

Suddenly the minister in charge of the EPU, the onetime FOREX dealer who lost tons of Malaysian money to the market, is talking about Malay economics. That should be music to the ears of many. Now hold on to your horses boys. Let's carry out a little bit of forensic exercise – a science which lately seems to have fallen into disrepute since Pornthip couldn't testify further.

After eating political vadey every morning, Nor Yaakob is now eating nasi lemak for political breakfast. In other words, from not being interested in talking about Malay economics, he has had a change of heart. He wants to join the bandwagon. He wants to be in tune with Tun Dr Mahathir who is in tune with Ibrahim Ali's Perkasa.

Nor Yaakob has never been interested in Malay economics before. He is more interested in playing musical chairs as to whom he wants to place as head of this or that GLC rather than pressing for mobility. Only now, he understands the essence of Malay economics- the central issue being mobility. He was more interested to place his 'boys' at strategic places.

What explains his sudden change of heart?

He is the minister in charge of the EPU. Yet he has managed to eclipse the role and function of Finance Minister 2 who should be the one in charge of appointing people to head GLCs.

So, why is he now talking about Malays being left behind across the board? Isn't this condition the result of economic policies carried out by successive administrations and which PM Najib now wants to revamp? I am going to repeat what I have said before- regarding this condition afflicting Malay economics. You have the entire political and governmental machinery dominated by Malays and yet, taken as a whole, the entire political and governmental machinery has not been able to overcome Malay laggardness?

What does that tell you? You arrive at the unchallengeable conclusion that your policies have failed and the linchpin of your policies was the creation of a mobility cul de sac. You put in place a system where rewards do not necessarily go to those who use their brains and work hard. But you have a system where people cut corners, people leveraged on who they are to overtake others who could only offer their sweat off their eyebrows and material between their ears.

Nor Yaakob is talking eerily about wanting to put in place more and more intense measures of the very policies that made Malays lag behind.

So don't you believe in this vadey for breakfast spokesperson's change of heart. He is talking for self survival. Perhaps he knows if he doesn't measure up, he will out of the cabinet. And what could a better boost to your political resume than being vocal about the economic plight of the Malays. Never mind if Nor Yaakob does not consider himself to be 100% Malay.

Because now Nor Yaakob suddenly realizes, his and UMNO's political future depend on their ability to solve the Malay economic problem. That those who don't want to face the issue squarely will be punished severely in the next election.

But we are not going to face it squarely ala Perkasa. Perkasa doesn't want mobility for the masses. It wants mobility for the puteras in the bumi. They want mobility only for the elites.

The mobility that we want is that put in place by a system that everyone can work hard for himself and family and eventually the country. This is the kind of social mobility which we desire that eliminates sharp divisions within a particular race and between races. If within one race, there is a sharp division in which only the selected few can gain the upper hand, most of the time not as a result of hard work and brainwork, but through some legislated privileges, that kind of mobility is not acceptable. Nor do we want a social mobility grounded on the principles of ascribed status in which those who advance or those who are given every opportunity to advance are those privileged to be born in the upper class.

Tweet

Read more...

NOT BREAKING NEWS! NOT A MUST READ! - Just moral authority and other moralities

The number one priority of PM Najib is transforming Malaysia. What does he require? He requires first of all, a team of leaders. By leaders we mean people/characters that make up his cabinet. What kind does he need in order to keep up with his transformation agenda?

He needs an effective and determined leadership team with a shared vision. They(team members) must share his vision of a transformed society- little or nil corruption, little or no poverty. All those things his says about NKRA and KPI's. Then he needs to have an effective administration. Then he also needs a population with social discipline.

He thus needs an effective and determined leadership team, a first class civil service and a responsive and disciplined populace. By disciplined we mean those who subject themselves to the rule of law and not to the rule of man over man. We shall talk about this later.

First, the question of leadership. A leader, it is said must have the moral authority. That means his person can never be soiled or impeached. He must have an unimpeachable character. Where do we find such saintly characters?

We must begin at the top. Let me begin by asking, what correlation is there between Zaid Ibrahim's partiality to alcoholic beverages with his ability to lead and manage? That is, we assume Zaid still has this habit although as we know he is already an Haji and Muslims usually have good thoughts about one who has attained the status of Haji.

The answer- there is none. Let me quote some examples. Bill Clinton was a much maligned character in his personal capacity- his dalliances with Lewinsky and one Paula Corbin Jones would have destroyed his ability to govern. They would have undermined his moral authority to govern. He was in fact impeached over some of these indiscretions. But that didn't impair his execution of US foreign and domestic policies.

Benjamin Netanyahu who was condemned for appointing an under qualified chief judge or something was accused of corruption. But that didn't stop him from effectively containing the Arab threat. (Not that I agree).

Three, the pervasive stench of corruption and cronyism associated with the Suharto regime for example, didn't seem to affect adversely, Suharto's moral authority to govern. Indeed Tun Dr Mahathir lamented the humiliation visited upon his friend Pak Harto by successive Indonesian governments. This means, at least to me, people are willing to dismiss personal failings when assessing the ability of a person to manage and govern. Or really, the question of morality is singularly expedient.

This brings me to my point. Unless we are blind and deaf, PM Najib assumes the post as the PM with the most controversies surrounding him. The allegations surrounding the murder of Altantuya, his ill-deserved reputation as a playboy PM, the many financial scandals that occurred at the Ministry of defense most of which occurred during his watch could be used as reasons disputing his moral authority to govern and administer.

But as the above examples show, these negative blights do not impair one's ability to manage and govern. A further point I wish to make, if we are now ready to admit this concession on our PM, all those things said about Zaid at the HUlu Selangor elections were really non issues. Whether he drank or not, that don't impair his abilities.

Now, the cornerstone of an effective government is the moral authority of the PM. We have shown that those allegations and maybe even fanciful aspersions are not prejudicial to his abilities to govern well. Be that as it may, he must take all steps to allay suspicions and hushed whispers and murmurs.

As the moral authority that underpins an effective government, PM Najib must not trivialize those scandalous allegations by adopting a carbon copy of the infamous elegant silence. He mustn't dismiss these as trivialities. He must once and for all extinguish all the frivolities by authorizing a definitive legal closure. For example, you just can't ignore all those talks concerning one Deepak the carpet seller's transactions with private eye Bala as the product of an elaborate joke.

As Jack Lord in Hawaii Five -0 famously said: Book them!

Tweet

Read more...

A question of character

Allow me to approach the subject of the cabinet composition from a different angle. In the previous article, mention of KJ's name has raised xenophobic responses. Yes he got a 3^rd of the support from Pemuda delegates. But that was simply because there were 3 contestants. Each did not command any clear majority support. Hence, among them, the better one with a bigger number won. Can I respond by saying, the other two couldn't even muster a 1/3 support?

I have chosen to ignore many of those bigoted and highly slanted opinions which do not go beyond labeling me as KJ's lackey in one or two sentences. Well, we all know the quality of the grey matter that is capable of only one or two liners. The worst is of course the ones who couldn't get pass his/her expletives exclamations. Opinions stated in one or two sentence are not worth the paper on which they are  printed. The rope is more expensive than the cow. In any case, it's fun to throw these adolescents into uncontrollable tantrums.

But seriously- I think there is a place for both Mukhriz and KJ in PM Najib's team. KJ can collect water, MUkhriz can go find firewood. You need all kinds. Anyway, UMNO people salivate at the idea that after this, another son a former PM takes over and after that, another takes over. That's UMNO for you.

What are we? We are second generation voters and leaders. The issues confronting us are different. Poverty- urban now more pronounced, corruption which is a scourge, inefficient and ineffective government and administration which aggravates the cost of running the country, ignorance and intolerance, ineptitude- these are the 2^nd generation issues. How do you tackle them? By placing second generation thinking leaders in responsible positions.

Hence the future of this country depends on the quality of people PM Najib selects to be on his team to drive Malaysia.

What is it that confronts the PM now? My answer is that he needs to create an environment and a system in which succeeding generations can build and improve upon we already have. High up in the list of things to do, is to install a strong leadership, with a shared vision, drive and commitment.

Each generation gets rid of the past and together with that past, people who ruled and ordered our society. It comes back to a basic question- what does the PM want? Does he want to create a self perpetuating or self continuing system? Self perpetuating to me means, you have people who lap up to every word you say, submissively, uncritically accept every word you say, for the purposes of ensuring self survival. Now, what kind of character do such people have? They are just sycophants. Self perpetuating also means you don't get rid of the past. Indeed you try to placate the past as much as possible.

Two things make up leadership. The mental capabilities and this thing called character. Recently the PM appointed some new senators. One of them used to be a very intimate aide to Anwar Ibrahim. That would make anyone think that he knows many secrets about Anwar as Anwar does about him too. That's true. You can't claim only you know the other's secrets- the other guy also knows you inside out. In the end- you end up throwing your dirty laundry in the streets. I think UMNO should cease to be a political Alam Flora.

After going through some difficult period, defending Anwar and standing by that leader, he finally quit the party and abandoned the struggles of the political party/movements whose ideals he once swore upon. What kind of character does he have? To me he has a fluid and ephemeral character, when taken as a whole, should be a cause of concern for the prime minister. If he can do that to a longtime comrade, what's stopping him from doing the same next time around?

A compromisable character is a political liability. A person like Ruslan Kassim earns my respects more than this carbon copy of Anwar. He broke ranks with Anwar but has the class not to take the road to gutter politics.Den pecayo kek ekau Lan.

Tweet

Read more...