THE RAT RACE PART VI – MALAYSIA: HOW DID UMNO STAY IN POWER FOR SO LONG?

[pywong]

Part III of III

60. With the abolishment of the immunity of the Rajas from legal action, except when carrying out official duties, it is believed that a Raja will not commit acts that can be charged in courts. With this, the Raja will be honored by the People.

61. The abolishment of the ban applied on Members of Parliament and the Dewans Undangan Negeri by the Sedition Act will prevent the Rajas from committing any act that may attract the criticism of the respective members of the house.

62. The abolishment of the powers to pardon himself will make legal action more effective.

63. The real reason for these amendments is not because the Government or the People want to drag the Rajas to court as they like. The reason is so that the Rajas will constraint themselves from committing acts that can negatively cause legal action. Hence, the Rajas will be respected more.

64. It should be reminded that the respect of the People towards the Raja cannot be determined by laws. With your permission, 'Respect must be earned'. Having laws that scare the People will not bring 'respect'. With the realization that the Rajas can be brought to court, Rajas will certainly avoid committing acts that will cause the people not to respect the Rajas. Hence, the Raja Institution will be better respected and better preserved.

65. To strengthen the efforts to preserve the Rajas and Raja System, any suggestion or exertion to abolish the Raja System is interpreted as sedition and will be charged under the Sedition Act.

Mr. Speaker Sir,

66. I feel very sad that today I am forced to present to the august House a Bill to amend the Constitution that has in some way contaminated the good name of the Rajas and the Raja Institution. With a heavy heart I presented and explained the suggested amendments.

67. That the Government made the decision to amend the Constitution is not without reason. Actually, as I have said, the Government has refrained from making these amendments since the start when we achieved independence. But this approach does not alleviate the situation. On the contrary, the situation became worse.

68. In the end, an incident in which a Raja assaulted a citizen and before this another incident in which the son of a Raja assaulted a citizen. The Government cannot look lightly at such events without jeorpardizing the Government's credibility as responsible leaders.

69. The Government is forced to make a firm stand to protect the People from being oppressed by the Rajas. Certainly, this stand was not made because of these two incidents only. Before this there were many incidents where the Rajas oppressed the People, Rajas broke civil and criminal laws, Rajas misused the money and property of the Government and country, Raja pressuring and oppressing officials.

70. The incident in Johor is only, with your permission, 'the straw that broke the camel's back'. The People's reaction towards these incidents clearly shows that the People no longer accept and 'tolerate' these kind of acts.

Mr. Speaker Sir,

71. There are people that ostensibly wish to give powers to and defend the Rajas when the Raja commit crimes. They try twist the People's thoughts by accusing the Government is trying to abolish the Raja System.

72. I wish to assert that the Barisan Nasional government does not at all suggest to abolish the Raja System. This is clear from the suggested amendments. Any suggestion to abolish the Raja System will be interpreted as sedition and the Government will take action under the Sedition Act upon anyone who suggest or act to abolish the Raja System.

Mr. Speaker Sir,

73. The government is aware that the People, specifically the Malays accept and support the Malay Raja Institution. The accusations that the Government is trying to abolish the Raja System is merely because of political interests. The Government represents the majority of the Malays and other races will abide by the wishes of the People and will not do something that is unpopular.

74. Because it is clear that the majority of the people of all races still wants the Raja System, specifically the Constitutional Monarchy System, the Government will guarantee that this system is protected by the Constitution.

Mr. Speaker Sir,

75. There are parties that opine that the Malay Rajas are needed to protect the Malays. The MacMichael Agreement and the Malayan Union incidents clearly prove that those who are willing and able to protect the Malays are the Malays themselves. If not because they rose up and opposed the Malayan Union, today, the Malays would have been beggars in their own country.

76. The attempts by some parties to scare the Malays towards the amendment are caused by those who wish to use racial sentiments for the interests of their own parties. Their history does not assure us that they are sincere. They are the ones who try to weaken the Malays by breaking up UMNO and working with certain parties that are viewed with suspicion by the Malays.

77. Can merely barring the Rajas from committing crimes cause the Rajas to lose their sovereignty and no longer be Rajas? The opinion that the Rajas can only be Rajas if they are given rights and given privileges to commit crime contravenes the concept of Rajas as the source of law. In the old era in the West, Kings possessed the right to commit crime. For instance, according to the concept, with your permission, 'Droit du seigneur' (right of the Lord) or the Right of the Lord, the King has the right to spend a night with all newlyweds.

78. But in the West, all these rights have been abolished. That is why Western countries that preserve the Monarchy System does not have specific immunity for the Rajas. Even if there is a mention that the King cannot be brought court, it is only a formality. King, Government and the People know if the King commits a crime, he will be brought to court, and he will be removed from his throne. Hence, the Kings in the Western countries will not intentionally commit crime.

79. Although it is clear that the Kings in the West are not immune from legal and non-legal action, the Kings are still Kings. They are respected and admired.

Mr. Speaker Sir,

80. In the British era, the Malay Rajas were not only immune but were also under the orders of the British officials. They can be appointed and removed from the throne. One of MacMichael's threats so that the Rajas would sign the Malayan Union Agreement is they will be removed from the throne if they do not sign the Agreement.

81. In this situation, the Rajas will continue to be Rajas. The People are not demanding the Rajas be dislodged or the Raja System to be abolished although the Rajas handed over the Malay states to the colonialists. Happily I am reminded that at that time the Rajas in Indonesia, India and Pakistan have been rejected by the People who demanded for independence. On the contrary, Malaysians, mainly the Malays and UMNO, have fought to save the Rajas and Raja System.

82. The opposition of the Malays against the Malayan Union is clear because the fortunes of the Malays are in the hands of the Malays. The safety of Malays is not jeopardized with the Malay Rajas who do not have the right to commit crime. There are parties that say the abolishment of the Raja's right to commit crime, the Malays are no longer Malays and that will be the end of the special position of the Malays. This is not true. This is slander. Those who guarantee that the Malays will continue to be Malays and Malay rights are protected are the Malays themselves. They, through their representatives and the Government that they choose, create and implement various activities to protect and fight for the honour of the Malays.

Mr. Speaker Sir,

83. A Raja asked why the Constitutional amendments are related to Islam when the Government does not agree with the implementation of Sharia and Hudud law. According to him, he is ready to accept Islamic law without immunity but is unwilling to accept the country's laws which are not Islamic law.

84. With or without his blessing, the position of the Malay Rajas since Merdeka has been determined by the law, that is the Constitution. These laws also give certain special privileges to the Rajas. Among these privileges is immunity from legal action. If the Rajas were willing to accept the immunity under laws which are not Islamic laws, why is the abolishment of immunity in the same laws are not accepted by the Rajas?

85. In Islam there are two principals that are strongly held by the law. The first is there is no difference among Muslims in enforcement of Islamic laws. Raja and People are the same. The immunity for Rajas contravenes this principle. Rejecting the abolishment of the immunity so that the difference between Raja and People is preserved in the laws does not reflect a strong adherence to Islamic principles.

86. Receiving immunity from laws said to be not Islamic law, but rejecting the abolishment of this immunity in the same laws clash with the allegation that only Islamic law is acceptable.

87. Islam gives much leeway. Islam takes into account all factors and circumstances faced by its believers. Such that even in carrying out religious duties, environment, an individual's health and the current circumstances are considered. Therefore, praying can be made without certain movements, without facing the kiblat, before, after or together, in a congregation or alone. Palestinians, who were driven out by the Zionist Rule, could pray without taking off their shoes. In other religious duties, there is also leeway. Such is with the enforcement of hudud law. The state of the environment and society must be considered. That is the reason why not many countries in which the majority of the residents are Muslims do not establish hudud law. Those who do, also do not fully implement them.

88. The Government does not reject hudud law. The implementation must take into account the situation of the country in which Muslims only make up 56 percent and they are still weak in many fields. The administration who rejects the leeway given by Islam actually does not follow Islamic teaching. Islam does not order Muslims or a Muslim Government to blindly implement Islamic law until one is destroyed. That is why the Prophet asks his followers to go to Habsyah to save himself. That is why the Prophet migrated to Medina to save Islam and the Islamic struggle.

89. If the conditions allow, we will implement hudud law. But while waiting for hudud law to be implemented, we do something against Islamic teaching. Actually, crimes are prohibited by the country's laws and also Islamic laws. Does the said Raja want the freedom to commit crime only because we have not implemented hudud laws that prohibit the same crime?

90. The second principle is there is no immunity in Islam. All laws are the same for all believers. A Raja that wants to be immune from the law certainly opposes this Islamic principle. Mr. Speaker Sir,

91. Finally, I wish to touch on the problems related to advising the Rajas. Like I have mentioned, Rajas must accept the Government's advice. In other countries where the Monarchy System still exists although without specific provision that the Kings must act according to the Government's advice, the Kings never act contrary to the Government's advice. Hence, the relationship between the King and Government who represents the People remains good. More than that, in these countries, these Kings are respected and revered by society.

92. Unfortunately, in Malaysia, although there are provisions that the Rajas should act according to the Government's advice, the Rajas hold on to the interpretation of 'advice' as widely accepted – that is advice can be accepted or rejected. This interpretation is wrong. In this area, there are also some matters that the Rajas consider no advice is required to be given. Hence, many things are done in opposition of the Government that represents the People.

93. The problem faced today is caused by the opinion that Rajas could overstep the People's Government. This deceitful act occurs because advice is ignored. An impasse on this amendment is also caused by the unwillingness of the Rajas to accept advice.

94. If this continues, the Parliamentary Democracy Government can no longer fully and truly exist. This is the reason the Government is bringing these amendments to the House. If this process is challenged, the decision can be brought to court. As a Government that holds firm to, with your permission 'rule of law', we will abide by the decision of the courts. At the same time, this matter should not be seen from the legal angle only. It also has to be seen from a political angle.

95. When the Rajas handed the Malay states to the British, the People took the political action to get back the Malay states and preserved the Raja Institution. Although, from a legal point of view, the People do no have the right to as all agreements are made between the British and the Rajas only, the British honored the People's political action.

96. I hope the Malay Rajas also take the lesson from our country's history, specifically the history of the Malayan Union and accept the political will of the country. Although the signs show that the Malay Rajas accept this amendment, I hope after the amendment is approved by the Dewan Rakyat and Dewan Negara, the Malay Rajas will accept and approve these laws. Malaysiatoday....

[pywong]

What happened to Sabah?

The Malaysian Rat Race Part VI.

[pywong]

http://tindakmalaysia.com/tm_forums2...9.html#msg6459

[pywong]

How the British started the Emergency in Malaya against the Malayan Communist Party to prolong their stay in Malaya. We can see UMNO using a similar tactic against the opposition parties to prolong their hold on power. Provoke both sides to fight each other and UMNO acts as the protector of one side against the other.

The more things change, the more they remain the same.

Kyrgyzstan’s ‘Roza Revolution’: Part IV

Washington, Moscow, Beijing and the Geopolitics of Central Asia

By F. William Engdahl, author of Full Spectrum Dominance: Totalitarian Democracy in the New World Order

26 May 2010

Part IV: Washington and the Kyrgyz future—Securing the Pivot Lemetropolecafe. Subscription required.

Low Intensity Warfare and PKO

The method was originally termed Low Intensity Warfare by the British Army officer, Frank Kitson, who developed and refined the method for control of subject areas in Malaysia, in Kenya during the Mau Mau freedom struggles of the 1950s, and later for the British Army in Northern Ireland.

‘Low Intensity Warfare’ as Kitson termed it, [23] involves use of deception, of infiltration by double agents, provocateurs, and use of defectors into legitimate popular movements such as those struggling for colonial independence after 1945.

The method is sometimes referred to as ‘Gang/Counter-Gang.’ The essence is that the orchestrating intelligence agency or military occupying force, whether the British Army in Kenya or the CIA in Afghanistan, actually controls the actions of both sides in an internal conflict, creating small civil wars or gang wars with the aim of dividing the overall legitimate movement and creating the pretext for bringing in outside military forces for what the US now has deceptively named “Peace-Keeping Operations” or PKO.[24]

[pywong]

The senior civil servants are part of the UMNO Conspirators. As a reward for their long years of service to protect UMNO's interest, they retire and go up to heaven as Directors of GLCs. This is the Social Contract between UMNO and the Senior Civil Service. Don't expect that to change anytime soon. All the talk below is just... "talk".

BBCBN: Jangan lantik bekas pegawai kerajaan anggotai lembaga GLC
Oleh G. Manimaran
June 06, 2010
KUALA LUMPUR, 6 Jun — Kerugian besar dialami dua syarikat berkaitan kerajaan (GLC) dijangka menjadi fokus sidang Dewan Rakyat, yang bermula esok, dengan Kelab Penyokong Kerajaan Barisan Nasional (BBCBN) mendesak kerajaan tidak lagi melantik pesara sektor awam menganggotai lembaga pengarah bagi mengelakkan masalah sama berulang.

Sehubungan itu, BBCBN mahu mendesak Perdana Menteri Datuk Seri Najib Razak yang juga Menteri Kewangan memberi penjelasan terperinci bagaimana Pos Malaysia Berhad dan Sime Darby boleh mengalami kerugian antara lebih RM200 juta hingga RM1.6 bilion.

“Saya sendiri akan membangkitkan isu ini... saya merasakan kerajaan tidak harus melantik pegawai-pegawai kanan telah bersara jika mereka tidak komited dan tidak mampu untuk menjalankan tugas mereka dengan baik,” kata Timbalan Pengerusi BBCBN Datuk Bung Moktar Radin kepada The Malaysian Insider hari ini.

“Kalau mereka tidak berminat (menerajui syarikat-syarikat besar) jangan paksa mereka memegang jawatan pengarah khususnya di syarikat-syarikat besar dan ternama macam Sime Darby,” kata beliau yang juga Ahli Parlimen Kinabatangan.

Mesyuarat kedua penggal ketiga Parlimen akan berlangsung mulai esok sehingga 13 Julai.

Antara anggota lembaga pengarah Sime Darby dan Pos Malaysia kalangan bekas pegawai kanan kerajaan ialah bekas timbalan perdana menteri Tun Musa Hitam, masing-masing bekas ketua setiausaha negara Tan Sri Ahmad Sarji Abdul Hamid dan Tan Sri Samsudin Osman, bekas ketua pengarah pelajaran Tan Sri Dr Wan Mohd Zahid Mohd Noordin serta Pengerusi Pos Malaysia Tan Sri Dr. Aseh Che Mat dan Puan Sri Nazariah Mohd Khalid.

Bung Moktar percaya bahawa masalah kerugian yang dialami oleh kedua-dua GLC ini berpunca daripada sikap tidak komited ahli-ahli lembaga pengarah.

“Kadangkala kita paksa mereka terima jawatan-jawatan ini... jangan paksa kalau mereka tidak komited, akhirnya yang rugi negara dan rakyat,” kata beliau sambil menambah akan menggesa kerajaan mengkaji semula tatacara pelantikan anggota lembaga pengarah dalam GLC.

Kata Bung Moktar, BBCBN juga akan meminta kerajaan menjelaskan bagaimana kerugian kedua-dua GLC itu boleh wujud.

“Kami mahukan penjelasan terperinci, apa punca masalah ini... saya berpendapat bahawa masalah ini tidak harus wujud ketika kerajaan hendak membawa ekonomi ke kedudukan lebih baik,” katanya.

Pada Khamis ini kerajaan akan membentangkan Rancangan Malaysia Ke-10 dan Model Ekonomi Baru untuk dibahaskan.

Negara dikejutkan dengan ‘skandal’ kewangan dialami oleh Sime Darby dan Pos Malaysia dalam tempoh dua bulan lalu.

Minggu lalu, Jawatankuasa Kira-kira Wang Negara (PAC) berkata akan memanggil pengurusan Sime Darby dan Pos Malaysia bagi memberi penjelasan berhubung kerugian kedua-dua syarikat itu.

Kedua-dua GLC itu dijangka dipanggil pada minggu kedua persidangan Parlimen.

Sime Darby dilaporkan mengalami kerugian lebih RM1.7 bilion akibat daripada lebihan kos dalam projek kendaliannya, dan berikutan itu, Datuk Seri Ahmad Zubir Murshid, yang kontraknya sebagai Ketua Eksekutif Kumpulan sepatutnya berakhir pada 26 Nov ini, telah diminta bercuti.

Pada bulan lalu Timbalan Menteri Kewangan Datuk Dr Awang Adek Hussein memberitahu Dewan Negara bahawa Pos Malaysia mengalami kerugian bagi tempoh tiga tahun lepas berjumlah RM227 juta ekoran pelaburan dalam syarikat penyedia perkhidmatan kargo udara, Transmile Group Berhad.

Menteri di Jabatan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Nor Mohamed Yakcop sebelum ini telah menafikan sebarang pembabitannya dalam Pos Malaysia yang mengakibatkan syarikat itu mengalami kerugian.

Sebelum Perkasa, pertubuhan bukan kerajaan Melayu terbesar dan bekas perdana menteri Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad telah menggesa kesemua lembaga pengarah Sime Darby meletakkan jawatan dengan segera.

Isu Pos Malaysia dan Sime Darby juga dijangka menarik perhatian Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali yang juga Ahli Parlimen Bebas dari Pasir Mas dan wakil-wakil rakyat dari Pakatan Rakyat.TheMalaysiaInsider....

[pywong]

Different words but same meaning - psychologicial warfare on the rural folks.

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

Viktor Wong, Malaysia Chronicle

Why is it that after more than 50 years of independence, the majority in the Malay and the other bumiputra communities still lag behind? Why is that after more than 50 years, they are still suffering from backwardness despite hundreds of government corporations and agencies specially established to enhance their livelihood?

Or perhaps the key question to ask should be, why are they still lagging behind even though their so-called champion, Umno, has been continuously victorious in the past general elections?

Even until now, many in these communities do not have access to the basic comforts that their counterparts in the urban areas take for granted, as a matter of right as citizens of this country. Yes, many Malays and bumiputra still live in areas that do not get water or electricity. Neither can they afford basic education for their young and have to live in old and dilapidated huts. The New Economic Policy (NEP) did not reach them at all. Why and how come?

Sadly, the answers are very much connected to how Umno brought about their continuous electoral victories and the methods they adopted to maintain their influence in the villages and other rural parts of our nation.

One of the main factors contributing to the party's success is to keep the communities they claim to represent in the dark - for decades. And we are not just talking about the lack of electricity. There is a greater darkness - from the standpoint of education, blackouts of information and distribution of deliberate misinformation.

Indeed, the rural folk have been denied the pace of development enjoyed by the town and city dwellers - quite often, it is deliberate. For example in the development of information technology, or rather, the lack of so as to make sure that the rural communities are solely dependent on government TV and RTM channels for their daily consumption of news and data. In the eyes of the official media, everything about Umno and BN is good and benevolent, all others especially Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim are traitors and enemies of the state.

Also, despite all the cheap funding and loan facilities offered under the so-called bumiputra schemes, special share option schemes, special economic assistance, by and large, the majority of the Malays and bumiputra do not get to tap these opportunities to create a better livelihood for themselves. Instead, the facilities end up being enjoyed only by the Umno elite and the families of the mid-level leaders. These people become wealthier and more powerful, finally entrenching themselves into the "golongan bangsawan".

What about the non-Umno members and the ordinary man-in-the-street bumiputras? No doubt, some of them have been lucky enough to get some benefits, but the fact is most of them do not. That is why the poor are still very poor today, those uneducated are still uneducated, while those living in backwardness are still totally backward.

Yet, despite these terrible conditions and outright marginalization, why do they still vote and support Umno-BN?

The reasons are simple. One of these is because they are constantly fed information and data sourced only from RTM, Utusan Malaysia and Berita Harian. No Internet - this means they are unable to get any news from opposing or independent sources. The excuses given by the government include no coverage, or coverage is too expensive, or the villagers will just have to wait.

That is the official line but what they don't tell you is that they don't really need any sudden explosion of progress in their traditional bastions of support. After all, to these Umno-BN leaders, prolonging their vested personal interests come first. As far as they are concerned, independent sources of information and news are lies anyway - defamation in disguise from traitors and so on!

So, brainwashed is the word. Malaysian villagers and rural folk, due to limited development through the decades, have been co-opted into supporting Umno-BN blindly and continuously. This is why many of the rural constituencies are still firmly controlled by Umno leaders and their local warlords. The votes for Umno are indeed 'controlled, manipulated and guaranteed' in these areas.

During general elections, opposition campaigners are also often denied access to the rural interior, thanks to the help of security forces such as the police on the pretext of national security or preventing public disturbances and so on.

These are among the main reasons why Umno continues to sweep the votes from the under-developed areas. Umno's election strategy is simple - to win, just make sure the rural folk are kept away from development, education and the Internet.

If you want evidence, just take the Malaysian Chinese community as a comparison. The majority of the ethnic Chinese grew up and live in urban and developed areas, towns, cities and business centers. For this reason, they get exposed from a young age to numerous basic facilities, updated technologies, info-tech, higher education, state-of-art communications, latest news, Internet resources, opportunities and so on.

This is why they are better informed and more resilient because they have been forced to work for their achievements. The vast majority do not receive a cent from the federal government.

And because of life is tougher for them, they question much more than their Malay and rural counterparts. And this is why MCA and Gerakan were voted out in the last general elections because the community finally gave up on these two political parties. They know the leaders of MCA and Gerakan will never rise to the occasion and will always put their personal interests first. That's why their parties are subservient to Umno, because Umno gives them the goodies, the datukships and tan sri-ships. And not their community!

If our society had access to better information from a greater variety of sources - pro-BN, pro-Pakatan, anti-BN, anti-Pakatan as well neutral or independent ones, Malaysia would flourish all the better and faster.

So, please think carefully and wisely because the 13th general election is coming soon. Umno has been running the entire nation for decades. Why are so many Malaysians still so backward? Put this question directly to them, do not allow them to offer excuses or to blame others. Ask why and where has all the money gone to? Why are only the elites enjoying life, but not the great majority of the citizenry?

Put all these questions to Umno-BN. More than 50 years in their hands, and yet, this is is all that we have and worse is still to come. As Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Idris Jala has said, we may be going bankrupt in 9 years' time! Malaysia Chronicle....

[pywong]

Zaid: Malaysia turning into a fascist state.

[pywong]

Sakmongkol: Muhyiddin's tactics - the UMNO heartland still subscribed to what sociologists called the low culture- the people's basic beliefs and values. Muhyidin is addressing the low culture when talking in combative tones. He talks about the basic beliefs and basic things closest to the Malays. umno and its low culture.


Correction: It should be - the UMNO heartland still subscribed to what sociologists called the low culture- the people's baser beliefs and values. (The ugly side of human instincts.) Muhyidin is addressing the low culture when talking in combative tones. He talks about the baser beliefs and baser things closest to the Malays.

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

This one just popped out of the woodwork.

CMIWS - Centre For Media And Information Warfare Studies.

Now, why would the Govt want to conduct information warfare studies? Who is their target?
Our enemies!
Who are these enemies?

A visit to their website shows:

OBJECTIVES

The objectives of the Centre include; To produce students who are highly knowledgeable and skilled in applying media and information warfare strategies and tactics to real life situations. To produce students of high ability to analyse, evaluate and handle national and global issues from multidisciplinary perspectives. To produce strategic information specialists who are proactive and knowledgeable to carry out legal, ethical and political tasks with a great sense of responsibilities. To explore, analyse and develop knowledge on media and information warfare via research networks and consultancies, publications, collaborative efforts, scholarly exchange programs and archival works. To become a reference centre for the country in terms of policy formation and decision making on media and information warfare.

AIMS

In order to achieve its mission, CMIWS aims to provide the following: Post graduate programmes which expose students from various disciplines with philosophical, theoretical and professional knowledge on media and information warfare, experiential learning, seminar course, case studies, research and professional talks to prepare them to be area experts, warfare analysts, strategic thinkers, planners, scholars and future leaders who are proactive, insightful, ethical and responsible. Databases and archives on media and information warfare to enable CMIWS to become a powerful resource centre. Research network and consultancies to the government, NGOs, media and communication related industries and other relevant institutions

JASA - CMIWS Psychological Operations & Influence Activities.

Written by Admin CMIWS

On the 25th till 30th July 2010, CMIWS held the JASA - CMIWS Psychological Operations Course for officers from the Sarawak branch of the Jabatan Hal Ehwal Khas (Office of Special Affairs) at the Regency Rajah Court Hotel in Kuching. The-five day course provided the officers with skills, knowledge and exposure of new communication strategies in influences activities.  

[pywong]

Walla is a mysterious writer who writes extremely well, so non-confrontational and yet going to the heart of the matter. I will love to meet him or her.

Walla's lovely rebuttal:

'Muhyidin is addressing the low culture when talking in combative tones. He talks about the basic beliefs and basic things closest to the Malays.'

Therein lies the dilemma of Umno - are the basic beliefs of the Malays heartland not amenable to change? Are all to think the Malays have been so secluded from the world that they cannot accept new ways of doing old things, new measures of what will make for success, new yardsticks of acceptable governance behavior, and most important of all, be able to unflinchingly accept enough of reality as it is spelled out so that they will stridently make the necessary effort to improve themselves?

Or does having a monthly thousand ringgit free allowance be considered without further thought to suffice for a carefree life in a country of weakening currency, depleting resources, irrelevant skills and reducing subsidies?

Yet there are other Malays. They are no different from the non-Malays. They can hold court with anyone else of the world. They can exercise new mobility, engage in intelligent discourse based on rationale and reason, and keep their minds open to new possibilities and interpretations even while their eyes stay focused on the direction of their thoughts.

The difference between the first and the second is that the first stay rooted in their dashed hopes and static surroundings while the second accept reality as it is, embrace change as it comes, make the sacrifices as are required, take the risks as they are coined, and sink or swim as everyone else does in a world of tides. Thereby, living more.

It remains to add the dilemma of Umno can lead to the dilemma of Malaysia - but only if Umno is the one that continues to lead by the temperature, perceived or real, of low culture. Because it will be the blind leading the blind.

For instance, Muhyiddin can't be blind to the fact there are no extensive science and math references in bahasa after the student finishes school. And since he also knows that a high income economy has to be innovative which in the modern world at least means more know-how of science and maths, how will the students out from school cope better in the next phases of their studies or even when they are on their own working to research new products for use, evaluation or marketing?

A simple solution would be to let the parents decide which medium of instruction should apply for their childrens' education, and provide the requisite national support.

By applying a blanket approach and taking the votebox route, he has shown he doesn't lead for national interest but he only leads based on the perceived interest of low-culture ignorance, thereby putting the future of the nation at risk, what more the objectives of the national plans and visions which his administration has painted.

How different will it then be from starting a megamillion enterprise and then pulling the first guy from the street to lead it?

There is something else to bear in mind. Inherent in a low-culture setting is its own seed of self-destruction. It doesn't have escalating notions of standards. Standards which develop from one rank to another manifest progress away from triviality, reducing mistakes and waste, increasing productivity and performance, yielding higher returns and more prosperity. They are the signposts to map out new pathways to improving one's own destiny. After all, the world owes one a living but one has to work hard to collect it.

Those who have developed standards will balk when someone says it's alright to blow a few hundred million on a new fishing technique which fails. Because, having standards, they will constantly remember the money wasn't theirs to play pucks with in the first place.

That's how countries can become richer or at least not poorer, so poor that that subsidies have to be removed, even when their governments can meanwhile spend needless millions on frivolities like a twenty five million ornamental rod to remember their leaders who have neglected to nurse low cultures away from illusions.

[pywong]

Amendment: UMNO Rebels added


Amendment: Tentera Wataniah added under VII Militias

Additions to the UMNO War Machine:
1. Registrar of Societies (ROS),
2. The Civil Service Heads,
3. To remain unnamed - check out for yourself.

Little Napoleon meets his Waterloo

Mariam Mokhtar, Jul 26, 10

Umno's most potent political weapon is finally publicly unveiled. It is called the civil servant: it does little work, it cannot be fired.

Admission into Malaysia's civil service is highly desired by the unambitious, the incapable and the indolent. With 1.2 million civil servants (over 4 percent of the population), Umno is assured of political commitment. Thus, civil servants represent the fifth column.

For decades, elected leaders promised to remove incompetent and insolent civil servants. These bureaucrats, our paid servants, make our lives miserable. How many leaders kept their promises? Did good governance arise from these meaningless pledges? Leaders deserve to be treated with scepticism and scorn for failing to deliver.

But the tide may be turning.

In the recent spat between Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng and the state development officer Nik Ali Mat Yunus it appears that Nik Ali is about to meet his Waterloo.

Nik Ali (left) is responsible to his chief minister for his actions and conduct, although he is a federal appointee. As a civil servant, he serves the government of the day, of whatever complexion.

Nik Ali's disregard for the strict code of conduct, his failure to demonstrate the core values of integrity, honesty, objectivity and impartiality, does not inspire confidence. He caused the breakdown in communication.

When we became independent, we inherited several British institutions: a good judiciary, civil service, family planning unit, police force and parliament. Years of mis-rule eroded their high standards and abolished the system of checks and balances.

Nik Ali should reread the history of the British civil service and in particular, William Harcourt's comments over two centuries ago: “The minister exists to tell the civil servant what the public will not stand”.

Reclaiming our rights

Nik Ali took umbrage and criticised Lim for his 'interference' in addressing corruption and waste of public funds. When Lim chided his civil servant, he also bore on his shoulders all our frustrations. He became our 'symbol' for clawing back our rights.

We, too, have been at the mercy of errant civil servants. We stood patiently in long queues, held our tongues, ignored the delays while they had 'extended breakfasts'. We waited to be served while they discussed the 'bursa saham'. We were made to feel small because of their lack of tact.

We suffered when they said, “masih tak ada keputusan” (no decision yet) because we refused their offers of “senang 'aje nak expedite”. Dare we complain? At the risk of our papers being 'lost'? These civil servants thought nothing of abusing our intellect, our time and our goodwill.

Chief secretary to the government Mohd Sidek Hassan (right), Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak, Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin and Penang Umno head Azhar Ibrahim have rallied round Nik Ali. Their support for a rude civil servant, for the wrong reasons, exposes their hypocrisy, malice and sanctimony. They make good political theatre.

Didn't Najib and Sidek both condemn 'Little Napoleons' in the past? Can't they recall the 'People First' policy?

In 2006, then-PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi announced, “There is no need to show how powerful you are by delaying things. There are people who held back files and there are people who held back decisions. We don't want to have 'Little Napoleons' in the civil service showing power by delaying things, for example, just to teach that person a lesson.”

When DPM Muhyiddin said, “Nik Ali is an exemplary officer and there is no case of insubordination here,” he makes a laughingstock of himself. His failure to reproach encourages the type of gutter politics beloved of Bung Mokhtar Radin and Tajuddin Rahman.

No doubt Azhar's admonishment of Lim's style of governance as “immature and inexperienced” reveals that Umno prefers puppets on strings. Moreover, Umno is sore it cannot add corruptibility and stubbornness to Lim's list of alleged failings.

As for Ibrahim Ali (left), wading into this fracas, he acts the class bully spoiling for a fight. He should be less of a 'kay poh chee' (busybody) but instead busy himself and resolve the issues of the latest study by the Universiti Putra Malaysia's Social Sciences Institute.

The survey found that pornographic websites were accessed mostly by young urban Malays who were also inclined to lepak (idle) (15 percent), smoke (13.7 percent) as well as swear at people and play truant (11.5 percent).

Lim is right to be cross at being called biadap (rude), “That's why I cannot tolerate people who waste (public) money like Nik. No chief minister dares to upbraid a civil servant. I have been told that I was a 'terror' for doing so.”

Lim deserves an apology but would be naïve to expect Nik Ali or his political masters - the federal government - to admit the error of their ways.

Will they alter the civil service to reflect the country's racial composition? Will they accept that each race, with its own particular strength, can make a useful contribution? Will they adopt a more lean institution? Will they stop spending our money frivolously?

Saboteurs not uncommon

What happened in Penang is not uncommon. During Pakatan Rakyat's brief tenure in Perak, similar saboteurs were at work to undermine Pakatan. Civil servants complained of oppression by constant interference from the federal government.

This government has repeatedly ignored the electorate. It intimidates those who expose wrongdoings and corruption in our civil service, judiciary and other institutions. It silences those who write about what is right and just.

Unlike the BN stooges, decent Malaysians do not judge by the artificial criterion of popular appeal.

In 1994, Lim defended an underaged Malay girl who was allegedly raped by then Malacca Chief Minister Rahim Thamby Chik. Both Lim and the girl were imprisoned; the alleged rapist escaped all charges. Did any senior civil servant or BN politician protest at this outrage? No. They closed ranks.

Today, Lim is spearheading a charge towards a cleaner, more transparent and open style of governance. He is not 'all talk and no action'.

What happened in Penang is not about a chief minister reprimanding his civil servant. It is about fear. Our inefficient, bloated and arrogant civil service is afraid of losing its privileged existence.

The writer wishes to acknowledge the thousands of dedicated, loyal and hardworking civil servants to whom this article does not apply to.


MARIAM MOKHTAR is a non-conformist traditionalist from Perak, a bucket chemist and an armchair eco-warrior. In 'real-speak', this translates into that she comes from Ipoh, values change but respects culture, is a petroleum chemist and also an environmental pollution-control scientist. Malaysiakini. Subscription required.