What Does Malaysia Deserve?

Can we stay the course? Will we get what we deserve? Will they get what they deserve? Who are we? Who are they? We are All Malaysians!

Please read this article in The Malaysian Insider by Liew Chin Tong, the MP for Bukit Bendera. It makes perfect sense.

Malaysia deserves better

SEPT 3 — Exactly eleven years after Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s sacking as deputy prime minister sparked the reformasi movement; Malaysia is still in a limbo. But there is an increasingly strong sense that, against all odds, change for the better, is still possible.
The political tsunami on March 8, 2008, while unexpected, was the culmination of a series of substantial changes. It cannot be understood as something that happened overnight. More importantly, since its causes are profound, its effects cannot but prove lasting.
We must not forget that Malaysian politics, despite being severely muffled for many decades, has always been marked by the efforts of individuals and organisations working boldly and tirelessly to improve the standard of governance in the country, create greater space for cultural freedom, and better the economic lot of its diverse population.

This became indisputable already in 1998 when the sacking of Anwar acted as a lightning rod for the expression of general discontent. Since then, a new sense of purpose has pervaded the political consciousness of Malaysians of all ages.

Indeed, the nation is now on the move, and undergoing relentless change. However, the minds of those in power continue to be wrapped in the time warp of the 1970s, if not earlier.

The refusal of Umno, MCA, MIC and other parties in the ruling coalition to reinvent themselves is most obvious when we contrast their raison d’être with the socio-economic dynamics in the country. For one thing, patronage politics and racial politics need a rural setting in which to thrive.

A setting that is increasingly urban, where the young are exposed to the endless news available on the Internet, where the worries of Malaysians centre on finding meaningful jobs, getting a world-class education for their children, having reliable public transport, feeling safe on the streets, and having trustworthy civil servants. In the cities, patronage politics shrinks into cronyism.

Just one fact will show how precarious the future is for the Barisan Nasional (BN), and how its old way of doing politics cannot continue. Demographically, three-quarters of our population were born after 13 May 1969. This means that the country has an unusually youthful population with an average age of around 22 years.

Now, although two-thirds of our people live in an urban environment, two-thirds of the parliamentary seats stem from rural constituencies. No wonder BN needs to retain this crooked, gerrymandered situation for as long as it can.

To align Malaysia’s politics to its new realities, changes throughout the political apparatus — from voting conditions to our attitude towards the rule of law and to patronage and corruption — have to occur quickly. Otherwise the changes, when they do come, may be more explosive than any Malaysian today would anticipate.

Ironically, some of these fundamental changes were aided unwittingly by the policies of BN. For instance, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad’s 70 million population policy helped to hasten the pace of the regeneration of the population.

The urbanisation of Malays and the improvements in education since the introduction of the New Economic Policy have given rise to a generation of confident Malay middle-class urbanites who no longer share Umno’s racial siege mentality.

At the same time, the uneven development that favours privatised profiteers and rent-seekers has produced a multiethnic underclass in our midst. Three-fifths of Malaysian families live with a monthly combined family income of RM3,000 or less, an income level that puts them in constant subsistence mode, especially for those who are quartered in urban centres.

Throughout the campaign period during the 2008 elections, I observed how many who listened to opposition campaigners would smile in agreement whenever we said “BN itu Barang Naik” — BN simply means Inflation.

Our problems are much more serious than contesting elections and winning political contests. They are becoming permanent, and we are caught holding the short end of the stick as the international economy evolves in ways that, without attending to, threaten to make us a failed state.

Many young urban Malay families are finding it hard to make ends meet. The income level of unskilled workers has stagnated over the last two decades, largely due to the massive influx of low-skill foreign workers. The dependence on foreign labour also slows the participation of women in the workforce, and consequently the community, while capping the potential of the nation’s industries to upgrade their technologies and expertise. Skilled and talented Malaysians move elsewhere for a better life.

The Hindraf movement that tilted the balance against the ruling coalition in the 2008 elections can trace its genesis to the massive social dislocation that resulted from callous policies and from government inability to alleviate the harsh impact of global changes at the local level. Up to 70 per cent of ethnic Indians were domiciled in estates in 1980.

Today, only 30 per cent continue to be. No effort has been made to incorporate these migrants-in-their-own-country into growing industries. On the contrary, government actions have aggravated the situation. The construction of Putrajaya alone displaced 3,000 families originally residing in the plantations there.

Behind these socio-economic conditions is a political system in dire need of change. In concentrating political power in the hands of the prime minister and the BN, the ruling coalition compromised and destroyed the basic institutions of state: the judiciary, the police, and even the parliament itself.

From a nation with great potential, Malaysia has emerged into a country of lost chances.

Often history is presented in a simplistic linear and deterministic fashion, especially during the height of the Vision 2020 discourse in the early 1990s. While shared confidence that Malaysia’s future could only improve from day to day was uplifting, we forget that the fortunes of a city, a nation, or a civilisation for that matter, is full of twists and turns, shaped by its institutions, policies, leaders and people.

Just three decades ago, Taiwan, Singapore and South Korea were Malaysia’s economic equals. Prior to that, they were poorer than us. Malaysia’s path now increasingly resembles that of the Philippines, which together with Burma were the strongest economies in Asia after Japan in the early 1960s. The military dictatorship of Indonesia has now become a respectable democracy and a stable economy, one decade after Reformasi.

The bitter fact is that Malaysia needs to play catch up in all the areas in which it used to be ahead. But all is not lost. A renaissance is not impossible.

I joined the long march towards real democracy for Malaysia more than a decade ago when defeat after defeat — electoral or otherwise — rendered the reform movement ineffectual and despondent.

Today (and this is a clear sign that we are all potentially agents of change, and that serious change has come), most of us can look at our recent history and shake our heads in disbelief, wondering how we could have allowed the political system to deteriorate to such an extent.

This does not make the pain of those who suffered humiliation during police arrests and detention any less. But with the blinkers of fear and archaic, hopeless attitudes removed, we can now see that it was all for a noble purpose that has proven to be a realistic and realisable one at that.

Having said that, we must make sure that we never give into discouragement and shrug our shoulders in acceptance of the status quo. The country cannot afford it. We cannot afford it.

The tragi-comedy is not over. The final act has yet to be played out, and the ending is not a given. We know at least that BN will never regain its past prominence, but that does not mean that it will humbly allow the process of change to play itself out. There is the real fear that it would rather destroy the forces of change than lose power.

The essential differences between us — those who desire reform — and them – those who favour this rusty, crooked system and thus decline — are that we crave new ideas and knowledge; we go beyond the usual racial caricatures and embrace not only all Malaysians but also the world; and we believe that change is possible. They don’t.

Malaysia deserves better. We deserve a more open, tolerant and transparent political system. We deserve an economic philosophy that premises on creating a rising tide that will raise all boats, and not just one that is parasitical, greedy, wasteful, and that does its worst in the name of a favoured group.

This article is adapted from the introduction to the author’s new book Speaking for the Reformasi Generation, Kuala Lumpur, REFSA, 2009. Retail price: RM35

627; Messages Or Signs?

Jeannie at it again? When I clicked "Publish Post" to upload the last post "A Countdown It Was" this was the screenshot. Click on it to enlarge.

A Countdown It Was

I was clearing up some stuff from boxes which we shifted in from Bukit Antarabangsa. From among some of Jeannie's papers I found this. It was the original copy of the letter she read out at our 17th wedding anniversary party at COBRA in February, 2003. The years we had left together could not be more than the years we had thus far but I did not expect the finality to come so soon. 

The Best Take On MooDeka

So much has and is being said about MooDeka but Jacqueline Ann Surin has written a must read article in The Nutgraph that says so much that needs to be said. Jacqueline's point, "... presupposes that Muslim sensitivities are all-important regardless of the way of life of other Malaysians." sums up what Malaysia has become. Please read:


What possessed the protesters?
4 Sep 09 : 8.00AM

By Jacqueline Ann Surin
jacquelinesurin@thenutgraph.com

WHAT possessed them? That's the question I'd like to ask the protesters who desecrated a cow head on 28 Aug 2009 after Friday prayers to object the building of a Hindu temple in Section 23, Shah Alam.

We know that it's not Islam that teaches intolerance of and disrespect toward other religious beliefs, nor is it Islam that preaches violence or force if Muslims don't get their way. We also know that it is really not Malaysian or Malay custom at all to be so obnoxious, threatening and crude. For all my life as a Malaysian, I have known Malay customs to be gentle, sophisticated and inclusive. This is most likely because the "Malay" race was actually historically constructed; its customs weaved from a convergence of different continents and cultures.

So, if neither Islam nor Malay custom drove the 50 protesters to publicly despoil a sacred Hindu creature and to threaten bloodshed because of a Hindu temple, what was it?

Possessed by superiority

My hunch is that these protesters were emboldened by a culture of Malay Muslim superiority that has been carefully cultivated and strategically stoked by the Umno-led government, Malay Muslim politicians from Umno, PAS and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR), and by the judiciary both civil and syariah.

We only need to consider the following events where non-Muslim, non-Malay Malaysian rights are deferred, even trampled on, by a system that upholds Malay-Muslim rights and sensitivities as ultimate and unquestionable.

• Despite several police reports that have been lodged by Catholics against Al Islam for an undercover report that desecrated the holy communion, no action has reportedly been taken against either the publisher or the editorial team.
• Despite the incendiary reports and headlines in Utusan Malaysia that promote ketuanan Melayu at the expense of the constitutional rights of other citizens, no action has been taken against the Malay-language daily by the Home Ministry. Consider how other media have received warnings and threats, and have even been suspended or shut down before for much vaguer offences.
• Additionally, let's not forget that in 2006, it was the Barisan Nasional (BN) government, under the leadership of then Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, who banned any discussion of Article 11 and the proposed Interfaith Commission. Abdullah also threatened to use the Sedition Act if Malaysians attempted to discuss their constitutional rights in the light of issues arising from a clash between civil and syariah laws because some Muslim groups charged that these initiatives were attempts to undermine Islam.
• According to Selangor PAS, beer must not be sold in Muslim-majority areas regardless of non-Muslims, who may want to consume alcohol and are not prohibited from doing so.
• Because this is the holy month of Ramadan, PAS Youth wants the Michael Learns to Rock concert banned. They have described it as a huge insult to Islam especially since Muslims, presumably, should not be having any fun during the fasting month. The Umno-led BN government, surprise, surprise, has also chided the concert organisers for being disrespectful towards Muslims and Ramadan. But since when was Ramadan meant to be a kill-joy for Muslims and non-Muslims? I don't recall Catholics in Malaysia insisting that non-Catholics should also fast and sacrifice during Lent. Or Hindus suggesting that everyone else should also be a vegetarian on a Hindu holy day. Mind you, this attempt to ban a band because of preferences, defined by some Muslims for all others, is no different from when the animated movie Babe, which starred a pig as the lead character, was banned several years ago.
• Consider also how "Allah" cannot be used by non-Muslims in their worship in Malaysia, out of deference for perceived Muslim insecurity and the notion that the word "Allah" only belongs to Muslims. Let's remember that it is the government of Malaysia that is upholding the ban on the use of "Allah" even though historically and culturally, the word cannot be copyrighted by Muslims, and was used even before Islam.
• Notice also how the proscription of pork in students' school lunch boxes and increasing regulation for pet dog ownership presupposes that Muslim sensitivities are all-important regardless of the way of life of other Malaysians.
• And it's not just food and pets, its dress codes, too. Remember how in 2005, several ministers defended the dress code imposed by the International Islamic University on non-Muslim female students? No matter that even among Muslim scholars, there is no consensus about the requirement for Muslim women to wear the tudung.
• In the conversion cases involving, among others, Shamala Sathiyaseelan, M Moorthy, R Subashini and more recently, M Indira Gandhi and Mohan Singh, one outcome keeps recurring: not even the civil courts will uphold the rights of non-Muslims.
  

Police inaction
I'll also wager that the Shah Alam protestors were bold enough to do what they did so publicly, showing no fear of being caught or penalised by the police, because they knew that they would not be arrested. After all, in the past, police have demonstrated an uncanny ability to restrain themselves from taking action whenever a Muslim mob attacked a Malaysian forum that tried to address the issues of political Islam and how they affect our nation.
We shouldn't be surprised at all that the Selangor police stood by and did nothing on 28 Aug while the protesters promised bloodshed and clearly threatened the peace. After all, the police also took minimal action against the mob that disrupted the peaceful Article 11 forum in Penang in 2006, and against another mob, led by PKR's Zulkifli Noordin, that disrupted the August 2008 Bar Council forum on conversion in Malaysia.
And what has the current administration led by Datuk Seri Najib Razak demonstrated to reinforce this culture of inaction in the face of threats and attacks against civil liberties and the legitimate rights of non-Malay and non-Muslim Malaysians? It excuses these threats of violence. Home Minister Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Hussein not only found time to meet the cow-head protesters at his office, he also found ways to justify their actions by making them out to be the ones who were "victimised".
We all know that if any group protested against the building of a mosque by using a severed and bloodied pig head, the group would not have stood a chance with the authorities. And they definitely would not have been so easily welcomed, and then defended, by the home minister in his office. And that's why, even when protests that are designed to insult Islam happens, the perpetrators of such hate antics do so without revealing themselves.
So, what possessed the residents of Section 23, Shah Alam to do what they did so boldly and publicly? I'll be happy to wager that it's because they believed they would get away with it. Even if they eventually don't because of public outrage, including among Muslims, and the embarrassing international headlines, these protesters probably started off by believing that their method of protest would not result in any repercussions on them. Indeed, Hishammuddin's defence of them may just be an indicator of how, even if they are taken to task for instigating violence, they will be let off lightly.
And so, do you blame the protesters for thinking they would get away with threats of violence? I don't. The evidence, after all, that they would likely escape action because they belong to a Malay Muslim majority, is just too overwhelming. Denying that a particular political culture has been put in place in order to favour such bigoted, violent and intolerant behaviour would be to deny that the 28 Aug demonstration ever occurred.
*******************************************
Jacqueline Ann Surin had to shout to be heard over a Merdeka dinner at a friend's home in Section 6, PJ because the terawih prayers from the nearby mosque was being blared for more than an hour before she left. She wonders if for some Muslims, piety is best demonstrated by being a nuisance to one's neighbours.

Social Media Revolution; Simply Staggering

Are YOU on board yet?

Shiok Sendiri

I just saw this in Rocky's Bru. LOOKS real serious man! Malay Mail, the tiny paper received this warning from KDN and it looks like the warning letter is being worn like a badge of honor by no less than the Malay Mail head honcho himself. KDN comes out smelling like a rose. MM comes out smelling like a rose. Rocky is looking good. Semua bagus.

Utusan got no blogger to upload any warning letter ar? Berita Harian?

More Voices Of Reason

Syed Akbar Ali made sense with this piece. It helped me correct some of my misconceptions about Muslim practices…please read

Places Of Worship
By Syed Akbar Ali

Many, many years ago circa 1997 when I wrote a column in The Sun newspaper, I wrote once about our temples, mosques and other places of worship getting too noisy. My article was reproduced by some nut from PAS in the Harakah or somewhere. He was asking people to get angry at me.

At that time we lived on a 17th floor condo in Pantai Hillpark. Nine years before in 1988 my wife and I (with our baby son) lived for a while in a rented flat in Subang Jaya.

In both places we lived close to mosques and suraus. In Subang Jaya there was a surau immediately behind our flat. Early each morning about 5 a.m. they would start blasting the chanting and recitations etc on their loudspeakers. Our baby son would start crying from his sleep.

(Most recently my good friend Jahamy keeps sending me smses at about 6:00 am in the morning. When I asked him why so early, he said there is a masjid nearby which wakes him up too!)

In Pantai Hillpark, the local mosque would have their ceramah – sometimes up to 9 pm and beyond. Even 17 floors up the condo and some distance away, we could hear their chatter.

I also worked at Maybank (Menara Maybank, Jalan Tun Perak). In the evenings after work, my colleagues and I would sometimes adjourn for tea at our foodcourt. Just nearby, as you come up the small road from Jalan Pudu, there is a Hindu temple at the corner. In the evenings this little Hindu temple would incessantly ring its very loud bell. It used to really rattle my ears. I would have to strain my ears to hear my friends talking.

In other countries you keep your noises inside your temples, churches and mosques. I think that is a very Islamic and civilized thing to do. In Germany church bells can only be heard inside their own walls and not beyond their compound. Neighbours have a right to complain about noise pollution from church bells. The same applies to the call for prayer or azan from mosques in Germany. All sounds must remain within the four walls of your place of worship.

I am sure if there are Hindu temples in Germany, their bells must also abide by the same rules. Its called curbing noise pollution.

Here I would like to point out that the loudness of the ceramah at the mosques or the loudness of the call to prayer has got absolutely nothing to do with their religious fervour.

Instead it has got everything to do with the inventive genius of “kafir” sound engineers in Sony of Japan or Samsung of Korea. As the “kafir” Japanese and Korean sound engineers become more inventive, so do the mosques around the world become louder. The religious fervour is not linked to the faith but to the power of the latest sound systems from Sony, Samsung and LG.

The relevant question to ask would be : what kind of religious fervour is that?

To be true to the faith, the call to prayer should be made using the human voice alone, unaided by 100MW or 250MW “Made In Japan” loudspeakers.

I really feel that all our places of worship inside Malaysia (of all religions) must be governed by zoning laws pertaining to noise pollution. Keep it down. Don’t make noise and disturb the neighbourhood.

My view is also that compared to our population now - there are far too many mosques and suraus, far too many temples and far too many churches in our country. There are thousands of Hindu temples, there are far too many suraus and mosques being built and there are also too many shophouses being converted into churches. The Calvary Church people are building a huge RM160.0 million worship centre close to my house in Bukit Jalil. Do we really need so many places of worship?

If you go to Kuala Kubu Bahru, they have built a huge mosque in the town. I think this mosque can accommodate all the inhabitants of Kuala Kubu Bahru town, including the non Muslims. It rarely has a full house in the congregation.

In Putrajaya the immensely beautiful Putrajaya Mosque also suffers emptiness most of the time. Only on Fridays and the Hari Raya there is a large congregation. On other days few people attend this mosque. Yet just about a kilometer away the latest testimony to religious hubris – a spanking new RM200 million stainless steel mosque also known as the “Masjid Besi” - with a capacity of 20,000 worshippers - has just been opened. This “masjid besi” is going to remain empty too.

But the saddest of all mosques is the huge and beautiful mosque that has been built just outside the KLIA. You cant miss it when you drive to the KLIA. The huge mosque stands alone with hardly anyone stopping over forprayers. It is totally out of the way.

I was in Kedah, driving through the gorgeous paddy fields beyond Alor Setar when suddenly out of the green paddy loomed this huge brand new yellow painted mosque with a huge dome. I am sure that mosque too could also have absorbed all the men, women and children in the surrounding village and still have space to spare.

There is a reason why mosques are getting so huge and so many. They are lucrative construction contracts – Government contracts. So if you are a local politician and you need to pass out some goodies in your precinct, a mosque contract would do the job just right. Plus the bigger the mosque the better it is – and who will dare oppose the building of a larger mosque because building mosques begats ‘pahala’ or blessings.

And unfortunately many mosques have now also become a rebut kuasa place for the political animals who wear turbans and gorilla facial hair. They use the mosques to sow hatred and divide the community further. Here are some interesting verses from the Quran.

Surah 9:107 “There are those who abuse the masjid by practicing idol worship, dividing the believers, and providing comfort to those who oppose GOD and His messenger. They solemnly swear: "Our intentions are honorable!" GOD bears witness that they are liars.”

Surah 9:108 “You shall never stand in such a masjid. A masjid that is established on the basis of righteousness from the first day is more worthy of your standing therein. In it, there are people who love to be purified. GOD loves those who purify themselves.”

The same goes for temples and churches. Temples and churches also generate ‘money’ at the donation box. They provide other “services” like solemnizing marriages, “blessing” babies, blessing a new car, blessing a new business premise etc etc. All this generates money. That is indeed a powerful aphrodisiac to lord it over the worshippers. Temples and churches are not exempt from feuds, squabbles and fighting over money.

Religion does divide people. This is a scientific fact. It is a necessary requirement for religion. If you join one religion, you must leave another. It is mutually exclusive. If you accept one type of holy spirit, then all the others must become unholy. You simply cannot have two holy spirits. They would start arguing with each other.

No apologies offered but these views of mine do not extend to the “deen” of Islam of my choosing –“deen” being a way of life. I am referring to the Islam that is kept safe and secure in the Quran. I am happy to note that even the non Muslims have begun to understand what is in the Quran and use the knowledge to good effect.

Recently a Guna something being an Editor of the Star wrote an article about the Karthika Dewi Shukarno affair. Guna wrote that the ‘scholars say that the Quran does not prescribe any punishment’ for consuming alchohol.

I am glad that Guna knows the content of the Quran pertaining to punishment and consuming alchohol. I also hope he will get to know much more about the Quran. This is useful information.

The Islam that I have come to know and appreciate is the same Islam that compels me to write these views today about mosques, churches and temples. The Islam that I have come to know is far removed from the hate and divisiveness that is ordinarily potrayed on tv and in the media (and also in Shah Alam on Friday).

I am a Muslim. I am NOT one of them (or maybe one of YOU).

“Religion” (as opposed to the “deen” or way of life of Islam) is indeed the opium of the masses. Religion has too often been thwarted to become one of the most divisive forces ever created by mankind. More wars have been fought over religion and more people have been killed over religion than anything else. Religion is likeradioactivity. You touch it you sure “kena”.

If we claim to be sensible people all of us must seriously consider if we really need any type of too intrusive (or pervasive) religion in our lives?

Ponder the following. Compare spending one hour in your place of worship with spending one hour in the library. Compare spending an hour in “devotions” with an hour taking a brisk walk. Compare spending an hour listening to a religious sermon with an hour listening to classical music or listening to a professional speaking about something useful.

Now please answer me this:
Which activity can lead you to carrying a severed cow’s head to insult someone? Which activity can lead you to say that your neighbour believes in unholy spirits?
Which activity can lead you to be inconsiderate of your neighbours right to peace and quiet?
Which activity can lead you to hate your fellow man based on caste or sect?
Which activity would cause you to like or dislike a person because of his dietary preferences (pork or non pork eating, beef or non beef eating, vegetarian or non vegetarian)?

Do answer honestly. I hope it will help you get a better idea of the common variety of “religion”.

As I said before, I am a hardcore, fundamental, extremist Muslim. So to end this, here are some quotes from my favorite book the Quran :

Surah 9:31 “They have set up their priests and religious scholars as lords, instead of GOD. Others deified the Messiah, son of Mary. They were all commanded to serve only one god. There is no god except He. Be He glorified, high above having any partners.”

Surah 9:34 “O you who believe, many religious leaders and preachers take the people's money illicitly, and repel from the path of GOD. Those who hoard the gold and silver, and do not spend them in the cause of GOD, promise them a painful retribution.”

How true. Sadaqallaah – God has spoken the truth.

p.s. If you wish to comment on this topic, please keep it civil – otherwise I will not let your comments through and the world would be deprived of your insight, your genius, your wisdom and your spin. And that would be a terrible waste because the more we share our ideas, the richer we become.

The Real 1Malaysia

See the 23 guys in the team photo? That photo was taken in 1978 (click on image to enlarge) and the team was about people (rakyat) and performance. Race? What's that?

Beliefs And Non-Beliefs. The Beef Is In The Beef

I profess no religion but I live in Malaysia where the first principle of its Rukunegara is, "KEPERCAYAAN KEPADA TUHAN (BELIEF IN GOD)".

Those guys who framed the Rukunegara are tricky and cheeky monkeys. They never show us whether it is meant to be god spelt with a "G" or a "g" and the 5 Principles of the Rukunegara are always shown in the uppercase (in capital letters lah).

To say it is spelt with a "G" could be deemed subtly suggestive in a country where Islam is the official religion and perhaps counter to the very Constitution (Article 11) that makes citizens relevant to the Rukunegara.

If it is meant to be a "g" and a meaning of "god" that includes definition in the context of "Einsteinian religion", then I have no issues dealing with mere difference in nomenclature.

Notwithstanding the above, I have never had issues respecting others for their own beliefs; the principle of "to each his own" is ingrained in my psyche since childhood and those of my generation (believers and non-believers) are more accepting and liberal compared to the government "engineered" generations of today.

Ironically, I now hear on radio and TV, advertisements for 1Malaysia that depict Malaysians pining for the good old days when Malaysians did not need festive occasions to visit their friends/neighbors of different ethnicity and could freely eat with each other regardless of individual taboos. The character in one advert pines for those long lost days and yet we see the mass-media created discord around us in Najib's 1Malaysia today.

I have childhood memories of having char siew laden wan ton mee with two friends, a malay having his nasi kandar with beef and an indian eating fried koay teow with cockles (and lard) without much fuss at the Casual Market in Taiping.

In those days, those occurences meant we respected each others strength of religious conviction rather than imply our friends' weakness of faith. There was no question of insult or impoliteness as many tend to feel today.

But now, I even have had my kids' friends being forbidden by parents to visit or worse still, eat at our home basically because of pork (curiously though, we never had an issue with beef). We were living in Taman Melawati and then Bukit Antarabangsa (yeah, it's a misnomer) and Ulu Kelang is a predominantly Malay area.

Yet, I have a Malay Muslim godson who routinely eats at our place and loves things (toys, mementos and such) porcine (we sometimes call him babi as an endearment) yet he does not consume pork ...and also alcohol; are his parents wrong to bring him up this way?

Since early this year we moved to a guarded housing estate in Puchong (yup, in Selangor). The residents here are 90% Chinese (I have the complete list of owners) and because I wanted to be personally involved in solving certain residual issues with the developer I did not turn down a request to be chairman of the residents association (RA).

One of the issues that I thought was already settled a couple of years before we moved here is a Hindu temple relocation matter. The temple was located at what is now the playground area and objecting house owners were only patient because the developer had promised that the temple would be re-located. The temple was indeed re-located after much public hullabaloo and compensation paid to the temple management committee to re-build at the new site. There was the usual bulldozer and tears scene that was rather unsettling to the neighborhood. The temple is now located a few hundred meters away on a hillock which to me seems more ideal.

Two weeks ago, I received a request from the temple committee for permission to have devotees conduct a "Milk Pot" ceremony at the former site of the temple. They said the deity had been residing at the location for the past 180 years and had refused to move. It was said to have demanded that the Milk Pot Ceremony begin at the old site (which is marked by a tree) and certain rituals conducted before they proceed to the new temple in a procession.

The committee requested access from 8.00 am to 3.00 pm on Sunday, 23rd August (refer to letter attached) and the representative whom I met said the actual ceremony would last at most an hour; the rest of the time was for them to return and clean up the place.

I am no Hindu but if they believe in earnest what they say they believe, I am willing to take it at face value and if I could assist in anyway without too much bother to others I would. It would be the same for me even if they were Jews, Jains or Jesuits or of any religion for that matter. To me it was a request for 1/24th of 1/365 to do something they really believed in.

I enquired around with some residents including some committee members and was surprised (and maybe disappointed) to hear some dissenting voices. While they were all well-meaning, most cautioned caution and fed back that: residents' emotions were still high, nerves were still sensitive, the temple committee cannot be trusted to keep promises, we must avoid setting precedence, we should think long and hard, etc., etc. To me it was a simple and quick "yes" or "no" matter and the case for a "no" appeared lame.

I could not help but wonder whether the type of feedback was due to typical Chinese hubris yet I could understand how Malaysian society has been "bludgeoned" with religiosity over more than 40 years into being apprehensive about all things religiose apart from their own.

I could not help but wonder why none of the residents ever objected openly to the blaring early morning call to prayer from the loudspeaker of the surau located at our housing estate. Is it because of fear of reprisals, or is it the mitigating effect of conditioned reflex?

Our house in Taiping used to be beside the railway track and by virtue of conditioned reflex, we just did not hear the booming noise from passing trains! The human mind is a wonderful thing yet the same cannot always be said about the human mindset; people tend to object merely because they can or are in a position to object, rather than consider the merits of requests or action of others. Maybe I am being too cynical.

I could not help being reminded of the fact that my predecessor in the RA had successfully approached officials of the "supervising" mosque less than 200 meters away (as a crow flies) about the loud speaker. The kindly officials agreed to alleviate the loud daily morning "wake-up calls" by having the surau loud speaker point away from our Taman towards the neighbouring apartments where there are more Muslims. Though it is still loud depending where one's house is located but now, its not as irksome.

I could not help remembering a "turun padang" session by the MPSJ YDP, Dato' Adnan Hj. Md. Ikshan a few months ago when a resident from the predominantly Muslim neighborhood of Puchong Perdana complained so passionately about the request for another surau that went unentertained for years. The YDP's answer was simple; the Sultan discourages too many suraus because fewer people are showing up at mosques and it costs money to maintain suraus that have mushroomed just because of certain development by-laws.

I cannot help thinking of what happened in Shah Alam last Friday where again a Hindu temple re-location issue flared into totally unacceptable reactions from people purportedly from Section 23, Shah Alam.

Images of the grisly cow head must have flashed through newswires worldwide. Yet, what is the beef?

The complaint or grievance in this case is the act of complaining itself; the way it was done.

So much has already been said these 3 days before the nation celebrates its 52nd birthday. Were there reasonable grounds for complaint in the first place? Well, The Malaysian Insider quoted a protest leader, Mohammad Zurit Bin Ramli, as saying a temple would disturb Muslim practices. "The temple will disrupt our daily activities like prayers. We cannot concentrate with the sounds coming from the temple," he said. Sauce for the gander anyone?



Is this the independence we fought for where we cannot even be allowed to agree to disagree without our politicians reminding us, through agitation and mass media of our differences? Is this the 1Malaysia that Najib deems ideal and we are told the rakyat is priority and performance is paramount? Well, Happy 52nd Merdeka Anniversary...for whatever it is worth.

P/S:

What of the "Milk Pot" ceremony of last Sunday? The temple committee agreed to delay the ceremony to 10.00 am and not to consider this consent as setting a precedence. I took the responsibility of allowing some noise in the neighborhood for one quiet Sunday morning in the year and was in attendance together with my RA predecessor throughout the one hour ceremony to handle any untoward incidences. Fortunately, apart from a couple of phonecalls from concerned residents there was nothing. The devotees did make quite a racket that morning with all sorts of drums, wind instruments and a loud hailer but what the heck!

Cow Head. What's The Beef?

What is the beef? Muaz Omar cooks a good beef rendang for Merdeka and Hari Raya in the Malaysian Insider:

Umno reaps what it sowed
28th August 2009

Just days before the nation celebrates its 52nd Independence Day, the action by some mongrels who stamped and spat on a severed head of a cow in front of the Selangor State Secretariat building to protest against the planned relocation of a Hindu temple to their residential area has posed serious questions about the state of race relations in the country.

The planned relocation of the temple from Shah Alam’s Section 19 to Section 23 has drawn loud protest from a section of the local residents.

According to the protestors, the area is populated by 90% Muslims and the presence of the temple will affect their lives as Muslims.

The surprising thing is that the police stood by in full view of these acts. Their newly found restraint, unlike their heavy-handed clampdown on Hindraf, Bersih and recent anti-ISA demonstrations, is most unusual.

In keeping with his call for 1 Malaysia, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak called on the police to take swift action on the “outrageous action” by the protestors to put a lid on the provocative acts and stop communal tensions from blowing up.

As long as the so-called “sensitive subjects” of race and religion remain taboo, it will be easier for powers-that-be to retain hegemony, divide and rule the community to their liking.

These extremists, whether they parade themselves under the banner of some supposedly noble NGOs like Pembela, Perkasa, Hindraf, Dong Jiao Zhong or the like, live on the philosophy of radicalism, bordering on racism.

While these fringe groups are getting louder and louder, they actually have minute numbers in representation. Their mindless actions calling for parochialism and supremacy of one race is based on short-term and narrow minded political agenda.

This scenario is exactly what right-wing nationalist organisations like Umno have been hoping for and harping on.

The embarrassing performance by Umno and Barisan Nasional in the 2008 general election is being said to result in the dilution of Malay power.

When Umno and BN won almost 90 per cent of the parliamentary seats in the 2004 general election, they became big-headed and disregarded the minority voices, especially those from outside the Malay community.

Umno leaders marginalised them to the extent of discriminating against the impoverished and poor, especially those among the Indian community.

They also acted with disrespect to the Chinese community and accused them of taking advantage of the divided Malay community.

At the same time, Umno leaders became too engrossed with power and abused the New Economic Policy to enrich themselves as well as their cronies, which have turned off the Malays themselves.

Fast forward a couple of years from the humiliating 2008 general election and the Umno extremists have now crawled back into their shells and accentuate their hardline stance with a more extreme brand and rhetoric of Malay supremacy.

They are increasingly disassociating themselves from a significant 40 per cent of the nation’s population (non-Malays and non-Muslims) and, at the same time, splitting the Malays right down the middle.

The paradox between Najib’s 1 Malaysia and Umno’s raison d’etre is becoming even more evident and prominent by the day.

Led by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Umno is shifting even further to the right to the extent of dismissing his fellow cabinet members in defending some extreme pro-Malay stances adopted by Umno leaders and their mouthpieces.

Utusan Malaysia has been at the forefront of disseminating extreme pro-Malay and pro-Umno propaganda which is meant to sway the minds of the general Malays.

Articles, opinion pieces and news reports have been skewed to incite hatred towards Pakatan’s Malay leaders with Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Pas’s Spiritual Leader Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat being the prime targets, accused of selling out the Malays.

While Anwar and Nik Aziz are being denigrated using the worst kind of terminologies available, the Malays are being fed with the illusion that the downfall of Umno will result in the downfall of the Malays.

The outcome of these charades and “wayang kulit” spiced up with venomous and spiteful antics as well as idiotic actions by Umno bigots are hallmark of desperation as well as fear of losing the accustomed power to rule the nation.

For them, power is everything even if it means destruction of the very fragile fabric of the society.


Muaz Omar is a consultant with a regional stakeholders management firm based in Kuala Lumpur.

The Peeling Of The PKFZ Onion

My departed blogger friend Capt Yusof was the first to blow the whistle on the rape that is now called PKFZ; he was the first to blog about it anyway. It was a matter right up his creek and I remember reading his post, "Mayday for Port Klang" as early as in July 2007. It is now August 2009. Two bloody years and we are still waiting for real answers. The investigations were started in earnest only after much public hue and cry and now, almost two years of pedantic and seemingly ponderous inspection later are we only witnessing the fruits of Capt Yusof's initial labor. Never you mind, my dear friend...the rats are still on the ship! They are now being identified and will sink with the ship!

A buddy of mine in logistics business told me the PKFZ started out as a good idea and a transit/bulk breaking hub. Now apparently it is being used by "pirates" and parallel importers bringing in goods and seemingly it is easier to clear customs at the PKFZ. If what he says is true then the cost to the tax payer through lost excise revenue makes losses even higher than RM12.5 billion.

Even after the PwC Report was ready, man-in-the storm Ong Tee Keat (OTK) seemed reluctant to release it. The whole thing played out like a striptease with the government (MOT) tantalizing the public with peek-a-boos. Will the rakyat get to see the show to its end or will there be a "raid" and "lights on" to allow the performers to hide in plain sight? The law suits have started by the way.

When the PwC report was finally released on 28th May 2009, it merely meant the pressure was no longer on the report release per se. The initial findings gave rise to more questions; "What is the true cost for the project?", "Where are the other issues?", "What is being done?", "What does the future hold for PKFZ?", "Who are the real culprits?"...

Are all the above intentionally done to buy time? Is it stupid to ask buy time for whom? OTK now appears to be in a running battle with Teong King Sing (TKS), the boss of Kota Dimensi Sdn Bhd (KDSB), which is the developer of PKFZ. Yet, as recent as April this year he was using their private jets like his own. His usage: Feb 19 : from Johor Baru to Subang; March 7 : Subang to Kuantan and back; March 24: Subang to Johor Baru and back; and April 20 : Subang to Johor Baru and back. During the period, PwC was investigating PKFZ. Certainly OTK cannot be so naive to think that he will not be compromised when he used those jets. Maybe he could be but probably not! Could he be so comfortable demanding the service because he is probably as deep in the muck as his two predecessors?

The Sun leaked some pertinent details of the PwC findings as early as May 5th, about three weeks before the actual release on the 28th May. 11 days before May 5th, OTK was still trying to use the KDSB jets and was apparently turned down; a lovers' "quarrel" perhaps? Why was OTK so confident to the point of cockiness that he had no qualms jetsetting around in KDSB planes? Did he have an insurance policy?

OTK's main defense against TKS's RM10,000,000 allegation is that if they were indeed in cahoots, why would the former still launch the investigation in the first place and release the report thereafter? Why? Because OTK was faced with Hobson's Choice that's why! Is it an elaborate wayang kulit we are witnessing here?

The RM10,000,000 cash in 3 installments? RM3.33 million in say RM100 bills would still need a very big bag indeed. In Euro or USD equivalent perhaps? Better still, RM3,330,000 is about SGD1,361,000 at prevailing exchange rates; just 136 pieces of SGD10,000 notes. Fits nicely into a suit pocket.

Not reflected in MCA accounts? You joking? Why would it?

If this allegation is a mere red herring, TKS and OTK might as well have said RM100,000,000 in cash and hope fiction be stranger than truth.

RM500 million lawsuit? Well, it makes for a good show doesn't it? Don't think it will ever see its day in court! Might as well make it RM13 billion since OTK says it will be donated...hopefully back to the rakyat. Anyway, what better way to wrap everything up in a big bundle and throw to the judiciary then cry sub judice while the case meanders laborously through the court process.

This TKS and OTK spat seems to be only the first layer of the PKFZ onion that is being shown to the public. Could it be that OTK's insurance policy is the fact that UMNO warlords (especially Selangor ones) are also involved? Please read BN hands are caught in the PKFZ cookie jar. Are these two Kapitan Cinas protecting their UMNO political masters in hope of ultimately getting immunity through adept UMNO sleight of hand innoculation? UMNO after all needs also to protect its own.

The more layers there are to this PKFZ onion, the more tears the rakyat will have to shed as the layers are peeled off...if they are. Is the persecution of PR Selangor State assemblymen by the MACC part of the whole scheme of things? Isn't the PKFZ located in Selangor? It looks like Big Bro UMNO cannot afford to be seen out in the open so what we get to see is a Chinaman show involving a MCA minister in a MCA Ministry and some Sarawakian Chinaman. How I wish Capt Yusof is still alive.

Today, PKA Chairman, Dato' Lee Hwa Beng lodged a report with the MACC against 5 parties who are essentially Chinese for possible conspiracy over the PKFZ scandal. MACC report lodged? You kidding? That same MACC? Well, it looks like we are still at the first layer of the onion.

It is now Najib's baby but will the PKFZ become his Waterloo and BN's Watergate? One thing is almost for sure; there will not be anybody hauled in before the next General Elections. My hope is that the perpetrators are finally caught, prosecuted and hung high...by the next government.

Perhaps this "New Whistle Blower on the Blog" of apparent vigilantes can blow the lid off the PKFZ scandal sooner rather than later and not go the way the MACC whislers seem to be going...no where!

This article in the NST today takes the cake.

PKFZ contractor ready to go to court on over-billing issue
2009/08/26

KUALA LUMPUR: Kuala Dimensi Sdn Bhd, the turnkey contractor of the scandal-hit Port Klang Free Zone (PKFZ) project, told the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) today it was ready to go to court or for arbitration on the alleged over-billing of the multi-billion ringgit project.

PAC chairman Datuk Seri Azmi Khalid said Kuala Dimensi, which was represented by deputy chief executive officer Datuk Faizal Abdullah, had denied any over-billing.

"Kuala Dimensi said they are still waiting for the claim from the Port Klang Authority (PKA) and after that, they are willing to go to court or for arbitration," Azmi told reporters.

Today was the first time Kuala Dimensi was appearing before the parliamentary committee and Faizal was questioned for two and a half hours at the Parliament building where the hearing was held.

The company's chief executive officer, Datuk Seri Tiong King Sing, was present in the morning but left before the hearing began.

PKFZ, an integrated 400ha free commercial and industrial zone adjacent to Port Klang, is embroiled in controversy after it was revealed that the cost of its development had shot up from RM2.5 billion to RM4.6 billion.

PKA, which owns PKFZ, had lodged a police report over billing discrepancies of RM500 million to RM1 billion following a task force finding.

Azmi said Kuala Dimensi also suggested that the government redeem the bonds issued by the company earlier to save on the interest cost.

"I think what Kuala Dimensi meant is that PKA should be looking into ways to try to resolve this, among which is the early redemption so you can save on the interest cost".

Azmi said the real cost the government had to bear in this issue was actually the interest cost and to delay payment would result in the cost going up.

Kuala Dimensi also explained that the amount of RM4.6 billion was in fact the payment or cost borne by the government in their contract and the company only got RM1.6 billion to RM1.7 billion as the rest was for the interest cost.

Azmi said there were weaknesses in the project, especially in its marketing, and this had burdened the cost and led to many other issues.

"We found the weaknesses to be more inclined towards project management... contract management itself...," he said, adding that if project was marketed and 90 per cent of the area was taken up, the issue would not have come up.

"But because of the marketing, it became a big issue and placed a burden on cost, and various issues came up, as we know today," he said.

Azmi said there were matters that Faizal would not answer because it might be prejudicial to the legal action taken by the company on the PKFZ fiasco.

Apart from the PAC probe, the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) is also investigating the PKFZ issue. - BERNAMA

The PAC blames it on poor marketing and project management. The PAC chairman seems preparing the ground to sweep everything under the "bad management" carpet. He says, "We found the weaknesses to be more inclined towards project management... contract management itself...", "...if project was marketed and 90 per cent of the area was taken up, the issue would not have come up"."But because of the marketing, it became a big issue and placed a burden on cost, and various issues came up, as we know today," He conveniently forgot that the ridiculously hiked up land acquisition was a major cost and is telling us that if successful marketing had brought in more revenue, all this would be hidden under a sea of black ink...like Petronas? He also said the project managers should have controlled construction cost...has he forgotten the KT Stadium?

Is it the case of after the clean-out, the clean-up has begun.

Poor Prince In Plastic

Prince Cheah is unwell and has a bacterial infection on his tail. To prevent him from getting at it and to allow it to heal, the vet put a plastic cone on him. So now he has to sleep in Krystyn's room...with his whole family; Chili and the two newly born pups. Poor Krystyn.

Another One Bites The Dust! 200 Meters World Record

Usain Bolt again! 19.19 seconds for the 200 meters.

"Chocolate"

It happens anywhere and with anyone. If only...

An Unfamiliar Familiar UMNO Voice

I have often cut and pasted Dato' Mohd Ariff Sabri's (Sakmongkol AK47) blogposts here and regard him as a sound voice in the UMNO wilderness. However, to me his post entitled, "BN for Permatang Pasir" just did not sound like him. I was wondering why and bombarded his comments space with my own "cakap kosong" as follows:

*************************************************

Dear Dato’ Sak,

I do follow your blog and find you an intelligent person with the ability to present your views clearly and effectively most times. After reading this post I asked myself why I detect a feeling that you yourself may not be too convinced by what you wrote and perhaps did so as an obligatory gesture. It appeared to me you are playing to a particular gallery (UMNO loyalists perhaps) when your heart of hearts tells you a BN defeat in Permatang Pasir is a foregone conclusion. I may be wrong as I based my impression on gut feel and my opinion that your argument is uncharacteristically fallacious.

I am no Anwarista or a card carrying member of any party and your “open letter” to the voters of Permatang Pasir does give too much credit to Anwar and too little recognition to prevailing popular opinion. While you appear to be “addressing” Malay voters by stating the obvious that it is between UMNO and PAS, you are subtly trying to convince the non-Malays to vote for development aren’t you? Please permit me to present my two sen by paraphrasing you (your own words in italics red):

I have criticised some of the things that UMNO has done. I have not spared its top leadership from criticisms either. That doesn't mean that I support what PKR and PR do. (Your point is taken). I will now tell you why the people of Permatang Pasir must now vote for UMNO and BN. Especially the 15,000 Malays and 5000 non Malays. (Why “especially” Malays and Non-Malays when you could easily have said say, 8,000 female and 7,000 male voters, if you did not intend to address the non-Malays in the first place. The 15,000 and 5,000 proportion coincidentally reflects the nation’s overall demographics. Obviously the non-Malay votes will hold sway if Malay voters are split down the middle assuming UMNO can dangerously drive home its oxymoronic yet ominous “Ketuanan Melayu” and “Melayu under siege” twin messages.

This election is between UMNO and PAS (Obviously). PAS is but a pawn in the bigger scheme of things which is the salvation of Anwar Ibrahim (That is being presumptuous but I suppose you can be right; it is only about Anwar only because Permatang Pasir happens to be in his parliamentary constituency and the previous ADUN happened to die in office) and legitimacy of DAP in Penang (how can legitimacy be an issue when DAP’s 19 seats alone is already more than BN’s 9; PKR’s 9 and PAS’ 1 aside). PAS and DAP will be trying hard to convince the people that UMNO is here in Permatang Pasir as part of the bigger plan to persecute Anwar and PKR. (the persecution by prosecution and demonization (traitor?) of Anwar is ongoing and an accepted fact that needs no convincing. Persecute PKR? It is DAP that needs not convince anyone that it’s its reps and supporters who appear being persecuted) Indeed, the issues that will be raised by the soon to be formalised coalition of opposition will be centred on this: - that the PR opposes the persecution of the people by UMNO. It therefore claims it speaks for the people. (Again presumptuous; the formalization could well be to reduce dependence or emphasis on any one individual or personality whether it be Tok Guru, Anwar or Kit Siang. Or it could be to formalize a common agenda but certainly it is not “centred” on the issues you postulated).

Accordingly PR will exploit the issues which the current administration is tackling- issues concerning judiciary, issues related to law enforcement, economic injustice, racial harmony and so forth. (Now you are talking. These issues need no convincing and as mentioned earlier you gave too little recognition to prevailing popular opinion. The people can see for themselves that your mentioned issues are getting worse under the current administration while the administrator continues to pontificate about his 1Malaysia – the “cakap tak serupa bikin” reality makes a mockery of the people).

Nothing is further from the truth. (Is it really?) The real issue however is your interest- the people of Permatang Pasir. (This is the main thrust of UMNO election strategy; to continue telling Malays it is the sole custodian of Malay welfare while assuaging the non-Malays with bread and circuses or blatant bully talk. What will it be this time? Another bridge perhaps or cold hard duit raya?) Pakatan Rakyat raises their issues as a diversionary strategy to conceal the startling FACT that it is utterly incapable of looking after the people's interests. (Instead of pulling up its own socks, the BN reveals its own impotency and plain lack of capability by trying to show out the ineffectiveness and weaknesses of PR; this by-election result risks showing that the BN strategy has backfired and that the people can accept the fact that without Federal cooperation, State governments are hampered. Then it would be when BN should be afraid, be very afraid because matters that can be issues are running out. Currently, the race horse is being flogged; pun intended)

Don't allow your future be held ransom by Anwar Ibrahim.

The member of parliament of Permatang Pauh of which Permatang Pasir is part of, is Anwar Ibrahim. Anwar Ibrahim is facing a host of problems. He may wail here, there and everywhere accusing the whole world of turning its back on him, in the end he will have to answer the charges in court. Those charges are proffered against him in his personal capacity. What he has done and does so cunningly is to make it appear that his personal problems are also that of the people. We have nothing to do with what he does behind locked doors. (Here I think you are trying to take a very public by-election private. Anwar’s baggage is well known and to many, the accusations levied at him largely remain conjecture. At the moment, Anwar’s baggage cannot be conceivably heavier than Najib’s own heavy baggage load of missing links and such, and the worry for BN is that Najib has already been tried and convicted in the court (albeit a kangaroo one) of public opinion and awaiting execution).

What has that trickery led to? It has led to stagnation. (Really? Even if so, perhaps the people are willing to bite the bullet for three years or so; or more importantly, do you honestly think very much can and will be done to make Permatang Pasir a booming enclave in a “stagnant” Permatang Pauh in three years?) The world in Permatang Pauh and Permatang Pasir come to a halt on account of Anwar Ibrahim. We must recognise this situation as it truly is- the future of the people in Permatang Pasir and Permatang Pauh are held at ransom. This is tyranny disguised behind a list of accusations against the ruling government. Anwar Ibrahim is as much a tyrant as those he accuses of by manipulating his personal problems to incarcerate the minds of the people in Permatang Pauh and Permatang Pasir. (Dato’ Sak can you actually hear your own rhetoric? I am sure you have also heard it said, “…it is not that the people love Anwar more; what used to be less love for Barisan has turned to pure hate”)

Hence Anwar Ibrahim insists his problems are the result of a grand conspiracy between the government, the judiciary, the law enforcers and indeed the whole world. He has accused the ruling government of not playing fair while he himself does not know what is fair to the people anymore. He must do so to stay relevant. Justice exists in so far as Anwar Ibrahim is acquitted from all charges. (Correct! Correct! Correct!)

He can't forever lead us on a wild goose chase, disputing everything in sight even before they appear before the courts. The whole story about a conspiracy that has never died down since 1998 is always stirred up to divert attention. (Same old, same old, Dato’ Sak. I can agree that Anwar has spewed his share of bull and after all, he is cut of the same UMNO cloth. However, most voters now do not even think of Anwar because PR is making the right noise and moves by attracting enough intelligentsia into its fold. It would be a major blow to BN if the next by-election is in Gua Musang when differentiation dawns that Mahathir’s UMNO Baru is not the beloved UMNO Lama)

We don't know what the outcome of his on coming trial is. (Don’t we really?) Let us not place the future of Permatang Pasir on the outcome of Anwar's trial. (Along the same tack, most people expect Anwar to be convicted but Dato’ Sak, you may be right in a perverse way; the future of Permatang Pauh will rest on that outcome) To do so would be to hold the future of Permatang Pasir at ransom. Why should the future of Permatang Pasir be made to depend on Anwar Ibrahim's leading us on to believe he is a victim of a grand conspiracy? (With due respect sir, it does not)

I am always ready to give him the benefit of doubt as far as all the accusations of sexual preferences are concerned. (I think most people would too but then, they would much prefer a competent and professional PDRM, AG and last but not least, an independent Judiciary) But the future and the welfare of the people in Pernatang Pasir and Permatang Pauh shouldn't be held ransom by his personal problem. (Repetition does not make a point right)

This is the fundamental reason why the voters in Permatang Pasir must now vote for UMNO candidate. (Dato’ I must reiterate all this does not sound to me like the usual astute Sakmongkol AK47 analysis at all)

Just think about these things. (My opinion is probably wrong but as you said Dato’…just think about these things)

Lastly, how does one vote a candidate into a position of trust when even his own peers have convicted him of betrayal of trust?

Belum Kena, Belum Tahu...

This was in the Malaysian Insider from none other than the son of Tok Mat (former UMNO SecGen and Information Minister), Dato Nur Jazlan. I think it speaks for itself:


The Malaysian Insider
August 17 2009

The Royal Malaysian Police Farce
by Dato Nur Jazlan

As a Member of Parliament, I used to defend the police when faced with numerous complaints from my constituents in Johor Baru.

I told my constituents to have faith in the police as their alternative would be to pay for expensive personal security guards. No more.

More than a month ago, my trust and belief in the police force evaporated when my wife was mugged in broad daylight in her car at the front gate of my house by two men on a motorcycle.

I had spent a lot of money protecting the perimeter of my house from all forms of intrusion and expected the police to provide a safe neighbourhood beyond it. I certainly did not expect my wife to be violated right in front of my house.

I live in a middle-to-upper-class neighbourhood of Damansara Heights in Kuala Lumpur where many senior politicians, top civil servants and businessman already pay for a private security service.

This extra layer of private security may have lulled the local police force into such a false sense of security that they are able to spend more time erecting roadblocks to catch speeding cars along Jalan Bukit Kiara in front of the Intan campus every day, rain or shine, instead of securing my neighbourhood a kilometre away.

I need not remind the public of the free time the traffic police have to set up the many unnecessary “cari makan” speed traps and roadblocks on major public and tolled highways.

Over the years, the public have been assured by the police that they are implementing various strategies to reduce crime in the country. And they have produced statistic after statistic to show that reported crime in the country is down.

However, the feedback I get back from the public in Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru is that crime is on the rise in their neighbourhood.

When I told them that the statistics point to a reduction in crime, they dismiss it and say many of them don’t bother to report petty thefts as they have no confidence that the culprits would be caught anyway. In fact, when they did make reports, many of them were told exactly that by the investigating police officers.

Back to my wife, she was told that the two men fitting the description she gave to the investigating officer were reported to have robbed many other lone women drivers in the Bangsar area over the last few months.

Coincidentally, a good friend of mine was also attacked by a group of Mat Rempits in front of the Bangsar Shopping Centre at 2 am a few weeks ago.

In my opinion, the main reason why the police have failed to reduce crime, or at least reduce the perception that that crime is pervasive in the country, is that they have little idea of strategies to be used against this new wave of disorganised crime.

Gone are the days when the police were managing organised crime by holding the local crime boss responsible for the wayward actions of his downliners.The country was perceived as being safe back then.

Another reason could just be that the police chiefs are greedy or in the pockets of the local gangsters, funded by the lucrative DVD pirating business amongst others and are too busy protecting them to bother about tackling petty crimes and protecting the public at large, ironically echoing the Police hit “Wrapped Around Your Finger”.

Can anyone tell me different? Because this is all public perception.Someone asked me, “do you remember the last time when a big time crime boss has been indicted in the last 20 years?” I can’t, can you?

Coincidentally, the crime rate had worsened over this period. The bottom line is, the police managed to keep the country safe in the past by managing organised crime.

The gangsters running organised crime ran a tight ship. The top gangsters would ensure that the downliners in their network did only what they were told to do.

A “good” gangster wouldn’t want to suffer any embarrassment or loss of face in his area of control and would dish out harsh punishment if the underlings misbehaved.

Maybe the police force can learn something from the gangster system to ensure their own downliners tow the line.

They can learn from the Hong Kong Police Force on how to manage organised crime. Hong Kong crime gangs regularly have turf wars but Hong Kong residents can still feel relatively safe walking on the streets at night.

Recently in Hong Kong , a major crime boss was brazenly murdered in front of the Shangri La hotel. He was run over by a car and subsequently had his limbs chopped off by his attackers, in full view of the public. Despite this, the citizens of Hong Kong still feel safe.

But I suspect over the last decade, the underworld network has broken now with new would-be criminals bypass the traditional crime networks.

They operate at the lower level of the crime chain and are not controlled by a higher authority.The public cannot expect the police force to stop these new criminals. The police have failed to change their highly bureaucratic organisational structure to respond to the new democratised criminal environment.

As a result, these new criminals are allowed to operate wantonly without fear of the police.
With that in mind, I am not surprised at the growing opposition to the second contract extension for the Inspector General of Police , Tan Sri Musa Hassan.He has been given four years to transform the police force and restore people’s confidence, and he has failed thus far.

I think the current bad crime situation warrants extreme action. Maybe the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak should emulate his father’s action in catapulting a junior officer to like Tun Haniff Omar to the top position of IGP to shake up the police force.

Tun Haniff was just 35 years old when he was appointed as the nation’s top cop and he was given enough time to transform the police force then.The police force should be reorganised from a top-heavy bureaucracy into a flexible people-friendly organisation.

The police force currently has more than 90,000 personnel. However only 30,000 of them are actually working the street beat.The other 60,000 are higher paid administration level staff filling paperwork in the office.

Maybe its time the organisation structure of the police force is turned on its head and the larger administration staff are ordered to leave their comfortable office and patrol the streets.

I am sure they would be more effective in ensuring the streets are safe than sitting in the office. If they refuse, then they should be given early retirement so that the police force is able to hire newer, more dedicated staff.

The increased numbers of beat cops would strengthen the police network at street level and allow the police to start building community partnerships and strengthening neighbourhood watch schemes like Rukun Tetangga to deter the perpetrators of petty and small crimes.

The police should strive to create a “kampung” environment especially in city areas like Kuala Lumpur and Johor Baru.

This would enable the police force to identify the residents in local areas and make it easier to identify outsiders.

The extended network of the kampung would, in effect, ring fence the local community and put fear into the would be criminals and deter them from entering the community.

If the new IGP can implement my suggestions above, maybe then I would believe I would start to have faith in the police force again. Maybe.