Injustice is the root cause of the social upheaval, uprising and unrest in the world. In many a case, we saw thousand of innocent people were sacrificed at the merciless hands of the police and military personnel. Yet, the lesson has not been sunk into the skulls of the governmental authorities. History keeps on repeating itself time and again.
Selective persecution is perhaps an euphemism for oppressive action targetted against those who do not toe the line of or who oppose the authority or who pose a threat to the stability of the government, which is intolerant and over-sensitive or reactive to public criticisms.
The UMNO-led government is feeling rather shaky and uneasy at the political strides and inroads made by the Pakatan Rakyat into the strongholds of the BN. It fears that it might lose its traditional rural support and the general election. It will be a shameful exit for the UMNO who have ruled the country for more than five decades since independence in 1957.
Ever since the last general election, the BN Government have been deploying the MACC set up by the outgoing PM Badawi to harass the PR leaders. Some were detained under the ISA while others had been reported to be subject to long hours of interrogation. One of the poitical secretaries by the name of Teoh Beng Hock died while under the detention of the MACC which claimed that he jumped over the window and committed suiside. A world renown Thai pathologist who conducted a post-mortem on the exhumed corpse of Teoh Beng Hock concluded that the demise of Teoh was likely attributed to one of homicide.
Five leaders of HINDRAF were detained under the ISA while one popular DAP lady politican Theresa Kok, a jounalist and Raja Petra Kamaruldin were arrested and since released over the flimsiest fo excuse.
Meanwhile, the Catholics weekly bulletin, Herald, was taken to task for using the word 'Allah'. Resulting from which, its KDN renewal was subject to undue delay until the last day of the year. The case was contested by the Archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Tan Sri Murphy Pakiam at the High Court presided by JusticeLau whose verdict found for the Catholic Church.
The ABIM stirred up the religious sentiments of the Muslims on one Friday afternoon immediatley following the court's verdict advocating and demanding for the reversal thereof through the political process. Its members were allowed to demostrate at a mosque in Kuala Lumpur after the mid-noon prayer with placards and banners that contained words and phrases there were racialisically sensitive and provocative. Utusan Melaya, a malay media newspaper, was fanning the fire with undesirable articles one after the other in an attempt to justify why the non-muslims should not be allowed to use the word 'Allah'. Unfortunately no action was taken against these miscreants.
Now the leader of the PR is facing a second charge of sodomy. The first indiction of the same offense was initiated during the premiership of Mahathir. The case was dismissed for lack of evidence. And now the second indictment - the public is just aghast at the way a leader - a human being - is being ill-treated while many of the UMNO leaders who committed worse crimes than sodomy were let off somehow.
This selective persecution is likely to be a hot topic for debate at the coming Hulu Selangor by-election. BN popularity and influence are likely to be affected by this injustice or unjust action(s) against the opposition.
The 1 Malaysia policy of Najib has not been thoroughly appreciated and assimilated by his colleagues. If it refers to unity under one Malaysia, then all and sundries must identify themselves as Malaysia first and then their race second. But this does not seem to be the case when the Deputy PM Muyiddin tried to play up to the gallery of the Malays by saying that he was a Malay first and Malaysian second. Our PM concurred with him. This situation was not well received by the masses certainly. In fact, the public is now questioning whether these two leaders are really sincere about the 1 Maaysian policy or not. By uttering what they did, they have contradicted themselves and causing confusing among the masses.
Now comes the sweetener NEM. Let us see what the UMNO-lead BN do during the next 12 months. Only time will tell whether the NEM does not approximate to that of the NEP which at best be described as a big failure in its efforts to redress economic imbalances among the races and eradicate poverty.
Well, the NEP was subseuently amended in words but not in spirit to the disguised National Development Policy, NDP and now NEM. As I see it, success can only come about if the leaders have the verve, moral courage and will to implement the objectives under the NEM.
Friday, April 2, 2010
Thursday, April 1, 2010
MCA Leadership Is Finally Decided
The members had finally elected their new leader in MCA. Past President Ong Ka Ting OKT and the Immediate Past President Ong Tee Keat OTK were voted out. Dr Chua Soi Lek CSL , the underdog, emerged victorious to the surprise of many.
Many have asked me for my opinion regarding the outcome of the election. What took place or happened behind the scene? This question is difficult to answer unless I was involved in the barter trade. Otherwise, my answer could only be at best speculative.
Obviously, OTK leadership was not at all popular in that he unearthed and shook up the PKFZ shit from the closet which I believe strongly was not well received by the UMNO-led BN leadership. The expose has definitely implicated several protgonists of recent past who might be directly and indirectly involved in the multi-billion fraud. Besides, the evil scheme brought not only disrepute to the entire BN leadership but also affirmed that it was and is corrupt as the masses claimed.
In my view, it was silly and imprudent for OKT to take part in the election for he was not really well accepted as a leader among the Chinese masses. While he was in the Housing Ministry, he did not really address the rising number of rogues in the housing and construction industry. The untold and untoward problems that have brewed up in the various completed housing projects speak volumes of his efficiency. There were far too many abundant projects that proliferated during his tenure of office and he just turned a deaf ear or closed his eyes to the numerous innocent house buyers who were cheated by unscrupulous developers. So he lost - and I was not really surprised - his bid for re-election for another presidential term in MCA.
So CSL was the choicest of the three candidates. Although he was caught being indiscreet, rather unfortunate, he was honest enough to apologise to the whole world and I believe many puritans in the country forgave him. Once a friend of mine posed a challenge to all the politicians, "Which of you cats have not eaten a fish or have not committed a social wrong?" What is so big a deal comparing CSL's indiscretion to some of the sexual and crimes perpetrated by some of the politicians in some of the BN component parties?
But the man has the skills and experience as a politician and he has the leadership to keep MCA intact during the months of turbulence preceding the election. What is UMNO trying to do to influence the eventual leadership off MCA? All its leaders are tainted to the skin and it wants an innocent sacrificial lamb to be in the cabinet?
Well now that the election is over, it is time for integration, harmonisation and unification of all the members in MCA. One thing is for sure, CSL can never wave a magic wand and come out with a solution that pleases every member. The factional leaders have also a big responsibility ahead of them to pacific and convince their followers to accept whatever the solution that may be propounded by the leadership -be it popular or unpopular.
So let us give CSL a chance to do his work now that the dirt and dust have settled. Let MCA work towards a One-Malaysia where the people of all races have a decent life under the tropical sun. Let corruption be fought to its extinction by all its leaders and let them be accountable for what they do and be transparent in their wheeling and dealing.
Many have asked me for my opinion regarding the outcome of the election. What took place or happened behind the scene? This question is difficult to answer unless I was involved in the barter trade. Otherwise, my answer could only be at best speculative.
Obviously, OTK leadership was not at all popular in that he unearthed and shook up the PKFZ shit from the closet which I believe strongly was not well received by the UMNO-led BN leadership. The expose has definitely implicated several protgonists of recent past who might be directly and indirectly involved in the multi-billion fraud. Besides, the evil scheme brought not only disrepute to the entire BN leadership but also affirmed that it was and is corrupt as the masses claimed.
In my view, it was silly and imprudent for OKT to take part in the election for he was not really well accepted as a leader among the Chinese masses. While he was in the Housing Ministry, he did not really address the rising number of rogues in the housing and construction industry. The untold and untoward problems that have brewed up in the various completed housing projects speak volumes of his efficiency. There were far too many abundant projects that proliferated during his tenure of office and he just turned a deaf ear or closed his eyes to the numerous innocent house buyers who were cheated by unscrupulous developers. So he lost - and I was not really surprised - his bid for re-election for another presidential term in MCA.
So CSL was the choicest of the three candidates. Although he was caught being indiscreet, rather unfortunate, he was honest enough to apologise to the whole world and I believe many puritans in the country forgave him. Once a friend of mine posed a challenge to all the politicians, "Which of you cats have not eaten a fish or have not committed a social wrong?" What is so big a deal comparing CSL's indiscretion to some of the sexual and crimes perpetrated by some of the politicians in some of the BN component parties?
But the man has the skills and experience as a politician and he has the leadership to keep MCA intact during the months of turbulence preceding the election. What is UMNO trying to do to influence the eventual leadership off MCA? All its leaders are tainted to the skin and it wants an innocent sacrificial lamb to be in the cabinet?
Well now that the election is over, it is time for integration, harmonisation and unification of all the members in MCA. One thing is for sure, CSL can never wave a magic wand and come out with a solution that pleases every member. The factional leaders have also a big responsibility ahead of them to pacific and convince their followers to accept whatever the solution that may be propounded by the leadership -be it popular or unpopular.
So let us give CSL a chance to do his work now that the dirt and dust have settled. Let MCA work towards a One-Malaysia where the people of all races have a decent life under the tropical sun. Let corruption be fought to its extinction by all its leaders and let them be accountable for what they do and be transparent in their wheeling and dealing.
Time to Unite through Malaysian Malaysia
Malaya achieved its independence from the British on 31 August 1957 after months of negotiation.
The people then were really united. Unity and harmony among the the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians reached the zenith in the real sense of the word. The three races organised into UMNO, MCA and MIC and they spoke with one concerted voice to opt for freedom from the colonial rule under the banner of PERIKATAN.
Racialism was never the issue or problem. The three races mixed and integrated well with one another. It was nationalism at its height that finally won Malaya the much vaulted Merdeka.
On introspection, we may well posit the question as Malaysians now what and where had the Government gone wrong?
In my view socio-economic degradation commenced after the riot on May 13, 1969. The riot got the people to think and find out the causes therefor. The blame was attributed naturally to the British for dividing the people into economic vocation; Malays to the padi field, Indians to the railways and the Chinese to trade and business. It must be borne in mind that the Chinese and Indian migrants did not obtain help from any quarter except through their hard work.
The country was under emergency rule after May 13, 1969 under the National Consultative Council, NCC, which conceived the birth of the Naional Economic Policy, NEP, which aimed to eradicate poverty and economic imbalances among the races by according the backward Malays special privileges in all spheres of social and economic programmes and development. Where the twin objectives of the NEP were noble in principle, it was selfishness, greed and corruptibility that contributed to its dismal failure; in that after more than five decades, majority of the Malays did not seem to benefit from the NEP. It was a situation of diamonds cutting diamonds.
On hind-sight, the UMNO-led BN government over-looked seeemingly or deliberately the primary objectives of the NEP. As a result of its over-emphasis on and over-zealousness in helping the Malays at whatever cost and expense of the other races, the results turned out otherwise. The Malays have woken up to realise that they have become too overly dependent on UMNO. For all these years, UMNO played up the racial and religious cards and mixed them up with politics to stay in power. The people are tired of their games.
The non-Malays who contributed to the economic success of the country felt betrayed. frustrated and disappointed. Election pledges were made but never fulfilled. And this phenomenon persisted through the past ten general elections until great damages resulted. Their children were deprived of scholarships to pursue their intended or desired courses in local tertiary institutions. Many dropped out and started to enter the employment market because their parents could not afford to send them to private colleges or universities or overseas.
Meanwhile, the one-year matriculation programme was introduced for the Malays to gain easy entrance into public universities without having to compete with non-Malays who have to study and pass the two-year STPM or HSC. Employment into the civil service, para and military services was nearly proferred to the Malays for many years. No wonder, the Malays dominate in these service arms.
Encouragement of Malays to enter business through Governmental financial assistance has not been successful as it should. After five decades, it is most disappointing to learn that the equity held by Malays in the corporate sector hovered far below the 30% benchmark. Many of the failed businesses had to be bailed out by the Government during economic adversities through public funds. There was an obvious and stark lack of commitment and motivation among those 'appointed' Malay entrepreneurs to succeed as the capital did not in the first place came from them.
The profits from Petronas never really benefitted the masses. Instead, twin towers were more important than the people's welfare. The profits were kept highly secret from people for many years and much of which had been squandered and siphoned off through creative accounting, transferred pricing and imprudent overseas investments.
Despite all the above signs of doom and gloom, UNMO leaders still talk about their race and religion. One leader proposed the 1 Malaysia Policy while another talked about identifying himself as a Malay first and then Malaysian second. This contradictory attitude seems to send the wrong signal to the masses. In the light of the 1 Malaysia Policy, all races must now shake off from the racial shell and start identifying themselves as Malaysians first and their races second.
We must teach our children that we are Malaysians of Malay, Chinese or Indian origins. And this will go a long way to foster racial unity, harmony and peace.
Unless this basic is adhered to by all races in the country, we are not going to change for the next five decades.
The people then were really united. Unity and harmony among the the Malays, the Chinese and the Indians reached the zenith in the real sense of the word. The three races organised into UMNO, MCA and MIC and they spoke with one concerted voice to opt for freedom from the colonial rule under the banner of PERIKATAN.
Racialism was never the issue or problem. The three races mixed and integrated well with one another. It was nationalism at its height that finally won Malaya the much vaulted Merdeka.
On introspection, we may well posit the question as Malaysians now what and where had the Government gone wrong?
In my view socio-economic degradation commenced after the riot on May 13, 1969. The riot got the people to think and find out the causes therefor. The blame was attributed naturally to the British for dividing the people into economic vocation; Malays to the padi field, Indians to the railways and the Chinese to trade and business. It must be borne in mind that the Chinese and Indian migrants did not obtain help from any quarter except through their hard work.
The country was under emergency rule after May 13, 1969 under the National Consultative Council, NCC, which conceived the birth of the Naional Economic Policy, NEP, which aimed to eradicate poverty and economic imbalances among the races by according the backward Malays special privileges in all spheres of social and economic programmes and development. Where the twin objectives of the NEP were noble in principle, it was selfishness, greed and corruptibility that contributed to its dismal failure; in that after more than five decades, majority of the Malays did not seem to benefit from the NEP. It was a situation of diamonds cutting diamonds.
On hind-sight, the UMNO-led BN government over-looked seeemingly or deliberately the primary objectives of the NEP. As a result of its over-emphasis on and over-zealousness in helping the Malays at whatever cost and expense of the other races, the results turned out otherwise. The Malays have woken up to realise that they have become too overly dependent on UMNO. For all these years, UMNO played up the racial and religious cards and mixed them up with politics to stay in power. The people are tired of their games.
The non-Malays who contributed to the economic success of the country felt betrayed. frustrated and disappointed. Election pledges were made but never fulfilled. And this phenomenon persisted through the past ten general elections until great damages resulted. Their children were deprived of scholarships to pursue their intended or desired courses in local tertiary institutions. Many dropped out and started to enter the employment market because their parents could not afford to send them to private colleges or universities or overseas.
Meanwhile, the one-year matriculation programme was introduced for the Malays to gain easy entrance into public universities without having to compete with non-Malays who have to study and pass the two-year STPM or HSC. Employment into the civil service, para and military services was nearly proferred to the Malays for many years. No wonder, the Malays dominate in these service arms.
Encouragement of Malays to enter business through Governmental financial assistance has not been successful as it should. After five decades, it is most disappointing to learn that the equity held by Malays in the corporate sector hovered far below the 30% benchmark. Many of the failed businesses had to be bailed out by the Government during economic adversities through public funds. There was an obvious and stark lack of commitment and motivation among those 'appointed' Malay entrepreneurs to succeed as the capital did not in the first place came from them.
The profits from Petronas never really benefitted the masses. Instead, twin towers were more important than the people's welfare. The profits were kept highly secret from people for many years and much of which had been squandered and siphoned off through creative accounting, transferred pricing and imprudent overseas investments.
Despite all the above signs of doom and gloom, UNMO leaders still talk about their race and religion. One leader proposed the 1 Malaysia Policy while another talked about identifying himself as a Malay first and then Malaysian second. This contradictory attitude seems to send the wrong signal to the masses. In the light of the 1 Malaysia Policy, all races must now shake off from the racial shell and start identifying themselves as Malaysians first and their races second.
We must teach our children that we are Malaysians of Malay, Chinese or Indian origins. And this will go a long way to foster racial unity, harmony and peace.
Unless this basic is adhered to by all races in the country, we are not going to change for the next five decades.
Wednesday, March 31, 2010
I Malaysia on Trial
PM Malaysia Najib introduced the 1 Malaysia Policy soon after he succeeded Tun Badawai in an effort to appease the minority races in the country following dismal performance in the last general election. But, it looks like his party members are not totally behind him and are not giving him the 100% support to bring changes and progress to the people of Malaysia.
We have now the 1 Malaysia which I am afraid is likely going to be overshadowed by the Naional Economic Model, NEM, that was announced by the Najib two days ago. In principle, NEM appears to be the logical step to move the country forward.
The NEP had brought about great dissatisfactions among the minority races in the country. Before the NEP came into force, the Government blamed the British colonial master for having commpartalised the three major races along economic lines - Malays relegated to the padi fields and agricultural sector, the Indians as indentured labourers to the railways and the Chinese to the mines and the business sector. After May 13, 1969, it was deemed necessary to redress the economic imbalances among the three races. On this premise, the New Economic Policy was borne to help elevate the living standards of the supposingly poor and backward bumiputras who should be given special privileges in practically all spheres of the socio- economic sectors - from entry into universities to award of business contracts to granting of APs. Besides, all private business orgnisations shall employ at 30% Malays at all levels and allot 30% shares to Malays in all public companies.
Over the last four decades since the introduction of the NEP, over-zealous civil servants aggravated the situation by engaging an overly preponderant number of Malays into the civil, military and para-military service arms. Hence, the non-Malays have to find work in the priviate sector. No wonder these days, the civil service is filled with practically 100% Malays.
So the Malays are so protected and sheltered that they did not have to worry about loss of employment. As a result. many Malays are beginning to realise that they are left so far behind than other races in terms of business, occupational and skill development. Without the clutch provided the UMNO government, the majority of the Malays will find it hard to compete with the other races in the private sector.
Coupled with the crazy religious fanatics, they are stifling the freedom and rights of the Malays - hence so many of them feel reluctant to return to Malaysia after completing their course of studies overseas or try to stay as long as possible by pursuing post-graduate programmes.
Th ever changing educational policy has a great negative impact on human development. Worst of all is the quota system and the dual university entrance assessment system prevailing which has caused great disparity between the Malays and the non-Malays in terms of skills and knowledge acquisition and intellectual development. The standards of the graduates from public universities are shallow compared to those from private institutions. The high degree of unemployment among the Malay graduates speaks volumes of the sad state of affairs.
The Malays are now controlling practically all sectors of the economies; yet, the Government is shamelessly denying this fact. Besides. it is sensitive to negative comments by critiques. The prevailing economic equities held by Malays far exceed in my estimate 40%.
The UMNO leaders continue to hoodwink the public and shelf them from the truths and realities of what seem to be going on through the highly-censored and -controlled media. In the meantime, billions seem to be siphoned out of the treasury through inflated prices in most if not all infrastructural and supply contracts. This is how UMNO find it easy to create millionaires among its cronies.
To what confidence does one have in what the BN is trying to do these days? They talk about 1 Malaysia but its leaders are wanting that attitude and will to make it a reality. They seem to be contradicting one another ever and anon causing so much of confusing among the masses which they are damn good at doing.
Only the next election will tell whether these UMNOputras mean what they say and do what they mean or just remain as NATO.
We have now the 1 Malaysia which I am afraid is likely going to be overshadowed by the Naional Economic Model, NEM, that was announced by the Najib two days ago. In principle, NEM appears to be the logical step to move the country forward.
The NEP had brought about great dissatisfactions among the minority races in the country. Before the NEP came into force, the Government blamed the British colonial master for having commpartalised the three major races along economic lines - Malays relegated to the padi fields and agricultural sector, the Indians as indentured labourers to the railways and the Chinese to the mines and the business sector. After May 13, 1969, it was deemed necessary to redress the economic imbalances among the three races. On this premise, the New Economic Policy was borne to help elevate the living standards of the supposingly poor and backward bumiputras who should be given special privileges in practically all spheres of the socio- economic sectors - from entry into universities to award of business contracts to granting of APs. Besides, all private business orgnisations shall employ at 30% Malays at all levels and allot 30% shares to Malays in all public companies.
Over the last four decades since the introduction of the NEP, over-zealous civil servants aggravated the situation by engaging an overly preponderant number of Malays into the civil, military and para-military service arms. Hence, the non-Malays have to find work in the priviate sector. No wonder these days, the civil service is filled with practically 100% Malays.
So the Malays are so protected and sheltered that they did not have to worry about loss of employment. As a result. many Malays are beginning to realise that they are left so far behind than other races in terms of business, occupational and skill development. Without the clutch provided the UMNO government, the majority of the Malays will find it hard to compete with the other races in the private sector.
Coupled with the crazy religious fanatics, they are stifling the freedom and rights of the Malays - hence so many of them feel reluctant to return to Malaysia after completing their course of studies overseas or try to stay as long as possible by pursuing post-graduate programmes.
Th ever changing educational policy has a great negative impact on human development. Worst of all is the quota system and the dual university entrance assessment system prevailing which has caused great disparity between the Malays and the non-Malays in terms of skills and knowledge acquisition and intellectual development. The standards of the graduates from public universities are shallow compared to those from private institutions. The high degree of unemployment among the Malay graduates speaks volumes of the sad state of affairs.
The Malays are now controlling practically all sectors of the economies; yet, the Government is shamelessly denying this fact. Besides. it is sensitive to negative comments by critiques. The prevailing economic equities held by Malays far exceed in my estimate 40%.
The UMNO leaders continue to hoodwink the public and shelf them from the truths and realities of what seem to be going on through the highly-censored and -controlled media. In the meantime, billions seem to be siphoned out of the treasury through inflated prices in most if not all infrastructural and supply contracts. This is how UMNO find it easy to create millionaires among its cronies.
To what confidence does one have in what the BN is trying to do these days? They talk about 1 Malaysia but its leaders are wanting that attitude and will to make it a reality. They seem to be contradicting one another ever and anon causing so much of confusing among the masses which they are damn good at doing.
Only the next election will tell whether these UMNOputras mean what they say and do what they mean or just remain as NATO.
Friday, March 12, 2010
Without Fear and Favour
It is rather unfortunate that we have guys out there who have nothing better to do than to spend their precious time in attempting to hack into their bloggers' email accounts.
This was what happened to my blog which was hacked into, hijacked and made inaccessible last week. By so doing, it caused me much of inconvenience in having to start a new blog to continue with what I had been doing for the past three years.
The hijacker would make use of all the email addresses of my friends and then write to them seeking enable "me" defray my hotel bills and purchase a flight ticket back home. This scam has been in circulation for some years and it is an old trick.
This blog, named "Without Fear and Favour" aims to speak out against those internet users who are out to disrupt the legitimate exercise of the rights and freedom of expression of their fellowmen in the use of blogs to convey their frank and honest opinions on the rampant abuses perpetrated by irresponsible and unscrupulous human beings through the cyberspace.
I will fail in my duty if I do not speak out against such contemptible behaviour and abuses.
May all responsible bloggers co-operate to expose and cleanse the cyberspace of unscrupulous bloggers.
This was what happened to my blog which was hacked into, hijacked and made inaccessible last week. By so doing, it caused me much of inconvenience in having to start a new blog to continue with what I had been doing for the past three years.
The hijacker would make use of all the email addresses of my friends and then write to them seeking enable "me" defray my hotel bills and purchase a flight ticket back home. This scam has been in circulation for some years and it is an old trick.
This blog, named "Without Fear and Favour" aims to speak out against those internet users who are out to disrupt the legitimate exercise of the rights and freedom of expression of their fellowmen in the use of blogs to convey their frank and honest opinions on the rampant abuses perpetrated by irresponsible and unscrupulous human beings through the cyberspace.
I will fail in my duty if I do not speak out against such contemptible behaviour and abuses.
May all responsible bloggers co-operate to expose and cleanse the cyberspace of unscrupulous bloggers.
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