PM's NEM Speech Laudable. Now Arrest Ibrahim Ali And Whip Civil Service Into Action

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak launched the New Economic Model just now. On paper it is a courageous move. “We can’t afford to duck the issues any longer. If we are to truly tackle inequality and become a beacon of progress in the region, we must create a sense of urgency to reform,” Najib had said sounding like a true statesman.

However Reuters reported that 'Najib barely touched on the raft of economic and social privileges intended for the majority Malay residents that critics say has engendered graft. The prime minister is reliant on the 55 per cent Malay population for votes'. And THAT is the crux of the whole bloody problem. Espousing lofty principles and 'unveiling' plans for radical reforms is one thing but to get it implemented is a totally different kettle of ikan bilis.

Assuming if Najib truly believes in what he is preaching (and that's a big IF) and that he has the balls to demand its implementation, there are some real obstacles in taking that path. First we have that most opportunistic, racist bastard by the name of Ibrahim Ali and his fellow low life in Perkasa who represent the ideal amalgamation of the worst qualities in Malaysian politics coupled with a deeply rooted inferiority complex. Cheering them on are the biggest dangers to national and inter-ethnic unity - Tun Dr Mahathir and DPM Muhyiddin Yassin. The latter two are above the law in Umno's Malaysia and therefore untouchable. However if there is even an iota of genuineness in Najib's reform plans he should throw the book at Ibrahim Ali and incarcerate the bastard. This should not too difficult for Najib since he has some experience in such matters. At least it would have a calming effect on non-Malay businessmen and foreign investors. Screaming racist invectives is not going to help attract FDIs.

Another big hurdle the PM would face is the equally racist and notoriously moribund civil service. Getting these indolent louts to do his bidding might prove very, very difficult for there are many Ibrahim Alis who are comfortably perched in strategic positions who will not budge unless prodded like cattle.

Then there are the rent addicted umnoputeras who will make life hell for Najib. Free largesse is more potent than drugs and the PM can expect the mother of all withdrawal symptoms to afflict a large portion of Umno's membership. Outrage, violence and cardiac arrests may ensue.

In conclusion, Najib is going to have a terrible time in the near future if he is really determined to reform the nation's outdated and racist policies. But I have grave doubts if he will even get to first base before retreating with his tail between his legs. It takes a great leader to dare bring profound changes in the face of very strong opposition even from his own supporters. The current U.S. president is one such person. And believe you me, Najib is no Barack Obama.

Hindraf Accuses Malaysia Of Racism At International Conference. MIC Says "Semuanya OK!"

The banned Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf), which had distributed pamphlets smearing Malaysia's image at an international conference attended by thousands of overseas Indians here, was flayed by MIC leaders today.

MIC secretary-general and Malaysian Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said he would raise the Chennai incident in the Cabinet next week, and added that he had also briefed several top Indian leaders about the status of Malaysian Indians during his visit to New Delhi last week.

"I will bring this to the Cabinet. I have also explained to several Indian leaders about the situation in Malaysia. All of them are committed to the good relations with Malaysia. They are aware of the tremendous progress achieved by Malaysian Indians," Subramaniam told journalists on the sidelines of the 7th Pravasi Bharatiya Divas conference in Chennai.

Subramaniam met Indian Home Minister P. Chidambaram, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Overseas Indian Affairs Minister Vayal Ravi last week.

Several Pakatan Rakyat (PR) leaders and Hindraf leader P. Waytha Moorthy are in Chennai to attend the three-day conference which started today in this southern Indian city.

Several Hindraf members distributed their annual report to the local media and conference delegates at the Chennai Trade Centre where the meeting is being held.

A few local television stations also interviewed Waytha Moorthy who had flown in from London. It is believed that he does not hold a Malaysian passport anymore.

MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu described some of Hindraf's claims as "utter lies" and said the group disseminated incorrect information about the welfare of Malaysian Indians.

"That the 150,000 Malaysian Indians of the fourth and fifth generations are stateless is an utter lie. There are only 21,000 without birth certificates, and the Home Ministry has ordered that they be issued the birth certificates.

"Demolition of one temple a day is an old tune which he (Waytha Moorthy) is still singing. If one temple a day (is demolished), it means in the last 25 years there won't be any Hindu temple," Samy Vellu told Malaysian journalists.

On the calls by Hindraf to the Indian government to stop bilateral trade with Malaysia, Samy Vellu said the group failed to understand how two nations do business and that Indian leaders were wiser in dealing with such issues.

"We will reply to the Indian government on these utter lies. Indian leaders are very wise and they will not listen to this rubbish. They will go ahead with their arrangements," he retorted.

About 1,500 Indians from over 50 countries are attending the conference. (Bernama)

***** Who would you believe? MIC bosses who paint such a rosy picture of our country or Hindraf which got banned and had its leaders incarcerated for raising the evil practice of racism in Malaysia?

Social Contract Must Be Kept And Honoured, Says Rais

The social contract among the founding fathers should be kept and honoured, said Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Dr Rais Yatim.

He said it would be tumultuous to unravel the understanding that had been reached among them and succeeding generations since independence.

"With strict observance and enforcement of the laws, our nation has been able to keep itself intact for half a century in spite the dire predictions of many word-twisting pundits.

"It has been said that a people who ignore the lessons of history are bound to repeat the same mistakes," he said in his speech at a United Nations Association of Malaysia (UNAM) dinner to commemorate the 63rd anniversary of the United Nations (UN), here, Friday night.

Rais said there was no traditional mechanism, educational or otherwise that "educates the people on the rudiments of the Malaysian social contract".

"Due to this lack in educational guidance, some have even said that there is no such thing as the social contract in this country. This is frivolous and dangerous talk.

"The social contract is there. It is there through the laws of the land. It is there through the history pages of our country. It is there through the substratum of our cultural innates."

He said Malaysians tended to take for granted the peace and harmony that they enjoyed today.

"But peace and harmony did not come automatically. They were the result of painstaking efforts, sacrifice and compromise on the part of our founding fathers, particularly the UMNO leaders and the Malay Rulers who had the wisdom of sharing power instead of governing on their own.

"Many had preferred that UMNO could govern on their own but they didn't. Many ultras have harangued our leaders by saying that we hold power but we are not the majority rich," he said.

Rais said rather than taking one another for granted, Malaysians should work assiduously to strengthen inter-ethnic relations at all levels, from school to the work place, from the private sector to the civil service and beyond.

"Of course the stumbling block is that we still think and behave in racial or ethnic terms as Malays, Chinese, Indians and as Ibans, Melanaus or Murut-Kadazans and other ethnic groups that make up our blessed land.

"In such a milieu, the importance of showing respect for our people's cultural and religious values and heritage is of the utmost importance.

"There is a place for everyone of us under the Malaysian sun irrespective of racial, cultural or religious background. We should constantly remind ourselves of the vital importance of these ingredients which have guaranteed our political stability and have enabled us to achieve since we came together as a nation," he added. (Bernama)

***** "The stumbling block is that we still think and behave in racial or ethnic terms as Malays, Chinese, Indians and as Ibans, Melanaus or Murut-Kadazans," says Rais. But pray tell who is to blame for this? Which group of power hungry racists has been assiduously sowing the seeds of division for decades and ruling by wielding the strategy of fear and prejudice? Which political party has been demanding loyalty from those they have discriminated against repeatedly, in the name of a policy which is morally reprehensible and repugnant?

In practical terms isn't this frequent alluding to a 'social contract' merely an attempt to justify racial discrimination? What say you?

Racial Quotas In Malaysia: Grim Warning For America

By Jared Taylor

Over the course of several trips to the South East Asian country of Malaysia I have been struck by how similar Malaysia’s race relations are to America’s—despite the obvious enormous differences. The official Malaysian policy of dispensing privileges by race may even be a warning of what the future may hold if our current policies and demographic trends continue.

Malaysia is about 60 percent Malay, 25 percent Chinese, and 8 percent Indian. In the 19th century, the British colonial government found that the native Malays did not want to work in tin mines or on rubber plantations, so they imported people who did: Tamils from India. The British also worried that smart Chinese immigrants would dominate the country. They therefore deliberately steered business to Malays and recruited them for government jobs. They feared—rightly as it turned out—that Malays would turn ugly if they thought Chinese were getting too far ahead. The British wanted Malays to keep getting a leg up even after independence in 1957, so when they drafted a constitution for the new country, they included Article 153 specifically to "safeguard the special position of the Malays and natives" through relatively mild preferences in education, the civil service and business licenses.

The races rubbed along without too much friction until 1969. That year, Chinese political parties nearly upset the ruling Malay coalition and held a victory parade through Malay neighborhoods in the capital city, Kuala Lumpur. The Malays didn’t like Chinese flaunting their power, and rioted, killing hundreds of Chinese. [Race War In Malaysia, Time Magazine, May. 23, 1969]

Violence works. The government responded with a new, stronger pro-Malay preferences program called the New Economic Policy (NEP), designed to increase the Malay share of national wealth. It is also known as the Bumiputra Program, from a Malay word that means "son of the soil" or "native."

All Malaysians are officially divided into bumiputras, who get preferences, and non-bumiputras, who don’t. "Bumis" must be Muslim Malay stock, though they need not be from Malaysia. This means an immigrant from Indonesia gets preferences over Indians or Chinese who have been in Malaysia for generations. Some of the specifics of the NEP are that Malays get a 60 percent quota at universities, discounts on real estate, and a guaranteed 30 percent of all new issues on the Malaysian stock market. The civil service became a bumi reserve, companies owned by non-bumis were barred from government contracts, and it became even harder for Indians and Chinese to get business licenses. The NEP set aside millions of dollars to pay for overseas training for Malay students and executives.

The Bumiputra Program does not take class into consideration, so the children of Malay millionaires get the inside track on boardroom posts, overseas scholarships, business licenses and plum government jobs. Minorities don’t like the system, but there is little they can do in a country that is majority Malay.

Read the whole report HERE

Poll Result: Majority of Chinese, Indians Support Anwar, While Malays Favour Najib. Not Surprising

Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim would make a better prime minister than Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi's deputy, Mr Najib Razak, said the Malaysian Insider, citing a poll by Merdeka Centre.

Results of the poll, based on 1,002 people of voting age from the country's three main ethnic communities, showed that 39.3 per cent supported Mr Anwar and 33.8 per cent favoured Mr Najib.

The online newspaper said, according to a Bloomberg report, that a majority of Indians and Chinese supported Mr Anwar while Malays favoured Mr Najib. The poll was conducted from Sept 11 - 22.

Mr Abdullah has delayed a leadership election at the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), and said he will decide in the next two weeks whether to contest the position of party chief. (Straits Times, Singapore)

***** Not a very surprising finding actually. Those who got shafted for the past few decades have placed their trust on hope and change, while those who got spoonfed from cradle to grave have sided with the status quo. So what else is new?

Barisan Nasional In Crisis

As the magic date of September 16 approaches, the rumour mill is churning overtime with all kinds of wild speculations of defections and party hopping among politicians in Sarawak and Sabah.

The landslide victory of the PKR de facto leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at the Permatang Pauh by-election on August 26 has given credence to his claim that he is now on the way to Putrajaya with the help of massive defections from the Barisan Nasional to his Pakatan Rakyat on September16, or two days from now.

There is something hugely ironic in this turn of event. For decades now, there have been persistent calls from various quarters in Sabah and Sarawak for the federal government to give some sort of official recognition to this date, which for us was the day when our East Malaysian states achieved independence from British colonial rule.

Political leaders from the other side of the South China Sea have always expressed sympathy, but the calls were largely ignored, much to the frustration of Sarawakians and Sabahans. Many will simply regard this slight as just yet another symbolic disregard of the feelings of East Malaysians so typical of Kuala Lumpur.

This year though, the number 916 has struck headlines in the national media for weeks on end, thanks to Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s preposterous claim about massive defections from the BN. Most people, including his allies in the Pakatan Rakyat, take this proclamation with a giant grain of salt.

We all know a little about our politicians, more or less. We even know about their occasional expressions of unhappiness about the regional divide in socio-economic development when we get to corner them on the quiet. But I just do not see too many of our Sarawak politicians jumping ship to change a whole government at the federal level. There are simply too many variables in the exercise, and too many uncertainties in the future for such a drastic political manoeuvre to bear fruition.

But politics is the art of the possible. If you know the art well, and if all favourable conditions are present, then indeed anything is possible. A few decades ago, who would have thought that an African American can become a serious contender in the US presidential race? History does have a convoluted torturous and unexpected way of working itself out.

We ordinary citizens can do little in this historical drama unfolding before our eyes every day. Whether Anwar’s plan for a regime change at the federal level will materialise, or prove to be just another strategic move to destabilise the Barisan Nasional, time will tell. One thing is certain though. It is obvious to impartial observers that the Barisan Nasional coalition at the federal level has now arrived at a critical point, a crisis of identity and credibility that threatens its survival in the future.

Formally launched in 1974 by the then Prime Minister Tun Abdul Razak, it was meant as a response to the problem of ethnic tension that exploded on May 13, 1969. The intention was to make the ruling coalition as inclusive as possible, and so many former opposition parties were recruited into its rank.

The idea then was to reduce the acrimonious race based politics in the open, and national problems can then be discussed and solved behind the closed door of the BN conference room. As the late Tun Razak was never tired of saying, when politics was reduced, the country could then concentrate on socio-economic development.

This concept worked very well for a while, and Malaysia has taken off in all aspects of national development since the 1970s. Today, Malaysia is the 29th largest economy and the 17th largest trading nation in the world, while incidents of poverty have been slashed dramatically over the last 35 years.

But in the world of political reality, any solution to every political problem will create its own legion of problems.

Tun Razak had envisaged the two prongs of the NEP as a way of distributing wealth among the races, thereby ensuring national unity. He thought that by restructuring society and eradicating poverty on the basis of an expanding economic cake, every race will come out a winner.

Over the last few decades though, the balance of power within the BN coalition has shifted radically towards Umno supreme control, not only of the ruling coalition, but of the entire nation as well. The component parties of BN, especially those in Peninsular Malaysia, see their leverage for negotiation with BN being whittled away, while their constituents grow increasingly restless.

This problem is compounded by Umno having to go through very acrimonious party election every decade or so. One crucial way for Umno leaders to consolidate their leadership positions within the party, or to win the votes from Umno delegates in the process of climbing up in party hierarchy, is to make radical statement about the primacy of the Malay race.

More often than not, these highly provocative statements and gestures have aroused profound disquiet among Malaysians of other ethnic persuasions. Their confidence in the other component parties representing them has been eroded by leaps and bounds.

Finally, this feeling of alienation exploded, and on March 8, 2008, with the congruence of all necessary factors, the voters of all ethnic communities in Peninsular Malaysia decided to teach the BN a lesson. The BN’s two-thirds majority in the Dewan Rakyat disappeared overnight, and five state governments fell to the opposition coalition, the Pakatan Rakyat.

Read the whole story HERE

Change To Survive, Malays Told. But Will The Umno Government Let Them?

'Merdeka', 'Merdeka', 'Merdeka'. These cries of independence are set to reverberate nationwide when Malaysians celebrate the 51st anniversary of the country’s independence on Aug 31.

However, the celebration this time is amidst the turbulent political scenario in the country, in the aftermath of Malaysia’s 12th general election held last March 8.

The hurly-burly in politics was common in the growth of a country, however we must know how to differentiate between party-based politics and issues faced by Malaysians, especially the Malays, said the Chairman for the executive committee of the Malaysian Historical Society, Datuk Omar Hashim.

"This is most crucial. If a person is able to differentiate between these two issues, then he can make wise judgements.

"The political party’s mission or focus is to win elections, while the people want everlasting protection, peace, food as well as livelihood and self esteem," he told Bernama this in an interview here.

CRITICAL THINKING

Omar, who had served as the Education Deputy Director-General from 1985-1990, said Malaysians in general and the Malays in particular need to be able to think critically.

"Critical thinking is able to differentiate the good from the bad, the repugnant from the pleasant as well as the nonsense from the truth.

"Our education system has all of these in subjects like Arts, History and General Paper but we want to emphasise on the teachers and lecturers to focus more on this critical thinking," said Omar.

Omar is the principal figure behind the move for the Malaysian education authorities to take over the management of the SPM/MCE examination from Cambridge University in 1978.

He also played a key role in the implementation of the National Education Policy, in the efforts to reinforce the Malay secondary schooling and Bahasa Melayu under a general examination system.

CHANGE ATTITUDE

Omar also calls for the Malays to change their attitude and stand on their own feet.

Read the whole article HERE.

***** Datuk Omar Hashim may be sincere in his advice, but it is in the long-term interest of Umno to maintain a certain amount of ignorance among the 'chosen ones' as well as keep dependence on the government a permanent feature of Malay 'progress'. Beggars apparently can be trusted to show more gratitude than the well-heeled.

What will happen to the party if God forbid, all the Malays become industrious, self-sustaining individuals who actually start thinking for themselves instead of being force-fed on a daily diet of Umno propaganda and partially crippled by official pampering and government-distributed largesse? What a political nightmare that would be!

Critical thinking and attitude change may be good for the rakyat, but I don't think that the government is too worried about inculcating it right now. Nor do they feel the urgency. You see, the Malays have not yet reached the 'level playing field' and therefore are not ready for sweeping changes lah brudder! Perhaps by the next century. If they're lucky.

Forget About Increase In Non-Bumi PSD Scholarship Quota

The Government will study the move by the Public Services Department to increase the scholarship quota for non-bumiputras to 45%.

"We will look at it first," Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak told reporters Wednesday.

Najib was asked to comment on the move by PSD to increase the scholarship quota for non-bumiputra from 10% to 45%, which had created dissatisfaction among certain quarters including the Federation of Peninsula Malay Students (GPMS).

GPMS president Datuk Reezal Naina Merican called for the Government to review the move saying that it should be re-evaluated and scrutinised thoroughly.

Umno Youth deputy chief Khairy Jamaluddin who is MP for Rembau questioned the move saying that the quota was determined at the discretion of Yang di-Pertuan Agong who had the absolute power over the matter according to Article 153 of the Federal Constitution.

Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) vice chancellor Tan Sri Abdul Rahman Arshad, who is former education director also questioned the basis of the department's calculation when raising the quota and whether it considered the racial composition.

The department offers 2,000 scholarships annually. Previously, 90% of them were offered to bumiputra students but the under the new scheme, the number for non-bumiputras is increased to 45%. (The Star)

***** Reezal Naina Merican wants the proposal 'reviewed, re-evaluated and scrutinised,' possibly because his entire family tree here and in Tamil Nadu is now categorised under Bumi rather than Indian. So why worry about the 'kaum pendatang'?

The nation's first S-I-L, silly Khairy 'questioned the move,' the same way that we can question his credibility and qualification to be the MP for Rembau, other than the fact of being married to the PM's daughter of course.

The freebie-enjoying, rent-obsessed and out-of-turn promoted UiTM vice chancellor Abdul Rahman Arshad meanwhile 'questioned the basis'. Indeed he will. As one who won't stand a rat's arse of a chance of being a V-C in any other country in the world, he has his own axe to grind. But then again he's a pious 'nationalist' you see, and when he religiously prays the required number of times a day he will experience great solace, peace and comfort in knowing that he courageously and determinedly 'fought' to achieve his heart's desire - that even Malay millionaires' children will be given scholarships while the wretched offsprings of non-Malay rubber tappers, hawkers and others be forced to spend their own money for their education. For such is the disjointed thinking of those who subscribe to the racist ideas of eternal entitlement.

So what can we expect Najib to say but the obvious -- 'we will study the move'.

With those 'brave' statements by the nation's pejuang2 demi bangsa, agama dan negara, you can fully anticipate that the mini sandiwara initiated by the PSD will be allowed to run its course before being declared as either dead or stillborn.

Sorry brudder, the more things seem to change, the more stubbornly they remain the same. But don't give up hope. Meaningful change, for all you know, may be on its way sooner than many think.

Non-Malays Need Not Fear Congress, Says Muhyiddin

Non-Malays need not feel their rights are being infringed by the recent resolution adopted during a congress consisting of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) calling for Malay privileges to be upheld.

Umno vice-president Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said Kongres Permuafakatan Melayu, which concluded in Johor Baru over the weekend, was an expression of the perception held by the NGOs that their rights had been eroded.

He added that the Government and Umno needed to take note of the situation and not take things lightly.

“They feel that their rights are being less fought for by the Government and they want attention to be given.

“But non-Malays should not feel threatened. There is no taking away the rights of any race,” he told reporters yesterday.

“Maybe, they feel the current Umno leadership is not being seen as giving the due attention. We accept their resolution with an open heart,” he added.

On Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah going on a nationwide road show to garner support from Umno’s 3.4 million members in his bid for the presidency, Muhyiddin said it was the Gua Musang MP’s right to do so.

“It is up to him to contest for the party president because it does not go against the party constitution,” he added. (The Star)

***** To the non-Malays please do not worry. These Malay NGOs are merely concerned we are not doing enough for them despite the fact that the very existence of our party, Umno, is hinged upon pleasing these begging bowl carrying, greedy group of vultures found all over the country. But basically, they're a harmless lot. All that these dimwits want are a few more freebies, that's all. At least you guys know what it means to work hard and earn a living. These poor chaps are in a way terribly handicapped and have survived on handouts for decades. So you have to pity them.

Non-Malays please bear with us if you feel that we've not done enough for you people. Blame the MCA, MIC, Gerakan and the others for that. It's not an easy task to please everyone, but look at the bright side. At least we gave you citizenship fifty years ago. That must count for something, right?

So once in a while we brandish a keris or two, scream 'ketuanan Melayu' loudly and make veiled threats of a bloodbath. But hey we don't mean it. Just part and parcel of our sandiwara-style politics, you see. Please continue to place your faith in us and more importantly do not ever, ever trust Pakatan Rakyat. We in Umno don't trust them and nor should you.

Many Local Grads Jobless Because They Lack Creativity

One of the reasons why many local graduates are unemployed is because they lack creativity, said the Malaysian Association of Creativity and Innovation (Macri).

Its president Datuk Ghazi Sheikh Ramli said the creativity of Malaysians was stifled by the education system and the perceived need to follow societal norms.

“Our society generally puts too many barriers and constraints on children. Children need space to grow, and when this space is not given, it slowly kills their natural inborn creativity.

“When you see local university products (innovations), you are not surprised. Their (students) brains are not ready (for the workforce) and all the ideas are the same – as if they are all from the same mould,” he told The Star.

Ghazi said that in more open societies, students were not subjected to this mental block and they could freely challenge the opinions of their lecturers. (The Star)

***** What could be the possible reasons for this sorry situation? Who is responsible for their 'unemployability'? Can we point fingers at the system of selection which favours ethnicity over merit? Should we blame the doubtful quality of those selected to enter our institutions of higher learning? Is the spoon feeding at the primary and secondary school level in any way responsible? Or perhaps the problem lies in the unimaginative syllabus at varsity which shuns creative thinking? Any theories or guesses?
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Two Gems From Pak Lah - "Open Tender System Not Fair; NEP Not Racially Biased!"

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi Saturday lashed out at the Penang state government for adopting a fully open tender system as it does not guarantee fairness to those who are financially weak to compete.

He said in principle the proposal by the state government to emphasise on equitability appeared to be good but this would actually result in only those who were financially strong benefiting from the system.

"The transparency, open tender and open bidding approach is certainly good and gives comfort to everyone but we have to remind them that not everything that is said to be equitable is fair. Actually, only the strong and those with financial capacity will derive benefits from it.

"This is our reminder to them because it is our (Barisan Nasional's) responsibility as the opposition party (in Penang) to give our views and we will become an opposition that is active, sensitive and curious about what is happening in Penang. We are not around just to keep the seat warm," he said at a thanksgiving gathering held by the Penang Umno Liaison Body, here Saturday night.

He clarified that the New Economic Policy (NEP) was not merely for the Bumiputeras as it also assisted the Chinese and Indian communities because the policy was not racially biased. He said the NEP was a national approach implemented to eliminate poverty regardless of race, enable equitable distribution to the people including enlarging the Bumiputera Commercial and Industrial Community (BCIC) and ensuring a robust economic growth to be enjoyed by all races.

Abdullah, who is also the chairman of the State Umno Liaison Body, reminded the 11 Umno Assemblymen, who represent the Barisan Nasional (BN), to fight for the cause of all races in the state.

"They have a heavy responsibility not only as the Assemblymen in their constituency but also as the opposition in the State Assembly," he said.

As such, he praised the strategy of the State Umno Liaison Body to give each Assemblyman a responsibility or portfolio to monitor the implementation of state government policies.

At the meeting of the state Umno management committee chaired by Adullah earlier Saturday, it was decided that a 'shadow executive council' would be appointed with each of the Umno assemblymen who won in the recent general election being given portfolios equivalent to the state government executive council.

The Prime Minister also gave an assurance to the people of Penang that the federal government led by the BN would continue to give effective service to the people and fulfil the promises contained in its manifesto.

Also present at the gathering were deputy chairman of the Penang Umno Liaison Body Datuk Seri Abdul Rashid Abdullah, Gerakan acting president Tan Sri Dr Koh Tsu Koon and Perlis Umno Liaison chairman Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim. (Bernama)

***** Pak Lah is partly correct when he says that the open tender system does not guarantee fairness. However it is a much, much better mechanism than the closed system which was nothing but a corrupt, crony-serving money dispensing machine that Umno used avidly and uninterruptedly for five decades to stay in power and enrich a couple of thousand Malays.

As for the NEP, if it is not racially biased then why is every non-Malay totally against it while many Malays are vehemently objecting to even a watering down of its 'non-racial' policies? One would have thought that a near fatal blow in the last polls would have taught the umnoputeras a lesson in objectivity and honesty, but from Pak Lah's doublespeak it looks like they have yet to learn anything. Consigning Umno to the rubbish bin of history is our best bet.
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25 Malay NGOs Form Group To 'Unite' Malays. An Exercise in Futility?

A group of 25 Malay non-governmental organisations (NGOs) Thursday set up a Malay unity action body to help unite Malays regardless of political ideology to safeguard their interests and the sanctity of Islam, the panel's protem chairman, Osman A. Bakar, said tonight.

He said it was important to make the Malays realise that unity among them was eroding, as was evident from the outcome of the March 8 general election.

"The disunity is also causing government policies meant to safeguard the interests of Malays, such as the New Economic Policy (NEP), to be questioned," he told Bernama.

It was important to make the Malays realise what would happen to them if this disunity was not addressed immediately, he said.

Osman said all Malay and Muslim leaders regardless of political ideology would be invited to attend a gathering in Kuala Lumpur or Putrajaya soon to discuss how to remain united and cooperate for the interests of the community, religion and country. He said the action body would also set up a network of Malay unity action groups towards fostering Malay unity nationwide as an ongoing process.

Asked what approach the action body would use, Osman said it was not a pressure group but more of a body to coax the people to be aware of the current political developments for the survival of the community in Malaysia.

Osman said the body would also encourage dialogue between the Malays and other communities in the country.

"This is in accordance with the plan of the body to enhance national unity and goodwill among the communities," he said, adding that this would be done through dialogues with the various NGOs and religious groups in the country. (Bernama)

***** I don't know who the other jokers behind this 'Malay unity' Utopia are, but to me it smells like rank opportunism, an attempt to ingratiate themselves into the good books of either or both the opposing factions, obtain some free, favourable publicity and hopefully capitalise on any positive 'returns' that may come their way.

These guys are still stuck in the old-mode unity drivel emphasising religion and the NEP. They are putting their hopes on 'uniting' the Malays by dividing the country. The same old bangsa, agama dan negara cliché which the majority have clearly rejected. Matters have gone beyond that and the legitimate leaders of the Malay community are now confronting issues of national unity and stability, plundering of the economy and widespread corruption practised in the name of maintaining Malay supremacy.

People are fed up with the worn-out and meaningless platitudes used in the past to deceive them and are aware that the time is now for genuine quality change. There won't be many takers for another 'Malay unity' sandiwara.
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Malaysian Lessons For Asia's Authoritarians

Two very different uprisings, one in Tibet and one in Malaysia, have exposed the ethnic and political tensions that often seethe beneath the calm surface of Asia's successful economies.

The protests in Tibet spilt blood. Tibetan Buddhists, angered by years of Chinese repression and tempted by the chance to advertise grievances ahead of the Beijing Olympics, set fire to the shops of Han Chinese migrants and attacked Hui Muslims. An unknown number of people were killed - perhaps 13, perhaps 100 - in the inter-ethnic violence and the subsequent crackdown by the security forces, but there is little chance of anything changing in Tibet as a result of this eruption.

Malaysia's upheaval was thankfully more sedate and its effects are likely to be more enduring. The National Front government, dominated by the United Malays National Organisation, is still reeling from the worst electoral setback of its 50-year history. There are now serious doubts about the survival of Malaysia's racially based political system and the continuation of Umno's quasi-authoritarian rule. Yet another south-east Asian nation may adopt the difficult but rewarding practice of genuine multi-party democracy.

The results of the March 8 election came as a surprise. An opposition alliance led by Anwar Ibrahim deprived the government of its two-thirds majority in parliament and secured control of five of Malaysia's 13 states. Umno won just 78 of the 222 parliamentary seats, leaving the National Front in power only by virtue of its shaky hold on parties based in Sabah and Sarawak on the island of Borneo.

Malay Muslims make up about half of Malaysia's population, while the urban and business-oriented Chinese account for 30 per cent, the Christian and animist inhabitants of Borneo 11 per cent and the Indians 9 per cent.

Following post-election race riots in 1969, Malays and indigenous citizens have been accorded special privileges under a "New Economic Policy" designed to help the bumiputra - the "sons of the soil" - increase their share of the nation's wealth. Chinese and Indian Malaysians forfeited the right to equal treatment in business, education and civil service jobs and were warned off with vague threats of ethnic violence if they made a fuss.

Like the pro-Islamic, state-sanctioned religious chauvinism that goes with it, this unholy bargain makes little sense in today's multiracial Malaysia. The Chinese have long complained about corruption and injustice and have emigrated in tens of thousands. Last year thousands of Indians protested against the demolition of Hindu temples.

But the most remarkable change is among Muslim Malays. The beneficiaries of racial preference have grown weary of the policy as well, for two reasons. First, those Malays profiting the most are not the rural poor but tycoons and hangers-on who win government contracts and share allocations in privatised companies; corruption is rife despite the promises made by Abdullah Badawi, the prime minister, to curb it. Second, successful Malays resent the assumption that they prosper as a result of favouritism.

Mr Anwar, a former Umno politician who was jailed for corruption and accused of sodomy after falling out with Mahathir Mohamad, Mr Abdullah's predecessor, has skilfully exploited these various discontents. "The New Economic Policy benefits the few family members of the ruling establishment and their cronies," he said. The alliance Mr Anwar leads includes his own People's Justice party, which is multiracial and opposes racial preferences; the mainly Chinese Democratic Action party; and the fundamentalist Parti Islam se-Malaysia, or Pas. It is hard to overstate the significance (or the difficulty) of bringing such parties together in a country where racial identities have become ossified by legalised racism, particularly when the Chinese remain fearful of the Islamists in Pas.

Yet the potential economic benefits of the opposition's strong showing are already apparent. One portent of a healthier business environment was the post-election share price collapse of companies deemed by investors to have profited from their ties to Umno.

Malaysia ought now to introduce open tenders for government contracts. Opposition-controlled Penang state has already announced the withdrawal of racial preferences for local contracts, a move that prompted an appeal from Mr Abdullah to the head of the Penang state government not to marginalise the Malays. "I want to ask Lim Guan Eng what are his plans for the Malays in Penang? What are his plans for the Indians in Penang?" The right answer would be to treat everyone the same.

Eventually, the impact of this month's election will reach beyond business and the narrow issue of racial preferences. The weakening of Umno and the rise of a multiethnic opposition could herald the kind of changeover from authoritarian rule to democracy that has already occurred in the Philippines and Indonesia and may yet happen in China - to the benefit of Tibetans, Han and Hui alike. (Financial Times, UK)

***** Malaysia's politics has been too 'peninsular-centric' for the past four-and-a-half decades and that is about to change. Sabah and Sarawak have been relegated to the background for far too long and the time is opportune for these states to exert their influence. Right now either of them can wreak havoc in the country by shifting their loyalty from BN to BR. So tenuous is the hold the Centre has on the East now.

Not that Umno did not realise this long ago. We saw the first sign of apprehension when East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) won a majority of seats in the general elections there in the early seventies thereby effectively taking over the centre of executive power from West Pakistan (present Pakistan) which resulted in genocide and ultimately led to the Indo-Pak war in 1971 and the dismemberment of Pakistan. The first thing Umno did after that war was to re-designate our country from the previous 'West and East Malaysia' to the current 'Peninsular Malaysia, Sabah and Sarawak'. Although then it seemed a trifle paranoid and absurd, in retrospect it shows the fears of the then leadership may have been well-founded.
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Malaysia’s Democratic Opening

By Bridget Welsh

The historic defeat of Malaysia's ruling coalition represents a break with the closed, racialised politics that have dominated the country's politics since independence in 1957, says Bridget Welsh.

As the results of Malaysia's general election poured in on the evening of 8 March 2008, it became clear that the country's voters had delivered an unprecedented blow to the ruling Barisan Nasional (National Front / BN) led by prime minister Abdullah Badawi. The severe losses of the incumbent coalition - five (out of Malaysia's thirteen) state governments, eighty-two seats in the 222-seat national parliament, and a major swing against the non-Malay component parties within the multi-ethnic coalition - mean that the election marks a new political chapter in Malaysian history.

After fifty years of rule by the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO) - the dominant party in the BN coalition - the signs of a shift are unmistakable: towards a new system of checks and balances, away from the racial politics that have characterised the country's history since independence in 1957, and wider democracy.

The government's hubris

The reasons for the Barisan Nasional's setback have more to do with the coalition's lacklustre performance under Abdullah Badawi than the strength of the opposition. In his four years in office, Abdullah has managed to maintain the economic growth that characterised the tenure of his predecessor Mahathir Mohamad (who governed for twenty-two years, 1981-2003); but he was ineffective in channelling the benefits to ordinary citizens. The record levels of inflation, comparatively lower wages, increased lack of confidence in Abdullah's management and persistent corruption translated into massive disgruntlement among Malaysians of all races. Malaysians were squeezed, as economic gains were seen to be disproportionately directed toward an increasingly arrogant political elite, notably leaders of UMNO.

This declining economic legitimacy was compounded by a shocking record of managing ethnic relations, particularly of the concerns of the non-Malays. Chinese, Indian and East Malaysian voices were ignored and often insultingly dismissed as rising Malay chauvinism went unchecked within Abdullah's party. In fact, he harnessed racial identity to buttress his position within the party, rejuvenating the racially implemented affirmative action policy of the "new economic policy" (NEP) and lost the confidence of the non-Malay community in the handling of the sensitive expansion of Islamic governance. (Europe News, Denmark)
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Privileged Status at Risk, Malays Protest After Election Losses

Chanting “Long live the Malays!” several hundred members of Malaysia’s largest ethnic group gathered Friday on this largely ethnic Chinese island, defying a police ban on protests and raising tensions after sharp electoral losses by the country’s Malay-dominated governing coalition.

Newly elected state governments have moved rapidly to abolish some of the long-held privileges of ethnic Malays. Those efforts have challenged the core of Malaysia’s ethnically based political system and inflamed Malays’ sensibilities. Before elections last Saturday, Malays dominated politics through the country’s largest party, the United Malays National Organization, known as U.M.N.O.

The opposition parties that beat the governing party and its partners in five states say the nation’s affirmative action program for Malays should be based on need rather than ethnicity. But the opposition, too, is struggling to contain fissures along ethnic lines as a Chinese opposition party competes with its Malay counterpart.

The affirmative action program, more than 35 years old, gives Malays benefits like discounts on new houses and 30 percent quotas in companies’ initial public offerings.

“I don’t think many people have bothered to investigate the details of the policy itself,” said Tricia Yeoh of the Center for Public Policy Studies, an independent research center in Kuala Lumpur, the capital. “But it’s an affirmation of their identity in the country, of their significance and their worth.”

Demonstrators here on Friday chanted “Allahu akbar!” — “God is great!” in Arabic — and vowed to return for more protests. They were dispersed by riot police officers. Nasarudin bin Mat Nor, 70, a retired teacher who took part in the protest, said, “If there is no help for the Malays, they will get poorer.”

Malaysians are split as much along religious lines as ethnic, with Muslim Malays governed by a separate legal system. The protest Friday immediately followed Friday Prayer at a mosque. But the election showed that the Malays are also divided between educated, wealthy and often urban Malays and poorer families in the countryside.

“U.M.N.O. is going to go through some sort of consolidation,” said Ibrahim Suffian of the Merdeka Center, an independent polling agency. “A lot of people are looking for someone to take the fall for the results.”

For the first time since independence from Britain in 1957, the governing coalition has lost control of Malaysia’s largest and wealthiest states, including Penang, Selangor and Perak.

The governing coalition, the National Front, won slightly more than 60 percent of the seats in the federal Parliament, down from 90 percent of the seats in the 2004 elections.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has vowed to stay, but is under pressure to quit. Mukhriz Mahathir, the son of former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who is from the same party, called Friday for Mr. Abdullah to step down.

Mr. Abdullah came to power in 2003 promising to end corruption and make government more accountable. But scandals, rising prices and protests by ethnic Indians over religious freedom and income inequality caused his popularity to fall. (The New York Times)

***** Firstly a 35-year-old policy should not still persist with the word 'new'. It is basically a bloody OLD policy which has been diverted from its its initial goal and now serves as a convenient conduit for amassing wealth for ruling party cronies.

Secondly it was a mistake for Lim Guan Eng to have mentioned about the NEP so early into his term. Perhaps he should have exercised some patience and restraint and not given space for sore losers to capitalise on this emotive issue.

Thirdly I don't believe that the so-called gathering was a spontaneous reaction to his statement, but the dirty work of the cunning dalang2 in Putrajaya, ably assisted by some lowlife in Penang Umno.
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Penang Mamak Fights For NEP, Lodges Police Report Against Guan Eng

A lawyer lodged a police report against Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng over his statement that he would run the state administration free of the New Economic Policy (NEP).

Abu Backer Sidek Mohamad Zan, 40, lodged the report at the Jalan Patani police station.

He told reporters that in his statement he had asked the police to investigate Lim under the Sedition Act and to take action against Lim if he continued to make seditious and racist statements.

“I believe that the statement is seditious, racist, irresponsible and may endanger public peace and national security,” he said. (The Star)

***** First of all how does the NEP affect this person with an obviously Mamak name? Either he has been masquerading as a Malay and enjoying privileges under the NEP that he is not entitled to, wants to show that he is more Malay than 'real' Malays for future personal gains or he is a proxy for more sinister forces. Or perhaps he's a lawyer with a conscience!
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More Election Bluff By Samy Vellu

Samy Vellu Hails Abdullah's Pledges
MIC President Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu says the pledges made by Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for the betterment of the Indian community showed the Barisan Nasional (BN) government looked after the interests of all races in the country.

Expressing MIC's appreciation to the Prime Minister, Samy Vellu said the pledges would also create more equitable opportunities for Indians.

" These are not mere promises but decisions that will be implemented with MIC's co-operation. We will ensure these decisions are carried our according to the Prime Minister's instructions in the next five years and thereafter," he said in a statement.

Abdullah made the pledges in advertisements placed by BN in Tamil newspapers today.

Among others, the Prime Minister promised that places of worship would be respected and protected, a pledge Samy Vellu said had given an "added assurance" to the Indian community.

The Works Minister said the party also welcomed Abdullah's pledge to take in more Indians into the civil service.

Other pledges include meeting educational needs of Indian children, further upgrading learning and teaching facilities in Tamil schools, increasing assistance for low-income and urban poor families and enhancing business opportunities for Indians.

" The Prime Minister's pledges have reinforced what the BN has been doing for the people for the past 50 years," added Samy Vellu who is defending his trade mark Sungai Siput parliamentary seat for the ninth term in Saturday's general election. (Bernama)

***** What Semi Value is trying to say is that NOTHING has been done thus far but Pak Lah has ASSURED that it will be done in the FUTURE! Period.

Assisting low-income citizens, meeting educational needs of Indian children, providing help for mostly dilapidated and totally ignored Tamil schools, enhancing business opportunities for the marginalised poor, ensuring equal opportunities in civil service intakes and promotions and the safeguarding of temples should have been done as a matter of course in the past years.

But after decades of criminal neglect, the MIC being branded as a useless, self-serving party and Umno becoming synonymous with neo-apartheid practices, to claim that this or that will be done after the elections is nothing but a bogus attempt at duping the public. No one will believe this Semi Value fairy tale.
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Hindraf Decides To Oppose Malaysian Indian Congress

The Hindu Rights Action Force (Hindraf) has decided to campaign against the Malaysian Indian Congress (MIC) in the run-up to the snap general elections, slated for March 8, in the country.

This follows an assessment by Hindraf whether it should to go the whole hog in a political offensive against the long-established organisation of the mostly Hindu ethnic Indians in the Muslim-majority Malaysia.

The MIC has remained a constituent of each successive governing coalition, led by the United Malays National Organisation in a multi-racial “compact,” since independence in 1957.

In contrast, Hindraf, which began an intensive campaign a few months ago for the “basic rights” of the nearly two-million people of Indian origin, is not a political party. Nor have the Malaysian authorities agreed to register it as a non-governmental organisation.

However, some of its activists, including a leader detained without legally testable charges and trial under the Internal Security Act (ISA), are contesting on the Opposition Democratic Action Party (DAP) ticket.

The DAP has taken Hindraf under their wings for this poll. It has welcomed long-time MIC leader Ishwar Nahappan into its fold, and the Parti Keadilan Rakyat, guided by former Deputy Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

Hindraf National Coordinator Thanenthiran Ramankutty told The Hindu over the telephone from Malaysia on Friday that his group was now “left with no choice but to oppose the MIC.”

According to him, the MIC had not articulated, during the ongoing campaign, any of the key issues raised by Hindraf such as equal rights and opportunities for the ethnic Indians on a par with the Malay majority.

Nor had the MIC so far echoed Hindraf’s demand that five of its leaders, detained under the ISA since last December, be set free. (The Hindu)

***** I wonder what reply Semi Value will give to this decision? Knowing him he'd probably say that nobody bothers about Hindraf except for a few 'misguided and drunk youth'. We'll know soon enough won't we?
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Malaysia's Political Poverty

Malaysia's many middle-of-the-road critics of Prime Minister Abdullah Badawi are in a quandary as the March 8 election looms. Do they deliver the governing coalition, led by the United Malays National Organization, the drubbing that it richly deserves for its money politics and abuses of power? Or do they vote for the coalition out of concern that a poor electoral performance would undermine the well-meaning if weak Abdullah and enhance the positions of those politicians more closely associated with sleaze, religious intolerance and racial preferences?

The election cannot change the government. Malaysian politics is trapped in an institutionalized racial ghetto. The coalition is sure to win, as it has for 50 years. Abdullah himself acknowledges that it will not do as well as in 2004, when he was enjoying a honeymoon after 22 years of Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad. But most likely, the governing coalition of race-based parties will retain a two-thirds majority in Parliament - failure to do so would be a humiliation for Abdullah.

Nevertheless, the election results will indicate important trends. The vote comes at a time when economic and political issues point in different directions. The economy is growing at 6 percent, underpinned by strong commodity export prices. Added to this has been a pre-election surge in government spending and massive subsidies for fuel and food that otherwise would have pushed consumer price inflation to double its official 2.3 percent rate. The assumed peak of the economic cycle explains why the election is being held now when Abdullah could have waited a year. Judging by history, a vote now should ensure few discomforts for the governing party.

But the election also comes in the wake of a host of scandals and disputes, some attributable to the current government, some the belated uncovering of corruption under Mahathir's watch. Issues include well-founded reports of high-level judicial corruption and influence peddling, and the bizarre conduct of the trial of Razak Baginda, an arms-dealing associate of the deputy prime minister and defense minister, Najib Abdul Razak, for the murder of his mistress.

While Abdullah has removed a few of those who prospered under Mahathir, there has been widespread disappointment at his failure to make more reforms.

It remains to be seen whether these issues resonate with the Malay majority, which has two alternatives - to vote for the Pan-Malaysian Islamic Party, commonly known as PAS, or support the multi-ethnic Parti Keadilan Rakyat, or People's Justice Party, led by a former deputy prime minister, Anwar Ibrahim. PAS has yet to prove that it can escape its mix of modern fundamentalism and rural conservatism and broaden its appeal among increasingly urbanized Malays. Anwar has yet to prove that his stature and Islamic past can translate into Malay votes for a multi-ethnic party, or that he can shake off the suspicions that many non-Malays have about his commitment to secular and multiracial principles.

The governing coalition will almost certainly suffer from the increased disaffection of non-Malays. Indians who traditionally support it have been upset by discrimination. Many may defect to the predominantly Chinese opposition Democratic Action Party or the People's Justice Party.

The Chinese are increasingly frustrated by the continuation of racial preferences that enrich the Malay elite at their expense, and by the low standing of the faction-riddled Malaysian Chinese Association in the government. Non-Malays are fed up with discrimination against non-Muslims.

Yet the influences that drive non-Malays into the arms of the opposition may help United Malays National Organization retain the loyalty of Malays who see it as the most effective guardian of their privileges and status of their religion. Thus they will overlook its many sins, just as many non-Malays will, however reluctantly, vote for an UMNO-led coalition, which they see as the best safeguard against Malay and Muslim extremism.

There is not much sign that Abdullah will use the election to bring change; radical moves are not his style. Yet if he does want to leave a legacy of doing more than keeping the leader's seat warm he will need to start soon after the election. Will the election make him see the necessity of change? Or leave him without the authority to achieve it? (Philip Bowring, IHT)

***** So will we be able to reduce the number of seats held by BN, or more critically those held by Umno? It would be wonderful if Umno were to be brought down a peg or three. The nation's social fabric would be strengthened and genuine inter-ethnic harmony may even become a reality. As long as Umno and its racist practitioners remain powerful we can forget about equality or true unity.

"Don't Risk Future By Supporting Opposition," Says Zainuddin Maidin. Do You Agree With Him?

Barisan Nasional (BN) component parties representing non-bumiputeras play a most effective role in championing the cause of their communities within the BN government, Information Minister Datuk Seri Zainuddin Maidin said here.

"It has been proven thus far that parties such as the MCA, MIC and Gerakan have played an effective role in representing the voice of the Chinese and Indian communities within the BN government," he told reporters after attending a Chinese New Year celebration here last night.

As such, Zainuddin advised the people not to risk their future by supporting the opposition political parties.

He said the BN government was sensitive to the needs of the people of all communities. (Bernama)

***** It is precisely because the various component parties have been relegated to the role of 'champions' of their own communities that the country is in such a state of disunity. Central to this divisive style of governing is the understanding among the various coalition members that Umno will be top dog whose writ will run throughout the length and breadth of this nation, no matter how unfair or corrupt their policies may be.

Zam lies just like Najib did by saying "the BN government is sensitive to the needs of the people of all communities." This is plain rubbish. Umno practices racism pure and simple and the others are unable to prevent it and are merely passengers in the train of government. What little they get is publicized as a gain for their communities which these political parasites then claim was obtained through the 'Barisan spirit of dialogue and sharing'. A vote for Umno is a vote for continued racism, discrimination, corruption and bigotry.
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