Last updated on Monday, 29 November 2010 13:55
Nurul Izzah: Since When Was Eating Cake a Crime?
by YL Chong
On the second day of the 7th Annual Congress which ended on Sunday, this thirty-something first-term MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah had the party's members, young and old, and the members of the ‘Fourth Estate’ literally eating out of her warm hands at the main entrance to the party's annual meet with a "Marilah Kita Makan Kek" party at lunch break.
altThe young mother of two, in my opinion, is an "incidental politician" like her mother Dato’ Seri Wan Azizah Wan Ismail. They were both thrown into the deep end of the pool of politics infested with sharks and crocodiles from mainly Umno in 1988. This was when Datuk Seri Anwar, father to Nurul Izzah and husband to "Kak Wan" (as party members would fondly call the chief) were forced to play a political role just as soon as Anwar was sacked as Umno deputy president and deputy prime minister by then Umno head Dr Mahathir Mohamad.
I had personally met Nurul Izzah when I was still a member of DAP and we were speaking at the same mini stage at a three-storey building displaying a large signboard that said: ‘Pusat Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’ in Jalan Loop, Seremban. It was on an April 14 night to mark the infamous "Black Eye" sustained by the present de facto PKR leader while under the custom (read as "custody" ~ Desi)of the Malaysian Royal Police. Even then I was pretty impress (read as "impressed"~ Desi:) by Nurul Izzah's social skills, exuding always a warm smile to her young admirers who dub her in the early years following Anwar's incarceration in prison by the BN government as ‘Puteri Reformasi’. She was also outstanding in her oration – inherited from dear daddy, I presume – and soon she was polishing up her PR savvy-ness by speaking in Mandarin to charm the Chinese members who were growing in numbers at PKR gatherings.
Winning the highest number of votes among the four elected vice-presidents in a field crowded by many party elders absolutely marked another milestone in her sure and steady rise in the 12-year-old party. And she planned a most media-friendly event by hosting the "Let's All Eat Cake" party last Saturday afternoon. Surrounded by adoring fans that was not gender or age-differentiated, Nurul Izzah recalled that last Oct 16, a small movement began on Facebook that, in just over a month, became a small phenomenon that had attracted over 260,000 ‘likes’ on Facebook. One month later, the “1M Malaysians Reject 100-storey Mega Tower” group had hoped to take their work one step further beyond cyberspace by marking their one month anniversary on Nov 16 by celebrating with Malaysians by eating cakes at various public places.
"But, as we know, the authorities, be they the police, security guards, or even the university administration had decided that: Eating Cake Is Wrong!" Nurul Izzah said.
In thinking aloud, she asked: But is it really wrong? What is wrong: The calories? The absence of Jakim’s halal stickers? The lack of permit to eat cake in public? Or, is it wrong to be open minded to envision a Malaysia that is better, that is more rational, that is more equitable?
"Is it wrong by law to think for one’s self? Surely NOT!" she answered to her own questions addressed to the cheering audience who later fought to pose for photographs with the rising star of a potential prime minister of Malaysia and the first woman at that too.
Nurul Izzah then invited one and all to open and free their minds from the "Politics of Fear and Fatigue", and aspire towards the "Politics of Hope and Liberation". Even though much that has taken place in this country may have kept the people's spirits down, she stated that there is in fact much for the citizens to celebrate and have hope in. Some of the recent positive events highlighted by Nurul Izzah were:
* The release of Aung San Suu Kyi, who had been faced with Myanmar military regime ceaselessly these past 20 years! How brave and noble her spirit is.
* The peaceful completion of the PKR party polls, even though there is surely much that still needs to be corrected
* The end of a year full and fraught with challenges, yet still productive, which has made us hungry – hungry for positive change, hungry for economic equality and so forth… and also… hungry for the right to eat cake without hindrance or harassment from anyone!
"And so, ladies and gentlemen, I hereby invite you to join me to eat cake in Putrajaya on the Jan 1st 2011!" Nurul Izzah added, prefacing more such joyful events to come with the dawn of a new year.
"Let us start this new year with new dreams, new spirit, and these delicious cakes that will surely give us new energy with which we can realize all these aspirations!" she concluded, readily adjoining to photo sessions to an eagerly awaiting audience.
****************************************************
AND updated @5.00PM with report from the malaysianinsider.com:)
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Nurul: No place for prima donnas in PKR
Nurul Izzah
PETALING JAYA, Nov 28 — Newly elected vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar reminded party delegates today that PKR is a party of principles and not personalities.
Nurul Izzah said that the party’s struggle had always been based on principle, and personalities should not be the basis of its identity.
“PKR is a party with dignity because we have struggled based on the principle of honesty and high moral values and not based on personality alone. We must distinguish between personalities with principles which mould personalities. Only principle and not personality should be institutionalized within our party,” she said during her winding-up speech at the party’s national congress here today.
Nurul Izzah (picture) stressed that the public wanted transparency from its party and state leaders.
“We must speak the truth even though it may be acceptable by others. People want to hear what we can and are able to offer. People want us to be honest and transparent in charting our struggle which is free from fraud and abuse in our actions. Including the election process of party leadership, party policies, and plans to develop the country and evaluation of states which are governed by us,” she said.
“We must speak the truth and have a culture of honest politics; honest in our actions and to the people as honest politics is the basis for any political struggle,” she added.
She also said that the party had only completed the first phase of its journey.
“We have been successful in the first phase of making PKR a party that is credible. However the next phase is ensuring the continuity in the management of our success,” she said.
She stressed that the public could no longer trust Barisan Nasional (BN) as the ruling continued to mismanage the country’s economy.
“We must realize that household debt as of August amounted to RM560 billion, an increase of RM44 billion in just one year. This is compared to RM150 billion in 1998.
“The percentage of debt to disposable income is 140 per cent which is the highest in Asia. This means that the people owe more than their income,” she said.
Nurul Izzah added that the country must rid itself of corrupted leaders.
“We must realize that our country is rich with resources and has the capability and expertise to make Malaysia into a country that is rich for all the people and escape from the verge of collapse. But this can only be possible if the country is led by leaders that practices honest politics. This is the call that PKR must follow,” she said.
Nurul Izzah, who led the race for the four elected vice presidencies with 13,211 votes, was named as one of four elected vice presidents, along with Tian Chua, Fuziah Salleh, Mansor Othman.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Sunday, November 28, 2010
From blogger-friend Din Merican's blog I reprise...
an interesting post PLUS my commentjust uploaded about 10 minutes ago after a nice indulgent dinner, having survived three full days' attendance at the 7th Annual Congress of PKR at the PJ Civic Centre.
I have also taken the liberty to reproduce the COMMENTS (Thanks eh to the conversationalists:)sighted so far as my comment did refer to one particular comment'
***************************************************
An Alternative Paradigm for Change and Reform(?)
i
3 Votes
Quantcast
November 28, 2010
“In the aftermath of the previous general election, opposition politicians talked about the political tsunami that engulfed the nation in tones of euphoric surprise initially. Over time, the tone and tenor of the rhetoric mutated and it is beginning to seem as if some of the politicians feel they are where they entitled to be. Some have gone so far as to posture as if they are our only choice…
The PR (Pakatan Rakyat) cannot run away from the fact that the Keadilan controversy has dented public confidence. Simply repeating that all is well will not go far in addressing the fundamental difficulties that have been brought into focus by it. Concrete steps must be taken.”–Malik Imtiaz
An Alternative Paradigm for Change and Reform (?)
by Malik Imtiaz Sarvar
I do not think I am alone in feeling that this country is in need of a serious overhaul. Sweeping reform, of a nature far deeper than the superficial changes conceived by consultants to seduce voters, is critical to our continued survival. If voter sentimentnat the last general election is any indication, I think I am similarly not alone in believing that a change of government is in order.
I am guided to this conclusion not by dint of any admiration for those currently in Pakatan Rakyat(PR). Although admitted , there are individuals among them for whom I have a great deal of respect, this in itself is not a reason for change. The matter is addressed rather by reference to the seming inability of Barisan Nasional (BN) at the present time to form the kind of government this country needs.
It is not very difficult to prove this proposition: the BN is held by its component parties and their members, in particular UMNO. In as much as some within the BN may wish to push the envelope on reform, they are subject to those who shape influence with these parties.
Sadly, these influences seem to be driven by the belief that the ends justify the means. It is for this reason that painfully sectarian communal politics and the attendant inflammatory race and religious posturing are still very much a part of our lives despite this obviously being counter to the interests of us all. Repeated pleas to reconsider the value of such politics is met with hostility or simply ignored.
Their impact on the landscape is undeniable. Constant pandering to the politics of race and religion has resulted in grave consequences. Our country has been left terribly weakened, its institutions in seeming disarray, with no clear direction as to how to restore things to the way they once were.
At the heart of this is a highly worrisome race relations problem that is not only disruptive of desperately needed unity but also undermines our fundamentals, not least for standing in the way of constructive dialogue. Rather than engage in the issues, the government chooses to police thought and expression, the imminent sedition laws for cyberspace aptly illustrating the seige mentality of the current leadership.
To say that the citizenry is fearful for its future would not be overstating the situation, I think. For many of us, hope of the leadership recognising that what is best for our country is not necessarily defined by its political interests has diminished, if not wholly faded away. Trends that led us to doubt the quality and integrity of the government have not been arrested; concerns about the independence of key institutions–the Attorney-General’s Chambers, police, anti-corruption commission, Judiciary, and Election Commission, to name but a few–still abound as do doubts about the commitment of these bodies to the spirit of the Constitution.
The rakyat (people) has for some time felt that it cannot take their government at face value or believe in it being committed to do right by them. The constant refrains by its agents that all is well have worn thin. It is for this reason that the vote turned against the BN in 2008 the way it did. Wisdom would dictate that this was not so much due to voters favoring the PR rather than rejecting the BN.
Forgive me if I am not saying anything new in this. There is a purpose in reiterating this for the benefit of the PR. In the aftermath of the previous general election, opposition politicians talked about the political tsunami that engulfed the nation in tones of euphoric surprise initially. Over time, the tone and tenor of the rhetoric mutated and it is beginning to seem as if some of the politicians feel they are where they entitled to be. Some have gone so far as to posture as if they are our only choice.
This sense of entitlement is worrying as it is possibly indicative of politics having trumped the underlying cause of change and reform. If this is the case, the line between these politicians and those whom they condemn is less defined than they would have us believe. It would be wise for these politicians to recall that they were swept to success by a voter sentiment that is as likely to change its direction if the voters are left dissatisfied with what they perceive.
Leave aside the fact that the PR has precious little to make voters aware of what it expects to when, and if, it gets to Putrajaya. Or that it has not made clear what and how it will do as the government will be more viable for the nation than what the BN is doing. These are important issues but are unfortunately beyond the scope of this commentary.
Consider instead what it is Malaysians are being shown about PR through Keadilan. The Keadilan party election controversy raises serious questions about the ability of the party, and its allies whose fate is tied to it, to champion democracy it says it is fighting for.
Electoral irregularities are bound to happen and in any race, there will always be concerns about how
The PKR Troika for Change and Reform
level the playing field is. What is troubling is the scale of the complaints and the manner in which they have, or rather have not, been addressed. We have heard much about naysayers, traitors and the like, but we have heard little about the complaints levelled against the process and how they have been dealt with.
Malaysians need to understand clearly what it is that happened and why it happened. In particular, they need to be made to understand why there are factions within the party that have allowed their personal interests to get in the way of the cause they have represented themselves as championing.
Equally of concern is how, despite the matter having a direct bearing in the reputation of the reputation of the coalition as a whole, the other members of the PR feel unqualified to raise their concerns about it publicly. This is reminiscent of the relationship that the other component parties have with UMNO and, if so, raises an issue as to the power dynamics within the coalition.
The PR cannot run away from the fact that the Keadilan controversy has dented public confidence. Simply repeating that all is well will not go far in addressing the fundamental difficulties that have been brought into focus by it. Concrete steps must be taken.
Which brings me to the crux of the matter. It still hold the view that we need a new way of governing our country.. The question is, are we comfortable with placing our hopes entirely on PR? Some would have us believe that it is one or the other, a model that is problematic now that PR has shown itself to have feet of clay. I do not think our options are that limited. For one, PR can be made to see that it does not play a messianic role in the unfolding saga. For another, who is to say that we should not be recasting the paradigm and looking at alternatives?
*Malek Imtiaz Sarwar is a lawyer and the president of the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM). Source: The Edge Malaysia (November 29, 2010)
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5 Responses to “An Alternative Paradigm for Change and Reform(?)”
1.
I am sure that Messrs Frank and that man from New York, Mongkut Bean agree with Wan Azizah who said that Anwar is God’s Gift to Malaysians. On the contrary, Anwar is the root cause of the election fiasco in PKR which saw the departure of Zaid Ibrahim into the boondocks, and the rise of Azmin Ali as Deputy President. She has no other choice I guess but to praise her husband. Masuk bakul angkat sendiri.
I agree with Lawyer Malek Imtiaz that PR has lost its shine and this is due to the internal political bickerings of PKR. Anwar promises to clean his party. He has said that many times before, now many are fed with him and they will show what they feel in the G13. Yes, some PKR politicians are arrogant; they think they are God’s Gift to us. Take the example of Yusmadi Yusof, the MP for Balik Pulau.
Ahmadi Hussein - November 28, 2010 at 10:24 pm
2.
Me no relative of King Mongkut. Me no in New York. Me next to Wat Siam, Bakaq Bata, Aloq Setaq. About to get on the back of the kerbau, getting ready to ride into the sunset with old timers Din, Tok Cik just as soon as tean finishes milking the neighbor’s cow for milk. About the only teats free. All the other cows have been taken.
PKR has always been for me a DOA case i.e. dead on arrival. You do not resuscitate a dead body. You bury it.
Mr Bean - November 28, 2010 at 10:51 pm
3.
Here’s what I wrote earlier on that “Anwar is God’s gift to Malaysia” comment alleged to have been made by Wan Azizah.
——————————
A wife is expected to stand by her husband through thick and thin. Wan Azizah is obviously the typical wife who is deeply loyal to her husband, the kind of wife any politician would want to have. She is protective of her husband. Already, for there to be defamation of character of a public figure, for example, the law requires proof of actual malice. Unlike a private figure where no proof of actual malice is required — only negligence. Your husband as a politican and a public figure is vulnerable. If you have a public figure for a husband, you must know that public showing of loyalty to him, your confidence in his ability and trust in him are indispensable.
If reports are accurate she could have gone over the top with some of her comments. But that is understandable. She worships her husband. Lesser mortals would have left the man a long time ago.
It matters too if she was speaking in Bahasa or English when words like, “Anwar is God’s gift to Malaysia” are attributed to her. In English that is over blown use of the language. In Bahasa it may not sound so over the top considering the traditional position of women among Muslim men.
Mr Bean – November 28, 2010 at 8:21 am
Mr Bean - November 28, 2010 at 10:59 pm
4.
The least we could do now is to locate a burial plot for PKR. But since PKR is neither Muslim, nor Christian, nor Hindu and nor Buddhist it is going to be hard to find one. However, I can assure you that when you do, it is about the only time in Malaysia’s history when the UMNO run government would be prepared to overlook the religious denomination of the deceased. It may even prepare the plot for free with an all expenses paid state burial.
Mr Bean - November 28, 2010 at 11:09 pm
5.
Dear Din and friends/readers:
I was there when Kak Wan delivered her keynote address,and I so agree with Bean’s para viz: “It matters too if she was speaking in Bahasa or English when words like, “Anwar is God’s gift to Malaysia” are attributed to her. In English that is over blown use of the language. In Bahasa it may not sound so over the top considering the traditional position of women among Muslim men.”
Her delivery was indeed in BM, and I also believe body language/face expressions and other gestures are important to gauge the speaker’s conviction and sincerity. Being present I can state that Kak Wan fulfilled these two essential traits/(desiderata) of an “inciental” leader of PKN she founded while Anwar was sacked from UMNO and subsequently arrested and charged…Sorry I digressed a bit.
I also agree with Bean’s excpt for the inclusion of the word “typical” in the following:”A wife is expected to stand by her husband through thick and thin. Wan Azizah is obviously the typical wife who is deeply loyal to her husband, the kind of wife any politician would want to have.” Not typical to my mind is because it’s rare for such a spouse sharing the trials of tribulations of a husband jailed (on still widely believed “trumped-up chargeswith one of 2 convictions overturned at the highest court of appeal, but tragically we see Sodomy 2 in play again — something only possible in “Bolehland”, and yes,I speak sarcastically!
I am a PKR member in Seremban, and proud of it I add — and at coffeetiam chats I have met several Non-PKR mates who say that indeed our country is lucky to be blessed with a leader like Anwar; otherwise, Malaysia would have long gone to the dogs. Cheers to awe –YL, Desi
ylchong - November 28, 2010 at 11:32 pm
I have also taken the liberty to reproduce the COMMENTS (Thanks eh to the conversationalists:)sighted so far as my comment did refer to one particular comment'
***************************************************
An Alternative Paradigm for Change and Reform(?)
i
3 Votes
Quantcast
November 28, 2010
“In the aftermath of the previous general election, opposition politicians talked about the political tsunami that engulfed the nation in tones of euphoric surprise initially. Over time, the tone and tenor of the rhetoric mutated and it is beginning to seem as if some of the politicians feel they are where they entitled to be. Some have gone so far as to posture as if they are our only choice…
The PR (Pakatan Rakyat) cannot run away from the fact that the Keadilan controversy has dented public confidence. Simply repeating that all is well will not go far in addressing the fundamental difficulties that have been brought into focus by it. Concrete steps must be taken.”–Malik Imtiaz
An Alternative Paradigm for Change and Reform (?)
by Malik Imtiaz Sarvar
I do not think I am alone in feeling that this country is in need of a serious overhaul. Sweeping reform, of a nature far deeper than the superficial changes conceived by consultants to seduce voters, is critical to our continued survival. If voter sentimentnat the last general election is any indication, I think I am similarly not alone in believing that a change of government is in order.
I am guided to this conclusion not by dint of any admiration for those currently in Pakatan Rakyat(PR). Although admitted , there are individuals among them for whom I have a great deal of respect, this in itself is not a reason for change. The matter is addressed rather by reference to the seming inability of Barisan Nasional (BN) at the present time to form the kind of government this country needs.
It is not very difficult to prove this proposition: the BN is held by its component parties and their members, in particular UMNO. In as much as some within the BN may wish to push the envelope on reform, they are subject to those who shape influence with these parties.
Sadly, these influences seem to be driven by the belief that the ends justify the means. It is for this reason that painfully sectarian communal politics and the attendant inflammatory race and religious posturing are still very much a part of our lives despite this obviously being counter to the interests of us all. Repeated pleas to reconsider the value of such politics is met with hostility or simply ignored.
Their impact on the landscape is undeniable. Constant pandering to the politics of race and religion has resulted in grave consequences. Our country has been left terribly weakened, its institutions in seeming disarray, with no clear direction as to how to restore things to the way they once were.
At the heart of this is a highly worrisome race relations problem that is not only disruptive of desperately needed unity but also undermines our fundamentals, not least for standing in the way of constructive dialogue. Rather than engage in the issues, the government chooses to police thought and expression, the imminent sedition laws for cyberspace aptly illustrating the seige mentality of the current leadership.
To say that the citizenry is fearful for its future would not be overstating the situation, I think. For many of us, hope of the leadership recognising that what is best for our country is not necessarily defined by its political interests has diminished, if not wholly faded away. Trends that led us to doubt the quality and integrity of the government have not been arrested; concerns about the independence of key institutions–the Attorney-General’s Chambers, police, anti-corruption commission, Judiciary, and Election Commission, to name but a few–still abound as do doubts about the commitment of these bodies to the spirit of the Constitution.
The rakyat (people) has for some time felt that it cannot take their government at face value or believe in it being committed to do right by them. The constant refrains by its agents that all is well have worn thin. It is for this reason that the vote turned against the BN in 2008 the way it did. Wisdom would dictate that this was not so much due to voters favoring the PR rather than rejecting the BN.
Forgive me if I am not saying anything new in this. There is a purpose in reiterating this for the benefit of the PR. In the aftermath of the previous general election, opposition politicians talked about the political tsunami that engulfed the nation in tones of euphoric surprise initially. Over time, the tone and tenor of the rhetoric mutated and it is beginning to seem as if some of the politicians feel they are where they entitled to be. Some have gone so far as to posture as if they are our only choice.
This sense of entitlement is worrying as it is possibly indicative of politics having trumped the underlying cause of change and reform. If this is the case, the line between these politicians and those whom they condemn is less defined than they would have us believe. It would be wise for these politicians to recall that they were swept to success by a voter sentiment that is as likely to change its direction if the voters are left dissatisfied with what they perceive.
Leave aside the fact that the PR has precious little to make voters aware of what it expects to when, and if, it gets to Putrajaya. Or that it has not made clear what and how it will do as the government will be more viable for the nation than what the BN is doing. These are important issues but are unfortunately beyond the scope of this commentary.
Consider instead what it is Malaysians are being shown about PR through Keadilan. The Keadilan party election controversy raises serious questions about the ability of the party, and its allies whose fate is tied to it, to champion democracy it says it is fighting for.
Electoral irregularities are bound to happen and in any race, there will always be concerns about how
The PKR Troika for Change and Reform
level the playing field is. What is troubling is the scale of the complaints and the manner in which they have, or rather have not, been addressed. We have heard much about naysayers, traitors and the like, but we have heard little about the complaints levelled against the process and how they have been dealt with.
Malaysians need to understand clearly what it is that happened and why it happened. In particular, they need to be made to understand why there are factions within the party that have allowed their personal interests to get in the way of the cause they have represented themselves as championing.
Equally of concern is how, despite the matter having a direct bearing in the reputation of the reputation of the coalition as a whole, the other members of the PR feel unqualified to raise their concerns about it publicly. This is reminiscent of the relationship that the other component parties have with UMNO and, if so, raises an issue as to the power dynamics within the coalition.
The PR cannot run away from the fact that the Keadilan controversy has dented public confidence. Simply repeating that all is well will not go far in addressing the fundamental difficulties that have been brought into focus by it. Concrete steps must be taken.
Which brings me to the crux of the matter. It still hold the view that we need a new way of governing our country.. The question is, are we comfortable with placing our hopes entirely on PR? Some would have us believe that it is one or the other, a model that is problematic now that PR has shown itself to have feet of clay. I do not think our options are that limited. For one, PR can be made to see that it does not play a messianic role in the unfolding saga. For another, who is to say that we should not be recasting the paradigm and looking at alternatives?
*Malek Imtiaz Sarwar is a lawyer and the president of the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM). Source: The Edge Malaysia (November 29, 2010)
Like
Be the first to like this post.
5 Responses to “An Alternative Paradigm for Change and Reform(?)”
1.
I am sure that Messrs Frank and that man from New York, Mongkut Bean agree with Wan Azizah who said that Anwar is God’s Gift to Malaysians. On the contrary, Anwar is the root cause of the election fiasco in PKR which saw the departure of Zaid Ibrahim into the boondocks, and the rise of Azmin Ali as Deputy President. She has no other choice I guess but to praise her husband. Masuk bakul angkat sendiri.
I agree with Lawyer Malek Imtiaz that PR has lost its shine and this is due to the internal political bickerings of PKR. Anwar promises to clean his party. He has said that many times before, now many are fed with him and they will show what they feel in the G13. Yes, some PKR politicians are arrogant; they think they are God’s Gift to us. Take the example of Yusmadi Yusof, the MP for Balik Pulau.
Ahmadi Hussein - November 28, 2010 at 10:24 pm
2.
Me no relative of King Mongkut. Me no in New York. Me next to Wat Siam, Bakaq Bata, Aloq Setaq. About to get on the back of the kerbau, getting ready to ride into the sunset with old timers Din, Tok Cik just as soon as tean finishes milking the neighbor’s cow for milk. About the only teats free. All the other cows have been taken.
PKR has always been for me a DOA case i.e. dead on arrival. You do not resuscitate a dead body. You bury it.
Mr Bean - November 28, 2010 at 10:51 pm
3.
Here’s what I wrote earlier on that “Anwar is God’s gift to Malaysia” comment alleged to have been made by Wan Azizah.
——————————
A wife is expected to stand by her husband through thick and thin. Wan Azizah is obviously the typical wife who is deeply loyal to her husband, the kind of wife any politician would want to have. She is protective of her husband. Already, for there to be defamation of character of a public figure, for example, the law requires proof of actual malice. Unlike a private figure where no proof of actual malice is required — only negligence. Your husband as a politican and a public figure is vulnerable. If you have a public figure for a husband, you must know that public showing of loyalty to him, your confidence in his ability and trust in him are indispensable.
If reports are accurate she could have gone over the top with some of her comments. But that is understandable. She worships her husband. Lesser mortals would have left the man a long time ago.
It matters too if she was speaking in Bahasa or English when words like, “Anwar is God’s gift to Malaysia” are attributed to her. In English that is over blown use of the language. In Bahasa it may not sound so over the top considering the traditional position of women among Muslim men.
Mr Bean – November 28, 2010 at 8:21 am
Mr Bean - November 28, 2010 at 10:59 pm
4.
The least we could do now is to locate a burial plot for PKR. But since PKR is neither Muslim, nor Christian, nor Hindu and nor Buddhist it is going to be hard to find one. However, I can assure you that when you do, it is about the only time in Malaysia’s history when the UMNO run government would be prepared to overlook the religious denomination of the deceased. It may even prepare the plot for free with an all expenses paid state burial.
Mr Bean - November 28, 2010 at 11:09 pm
5.
Dear Din and friends/readers:
I was there when Kak Wan delivered her keynote address,and I so agree with Bean’s para viz: “It matters too if she was speaking in Bahasa or English when words like, “Anwar is God’s gift to Malaysia” are attributed to her. In English that is over blown use of the language. In Bahasa it may not sound so over the top considering the traditional position of women among Muslim men.”
Her delivery was indeed in BM, and I also believe body language/face expressions and other gestures are important to gauge the speaker’s conviction and sincerity. Being present I can state that Kak Wan fulfilled these two essential traits/(desiderata) of an “inciental” leader of PKN she founded while Anwar was sacked from UMNO and subsequently arrested and charged…Sorry I digressed a bit.
I also agree with Bean’s excpt for the inclusion of the word “typical” in the following:”A wife is expected to stand by her husband through thick and thin. Wan Azizah is obviously the typical wife who is deeply loyal to her husband, the kind of wife any politician would want to have.” Not typical to my mind is because it’s rare for such a spouse sharing the trials of tribulations of a husband jailed (on still widely believed “trumped-up chargeswith one of 2 convictions overturned at the highest court of appeal, but tragically we see Sodomy 2 in play again — something only possible in “Bolehland”, and yes,I speak sarcastically!
I am a PKR member in Seremban, and proud of it I add — and at coffeetiam chats I have met several Non-PKR mates who say that indeed our country is lucky to be blessed with a leader like Anwar; otherwise, Malaysia would have long gone to the dogs. Cheers to awe –YL, Desi
ylchong - November 28, 2010 at 11:32 pm
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Hot humid afternoon, yet my heART sings
Listening to the birds sing
Ah, Neil Diamond too
Sweet Caroline
Sweet Nasi Lemak
Sweet Roti Canai
Sweet Chinese Mamak mee
Sweet everything except UMNO
Give me anything except UMNO
This party has run Barisan Nasional for 53 long years
Any one year more is one too many 365 days
Days or dies dear fellow Malaysians
You change UMNO you bring s smile to my face
Sweet everything BUT
But UMNO, okay!
UMNO will only take you down Zimbabwe way
We in PKR kicked out a mole from UMNO recently
Will you kick out UMNO fromPutrajaya
For me,you and everybody
S-W-E-e-T:)
Ah, Neil Diamond too
Sweet Caroline
Sweet Nasi Lemak
Sweet Roti Canai
Sweet Chinese Mamak mee
Sweet everything except UMNO
Give me anything except UMNO
This party has run Barisan Nasional for 53 long years
Any one year more is one too many 365 days
Days or dies dear fellow Malaysians
You change UMNO you bring s smile to my face
Sweet everything BUT
But UMNO, okay!
UMNO will only take you down Zimbabwe way
We in PKR kicked out a mole from UMNO recently
Will you kick out UMNO fromPutrajaya
For me,you and everybody
S-W-E-e-T:)
Sunday, November 21, 2010
The Camel story worth re-sellling...
Knotty Desiderata is a mousey writer, so this wickedend he's going to the flea market to try re-sell this seven-story tail.WHY 7 you ask? Well, if nobody asked, I wouldn't tell, but since my mind did, here/hear's the reply/rebutt!:(
If Sdr Anwar can have his 916, and Zaid his 1216, why knot Desi his se7en???
Friday, August 12, 2005
GEMS and COALS
Narrative 5
Yeh, finally, here’s MyStory, definitely embellished and dis-membered, with apologies to the original storyteller! I heard it on the cigarette maker Camel’s grapevibes.
The Bedouin master in the wintry night out in the Zahara desert took pity on his Camel. He took the animal’s two feet into the cover of the small tent, as the cold outside was becoming more bitter.
After some time, the Bedouin felt the cold biting into him, and being a kind soul, pulled in the Camel’s body so that one half was able to enjoy some warmth of the inside of the tent.
After more time had passed, the master felt his body chilled, so he pulled the Camel further in, with only the Camel’s neck and head now jutting out of the tent.
The cold blasts of winter wind and hailstorm became furiouser and curiouser. And being a warm-heArted soul, the Bedouin felt it was cruelty to animals to have his Camel freeze outside. So he pulled with all his might the last exposed anatomy of his Camel into the tent.
He then qietly went back to sleep.
Then suddenly there was a big and loud THUD from the tiny tent, inside!
The Camel had kicked its hind-leg so hard that the Master was sent flying out of the tent, and into the open arms of the Zahara desert, outside!
Narative 1
From Mr Coww in his Chinese Classic wisdom.
Forewarning: in these days of haze,if Desi’s re-tell suffers from embellishment or deception, blame it on Indunesia, or on the Ministry of Environs.
THE FINGER
A poor farmer was paying due respect to his God one early morn, praying dutifully at the family shrine. An angel appeared before him, saluting his filial duties and hard work on the farm serving the community with his humble produce.
“Today I bring thee good fortune, the Angel said. Look at that boulder, I’ll point my index finger at it, and it will trun to gold and it’s all yours.” The Angel then pointed his finger at the boulder, and hey presto, it became a rock of gold, glittering in the sun’s rays.
The Farmer was amazed, yet his face continued to show disappointment.
“Why my Friend, do you not celebrate? This gold rock is yours, all yours. You are rich now, Go and enjoy thy life – but for your wife gems and perfumes, and for the children, food and drinks,” the Angel advised.
The Farmer looked crestfallen.
Maybe he wanted more, so the Angel pointed his finger at a stone next to the boulder. The stone was immediately transformed into gold.
Yet the Farmer’s face did not light up. So the Angel asked: “Ok, what would make you happy – I’ll try to grant thee thy wish.”
The Farmer looked the Angel in the hand, and pointed to the index finger, imploring: “I want this finger.”;)
PS: A fairy also appeared before me when I was SEVEN, and said he would grant me any wish I wanted. I must have shouted excitedly at the vision -- or isit epiphany? -- to a seven-month old baby: “Mummy, Mummy! – and the fairy obliged with an endless supply of that brand of instant noodles. Hence, my nickname until I was SEVENteen was Mamee-Boy!
I've now grown up, would kill anyone who'd still w'isper Mamee-Boy 'cos I've progressed to seeing Ursula Undress in all her morning glory coming out of the sea, running away from DR NO, and dashing towards Gold Finger.
Narative 2
from theSUN, August 11, 2005, page 10
SPAM king pays RM26m to settle suit
SAN FRANCISCO: A man once known as the king of spam has agreed to pay Microsoft USD7million (RM25.9million) to settle the software giant’s lawsuit, the company said on Tuesday.
Scott Richter, whose company OptInRealBig.com Llc. bombarded millions of Internet users with unwanted emails, was sued by Microsoft and New York Attorney-General Elliot Spitzer last year.
Under the terms of the settlement, Richter agreed to halt bankruptcy proceedings that would have protected his assets from litigation. – dpa
PS: I’ve been spammed tsunami-style too. Can Malaysians take a class-action suit against anybody?If any coolcat here wishes to proceed with one, make me a partner, OK? I offer myself as a WEAKness, I have all the evidence logged up in mySOFTbank©.
Narrative 3
from theSun, page 4 of its Business Section
Yahoo to buy a 3rd of Alibaba
CHINESE e-commerce operator Alibaba.com is in the last stages of talks to sell a 35 percent stake to Yahoo Inc in return for USD1billion (RM3.75billion) and Yahoo’s entire China’s operations, a source close to the discussions said yesterday.
The combination would create an e-commerce giant by bringing together Alibaba’s business-to-business and consumer online auction sites with Yahoo’s search operations, China’s second largest after leader Baidu.com.
A deal would mark an end to Yahoo operating a venture in China on its own. Swapping its country operations in exchange for a structure more similar to Yahoo Japan Corp, in which the US giant holds a 33percent stake while Japan’s Softbank holds a controlling 42percent. Softbank is also an investor in Alibaba, and is said to have been a broker in the current China talks. – Reuters
PS: I picked up this item feeling mighty ‘proud’ that a Malaysian-originating company has made it BIG in China. No, Desi’s mistaken, only Malaysia-sounding-lah. Now I realise my country has been made to look like Mickey. How dare these people steal this Alibaba trademark rightfully from Malaysia?:(
Narrative 4
From theSUN, yes, again, page 9
Colourful graft buster charged – with graft
BEIJING: A Chinese official who said he had to wear a bullretproof vest for six years and hire bodyguards after receiving death threats during his fight against corruption has been charged with … corruption. Huang Jingao, who in a letter to the Communist Party’s newspaper a year ago styled himself as a graft-busting pit-bull terrier, has been accused of taking bribes of nearly USD1million in cash, gems, jewellery, a gold brick and a laptop computer, Xinhau news agency reported.The one-time party chief of Lianjiang county in Fujian province also kept four mistresses and was fond of prostitues, media said. - Reuters
PS: This story is qite familiar to Malaysian rakyat, admit it-lah! PAGAR MAKAN PADI, remember, or we choose what we want to remember. That's ESCAPISM!< I of10 told Mr Coww, No, it was Mr Coww telling Desi, 4 so haz4 today.
When we discuss philosophy, Mr Coww also of10 observes that Man Proposes, God Disposes. Desi, in his great vicedom, sometimes crackfully adds: and ... Woman Exposes(c):((And brudder Mack, I assure you, this is NOT impolite, maybe verse, or fun, or pun, but definitely not profane language – it’s a play of words, remember? ;)
DESIDERATA: My take in all the above narratives is that humans all over the world are born with common frailties. Basically we are the same, except for the external skin colour of black and white, brown and yellow, and all the shades in between. CHIAROSCURO, remember, I dunno why I’ve become besotted with this WORD, since I looked up the meaning in the dictionary (I’m sorry I used the short of “’ick’ in Mack’s weblog, See http://brandmalaysia.com;) nd it created some MIS-understanding to which I apologized, so I shall refrain …), Indeed, Malaysians and Londoners, Iraqis, Americans, and Japanese, and Chinese all are human. We were all born IMPERFECT, although it’s religiously preached that all humans are born in the image of God. Luckily, some human beings are amendable to change under the right teaching and influence; some are incorrigible, like that camel, or that graftbuster, or mayhaps my own wont to make fun of others, and pun of Coww, once-in-a-blue-moon on myself. And of course, as mGf know very well, Desi is AlWays guilty of claiming a defence in -- IGNORANCE is BLISS!;) to Mr Coww, whom I always pun with, and ALL mGf in the plural, who I AlWays have FUN, PUN and WON with! ENJOY!
posted by desiderata at 3:52 AM
POSTSCRIPT added on Nov 21, 2010:
My Camel story is a follow-up to Yesterday's ramble/rumble/tumble. I guess another piece of writing I sighted in blogosphere last week resembled the Bedouin mater and his Camel, except it happened in Malaysia Bolehland, knot in the Sahara desert! Here's re-copy with no copyright or left royalty paid, YL, Desi:)
From ongohing.wordpress.com ~~ ENJOY!
THE GUEST WHO SETS YOUR HOUSE ON FIRE
He was welcomed into the house in the hope that like most others who crossed the treshold of your home he would be part of the family. You treated him not as a guest but a family member. He had family rights. You gave him big roles to play within the family. Not token or cosmetic but high-level positions, important work that was key to your family’s business. He was entrusted such big roles that even those who became family members much much earlier than him were not priviledged to have until today.
But it was never enough for him.
His attention was not on those tasks assigned to him. Even important family meetings he often felt wasn’t worth his attention nor attendance. He had the opportunities to make progress in the family life and gain admiration and gratitude if only he were willing and able to perform his duties. Even his criticism would have found hearing ears at home if only he had earned respect to be listened to by fufliing his domestic assignments. (You are asked to wash the plates not leave it in the kitchen sink or worse still, break it.)
As it turned out, after just a year in the family home, he wanted to be second only to the patriarch and matriarch of the family. Which was fine too by the family rules except for the way he went about it.
By his own admission, he loved calling “a spade, a spade”. That was as long as he was the one doing the calling. But when others started calling a spade, a spade in regard to him, he cried foul and took great exception to the fact that the spade which was his favourite tool of choice when found in another person’s hand and turned against him became what he called ‘sabotage’, and ‘lies’.
I need to check, before I next pick up my garden tool, but could it be that he was the fellow who did the world the favour by inventing the spade? Only he had the right to use a spade?
So it was that from his behaviour, it was alright for him to say anything about anyone but no one must say anything about him. He termed himself as the “messenger of truth” and those who disagreed with him were therefore to his mind snipers who were out to shoot the messenger of truth.
Even that was fine and within his rights.
But even this much wasn’t enough. Before he started to go about the process of becoming second only to the patriarch and matriarch of the family, he was saying that he would make a good match to them. Then, when it appeared that he might not after all be favoured by them, he (and I hesitate to say this in front of the children and young in the family and I am counting till ten…) said it was high time the patriarch should leave the house! Yes you heard me right, the patriarch was the problem for the ills of the family and unless he went, the family would never prosper.
It was alright to find a corner of the house to sulk in. But it seemed that even that wasn’t enough for this guest (since he would not conduct himself as a family member). He is now going about burning the house down. It looks and sounds like: “If I can’t get what I want, then others can’t have it either” or “A house without me isn’t worth keeping”.
In any family, there will be disagreements, complaints and any family will do well to do some spring cleaning from time to time. Not sweep everything under the carpet, mind you, but spring cleaning.
But it is not alright to burn the house down!
What is the moral of this story? When you next open the doors of your house to the next person who comes a-knocking, be sure to have the call number of the nearest fire brigade handy.
If Sdr Anwar can have his 916, and Zaid his 1216, why knot Desi his se7en???
Friday, August 12, 2005
GEMS and COALS
Narrative 5
Yeh, finally, here’s MyStory, definitely embellished and dis-membered, with apologies to the original storyteller! I heard it on the cigarette maker Camel’s grapevibes.
The Bedouin master in the wintry night out in the Zahara desert took pity on his Camel. He took the animal’s two feet into the cover of the small tent, as the cold outside was becoming more bitter.
After some time, the Bedouin felt the cold biting into him, and being a kind soul, pulled in the Camel’s body so that one half was able to enjoy some warmth of the inside of the tent.
After more time had passed, the master felt his body chilled, so he pulled the Camel further in, with only the Camel’s neck and head now jutting out of the tent.
The cold blasts of winter wind and hailstorm became furiouser and curiouser. And being a warm-heArted soul, the Bedouin felt it was cruelty to animals to have his Camel freeze outside. So he pulled with all his might the last exposed anatomy of his Camel into the tent.
He then qietly went back to sleep.
Then suddenly there was a big and loud THUD from the tiny tent, inside!
The Camel had kicked its hind-leg so hard that the Master was sent flying out of the tent, and into the open arms of the Zahara desert, outside!
Narative 1
From Mr Coww in his Chinese Classic wisdom.
Forewarning: in these days of haze,if Desi’s re-tell suffers from embellishment or deception, blame it on Indunesia, or on the Ministry of Environs.
THE FINGER
A poor farmer was paying due respect to his God one early morn, praying dutifully at the family shrine. An angel appeared before him, saluting his filial duties and hard work on the farm serving the community with his humble produce.
“Today I bring thee good fortune, the Angel said. Look at that boulder, I’ll point my index finger at it, and it will trun to gold and it’s all yours.” The Angel then pointed his finger at the boulder, and hey presto, it became a rock of gold, glittering in the sun’s rays.
The Farmer was amazed, yet his face continued to show disappointment.
“Why my Friend, do you not celebrate? This gold rock is yours, all yours. You are rich now, Go and enjoy thy life – but for your wife gems and perfumes, and for the children, food and drinks,” the Angel advised.
The Farmer looked crestfallen.
Maybe he wanted more, so the Angel pointed his finger at a stone next to the boulder. The stone was immediately transformed into gold.
Yet the Farmer’s face did not light up. So the Angel asked: “Ok, what would make you happy – I’ll try to grant thee thy wish.”
The Farmer looked the Angel in the hand, and pointed to the index finger, imploring: “I want this finger.”;)
PS: A fairy also appeared before me when I was SEVEN, and said he would grant me any wish I wanted. I must have shouted excitedly at the vision -- or isit epiphany? -- to a seven-month old baby: “Mummy, Mummy! – and the fairy obliged with an endless supply of that brand of instant noodles. Hence, my nickname until I was SEVENteen was Mamee-Boy!
I've now grown up, would kill anyone who'd still w'isper Mamee-Boy 'cos I've progressed to seeing Ursula Undress in all her morning glory coming out of the sea, running away from DR NO, and dashing towards Gold Finger.
Narative 2
from theSUN, August 11, 2005, page 10
SPAM king pays RM26m to settle suit
SAN FRANCISCO: A man once known as the king of spam has agreed to pay Microsoft USD7million (RM25.9million) to settle the software giant’s lawsuit, the company said on Tuesday.
Scott Richter, whose company OptInRealBig.com Llc. bombarded millions of Internet users with unwanted emails, was sued by Microsoft and New York Attorney-General Elliot Spitzer last year.
Under the terms of the settlement, Richter agreed to halt bankruptcy proceedings that would have protected his assets from litigation. – dpa
PS: I’ve been spammed tsunami-style too. Can Malaysians take a class-action suit against anybody?If any coolcat here wishes to proceed with one, make me a partner, OK? I offer myself as a WEAKness, I have all the evidence logged up in mySOFTbank©.
Narrative 3
from theSun, page 4 of its Business Section
Yahoo to buy a 3rd of Alibaba
CHINESE e-commerce operator Alibaba.com is in the last stages of talks to sell a 35 percent stake to Yahoo Inc in return for USD1billion (RM3.75billion) and Yahoo’s entire China’s operations, a source close to the discussions said yesterday.
The combination would create an e-commerce giant by bringing together Alibaba’s business-to-business and consumer online auction sites with Yahoo’s search operations, China’s second largest after leader Baidu.com.
A deal would mark an end to Yahoo operating a venture in China on its own. Swapping its country operations in exchange for a structure more similar to Yahoo Japan Corp, in which the US giant holds a 33percent stake while Japan’s Softbank holds a controlling 42percent. Softbank is also an investor in Alibaba, and is said to have been a broker in the current China talks. – Reuters
PS: I picked up this item feeling mighty ‘proud’ that a Malaysian-originating company has made it BIG in China. No, Desi’s mistaken, only Malaysia-sounding-lah. Now I realise my country has been made to look like Mickey. How dare these people steal this Alibaba trademark rightfully from Malaysia?:(
Narrative 4
From theSUN, yes, again, page 9
Colourful graft buster charged – with graft
BEIJING: A Chinese official who said he had to wear a bullretproof vest for six years and hire bodyguards after receiving death threats during his fight against corruption has been charged with … corruption. Huang Jingao, who in a letter to the Communist Party’s newspaper a year ago styled himself as a graft-busting pit-bull terrier, has been accused of taking bribes of nearly USD1million in cash, gems, jewellery, a gold brick and a laptop computer, Xinhau news agency reported.The one-time party chief of Lianjiang county in Fujian province also kept four mistresses and was fond of prostitues, media said. - Reuters
PS: This story is qite familiar to Malaysian rakyat, admit it-lah! PAGAR MAKAN PADI, remember, or we choose what we want to remember. That's ESCAPISM!< I of10 told Mr Coww, No, it was Mr Coww telling Desi, 4 so haz4 today.
When we discuss philosophy, Mr Coww also of10 observes that Man Proposes, God Disposes. Desi, in his great vicedom, sometimes crackfully adds: and ... Woman Exposes(c):((And brudder Mack, I assure you, this is NOT impolite, maybe verse, or fun, or pun, but definitely not profane language – it’s a play of words, remember? ;)
DESIDERATA: My take in all the above narratives is that humans all over the world are born with common frailties. Basically we are the same, except for the external skin colour of black and white, brown and yellow, and all the shades in between. CHIAROSCURO, remember, I dunno why I’ve become besotted with this WORD, since I looked up the meaning in the dictionary (I’m sorry I used the short of “’ick’ in Mack’s weblog, See http://brandmalaysia.com;) nd it created some MIS-understanding to which I apologized, so I shall refrain …), Indeed, Malaysians and Londoners, Iraqis, Americans, and Japanese, and Chinese all are human. We were all born IMPERFECT, although it’s religiously preached that all humans are born in the image of God. Luckily, some human beings are amendable to change under the right teaching and influence; some are incorrigible, like that camel, or that graftbuster, or mayhaps my own wont to make fun of others, and pun of Coww, once-in-a-blue-moon on myself. And of course, as mGf know very well, Desi is AlWays guilty of claiming a defence in -- IGNORANCE is BLISS!;) to Mr Coww, whom I always pun with, and ALL mGf in the plural, who I AlWays have FUN, PUN and WON with! ENJOY!
posted by desiderata at 3:52 AM
POSTSCRIPT added on Nov 21, 2010:
My Camel story is a follow-up to Yesterday's ramble/rumble/tumble. I guess another piece of writing I sighted in blogosphere last week resembled the Bedouin mater and his Camel, except it happened in Malaysia Bolehland, knot in the Sahara desert! Here's re-copy with no copyright or left royalty paid, YL, Desi:)
From ongohing.wordpress.com ~~ ENJOY!
THE GUEST WHO SETS YOUR HOUSE ON FIRE
He was welcomed into the house in the hope that like most others who crossed the treshold of your home he would be part of the family. You treated him not as a guest but a family member. He had family rights. You gave him big roles to play within the family. Not token or cosmetic but high-level positions, important work that was key to your family’s business. He was entrusted such big roles that even those who became family members much much earlier than him were not priviledged to have until today.
But it was never enough for him.
His attention was not on those tasks assigned to him. Even important family meetings he often felt wasn’t worth his attention nor attendance. He had the opportunities to make progress in the family life and gain admiration and gratitude if only he were willing and able to perform his duties. Even his criticism would have found hearing ears at home if only he had earned respect to be listened to by fufliing his domestic assignments. (You are asked to wash the plates not leave it in the kitchen sink or worse still, break it.)
As it turned out, after just a year in the family home, he wanted to be second only to the patriarch and matriarch of the family. Which was fine too by the family rules except for the way he went about it.
By his own admission, he loved calling “a spade, a spade”. That was as long as he was the one doing the calling. But when others started calling a spade, a spade in regard to him, he cried foul and took great exception to the fact that the spade which was his favourite tool of choice when found in another person’s hand and turned against him became what he called ‘sabotage’, and ‘lies’.
I need to check, before I next pick up my garden tool, but could it be that he was the fellow who did the world the favour by inventing the spade? Only he had the right to use a spade?
So it was that from his behaviour, it was alright for him to say anything about anyone but no one must say anything about him. He termed himself as the “messenger of truth” and those who disagreed with him were therefore to his mind snipers who were out to shoot the messenger of truth.
Even that was fine and within his rights.
But even this much wasn’t enough. Before he started to go about the process of becoming second only to the patriarch and matriarch of the family, he was saying that he would make a good match to them. Then, when it appeared that he might not after all be favoured by them, he (and I hesitate to say this in front of the children and young in the family and I am counting till ten…) said it was high time the patriarch should leave the house! Yes you heard me right, the patriarch was the problem for the ills of the family and unless he went, the family would never prosper.
It was alright to find a corner of the house to sulk in. But it seemed that even that wasn’t enough for this guest (since he would not conduct himself as a family member). He is now going about burning the house down. It looks and sounds like: “If I can’t get what I want, then others can’t have it either” or “A house without me isn’t worth keeping”.
In any family, there will be disagreements, complaints and any family will do well to do some spring cleaning from time to time. Not sweep everything under the carpet, mind you, but spring cleaning.
But it is not alright to burn the house down!
What is the moral of this story? When you next open the doors of your house to the next person who comes a-knocking, be sure to have the call number of the nearest fire brigade handy.
Saturday, November 20, 2010
The Third Force -- Or Is It The Third Farce?
Self-appointed leader of the Third Force in Malaysian politics, civil rights lawyer Haris Ibrahim, has taken on the mantle of shortlisting candidates to stand under the banners of PR components, Part Keadilan PKR Rakyat (PKR), and Democratic Action Party (DAP). I don't believe either of the two PR party leaders have sanctioned Haris' initiative, for I can't imagine two key components in an alternative-government-in-waiting would surrender or privatise this important role.
In another article I had indeed asked of Haris,who also leads the online NGO People's Parliament, "Who art thou in politcs?", chiefly wondering why he was so "involved" in PKR inner politics when he was NOT even a card-carrying member, and that his writings were/are mainly in favour of two then appointed "top" PKR leaders who only recently abandoned the BN banner to join PKR.
In the Star print edition of Nov 17, 2010, a news report headlined
"Azmin’s faction blamed for pushing Zaid to a tight spot", it was reported that:
"Meanwhile, Barisan Rakyat coordinator Haris Ibrahim denied that it was a “third force” or that it was backed by Zaid.
The blogger, who said the group aimed to supply Pakatan Rakyat with MPs that would not abandon it after securing enough seats to form the Federal Government, said it hoped to contest 30 parliamentary seats in the next general election.
“So far, we have 16 potential candidates. We will contest using PKR and DAP banners but in Parliament, we will serve as independents.
“We do not want to form a new party as we want to do away with politics of patronage where division chiefs expect to be nominated.” (news report excerpt ends here)
A PKR strategist told this writer that an outsider like Haris who is not even a party member is being too presumptious to think PKR would surrender this role of selecting candidates to outsiders.
"Why would PKR or DAP want to pass on to a third party to select candidates to contest under our banner?
"And who is to tell that these socalled men/women of integrity picked by Haris will permanently follow his mandate based on his own set of principles and ethics?"
Indeed, I think Haris, drunk on commenters' cheering squad on his blog, has arrogated for himself a status justified by the cheering squad -- that status befitting a demi-god? On what criteria has Haris followed to shortlist these 16 candidates for the next general elections (GE13)?
A fellow blogger when asked about Haris' initiative, said as far as he knew, Haris was definitely very close to Zaid. "And this Third Force could turn out to be a Third Farce," he merrily added.
For people new to bloggers' world, Haris was a civil rights lawyer who shot to prominence in the high profile case of defending two bloggers, Jeff Ooi,now a DAP MP, and Ahirudin Attan aka Rockybru, now a Datuk, in a defamation suit by the NSTP and several top executives. In an olde post Haris went public in expressing differences of opinion with Rockybru on some issues, and I chipped in as a commenter that it was not professional for a lawyer, still acting as counsel for his client, to go public with this open show of differences.
I recently checked with Rockybru, who I worked pretty well in organising the annual Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM) events for four outings -- although we hail from different political philosopical backgrounds -- told me recently that in the NSTP suit case, he and Haris had indeed "parted ways".
I give Haris benefit of doubt that he might have good intentions, but to get involved so "intensely" in PKR activities while not willing to join up as a member, it raises many reservations in my mind. Is he acting on behalf of key players like Zaid and Jeffrey Kitingan?
In fact, as I had observed in an earlier article, Haris and some socalled Barisan Rakyat bloggers got pretty involved in PKR party elections, having concurrently started a campaign named "BLOGGERS FOR NURUL" just as deputy presidential candidate Zaid Ibrahim had advised the MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar to accept the nomination for deputy president candidacy (which Zaid had confirmed contesting, but would make way for Nurul. What I have noted is that Haris has consistently "supported" Zaid's and Sabah leader Jeffrey's stands, in the duo's politicking in PKR. If either Zaid or Jeffrey have been feeding PKR "insider information" to an outsider like Haris, then it reveals much of their leadership as far as integrity is concerned.
As Haris' initiative is officially reported by the MSM, I have sighted an article written about this socalled Third Force previously on his blog, but Nov 17's Star report is the first time where DAP and PKR are dragged into the picture.
Third Force would be new impediment for change at Putrajaya
I have written that a Third Force is premature on the Malaysian political landscape when even the Pakatan Rakyat comprising PKR, DAP and PAS -- the latter two having proven records of some 50years of struggle to boast of, with PKR only a 12-year teenage growing up period -- for the first time have given Malaysians the hope of a two-party system, hence the most viable coalition to replace the BN government.
At this junction, do we need a third force of "Spoilers" who would likely make the next GE13 see more three- or more-cornered fights, mainly to the benefit of the incumbent BN regime?
Who's to guarantee that some or all of this core group of some 20 "persons of integrity" when elected into Parliament would not sell their souls in a "hung Parliament scenario? Ask the electorate if they had felt cheated when three PR assemblymen in Perak caused the downfall of the PR government when they deserted PKR and DAP and "became independents". Independents, my foot! It's the almighy dollar/ringgit you frogs are looking at, no? RM4million for Hee Yet Foong, yes?
The next question arising is: Haris, where are the funds coming from to finance the election campaign for GE13 for these candidates under your Third Force?
Zaid who Haris adores as seen from his blogposts had yesterday stated he might set up a new political party once his resignation from PKR takes effect coming December 16.
The Case of froggie Wee Choo Keong
Let's digress a bit here and examine PKR banner-elected MP for Wangsa Maju Wee Choo Keong. In gist, he was once a DAP elected MP but fell out with party leaders, He and some cronies then set up the Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP). He and several others stood as candidates under the MDP banner in two general elections, and I believe all contestants lost their deposits.
Just before the March 2008 GE We managed to squeeze himself a seat, contesting under PKR banner BUT REMAINING AN MDP MEMBER, and the rest is history.The man -- ah, another lawyer! -- then jumped ship and is now an Independent-friendly-to-BN. Independent, my foot! Another case of staring at the almighty dollar/ringgit sign!
Maybe Zaid can team up with Wee -- their common enemey now is PKR, is it not? -- and can take part in GE13 under MDP? I bet it would turn out to be another farce. Oops, another real force in Malaysian politics. Zaid may even win enough support from BN-friendly MPs to be elected Opposition Leader, and Wee the Whip?
Though another writer claims on Zaid's behalf that it's presumptious of certain writers to link any of Zaid's moves to finally connect with Haris' latest initiative, it is a possibility that it finally would transpire that way. Zaid might not get enough support to register his new party, these two new forces would converge into one? So to contest in GE13, Zaid becomes another "man of integrity" by Haris' definition to add onto to his short list?
Am I going to be surprised? That's a RM64million question I may get to answer six months from now should PM Najib Tun Razak receive inspiration to call for an early GE13, one I believe could lead Malaysia down that slippery slope into another failed state. And a Third Force would not in any way help the PR's road to Putrajaya to prevent Malaysia becoming another Zimbabwe.
In another article I had indeed asked of Haris,who also leads the online NGO People's Parliament, "Who art thou in politcs?", chiefly wondering why he was so "involved" in PKR inner politics when he was NOT even a card-carrying member, and that his writings were/are mainly in favour of two then appointed "top" PKR leaders who only recently abandoned the BN banner to join PKR.
In the Star print edition of Nov 17, 2010, a news report headlined
"Azmin’s faction blamed for pushing Zaid to a tight spot", it was reported that:
"Meanwhile, Barisan Rakyat coordinator Haris Ibrahim denied that it was a “third force” or that it was backed by Zaid.
The blogger, who said the group aimed to supply Pakatan Rakyat with MPs that would not abandon it after securing enough seats to form the Federal Government, said it hoped to contest 30 parliamentary seats in the next general election.
“So far, we have 16 potential candidates. We will contest using PKR and DAP banners but in Parliament, we will serve as independents.
“We do not want to form a new party as we want to do away with politics of patronage where division chiefs expect to be nominated.” (news report excerpt ends here)
A PKR strategist told this writer that an outsider like Haris who is not even a party member is being too presumptious to think PKR would surrender this role of selecting candidates to outsiders.
"Why would PKR or DAP want to pass on to a third party to select candidates to contest under our banner?
"And who is to tell that these socalled men/women of integrity picked by Haris will permanently follow his mandate based on his own set of principles and ethics?"
Indeed, I think Haris, drunk on commenters' cheering squad on his blog, has arrogated for himself a status justified by the cheering squad -- that status befitting a demi-god? On what criteria has Haris followed to shortlist these 16 candidates for the next general elections (GE13)?
A fellow blogger when asked about Haris' initiative, said as far as he knew, Haris was definitely very close to Zaid. "And this Third Force could turn out to be a Third Farce," he merrily added.
For people new to bloggers' world, Haris was a civil rights lawyer who shot to prominence in the high profile case of defending two bloggers, Jeff Ooi,now a DAP MP, and Ahirudin Attan aka Rockybru, now a Datuk, in a defamation suit by the NSTP and several top executives. In an olde post Haris went public in expressing differences of opinion with Rockybru on some issues, and I chipped in as a commenter that it was not professional for a lawyer, still acting as counsel for his client, to go public with this open show of differences.
I recently checked with Rockybru, who I worked pretty well in organising the annual Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM) events for four outings -- although we hail from different political philosopical backgrounds -- told me recently that in the NSTP suit case, he and Haris had indeed "parted ways".
I give Haris benefit of doubt that he might have good intentions, but to get involved so "intensely" in PKR activities while not willing to join up as a member, it raises many reservations in my mind. Is he acting on behalf of key players like Zaid and Jeffrey Kitingan?
In fact, as I had observed in an earlier article, Haris and some socalled Barisan Rakyat bloggers got pretty involved in PKR party elections, having concurrently started a campaign named "BLOGGERS FOR NURUL" just as deputy presidential candidate Zaid Ibrahim had advised the MP for Lembah Pantai Nurul Izzah Anwar to accept the nomination for deputy president candidacy (which Zaid had confirmed contesting, but would make way for Nurul. What I have noted is that Haris has consistently "supported" Zaid's and Sabah leader Jeffrey's stands, in the duo's politicking in PKR. If either Zaid or Jeffrey have been feeding PKR "insider information" to an outsider like Haris, then it reveals much of their leadership as far as integrity is concerned.
As Haris' initiative is officially reported by the MSM, I have sighted an article written about this socalled Third Force previously on his blog, but Nov 17's Star report is the first time where DAP and PKR are dragged into the picture.
Third Force would be new impediment for change at Putrajaya
I have written that a Third Force is premature on the Malaysian political landscape when even the Pakatan Rakyat comprising PKR, DAP and PAS -- the latter two having proven records of some 50years of struggle to boast of, with PKR only a 12-year teenage growing up period -- for the first time have given Malaysians the hope of a two-party system, hence the most viable coalition to replace the BN government.
At this junction, do we need a third force of "Spoilers" who would likely make the next GE13 see more three- or more-cornered fights, mainly to the benefit of the incumbent BN regime?
Who's to guarantee that some or all of this core group of some 20 "persons of integrity" when elected into Parliament would not sell their souls in a "hung Parliament scenario? Ask the electorate if they had felt cheated when three PR assemblymen in Perak caused the downfall of the PR government when they deserted PKR and DAP and "became independents". Independents, my foot! It's the almighy dollar/ringgit you frogs are looking at, no? RM4million for Hee Yet Foong, yes?
The next question arising is: Haris, where are the funds coming from to finance the election campaign for GE13 for these candidates under your Third Force?
Zaid who Haris adores as seen from his blogposts had yesterday stated he might set up a new political party once his resignation from PKR takes effect coming December 16.
The Case of froggie Wee Choo Keong
Let's digress a bit here and examine PKR banner-elected MP for Wangsa Maju Wee Choo Keong. In gist, he was once a DAP elected MP but fell out with party leaders, He and some cronies then set up the Malaysian Democratic Party (MDP). He and several others stood as candidates under the MDP banner in two general elections, and I believe all contestants lost their deposits.
Just before the March 2008 GE We managed to squeeze himself a seat, contesting under PKR banner BUT REMAINING AN MDP MEMBER, and the rest is history.The man -- ah, another lawyer! -- then jumped ship and is now an Independent-friendly-to-BN. Independent, my foot! Another case of staring at the almighty dollar/ringgit sign!
Maybe Zaid can team up with Wee -- their common enemey now is PKR, is it not? -- and can take part in GE13 under MDP? I bet it would turn out to be another farce. Oops, another real force in Malaysian politics. Zaid may even win enough support from BN-friendly MPs to be elected Opposition Leader, and Wee the Whip?
Though another writer claims on Zaid's behalf that it's presumptious of certain writers to link any of Zaid's moves to finally connect with Haris' latest initiative, it is a possibility that it finally would transpire that way. Zaid might not get enough support to register his new party, these two new forces would converge into one? So to contest in GE13, Zaid becomes another "man of integrity" by Haris' definition to add onto to his short list?
Am I going to be surprised? That's a RM64million question I may get to answer six months from now should PM Najib Tun Razak receive inspiration to call for an early GE13, one I believe could lead Malaysia down that slippery slope into another failed state. And a Third Force would not in any way help the PR's road to Putrajaya to prevent Malaysia becoming another Zimbabwe.
Friday, November 19, 2010
A Third Force on the Near Horizon...
In Malaysia, this will spell doom for the emergence of a two=party system. The Pakatan Rakyat -- consisting of 12-year-old PKR plus two veteran Opposition parties DAP and PAS -- has hardly served one full elecotal term and now a third force is being formed?
Whose agenda are these politikus serving?
To serve some "failed" politicians' egos? OR to serve some syiok sendiri bloggers?
Or are we continuing to give Barisan Nasional the Open Sesame to continue to rob Malaysia and Malaysians in broad daylight?
Desiderata will give his Take tomorrow or day after, InsyaAllah if I still have breaths to take after reading about most worshippers of a cilvil rights lawyer in town. I think he's just a Johnny-cometh-lately in Malaysian politics.
Whose agenda are these politikus serving?
To serve some "failed" politicians' egos? OR to serve some syiok sendiri bloggers?
Or are we continuing to give Barisan Nasional the Open Sesame to continue to rob Malaysia and Malaysians in broad daylight?
Desiderata will give his Take tomorrow or day after, InsyaAllah if I still have breaths to take after reading about most worshippers of a cilvil rights lawyer in town. I think he's just a Johnny-cometh-lately in Malaysian politics.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
My Response to RPK's column...UPDATED
at 12.23PM Friday Nov 19, 2010 after a kind reader pointed out LOTS of typos. M Maaf ia! -- Terima Kasi' manyak-manyak:):) Have a tehsi on Desi if you care to ketchUP at Lingam's along Paul Street in Seremban, jest dun bring along the ex- or present CJ! -- Desi)
Have I really changed?
NO HOLDS BARRED
Sunday, 14 November 2010 Super Admin
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One of my terms for agreeing to head the Free Anwar Campaign and manage its website was that I would be free to express my views whether they be favourable or unfavourable towards Anwar, his party, or the opposition coalition, then called Barisan Alternatif.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Blogger YL Chong wrote a piece called, “Why RPK is Acting Out of Character”, which you can read here.
One reader going by the ID of ‘kahsinaw’ commented in Malaysia Today “you seemed to outgrow the size of your head.” Others allege that I have changed. Nik Nazmi insinuates that my actions appear to be aimed at allowing Barisan Nasional to rule forever. And so on and so forth.
Maybe these people do not know me well enough or have never read what I had written since back in the 1990s. I have never minced my words and have always called a spade a spade. What I write today is no different from how I have always written since the 1990s.
As an example, read the two articles below, which I wrote on 1st November and 26th November 2001. That was nine years ago. And do you know where these articles were published? They were published in the Free Anwar Campaign website.
For the newcomers, the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) was a movement that I ran and I was the webmaster for the website (www.freeanwar.com and www.freeanwar.net). The website still exists until today. And because of my work in the Free Anwar Campaign I was detained under the Internal Security Act in April 2001.
Note one important point. That was an Anwar Ibrahim website. And yet I wrote and published articles that whacked Anwar and his party, Parti Keadilan Nasional (now called Parti Keadilan Rakyat).
So, no, I have not changed. My stand has not shifted one bit. What I wrote back then I still write today. One of my terms for agreeing to head the Free Anwar Campaign and manage its website was that I would be free to express my views whether they be favourable or unfavourable towards Anwar, his party, or the opposition coalition, then called Barisan Alternatif.
Now read what I wrote nine years ago and tell me whether what I write today is any different from what I wrote then.
*****************************************
Welcome to the Real World
Raja Petra Kamarudin (1st November 2001)
From the 8th to 11th November 2001, the National Justice Party (keADILan), which was two and a half years old on 4 October, will be facing its first party election. As anticipated, as soon as the Sarawak State Elections ended – and with less than desired results, may I add – the campaigning heated up.
Deputy President Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s decision not to seek re-election, followed by Hamdan Tahar’s resignation from the party under unhappy circumstances, cast a glum scenario indeed. Earlier, one of the party’s three Vice Presidents, Zainur Zakaria, who is also one of Anwar Ibrahim’s solicitors, announced his withdrawal as well. Zainur had, in fact, filled that post when another Vice President, Marina Yusoff, resigned in a huff a year or so earlier.
Less publicised was Johari Abdul’s resignation from the Supreme Council, a personality strongly linked to the Reformasi movement and regarded as one of its masterminds. This further widened the gap between the party and the Reformasi movement that claims it is being sidelined though the party would not have existed if not for the movement.
Rumours are rife that further resignations are in the cards and time will testify to this speculation. But people come and people go and, at the end of the day, one has to subscribe to the philosophy that no one is indispensable. If keADILan falls apart because of the exit of a few key figures, then it is no party to start of with, as a political party cannot revolve around a handful of people.
At first glance it looks bad. KeADILan appears to be breaking apart. And, from the feedback received, this is certainly the perception of those on the outside looking in.
The party supporters out there are extremely disappointed. Some are even angry and speak about the present goings-on with a bitter tone in their voice. They ask, were they wrong about the party and have they wasted the last three years supporting Reformasi and the party just to see its demise even before it can make inroads into Malaysian politics?
This is understandable. They had heralded keADILan’s birth as the coming of new politics for Malaysia. They saw this new party, mothered by Reformasi and made possible due to the Anwar Ibrahim political crisis, as the future. They saw change and reformation on the horizon and the end to corrupt and racial politics - where nothing is regarded as immoral - that has been the accepted norm for Malaysia these last three generations.
Also understandable is the fact that keADILan’s supporters are idealists. They had always shunned politics and politicians. But when they saw what they thought was the purity of the new party, they rallied forth. Some never voted in their life and now, for the first time, they actually registered as voters to play their role in ensuring the new party garnered enough votes to make a difference – maybe even enough votes to form the next government.
Now they realise that keADILan is…well, just another political party, and they are disappointed. They do not want just another political party. They want a different kind of party, and they stood up to be counted because they thought it would be a different kind of party.
Well, welcome to the real world! KeADILan is just another political party, but with a slight twist. To be realistic, keADILan needs to be another political party to last the distance. If it was that ideal, straight-laced, and an almost virtuous party that many thought it was and wish it would be, then it would be doomed from the word go.
Let’s face reality. KeADILan is up against UMNO. UMNO is no saintly organisation. UMNO fights dirty. Anything goes as far as UMNO is concerned. UMNO will stoop to anything to win the elections and, given half a chance, will wipe the still-wet-behind-the-ears keADILan from the face of this earth.
Can keADILan withstand UMNO’s onslaught if it fought with kid gloves? KeADILan too needs to be devious, street-wise, and blood thirsty to beat UMNO at its own game. So, keADILan too needs to be another political party to do this.
We are presently seeing what we believe is turmoil in the party. We are seeing factionalism and groupings formed - each trying to outmaneuver the other. We are seeing battle lines being drawn. We are finally seeing the aspiring candidates behaving just like any normal politician would.
But what is so wrong with this? What’s wrong if keADILan’s leaders and aspiring leaders act like politicians? This is, after all, what politics is all about. Politics is about contesting, and winning. It is about maneuvers and strategies. It is about outdoing and outsmarting your opponents.
KeADILan has so far never held any internal party elections. Seven months after it was formed, it faced its first general election, followed by a few by-elections and, most recently, the Sarawak State Election. There was nothing clean about these elections. As Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad promised in November 1999, the Tenth General Election was the dirtiest in the history of this country. And keADILan was ill prepared for all this.
KeADILan needs to learn how to fight, and how to fight dirty. If it cannot even get through an internal party election, how does it face UMNO in the next general election? Contests are good. That’s what politics is all about. How one prepares for this contest is also very important. Slogans alone are not enough. Idealism does not cut any ice with the voters. One needs to do more than that to make any headway in Malaysian politics.
We should not look at the impending party contest as something negative. KeADILan needs to go through this and the faster the better. As it is, the contest is already too long overdue. The present crop of leaders was never elected, they were all appointed - the President included. They now need to legitimise their positions by getting elected into office.
So, the fighting is intense. Well, as they say, if the fire is too hot get out of the kitchen. If you think it is hot now, just wait until the next general election comes around. It’s going to be worse than this and worse too than the last general election in 1999.
So, there are groups and camps. So what? Politics is about allies. Show me one political party that does not work on the principle of allying yourself. Some members and aspiring leaders feel that it should be a “clean” fight. What do they mean by clean? Do they mean everyone should be an “independent” candidate and not belong to any team?
Politics does not work that way. If every soldier were to do battle as Lone Rangers, without being part of an army, he would die the first day into battle. Have you even seen a football game won by a bunch of Prima Donas? If there were no team and no teamwork they would never win the match.
On whether the candidates badmouth each other and use money to win, I suppose the members will have to decide on this one. Fighting is one thing and slandering is another. The members will have to demonstrate their maturity by rejecting uncouth aspirants. And if they still get elected into office nevertheless…well, then probably those that left before this knew what they were doing.
*********************************
KeADILan’s true colours revealed - which is a shade of UMNO
Raja Petra Kamarudin (26th November 2001)
The media had predicted fireworks in Kemaman. Many had hoped that keADILan would fall apart due to the intense infighting. Most people had expected nothing less than the worst when Parti Keadilan Nasional held its first party election last weekend in Kemaman, Terengganu. However, what came out of it instead was a delightful surprise. The members, in a demonstration of their maturity, elected a whole new team of leaders whom they felt would strengthen the party.
The media had played up the ABIM versus ex-UMNO issue to the hilt. They made it seem like there was a power struggle between two major groups in keADILan to wrest control of the party. If this were so, then how come Irene Fernandez got in as the Women’s Deputy Leader and Tian Chua as one of the three Vice Presidents when both are neither ABIM nor ex-UMNO members?
The keADILan contest was just a normal contest for party posts. All political parties in Malaysia go through it. But when the other parties see a contest it is not a big deal. For keADILan, however, it is front-page news with doomsday predictions thrown in. Maybe, as this was the party's first internal contest, all eyes were on it to see how it manages its elections with the backdrop of a fierce fight.
It was quite apparent that the contest was between groups and not individuals as nearly every delegate was armed with a complete list of who to vote for. There may have been about three or four variations of this list but the main players would be what were perceived as the ex-UMNO group of Abdul Rahman Othman, Saifuddin Nasution, Azmin Ali and the ABIM group of Dr Mohd Nur Manuty, Mustaffa Kamil, Anuar Tahir and Ruslan Kassim.
As in any block voting, an entire team would be voted in and the other sidelined. In this case, the perceived ex-UMNO group came in as the winner. How unhappy the “other side” was at losing was demonstrated when most who lost did not attend the closing session of the AGM. It was estimated that only about 300 of the 1,004 delegates turned up which puts to question whether there was any quorum for the closing session.
Party President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail tried to justify the high absentee rate by explaining that many had to return to their hometowns or go back to work. But no amount of explaining could dispel the impression that these were sore losers who would rather boycott the remaining session of the AGM because they did not get voted in.
If this is the attitude of the losers then maybe, in the first place, it was best that they did not win. Everybody knows how to manage victory. Only the matured know how to manage defeat. And if this is a demonstration of how they manage defeat, then they are certainly not matured enough yet to lead the party.
The campaigning was another source of anxiety. Some of the campaign tactics were rather dirty and centred on character assassination. In the euphoria to win seats and defeat their rivals, some candidates would resort to anything just as long as they win in the end. It was good that these people did not win, as this is certainly an unhealthy culture that should be rejected.
KeADILan preaches justice and fair play and urges the populace to reject the corrupt Barisan Nasional and its leading partner, UMNO. However, some of the keADILan leaders showed that they are no better than the BN or UMNO leaders. Why, therefore, would Malaysians need to kick out the ruling party just to replace it with a party that has the same practices and culture?
The next contest will be in March 2002 when the more than 120 divisions will be up for grabs. If the recent AGM was anything to go by, expect an equally intense and filthy contest during the division elections. If this happens, this would be the beginning of the end for the party.
Many supporters are disgusted with what they saw the last month or so with reported dirty tactics a la UMNO and fist fights at MPT meetings. Some of the die-hards are now becoming cold towards the party and no longer want to support it. They feel keADILan has deviated from the right path and has become just another political party. Worse than that, it has become another UMNO-like party.
If keADILan wants to continue getting the support of the people, it needs to demonstrate that it is a matured and responsible party. The test would be in March next year when the campaigning for the divisional elections heats up. If the Kemaman affair is repeated, then expect many to turn their backs on the party for good.
*******************************************************
DEAR Raja Petra Kamarudin and malaysia-today.net web admin:
The column yesterday reproduced above refers.
Good day to you, and hope fellow esteemed blogger RPK, wherever you are, that you are thriving and in good spirits.
Yes, some straight answers and followed by what I feel are relevant points.
1. Wrt "Maybe these people do not know me well enough or have never read what I had written since back in the 1990s. I have never minced my words and have always called a spade a spade. What I write today is no different from how I have always written since the 1990s.
As an example, read the two articles below, which I wrote on 1st November and 26th November 2001. That was nine years ago. And do you know where these articles were published? They were published in the Free Anwar Campaign website."
I would say that I was a regular reader of FAC website. In fact, I served as News Editor at malaysiakini.com for a year from early 2000 to 2001 that saw the early days of Reformasi following the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Deputy President of UMNO as well as DPM (under Dr Mahathir Mohamad as PM). During that period, I was writing a weekly column named Ruminations which mainly were putting the Mahatrhir's administration under a journalist's scrutiny, and hence, mostly critical and consonant with "Change".
Comtemporary writers whom I read were (the late) MGG Pillai -- whom I could say was a friend as we knew each other for some two decades by then, having occasional tea and lunch as a twosome,or with other media buddies. In fact, after his death, I was also in touch with one of his sons who was also from the media arena.
Another scribe I read was Sabri Zain with his entertaining Not The New Straits Times, whose barbs were not welcomed by NST, and I believe the NSTP did sue Sdr Sabri for defamation (? I stand corrected as I rely on my memory mostly. I indeed did a two-part review of Sabri's book "Face-Off" which I recommend to all reform-minded Malaysians who missed the action that followed DSAI's sacking and subsequent arrest.
(2) Wrt to my column that earned RPK's current "rebuttal", may I just say this is alright with me -- as RPK was the key speaker at Bloggers United Malaysia (BUM) 2007 which I chaired, followed by Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM2008), I had always prefaced the two annual gatherings by quoting Voltaire's dictum: "I may disagree with what you say but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it."
Unfortunately RPK was not available at BUM2009 and BUM2010 as he was then overseas, but my Org Com members will vouch for my saying that he would have been welcomed as a key speaker even "at the last minute" with no confirmation of participation, as did happen in the first two outings.
I think some of us bloggers are on the same page with RPK as far as fighting for change, for A Better Malaysia", is concerned. I have oft stated in my comments when carrying your articles that I hold you in high esteem. In fact, I had co-organised with several Seremban activists the Anti-ISA campaign, and had written an Ode to thy name which was read at the third (or fourth?) weekly Anti-ISA Candlelight Vigil at Dataran Seremban on the same day you succeeded in your ISA habeas corpus application in the KL court.
One piece of writing critical of RPK does not mean we have become"enemies" as has been the conclusion I deemed from reading comments from your "fans" at m2day.
Wrt to your question "Have I really changed?", my general reply is that "We all grow up with each passing year", and only our close buddies will be able to truthfully come to a fair assessment when we have changed characterwise and our stands on the causes we fight/fought for. I had posed my article title as a question (first published at another web portal...) while the Malaysian Digest had re-phrased it to a statement -- it's alright. It's the body that counts.
My article that earned the present response from you (RPK) was written in the spirit of "concern" for a writer who I still hold in high esteem for having written an article whose very title could give "ammunition" to the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government to attack the federal opposition, and this can be very damaging cometh the next General Elections (GE13). Don't you think UMNO would cash in with elaborate propaganda riding on your No Holds Barred column on Oct 13 "Umno is Beginning to Look Better Than PKR"?
If you care to peruse my own blog -- desiderata2000.blogspot.com-- the external source from which I copied&pasted the most number of articles was from your web portal and columns. One other writer I feature prominently is Kim Quek, whose political thoughts coincide a lot with mine, and since he himself does not have a blog, I run his writings as soon as I receive them via email.
I might have digressed a bit because I want to tell a bit of my writer's journey and where I stand in my political philosophy and causes I support, so I hope your readers will bear with me.
I also welcome feedback to what I wrote and will continue to write -- I offer no apologies for being first a DAP member for some two decades, and from January 2005 till to date, a PKR member -- as I think discourse is a two-way process, and in a way, we act as check-and-balance and benefit from rational and reasoned exchanges. I prefer feedback from readers who care to identify themselves, and not from Anonymous ones who often go into "personal" rantings without any relevance to the topic under discussion.
Thank you for your patience.
Warm regards,
YL, Desi, knottyaSssual
12.36pm, Nov 15, 2010
(UPDATED on Firday with mainly correction of TYPOS a plenty as pointed out by a kind Commenter; Thanks dear Moses:)
Have I really changed?
NO HOLDS BARRED
Sunday, 14 November 2010 Super Admin
E-mail Print PDF
Digg!Del.icio.us!Google!Live!Facebook!Technorati!StumbleUpon!MySpace!Yahoo! Twitter!LinkedIn!
One of my terms for agreeing to head the Free Anwar Campaign and manage its website was that I would be free to express my views whether they be favourable or unfavourable towards Anwar, his party, or the opposition coalition, then called Barisan Alternatif.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
Blogger YL Chong wrote a piece called, “Why RPK is Acting Out of Character”, which you can read here.
One reader going by the ID of ‘kahsinaw’ commented in Malaysia Today “you seemed to outgrow the size of your head.” Others allege that I have changed. Nik Nazmi insinuates that my actions appear to be aimed at allowing Barisan Nasional to rule forever. And so on and so forth.
Maybe these people do not know me well enough or have never read what I had written since back in the 1990s. I have never minced my words and have always called a spade a spade. What I write today is no different from how I have always written since the 1990s.
As an example, read the two articles below, which I wrote on 1st November and 26th November 2001. That was nine years ago. And do you know where these articles were published? They were published in the Free Anwar Campaign website.
For the newcomers, the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) was a movement that I ran and I was the webmaster for the website (www.freeanwar.com and www.freeanwar.net). The website still exists until today. And because of my work in the Free Anwar Campaign I was detained under the Internal Security Act in April 2001.
Note one important point. That was an Anwar Ibrahim website. And yet I wrote and published articles that whacked Anwar and his party, Parti Keadilan Nasional (now called Parti Keadilan Rakyat).
So, no, I have not changed. My stand has not shifted one bit. What I wrote back then I still write today. One of my terms for agreeing to head the Free Anwar Campaign and manage its website was that I would be free to express my views whether they be favourable or unfavourable towards Anwar, his party, or the opposition coalition, then called Barisan Alternatif.
Now read what I wrote nine years ago and tell me whether what I write today is any different from what I wrote then.
*****************************************
Welcome to the Real World
Raja Petra Kamarudin (1st November 2001)
From the 8th to 11th November 2001, the National Justice Party (keADILan), which was two and a half years old on 4 October, will be facing its first party election. As anticipated, as soon as the Sarawak State Elections ended – and with less than desired results, may I add – the campaigning heated up.
Deputy President Dr Chandra Muzaffar’s decision not to seek re-election, followed by Hamdan Tahar’s resignation from the party under unhappy circumstances, cast a glum scenario indeed. Earlier, one of the party’s three Vice Presidents, Zainur Zakaria, who is also one of Anwar Ibrahim’s solicitors, announced his withdrawal as well. Zainur had, in fact, filled that post when another Vice President, Marina Yusoff, resigned in a huff a year or so earlier.
Less publicised was Johari Abdul’s resignation from the Supreme Council, a personality strongly linked to the Reformasi movement and regarded as one of its masterminds. This further widened the gap between the party and the Reformasi movement that claims it is being sidelined though the party would not have existed if not for the movement.
Rumours are rife that further resignations are in the cards and time will testify to this speculation. But people come and people go and, at the end of the day, one has to subscribe to the philosophy that no one is indispensable. If keADILan falls apart because of the exit of a few key figures, then it is no party to start of with, as a political party cannot revolve around a handful of people.
At first glance it looks bad. KeADILan appears to be breaking apart. And, from the feedback received, this is certainly the perception of those on the outside looking in.
The party supporters out there are extremely disappointed. Some are even angry and speak about the present goings-on with a bitter tone in their voice. They ask, were they wrong about the party and have they wasted the last three years supporting Reformasi and the party just to see its demise even before it can make inroads into Malaysian politics?
This is understandable. They had heralded keADILan’s birth as the coming of new politics for Malaysia. They saw this new party, mothered by Reformasi and made possible due to the Anwar Ibrahim political crisis, as the future. They saw change and reformation on the horizon and the end to corrupt and racial politics - where nothing is regarded as immoral - that has been the accepted norm for Malaysia these last three generations.
Also understandable is the fact that keADILan’s supporters are idealists. They had always shunned politics and politicians. But when they saw what they thought was the purity of the new party, they rallied forth. Some never voted in their life and now, for the first time, they actually registered as voters to play their role in ensuring the new party garnered enough votes to make a difference – maybe even enough votes to form the next government.
Now they realise that keADILan is…well, just another political party, and they are disappointed. They do not want just another political party. They want a different kind of party, and they stood up to be counted because they thought it would be a different kind of party.
Well, welcome to the real world! KeADILan is just another political party, but with a slight twist. To be realistic, keADILan needs to be another political party to last the distance. If it was that ideal, straight-laced, and an almost virtuous party that many thought it was and wish it would be, then it would be doomed from the word go.
Let’s face reality. KeADILan is up against UMNO. UMNO is no saintly organisation. UMNO fights dirty. Anything goes as far as UMNO is concerned. UMNO will stoop to anything to win the elections and, given half a chance, will wipe the still-wet-behind-the-ears keADILan from the face of this earth.
Can keADILan withstand UMNO’s onslaught if it fought with kid gloves? KeADILan too needs to be devious, street-wise, and blood thirsty to beat UMNO at its own game. So, keADILan too needs to be another political party to do this.
We are presently seeing what we believe is turmoil in the party. We are seeing factionalism and groupings formed - each trying to outmaneuver the other. We are seeing battle lines being drawn. We are finally seeing the aspiring candidates behaving just like any normal politician would.
But what is so wrong with this? What’s wrong if keADILan’s leaders and aspiring leaders act like politicians? This is, after all, what politics is all about. Politics is about contesting, and winning. It is about maneuvers and strategies. It is about outdoing and outsmarting your opponents.
KeADILan has so far never held any internal party elections. Seven months after it was formed, it faced its first general election, followed by a few by-elections and, most recently, the Sarawak State Election. There was nothing clean about these elections. As Malaysian Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad promised in November 1999, the Tenth General Election was the dirtiest in the history of this country. And keADILan was ill prepared for all this.
KeADILan needs to learn how to fight, and how to fight dirty. If it cannot even get through an internal party election, how does it face UMNO in the next general election? Contests are good. That’s what politics is all about. How one prepares for this contest is also very important. Slogans alone are not enough. Idealism does not cut any ice with the voters. One needs to do more than that to make any headway in Malaysian politics.
We should not look at the impending party contest as something negative. KeADILan needs to go through this and the faster the better. As it is, the contest is already too long overdue. The present crop of leaders was never elected, they were all appointed - the President included. They now need to legitimise their positions by getting elected into office.
So, the fighting is intense. Well, as they say, if the fire is too hot get out of the kitchen. If you think it is hot now, just wait until the next general election comes around. It’s going to be worse than this and worse too than the last general election in 1999.
So, there are groups and camps. So what? Politics is about allies. Show me one political party that does not work on the principle of allying yourself. Some members and aspiring leaders feel that it should be a “clean” fight. What do they mean by clean? Do they mean everyone should be an “independent” candidate and not belong to any team?
Politics does not work that way. If every soldier were to do battle as Lone Rangers, without being part of an army, he would die the first day into battle. Have you even seen a football game won by a bunch of Prima Donas? If there were no team and no teamwork they would never win the match.
On whether the candidates badmouth each other and use money to win, I suppose the members will have to decide on this one. Fighting is one thing and slandering is another. The members will have to demonstrate their maturity by rejecting uncouth aspirants. And if they still get elected into office nevertheless…well, then probably those that left before this knew what they were doing.
*********************************
KeADILan’s true colours revealed - which is a shade of UMNO
Raja Petra Kamarudin (26th November 2001)
The media had predicted fireworks in Kemaman. Many had hoped that keADILan would fall apart due to the intense infighting. Most people had expected nothing less than the worst when Parti Keadilan Nasional held its first party election last weekend in Kemaman, Terengganu. However, what came out of it instead was a delightful surprise. The members, in a demonstration of their maturity, elected a whole new team of leaders whom they felt would strengthen the party.
The media had played up the ABIM versus ex-UMNO issue to the hilt. They made it seem like there was a power struggle between two major groups in keADILan to wrest control of the party. If this were so, then how come Irene Fernandez got in as the Women’s Deputy Leader and Tian Chua as one of the three Vice Presidents when both are neither ABIM nor ex-UMNO members?
The keADILan contest was just a normal contest for party posts. All political parties in Malaysia go through it. But when the other parties see a contest it is not a big deal. For keADILan, however, it is front-page news with doomsday predictions thrown in. Maybe, as this was the party's first internal contest, all eyes were on it to see how it manages its elections with the backdrop of a fierce fight.
It was quite apparent that the contest was between groups and not individuals as nearly every delegate was armed with a complete list of who to vote for. There may have been about three or four variations of this list but the main players would be what were perceived as the ex-UMNO group of Abdul Rahman Othman, Saifuddin Nasution, Azmin Ali and the ABIM group of Dr Mohd Nur Manuty, Mustaffa Kamil, Anuar Tahir and Ruslan Kassim.
As in any block voting, an entire team would be voted in and the other sidelined. In this case, the perceived ex-UMNO group came in as the winner. How unhappy the “other side” was at losing was demonstrated when most who lost did not attend the closing session of the AGM. It was estimated that only about 300 of the 1,004 delegates turned up which puts to question whether there was any quorum for the closing session.
Party President Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail tried to justify the high absentee rate by explaining that many had to return to their hometowns or go back to work. But no amount of explaining could dispel the impression that these were sore losers who would rather boycott the remaining session of the AGM because they did not get voted in.
If this is the attitude of the losers then maybe, in the first place, it was best that they did not win. Everybody knows how to manage victory. Only the matured know how to manage defeat. And if this is a demonstration of how they manage defeat, then they are certainly not matured enough yet to lead the party.
The campaigning was another source of anxiety. Some of the campaign tactics were rather dirty and centred on character assassination. In the euphoria to win seats and defeat their rivals, some candidates would resort to anything just as long as they win in the end. It was good that these people did not win, as this is certainly an unhealthy culture that should be rejected.
KeADILan preaches justice and fair play and urges the populace to reject the corrupt Barisan Nasional and its leading partner, UMNO. However, some of the keADILan leaders showed that they are no better than the BN or UMNO leaders. Why, therefore, would Malaysians need to kick out the ruling party just to replace it with a party that has the same practices and culture?
The next contest will be in March 2002 when the more than 120 divisions will be up for grabs. If the recent AGM was anything to go by, expect an equally intense and filthy contest during the division elections. If this happens, this would be the beginning of the end for the party.
Many supporters are disgusted with what they saw the last month or so with reported dirty tactics a la UMNO and fist fights at MPT meetings. Some of the die-hards are now becoming cold towards the party and no longer want to support it. They feel keADILan has deviated from the right path and has become just another political party. Worse than that, it has become another UMNO-like party.
If keADILan wants to continue getting the support of the people, it needs to demonstrate that it is a matured and responsible party. The test would be in March next year when the campaigning for the divisional elections heats up. If the Kemaman affair is repeated, then expect many to turn their backs on the party for good.
*******************************************************
DEAR Raja Petra Kamarudin and malaysia-today.net web admin:
The column yesterday reproduced above refers.
Good day to you, and hope fellow esteemed blogger RPK, wherever you are, that you are thriving and in good spirits.
Yes, some straight answers and followed by what I feel are relevant points.
1. Wrt "Maybe these people do not know me well enough or have never read what I had written since back in the 1990s. I have never minced my words and have always called a spade a spade. What I write today is no different from how I have always written since the 1990s.
As an example, read the two articles below, which I wrote on 1st November and 26th November 2001. That was nine years ago. And do you know where these articles were published? They were published in the Free Anwar Campaign website."
I would say that I was a regular reader of FAC website. In fact, I served as News Editor at malaysiakini.com for a year from early 2000 to 2001 that saw the early days of Reformasi following the sacking of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim as Deputy President of UMNO as well as DPM (under Dr Mahathir Mohamad as PM). During that period, I was writing a weekly column named Ruminations which mainly were putting the Mahatrhir's administration under a journalist's scrutiny, and hence, mostly critical and consonant with "Change".
Comtemporary writers whom I read were (the late) MGG Pillai -- whom I could say was a friend as we knew each other for some two decades by then, having occasional tea and lunch as a twosome,or with other media buddies. In fact, after his death, I was also in touch with one of his sons who was also from the media arena.
Another scribe I read was Sabri Zain with his entertaining Not The New Straits Times, whose barbs were not welcomed by NST, and I believe the NSTP did sue Sdr Sabri for defamation (? I stand corrected as I rely on my memory mostly. I indeed did a two-part review of Sabri's book "Face-Off" which I recommend to all reform-minded Malaysians who missed the action that followed DSAI's sacking and subsequent arrest.
(2) Wrt to my column that earned RPK's current "rebuttal", may I just say this is alright with me -- as RPK was the key speaker at Bloggers United Malaysia (BUM) 2007 which I chaired, followed by Bloggers Universe Malaysia (BUM2008), I had always prefaced the two annual gatherings by quoting Voltaire's dictum: "I may disagree with what you say but I will defend, to the death, your right to say it."
Unfortunately RPK was not available at BUM2009 and BUM2010 as he was then overseas, but my Org Com members will vouch for my saying that he would have been welcomed as a key speaker even "at the last minute" with no confirmation of participation, as did happen in the first two outings.
I think some of us bloggers are on the same page with RPK as far as fighting for change, for A Better Malaysia", is concerned. I have oft stated in my comments when carrying your articles that I hold you in high esteem. In fact, I had co-organised with several Seremban activists the Anti-ISA campaign, and had written an Ode to thy name which was read at the third (or fourth?) weekly Anti-ISA Candlelight Vigil at Dataran Seremban on the same day you succeeded in your ISA habeas corpus application in the KL court.
One piece of writing critical of RPK does not mean we have become"enemies" as has been the conclusion I deemed from reading comments from your "fans" at m2day.
Wrt to your question "Have I really changed?", my general reply is that "We all grow up with each passing year", and only our close buddies will be able to truthfully come to a fair assessment when we have changed characterwise and our stands on the causes we fight/fought for. I had posed my article title as a question (first published at another web portal...) while the Malaysian Digest had re-phrased it to a statement -- it's alright. It's the body that counts.
My article that earned the present response from you (RPK) was written in the spirit of "concern" for a writer who I still hold in high esteem for having written an article whose very title could give "ammunition" to the UMNO-led Barisan Nasional government to attack the federal opposition, and this can be very damaging cometh the next General Elections (GE13). Don't you think UMNO would cash in with elaborate propaganda riding on your No Holds Barred column on Oct 13 "Umno is Beginning to Look Better Than PKR"?
If you care to peruse my own blog -- desiderata2000.blogspot.com-- the external source from which I copied&pasted the most number of articles was from your web portal and columns. One other writer I feature prominently is Kim Quek, whose political thoughts coincide a lot with mine, and since he himself does not have a blog, I run his writings as soon as I receive them via email.
I might have digressed a bit because I want to tell a bit of my writer's journey and where I stand in my political philosophy and causes I support, so I hope your readers will bear with me.
I also welcome feedback to what I wrote and will continue to write -- I offer no apologies for being first a DAP member for some two decades, and from January 2005 till to date, a PKR member -- as I think discourse is a two-way process, and in a way, we act as check-and-balance and benefit from rational and reasoned exchanges. I prefer feedback from readers who care to identify themselves, and not from Anonymous ones who often go into "personal" rantings without any relevance to the topic under discussion.
Thank you for your patience.
Warm regards,
YL, Desi, knottyaSssual
12.36pm, Nov 15, 2010
(UPDATED on Firday with mainly correction of TYPOS a plenty as pointed out by a kind Commenter; Thanks dear Moses:)
Monday, November 15, 2010
One-liner from Desi *todie!
* pronounced thus for "Hari Ini" in English -- for the benefit of readers who want to be better than that Menteri Besar who admitted in open Aussie Court he no under-stand the Oz immigration form, hence he brought in amount of dollars far greater than it made SENse for the purpose of investing Down Under!-- as I downed some Foster's to celibate -- oops, celebrate -- what's captured in gist by the Star's page 1 headline:
GOoD Riddance to Bad Rubbish in response to"
Zaid: I quit
GOoD Riddance to Bad Rubbish in response to"
Zaid: I quit
Friday, November 12, 2010
Zaid Ibrahim, Who Art Thou in PKR?
Friday, 12 November 2010 11:23
Zaid Ibrahim, Who Art Thou in PKR? | Print |
by YL Chong
To dictate that you and your ilks – like froggies Jeffrey Kitingan and single-issue (Hinrdaf) MPs Gobalakrishnan and Manickavasagam – are the most suitable to lead Parti Keadilan Rakyat to new heights. That de factor leader Anwar Ibrahim, and PKR deputy president-to-be Azmin Ali, should step aside to make way for you and your henchmen?
You appear to lean towards greater dictatorship than former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but the latter at least made his way up through Umno ranks as MP, Minister, then Deputy Prime Minister and finally 22 years as Prime Minister, which to me was over-the-shelf-life. But Zaid, all I know of your record is that you made your pile as a lawyer, and your legal firm became the largest law company in the country through mainly Umno patronage. Then you were rewarded with a senatorship and became de facto Law Minister in Pak Lah's Cabinet, and then made a BIG hoo-ha by resigning from that post to show thou art a man-of-principle. Art Thou One?
Coming into PKR in less than two years, you made an attempt to destabilize the Opposition alliance led by Anwar's PKR by making a bid for PKR deputy president post. But half-way through, you opted out like a coward because the signs are all there – you will lose to Azmin finally.
Now you continue to use the BN-controlled mainstream media like Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times and The Star to wreak maximum damage by resigning all your posts in PKR plus pulling out from the deputy presidential contest, crying "Wolf! Wolf!", chorused by impending loser-matey Mustaffa Kamil Ayub. The last mentioned I would consider "collateral damage" to Zaid's scheme, perhaps an innocent victim who follows the dictum "My enemy's rival becomes my friend", especially in politics, an extension to that well known "There are no permanent friends or foes in politics, only permanent interests."
(However, a day later it was wise of Mustaffa to 'distance" himself from Zaid's call on Anwar and Azmin to give up leadership in PKR; in fact, Mustaffa swore loyalty to Anwar, expressing support of Anwar as de facto leader)
From The Star front page dated 10 Nov 2010, I quote:
Fallout: Rift in PKR worsens with Zaid saying Anwar and Azmin must go
KUALA LUMPUR: The rift between Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and PKR top guns Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali hit a new low as Zaid singled out the pair as the source of problems and that they “must go” for the good of the party.
The former Umno minister, who pulled out of the deputy presidency race claiming voting irregularities, kept reporters guessing at a press conference yesterday as to whether he had the support of other party heavyweights. The only notable PKR figures at the event were PKR vice-president cum deputy president candidate Mustaffa Kamil Ayub and vice-president candidate N. Gobala¬krishnan.
Offering himself as an alternative choice, Zaid said PKR needed new leadership and direction.
I have written a few articles questioning whether the likes of Zaid and Kitingan, who fought so hard to capture PKR Sabah chieftaincy – but had no choice but to give way to another, then settled for a "new" role as overall chief overseeing PKR Sabah/Sarawak via Anwar's diplomacy – had indeed come on board the PKR vehicle to create sabotage. I used the word "mole" in an article I had written on Oct 14; a few days later Anwar talked about some "Trojan horses" having penetrated the 12-year-old PKR, now part of Pakatan Rakyat which is the second viable coalition to form the alternative federal government clearly and firmly marching towards wresting Putrajaya from BN-Umno.
Now we know who are putting the spanners in the wheel that's turning towards a new government cometh the next General Election (GE-13).
Who Are These "Spoilers"?
I have mentioned the emergence of The Third Force as flagged off by prominent civil rights lawyer-cum-blogger Haris Ibrahim. My question to Haris Ibrahim: Who art thou in politics?
You are NOT even a member of PKR, yet you seem to be very well informed about internal PKR politics up to the upper echelon levels – enabling you to write with insider accounts going on especially in the run-up to the party elections, and more so now while it is still in progress. But your writings reflect that you are doing a hatchet job for the ilks of Zaid and Jeffrey, and maybe behind-the-scene ex MCA tycoon John Soh Chee Wen. I believe you and a few People's Parliament bloggers will become "collateral damage" of the ambitions of the Zaid-Jeffrey-Soh triumvirate.
I may soon follow up with a next episode about The Third Force, and how they are going to ruin the Rakyat's hopes for that "Ultimate Victory" with the fall of the BN government in Putrajaya – aspirations spelt out so clearly by their votes in March 2008, but now facing an imminent danger on the near horizon what will prominently feature Zaid and his cronies. Haris has identified some 20 so-called men of integrity committed to "reforms" including a bunch of bloggers as potential candidates for GE-13. These men of integrity, in Haris' mind, may be well intentioned; they do have eyes, but do they not see clearly that The Third Force will now create another wall to the Rakyat's hopes for a two-party system and a change of the federal government at Putrajaya?
DESIDERATA: Note the above was first published in The Malaysian Digest where I recently started contributing articles to as a Freelance Writer.
Zaid Ibrahim, Who Art Thou in PKR? | Print |
by YL Chong
To dictate that you and your ilks – like froggies Jeffrey Kitingan and single-issue (Hinrdaf) MPs Gobalakrishnan and Manickavasagam – are the most suitable to lead Parti Keadilan Rakyat to new heights. That de factor leader Anwar Ibrahim, and PKR deputy president-to-be Azmin Ali, should step aside to make way for you and your henchmen?
You appear to lean towards greater dictatorship than former premier Dr Mahathir Mohamad, but the latter at least made his way up through Umno ranks as MP, Minister, then Deputy Prime Minister and finally 22 years as Prime Minister, which to me was over-the-shelf-life. But Zaid, all I know of your record is that you made your pile as a lawyer, and your legal firm became the largest law company in the country through mainly Umno patronage. Then you were rewarded with a senatorship and became de facto Law Minister in Pak Lah's Cabinet, and then made a BIG hoo-ha by resigning from that post to show thou art a man-of-principle. Art Thou One?
Coming into PKR in less than two years, you made an attempt to destabilize the Opposition alliance led by Anwar's PKR by making a bid for PKR deputy president post. But half-way through, you opted out like a coward because the signs are all there – you will lose to Azmin finally.
Now you continue to use the BN-controlled mainstream media like Utusan Malaysia, New Straits Times and The Star to wreak maximum damage by resigning all your posts in PKR plus pulling out from the deputy presidential contest, crying "Wolf! Wolf!", chorused by impending loser-matey Mustaffa Kamil Ayub. The last mentioned I would consider "collateral damage" to Zaid's scheme, perhaps an innocent victim who follows the dictum "My enemy's rival becomes my friend", especially in politics, an extension to that well known "There are no permanent friends or foes in politics, only permanent interests."
(However, a day later it was wise of Mustaffa to 'distance" himself from Zaid's call on Anwar and Azmin to give up leadership in PKR; in fact, Mustaffa swore loyalty to Anwar, expressing support of Anwar as de facto leader)
From The Star front page dated 10 Nov 2010, I quote:
Fallout: Rift in PKR worsens with Zaid saying Anwar and Azmin must go
KUALA LUMPUR: The rift between Datuk Zaid Ibrahim and PKR top guns Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and Azmin Ali hit a new low as Zaid singled out the pair as the source of problems and that they “must go” for the good of the party.
The former Umno minister, who pulled out of the deputy presidency race claiming voting irregularities, kept reporters guessing at a press conference yesterday as to whether he had the support of other party heavyweights. The only notable PKR figures at the event were PKR vice-president cum deputy president candidate Mustaffa Kamil Ayub and vice-president candidate N. Gobala¬krishnan.
Offering himself as an alternative choice, Zaid said PKR needed new leadership and direction.
I have written a few articles questioning whether the likes of Zaid and Kitingan, who fought so hard to capture PKR Sabah chieftaincy – but had no choice but to give way to another, then settled for a "new" role as overall chief overseeing PKR Sabah/Sarawak via Anwar's diplomacy – had indeed come on board the PKR vehicle to create sabotage. I used the word "mole" in an article I had written on Oct 14; a few days later Anwar talked about some "Trojan horses" having penetrated the 12-year-old PKR, now part of Pakatan Rakyat which is the second viable coalition to form the alternative federal government clearly and firmly marching towards wresting Putrajaya from BN-Umno.
Now we know who are putting the spanners in the wheel that's turning towards a new government cometh the next General Election (GE-13).
Who Are These "Spoilers"?
I have mentioned the emergence of The Third Force as flagged off by prominent civil rights lawyer-cum-blogger Haris Ibrahim. My question to Haris Ibrahim: Who art thou in politics?
You are NOT even a member of PKR, yet you seem to be very well informed about internal PKR politics up to the upper echelon levels – enabling you to write with insider accounts going on especially in the run-up to the party elections, and more so now while it is still in progress. But your writings reflect that you are doing a hatchet job for the ilks of Zaid and Jeffrey, and maybe behind-the-scene ex MCA tycoon John Soh Chee Wen. I believe you and a few People's Parliament bloggers will become "collateral damage" of the ambitions of the Zaid-Jeffrey-Soh triumvirate.
I may soon follow up with a next episode about The Third Force, and how they are going to ruin the Rakyat's hopes for that "Ultimate Victory" with the fall of the BN government in Putrajaya – aspirations spelt out so clearly by their votes in March 2008, but now facing an imminent danger on the near horizon what will prominently feature Zaid and his cronies. Haris has identified some 20 so-called men of integrity committed to "reforms" including a bunch of bloggers as potential candidates for GE-13. These men of integrity, in Haris' mind, may be well intentioned; they do have eyes, but do they not see clearly that The Third Force will now create another wall to the Rakyat's hopes for a two-party system and a change of the federal government at Putrajaya?
DESIDERATA: Note the above was first published in The Malaysian Digest where I recently started contributing articles to as a Freelance Writer.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
From the Wall Street Journal on Anwar's Trial...
via The Malaysian Insider:
Wall Street Journal says doubts Anwar can get fair trial
By Adib Zalkapli
November 10, 2010
PETALING JAYA, Nov 10 — The Wall Street Journal cast doubts today about whether Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can get a fair trial in his prosecution for sodomy, just one week after a visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Malaysia.
The international daily said in an editorial published today that while the United States can continue insisting on a fair trial, irregularities continue to surface during court proceedings.
“Hillary Clinton had a diplomatic answer when asked last week about Malaysia’s prosecution for sodomy of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim,” said the editorial.
“Let’s hope she used tougher language in her private meetings with Prime Minister Najib Razak,” it added.
Clinton had called for a fair trial for Anwar but was careful in her remarks so as not to offend the Malaysian government.
The Wall Street Journal, however, described the case as politically motivated, citing the meeting that took place between the accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan and then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak prior to Anwar’s arrest.
The daily also cited the medical reports, which found that Saiful was not sodomised.
“Mr. Anwar’s accuser is a twenty-something former aide named Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who claims he was forced to have sex multiple times with the then 60-year-old Mr. Anwar.
“Yet when Mr. Saiful presented himself at hospital two days after the alleged event, he showed no signs of tearing or bruising, according to several doctors who examined him at two separate hospitals,” said the newspaper.
The daily also raised the fact that Saiful had not denied the alleged affair with a member of the prosecution team, Farah Azlina Latif.
“Among other irregularities, Mr. Saiful was accused of — and didn’t deny — a romantic relationship with a member of the prosecution team, which ought to have led to the dismissal of the case but instead resulted only in the removal of the lawyer,” said the newspaper.
“Given what we’ve seen of this case so far — to say nothing of the one before it — that promise is hard to credit. Mrs. Clinton is right to insist on fairness and transparency, but it’s hard to expect either, given the evidence at hand,”
Anwar is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
He has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him.
He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction.
Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.
He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
Wall Street Journal says doubts Anwar can get fair trial
By Adib Zalkapli
November 10, 2010
PETALING JAYA, Nov 10 — The Wall Street Journal cast doubts today about whether Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim can get a fair trial in his prosecution for sodomy, just one week after a visit by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton to Malaysia.
The international daily said in an editorial published today that while the United States can continue insisting on a fair trial, irregularities continue to surface during court proceedings.
“Hillary Clinton had a diplomatic answer when asked last week about Malaysia’s prosecution for sodomy of opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim,” said the editorial.
“Let’s hope she used tougher language in her private meetings with Prime Minister Najib Razak,” it added.
Clinton had called for a fair trial for Anwar but was careful in her remarks so as not to offend the Malaysian government.
The Wall Street Journal, however, described the case as politically motivated, citing the meeting that took place between the accuser Saiful Bukhari Azlan and then Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak prior to Anwar’s arrest.
The daily also cited the medical reports, which found that Saiful was not sodomised.
“Mr. Anwar’s accuser is a twenty-something former aide named Saiful Bukhari Azlan, who claims he was forced to have sex multiple times with the then 60-year-old Mr. Anwar.
“Yet when Mr. Saiful presented himself at hospital two days after the alleged event, he showed no signs of tearing or bruising, according to several doctors who examined him at two separate hospitals,” said the newspaper.
The daily also raised the fact that Saiful had not denied the alleged affair with a member of the prosecution team, Farah Azlina Latif.
“Among other irregularities, Mr. Saiful was accused of — and didn’t deny — a romantic relationship with a member of the prosecution team, which ought to have led to the dismissal of the case but instead resulted only in the removal of the lawyer,” said the newspaper.
“Given what we’ve seen of this case so far — to say nothing of the one before it — that promise is hard to credit. Mrs. Clinton is right to insist on fairness and transparency, but it’s hard to expect either, given the evidence at hand,”
Anwar is charged with sodomising Saiful at Unit 11-5-1 of the Desa Damansara Condominium in Jalan Setiakasih, Bukit Damansara between 3.01pm and 4.30pm on June 26, 2008.
He has denied the charge, describing it as “evil, frivolous lies by those in power” when the charge was read out to him.
He is charged under section 377B of the Penal Code and can be sentenced to a maximum of 20 years’ jail and whipping upon conviction.
Anwar was charged with sodomy and corruption in 1998 after he was sacked from the Cabinet and was later convicted and jailed for both offences.
He was freed in September 2004 and later resurrected his political career by winning back his Permatang Pauh parliamentary seat in a by-election in 2008, which had been held in the interim by his wife.
Monday, November 08, 2010
A GOoD Piece of Advice from RPK
to ""man-of-principles"?" Zaid Ibrahim, and other complainants contesting any elections, General, sergeant or private!:( ~~ YL, Desi,knottyaSsusual
Play the game according to the ‘rules’ or else quit the game
NO HOLDS BARRED
from malaysia-today.net:)
Sunday, 07 November 2010 Super Admin
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Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
I remember, eleven years ago, back in 1999, the opposition coalition, Barisan Alternatif, faced one of the most fraudulent general elections in Malaysian history. Nevertheless, they did not do too badly in spite of it -- although they would have done much better if not for the fraud.
Soon after that we had a meeting with the Elections Commission (SPR) to present them with a thick dossier of proposed electoral reforms. Top of the list was of course the postal voting system, which we were of the view, had already outlived its usefulness and therefore should be abolished.
The reply the SPR gave us shocked us into silence. “If we abolish the postal voting system then not a single Cabinet Minister would be able to remain in office,” the SPR replied.
After we had regained our composure, we asked the SPR is not the purpose of the Election Commission to manage clean, free and fair elections in Malaysia? That was when the second shocker was delivered. “The purpose of the SPR is to ensure that the Malays do not lose political power,” we were told.
With that type of opening statement, and with so many issues more to go, we decided it was pointless to proceed. If the SPR can so blatantly reply that way, with no shame or inhibition, was there any point in continuing this meeting on seeking electoral reforms?
We closed the thick book of proposed electoral reforms and left the SPR office.
I then wrote that the opposition should boycott the next general election. We might as well launch a hartal or civil disobedience campaign. If Barisan Nasional wants to win the elections through fraud then let them win through a walk over. We should not participate in a fraudulent general election and give it legitimacy.
No doubt Barisan Nasional can claim it won the election. But it would have won through a no-contest, which means they can’t claim that the voters gave them overwhelming support or the mandate to rule the country. It would, at best, be an illegitimate government in the eyes of the world.
But many were not in favour of a boycott. And in 2004 the opposition got massacred, although there were other reasons other than fraud for this.
I was then asked to sit in a committee that was going to gather tangible and hard evidence of fraud. And we did just that. We gathered tons and tons of evidence. And with this evidence we filed election petitions to try and get the 2004 general election declared null.
But the court threw out our election petitions. In fact, Umno also filed election petitions to instead get the opposition candidates disqualified. And Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the solitary PKR candidate who won with a very narrow margin, almost got disqualified.
Again I called for a boycott and of course this did not happen in the 2008 General Election. And there are some who say it was lucky that the opposition did not boycott the 2008 General Election considering that they managed to win five states plus denied Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.
Maybe so. If the opposition had boycotted the 2008 General Election then they would have missed out on winning the five states plus they would not have been able to deny Barian Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.
That is probably one way of looking at it. But if there had not been any fraud then the opposition would have won more than five sates and with a mere 300,000 more votes it would have been able to form the new federal government. And the fraud exceeded the 300,000 votes that the opposition needed to form the new federal government.
So the opposition won second prize. But in a two-horse race second prize also means last. And if there had not been any fraud then the opposition would have won first prize instead. But the fact that the opposition stayed in the race and accepted second prize means the opposition endorses the general election -- and therefore also endorses the fraud that came with it.
Okay, so the decision was made to not boycott the general election but contest it in spite of the fraud. And to offset the fraud the opposition would need to win with a majority of at least 60% or so of the popular votes.
This, the opposition is prepared to do. It is prepared to play on a non-level playing field where the goal posts are shifted halfway through the game. And the opposition knows it needs to garner more than half the votes. With the gerrymandering, phantom voters, postal votes, and the RM500-RM1,000 cash paid to each voter, the opposition needs to take three steps forward just to stand still.
If this is the decision then well and fine. I can live with that. After all, there are only two choices -- either boycott the game or stay in the game that you know will be stacked against you. If you don’t like the game then get out. Boycott it. But if you choose to stay in the game then live with it. Accept the ‘rules’ that will certainly work against you.
Since 2008 we have had about a dozen by-elections. And each time, as expected, the fraud gets worse and worse. But still the opposition participates in the elections that they say is fraudulent. And every time the opposition grumbles, complains, bitches, moans and groans. But they still participate in the elections in spite of all that.
Let’s face it. The SPR will never introduce electoral reforms. They have said so ten years ago back in 2000. And they have explained why the fraud has to continue -- to make sure that all the Cabinet Ministers get to retain their seats and to ensure that the Malays do not lose political power. The only way there is going to be electoral reforms would be when we see a change of federal government.
But it is a Catch 22 situation. To see a new federal government we need electoral reforms. But to see electoral reforms we need a new federal government. It is like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?
I will leave that puzzle for you to solve. Meanwhile, while we ponder on this ‘Gordian Knot’ (which only Alexander the Great can cut) let us look at the ongoing PKR party elections.
Over the last month or so we have been reading tons of stories and articles about the alleged fraud in the party elections. How much is true and how much is exaggerated I don’t really know because I am not on the ground and have to depend on what I read and what I am told by those who phone me.
But the fact that some divisions that voted in favour of Azmin Ali saw an exceptionally high voter turnout that far exceeds the national average of 5%-10% certainly triggers some alarm bells. This is reminiscent of the 2004 General Election where Kuala Selangor and Kuala Terengganu saw a 125% voter turnout against a national average of less than 80%. Exceeding 80% voter turnout already looks suspicious. Exceeding 100% voter turnout is a miracle that only God can perform.
Nevertheless, there are many who are most upset about this whole episode. Top of the list is probably Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. I am inclined to believe that some of the allegations are not without merit. If it is one or two complaints then maybe we can question the accuracy of the allegations. But when there is a flood of complaints then certainly some of it must be true.
I do not want to discuss whether the complaints are true and if so how much of it is true. I am not a member of the party elections committee so I am not privy to all the evidence. What I want to talk about is the same thing as what I have been saying since 2000.
If you know there is fraud then get out. Boycott the elections. Raise the complaints if you wish and get them attended to. But if the party denies your allegations then there is nothing more you can do. You can always ask for justice to be done. Whether you do or do not get justice is for the powers-that-be to decide. And in this case the powers-that-be is the party elections committee headed by Dr Molly Cheah.
If Dr Molly believes that there is fraud then, knowing her, she would most certainly do something about it. But if she does nothing then this can only mean that she believes there is no fraud. Dr Molly is probably one of the last persons on earth who would sell her soul to the devil.
I am tired of reading about the grumbling, bitching, complaining, moaning and groaning by Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. Dah letih dengar. Meluat!
If the fire is too hot, get out of the kitchen. Elections in Malaysia will never be clean, free and fair -- whether they are general elections, by-elections or party elections. If you want to contest in any election then accept the fact that you will be faced with many incidences of fraud. Even if Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the new federal government it too will, by hook or by crook, do whatever to takes to prevent Barisan Nasional from taking back the government.
If you still want to contest then do so quietly. Walk softly and carry a big stick. If you can’t stomach what is going on then this is not the game for you. Quit now!
Let us say, in spite of all the fraud that Zaid says is going on, he wins the contest and becomes the new Deputy President of the party. Will he then declare that the election was fraudulent and insist that the election be declared null and for a new election to be called? Or will he ‘accept the decision of the members’ and stay on as the new Deputy President of the party?
If Zaid is a man of principles, even if he wins the post of Deputy President he should decline the post because he would have won it against the backdrop of a fraudulent election. How can he accept the post of Deputy President when it was won through a fraudulent election? Zaid should decline the post and ask for the election to be declared null and for a new election to be called.
Since Zaid is going to stand on principles he should not give the election legitimacy even if he wins the post of Deputy President. He should distance himself from what he says is a fraudulent election and not legitimise it by staying in the race.
You should not grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan only when you lose. If you believe that there is fraud then you should grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan even if you win. And if you are going grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan when you win and refuse to accept the post on point of principle, then don’t waste your and everyone else’s time by participating in an election that you consider a farce.
Get out and get out now. Then people would say you have principles and are not a cry baby who grumbles, bitches, complains, moans and groans only when you lose but will accept the verdict of the election if you happen to win.
I remember the BBC HARDTALK interview of 2004 when Anwar Ibrahim was asked why he is getting too personal about Dr Mahathir. Anwar replied that he is not being personal but opposes Dr Mahathir on point of principle.
The BBC interviewer then asked Anwar if he is opposed to Dr Mahathir on point of principle then why did he remain in the Cabinet? Why did he not resign if he did not endorse the manner in which Dr Mahathir was running the country?
Anwar did not have an answer.
Zaid resigned from the Cabinet in 2008 on point of principle. He refused to stay in the Cabinet because he does not endorse what the government is doing. That makes him one up on Anwar.
But now he stays in the race although he opposes the principle in how the race is being run. And if he wins the race he will accept the post of Deputy President of the party.
Is what he is doing now, in 2010, a reversal of what he did in 2008?
Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.
Like that people will say Zaid may have left Umno but Umno never left Zaid. Umno is still very much in him.
****************************************************
And now doing a CSM for the Secretary-General of PKR, a MEDIA STATEMENT:
KEADILAN Elections: Securtiy Features And Electoral Procedures
LETTERS/SURAT
Sunday, 07 November 2010 Super Admin
E-mail Print PDF
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MEDIA STATEMENT
KEADILAN views with gravity allegations that PKR election ballots are for sale and as many as 1000 ballots can be purchased from last week’s elections and reused this week. An online news site claim that next weeks ballot papers are already available and circulating.
KEADILAN will like to inform all KEADILAN members and candidates that the ballot papers for the past week cannot be used this week or the next two weeks. All ballot papers have the following security features:
1. Ballot papers for the following contested positions have serial numbers:
Deputy President, Vice President, Women Chief, Deputy Women Chief, Vice Women Chief, Youth Chief, Deputy Youth Chief &Vice Youth Chief. The 20 positions in each of the three Excos have up to 132 candidates and are in a booklet format.
2. All ballot papers need to be stamped by Election Officers at the division level just prior to giving them out to eligible voters. Any ballot paper without that stamp will not be valid.
3. Each week’s ballot papers will be printed on different colored papers. This coloured code will not be known to any of the Election Officers until the day of the election. Therefore the impression created that that ballot papers can be reused or recycled is completely untrue.
4. During the election process, candidates for the Deputy President, Women Chief and Youth Chief positions can register their representatives to observe the entire process with the Chief Election Officer – this totals a minimum of 8 representatives from the 8 candidates as election monitors. ALL candidates can register their representatives as counting agents for the positions they are contesting who are allowed to be present to observe the counting of the ballot paper. These electoral procedures can be downloaded from the KEADILAN website.
5. Each Election officers will fill up a tallying sheet which must be signed by him and also the candidates representatives. The said tallying sheet contains the results, the number ballot papers issued, number of votes casted and number of spoilt votes. Many of the candidates in particular those running for the deputy president’s position had appointed their representatives both to observe as well as counting agents practically at all divisions. Such agents were actually present through out the whole process and signed the said tallying sheets.
Issued by,
SAIFUDDIN NASUTION ISMAIL
Secretary General
Play the game according to the ‘rules’ or else quit the game
NO HOLDS BARRED
from malaysia-today.net:)
Sunday, 07 November 2010 Super Admin
E-mail Print PDF
Digg!Del.icio.us!Google!Live!Facebook!Technorati!StumbleUpon!MySpace!Yahoo! Twitter!LinkedIn!
Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.
NO HOLDS BARRED
Raja Petra Kamarudin
I remember, eleven years ago, back in 1999, the opposition coalition, Barisan Alternatif, faced one of the most fraudulent general elections in Malaysian history. Nevertheless, they did not do too badly in spite of it -- although they would have done much better if not for the fraud.
Soon after that we had a meeting with the Elections Commission (SPR) to present them with a thick dossier of proposed electoral reforms. Top of the list was of course the postal voting system, which we were of the view, had already outlived its usefulness and therefore should be abolished.
The reply the SPR gave us shocked us into silence. “If we abolish the postal voting system then not a single Cabinet Minister would be able to remain in office,” the SPR replied.
After we had regained our composure, we asked the SPR is not the purpose of the Election Commission to manage clean, free and fair elections in Malaysia? That was when the second shocker was delivered. “The purpose of the SPR is to ensure that the Malays do not lose political power,” we were told.
With that type of opening statement, and with so many issues more to go, we decided it was pointless to proceed. If the SPR can so blatantly reply that way, with no shame or inhibition, was there any point in continuing this meeting on seeking electoral reforms?
We closed the thick book of proposed electoral reforms and left the SPR office.
I then wrote that the opposition should boycott the next general election. We might as well launch a hartal or civil disobedience campaign. If Barisan Nasional wants to win the elections through fraud then let them win through a walk over. We should not participate in a fraudulent general election and give it legitimacy.
No doubt Barisan Nasional can claim it won the election. But it would have won through a no-contest, which means they can’t claim that the voters gave them overwhelming support or the mandate to rule the country. It would, at best, be an illegitimate government in the eyes of the world.
But many were not in favour of a boycott. And in 2004 the opposition got massacred, although there were other reasons other than fraud for this.
I was then asked to sit in a committee that was going to gather tangible and hard evidence of fraud. And we did just that. We gathered tons and tons of evidence. And with this evidence we filed election petitions to try and get the 2004 general election declared null.
But the court threw out our election petitions. In fact, Umno also filed election petitions to instead get the opposition candidates disqualified. And Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, the solitary PKR candidate who won with a very narrow margin, almost got disqualified.
Again I called for a boycott and of course this did not happen in the 2008 General Election. And there are some who say it was lucky that the opposition did not boycott the 2008 General Election considering that they managed to win five states plus denied Barisan Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.
Maybe so. If the opposition had boycotted the 2008 General Election then they would have missed out on winning the five states plus they would not have been able to deny Barian Nasional its two-thirds majority in parliament.
That is probably one way of looking at it. But if there had not been any fraud then the opposition would have won more than five sates and with a mere 300,000 more votes it would have been able to form the new federal government. And the fraud exceeded the 300,000 votes that the opposition needed to form the new federal government.
So the opposition won second prize. But in a two-horse race second prize also means last. And if there had not been any fraud then the opposition would have won first prize instead. But the fact that the opposition stayed in the race and accepted second prize means the opposition endorses the general election -- and therefore also endorses the fraud that came with it.
Okay, so the decision was made to not boycott the general election but contest it in spite of the fraud. And to offset the fraud the opposition would need to win with a majority of at least 60% or so of the popular votes.
This, the opposition is prepared to do. It is prepared to play on a non-level playing field where the goal posts are shifted halfway through the game. And the opposition knows it needs to garner more than half the votes. With the gerrymandering, phantom voters, postal votes, and the RM500-RM1,000 cash paid to each voter, the opposition needs to take three steps forward just to stand still.
If this is the decision then well and fine. I can live with that. After all, there are only two choices -- either boycott the game or stay in the game that you know will be stacked against you. If you don’t like the game then get out. Boycott it. But if you choose to stay in the game then live with it. Accept the ‘rules’ that will certainly work against you.
Since 2008 we have had about a dozen by-elections. And each time, as expected, the fraud gets worse and worse. But still the opposition participates in the elections that they say is fraudulent. And every time the opposition grumbles, complains, bitches, moans and groans. But they still participate in the elections in spite of all that.
Let’s face it. The SPR will never introduce electoral reforms. They have said so ten years ago back in 2000. And they have explained why the fraud has to continue -- to make sure that all the Cabinet Ministers get to retain their seats and to ensure that the Malays do not lose political power. The only way there is going to be electoral reforms would be when we see a change of federal government.
But it is a Catch 22 situation. To see a new federal government we need electoral reforms. But to see electoral reforms we need a new federal government. It is like the chicken and the egg. Which comes first?
I will leave that puzzle for you to solve. Meanwhile, while we ponder on this ‘Gordian Knot’ (which only Alexander the Great can cut) let us look at the ongoing PKR party elections.
Over the last month or so we have been reading tons of stories and articles about the alleged fraud in the party elections. How much is true and how much is exaggerated I don’t really know because I am not on the ground and have to depend on what I read and what I am told by those who phone me.
But the fact that some divisions that voted in favour of Azmin Ali saw an exceptionally high voter turnout that far exceeds the national average of 5%-10% certainly triggers some alarm bells. This is reminiscent of the 2004 General Election where Kuala Selangor and Kuala Terengganu saw a 125% voter turnout against a national average of less than 80%. Exceeding 80% voter turnout already looks suspicious. Exceeding 100% voter turnout is a miracle that only God can perform.
Nevertheless, there are many who are most upset about this whole episode. Top of the list is probably Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. I am inclined to believe that some of the allegations are not without merit. If it is one or two complaints then maybe we can question the accuracy of the allegations. But when there is a flood of complaints then certainly some of it must be true.
I do not want to discuss whether the complaints are true and if so how much of it is true. I am not a member of the party elections committee so I am not privy to all the evidence. What I want to talk about is the same thing as what I have been saying since 2000.
If you know there is fraud then get out. Boycott the elections. Raise the complaints if you wish and get them attended to. But if the party denies your allegations then there is nothing more you can do. You can always ask for justice to be done. Whether you do or do not get justice is for the powers-that-be to decide. And in this case the powers-that-be is the party elections committee headed by Dr Molly Cheah.
If Dr Molly believes that there is fraud then, knowing her, she would most certainly do something about it. But if she does nothing then this can only mean that she believes there is no fraud. Dr Molly is probably one of the last persons on earth who would sell her soul to the devil.
I am tired of reading about the grumbling, bitching, complaining, moaning and groaning by Zaid Ibrahim and his campaign team. Dah letih dengar. Meluat!
If the fire is too hot, get out of the kitchen. Elections in Malaysia will never be clean, free and fair -- whether they are general elections, by-elections or party elections. If you want to contest in any election then accept the fact that you will be faced with many incidences of fraud. Even if Pakatan Rakyat gets to form the new federal government it too will, by hook or by crook, do whatever to takes to prevent Barisan Nasional from taking back the government.
If you still want to contest then do so quietly. Walk softly and carry a big stick. If you can’t stomach what is going on then this is not the game for you. Quit now!
Let us say, in spite of all the fraud that Zaid says is going on, he wins the contest and becomes the new Deputy President of the party. Will he then declare that the election was fraudulent and insist that the election be declared null and for a new election to be called? Or will he ‘accept the decision of the members’ and stay on as the new Deputy President of the party?
If Zaid is a man of principles, even if he wins the post of Deputy President he should decline the post because he would have won it against the backdrop of a fraudulent election. How can he accept the post of Deputy President when it was won through a fraudulent election? Zaid should decline the post and ask for the election to be declared null and for a new election to be called.
Since Zaid is going to stand on principles he should not give the election legitimacy even if he wins the post of Deputy President. He should distance himself from what he says is a fraudulent election and not legitimise it by staying in the race.
You should not grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan only when you lose. If you believe that there is fraud then you should grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan even if you win. And if you are going grumble, bitch, complain, moan and groan when you win and refuse to accept the post on point of principle, then don’t waste your and everyone else’s time by participating in an election that you consider a farce.
Get out and get out now. Then people would say you have principles and are not a cry baby who grumbles, bitches, complains, moans and groans only when you lose but will accept the verdict of the election if you happen to win.
I remember the BBC HARDTALK interview of 2004 when Anwar Ibrahim was asked why he is getting too personal about Dr Mahathir. Anwar replied that he is not being personal but opposes Dr Mahathir on point of principle.
The BBC interviewer then asked Anwar if he is opposed to Dr Mahathir on point of principle then why did he remain in the Cabinet? Why did he not resign if he did not endorse the manner in which Dr Mahathir was running the country?
Anwar did not have an answer.
Zaid resigned from the Cabinet in 2008 on point of principle. He refused to stay in the Cabinet because he does not endorse what the government is doing. That makes him one up on Anwar.
But now he stays in the race although he opposes the principle in how the race is being run. And if he wins the race he will accept the post of Deputy President of the party.
Is what he is doing now, in 2010, a reversal of what he did in 2008?
Zaid has to be consistent. If he wants to be seen as a man of principles, and if he claims that the party election is fraudulent, then there are no two ways about it. Zaid must walk the talk or else be known as a man who pulls his principles out of his pocket only when it works against him but will leave his principles hidden in his pocket when he can profit from it.
Like that people will say Zaid may have left Umno but Umno never left Zaid. Umno is still very much in him.
****************************************************
And now doing a CSM for the Secretary-General of PKR, a MEDIA STATEMENT:
KEADILAN Elections: Securtiy Features And Electoral Procedures
LETTERS/SURAT
Sunday, 07 November 2010 Super Admin
E-mail Print PDF
Digg!Del.icio.us!Google!Live!Facebook!Technorati!StumbleUpon!MySpace!Yahoo! Twitter!LinkedIn!
MEDIA STATEMENT
KEADILAN views with gravity allegations that PKR election ballots are for sale and as many as 1000 ballots can be purchased from last week’s elections and reused this week. An online news site claim that next weeks ballot papers are already available and circulating.
KEADILAN will like to inform all KEADILAN members and candidates that the ballot papers for the past week cannot be used this week or the next two weeks. All ballot papers have the following security features:
1. Ballot papers for the following contested positions have serial numbers:
Deputy President, Vice President, Women Chief, Deputy Women Chief, Vice Women Chief, Youth Chief, Deputy Youth Chief &Vice Youth Chief. The 20 positions in each of the three Excos have up to 132 candidates and are in a booklet format.
2. All ballot papers need to be stamped by Election Officers at the division level just prior to giving them out to eligible voters. Any ballot paper without that stamp will not be valid.
3. Each week’s ballot papers will be printed on different colored papers. This coloured code will not be known to any of the Election Officers until the day of the election. Therefore the impression created that that ballot papers can be reused or recycled is completely untrue.
4. During the election process, candidates for the Deputy President, Women Chief and Youth Chief positions can register their representatives to observe the entire process with the Chief Election Officer – this totals a minimum of 8 representatives from the 8 candidates as election monitors. ALL candidates can register their representatives as counting agents for the positions they are contesting who are allowed to be present to observe the counting of the ballot paper. These electoral procedures can be downloaded from the KEADILAN website.
5. Each Election officers will fill up a tallying sheet which must be signed by him and also the candidates representatives. The said tallying sheet contains the results, the number ballot papers issued, number of votes casted and number of spoilt votes. Many of the candidates in particular those running for the deputy president’s position had appointed their representatives both to observe as well as counting agents practically at all divisions. Such agents were actually present through out the whole process and signed the said tallying sheets.
Issued by,
SAIFUDDIN NASUTION ISMAIL
Secretary General
Sunday, November 07, 2010
A Poem Dedicatted to Crude .... peeps
OR should it read "creeps"?
IF thou be of fair complexion and civil leanings or learning,please skip this poem, you may shake thy head and wonder if Desi has gone off his rockers/rocket?/head:) OR :(
You Creep!
I gave my heart and soul
To support your new initiative
Of my own free will
For no consideration
But when the weather turns challenging for me
Like I need a ride from thee as my car is in the workshop
Or when I don't even have a dime/dame to pay for TT at TCorner
Or when I could only send an sms instead of a Hphone call
You wave a hurried good bye
Yes, the bye is indeed for forever
Without a reason
Less a rhyme
'Cos Desi's of no more hselflife use
To thy initiative
Hey, fair-weather-friend or wolf-in-ship-fiend
It's you who called Desi first
I owe thee nuffthing
So haste thee into the sunset
Creep into the damned hole where the
sun don't shine at all
from where you first emerged
You'd sell your Mom's arse
Just to save thy dried up skin
Stay in that dark dungeon forever
Be a f(R)iend to me -- or thy Mom -- no more....
YL, Desi full of sorry
No worries, minus one, add a few more
to the fingers I'm still counting
as fRiends where the R does stay
Forever
Hopefoolly!:) OR :(
IF thou be of fair complexion and civil leanings or learning,please skip this poem, you may shake thy head and wonder if Desi has gone off his rockers/rocket?/head:) OR :(
You Creep!
I gave my heart and soul
To support your new initiative
Of my own free will
For no consideration
But when the weather turns challenging for me
Like I need a ride from thee as my car is in the workshop
Or when I don't even have a dime/dame to pay for TT at TCorner
Or when I could only send an sms instead of a Hphone call
You wave a hurried good bye
Yes, the bye is indeed for forever
Without a reason
Less a rhyme
'Cos Desi's of no more hselflife use
To thy initiative
Hey, fair-weather-friend or wolf-in-ship-fiend
It's you who called Desi first
I owe thee nuffthing
So haste thee into the sunset
Creep into the damned hole where the
sun don't shine at all
from where you first emerged
You'd sell your Mom's arse
Just to save thy dried up skin
Stay in that dark dungeon forever
Be a f(R)iend to me -- or thy Mom -- no more....
YL, Desi full of sorry
No worries, minus one, add a few more
to the fingers I'm still counting
as fRiends where the R does stay
Forever
Hopefoolly!:) OR :(
Saturday, November 06, 2010
Ominous signals from Galas and Batu Sapi...
And Pakatan Rakyat components, especially PKR, must not let their guards down. They must wake up to the fact there are ceryain parties -- from within and from outside of Parti Keadilan Rakyat -- who are working hand-in-glove to checkmate the "momentum for change" that the electorate embraced decisively on March 8,2008.
PAS lost Galas by a majority of 1,000-plus votes (swing from 600-plus win in GE12), while PKR was convincingly crushed by 6,000-plus votes (although spoiler Yong Teck Lee took away a minorblock of votes, but the significant fact is that PKR's Ansari Abdullah's plus Yong's votes were still less than BN's Linda Tsen's. Linda received 9,773 votes versus PKR Ansari's 3,414 and SAPP's 2,031. Her majority at 6,359 votes is obtained by subtracting Ansari's 3,414 votes. It does not take into account Yong's 2031, but still, it is a Hurcyulean task for PR when there is a THREE-- as in Batu Sapi -- or more-cornered fight, as an Opposition divided vote bank would always favour the BN,sorry for stating the obvious!
OMINOUS SIGNALS
The first ominous sign is to be read from Galas' defeat of PAS in a state controlled by the Islamist party.
The majority of 1,190 votes won by the BN candidate marks a substantive erosion of support for PAS in a state that is a traditionally strongold of the Islamist party. BN candidate Abdul Aziz Yusoff garnered 5,324 votes in a straight-fight against Pas' Dr Zulkefli Mohamad, who obtained 4,134 votes.
Pre-election forecasts mostly believe taht Menteri Besar Nik Aziz's reputation and his tremendous sway even among the non-Muslims, would swing this by-election in the incumbent party's direction. The reality proved otherwise, andmy reading is that Nik Aziz's influence was easily counter-weighted by veteran and respected MP for Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. What I can also conclude from this outing is that the former Finance Minister's personal following alone was the factor that swung the victory to the Barisan Nasional away from PAS.
What this portends for the PR, especially for PAS in Kelantan, as well as in Kedah whichit also holds control at the State level, must never take for granted that cometh GE13, its supporters, mainly Muslim Malays plus non-Muslims who are won over by the progressive leaders in PAS, will continue to remain faithful to the Movement for Change.
More ominous signal is from Batu Sapi
What this writer is postulating here is that when the 13th General Elections come around -- as early as mid-2011 -- there will be more THREE- and FOUR- or MORE cornered contests, especially when certain parties are already flagging the emergence of a "THIRD FORCE"! Yong of SAPP has proven the sapping of PR's strength; hopefully such individual spoilers are not being paid by the Barisan Nasional to spoil the fight for PR who would prefer a straigh fight. The electorate in general also holds high hopes after March 8, 2008 that there is a trend towards a two=party system.
BUT, remember my friends, spoilers hungry for "Vitamin M" will always emerge to spoil the Tea Party! Is there a whisper of "Beware the Ides of March!" from certain quarters?
To be continued while Desi goes for T-break, OK?!
PAS lost Galas by a majority of 1,000-plus votes (swing from 600-plus win in GE12), while PKR was convincingly crushed by 6,000-plus votes (although spoiler Yong Teck Lee took away a minorblock of votes, but the significant fact is that PKR's Ansari Abdullah's plus Yong's votes were still less than BN's Linda Tsen's. Linda received 9,773 votes versus PKR Ansari's 3,414 and SAPP's 2,031. Her majority at 6,359 votes is obtained by subtracting Ansari's 3,414 votes. It does not take into account Yong's 2031, but still, it is a Hurcyulean task for PR when there is a THREE-- as in Batu Sapi -- or more-cornered fight, as an Opposition divided vote bank would always favour the BN,sorry for stating the obvious!
OMINOUS SIGNALS
The first ominous sign is to be read from Galas' defeat of PAS in a state controlled by the Islamist party.
The majority of 1,190 votes won by the BN candidate marks a substantive erosion of support for PAS in a state that is a traditionally strongold of the Islamist party. BN candidate Abdul Aziz Yusoff garnered 5,324 votes in a straight-fight against Pas' Dr Zulkefli Mohamad, who obtained 4,134 votes.
Pre-election forecasts mostly believe taht Menteri Besar Nik Aziz's reputation and his tremendous sway even among the non-Muslims, would swing this by-election in the incumbent party's direction. The reality proved otherwise, andmy reading is that Nik Aziz's influence was easily counter-weighted by veteran and respected MP for Gua Musang Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah. What I can also conclude from this outing is that the former Finance Minister's personal following alone was the factor that swung the victory to the Barisan Nasional away from PAS.
What this portends for the PR, especially for PAS in Kelantan, as well as in Kedah whichit also holds control at the State level, must never take for granted that cometh GE13, its supporters, mainly Muslim Malays plus non-Muslims who are won over by the progressive leaders in PAS, will continue to remain faithful to the Movement for Change.
More ominous signal is from Batu Sapi
What this writer is postulating here is that when the 13th General Elections come around -- as early as mid-2011 -- there will be more THREE- and FOUR- or MORE cornered contests, especially when certain parties are already flagging the emergence of a "THIRD FORCE"! Yong of SAPP has proven the sapping of PR's strength; hopefully such individual spoilers are not being paid by the Barisan Nasional to spoil the fight for PR who would prefer a straigh fight. The electorate in general also holds high hopes after March 8, 2008 that there is a trend towards a two=party system.
BUT, remember my friends, spoilers hungry for "Vitamin M" will always emerge to spoil the Tea Party! Is there a whisper of "Beware the Ides of March!" from certain quarters?
To be continued while Desi goes for T-break, OK?!
Friday, November 05, 2010
A Deepavali challenge to Government by leading writer
MyGOoDfriend KimQuek resident in Johor Baru, and now facing a ban for his recent second released book -- “The March to Putrajaya -- has spiritedly his case tothe courts, and hopefully, he can still get a "fair hearing"....This government allows, maybe even encourages the ilks of PERKASA President toady Ibrahim Ali and cohorts like Ridhuan Tee Abdullah, to publish all sorts of RACIALLY INCITEFUL articles and statements, and yet they don't receive any "ban", but clear thinking and insightful penmen like KimQuek, are hounded, for being bold and civil minded to ponder on issues that our nation faces.
Malaysia, Quo Vadis? -- YL,Desi
Kim Quek’s Press Statement
5th November 2010
I have taken steps to challenge the legal legitimacy of recent government action to confiscate and ban my book “The March to Putrajaya”.
My lawyers, Kanesalingam & Co., applied to the High Court at Kuala Lumpur on Nov 4 for leave to apply for judicial review to a) declare the police seizure of my books null and void and b) to remove the Home Minister’s subsequent order to ban the book .
On 19th August 2010, police swooped on bookshops in various parts of the country to seize and remove my books without proper legal ground. My lawyers wrote to the police on Sept 15 to request for the return of the books. Then, without any announcement, the Minister signed an order on Sept 22 to ban the book, followed by gazetting the ban on Sept 27. But it was not until Sept 30 that Bernama announced the book ban, quoting the Ministry’s Secretary General for the various reasons for the banning. I promptly rebutted in a press statement the next day – Oct 1 – that the reasons given were unfounded.
Yes, my book contains criticism of the Barisan Nasional government, but these are comments and analysis based on facts that are already in the public domain and facts that have not been properly refuted by the criticized parties.
I have also advocated a change of government due to the lack of meaningful reforms by the incumbent political power.
All these are legitimate political discourse and I have only been exercising my right under the constitution to express my views.
Should any party consider himself injured by what he considers as fraudulent presentation and malicious slander by me, then it is for the party concerned to sue me. But to let loose the police on a rampage to harass the bookshops and worse, to arbitrarily ban the book simply because it is deemed detrimental to the political fortune of the ruling party, is the height of lawlessness that must be unequivocally condemned by every democratic society.
There have been far too many instances of wanton harassment of bookshops, publishers and writers and whimsical banning of books by the authorities, now that the show down between the two political protagonists appears to be imminent. It is high time that people who still cherish the democratic way of life make a concerted effort to put a stop to this stifling of free aspiration of our people.
Facing such brutish treatment from the executive, where can citizens seek their recourse other than the Judiciary, which is the third independent pillar of our system of governance that is entrusted to safeguard the citizens’ rights?
It is with this in mind that I have embarked on the present legal course with the earnest hope to make a contribution towards the democratization of our country.
Kim Quek.
Malaysia, Quo Vadis? -- YL,Desi
Kim Quek’s Press Statement
5th November 2010
I have taken steps to challenge the legal legitimacy of recent government action to confiscate and ban my book “The March to Putrajaya”.
My lawyers, Kanesalingam & Co., applied to the High Court at Kuala Lumpur on Nov 4 for leave to apply for judicial review to a) declare the police seizure of my books null and void and b) to remove the Home Minister’s subsequent order to ban the book .
On 19th August 2010, police swooped on bookshops in various parts of the country to seize and remove my books without proper legal ground. My lawyers wrote to the police on Sept 15 to request for the return of the books. Then, without any announcement, the Minister signed an order on Sept 22 to ban the book, followed by gazetting the ban on Sept 27. But it was not until Sept 30 that Bernama announced the book ban, quoting the Ministry’s Secretary General for the various reasons for the banning. I promptly rebutted in a press statement the next day – Oct 1 – that the reasons given were unfounded.
Yes, my book contains criticism of the Barisan Nasional government, but these are comments and analysis based on facts that are already in the public domain and facts that have not been properly refuted by the criticized parties.
I have also advocated a change of government due to the lack of meaningful reforms by the incumbent political power.
All these are legitimate political discourse and I have only been exercising my right under the constitution to express my views.
Should any party consider himself injured by what he considers as fraudulent presentation and malicious slander by me, then it is for the party concerned to sue me. But to let loose the police on a rampage to harass the bookshops and worse, to arbitrarily ban the book simply because it is deemed detrimental to the political fortune of the ruling party, is the height of lawlessness that must be unequivocally condemned by every democratic society.
There have been far too many instances of wanton harassment of bookshops, publishers and writers and whimsical banning of books by the authorities, now that the show down between the two political protagonists appears to be imminent. It is high time that people who still cherish the democratic way of life make a concerted effort to put a stop to this stifling of free aspiration of our people.
Facing such brutish treatment from the executive, where can citizens seek their recourse other than the Judiciary, which is the third independent pillar of our system of governance that is entrusted to safeguard the citizens’ rights?
It is with this in mind that I have embarked on the present legal course with the earnest hope to make a contribution towards the democratization of our country.
Kim Quek.
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