GE13 – SeaDemon Says

May 20, 2013May 20, 2013

Moving On

When the late Tun Razak saw a swimming pool at a friend’s house, he thought he should have one constructed at his official residence, Seri Taman, located on Venning Road (now the Tun Razak Memorial on Jalan Perdana). He asked his friend how much did it cost to get it built and was told something to the region of RM26,000, well within his budget. Since the “Seri Taman” belonged to the government, he had to go through the Public Works Department, more known here as the JKR (Jabatan Kerja Raya). He gave the JKR the contractor’s details for them to get a quote.

When the JKR came back with the quote, he had the shock of his life: in excess of RM100,000! He immediately told them to get another quote. The final quote was at RM56,000. Still higher than the quote he received directly from the contractor. He never got the swimming pool built. As the Prime Minister, he could easily have asked the JKR to pick up the tab, but as a man with integrity, he did not.

The late Tun was very careful when it came to spending money, personal and the government’s. He did not come from a rich family and was always aware of his origin. What the story above tells us is that when one mentions corruption and kickbacks in the government, one should be able to distinguish between the government machinery and the political party that forms the executive branch of the government. It also tells that although he was the Prime Minister, he did not abuse his position, something not many politicians let alone Ministers can brag about nowadays.

While the Barisan Nasional has formed the Federal government and in all but three states, it has failed to wrestle Selangor and Kelantan from the clutches of the Pakatan Rakyat. This despite the feel good reports that were given to the so-called BN War Room by the respective state’s BN leadership. For some weird reason, BN has fallen yet again to feel-good reports as it did in 2008. This is actually as bad as the one in 2008. Factions in Selangor and Perak were not checked, candidates were put based on how well they can talk (and in the case of Shah Alam, what the person has on Anwar Ibrahim) rather than what the ground feels like or prefer. Some were moved from where they were strongly supported, to a seat that they are not familiar with, or voters not being familiar with them (as in the case of the former DUN Anggerik assemblyman being contested at DUN Batu Tiga and lost). In that sense, Selangor BN lost twice: the seat contested, and the seat it held previously, in a classic case of Pakatan Rakyat killing two birds with one stone.

The Pakatan Rakyat had had a good running in the cyberworld; they made full use of blogs and SMS in 2008, and then Facebook and YouTube for 2013. BN, with the various internet media units was never able to keep up with the allegations thrown. There was no strategy employed by the BN team. UMNO in particular, had groups of bloggers reporting to various people. It is no guess what these people they reported to wanted, other than the recognition by Najib. Pakatan had one strategic director: all came from him. Some would blog allegations (offensive), while the rest would be on the defensive; all structured and “think” in unison.

BN’s on the other hand had everyone on both the offensive and the defensive. When one person blogs about an issue, everyone else jumps into the bandwagon either re-writing and re-phrasing the first blog, or outright Copy and Paste, or the lazy ones would just have a catchy headline and paste the URL of other blogs to read about the issue.

But never do I see people answering to allegations made by the Pakatan bloggers save for some who are not part of the BN cyberwarriors’ teams! I blame this on the “strategists” these BN cybertroopers report to, and also their lack of knowledge on institutional memory as well as current affairs. Not one person from the BN cyber units dared engage people on the issue of Budget Deficit, Economics, History, Law, Constitution etc. Most are contented with ridiculing Pakatan and their figureheads while fighting for ratings using scandalous headlines and sometimes even add scandals of artistes in their blogs just to keep their ratings up!

In short, BN failed to manage the perception of voters, especially the younger ones by not fully utilising the world wide web. No one wrote about how BR1M for example is good, not as a political tool, but in spurring economic activities. All I see written about BR1M is it is a gift from BN and the rakyat should appreciate it. Well, they should put themselves in the shoes of the voters: the voters turned and said it is their money anyhow so why is BR1M a gift?

The other reason of course is the Chinese swing (since they cannot accept the term “Tsunami”). For the past three elections it took me less than twenty minutes from parking my car at 9am, to casting my votes, to starting my car again. This time around, it took me more than two hours! And all around me were faces of Chinese people I never knew lived in my neighbourhood! Let us face the fact that the Chinese have found a bargaining chip in the Pakatan Rakyat. I think Annie’s summed it up real good.

Having won five states in 2008 which we all know was beyond the expectation of the then Barisan Alternatif, the Pakatan Rakyat representatives went on a spree of ceramahs virtually every night since March 2008 until the 2013 elections. This is because they were not sure of repeating the same success, and had to win the perception of the people. And it is probably because of that they did not focus so much on work, but rather on roadshows. Penang, while managed to reduce its debt, saw a substantial increase in deficit, and decrease in investment (BN/UMNO cybertroopers, please learn here):

All the Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states have formed their respective government which means that all have accepted the results of the GE13, save for Anwar Ibrahim and his band of “boys” who still harp on the fact that the Pakatan Rakyat had won the popular votes. Well, that may be true but this is not a reality show. The formation of the government follows a set of law – the one with the most electoral votes forms the government!

Else, would the Pakatan Rakyat want to concede defeat to a government formed by UMNO alone? UMNO as an individual party won 29.3% of the popular votes, and on its own won 88 electoral votes! DAP came in second very far behind with only 15.7% popular votes and only 38 seats! Maybe Anwar would like to see an UMNO-DAP coalition government instead! How much did PKR get?

Remember, in Malaysia, Parliament is not paramount; it is the Constitution that makes Parliament! Therefore, respect the Constitution and move on, or find another country that employs popular votes to live in!

May 3, 2013May 4, 2013

Surat Terbuka Untuk Pengundi Melayu

Pada 9hb Mac 2008, buat pertama kalinya saya melihat seorang remaja Melayu dengan megahnya memakai sehelai kemeja ‘T’ yang tertera perkataan “DAP” dan mempunyai lambang roket DAP. Saya hanya mampu menggelengkan kepala. Di dalam hati saya teringat laporan kata-kata yang diungkapkan oleh Setiausaha Agung DAP, Lim Kit Siang:

“Melayu keluar! Apa lagi duduk sini, kita hentam lu…sekarang kita sudah ada kuasa…”

Begitulah bunyinya ungkapan beliau yang dilaporkan telah dilaung-laungkan di sekitar Jalan Khir, Kampung Baru, Kuala Lumpur pada 12hb Mei 1969. Sikap anti-Melayu Lim Kit Siang bukanlah suatu perkara yang baru, dan yang diungkapkan oleh beliau di atas bukanlah ungkapan anti-Melayu yang pertama pernah beliau ungkapkan. Sekiranya kita melayari laman http://bibliotheca.limkitsiang.com dapat kita membaca siri ucapan dan surat-surat beliau yang dibuat sejak 1968, kita dapat melihat bagaimana beliau sering menggunakan isu perkauman untuk membuat kaum lain di Malaysia ini membenci kaum Melayu.

Apabila kita langkaui masa selama 44 tahun selepas itu, kita dapati parti DAP itu sendiri masih tidak berubah, malah masih mempunyai Lim Kit Siang sebagai Penasihat Parti. Yang berubah hanyalah sikap Lim Kit Siang yang lebih cauvinis. Beliau bukan sahaja masih bersikap anti-Melayu, malah anti-Islam juga. Sebagai contoh: dalam satu risalah yang dikeluarkan di media Internet, Lim Kit Siang berkata:

“Saya berpendapat Malaysia tidak akan dapat mencapai kemuncak potensinya sebagai sebuah negara maju kerana sekatan-sekatan dalam Islam. Sekaranglah masanya untuk untuk kita mengalihkan kesemua rintangan dengan menukar kerajaan yang sedia ada dan juga perlembagaan, Ini Kalilah!”

Maka tidak hairanlah kita apabila para pemimpin PAS yang kita mengharapkan dapat mengekang kemaraan sikap cauvinis ini sering lari bertempiaran dengan ekor dikepit dicelah kangkang disergah oleh DAP setiap kali isu Hudud atau penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam kitab Injil diutarakan. Malah, masih ingat saya sebuah artikel mengenai amaran Karpal Singh dalam Utusan Malaysia bertarikh 18hb Oktober 1990 yang menyebut:

“Mahu wujudkan Negara Islam langkah mayat kami dulu – Karpal Singh”

Disebabkan perbalahan di antara dua parti ini juga kita melihat pendirian PAS yang sering berubah-ubah. Dalam Utusan Malaysia bertarikh 4hb Ogos 2001, YAB Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat dilaporkan berkata:

“Bukan sahaja dalam manifesto, dalam perlembagaan PAS sendiri tidak mengandungi satu perkataan pun untuk menubuhkan Negara Islam, dia (DAP) boleh tengok sendiri dan baca perlembagaan itu.”

Maka, bolehlah kita simpulkan di sini bahawa menubuhkan Negara Islam itu bukanlah perjuangan sebenar PAS, malah dikeji oleh sekutunya DAP. Ini juga merupakan pendirian PKR sepertimana yang dilaporkan dalam akhbar Kosmo bertarikh 25hb April 2013:

“PKR, DAP tetap bantah rancangan PAS untuk laksanakan hudud jika menang PRU-13. Khalid tolak hudud di Selangor.”

Pakatan Rakyat di dalam manifestonya (Manifesto Rakyat: Pakatan Harapan Rakyat) ada menyebut di dalam Bahasa Malaysia seperti berikut:

“Menghayati kedudukan Islam sebagai Agama Persekutuan, menjamin hak kebebasan beragama.”

Tetapi dalam terjemahan kedalam Bahasa Inggeris pula, ianya ditulis sebegini:

“Respecting the position of Islam as the OFFICIAL RELIGION, guaranteeing the freedom of religion. (menghormati kedudukan Islam sebagai AGAMA RESMI, menjamin hak kebebasan beragama)”

Saudara dan saudari perlu membaca dan telitikan dua maksud yang berbeza di atas.

Jelas untuk pengundi bukan Melayu/Islam, agama Islam hanya menjadi agama resmi Persekutuan dan bukan agama Persekutuan seperti yang termaktub dalam Artikel 3(1) Perlembagaan Persekutuan Malaysia. Ini bakal member kebebasan mereka untuk memujuk orang Islam, terutamanya dari kaum Melayu, untuk orang Islam menukar agama, dan juga kebebasan untuk mereka menggunakan apa jua bahasa termasuk kalimah Allah dalam kitab-kitab serta bahan cetak lain-lain agama.

Untuk memahami sebab kalimah Allah tidak dipakai di Semenanjung Malaysia tetapi digunakan di Sabah, Sarawak dan Indonesia, saudara-saudari pembaca perlu memahami sejarah kolonisasi rantau nusantara serta perjanjian-perjanjian di antara Raja-Raja Melayu negeri-negeri Bersekutu dan tidak Bersekutu dengan pihak British.

Sehingga tertubuhnya Malayan Union pada tahun 1946, kecuali Pulau Pinang, Melaka dan Singapura yang membentuk Negeri-Negeri Selat, Tanah Melayu tidak pernah dijajah. Negeri-Negeri Melayu Bersekutu yang dianggotai Perak, Selangor, Negeri Sembilan dan Pahang menandatangani perjanjian perlindungan (independent protectorate) dengan pihak British dengan syarat seorang pentadbir British (Residen) digajikan oleh pihak Raja-Raja Negeri Melayu Bersekutu kerana mempunyai system pentadbiran yang seragam, manakala negeri-negeri lain mempunyai seorang Penasihat (Adviser). Contoh seorang Residen ialah Frank Swettenham, manakala Penasihat kepada Negeri Kedah ialah William George Maxwell.

Berbeza dengan Indonesia yang mana ianya ditakluk dan dijajah oleh Belanda, dan Sabah dan Sarawak yang dimiliki syarikat-syarikat kepunyaan warga British. Oleh sebab itu, di Indonesia, kolonialis Belanda memperkenalkan agama Kristian dan kitab Injil di dalam Bahasa Indonesia serta mengharamkan ibadah lain-lain agama termasuk Islam.

Thomas Stamford Bingley Raffles, yang lebih dikenali sejarah sebagai Sir Stamford Raffles, gabenor British di Singapura, merupakan seorang mubaligh Krisitan yang masyhur. Beliau telah menggunakan kuasanya untuk menjemput rakan-rakan mubaligh dari England ke Borneo Utara dan Sarawak kerana “pulau tersebut didiami oleh satu kaum yang masih hidup belum keluar dari sifat kegasaran.” Di sinilah bermulanya titik permulaan penggunaan kalimah Allah dalam kitab Injil dan lain-lain penerbitan Kristian yang menggunakan bahasa Melayu seperti Buletin Ariffin, Cermin Mata, Sahabat dan Warta Melayu.

Beliau bukannya tidak pernah mencuba untuk mengKristiankan orang Islam di Tanah Melayu, tetapi mendapatinya sukar dilaksanakan memandangkan perjanjian di antara pihak British dengan Raja-Raja Melayu yang mempertahankan agama Islam dan adat-istiadat orang Melayu. Di dalam surat beliau kepada sepupunya, beliau menulis:

“Agama dan undang-undang adalah terlalu sebati sehinggakan memperkenalkan agama Kristian akan membawa kepada kemusnahan, dendam dan perbalahan.” (Buitenzorg, 10hb Februari 1815, Mss. Eur. F.202/6)

Itulah sebabnya apabila ahli-ahli Dewan Undangan Negeri dari parti DAP mengangkat sumpah pada tahun 2008, mereka menunjukkan sikap biadap terhadap Raja-Raja Melayu. Tidak cukup dengan itu, digalakkan pula anak-anak muda Melayu bersikap biadap terhadap institusi Raja. Serang pengaruh Raja-Raja Melayu maka ianya akan melemahkan kepercayaan dan sikap hormat orang Melayu terhadap institusi Raja-Raja Melayu yang menjadi penjaga dan pemelihara agama Islam dan adat-istiadat orang Melayu.

Kita dapat lihat dengan jelas bagaimana mubaligh-mubaligh Kristian mula menyiarkan risalah-risalah dan lain-lain penerbitan dalam Bahasa Malaysia bertujuan untuk memesongkan aqidah umat Islam di Negara ini. Sebagai contoh, di Johor, sebanyak 250 buah buku bertajuk seperti Kaabah, Mengenal Rasul dan Wahyu Illahi disebarkan tetapi dirampas oleh Jabatan Agama Islam Johor dan Kementerian Dalam Negeri. Dalam sebuah negeri yang 58 peratus penduduknya beragama Islam, manakala hanya 2 peratus penganut agama Kristian, untuk siapakah yang saudara-saudari pembaca sekalian rasa risalah-risalah ini dicetak?

Semua ini dilakukan demi kuasa. Dan demi berkuasa, insan yang bernama Anwar Ibrahim sering berdolak-dalik dalam isu penggunaan kalimah Allah oleh penganut agama lain.

Pada 24hb Jun 2010 di Woodrow Wilson International Centre di Washington D.C, Anwar Ibrahim telah mengulas isu kalimah Allah dan menyatakan:

“Trend di Malaysia, yang pertama sekali isu kalimah Allah. Ia benar-benar tidak waras sekiranya tidak teruk untuk mengesyorkan, bahawa anda memaksa, bukan Muslim menerima undang-undang yang menafikan hak mereka, memanggil Tuhan mereka dengan apa-apa nama. Anda boleh memanggil nama-nama lain kecuali Allah. Tetapi perkara ini hanya boleh datang daripada golongan Pemerintah yang tidak berpandangan jauh, bersifat perkauman, tidak bersikap toleran dan tidak demokratik. Kami di dalam Pakatan Rakyat, bukan sahaja PKR dan DAP, malahan PAS telah mengambil pendirian bahawa kami tidak boleh menerima undang-undang ini. Kami mesti menghormati hak agama atau kepercayaan lain untuk memanggil Tuhan mereka dengan nama Allah.”

Saudara dan saudari sekalian, cukuplah Melayu diperbodohkan atau buat-buat bodoh terutamanya dalam isu yang melibatkan agama Islam serta maruah bangsa Melayu. Silap kita memangkah nescaya yang bakal menerima akibat khilaf kita adalah anak cucu kita. Janganlah kita fikirkan bahawa kita akan tetap selamat sekiranya calon tersebut Melayu PKR atau PAS menentang bukan Melayu dari MCA atau MIC. Kita perlu lihat siapa peneraju dan terbuktikah beliau mempertahan dan memperkasakan kedudukan Islam dan Melayu di Negara ini. Lihat juga siapa menjadi dalang utama di dalam Pakatan Rakyat – tidak lain tidak bukan DAP yang tidak pernah berubah sejak tahun 1969.

Ingat saudara-saudari sekalian, satu undi untuk PKR mahupun PAS adalah merupakan satu undi terhadap penguasaan DAP ke atas agama Islam dan bangsa Melayu.

Sekian, terima kasih.

April 25, 2013April 25, 2013

A Shah Alam Voter versus Lim Guan Eng’s Crocodile Tears

The following was written on Facebook by one Azmi Arshad, a voter from Shah Alam, and has been reproduced here with permission and many thanks:

This is my reply to Lim Guan Eng’s speech/email which was described by his ardent supporters as “touching” and “full of energy”. I’m not sure which parts were touching but my responses aren’t tear-jerkers either. I personally wish for the elections to be behind us so that we can get on withour normal lives again. Until then I feel obliged to respond, when able, to uphold the truth (menegakkan kebenaran) and debunk lies, allegations, deception and half-truths.

My responses are not intended to offend anybody but to rebut LGE’s insinuations, allegations and accusations. And that’s all his “touching” speech was; there was not a single mention about any of the government’s positive achievements. I know, that’s politics. But we the people cannot trust leaders who do not know where to draw the line or do not bother about lines drawn.

I have not removed any part of his speech/email to ensure it remained “touching” and “full of energy” from beginning to end:

LGE said: “Since Merdeka, two million Malaysians have migrated overseas because they do not see a future for themselves and for Malaysia . It is time that we don’t live in our past that is filled with hatred and fear. We should look to the future filled with hope and harmony between all Malaysians.”

There are many different reasons why people migrate. People from different countries migrate to other countries. Not just Malaysia. There are those who prefer the Western lifestyle, there are those who want to earn higher income, there are those who want to make quick money, there are those who enjoy living abroad, there are those who follow their spouses, there are those who look for soul mates, there are those who prefer other education systems, there are those who do it for political reasons, there are those who want to run away from Ah Longs, while some are simply extroverts or wanting a change of scene and there are those who want to capitalise on business opportunities and so on and so forth. (Try googling for reasons). Irregardless, whatever their own personal reasons and preferences it is very sad that you give the impression to your fellow Malaysians as well as foreigners that people leave Malaysia as though it is because they are doomed to perish in their birthplace. That is very misleading and dishonest. Indeed many leave because you have succeedeed in instilling such hatred and fear in them.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we must stop the politics of race and religion.”

Yet you, Sir, are the one who re-ignited the kalimah Allah issue after the atmosphere had returned to calm, despite knowing fully well the sensitivities and sentiments of the muslims. Why do you insist on this? Why is it not acceptable to use”tuhan” instead of “Allah” in the malay translation of the bible? Why do you ignore the plea of the muslims? Why do you choose to offend muslims? I find it incredible that you are calling for “a stop on politics of race and religion”, when it is the strategy deployed by none other than your party, after which you then try to point the finger at BN/UMNO when they are compelled to defend against your provocative attacks.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we must end corruption.”

I totally agree with you that we must prevent corruption. BN also agrees with you, as declared in their manifesto, and you can see MACC working overtime. Why do you not encourage the government instead of merely condemning and refusing to acknowledge their efforts? And why have you done nothing on the alleged corrupt practices of DAP in Selangor linked to the tragic death of Teoh Beng Hock? Why won’t DAP allow for DNA samples to be obtained from the suspects linked to your party? The government has been investing a lot of time and effort cleaning up and DAP also needs to act on the blatant corruption under its own administration (of which allegations come from its own members against your own high ranked members). I’m sure you have seen the allegation by Tony Tan, who is still waiting for Teresa Kok to sue him for defamation, and the allegations against Ronnie Liu (with documentary evidence at that). I am not saying you personally had anything to do with it but you could not prevent corruption either and furthermore you have subsequently done nothing. While changes are taking effect towards a cleaner and more efficient government, you keep sounding like a broken record.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we must abolish the suppression, oppression, repression of our basic human rights and freedoms.”

Are the Opposition’s political leaders in jail? Is there shortage of food? Are people being kidnapped and tortured for opposing the government? What basic rights and freedoms have been violated? Is it because the police had to do their job to stop the rioting by your Bersih hooligans? Is it because the country does not allow same sex marriages? Is it because the government tries to help the poor by giving them some preferential treatment which is contrary to your “equal opportunity” concept? It is very sad that you would blatantly lie about the situation in this peaceful country for the sake of wanting to rule it while Anwar Ibrahim has the audacity to compare himself to Nelson Mandela, Mahatma Ghandi and Martin Luther King. You freely abuse your freedom of speech by spreading lies and deception. On the other hand you suppress the dissenting voices in your own CEC elections and try to distract attention from your unethical practice by trying to blame and demonise the ROS. You are not being truthful to yourself, to your party members and to the people.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we must demand good governance and performance from our ministers.”

Yes sir, I agree with you. BN demands the same and is very much ahead of you on this, not least with Idris Jala doing a great job implementing KPI systems for ministers and government.

LGE said: “To attain peace Malaysians must stand united and reject those who wish to divide us by preaching racial and religious hatred.”

Yes sir, I totally agree with you. That is why most of the people are rejecting DAP. You and your party are the true culprit in inciting racial and religious hatred and I had published my views on your mischief well before you gave this “touching” speech.

LGE said: “If we want to benefit from equal opportunities and realize our human potential we must stop extremists from continually degrading others as inferiors so as to uplift ourselves.”

Yes sir, I agree with you to a certain extent. I just do not know what you mean by “equal” because equal does not mean fair. For example, a disabled or poor person may need to be given more help to enhance his chances of survival. “Equal opportunities” is not an end in itself. But it seems “equal opportunities” to you means everybody, rich or poor, malay or chinese or indian, is given equal opportunity and if the result is that wealth is owned 100% by DAP supporters then the result is satisfactory by your definition because everyone was given “equal opportunity” and it’s too bad the others failed. Whereas what we should also be trying to achieve is fair distribution in balance sheet terms. And it goes without saying that it be done according to policies being honestly executed.

LGE said: “Why should Allah not be allowed to be used in the Bible when it is used in the Middle East ?

Sir, have you not been listening to explanations, justifications and arguments of the muslim community and Islamic authorities? Why are you asking this question again? It has been thoroughly explained, which means you have either not bothered to study the evidence or you choose to deliberately ignore it. Among other things, you know very well that the malay translation for god is “tuhan”, not “Allah”. I am very sad and depressed that you antagonise the muslims in this country and even more so in Penang. Before this “touching” speech of yours I made an appeal to our Christian bretheren to please use “tuhan” instead of “Allah”and that had nothing whatsoever to do with politics. Why do you wish to disrupt the peaceful religious harmony in this country and why are you so against the use of “tuhan”? And what does the Middle East have to do with the malay language?

LGE said: “We can only achieve harmony together. Despite our differences and diversity, Malaysians can make our common aspirations of freedom, justice, democracy and truth come true if we remember key values.”

Sir, we will achieve harmony again almost instantly if you would refrain from inciting races against each other. You are exploiting those differences and diversity for your own gain. Evidently you yourself do not hold “key values”. The values of Islam compel us to defend Allah’s name. Do your values, if any, compel you to use “Allah” instead of “tuhan” in the malay language bible? I appeal to you to please abandon your religious incitement. You don’t even have to apologise, just please retract your call and I will thank you sincerely and unconditionally — your previous stand on this matter will be forgotten.

LGE said: “That it is not who we are that is important, but what we are that is important; not the colour of our skin that is important but the content of our character; and not our past ancestry that is important but how we connect with the present and with each other to face the future.”

Yes sir, I agree with you. Islam is colour blind and the Holy Quran and the Prophet (Peace be upon him) are testament to this fact. And please know that muslims love Jesus (Peace be upon him). In the Hereafter we will all be accountable for how we lived our life in this material world. Yet it was your cybertroopers who tried to turn the malays against Tun Mahathir by “exposing” his Indian heritage, hoping the malays would then turn against him. Surely you must agree that kind of behaviour is racist and disgusting? They failed of course because not only Islam is absolutely colour blind but malays too are almost colour blind – that’s why, because of their past heritage, we also have malays who look like chinese (that’s me), indian and even european.

LGE said: “We can only be prosperous together. The time has come to focus on the economy, unemployment, education and business opportunities as the conditions for prosperity. We must build human talent and be performance-based.”

Sir, while I agree that material wealth is important, it would mean nothing and would be the cause of destruction of human values if that is your only measurement for prosperity. Prosperity in material wealth is meaningless if we do not pay alms to the poor, if we do not help others and if we are heedless of God (Tuhan). Please do not be overly obsessed with capitalism. Other than that, yes, we must work hard to earn a good honest living and in accordance with religious values. You will be pleased to know that the government has been focusing on all of the above.

LGE said: “For those who say that PR do not know how to govern, the 4 PR states of Penang, Selangor, Kedah and Kelantan have proven our ability by beating the other 10 BN states by attracting RM25 billion in investments comprising 53% of Malaysia’s total investments of RM47.2 billion in 2010. For the first time in history, Penang is now the new champion of investments in Malaysia , coming out top in 2010 with RM 12.2 billion.”

Sir, if PR has achieved good economic results, or even the best economic results as you proudly say, then I congratulate you. I also congratulate the federal government for making it conducive and attractive for those investments — in the case of Penang some seeds were of course planted by the previous state government before PR took over. It would be nice and sporting of you if you were to give credit where credit is due, instead of boasting as if you did it all on your own from zero, although we know you are sincerely trying hard for Penang to prosper and be independent like Singapore.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we must end corruption. Barisan Nasional cannot reform to end corruption. Remember, if we do not end corruption, Malaysia dies. If we end corruption, BN dies. The choice is clear. ”

Sir, I understood you the first time. But now you are being deceptive again by trying to make corruption and BN synonymous. Your supporters will cheer and clap but to the rest of us it merely shows your consistency in indulging in character assassination. As a taste of your own medicine, we can not only replace ‘Barisan Nasional’ with ‘DAP’ in your quote but we can also say “Remember, if we do not end racism and oppression, Malaysia dies. If we end racism and oppression, DAP dies”. Not pretty is it? But it’s true. There is nothing I can add which is not already publicly known to show that BN is anti corruption (although your propaganda material shamelessly says BN menghalalkan rasuah), has implemented and enforced laws against it and has been achieving results. It is only that you refuse to acknowledge the achievements and are not capable of “sangka baik” of anyone who could be an obstacle to your quest to rule the country with PAP.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we must abolish the suppression, oppression, repression of our basic human rights and freedom. How can we have a clean government when we do not have clean elections?”

Sir, very sadly you repeat in this “touching” speech of yours the baseless accusations of an event that has not yet occured and furthermore after seeing how SPR has implemented so many of DAP’s demands. On the other hand what do you have to say about your own CEC election fiasco? What kind of “clean” and “democratic” process was that? This is unbecoming of a leader. How would you expect the rakyat to trust a leader who does not practise what he preaches? How can we have a clean and honest Opposition when their own elections are a farce and full of dishonesty?

LGE said: “We do not want our children to live in fear of oppressive laws as we have lived. A Pakatan Rakyat government will abolish the UUCA, the Sedition Act and the Printing Presses and Publications Act and restore local government elections.”

Sir, we need laws to maintain social order and social harmony. Isn’t there already enough mudslinging, slandering and disrespectful speech going on in the social and alternative media? Why do you insist on being able to make seditious statements and carry out seditious acts that would cause chaos and social disorder in the country? What is your agenda? (Never mind, we already know your agenda). Aren’t you yourself already getting away with impunity with all your lies, deception, insults and false allegations while your supporters freely spread them? Local government elections will only result in more money and time being wasted in endless campaigning and slandering instead of just getting on with governing. Tolong lah… Enough of people jostling for power and fishing for votes please – this is too disruptive and unproductive. We want peace and quiet, stability and steady progress.

LGE said: “When can we find justice for Teoh Beng Hock, Ahmad Sarbani and A Kugan?”

Sir, as you well know, it was DAP itself that has prevented justice for Teoh Beng Hock by not allowing suspects linked to corruption in DAP to give their DNA samples, while the police and MACC officers (whom DAP accuses of being involved) had given theirs, to establish the two unidentified DNAs found on Teoh Beng Hock. I will put up a separate post on this another time to refresh your memory. While it is believed Teoh Beng Hock was murdered by at least two individuals and covered up by DAP, there was on the other hand clear evidence to show that Ahmad Sabari accidently fell to his death when he tried to jump from the ledge to the roof of the adjacent badminton hall but misjudged the distance. The investigation team even used a stuntman to re-enact what happened. Kugan’s death was also tragic and those involved have been punished, so what further justice are you seeking? I must say that in your insinuation, you were careful in ensuring that all three races are represented for whom to “find justice” so as not to be seen as racist. That’s clever of you and I won’t fault you for that.

LGE said: “When will we have Freedom of Information & Freedom of Speech? When can we have justice that is not only done, but is seen to be done.”

Sir, first of all I am already suffering from information overload of fact and fiction and stinging ears (and eyes) from seditious and obscene speech. I don’t know what more freedom you are seeking on information and speech. But then, you denied crucial information sought by the police when they were investigating Teoh Beng Hock’s death for justice to be done. The police were seen to be trying to have justice done for Teoh Beng Hock and DAP was seen to deny it. It does appear in this case that not enough information was given to the public for them to see the corruption in DAP that led to Teoh Beng Hock’s death. Nonetheless you still have an opportunity to ask their lawyers (Karpal Singh and Gobind) to allow those individuals to give their DNA samples to clear DAP’s involvement. Please come clean on this — you will be respected as a leader.

LGE said: “To put the past behind us, we demand good governance and performance from our ministers.”

Yes sir, I heard you, understood you and agreed with you the first time. My memory is not that short. It is nice to know that you and BN shares the same desire and perhaps you should read BN’s manifesto again.

LGE said: “Malaysia can be an international and intelligent country. We must have digital intelligence with broadband connectivity.”

Yes sir, I agree with you and I am sure BN does too and has evidently already achieved great success. Malaysia having the largest Facebook population is a good indicator of that success although we hope the international community does not use your cybertroopers with multiple fake accounts as a benchmark to measure the country’s intelligence.

LGE said: “We must also have integrity intelligence, so ensure that only honest people are the decision-makers. We must have institutional intelligence under the rule of law.”

Yes sir, I agree with you and I am sure BN does too.

LGE said: “We demand good governance and performance from our ministers.”

Yes sir, I heard you and agreed with you the first time and the second time. And I’ll respond for the third time, BN is all for it too. The difference is the Opposition has not delivered on most of their promises.

LGE said: “Has the Transport Ministry done its duty to run our airports and seaports well? Look at the Penang International Airport whose completion has been delayed more than 3 times. And the Penang Port is to be reduced to be a feeder port and privatized to a 3rd party at the expense of Penangites. Why is there no consultation with the people of Penang to restore the port to its former glory? Instead of looking after airports and ports, the Transport Ministry is more interested in vehicle registration numbers and wants to increase the maximum traffic fines to RM2,000.”

I don’t know sir. But delays in construction projects, especially renovation, are not uncommon. It happens in all countries. Reasons for the delay had already been explained. First you claim that the Transport Ministry is not running the airports and seaports well. Then you complain when the operations of the port is privatised to a licensed operator to improve the services. I suggest you swallow your pride and make an appointment with the ministry to give your views and suggestions to show your sincerity in wanting to “restore the port to its former glory”. If they reject your request, then there may be truth in what you say. I don’t like traffic fines either but aren’t you concerned about the deaths on the road caused by drunk drivers and reckless driving?

LGE said: “Director-General of Tourism is wrongly charged of corruption but the Tourism Minister finds nothing wrong with spending RM1.8 million in doing up her Facebook page, when we all know that it can be done for free.”

First you want the government to fight corruption. Then you say the accused is wrongly charged with corruption. There is just no pleasing you sir. In case you are not aware the DG was acquitted not because he did not receive the gratification but because (i) the prosecution could not prove criminal intent and (ii) the prosecution failed to call in the MACC officer, who was the key complainant. Now do you appreciate how it is not that simple to charge and convict someone for corruption? Would you want the government to lower the standards for conviction so that more can be found guilty and thrown in jail? So here’s the truth: MACC was correct to charge the DG for corruption and the court was also right in acquitting him; there is no need to politicise this. That’s why we have courts of law – someone gets charged and then he is found guilty or acquitted. Errr… Can you please give us the name and phone number of the person who will do Facebook pages for free (and web sites too)? I’d like to use the person’s free services, and I wish you had told us this much earlier.

LGE said: “The Health Ministry wants to privatise healthcare when it should be a public good given as an affordable right to all Malaysians. Why allow the wastage of public funds and affect the quality and affordability of drugs when drugs are bought through a middleman at higher prices when it could be bought cheaper direct from the manufacturers, some of which are operating in Malaysia.”

Let’s wait for the government to show us the pros and cons of the proposed privatisation. I can’t comment until I know the details. Whereas you oppose for the sake of opposing, true to your slogan “Lawan Tetap Lawan”. If privatisation means higher quality and more efficient services then that would be good but at the same time we would have to weigh the benefits against the cost to people. Whatever the decision and outcome, we know the government will look after the lower income group so that they will have access to healthcare in any case.

LGE said: “The Housing and Local Government Ministry opposes local government elections in Penang , denying our fundamental democratic right to elect our councillors and our mayors.”

I have to totally disagree with you. Local government elections are a waste of money, a waste of time and a major distraction from actually governing. Where do you get the idea that it is a fundamental democratic right to elect our councillors and mayors? Just because some countries practise it, it doesn’t mean Malaysia should xerox it. The state government should be given that responsibility and be accountable — just as in a company where shareholders appoint the board of directors who are then responsible for ensuring the company employs a competent CEO and management team instead of delegating those appointments to the employees by voting. The state government, mayor and local councillors should be one cohesive team. As I responded earlier, we want leaders who fear God and respect the people and not, as you believe, those who merely fear the people and job security. The present system is better, leave it be and get on with your job.

LGE said: “We believe that Malaysians deserve better. For the last 50 years, the wealth of the nation has been robbed. Let us protect the future of our children by ensuring we have a people-centric government that protects you instead of harming you, that rewards you instead of stealing from you, that respects you instead of abusing your rights. Let us clean up Malaysia to save our children’s future.”

Sir, I have to be honest that your constant ludicrous accusations and insinuations are tiresome. The corruption and “robbing” topic has already been addressed and rebutted time and time again. Why do you continue flogging a dead horse. The government is already showing that it is a people-centric government – where “Rakyat didahulukan” — and I am grateful and happy that the government has never harmed me, apart from being disgruntled over a few speeding tickets. On the contrary the government has peen protecting us from many threats including the West’s call to allow same sex marriages, riots caused by the Opposition and other external threats such as the Lahad Datu incident. While MACC is busy handling more than 400 cases, please also investigate the alleged stealing in your own party.

LGE said: “We must put the past behind us where profits matters more than our health. Lynas concerns all of us because if Lynas is allowed to operate, Barisan Nasional will proceed with building two nuclear reactors. If we continue to put health above profits, what is the use of having all the money in the world if you cannot enjoy it healthily?”

Since you already acknowledge the immense benefits to the country (i.e. “all the money in the world”), I need not say more on this. However you are still trying to deceive and mislead the public on the safety issue. Until today all the academics, geniuses, scientists, nuclear physicists and intellects (if any) of the Opposition have not produced anything tangible to doubt the safety of the project. The United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has certified that it is safe. Do you doubt them? Were they bribed? Even your most hardcore online news portal FMT admitted to the truth: “We refer to the articles previously published by us which claim that the Lynas plant may be unsafe. We apologise for these publications as such claims do not have a scientific basis. The regulatory review of the Lynas plant has been thorough and diligent”. That’s nothing new is it; that the opposition tends to make allegations without basis. And even Saudara Anwar Ibrahim has changed his position. Your baseless allegation is dishonest and mischievious. I challenge you to issue an official statement that Lynas is unsafe instead of indulging in your usual “baling batu sembunyi tangan” antics. And please do an Anwar Ibrahim on this too i.e. complain to the foreign media.

LGE said: “The next elections shall be fought on the economy. We refuse to allow BN to use race as the issue in the next elections.”

The economy is indeed a major factor in the elections and it is DAP that has been using race as an election issue. However BN inadvertently gets tangled in race issues when they have to defend against your lies and deception to cause racial disharmony. DAP is in fact guilty of what they falsely accuse BN of. We have seen your cybertroopers posting comments saying they cannot understand why non-Malays vote for BN. We have also seen confessions by DAP’s former high ranking members on race-centric strategies. With DAP being hard core racist, this is also hypocrisy at one of its worst.

LGE said: “We need to increase the incomes of our poor or else they will fall victims to the Ah Longs. For example, Bank Negara’s Annual Report 2010 revealed that Malaysia’s household debt at the end of 2010 was RM581 billion or 76 per cent of GDP, thus giving us the dubious honour of having the second-highest level of household debt in Asia . In addition, the Malaysian household debt service ratio stood at 47.8 per cent in 2010, meaning that nearly half of the average family’s income goes to repaying debts. As a rule, banks would not lend money to those whose total servicing of loans exceeded one third of their income. In other words, we are spiralling into an indebted nation.”

Sir, enough facts and statistics have been given to explain the economy, including the national debt and improved poverty levels, but you conveniently choose to ignore them just as you conveniently ignore the facts and arguments of the muslims on the Allah issue. The man on the street is not interested in your macro-economic analysis. He wants to live in a peaceful country with food on the table while having opportunities to indulge in higher pursuits. One of the reasons we have the second-highest level of household debt in Asia is because Malaysia has relatively more property owners per capita compared to other countries. In other words, Malaysians take the opportunity to buy their homes with mortgages (resulting in household debt) compared to those in other countries with less affordable housing whereby they have to rent their accommodation (i.e. no mortgage therefore less household debt). You need to look at both sides of the balance sheet. Incidentally, Penang has performed the worst when it comes to the ratio of house price to household income. It has risen to 8 times since PR took over, compared to the internationally acceptable 3-4 times. Therefore you are in fact primarily responsible for the increase in household debt. Ironic isn’t it? That notwithstanding, facts and figures don’t lie: Malaysia has a strong and sustainable economy except that you try to mislead the public on the national debt while ignoring the fact that external debt has dropped to below RM17 billion. Please study the ETP to understand where our economy is heading and give constructive comments if you are sincere.

LGE said: “According to the New Economic Model documents, the bottom 40% of Malaysian households are living with a monthly average income of RM1,500 (and three-quarters of them are bumiputera) while 60% of the households (of four persons averagely) live with a less than RM3,000 income, which is near subsistence if one lives in the cities.These are families living in fear. We will help them live with dignity and not in fear, by increasing their incomes and cutting down their costs, with a minimum wage, getting rid of monopolies, expanding internet connectivity and encouraging creativity, innovation and productivity.”

Sir, perhaps you would, but the present government is already doing it and has steadily been achieving positive results. Nonetheless, let me introduce you to many malay families in that income group and you may ask them yourself whether they are living in fear and dignity. They do have dignity clinging to religious values but they fear DAP. This is the group who cannot compete under your demand for “equal opportunities” and yet you and your supporters condemn the government when policies are implemented to help them. Malays are not the only ones who need help; we must also help the chinese and indians at a disadvantage. It just so happens that most of the lower income group comprises the malays and DAP then accuses the government of being racist when they are given assistance. Please support the government in helping the poor of all races. At least Hj Abdul Hadi Awang was gracious enough to acknowledge the government’s efforts on 22nd April in front of more than 700 supporters at Kerteh: “Kita tidak nafikan apa yang dilakukan Kerajaan BN untuk kebajikan rakyat”. He then added: “Takkan tadok silap dan saloh selama 50 tahun BN memerintah dan Yang Maha Suci adalah Allah Taala, tetapi kita sebagai manusia tetap ada salah dan silapnya”. This is true. Surely you can also agree?

LGE said: “South Korea is a very good example of a nation that chose democracy, performance and freedom of opportunity to become a developed country. With a population of 48 million, its GDP per capita of USD20,000 is more than double Malaysia’s. But in 1970, South Korea’s per capita GDP was only USD260 compared to Malaysia’s USD380.”

That is interesting Sir, but you know very well that South Korea is an exception. Why don’t you also compare us to other neighbouring countries? How exciting is the GDP per capita when comparing home prices against disposable income? Yes indeed, Malaysia’s ratio is thankfully lower. In any case, I also would not want our country to be like South Korea, beholden to the US (which Tun M saved us from) and with North Korean missiles pointed at them. Please be thankful for what Malaysia is today while we continue to develop, especially now that the ETP is being implemented and showing positive results. Have faith.

LGE said: “We used to regularly beat South Korea at football. And now our children are fans of K-pop culture and their football team are regulars at the World Cup.”

One thing for sure is that all DAP, PAS, PKR and BN supporters will be united in cheering for Malaysia whenever we play football or badminton against South Korea. Even DAP cannot prevent that. Yes, I agree that our footballing standard is terrible and the government has failed miserably here. But please don’t be upset with the government or consider it tragic that we have not developed our own M-pop culture.

LGE said: “Only when we free ourselves of fear of change, can we be free to prosper. BN cannot change. They need to be changed, for BN wants to rule by fear. Thomas Jefferson said “When the governments fear the people, there is liberty. When the people fear the government, there is tyranny”. The choice is yours, my friends. I urge you – Let us change so we can have liberty and live with dignity.”

LGE said: “*LimGuan Eng, DAP Secretary General & MP for Bagan”

Sir, we do not fear change. Indeed we have been going through changes under the present government (who themselves have gone through change), some we don’t like and most of which we embrace for the overall good. The government cannot please everybody all of the time (and neither can the opposition) but they do try to help those who may be adversely affected by policy changes. No sir, you are wrong: you may admire Thomas Jefferson and think that he is right since he was a US Pesident, but we do not want the government to fear the people because that won’t make them sincere. We want government leaders who fear God. We want the government to be sincere with the people, respect the people, listen to the people and make the country conducive for us to live in, having peace, social harmony, good business environment and an honest Opposition. We should also then respect and be loyal to the government and also respect the honest Opposition, whereas you clearly encourage anarchy and rebellion against the government for the sake of power and wealth. We already have liberty and live with dignity and if we do need more of those for greater social order and harmony then I don’t see how DAP can do any better then what the government is already doing. On the contrary DAP and Anwar Ibrahim themselves have acted without dignity in portraying Malaysia as a “suppressed, repressed and oppressed” country with a “sham democracy” where Opposition leaders are “threatened with murder”. Sir, before you demand change, you and your party first need to change. Indeed the reason I now support BN is because they have changed since PRU-12; when will you?

Saudara Lim Guan Eng, semoga mendapat petunjuk dan hidayah.

A. Arshad,voter for Shah Alam
April 2013

April 16, 2013April 16, 2013

A Reminder To Myself: ABCD

While DAP has been crying UBAH everywhere it goes, nothing about the party has changed much. In my opinion, it calls itself multiracial to cover its true intentions and true colour – yellow. I would now be deemed racist by DAP supporters as this had come from a Malay; but this would have been absolutely alright and should be accepted by the modern liberal society of Malaysia had this been made by a DAP Chinese towards UMNO.

Back in 2008, DAP Supremo and de facto leader, Lim Kit Siang, told Ipoh Timur voters that the 12th General Elections would be his last. Little did they know it would be the last they heard of him. Now, he has (yet again) jumped ship to contest in Gelang Patah, a parliamentary constituency that has 54 percent Chinese voters. And what is his agenda?

Removing the Malay from Malaysia. His Malaysian Malaysia slogan, carried on from his PAP days, now sees support from the younger Malay voters (35 years of age and below) and this I blame on both the education system and the refusal of the soon-to-be-former Minister of Information. The latter is for his refusal to allow the general screening of the movie Tanda Putera that is about the dangers of extremism, fanning of racial hatred, and the efforts put into nation-building post 13th May of 1969. I blame the education system for its eagerness in instilling too much spirit of nationalism that even those who fought for the subjugation of Malaya by Jakarta are now being worshipped by the lay Malays. Wrong heroes were created out of people such as Burhanuddin Helmy, Ibrahim Yaacob, Mat Indera, Samsiah Fakeh et al. We no longer understand the spirit and mood of our history because we simplified and narrowed our scope down to nationalism.

Lim Kit Siang and his cohorts know this, the lack of understanding of the history of the nation by the youngsters (even UMNO people failed to explain because they no longer possess institutional memory) allows him to exploit the growing liberalism, especially amongst the Malays (and Chinese) who do not have the memory of life before the existence of the mobile phones. Which is why Johor, the bastion of Malay politics, is now his main target.

Many Malays don’t understand that a vote for either PKR or PAS, if they don’t support DAP, translates into a vote for DAP. And a vote for DAP translates into the removal of the Malay and Bumiputra rights enshrined in the Federal Constitution. No big deal? Think Malaysia, it means this would affect the Bumiputras of Sabah and Sarawak as well.

A vote for DAP would mean the replacement of the protection of Islam as the religion of the Federation of Malaysia, to simply an official religion of Malaysia. Why do you think DAP has been playing the Allah in the Al-Kitab issue, then allow UMNO and PAS to quarrel over it?

Let me ask you, especially if you are a Muslim, what do you make of the pictures below?

The above is of Selangor ADUN, Xavier Jayakumar giving a talk (ceramah) in a mosque. No big deal, right? Let us see the picture below of Teo Nie Ching, also in a mosque or surau, not covering her hair:

Perhaps this too, is not a big deal for you as she is a non-Muslim and therefore is not required to cover her hair. Of course whether the hair is part of ‘aurat is still being debated as the idea has not attained an ijma’. But let me see if the verse below from the Quran would change your views about allowing non-Muslim politicians to make use of mosques and other Muslim places of worship:

The DAP assembly persons made full use of their subordinates in PAS and PKR to dismantle the unity of the Malays, who form the backbone of Islam in Malaysia. Do you think they will not attack the institution of the Raja-Raja Melayu once they come into power? Think of Day One after GE12 back in 2008. How many DAP state assemblymen throughout Malaysia were reprimanded by the Rajas?

If you think DAP needs the consent of the Agong to change the Constitution regarding the position of the Raja-Raja Melayu, the Malays and Bumiputras, and the position of Islam as the religion of the Federation of Malaysia, you are wrong:

Any bill tabled in the Parliament will go through three processes in the Dewan Rakyat (Lower House): hearing, deliberating/debating, voting. Once all processes have been successfully completed, the bill goes to the Dewan Negara (Senate House) where it goes through the same processes. Once done, it goes to the Agong, who has 30 days to reject the bill or give it a royal assent. If the bill is rejected, it goes back to the A-G’s Chambers again for amendments to the bill, then goes through the same processes as above. The Agong then has another 30-days to give the royal assent, else the bill passes into law.

Some say the military would not sit quietly to this. Maybe not, but what do you think the reaction would be both locally and internationally to a military that reacts against a united DAP supporters’ front that has become a legitimate government?

My worry is echoed too by Aeshah Adlina in her blog.

Remember, in May of 2012, DAP Supremo Karpal Singh has made attempts to define the spirit of the Constitution in wanting non-Malays to be allowed to become the Prime Minister. This was not his first attempt at doing so, he first challenged the late Sultan of Selangor in 1987.

Therefore, I am of the opinion that Tun Dr Mahathir is right in his 11th April 2013 article on Lim Kit Siang and the DAP. The Tun is also right when he said, “Melayu Mudah Lupa (the Malays forget easily)“. Those who were born after 1957 hardly have any recollection of what was shouted to the Malays, or what kind of “victory parades” took place after the 3rd General Elections in 1969.

Other possible outcomes if DAP continues to win in Penang would also be as a result of the gentrification of Penang: the removal of the Malays and Indians from Penang island, and under the United Nation’s principle of self-determination, take Penang island out of the Federation of Malaysia, and either become independent, or join Singapore. There is nothing new about having two parts of a country separated by another sovereign country. Ask the Sarawakians about Limbang and you will know what I mean.

The other possibility if DAP controls the government, is the reunification of Singapore and Malaysia. Who takes the lead is anybody’s guess. Does this seem far-fetched? In February 2013, DAP announced that it was eyeing 150 Parliamentary and State seats. In the previous Parliament, the Pakatan Rakyat held 82 Parliamentary seats, 28 of which were held by DAP. The PAP in Singapore holds 80 Parliamentary seats. That makes 162 seats out of a total of 312 seats. That’s about 52 percent of the total seats. DAP is fighting hard to get Malaysia to commit towards meritocracy, and it comes as no surprise as this was the prerequisite set by Lee Kuan Yew as reported by the Manila Standard on Thursday, 26th September 1996.

The DAP has never changed its stripes even if it now mews instead of roars. It is the same DAP as it was after 1965. While every other main BN party has seen a change in leadership since 1969, DAP is still controlled by a dinosaur that does anything in its power to remain in power, even if it means abandoning its voters from a previous constituency. Tell me now who is power crazy, and who should be changed?

Like I said at the beginning of this posting, if this was written by a DAP supporter of UMNO, it would be accepted by liberals. But I am just a Malay and DAP Chinese will deem this posting racist. I don’t care. I do not want the Malays to be sidelined and become the minority again as it once was between 1930 and 1970. Therefore I will not vote any party whose win will benefit the DAP, I will vote the MCA candidate, or any other Chinese for that matter, who will be contesting where I live because the MCA respects the spirit of the Federal Constitution.

Anyone But Chinese DAP!

April 3, 2013April 3, 2013

Undilah Kita Semua

This afternoon the Prime Minister announced the dissolution of Parliament to make way for the long-awaited 13th General Elections. For those who never watched black and white television, this is the second time that we have called for the General Elections after the dissolution of state assemblies. The first was in 1974. So, this is nothing new.

In the last General Elections, Barisan Nasional lost badly compared to its 2004 sweep simply because it got big-headed and complacent, and its leaders felt over-confident in another landslide majority. This complacency was evident in the BK5 and K10 machineries that performed its task to gauge the voters by not actually going down to the ground. This act was dubbed “Ops Tiarap” or doing something while lying on one’s stomach. This time around, I cringe whenever someone from Barisan Nasional announces that he is confident that so and so state would be won back by Barisan Nasional.

Najib, as Prime Minister, had inherited a badly-beaten Barisan Nasional from his predecessor a year after the elections. His predecessor seemed reluctant to step down, and was viewed by many as being in a state of denial of captaining Barisan into the biggest slap it has ever received. Therefore, Najib had four years to transform the image of Barisan Nasional into one that is respected by many again.

As for the Pakatan Rakyat, it started off well in a way, even Lim Guan Eng, as the Chief Minister of Penang had offered Barisan Nasional representatives to help out in managing state-related affairs. However, after a while you see the true colours of the loose coalition, especially in the states of Perak, Selangor and Penang. You see the ones who are actually in control of these states are from DAP. DAP ruled Perak and Selangor by proxy, and this is the manner in which Malaysia would be governed should the Pakatan Rakyat win this election. You can read more of this in one of my previous postings, Taken For A Ride. DAP’s attempts to portray itself as a multiracial party fell flat on its face when all the Malay candidates who vied for a seat in the party’s Central Executive Committees were rejected by the Chinese-majority delegates. Declaring there was a problem with the Excel sheet it used for the elections a month and a half later, DAP declared that the Malays actually have an elected representative in the form of one Zairil Khir Johari, who is not even a Malay.

PAS has its own set of problems when it is seen as not being able to overcome its fear of Big Brother DAP, so much so that many of its reps blatantly kowtow to the demands of the DAP. This is even more evident when PAS did nothing to condemn the efforts by Christians to proselytise Malay Muslims.. It is no secret whatsoever as to who are the non-Christians among the DAP leadership. And it is not difficult to amend the Federal Constitution when it comes to the special position of the Rajas and Sultans, the Malays, and Islam as the religion of the Federation. I shall explain this in the next paragraph.

In the process of the enactment of law, a Minister will draw a bill with the help of the Attorney-General’s Department. This bill is then passed to all Members of Parliament (MPs). This bill will go through three readings and a study by a Dewan Select Committee. On the first reading, a Minister reads a brief subject matter of the bill to the Dewan Rakyat and the House Secretary. On the second reading, this bill is debated extensively, after which the Dewan Select Committee will study it further and make amendments where necessary. On the third reading, this bill is voted by the MPs. If it attains a 2/3 support, it is considered as passed.

This bill is then read in the Dewan Negara through the same number of reading and process. Upon passing the bill, it is then given to the Yang DiPertuan Agong (Agong) for His Majesty’s consent. His Majesty has 30 days to give consent or reject the bill. If the bill is rejected by His Majesty, then the Dewan Rakyat will have to debate the bill again and pass it. His Majesty will have another 30 days to give his consent. If His Majesty does not give consent to the bill during this second round of 30 days, the bill automatically becomes a law.

Therefore, the fear felt by Muslim Malays do not come unfounded, as evident in the pictures below:

And the most worrying part about the politics of hate advocated by the Pakatan Rakyat is this:

As for the PKR, in my opinion it will fare worse off as compared to the previous elections, that its de facto leader, has announced abandoning his voters in Permatang Pauh, to contest in Perak instead.

Among the three parties that make up the loose coalition, DAP will reign supreme. PKR will emerge as the biggest loser.

How would the states fare?

Kelantan: despite the BN gaining more seats, it is in my opinion that Kelantan will remain in PAS’s hands.

Terengganu: it will be a close call as in the previous elections, with BN still holding on to it.

Pahang: Pahang will still remain a BN state.

Sabah: with Yong Teck Lee going around telling voters how Anwar Ibrahim tried to subjugate the state, and the Pakatan Rakyat links to those behind the Lahad Datu armed incursion, Sabah will still be in BN’s hands. But the local parties will give Barisan a run for the money.

Johor: DAP will make a few more gains here, especially in the urban seats, but BN will still retain this state.

Melaka and Negeri Sembilan: will remain in the hands of the Barisan Nasional.

Selangor: despite the efforts of the Barisan Nasional, I opine that it will remain in the hands of the Pakatan Rakyat. However, I believe that DAP will have a Menteri Besar-designate from their ranks this time instead of having to rely on rulingbthe state by proxy again. PKR will lose badly in this state.

Perak: this will be another state that will have a close call. The jury is still out on this one, and the same goes for Kedah.

Penang: with the gentrification of Penang, the half-island state will remain in DAP’s hands. And when I say DAP, I mean the other two parties will not fare well this time.

Of course, the above is just my opinion, and I stand corrected. The outcome may be different.

However, do not experiment with your children’s future. Your decision this round will determine the course for their future.

Be careful and be wise with your choice. If you snooze, your children lose.

Marilah Kita Mengundi.