Daily Whatevers – Page 28

December 16, 2016

Another Promise Delivered

Another promise delivered, another history made.

Today, Phase One of the Klang Valley Mass Rapid Transit Sungai Buloh-Kajang Line service comes online.

This service plies between the Sungai Buloh KTM station and the Semantan station (across from UOA Jalan Semantan) will run for free for a month until the 16th January 2016.

The project will be completed earlier than planned at RM2 billion less than the RM23 billion projected.

This is RM77 billion less than what was blurted out by PKR’s habitual and court-proven liar, Rafizi Ramli.

Once completed in April 2017, the MRT Line 1 will connect suburban areas with the urban networks servicing the city of Kuala Lumpur such as the LRT and KL Monorail.

Prime Minister Najib Razak also made it a project term that there would be Bumiputera participation in all aspects of the project.

While previous administrations emphasised on 30 percent Bumiputera participation, Najib Razak through MRT Corporation ensured a minimum of 50 percent Bumiputera participation in the civil elevated works (viaducts and stations).

Only in the underground works (tunneling and stations) as well as non-civil works (systems and integration) where foreign expertise is needed, Bumiputera participation must be at 30 percent or higher through joint-venture companies to ensure that technology knowledge-transfer takes place.

I must make mention of two things. I was fortunate to have spent a large chunk of my time in the MRT project under the tutelage of Michael Harfoot, a Welsh resident of Hong Kong, who is very knowledgeable in the field of urban railway construction.

Mr Harfoot remains one of the rare Chief Resident Engineers who could do and read as-built drawings without the use of computer aids. He also imparts knowledge to the local engineers with much zest.

Michael Harfoot (second from right) taking his staff on an MRT ride today

Secondly, the project would not have succeeded without the unenviable tasks of communicating with the public,especially with stakeholders – facing the brunt of public anger and so on.

Datuk Najmuddin Abdullah and his team from the Strategic Communications and Stakeholder Relations division had done very well in ensuring that things are communicated to and from the public.

Datuk Najmuddin is no stranger to the management of crises. He handled the communications during the MH370 and MH17 tragedies.

We should also not forget the tens of thousands of Bangladeshi, Pakistani, Indonesian workers who toiled to complete this project under the hot sun, doing work that no Malaysian would, and pouring rain, braving snake bites and dengue fever, who are forever thankful that Malaysia is still the land of milk and honey for them and the families that they feed.

If this country is truly going down the drains, they would have quit their job and moved elsewhere.

December 14, 2016

High Speed Development

“I look forward to taking my first train up to Putrajaya in ten years’ time.”

Singapore Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong is confident that the 350-kilometre high-speed rail (HSR) link between Kuala Lumpur and Singapore would bring both countries even closer together.

Facing a technical recession where the economy is more or less stagnant, Lee Hsien Loong has constantly reminded small and medium enterprises in Singapore to expand to neighbouring countries.

Hence, the HSR is truly important for Singapore to see that the project is completed within the stipulated ten-year period.

For Malaysia, it would definitely boost tourism as it opens up lesser known towns on the southwestern coast of Peninsular Malaysia to tourists from Singapore.

As a matter of fact, Singapore’s Straits Times has printed a guide on the places that could be visited once the HSR is in operation.

Not only that, as with the rail system run by the Keretapi Tanah Melayu (KTM), areas surrounding the HSR link would definitely see an increase in both development and prosperity as connectivity improves.

While the 10-year timeframe is a “relatively short period of time” given the size and complexity of the project, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak said he is committed to meeting the deadline.

“We have to work very closely together and be very focused, and we must overcome all the challenges as we move ahead,” he said.
Although Malaysia and Singapore are both different countries, they share a common history. Many from both countries are related and cross-border marriages are rife.

Perhaps Singapore Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan has summed it all in the best way: “Our relationship with Malaysia is strong and flourishing. We are bound by history, kinship, culture and strong people-to-people ties.”

There is no doubt that the people from both countries would benefit from this single link.

December 13, 2016

A Police Report – Part 2

Following the police report that I made last Thursday the CEO of Malaysiakini Premesh Chandran has denied any knowledge of the document in question.

“I have not seen this document before, nor was I part of any discussions on ‘shared frameworks’, nor was I the chair of any committee related to OSF,” said Premesh to Malaysiakini.

My response:

When I was interviewed after making the police report, I specifically asked for the police that in the name of fairness for all, to thoroughly investigate the authenticity of the said document.

Therefore there is no need for Premesh Chandran to do an outright denial and let the police investigate.

It is a known fact that Soros has indirect links to 29% ownership of MalaysiaKini – something that Mkini themselves had knowingly admitted.

Premesh should explain why OSF documents listed his name as the Chairman of the advisory board for Malaysia.

I did not name him. OSF did. Why jump before the police has completed their investigation?

December 11, 2016

Menjunjung Kasih

Tuanku Abdul Halim ibni Almarhum Sultan Badlishah is not the typical Yang DiPertuan Agong.

His Majesty is the first Sultan to have been elected twice to the office, and the oldest. He is also the second oldest and second longest reigning monarch after Queen Elizabeth II.

When Tuanku Abdul Halim first took office on the 21st September 1970, Malaysia had just come out of an extremely bad episode that happened just a little over a year before that.

Then Prime Minister, Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, stepped down a day after Tuanku Abdul Halim was sworn in as the Fifth Yang DiPertuan Agong – not because of pressure as claimed by some, but due to the fact that the Prime Minister felt it was inappropriate to sembah his own nephew.

His Majesty reigned over a period when the Second Emergency had just begun and race relations was at its lowest. But it was the combination of His Majesty’s wisdom and the great stewardship of Tun Abdul Razak that saw Malaysians unite against a common front – the Communist Party of Malaya.

Tuanku Abdul Halim’s second reign as the Yang DiPertuan Agong came in an era where rumours reign supreme. Despite remaining neutral His Majesty was, on more than one occasion, the victim of vicious rumours for not acting as expected by certain irresponsible quarters.

His Majesty’s openness has allowed for people from both sides of the political fence to air their grouse and seek advice.

Although the rights of the Yang DiPertuan Agong include the right to be informed, to be consulted, to advise, to encourage and to warn, again the wisdom of His Majesty has seen the first for rights being exercised.

And being steadfast in His Majesty’s stand in certain delicate matters as well as having the wisdom that befits a Yang DiPertuan Agong, His Majesty’s encouragement have allowed Prime Minister Najib Razak to have better concentration on the administration of this country.

Kedah will once more enjoy Tuanku Abdul Halim’s great leadership while the rest of Malaysia will miss him.

Patik menjunjung kasih Tuanku.

Dirgahayu dan Daulat Tuanku. Semoga Allah terus merahmati Duli Tuanku.

December 8, 2016December 8, 2016

A Police Report

I lodged a police report today on an exposé made by the DC Leaks not too long ago.

I finally got to read and was alarmed by it yesterday and quickly got in touch with a friend and we decided on lodging a police report

Although I know that the police has begun an investigation into the links, I saw a similar pattern that needs to be investigated. The report among others is to look into the authenticity of the document as well as to enable the police to see the similar patterns and tie them together.

With the help of a good journalist friend we had some journalists covering the ‘event’ and we were fair as we allowed representation from whichever side of the fence to ask questions.

In DC Leaks (photo at the top), there was an internal OSF document where Premesh Chandran was listed as the Chairman of the advisory committee for Malaysia to OSF.

Premesh is the co-founder and current CEO of online portal Malaysiakini. His name appearing in the OSF document suggests that he is, at the time of the document being published, colluding with Soros to bring about a forced and undemocratic change of government.

The document’s title is Shared Frameworks Proposed Contributions to 2014-2017 Strategies. Obviously funds are still coming in to effect change in Malaysia as the previous general elections was in 2013.

And the Malaysian Chair for OSF’s Southeast Asia Initiative is interested in the topic of ‘election integrity.’

OSF documents also show that they admit funding and controlling the International Renaissance Front (IRF) based in Kiev, the capital of Ukraine, which is acknowledged as the key mover to Ukraine’s bloody 2014 revolution.

The 2014 revolution led to hundreds of deaths and missing people in the rallies and led to civil war and breakup of Ukraine – which has killed another 8,000 people and still continuing. This Ukraine was also led to the shooting down of our MH17.
In that same document, it stated that in Malaysia, the Chair of the OSF advisory committee is the founder of MalaysiaKini (which OSF indirectly owns and control 29% shares).

Interestingly, YM Tunku Abdul Aziz also pointed out that the Red Bean Army is also funded by foreigners.

Tunku Aziz, who was DAP national vice-chairman from August 2008 until he resigned in disgust in May 2012 would certainly have detailed inside information of DAP and their RBA.

The DAP has always disassociated itself from the RBA. However, Wechat or whatsapp voice chat admission supposedly from the Kedah DAP Youth Chief Tan Jia Hao (JH Tan) shows an admission that the Red Bean Army (RBA) cybertroopers are indeed DAP and Pakatan’s troops on social media for the purpose of attacking BN supporters which they call Chow Kows or running dogs and will not attack their own people.

The conversation seems to be about Mr Tan clarifying to his friend on why a certain person was attacked by the RBA recently – where he claims that the RBA has caused great harm to that person.

To be fair to all parties, it is imperative that the police probe and investigate these links.

Let me say this: if it is change that you want, do so in a democratic manner. The last thing you should do is to support organisations that are themselves the Chow Kow for foreigners.

That if true, in my opinion, is bordering treason. And I shall not stand and watch my country get run by puppets of foreign powers.

December 7, 2016

Jangan Dok Muhong La

Mahathir memang kuat berbohong.

Pembohongan oleh Mahathir ialah mengenai dakwaannya bahawa parti DAP telah menjalankan persidanganya dalam Bahasa Malaysia sepenuhnya.

Cuba kita lihat minit ke tujuh dan enambelas saat video ini:

Dah tua-tua pun masih lagi nak buat dosa.

December 5, 2016December 5, 2016

Pengemis Jalanan

Begitulah kata-kata seorang bekas pejuang bangsa Melayu yang pernah menggelarkan DAP sebagai ‘bapa segala rasis.’

“Malah dalam pertemuan saya dengan pimpinan DAP, mereka bersetuju bahawa Perdana Menteri Malaysia mestilah orang Melayu dan bukan dari parti DAP,” kata Muhyiddin dalam satu kenyataan membidas ucapan Najib Razak semasa Perhimpunan Agung UMNO baru-baru ini.

Kenyataan Muhyiddin ini menunjukkan betapa terdesaknya beliau untuk terus relevan dalam arena politik, mengemis jawatan daripada DAP dan sanggup menggadai maruah demi kepentingan diri.

Muhyiddin mungkin lupa akan dua perkara. Pertama, semasa Pilihanraya Umum Ke-13, DAP telah memenangi 38 dari 89 kerusi yang dimenangi oleh Pakatan Rakyat. PKR mendapat 30 kerusi manakala PAS 21. Tidak mustahil DAP akan meletakkan lebih ramai calon Melayu pada pilihanraya umum yang akan datang.

Orang Melayu perlu faham prinsip dan landasan perjuangan DAP. Untuk itu kita perlu lihat kepada perlembagaan parti DAP itu sendiri:

Di perenggan pertama, kita dapat lihat perkataan ‘demokratik sosialis.’ Kita faham maksud demokratik.

Sosialis ialah suatu teori politik dan ekonomi yang menjadikan segala hasil dan keuntungan seseorang individu itu dimiliki bersama oleh seluruh masyarakat.

Di dalam buku tulisan Karl Marx bertajuk ‘Das Kapital‘ sosialisme adalah satu keadaan yang menggulingkan fahaman kapitalisme menuju kepada komunisme.

Kita dapat lihat perkara ini diulangi dalam perenggan keempat.

Ini bermaksud apa sahaja peluang yang selama ini dipelihara untuk golongan Bumiputera akan dihapuskan supaya kesemua bangsa dapat menikmatinya. Ini boleh bermaksud penghapusan hak istimewa Bumiputera dan pengagihan hasil kutipan zakat kepada semua.

Perlembagaan sekular di sini bermaksud menjadikan Islam sebagai agama rasmi Malaysia. Anda mungkin tertanya bukankah itu hakikatnya sekarang?

Jawapannya ialah TIDAK. Perlembagaan Persekutuan jelas menyatakan bahawa agama Islam ialah agama Persekutuan. Bukannya agama rasmi. Inilah sebabnya para Raja di setiap negeri dipertanggungjawabkan memelihara kedaulatan agama Islam di negeri masing-masing.

Perkataan ‘kesaksamaan peluang‘ itulah yang diperjuangkan pada tahun 2014 oleh boneka DAP dalam Majlis Perundingan Perpaduan Negara (NUCC) melalui satu draf rang undang-undang yang pernah mereka perlihatkan kepada umum.

RUU NUCC tersebut, jika diluluskan, akan menyebabkan Yang DiPertuan Agong serta Raja-Raja Melayu hilang keistimewaan melantik Perdana Menteri, Menteri Besar, Peguam Negara, Ketua Polis Negara, Panglima Angkatan Tentera dan lain-lain jawatan penting dari kalangan Bumiputera beragama Islam.

Malah RUU NUCC itu juga membolehkan jawatan-jawatan tersebut diisi oleh mereka yang menjalani kehidupan sebagai LGBT, bertentangan dengan kedudukan Islam sebagai agama Persekutuan. Inilah yang dimaksudkan dengan Perlembagaan Sekular.

Ini dikuatkan lagi oleh matlamat-matlamat perjuangan DAP yang disebut di dalam perlembagaan parti tersebut:

Apa yang ingin dilakukan oleh DAP ialah untuk kerajaan yang disertainya mengubah Perlembagaan Persekutuan agar cita-cita yang disebutkan di atas melalui RUU NUCC dapat dilaksanakan.

Lupakah sudah kita akan kejadian memurtadkan orang-orang yang beragama Islam di gereja Methodist Damansara Utama (DUMC)? Saya pernah menulis mengenai perkara tersebut setelah bertemu dengan mereka-mereka yang pernah dimurtadkan di gereja yang berada di kawasan parlimen Tony Pua dari DAP. Dr Hassan Ali yang ketika itu merupakan Exco Agama Islam di Selangor menzahirkan kekecewaan beliau terhadap kepimpinan negeri yang diterajui Melayu PKR yang terpaksa tunduk kepada kehendak DAP.

Orang Melayu jangan lupa bagaimana Menteri Besar Selangor bangsa Melayu yang datangnya dari parti PKR juga akhirnya digulingkan oleh konco-konco DAP kerana mengingkari perintah DAP.

Perkara yang sama juga berlaku di negeri Perak di mana Menteri Besar yang dilantik selepas PRU ke-12 datangnya dari parti PAS tetapi merupakan anak saudara kepada dua orang pembesar DAP Perak. Di antara akibat orang Melayu parti lain diperkudakan DAP, kontrak menjahit pakaian ADUN Perak diberikan kepada syarikat milik ibu saudaranya.

Hanya tiga bulan selepas berkuasa, 48,000 orang-orang Cina diberi hak milik tanah di kampung-kampung baru untuk selama 999 tahun, suatu penghinaan terhadap 32,444 orang-orang Melayu di negeri Perak yang hidup di Rancangan Kampung Tersusun yang dicadangkan diberi hak pemilikan hanya untuk 99 tahun yang tidak dilaksanakan.

Apabila tak dapat apa yang dimahukan, maka bergulinglah dan tunjuk biadaplah mereka di hadapan DYMM Sultan Perak sebagai tanda protes dan sokongan terhadap tetuan DAP mereka.

Inilah yang dimahui dan dijadikan perjuangan oleh kaldai Cina DAP bernama Muhyiddin Yassin – seorang bekas Menteri Besar yang dihalau keluar dari negeri Johor oleh Almarhum Sultan Iskandar, yang kubur bapanya dipacak salib setelah mengubah cuti hujung minggu negeri Johor dari hari Jumaat ke hari Ahad.

Nampaknya memang menjual maruah Melayu dan Islam demi kepentingan politik peribadi menjadi sifat semulajadi Muhyiddin. Beliau sanggup menjadi seorang Perdana Menteri biarpun dalam bentuk boneka kepada DAP. Beliau sanggup mengemis dijalanan bagi pihak DAP agar diberi keutamaan menjadi Perdana Menteri.

Kita maklum bagaimana PAS dibelot oleh DAP walaupun mempunyai perjanjian bertulis semasa PAS masih menganggotai Pakatan Rakyat. Ini menunjukkan betapa DAP terutamanya Lim Guan Eng tidak amanah, tidak boleh dipercayai dan tidak berpegang kepada janji. Maka janji DAP untuk menjadikan Melayu sebagai Perdana Menteri apabila berkuasa nanti juga tidak akan ditunaikan, atau ditunaikan tetapi tidak dipegangi.

Kalau perjanjian bertulis dengan PAS pun DAP boleh mungkir, inikan pula perjanjian air liur dengan Muhyiddin. Maka tidak mustahil suatu hari nanti pengemis hina barua DAP ini akan membayar ufti pula kepada Maharaja DAP hanya untuk kekal berkuasa.

December 4, 2016

And What If The Malays Unite?

Three years ago yesterday, I wrote about how more than a hundred Malays were slaughtered in just one night in the small village of Bekor. Interesting to note is that the effort to kill the Malays was supported by a number of Malays:

” Shamsiah Pakih pakai baju kebaya putih datang kerumah mengajak Tok masuk komunis Tok tak mahu. Pada masa itu siapa yang tidak mahu masuk kominis akan di bunuh. Orang Bekor banyak terlibat dan berdosa kerana bersubahat dengan kominis dan membunuh orang melayu yang tidak mahu masuk kominis. ”

The above is an excerpt from this blog that I had quoted when writing about Bekor.

When Malaya gained independence in 1957, the Malays made up only 49 percent of the population of 6.835 million, a marginalised minority in their own land since the 1930s [Department of Statistics, Federation of Malaya 1957 – Population Census of the Federation of Malaya Report, No.14 by H.Fell].

Of course there was the Penang Hartal of November 1967 and subsequently the 13 May 1969 racial clashes. But by then, the Malays were more united than they were in the late 1940s. Sadly, the Malays are no longer united and not only are they being attacked on anything that is Malay or Muslim by the other races but they are also being undermined by the likes of Rafizi Ramli, and Mahathir Mohamad.

And then came the opposition to the amendments of the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act, 1965 dubber the ‘Hudud’ Bill, subsequently ‘Hadi’ Bill. I wrote about how non-Muslims especially the President of MCA who, I assume being ill-advised by his ignorant adviser and MCA’s Religious Harmony Bureau Chairman Ti Lian Ker, decided to oppose the Bill for the sake of opposing, even after the clarification made by the UMNO President, Najib Razak, in a recent speech at the UMNO General Assembly.

This resulted in UMNO delegates calling for the unity of Muslims to support the Bill, also known as the RUU355. While Liow Tiong Lai calls the amendments ‘unconstitutional’ little does he realise that by interfering in the Muslims’ right to manage their own affairs, he is being unconstitutional.

I have seen little or no effort taken by MCA to understand the Bill, or to even explain the current government policies and efforts to assist the rakyat in times of need. There may have been such efforts but they somehow have escaped my radar. If you go to the MCA’s Twitter account, between 21 October 2016 until its last post it has not made any effort to convey the correct message to its audience. Rather, topics on RUU355 are all negative.

Every single day be it on Facebook, Twitter or in comments to online news articles, you will see more often than not the non-Malays taking a swipe at every single effort by the government to make lives better.

The most aired ‘grouse’ is of the rising cost of living. In his closing speech yesterday, Najib Razak stressed that in the seven years as the Prime Minister, he has never approved any application to have the price of 21 essential items like rice, flour, sugar and cooking gas to be increased.

As a matter of fact you can see for yourselves the items which are zero-rated under the GST scheme. If you find any increase in any of the prices of the listed goods, it is your duty to report it to the relevant agencies, especially the Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism. You can download its Apps in Google Play or Apps Store and use the Apps instead of using the Internet to spread lies or complain to the general public where you will only make things worse instead of solving the problem!

Najib Razak also pointed out that to date 185 Kedai Rakyat 1Malaysia have been established to bring low-priced goods to the people. So, don’t blame the government if you prefer to shop at Jaya Grocers, Cold Storage, Mercato or B.I.G. That is the choice that you have made, not the government’s.

The problem lies with the retailers. And they will continue to fleece you for as long as you don’t report them.

The same also goes to medical treatments. There are 195 Klinik 1Malaysia established nationwide to date, 2,836 government clinics, 139 goverment hospitals, where you can seek treatment for as low as RM1.00! I cannot understand why would anyone, especially kampung folks, seek treatment at private hospitals when they cannot afford it, then make pleas for donations from the public?

And you blame the government saying it does not provide affordable healthcare?

The most terrible whiners are those who go on saying the Ringgit is the worst performing currency that it is no longer accepted anywhere outside Malaysia.

On 31 October 2016, it was the British Pound that was the worst performing currency in the world.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/pound-sterling-worst-performing-currency-world-brexit-a7388821.html — October 2016’s worst performing currency was the GBP – source: Bloomberg

It is no secret that the Ringgit has lost a percentage of its value against the Greenback since Trump’s victory over Hillary Clinton. But are we really the worst in Asia? Take a look at the performance of several Asian currencies versus the Greenback as on the 2nd December 2016:

https://www.bloomberg.com/markets/currencies/asia-pacific — Asian Pacific Currencies Performance – 2nd December 2016

While the Ringgit has dropped by 0.23% against the Greenback in the last two days, Singapore Dollar has dropped by 0.46% while the Japanese Yen dropped by 0.52%!

Do we see the JPY or SGD not being accepted in other countries? Of course not. But the zombies refuse to believe this. Among this year’s worst performers (year-to-date) in East Asia are actually the Philipine Peso and China Yuan.

According to Twitter’s @econsmalaysia, since Trump’s victory the Japanese Yen has lost 9.1% of its value against the Greenback compared to 5.6% for the Ringgit. So pray tell how is the Ringgit the worst performing currency in Asia?

There seems to be nothing good to come out of anything a Malay would say or do, and any move made to strengthen Islam in this country is regarded by the non-Muslims, as unconstitutional or done not in consultation with the non-Muslims. Since when does Article 11 of the Federal Constitution requires the management of affairs of one’s religion needs the accord of others? Why are the other races not respecting the position of Islam as the Federation’s religion? Does this not reflect what was done to the Malays back in 1947 when the religion of the land was not respected by other races?

“The violation of the sanctity of Islam also became a factor in the bloody Sino-Malay conflict (WO 172/9773. No.30: 478) when the Bintang Tiga/CPM disrupted religious activities in Muslims places of worship. This started in Batu Pahat, Johor, just before the surrender of the Japanese occupiers, during the Muslim month of Ramadhan. Muslims were forbidden from congregating at mosques or suraus to perform the Terawih prayers (Hairi Abdullah, 1974/5: 8-9).

The same occurred in Perak and some parts of Batu Pahat where Muslims were gunned down and burnt together with the mosque they were in during Friday prayers.

Mosques and suraus were often used as places of meeting for the Chinese community (WO 172/9773, No.30: 478) and were tainted by incidents such as slaughtering of pigs, and mosques’ compound was used to cook pork, where Malays were forced to join the larger Chinese groups.

Pages were torn from the Quran to be used by the Chinese using these mosques as toilet paper.”

And you want to blame the Malays for wanting to unite?

December 1, 2016

UMNO 70 – Weary Or Youthful?

UMNO is 70 this year.

Whether we like it or not, communal politics shall remain the main feature of Malaysian politics. Although the Federal Constitution places Bahasa Malaysia as the official language and medium of instruction, MCA, MIC and other communal parties including the self-proclaimed multiracial party DAP will continue to fight for the existence of the vernacular schools which is among the reasons this country continues to produce an ever divisive society.

And although the Federal Constitution places Islam as the religion of this blessed nation and although the Federal Constitution also gives the right to for each religion to manage its own affairs, we get BN component parties questioning the Syariah Court (Criminal Jurisdiction) Act amendments which does not affect them and claims that it would lead to double jeopardy – a claim so ludicrous that it makes me wonder how these lawmakers even made it to Parliament not knowing that Article 121(1)(1A) of the Federal Constitution stated clearly that neither the High Court of Malaya and the High Court of Sabah and Sarawak have any jurisdiction in any matters that are within the jurisdiction of the Syariah Court.

And DAP as well as its puppets (PAN, Pribumi, PKR, BERSIH) will hitch a ride on this communal collision course to ensure that the wagon cannot be steered to safety.

The basic question that was raised during the Pemuda and Puteri meetings revolved around the rising cost of living. Ridzuan Ahmad (Pemuda UMNO) from Negeri Sembilan quoted a makcik selling pisang goreng who lamented the rise of fuel prices as well as the smuggling of cooking oil to foreign countries that has caused the removal of subsidies. Norsarfinaz Mohd Azman (Puteri UMNO) of Pahang told the government not to sugar-coat the economic situation from the public.

While the questions above are valid questions, what has the Pemuda as well as Puteri UMNO delegates done to understand and explain things to the masses?

As a layman and a non-UMNO person, I can proudly say I have explained this better to the masses. Therefore, I find it odd that even with a strong Information Machinery, Pemuda UMNO finds it difficult to explain to the masses about the benefits of the withdrawal of subsidies. On the question of hoarding and smuggling of cooking oil, it is not an easy task to prevent smuggling. Nevertheless, one cannot expect the government agencies to achieve success if the public does not cooperate in reporting such activities to them.

I don’t think the government has sugar-coated anything. In his Budget 2017 speech, Najib Razak spoke about the drastic reduction in earnings from the oil and gas industry. This has been made up by the introduction of the GST which saw an increase in the number of businesses having to pay taxes to the government as opposed to them collecting tax from their customers but under-declare earnings to the government previously. Furthermore, household essentials are mostly zero-rated items under the GST scheme thus there is no tax on most food items nor should it affect households.

If it does, then again it becomes the responsibility of the masses to assist government agencies by reporting such occurrence to them. Has this been conveyed to the voters?

We can all whine about the cost of living but what have we, especially those in UMNO done, to actually come up with solutions to accompany the problems that they put forth to the party management? Is it fair that the party management is given the burden to think of solutions but the whole party bathe in all the glory when a solution works without the participation of the grassroots?

Even the non-Malay and non-UMNO Miss Lim Sian See could explain things better than most!

Perhaps, in this final stretch before the 14th General Elections, party wings organise workshops on improving the standards of living rather than go on trips or exclusive makan-makan events.

However, on my Facebook this morning I received a message from a friend asking is the Ringgit really bad and are the rakyat truly suffering? This was the message:

UMNO party members should be more selfless. I watched the commentary by one of the panelists on RTM1 just before Najib Razak delivered his speech and it was an interesting piece when he said the Opposition is more on the ground and stand on the a level platform as do the people in the rural areas, while UMNO members spend more time at high-end coffee places and surround themselves with ‘loyalists.’

Najib Razak also touched on this in his speech:

“Bercakap tentang tanda hormat, acknowledgement and respect terhadap Wanita ini, saya berasa begitu sayu dan tersentuh apabila mendengar cerita tentang wirawati-wirawati Wanita UMNO yang tidak didendang, namun telah berkorban jiwa dan raga demi kepentingan parti.

Kisah tauladan yang saya maksudkan, adalah tentang Puan Saridah binti Ibrahim, Nombor Ahli UMNO 01441342, Ketua Wanita Cawangan Bandar Baru Selayang, juga merangkap Ketua Penerangan Wanita Bahagian Selayang.

Beliau terlibat dalam kemalangan jalanraya sewaktu pulang dari berkempen untuk Barisan Nasional, semasa Pilihanraya Kecil DUN Kajang pada tahun 2014.

Sesungguhnya, saya berasa sungguh sebak dan terharu, melihat keadaan Puan Saridah kini… yang penuh semangat, walaupun dalam keadaan yang uzur, beliau sanggup hadir bersama kita.”

Such is one of the selfless acts that UMNO members should emulate. Najib Razak rightfully gave respect to Wanita UMNO which forms the backbone of UMNO – with 1.3 million members from a total of 3.5 million members nationwide. Pemuda UMNO has about 600,000 while Puteri UMNO has close to 400,000.

However, questioning the race of a GLC boss by a Wanita UMNO member, was not something smart. Arul Kanda is not a Malay although he is a Muslim, but it is his expertise that is sought to handle GLCs in the manner that they should be. We cannot just appoint someone just because he is a Malay and expect things to be rosy. Look at FGV, for instance. I shan’t say more.

Najib Razak also pointed out on how the government has provided medical treatment to its people for next to free. Transformation Centres that run daily until 10pm. And for the benefit of Ridzuan Ahmad and Norsarfinaz, the government provides RM200 in assistance per person for the 400,000 small-scale farmers and rubber tappers during the monsoon season. On top of that, the 60,000 fishermen in Malaysia are being given a special allowance of between RM200 to RM300 per month for the whole year. For padi farmers, RM1.3 billion is provided to subsidise the purchase of seedlings, fertilisers and price of rice to make them more competitive.

Yet, people still call the government zalim not knowing what the word really means.

The zalim are the ones who, when in office, make solemn oaths proclaiming Wallahi Watallahi Wabillahi which all literally mean ‘and by Allah.’ When they are sworn into office, in Parliament as cabinet members, they took an oath Wallahi Wabtallahi Wabillahi to protect government secrets and not disclose them to anyone under whatever circumstance; then as party leaders they swore Wallahi Watallahi Wabillahi to protect the sanctity of Islam as the religion of the Federation, and uphold the Malay rights as leaders of UMNO, yet when they fail to fulfil their self-interests, they leave the party and take sides with those who actually attack Islam and the Malay rights.

Those, as Najib Razak mentioned in his speech, are munafiks (hypocrites).

At 70, UMNO is still young. It shall remain youthful for as long as it is able to draw the support of the younger generation and continues to not only listen to grouses but able to provide solutions as well as explain well to the masses. It is those weary ones, who from the start never align their aspirations with that of UMNO’s (putting self-interest forward) who will cause UMNO to feel weary.

These are the people who would just dump everything, leave, and then attack UMNO out of frustration.

As Najib Razak quoted of the national literary figure Usman Awang and the Melayu-Riau literary figure Tenas Affendy at the beginning of his speech:

Melayu itu orang yang bijaksana,

Budi bahasanya tidak terkira,

Kurang ajarnya masih beralas dan bersantun,

Kalau berkelahi biarlah cara Melayu,

Kalau menikam pula, pun dengan berpantun,

Walau menyanggah dikuntum senyum.

Kalau merayu dan meminta,

Hendaklah pada yang kasih dan sudi memberi.

Mencontoh biarlah pada yang senonoh,

Berteladan pada yang sepadan.

Adil menjadi hakim,

Amanah dalam bersumpah,

Sekalipun begitu,… walau watak Melayu menolak permusuhan, setia dan sabar tiada sempadan,…

biar berkecai tulang,… hatta hancurnya badan,…

pantang pendekar, meninggalkan gelanggang!!!

November 21, 2016November 21, 2016

The Pleb Versus The Noblemen

Whoever is familiar with the study of the Constitution would know Walter Bagehot, an editor, economist and political analyst who also wrote a book called ‘The English Constitution.’ There is one apposite quote of his that I thought befits the current situation and that is:

“Nothing is more unpleasant that a virtuous person with a mean mind.”

The above quote refers to that man who claims to be virtuous but really is the epitome of evil; so evil that Pharaohs would have sought help from God’s Prophets to free them from this person – Mahathir Mohammad.

We have had noblemen leading this country, shining a light upon the path in which this nation walks even through its darkest hour. Tunku Abdul Rahman was the son of the 25th Sultan of Kedah, Almarhum Sultan Abdul Hamid. Tun Abdul Razak was the son of the 9th Orang Kaya Indera Shahbandar of Pahang, Dato Hussein bin Mohd Taib. Tun Hussein Onn was the son of UMNO founder, Dato Onn Jaafar who was the Menteri Besar of Johor.

I was priveleged some time back to a chat with Professor Anthony Milner, a researcher from the Australian National University, an Emeritus Professor, School of Culture, History & Language of the ANU, on the topic of the Malays. We were discussing the origin of the Malays and the ‘Rajas Melayu.’ Interesting to note that our paths converged when we both agreed that the Malays refer to a collection of people of the Nusantara spanning from the borders of Polynesia and Melanesia to Sumatra, who pledged allegiance to the Rajas whose respective dominions were all that they could survey. It was only when political boundaries were defined in a clearer manner that the Malays were defined according to the nation that they lived in.

The antonym of a nobleman would be a commoner. The fourth Prime Minister was not born into the aristocracy like his predecessors, or a prominent religious family like his successor. In short, I would term him a pleb: a low-born, uncultured, coarse, rude, undistinguished – and a personal favourite: scum. His grandfather, Iskander Kutty hailed from the southern Indian state of Kerala. His father was from Pulau Pinang, a school principal.

Mahathir had nothing to show. He had nothing compared to his predecessors. This probably shaped the way he managed this country: through the rule of iron fist, autocratic, dictatorial, enriching cronies and nipotes to prepare him for the end of days. A man who has nothing has nothing to lose. Therefore, it was always his way, or the highway. He had this habit of making enemies everywhere, including the members of the royal households. And as James A Baldwin once said, “The most dangerous creation of any society is the man who has nothing to lose.”

One would have thought that this nonagenarian would spend the twilight moments of his miserable life repenting for the wrongs he had done, alas no! His perfervid hatred for the man who stands in between him and his undying ambition to ensure that his family would be remembered as an aristocratic bunch rather than the descendants of the evil-smelling Kutty whom had just gotten out of the stowage of a slave ship, has caused him to make a reciprocal turn on all his words, often filled with delusional tales to cloud the minds of those too young to remember anything bad about him. He has nothing to lose.

In 1867, Bagehot asserted in ‘The English Constitution‘ that the Constitution needed two parts: the dignified – to excite and preserve the reverence of the population’ and the other, the efficient – to ‘employ that homage in the work of government’. The monarch was the prime example of dignity in this sense and the Prime Minister and his cabinet of efficiency. Therefore, the monarch, while lacking executive power, had an important constitutional role.

But in 1993, Mahathir, being a pleb and an undignified one too, decided to encroach into the realm of the dignified. Mahathir amended the Federal Constitution with the aim of removing legal immunity of the royalty.The amendments were made at a time when the Malaysian monarchy witnessed a deteriorating relationship with the government (specifically Mahathir). Before the amendments were made, the Constitution granted rulers who have violated the law not to be prosecuted by the criminal court unless he voluntarily wishes to surrender his legal immunity.

This laid the royalty bare and are now subjected to public scrutiny, bringing the royalty and monarchy close to becoming irrelevant. As a result, members of the royalty have been seen to assiduously court public opinion after prolonged years of subservience to Mahathir’s rule (Ahmad Fauzi Abdul Hamid, Muhamad Takiyuddin Ismail (2013)).

Mahathir had nothing to lose. These were the Rajas Melayu. He need not show any allegiance to anything Malay as he is not truly one. UMNO was just a vehicle for him to have power in order to make riches. When UMNO went against him he had UMNO declared illegal in 1988. Then he created a new UMNO where playing fields were no longer level and he had automatic nominations as the President of UMNO. What is UMNO to him but just another Malay institution where he, the soupçon Malay felt no allegiance to.

Finally, the Sultan of Johor told Mahathir to shut up. Not once, but twice.

And Mahathir is never concerned about the people of Malaysia. Politics, to him, is what serves only him. Therefore, his call for the people to overthrow the government is a total reciprocal from his way of dealing with demonstrations against him during his premiership. And how was it during his time?

During his time, when people demonstrated against him, he appealed to the participants to use the ballot box to bring about their desired reform. What is his stand now? He incites people to force change undemocratically!

You can watch a video to see how Mahathir had Anwar Ibrahim arrested and the way he had the police to handle those who demonstrated against him when he was the Prime Minister.

As Lord Acton wrote in his letter to Bishop Mandell Creighton on the 5th April 1887:

“Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men.”

And in the case of Mahathir he is not just a bad man, but a pleb and a scum.