Oh...The IRONY!

It had been a quiet weekend in the news. But all that changed on Sunday and I just tooooooo gelihati looking at how politicians keep putting their foot in their mouth.

There are three news items that I feel are too rib-tickling to ignore.

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'Don't back resolution by Sri Lanka'

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia should not support a draft resolution tabled by Sri Lanka at the United Nations calling for member nations not to interfere in the internal affairs of Sri Lanka, MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu said yesterday.

He said he would write to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak not to support such a resolution.

"Tamils in Malaysia constitute 1.4 million of 1.8 million Indians in the country. As such, their feelings have to be respected.

"There has to be a war tribunal in Sri Lanka to bring those people who perpetrated crimes against the Tamil community in their war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam," he said in a statement.

Bernama reports Samy Vellu as saying that they had committed genocide and would have to pay the price for the actions of the Sri Lankan army.

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Ayoyo!

Ini hal ehwal negara orang lain la. Apa pasal mau campur tangan? Dey...you are MALAYSIAN INDIAN Congress are you not? Those fella all not Malaysian. Not even Indians la they all! They're Sri Lankan Tamils.

If you want to protest based on human rights, ok la. This one is protesting based on atrocities against Tamils pula! Adey! Look after the Tamils in your own backyard first la! And leave Sri Lankan politics to Sri Lanka! You all sibuk buat apa? Malaysian ka, you all?

Even HINDRAF leaders had the good sense to stay away from this loony circus of misplaced priorities.

Most laughably, Samy had the dungu sense to call for a WAR TRIBUNAL to try the Sri Lankan government for atrocities committed during their war with the LTTE - after he had demonised HINDRAF as agents of the LTTE!

Dey, which side are you on now la, Samy?!

Well, one good thing about this protest was that it was joined in by politicians from both sides of the Malaysian political divide. So we can confirm that stupidity is no respecter of political alliances.

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Aminah claims she was offered top posts, RM80,000

(The Star) BUKIT MERTAJAM: Independent candidate Aminah Abdullah claimed she had been offered the post of Penang Municipal Council president and RM80,000 in compensation if she would withdraw from the May 30 Penanti by-election.

If she did contest and won, she would have been given the Deputy Chief Minister 1 post, she claimed at a press conference at her makeshift election centre in Kubang Ulu here Monday morning.

Aminah said that two “top PKR leaders” had approached her at her home in Jelutong on May 13 to make the offers, which she alleged had come with the blessings of PKR leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.

Claiming she had as evidence, audio on CD and a video-clip on a handphone, Aminah, 56, said she would be lodging a report with the Election Commission on Tuesday at 11am.

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Now this is interesting.

She claims to have been the target of a blatant case of corruption. She claims she has witnesses and hard evidence - on record. Wow! Explosive! Surely this is going to bury the goody-two-shoes PKR and Anwar for good!

And who is the FIRST party she reports the case to?

Malaysian press!

SECOND party?

Election Commission!

THIRD party?

No mention!

Apa pula ni?! Kalo ada bukti, serahkan kepada pihak berkuasa sajalah. Nak pokpek pokpek buat heboh satu kampung buat apa? Eh, don't you know that witholding evidence of a crime is a crime by itself?

And what's this about reporting it to the EC? Anwar not contesting, apa? What is the Election Commission going to do with the report? They're job is just to conduct elections. Kasi ni pada mereka buat apa? Got evidence give la to the correct, correct, correct people! Ni nak mengadu pada SPR buat apa?

MACC tu pula, apa buat? Why never report to them in the first place? Maybe she didn't have too much confidence in them as all they seem to be good at is tracking cars and cows la!

This Aminah is so blatantly a proxy to destroy Anwar & PKR! That she is so clumsy and blur about how to do it speaks tons about the quality of the brains behind this ridiculous sandiwara!

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Kayveas: It's not a proper election

(NST) KUALA LUMPUR: Datuk M. Kayveas has dismissed as "a bunch of jokers" a group of People's Progressive Party members who sacked him as party president.

The dissident members of the PPP also elected former supreme council member Senator Datuk T. Murugiah as party president.

Chiding the dissidents' action as "a cartoon show" and an attempt by Murugiah to become an "Idi Amin in his own territory", Kayveas said the gathering was illegal and had no connection to PPP.

He said the police permit obtained for the gathering was taken under the pretext of a meeting between the people and Murugiah, who is a deputy minister in the Prime Minister's Department

"Ninety-nine per cent of those who attended were non-members. How can you vote for an expelled member?"

Kayveas said he had lodged three police reports since Friday. "These people even used my name, saying I was going to give a speech there.

"You need a proper election to vote, not create a crowd and call it an extraordinary general meeting."

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Sigh...what can I say

What goes around comes around, innit?

Bapak borek, anak rintik...

The appple doesn't fall far from the tree...

Kayveas, why don't you accept it in the spirit of democracy? Murugiah is OBVIOUSLY the legitimate president of the PPP because he grabbed power by dubious means. I'm sure the Court of Appeal would agree with my assertion.

We are on the right track - The Jakarta Post

By Putera Satria Sambijantoro, The Jakarta Post

Many Indonesians agree that the April 9 legislative election was very chaotic and that the party most responsible is the General Elections Commission (KPU). There are growing negative views about our nation’s choice to adopt democracy.

But there are always two sides of the same coin: apart from all of the negatives, many citizens on the other side of the world praise Indonesia for its democracy and capability to arrange peaceful direct elections. We serve as a role model for other countries.

As we have successfully held our direct parliamentary election and prepare for our second direct presidential election, it is so appealing to see how our country has progressed. Indonesia was beaten hard by the 1998 financial crisis, which toppled Soeharto from his 32-year reign. We’ve dealt with many tough times since.

A huge burden on the economy was not the only thing we inherited from Soeharto’s reign; we have had to deal with huge consequences of his iron fisted government.

Many may forget the severe economic collapse during the 1997-1998 financial crisis, as we are now one of Asia’s booming economies and have enjoyed 5.5 percent yearly economic growth over the past five years.

But the real success story of this country is more about how it impressively paved its own way towards a fully democratic nation and held an election that became a role model for every country in the world.

Indonesia’s democracy is a remarkable success story, as it happened in a country where the voice of the people was muffled for 32 years; democracy was long overdue. In the past, Indonesians were not able to decide their own fate and political dissent was considered impossible.

Participation in politics was very limited during Soeharto’s dictatorial reign and people were left with no option but to support him and his Golkar party.

General elections were considered a courtesy – and when they were eventually held, the outcome could be predicted even before the count had started; Soeharto and Golkar were always sure to emerge victorious at the end of the election.

However, those days have long gone and now other countries can only envy us as democracy has flourished and marks the success of Indonesia’s systemic reformation.

The same can not be said for other nations. Democracy is just a reverie for citizens of Burma, who have been suffering prolonged tyrannical tribulations.

People in Thailand are still daunted by the transition of power, and Malaysia is caught up in a racial separation. While its neighbors are still strained with such problems, Indonesia strides forward as a world-class example of democracy; more than 30 parties and 230 million people came together for our peaceful elections.

Despite all the flaws in our recent election, Indonesia has learned to practice democracy. For a nation that has had just 11 years since regime reformation that’s an achievement we should be proud of.

While most of our people denounce the previous legislative election’s imperfections, people in Myanmar and North Korea look us with jealous eyes, “Choosing representatives in government and a president directly?” they say. “Be grateful Indonesians, we are not lucky enough to possess such rights.”

When you were young you made mistakes, yet people knew it was a normal part of your development. Our election may have had its imperfections, but as this young nation matures and we look back on our past, we will learn that a success story can not be told without stumbling first.

For Indonesia, a nation-in-transition that is still seeking ways toward a prosperous future, learning to practice democracy is a good start – successfully arranging a peaceful and fully democratic election is a keystone for better future to come.

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You can feel the pride oozing out from this op-ed. And justifiably so too. After the rocky first years, Indonedia is maturing as a young democracy, enjoying economic growth, allowing more diversity, reconciling its people, opening up more freedom of speech, etc. Investors are loving it, and money is pouring into the country.

Contrast with Malaysia, one of the oldest democracies in Asia, we see the devolving of our democratic institution, where the ruling junta is agitating for more absolute control, the economy is stagnant, Ketuanan Melayu is the rallying cry, dissent is systemically stifled, etc.

The irony is that the Ketuanan Melayu types are pointing to Indonesia as a shining example of the success of their cause!

Ha! Ha! Haram! Ha! Ha! Halal!

Hahaha! This is the second big joke in as many days in the BN's desperate campaign to win the tri-elections!

A HARAM list has been issued to PKR - so far the only party to get such a notice!!! Too funny! Too stupid! Especially the last HARAM!

SO far we know the following...

HARAM: mengulas isu pembunuhan Altantuya Shaariibuu

ok..so what's HALAL?

HALAL: mengulas isu tuduhan liwat Anwar?

Bagaimana kalau PR mengulas isu Sukhoi, Scorpene, Razak Baginda, Sirul, Bala, etc? Should be ok, kan?

HARAM: mempersoalkan keputusan yang dibuat oleh institusi raja
HALAL: menyokong dan mendukung keputusan tersebut?

Wah, wah, wah! So convenient for BN!! Tetapi boleh bacakan tulisan dari tokoh-tokoh guaman negara yang memberi hujah bernas kan?

HARAM: Membangkitkan isu kaum dan agama
HALAL: UMNO membangkitkan perjuangan Ketuanan Melayu demi bangsa dan agama?

Tapi syarat ini tak apalah...PR memperjuangkan Ketuanan Rakyat dan kesejahteraan antara kaum anyway.

HARAM: terlalu ramai orang menghadiri ceramah PR
HALAL: memberi habuan kepada orangramai menghadiri ceramah BN?

Tak apa lah...PR boleh tangkap video dan sebarkan VCD saja! Oh...tapi sekarang ada Ops Lanun kan! ADUN PR didakwa polis kerana membuat rencana mengenai Pokok Demokrasi. Itu pun tak apalah...penjual DVD haram dan lucah boleh beramai-ramai di pasar malam! Takkanlah polis efektif sangat - melainkan mereka diarah untuk target PR sahaja.

Maka mampuslah insitusi PDRM, SPR, MACC dan lain-lain. Semuanya sekadar machai dan anjing UMNO sahaja. Nak respek engkau?

Mimpilah....

Aaahhh...There's Something In The Air!

Hishamuddin to show keris again

Sunday, 22 March 2009 (The Malaysian Insider) - Outgoing Umno Youth chief Datuk Hishammuddin Hussein will tempt fate on Wednesday when he reprises the controversial keris act.

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Bar Council given final warning

(Bernama) KUALA LUMPUR, March 22 - The Bar Council has been given a final warning to stop discussing the issue of the use of the word "Allah" through a public opinion survey on its website as the action has incurred the wrath of Muslims.

Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said it was an unwise move by the Bar Council as such a sensitive Islamic issue or of any religion for that matter, should not be put to debate or a public opinion survey.

"If they (Bar Council) continue to play up the issue, the Muslims may rise and if they do, the Bar should not be angry but be willing to accept the consequences.

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Dr M says Malays are under threat

Sunday, 22 March 2009 (The Malaysian Insider) - Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad played the race card today, warning the Malays could lose their political power.

The former prime minister told a gathering of more than 1,000 at a rally organised by right wing Malay group Perkasa that the community was under threat from "various parties"

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Perkasa warns non-Malays to behave

(The Malaysian Insider) - Malay right-wing group Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa today threatened that it would react to the actions of those who chose to question Malay supremacy.

President Datuk Ibrahim Ali said that for the sake of "the country, race and religion, I am willing to be detained under the Internal Security Act" should Malay rights be challenged.

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Aaaahhhh...

You always know when it's UMNO/BN election season...it always comes with the unmistakable stink of bullshit in the air!

Suprisingly, that UMNO reject Ibrahim Ali has also has gotten in the act - even though he's got nothing to gain from all this. Just shows how bodoh this fella is la. All mouth, no brains!

Sudahlah...porahlah....

Najib...what a dimwit!!

Just read this "interesting" piece of news. Here Najib reveals his "tips" for winning the Kuala Terengganu by-election. It was really a EYES WIDE OPEN experience into the mindset of our soon-to-be PM...

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Najib: Barisan must win Kuala Terengganu by-election

(The Star) KUALA TERENGGANU: Barisan Nasional has to win the Kuala Terengganu parliamentary seat as proof of its revival from August's defeat in the Permatang Pauh by-election.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Najib Tun Razak said Umno and BN could not afford to lose another seat and that the coalition's win in Kuala Terengganu was vital for Umno's future.

"We have to win (the Kuala Terengganu by-election) because we want to make the victory a starting point for Barisan’s and Umno's revival from the defeat in Permatang Pauh," he added.

He said this in his speech at the closing of the Terengganu Umno retreat and the launch of the Kuala Terengganu election machinery at the Islamic Civilisation Park on Saturday.

Also present were Najib's wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, Terengganu Menteri Besar Datuk Ahmad Said, Umno vicepresidents Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Datuk Seri Mohd Ali Rustam, Umno Youth chief Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein, Wanita Umno chief an Sri Rafidah Aziz, Umno Information chief Tan Sri Muhammad Muhd Taib and Information Minister Datuk Ahmad Shabery Cheek. Najib said Barisan’s victory in Kuala Terengganu would give an indication that the people had chosen a party capable of protecting them and their future.

"We want to give a clear signal to the country and the world that the people in this country choose Barisan as their party," he added.

The Kuala Terengganu by-election will be held on Jan 17 following the death of its Member of Parliament Datuk Razali Ismail Razali on Nov 28.

Najib also gave some tips to whoever was to be selected as the Barisan candidate for the by-election.

He said that in any elections, voters were the most important and priority should be given to them.

"We have to understand that in elections, what is more important is not the Umno machinery, neither the branch leaders nor its committee members, but the voters who are the king.

"Who is the candidate is not important, but the person has to be someone humble, not arrogant, people-friendly, shake hands with all the people, do things which please the voters because they will love you because of the qualities you have," he added.

He said the candidate should also have a desire to win the by-election, a feeling which should also be shared by all Umno leaders, and not just saying it but to walk the talk by working together with all members in the coalition.

As to the Barisan’ candidate, Najib said he would make the announcement next week.

"The party president (Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi) has left it to me to name the person but I am not announcing it today (Saturday) because our agenda is to launch the Barisan election machinery. Wait until next week," he said. - Bernama

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Ho ho ho!

I just wanna highlight some parts which I found most hilarious. It brought tears to my eyes. Unfortunately, I wasn't laughing.

"in elections...(it's) the voters who are the king."

What about after elections? Well, based on the last several decades, we can have a fairly clear picture of what they regard the voters are don't we?

"Who is the candidate is not important, but the person has to be someone humble, not arrogant, people-friendly, shake hands with all the people, do things which please the voters because they will love you because of the qualities you have," he added.

Wow...criteria for winning so low ah? Smile, shake hands with everybody and you can win! Yeh yeh! What about the issues facing Terengganu - the oil royalties robbed from the state? The annual squandering of RM300 million of the Monsoon cup that does nothing for the people of the state? Why is the state still one of the poorest in the nation, when it has the richest oil deposits that have been active for the last 30 years?

He said the candidate should also have a desire to win the by-election,

Haiya...dowan to win waffor go and contest? Aiyoh...this is the great advice you have for the candidate ah? If the candidate dunno this ah, you think he will have any hope of winning ah?

This is his "great" advice - a condescending list of "things to do to win elections"? I can't decide whether it's more insulting to the people of Terengganu or to himself.

What a dimwit!

8 March — just a fluke?

The thrust of this view is that Malaysians have come of age after 51 years of one-party predominance. We have woken up. We are sick of the Big Brother who talks in an “I-know-what's-best-for-you” manner and reaps the best of the nation's resources for himself.

By Wong Chin Huat, The Nut Graph


Nine months have passed since Malaysia's sea-changing March elections (Pic by Lainie Yeoh)

MONDAY, 8 Dec 2008, will mark nine months after the supposedly sea-changing 8 March elections. This author, however, is getting increasingly confused in his interactions with opposition leaders and supporters.

This is the confusion: was the general election an indicator of the rakyat's irreversible political maturity? The same way that you normally don't revert to your childhood once you become an adult? Or did Malaysians just get lucky on 8 March, meaning that the process of democratisation can well be reversed by or even before the next elections?

These two opposing views have vastly different implications.

Malaysians have matured

The thrust of this view is that Malaysians have come of age after 51 years of one-party predominance. We have woken up. We are sick of the Big Brother who talks in an “I-know-what's-best-for-you” manner and reaps the best of the nation's resources for himself.

The rejection of the Barisan Nasional's (BN) authoritarian rule by the various ethnic communities has happened in gradual stages and is now coming to a resolution. In the late 1980s, the majority of Chinese Malaysians could not wait to vote out the BN; the majority of Malay and Indian Malaysians, however, stayed put. In the late 1990s, the majority of Malay Malaysians turned against the Umno-led BN but significant numbers of Chinese and Indian Malaysians came to its rescue.

In the last couple of years, Indian Malaysians have taken the lead in wanting an end to Umno-BN rule. This time, sufficient numbers of Malay and Chinese Malaysians shared this aspiration on 8 March. This resulted in BN winning only 49% of the popular vote in the peninsula.

Why is the BN still in power? Because East Malaysians have stayed put. So, if the Sabahans and Sarawakians arise and join the anti-BN league of Chinese, Malay and Indian Malaysians, we can expect a stronger opposition even if the BN is not successfully unseated.

ISA candlelight vigil
Protesters at 13 Sept 2008 anti-ISA candlelight vigil
(Pic by Lainie Yeoh)What about the resurgent Mahathirism accompanying the ascendance of Datuk Seri Najib Razak and his lieutenants? They may want to rebuild former Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad's authoritarian system, but will the people take it lying down? They may want to resort to the Internal Security Act (ISA), but can we expect the people not to protest?

Now, if we believe that Malaysians have matured politically, they will not accept an outright assault on the project of democratisation.

Even the ISA has lost its legitimacy among the different communities. The circle of detainees has grown wider, from mainly Chinese Malaysians up to the 1987 Operasi Lalang, to Malay Malaysians after 1998's Reformasi, and finally to Indian Malaysians after 2007's Hindraf.

Even the police have had to reluctantly concede to citizens' demands for peaceful assembly. After the police charged at citizens singing the national anthem on 9 Nov 2008 in Petaling Jaya, the Selangor police force had to allow, albeit in a roundabout manner, the weekly anti-ISA protests there. Nevertheless, the force also set some ridiculous restrictions which only ended up being broken.

Like it or not, the impending Najib government has to know this new political reality and be more sophisticated in playing its game.

Let's take a worst-case scenario — the ruling clique decides to send half of the Pakatan Rakyat parliamentarians to Kamunting or declare emergency rule in Penang or Selangor. The ruling elite might then have to resort to martial law to crush widespread civil disobedience. In that case, the Malaysian prime minister would join the likes of Zimbabwe's Robert Mugabe and Myanmar's military junta.

And the moment a fresh election is called, it is unlikely that the reactionary forces can emerge victorious. When the vast majority of the nation wants change, no amount of rigging is enough to steal an election.

Crowd at Kelana Jaya Stadium on 16 Sept
Crowd of Pakatan Rakyat supporters at Kelana Jaya Stadium, 15 Sept 2008

In a nutshell, if Malaysians have indeed matured politically since 8 March, such maturity will be a good defence of democracy. The rakyat's maturity will deter any anti-democratic force from taking a self-destructive path. In the face of inevitable defeat, the best response for the Umno elites is to negotiate an exit option to avoid political annihilation, rather than to incite a military coup or ethnic riots.

One flaw in the popular analysis among many opposition sympathisers is that the ruling elite are equivalent to a unitary actor with undifferentiated interests. This clearly contradicts the 16 Sept federal takeover scheme which operated on the assumption that the ruling elites are divisible. Interestingly, few opposition sympathisers seem to notice or be bothered with such a contradiction.

The direct implication of such an assured future of democratisation is that we can legitimately expect the opposition to perform, as would be expected in a normal democracy. But we need to be clear that democratisation might not necessarily consolidate a two-party system — the BN may collapse into a permanent opposition, as I have warned elsewhere.

Phrased differently, the opposition could force the BN under Najib to compete democratically. Democratic practices can be a weapon to develop democratisation, rather than merely a prize to be claimed after democratisation.

Malaysians just got lucky

The alternative view is that Malaysians have not attained sufficient political maturity to ensure democratisation.

Dice
Were Malaysians just lucky? (© Rodolfo Clix / sxc.hu)

We merely got lucky like a gambler with a good hand in the casino; or an unemployed person who struck at the lottery; or a poor student who scored a distinction partly by chance after failing the same subject twice.

We were lucky because Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi was a weak ruler who inherited an authoritarian regime. This favourable condition will probably be gone by March 2009 when Najib succeeds Abdullah. We were lucky because there were enough protest votes for the opposition. This is another favourable condition that is unsustainable because protest votes are temporary and the Pakatan Rakyat cannot convert all these into support votes.

In a nutshell, Malaysians who have yet to mature politically do not deserve the democratising changes following 8 March. We are not strong enough to defend our budding democracy and not determined enough to want a regime change.

If things go back to business as usual, the Pakatan Rakyat's victory will be rolled back by the next elections.

If you didn't deserve to win a pseudo-democratic game, such as elections under the BN government, how would you keep your prize — a strong opposition with five state governments? How would you aim for the higher prize — federal government?

The obvious answer then is to find alternatives to the pseudo-democratic elections. Demanding for electoral reforms? That takes too much time and energy. More importantly, if Malaysians are not mature enough to choose multiethnic politics over ethno-religious bigotry, can the Pakatan Rakyat be sure that clean and fair elections are good for it as a coalition?

So, an egalitarian democracy will have to be imposed upon a largely bigoted population by some benevolent elite.

Silence
The public cannot know details behind the
deals (© Bethany Carlson/sxc.hu)

The alternatives for the Pakatan Rakyat would then have to be schemes to court BN warlords with ministerial positions and the royals with immunity. Also, to maintain the credibility of a parliamentary coup, the opposition coalition for certain cannot afford to lose any Members of Parliament — no matter how they perform and behave — or any by-elections. Hence, there is much stress and anxiety for the poor opposition leaders and their supporters.

What about the deals made with the different politicians and royals? Sorry, the public cannot know the details. The public should just sit back and wait, and celebrate when changes happen. The public should demand transparency and accountability only after the regime changes, not during the process of change.

Are Malaysians worth democracy?

Now, didn't Gandhi say, “Be the change you want to see in the world”?

Can you install democracy through undemocratic means, keeping the public in the dark? Something is wrong when opposition leaders and supporters are more confident in targeting BN warlords with threats of immediate leadership change, along the lines of 16 Sept, than in selling regime change by the next elections to the electorate. But what, exactly, has gone wrong?

This really goes back to the fundamental question, to borrow the cosmetic advertisement tagline again: Are we worth it? Are ordinary Malaysians worth real democracy?

It's time to make up our minds. TNG
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A political scientist by training and a journalism lecturer by trade, Wong Chin Huat uses the Federal Constitution as his “bible” to fend off the increasingly intolerable evil called “state”.