Jikalau kita menyebut kepada orang yang berminda sepet akan dua perkara iaitu, pertama, peperangan di Timur Tengah boleh menyebabkan kenaikan harga minyak secara global; dan kedua, kenaikan harga minyak akan menyebabkan kenaikan harga barangan keperluan, mereka lebih tertumpu kepada perkara kedua dan tidak memperdulikan perkara pertama yang menjadi asas kepada perkara kedua.
Ini adalah kerana minda yang sepet lebih mengutamakan perkara yang lebih mempunyai pengaruh kepada kehidupan seharian mereka.
Perkara yang mereka nampak hanyalah mengenai urusan tuntutan insuran mungkin terjejas sekiranya Darurat Bencana diisytiharkan. Timbullah bijak pandai berminda sepet yang bertanya pula: “Berapa ramaikah di antara 160,000 mangsa banjir yang telah mengambil insuran untuk melindungi rumah dari bencana alam seperti banjir? Berapa ramaikah orang kampung yang telah mengambil perlindungan insuran untuk bencana banjir untuk pondok buruk mereka?”
Jawapannya ialah tidak ramai. Bahkan, saya mungkin boleh menyokong minda sepet mereka dengan mengatakan tiada langsung pondok buruk yang diinsurankan dengan perlindungan bencana banjir. Tetapi, untuk yang tidak tinggal di pondok buruk yang ada membuat perlindungan dari bencana banjir di dalam insuran am mereka, pengecualian tuntutan boleh dikenakan oleh syarikat-syarikat insuran, dan ini akan merugikan mereka.
Maka, minda yang sepet dengan segera bersuara menyatakan bahawa hanya mereka yang berkemampuan untuk menambahkan sejumlah 0.5% dari kos insuran mereka untuk perlindungan banjir sahaja yang akan menerima manafaat sekiranya Darurat Bencana tidak diisytiharkan. Jawapannya ialah: ITU TIDAK BENAR.
Hampir sepuluh hari yang Pada tahun lepas, satu pekeliling telah dikeluarkan untuk mangsa banjir di kalangan kakitangan kerajaan yang mempunyai pinjaman perumahan untuk membuat tuntutan insuran :
Bayangkan masalah yang boleh mereka hadapi sekiranya Darurat Bencana diisytiharkan.
Walaupun kuasa untuk mengisytiharkan Darurat Bencana berada di tangan Perdana Menteri atas nasihat Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana Pusat, Perdana Menteri masih perlu berbincang dengan kerajaan di negeri-negeri terjejas untuk pengesahan keadaan darurat kerana kuasa kerajaan negeri-negeri tersebut mengikut undang-undang yang termaktub di bawah Perlembagaan Persekutuan masih wujud. Sekiranya kerajaan di negeri-negeri tersebut tidak merasakan bahawa sesuatu bencana itu sudah diluar kawalan, dan menyebabkan jumlah kemalangan jiwa yang amat besar, boleh menyebabkan keselamatan dan ketenteraman awam di negeri tersebut berada di luar kawalan, dan tidak lagi selamat untuk para pelabur untuk terus beroperasi di situ, maka bolehlah mereka bersetuju untuk mengisytiharkan darurat.
Walau bagaimanapun, tanpa mengisytiharkan Darurat Bencana, Kerajaan Persekutuan telahpun mengerahkan aset-aset di bawah jabatan-jabatan dan kementerian-kementeriannya untuk membantu dalam operasi bantuan bencana banjir bak kata orang kampung, “Beyond the call of duty.” Malah, segala kos operasi bantuan bencana banjir juga ditanggung sepenuhnya oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan, bukan oleh kerajaan di negeri-negeri terbabit.
Yang berminda sepet ini juga mahu Darurat Bencana diisytiharkan agar aset-aset Angkatan Tentera Malaysia dapat dikerahkan di negeri-negeri terbabit. Ingin saya bertanya aset apakah yang digunakan di dalam gambar-gambar berikut?
Tidakkah mereka nampak seramai 1,000 orang anggota tentera darat, 50 buah bot telah dikerahkan ke negeri Kelantan sahaja? Ini tidak termasuk aset-aset seperti bot-bot dan pesawat milik Tentera Udara dan Tentera Laut!
Itulah yang tidak ternampak oleh minda-minda sepet. Mereka hanya nampak perkataan insuran yang telah saya tulis, dan Perdana Menteri umumkan semalam.
Perkara kedua yang telah saya tulis dan tidak ternampak juga oleh minda-minda sepet ialah berkenaan para pelabur boleh mengeluarkan pelaburan mereka dari negeri-negeri terbabit sekiranya keadaan Darurat Bencana berlaku tanpa membayar sebarang kos kepada kerajaan negeri-negeri tersebut. Tetapi, seperti yang saya nyatakan di permulaan artikel ini, pelaburan asing tidak memberi kesan secara langsung kepada minda-minda sepet. Perkara seperti itu adalah terlalu rumit bagi mereka dan hanya kerajaan negeri sahaja yang patut memikirkan kesannya. Minda sepet hanya hendak tahu mengenai insuran yang mereka tidak beli, dan harga teh tarik yang mereka gemari sahaja. Sama ada saudara-mara, rakan-taulan mereka akan mempunyai pekerjaan setelah Darurat Bencana diisytiharkan bukan menjadi keutamaan mereka.
Oleh itu, saya amat berharap mereka yang waras dan mempunyai minda yang ufuknya luas, dapat memahami keadaan dan prihatin terhadap bukan sahaja sesuatu keadaan, tetapi juga bagaimana keadaan tersebut boleh memberi kesan langsung kepada orang-orang yang di penghujung ufuk pandangan dan minda mereka.
Itu sahaja harapan saya kerana yang sepet tetap akan mengatakan pandangan yang sepet itulah yang betul.
Di atas adalah petikan takrif “Darurat Bencana” yang menjadi tajuk perbualan ramai terutamanya apabila keadaan banjir di lima negeri terutamanya negeri-negeri pantai timur Semenanjung menjadi lebih teruk. Dari takrif tersebut yang diberikan melalui Arahan Majlis Keselamatan Negara No.20, jelas bencana banjir yang melanda kita sekarang masih tidak menepati kehendak maksud “Darurat Bencana.”
Namun, masih ramai yang merasakan bahawa Perdana Menteri harus mengisytiharkan Darurat Bencana tanpa mengetahui akibat pengisytiharaan keadaan tersebut.
Untuk yang tanya kenapa tiada pengisytiharaan darurat bencana, berikut adalah jawapannya: Sekiranya diisytiharkan darurat, mana-mana perkara yang boleh dituntut melalui insurans, tidak akan boleh dituntut termasuklah insurans bangunan dan kenderaan yang diambil untuk premium bencana. Untuk masa ini, di Kelantan, keseluruhan pembiayaan kos banjir telah diambil alih oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan sepenuhnya melalui agensi-agensi Kerajaan. Jawatankuasa Pengurusan Bencana pun telah diambil alih oleh Kerajaan Persekutuan semalam hasil persertujuan pihak Kerajaan Negeri.
Ini adalah kerjasama Kerajaan Persekutuan dan Negeri di mana YAB MB Kelantan juga telah keluarkan kenyataan bahawa buat masa ini tiada keperluan untuk isytiharkan darurat dan semua pengisytiharan juga akan dibincangkan bersama dengan Kerajaan Persekutuan.
Pengisytiharan Darurat juga akan menyebabkan Kerajaan tidak boleh lagi menahan keluar pelabur yang telah membuat pelaburan sebelum ini di kawasan banjir tanpa apa-apa pampasan kepada pihak Kerajaan dan pekerja sekiranya tertakluk kepada perjanjian pelaburan.
Ia secara langsung beri impak kepada negeri tersebut.
Morning just now I read article inside picture upstairs I sigh myself, “Mother grandfather! Why English language foot hand government appalling very?”
Who we want blaming? Try you answer that. Who we want blaming? Language Malaysia fighter? Answer its easy: LAZY. Yes! Foot hand government making portal this find road simple. Type inside Malaysia language and afterwards put inside Google Translate and press click. With simple work his complete.
Afterwards, they angry with people say they many fat and work steal bone. Morning come work, punch card, then coffee. 9.30 morning new enter office. 10 morning friend work come place his and invite go drink coffee. After drink coffee 11 morning new enter office. Look one two file then 12.15 middle day go out eat lunch. 2.15 evening new enter office then go for pray Zohor. 3 evening new enter office. 4 evening friend work invite go tea pull. 4.30 evening punch out go back. If foot hand government that already marriage, Thursday must go back early because Thursday Night Friday – must go surau read Yaasin. Actually no say wife want unity!
Reason that citizen Malaysia no looking foot hand government with respect. Citizen Malaysia always angry with government foot hand reason they see foot hand government make work at time own, many fat, work steal bone, eat salary blind.
When leader foot hand angry foot hand say foot hand all many fat, foot hand write letter kite send to director say leader no good, work no good, no friendly, always bully foot hand.
This foot hand now. Some correct many fat and lazy. Pity foot hand making work correct. They become victim situation. Leader department must conserve worker good with ensure worker no good no get punishment like no rise salary, no rise rank. New foot hand good happy and giving service good.
Government must ensure rate service department government all good from foot hand rank low most until to foot hand senior. If no then we no become one country which productive and possess effort compete. Foot hand government must can speaking and writing inside language English so they can
Today Saturday foot hand government no working. Therefore, I want go eat wind. Safe leave to all.
This is a bit overdue. With all the “bangang” accusations being thrown to and fro between pro-UMNO bloggers (I was made there are several camps with different paymasters) and the independent pro-BN bloggers, I decided to hold the issue for a while until things have quieten down. I am not exactly a pro-BN blogger, nor do I have any love for the opposition and their loose coalition, nor that I am a paid blogger as I have never had to use political connections to feed my family in any way whatsoever. I am the simple nine-to-five, salary-earning employee who watches what goes on around him and voices out once in a while when things are not right. The “bangangs” then would be those who are chosen by the rakyat to govern on the rakyat’s behalf yet think they can do no wrong and are above criticisms.
The reason for the title above is because people don’t find it bordering on racism if I bash the Malays. Malay-bashing, in Malaysia, is not racist at all and outsiders (non-Malaysians) are often invited to bash the Malays as well. Furthermore, being a Malay, it would make me a racist to bash those from my own race. However, be advised that while what I will write will orbit around the title above, with a broader mental horizon you would be able to see that what follows may also apply to other races. Of course, to maintain a non-racist post, I shall name my victims collectively as the Malays.
Like it or not, the UMNO of today is a far cry compared to the UMNO people of my age or older were. I touched on how the late Tun Razak was when it came to shouldering the responsibilities the post of Prime Minister burdened him with.  In my opinion, UMNO was and is still regarded by those who join it as a platform to make money on the pretext of helping the Malays. Mind you, the same phenomena also exists in other political parties on both sides of the fence. You would not have seen this in the initial phase of the Barisan Alternatif; you’re seeing this now in the Pakatan-ruled states. The saying “power corrupts” still holds true.
When one joins UMNO (or any other political party for that matter), it is almost always on the invitation by someone who already is a member. The new member will first be introduced to the introducer’s circle of “friends” who will have a Padrone, who is either the Branch Head, or the Deputy Branch Head. Then comes the need to champion whoever the Padrone is in order to put him in place, and make sure the Padrone’s people fill up as many committee posts as possible. This is then replicated at the Division level. Getting into the Division’s Padrone’s good books allows one Branch Padrone to solicit small contracts as a Bumiputera Class ‘F’ contractor, which job then gets sub-contracted to (almost always) a non-Bumi contractor. This simply means that at times, a non-Bumi contractor will become a project-financier, or finance the bid for contracts that are meant for Bumiputera contractors simply because the Malay contractors are a lazy lot and all they want is big bucks for less or no work done. So, for those who whine about inequality, please bear in mind that the Bumiputeras are only allocated 30 percent while the non-Bumiputeras have 70 percent to grab. Demographically, 61.4 percent of the population are allocated 30 percent of the opportunities to make wealth while the other 38.6 percent (of which the Chinese make up 24.6 percent) have the 70 percent opportunities to make wealth.
You see the above also happening in the Pakatan-run states albeit with different mechanisms. Same goal, nevertheless.
Money begets power, and with every party election, more money has to be made in order to retain the power and position to make money – and this is true on both sides of the political fence. Hence, you see absolute nepotism in parties like PKR and DAP, while cronyism remains rife in other political parties. You have cronies becoming CEOs of important companies; young brats who cannot even make proper presentations. Then you have the opposition condemning such arrangements as being non-ethical when they themselves do it in government machineries in the states that they control. What makes it worse are those who continuously condemn the government in public and on social media, yet thrive on servicing government contracts.
Political parties and members no longer lead the monastic way of life as how the political parties and members were back in the 1950s, 1960s and the 1970s. The uplines, if you must, live lavishly, while their downlines slog to maintain this while trying to earn some crumbs for themselves as religious acolytes would. I don’t know how UMNO, or any other political party went down the drain this way, but this greed must have predicated on a system that was created perhaps in the late 1980s. I have not made any mention of PAS because PAS is in a league of its own, abusing religion for its own survival as if it exists to represent God on Earth.
How do we change all this? In my opinion it would take a miracle for this to change. As long as the young idolise their sybarite leaders, this country will continue to slide into the cesspool of failed nations. Perhaps, changing the system would help arrest the rot, but it would take political will to effect change. And that is where we need miracles!
Six days ago I received a Whatsapp screen capture of a conversation between a “Tweet-famous” and a friend where the former gleefully told the latter that she had a sexual relationship with a politician. Apparently, this “Tweet-famous” person is famous for her “kiss-and-tell” sessions and is known to flaunt her expensive handbags even though she is just holding a managerial post at a government-funded Foundation related to national security.
Whether or not the tryst is true, but I am of the opinion that even if it isn’t, such a person should not be trusted to be in an organisation that is linked and privy to senior ministries and information that flows from those ministries, or to any other government agencies.
Below is the screen capture which I have pixelated the name of the “Tweet-famous” and the Ministry her self-claimed sexual partner represents, especially to protect the politician mentioned.
Screen capture of the Whatsapp conversation between the “Tweet-famous” and her friend that was sent to me six days ago
Sekiranya masa dan tarikh tersebut tidak sesuai, Lembaga Disiplin turut mencadangkan masa dan tarikh lain iaitu sebelum jam 12 tengah hari pada 9hb Ogos 2014 (Sabtu).
Selain isu kenyataan media yang dibuat Tan Sri Khalid pada 22hb Julai 2014, beliau turut akan diminta memberikan penjelasan berkenaan perkara-perkara berikut:
1. Penstrukturan Air Selangor
2. Elaun Baru Menteri Besar Selangor
3. Kenaikan Cukai bagi Lesen Perniagaan
4. Pinjaman YAB Tan Sri Khalid dengan Bank Islam
5. Cadangan Lebuhraya Baru KIDEX
Dato’ Dr Tan Kee Kwong
Pengerusi Lembaga Disiplin KEADILAN
7 Ogos 2014
I am surprised that the Menteri Besar’s new allowance is also being questioned. Yet no one is interested to ask why has the allowance for the Speaker as well as ADUNs also gone up at the same time; mind you both Menteris Besar in-waiting, Wan Azizah and Azmin Ali also benefited from this increase.
Talking about Wan Azizah, it has definitely been more than 100 days since she “won” the Kajang seat. What promise has she fulfilled or begun to fulfill? Apart from being that puppet she has been since 1999, and reportedly being a punching bag for whoever it was that made her fled to her sisters house in November 1993 or around about that and calling up four people seeking their help, what has she done?
There has also never been any show-cause letter to Azmin for that press conference stunt he made when someone reportedly broke a certain promise made to him if Selangor is retained by the Pakatan Rakyat during the GE13?
Why is there also no show-cause letter issued to Elizabeth Wong who reportedly fought tooth and nail to wipe out notions that Selangor was going to run out of water come 2014?
PKR is a big fat joke. During its conception in September 1998, it was about fighting for a man who claimed he was wrongfully dismissed.
Now in 2014, it is fighting to dismiss a man wrongfully.
A big fat joke PKR is.
Khalid should just dissolve the state assembly and mean business. It would shut his opponents up.
One after another tragedy befell us. 2014 struck us as annus horribilis. Our faith in the capability of this nation was tested again and again, and at times for many it seemed as if we are the laughing stock of the world.
One man surprised me: Najib Razak. I for one did not think that he would be able to keep his head above the turbid waters created by the MH17 incident where world powers and their allies were already showing fists to each other, while Malaysia looked helpless in the middle. Out of nowhere, Najib appeared on television screens almost worldwide, announcing that Malaysia had secured the two black boxes, the bodies retrieved, and unlimited access to the crash sites. And it seemed for a long second, everyone in the world paused and wondered how could this nothing nation secure such a deal?
I have always maintained that if the parties involved in the conflict are eager to prove their innocence, they should cooperate. That was exactly what Alexander Borodai did. Malaysia did not care for the conflict. All Malaysia want is to be able to send back fathers, mothers, grandfathers, grandmothers, sons and daughters back to their loved ones; therefore it was important for Malaysia to speak to who seems to be in-charge of the area and situation, not necessarily recognising who is who in Eastern Ukraine.
A simple but decisive stroke of diplomacy by the least expected nation’s Prime Minister has brought about all but a final closure to the MH17 episode. Najib Razak, in my eyes, has proven himself a worthy leader, a diplomat to be respected. As for MH370, search will recommence next month earliest, and we hope to have good news from that as well although it may seem all but futile.
At least, in the case of MH17, Malaysians can have a great albeit sombre Aidil Fitri. At least we know they will be coming back. And we pray the same for those on board the MH370.
Dato’ Seri Najib, I thank you and seek your forgiveness for not having faith in your handling of the MH17 tragedy. Not only have you proven that I was wrong about you, you went on to prove you are far better than the leaders of the developed nations.
Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Fitri, Maaf Zahir dan Batin.
Every time a crisis hits Malaysia, the knee seems to be the limit of many, not just in Malaysia, but also around the world. Therefore, in just four months, we see more brain-in-the-knee experts rear their empty ugly skull. While in the MH370 tragedy, I personally knew one person on board, I know two people who have lost family members on board the MH17 – one lost five family members, the other lost six. As usual, many keyboard experts would put the blame on the pilot who strayed from the intended flight path because he was fasting; on Malaysia Airlines for allowing MH17 to fly into a “Red Zone” when other airlines skirted the area; and some even concluded that the aircraft, registration 9M-MRD, broke apart in mid-air because of poor maintenance. Before I begin, let me congratulate DAP Member of Parliament, Nga Kor Ming, for having made it to the “Idiots of the Year” list, two years in a row for posting this:
Let us go through the items one-by-one:
Was MH17 Flying Through A No-Fly Zone?
No.
The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) has confirmed that that particular airway (much like our highways on ground) was a safe route. In fact, when during a PC by the Malaysian Transport Minister it was mentioned that Malaysia Airlines no longer flies that airway because the airway has now been closed, the ICAO refuted this saying the airway is still open. However, the agency that is diverting flights away from East Ukraine is Eurocontrol, the airspace management agency for Europe. Prior to the incident, the Ukrainian agency for airspace management cleared any flight to fly above 32,000 feet. When MH17 was shot down, she was flying at a supposedly safe altitude of 33,000 feet.
There was a Notice to Airmen (NOTAM) issued but does not cover the area the MH17 was flying through.
Therefore, the area was never a “No-Fly Zone.”
MAS Pilots Are Irresponsible As They Fly According To Their Whims And Fancies
Pilots do not fly according to their whims and fancies and like the roads you drive on, similarly there are airways above where the police watches you on every road and passes you to another policeman to watch you when you leave one road to enter another. The police would even tell you at what speeds are you allowed to fly and at what height. Every flight would require an approved flight plan. This flight plan is then submitted by the airline’s flight operations department or equivalent to the airspace management organisation which in the case of Amsterdam, falls under Eurocontrol which will then coordinate with the various Flight Information Regions to seek approval from them for MH17 to fly through. Once approved, the pilots would study the approved flight plan, concur with it, punch it into their flight management system and fly according to the plan save for some minor variations due to traffic or weather.
This is hardly the kiasu driving you undertake when you drive your girlfriend inside your mom’s car.
MAS Is Irresponsible For Allowing MH17 To Fly Into A No-Fly Zone/Zone of Conflict
Firstly, it was not a No-Fly Zone as explained above. Secondly, that has always been the route taken by most airlines going to northwestern Europe from most of Asia and vice versa. The only thing that has changed is the conflict that is taking place in the Donetsk region.
Yes, Ukrainian MILITARY aircraft have been shot down there prior to the downing of the MH17. I placed emphasis on the word MILITARY. All were shot down using the IGLA MANPADS (Man Portable Air Defence System) – in short, a shoulder-launched surface-to-air missile. This system can reach an altitude of 6,000 meters (19,700 feet). So, aircraft flying at 6,100 meters (20,000 feet) and above are generally safe. The Ukrainian authorities even added another 12,000 feet safety buffer by creating a minimum altitude of 32,000 feet. The MH17 was flying at 33,000 feet.
MAS Is Irresponsible For Not Redirecting Flights Away From Ukraine Like Other Airlines Have Including Singapore Airlines and QANTAS
Oh, really?
Where was the danger?
Let me show you the airlines that flew over Ukraine over the week preceding the downing of the MH17:
See if Singapore Airlines is not in the list. In fact, a Singapore Airlines Airbus A380 was just 25km away from the MH17. They were lucky, we were not:
So, why are some Asian airlines not in the list?
This is how you view the Earth:
Unfortunately, this is how Earth looks like (without the stand):
Routes are derived from the shortest path calculated using the Great Circle Line. This is Navigation 101 for Idiots. Which is why some northeastern Asian flights miss Ukraine totally to get to northwestern Europe, unlike those from Southeast Asia INCLUDING SINGAPORE AIRLINES.
Oh, what about QANTAS coming from down under?
Oh, yes. QANTAS mentioned that it has avoided Ukrainian airspace for months. In fact, since April 2013! This is because QANTAS, according to the Sydney Morning Herald in January 2013, has stopped flying the Great Kangaroo Route. This means that QANTAS Flight QF1 no longer flies to London Heathrow. Instead, QANTAS flies its passengers wanting to go to Europe through its code-sharing partners in Singapore, Hong Kong, Kuala Lumpur, Bangkok, Dubai etc through the Star Alliance and One World Alliance that MAS is a member of.
No biggie there as to why QANTAS is so safe now, is there?
The Russian Separatists Shot MH17 Down, Even The US Says So
Really?
No one knows right now who shot the flight down and using what weapon system. The biggest suspect now is the BUK M-1 medium-range surface-to-air system that both Russia and Ukraine have. It is not a system that you can just plug-and-play upon purchase as extensive training has to be given in order to effectively use this system. That pretty much rules out the Separatists. That leaves us with Ukraine and Russia.
Russia, already pressured by the West for Simferopol, Crimea and Donetsk, and its opposition to the Ukraine wanting a NATO membership, has a lot to lose by allowing the shooting down of the MH17. In 2012, while global arms sales by the top 10 defence companies shrunk by 4.3 percent, Russia’s increased by a whopping 28 percent. With Malaysia seeking for multi-role combat aircraft to replace the MiG-29N, Russia has a lot to lose.
Ukraine meanwhile has a lot to gain from this if you look at this from another angle. It would receive the recognition it would want from the world in its fight against the Donetsk separatists, and get all the international backing to apply pressure against the Russians.
So, what about the US of A being sure that all evidences that have yet to be obtained point to Russia?
Remember the Iraqi WMDs?
I leave that to your imagination, as long as your brain is not where the top X-Ray image shows it to be.
Meanwhile, stop bashing Malaysia Airlines and grow up!
The latest incident involving a Warrant Officer of the Malaysian Armed Forces attached to the Malaysian High Commission in New Zealand who was arrested on 9th May for attempted burglary and sexual assault is one that is both simple but complex in nature, but comes with a simple solution.
The crime may not be as bad as the crimes committed by Arjen Rudd, the South African diplomat in the blockbuster movie “Lethal Weapon 2” (played by Joss Ackland) nor is it as bad as an incident involving the Ambassador of Myanmar to Sri Lanka, but the crimes committed by this Warrant Officer warrants a serious action. In all the instances above, the clause “Diplomatic Immunity” was invoked.
Contrary to popular belief, Article 37 of the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations says that as long as you are a member of the Embassy staff, you are entitled to the immunities prescribed in Articles 29 thru 36; and this includes spouse, children, maids, servants working there, plus minus one or two articles for non-staff. The Warrant Officer is a diplomatic agent, and under Article 29 he is inviolable: he cannot be prosecuted for any crime committed in the Receiving State which, in this case, is New Zealand.
As in the case of the Myanmar Ambassador to Sri Lanka, the Ambassador in 1979 suspected his wife of having an affair, shot her. Then, on the grounds of the Embassy, he built a funeral pyre and cremated his wife in full view of the police, media and the public AND STILL REMAINED AN AMBASSADOR! This is how strong Article 29 is.
The Warrant Officer was brought back to Malaysia on the 22nd of May after the Malaysian High Commission invoked the man’s diplomatic immunity. On the 29th May, the Malaysian Armed Forces convened a. Board of Inquiry into the incident, and none of us would have known of this until someone in New Zealand kicked up so much fuss to not notice!
Is it right, however, to not send him back to New Zealand to face charges?
The Government of Malaysia should use Article 32 para 1 of the Convention to waive his diplomat status and express this waiver as prescribed in Para 2 of the same Article. Then send this guy back to. New Zealand to dance to the tune he had asked for, while the Foreign Ministry work on repairing the damage done.
We cannot ignore nor condone blatant criminal acts by our civil servants or by any individual of the public, especially when in other countries. We should not jeopardise Malaysia’s reputation abroad just for the sake of one criminal.
Therefore, I call upon Anifah Aman to do the right thing: crucify the Warrant Officer and stop this diplomatic insanity!
The Predecessors of the current Rulers at a Rulers’ Conference
The roles of the Rulers (or sometimes referred to as the Malay Rulers) in this blessed nation are somewhat misunderstood. While many often think that the Institution of the Rulers mirror that of the British’s Westminster-style monarchy, it is not. Britain had undergone a period of regicide and for a moment was a republic under Oliver Cromwell, but monarchy was reinstalled with the ascension of Charles II guided by the British Parliament with laws made and passed solely by the Parliament. Here, we have Rulers who, until 1957, ruled the land (although much of the administration was passed to British advisers through various treaties who were on the Rulers’ payroll). It was only on 31st August 1957 that the executive powers of the Rulers were handed over to a civilian government chosen by the majority of the people of the Federation of Malaya. The Rulers, as owners of this land, continue to enjoy their position with their income regulated by the respective laws, and receive advice from the Menteris Besar (or in the case of the Yang DiPertuan Agong, the Prime Minister). This is evident in Article 181(1) of the Federal Constitution which states:
“Subject to the provisions of this Constitution,” the “sovereignty, prerogatives, powers and jurisdiction of the Rulers…as hitherto had and enjoyed shall remain unaffected.”
The same was noted by Mark R Gillen of the Faculty of Law, University of Victoria (Gillen 1994:7). In the words of the late Sultan of Perak, Sultan Azlan Shah, former Lord President, it is:
“a mistake to think that the role of a King, like that of a President, is confined to what is laid down by the Constitution, His role far exceeds those constitutional provisions” (Azlan Shah 1986:89)
As history have shown, time and time again, the strength and weakness of the Rulers lie in the strength or weakness of those responsible to advise the Rulers. Those appointed as the Prime Minister and Menteris Besar are expected to be sincere, wise and knowledgeable, truthful and forthcoming no matter how bitter the advice may be, so that the Rulers can act with just with their feet firmly on the ground, or in the Malay saying:
Supaya Raja tidak dibuai dalam khayalan; tidak diulit gurindam pujian
Why I have not referred to the Rulers in this particular post as the Malay Rulers is deliberate, with references made to various research papers on this subject. Before the entrance of the British advisers, each of the Ruler was the Ruler of all he surveyed and was the enjoyer of all he surveyed. This means that there were no state boundaries as we now have to show the dominion of each Ruler, and the people whom we collectively refer to as the Malays (as the Chinese and Indians are back in China and India are) used to refer to themselves as people of where they originated: orang Muar, orang Jasin, orang Pekan so on and so forth. Their loyalty is to the Ruler who has dominance over their area. With the introduction of the Chinese and Indian immigrants by the British, the role of the Ruler transcended protector of the Malays, as protector of the immigrant subjects as well. The Hikayat Johor of the early 20th century lauds Sultan Abu Bakar of Johor for “looking after the Chinese subjects living in the state.” There is also mention of Chinese and Indians welcoming the Sultan home from an overseas journey (Anthony Milner, Australian National University, Milner 2002:214).
Even a left-wing Malay who wanted to unite a Raja-less Malaya with Batavia (Jakarta), Ibrahim Yaacob, referred to a Kelantan Ruler bestowing a prestigious title on a Chinese merchant and observed that the Johor state council building looked like a Chinese audience hall because it was decorated Chinese writing. When Ibrahim Yaacob asked what was the writing about, he was told that it recorded the personal service of wealthy Chinese people to the Ruler (Milner 2002:261). Ibrahim Yaacob later served as a Lieutenant-Colonel in the Japanese Giyuugun (Volunteer Army) and fled Malaya for Batavia and served under Sukarno taking up the name Iskandar Kamel Agastya (SeaDemon: Road to Merdeka – Persekutuan Tanah China (6th September 2011).
When racial strife hit Malaysia on 13th May 1969, the Sultan of Terengganu as well as other Rulers took steps to protect their non-Malay rakyats (Kobkua Suwannathat-Pian, Faculty of Humanities, Universiti Pendidikan Sultan Idris, Kobkua 2011:364). This goes to affirm the special press statement made by the Conference of Rulers in October 2008 explaining that the Institution of Rulers is a “protective umbrella ensuring impartiality among the citizens.” The statement itself explains the Rulers’ constitutional role respecting the so-called “Social Contract” between Malays and non-Malays, and assures the non-Malays that there is no need to “harbour any apprehension or worry over their genuine rights.” (Kobkua 2011:425-426).
When the British wanted the Sultan of Selangor to banish a Chinese man, Ho Chick Kwan, (Ho Chick Kwan v Honourable British Resident Selangor, Criminal Appeal No. 11 of 1931), Ho was described as a “natural born subject of the Ruler of the State of Negeri Sembilan, and his adopted mother Lui Ho described herself as owing “true allegiance to His Highness the Sultan of Selangor.”
Such is the role of the Rulers in unifying the rakyat, and such was how the non-Malays back then were loyal subjects of the Rulers as the Malays were – a far cry compared to what we have today.
As mentioned in the fifth paragraph above, the strength and weakness of the Ruler depends on the strengths, weaknesses, sincerity, truthfulness, and knowledge of their adviser, namely the Prime Minister and the Menteris Besar. The recent fiasco in Johor shows how a weak adviser can put the Ruler in harm’s way. When the British acted as advisers and administered the states of behalf of their respective Rules, many of the Malays, including Ibrahim bin Yaacob, Burhanuddin Helmy et al saw no need for the monarchy to remain as an institution, hence the desire to make Malaya a republic united with Batavia. UMNO then took over as the linchpin of the Malays from the Rulers with the formation of the Malayan Union.
It is easy to understand why the Rulers agreed to the formation of the Malayan Union: weakened by the pompous nature of their British advisers who departed when the Japanese arrived, the Japanese relegated the Rulers into nothing more than deputy advisers in the administration of the Malay customs and religion. Imagine what it was like for a Johor commoner to see his Sultan being scolded by the Japanese for leaning on his stick. Seen working with the Japanese in World War Two, and weak in the eyes of the Malays, the Rulers did not have much choice but to succumb to the demands of the British. But the Tunku was quick in restoring the faith of the Malays in the Rulers. He recalled that:
“At all costs I wanted to avoid having a split with the Rulers.” (Simon C Smith, Professor of International History, University of Hull, Smith 1995:183)
The seemingly weak administrations of both Abdullah Badawi and Najib Razak, and the digression of UMNO from its original intended path of protecting Islam, the Malays and Bumiputras and its inherent weakness in dealing with various right-wing Chinese and Indian organisations that have thrived under weak administrations have led to the formation of right-wing Malay groups such as the PERKASA and ISMA. Najib seems to have given in to a lot of demands from people who will never ever support him nor his party, promising uncontrolled legal reforms thence setting up the left-leaning National Unity Consultative Council. The National Harmony and Reconciliation Bill proposed by the NUCC is seen as a clear and present danger to a society that is already on the edge of destruction.
In Section 6 (1) (iii) of this Bill, will render the Rulers powerless in selecting the Menteri Besar for their respective state; the Agong will not have the power to select his Prime Minister, the Attorney-General, his Inspector-General of Police, or his Chief of Armed Forces even. You Malays and Bumiputras may think that Article 153 can protect you, but you should also read Article 153(5) of the Federal Constitution and see what it says, and tell me if what I have written in this paragraph is not true.
Section 7 (1) (ii) even allows people of the LGBT group to hold important positions. Gender equal opportunity is already in effect, but regardless of sexual orientation? I have gay friends and some are good friends of mine. Even they cringe whenever their lifestyle is brought under the spotlight by glamour-seeking peers. It is not that they are not talented but will this not tear the fabric of our society? May I ask the so-called religious Muslims and Christians if they agree with this? In the name of Human Rights, we are beginning to fight to become animals, where unnatural ways are to become the norm of our society. I wonder how long would the Christian church in Malaysia be able to resist same-sex marriages with this Bill coming into effect. Removal of the Sedition Act would certainly act as a catalyst to destruction, much as the removal of the Internal Security Act has contributed to the worsening condition of the country. There is nothing wrong with either Act. Mere tweaking to prevent the laws from being abused by politicians would have been sufficient.
I fear for the future of this nation. We must not let extremism prevail.
This is where the Rulers can play a role in holding the fragile fabric of this divisive society, to once again play a pivotal role in bringing this nation back to its senses. We can no longer rely on weak Prime Ministers and Menteris Besar to protect this society from falling apart, all in the name of Human Rights (and the desire to please non-believers thinking you can get votes by kow-towing to their demands). The Rulers also need to keep their conduct, and that of their families, in check. There is no use correcting the society when they and those related to them do not behave with the utmost decorum. And as history has proven again and again, the Rulers can act independently from their weak and self-interested advisers.
In the words of Sultan Nazrin Muizuddin Shah of Perak in July 2011:
“Rulers must use wisdom to calm situations, but they do not have a ‘magic lamp’ to keep unity, especially when the situation has become chaotic.“
I was an Officer of the Armed Forces of Malaysia, my loyalty has always been for my King and Country. I humbly beg His Royal Highnesses to intervene and override weak and destructive suggestions of the government of the day. Again in the words of Sultan Nazrin:
“Unity requires a willingness to sacrifice, accept defeat willingly and celebrate victory with humility.”
SeaDemon Says 
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