In the next few hours, voters of Manek Urai, Kelantan will decide who among the two candidates for the by-election will be elected as the rightful representive to the State Assembly. It will be a straight fight between BN candidate Tuan Aziz Tuan Mat, and PR candidate Mohd Fauzi Abdullah, the latter being ridiculed for 'not being academically inclined', and whose vocation is a mere fish wholesaler.
The feed back that I obtained from my Kelantanese friends is that the BN had won outright the propaganda and publicity campaign, while the PR had been the crowd puller at the nightly political campaigning. Both parties have made lots of promises, and even a place in haven or hell if one is to cast a vote for a particular party. I just wonder how mortals like us can be the arbitrator of a free passage to haven or hell.
The entire BN election machinery has been galvanised early in the election campaign to ensure a victory that has been slipping from the BN's grasp in previous elections. There was also the accusation that the resources of the military has been used to boost-up BN's popularity in some grey areas in Manek Urai. I am not quite sure as to the roles of the military in Manek Urai, but if this accusation proves to be true, then I would blame it all on the military leadership to have succumbed to the unlawful employment of the military, especially prior to an election. We do not want to see our military to play a role like that of the Honduran military recently. And politicians must understand too that the military does not have a role in politics, and if a precedence has been set, it will have dangerous consequences.
I remembered well during the 1998 Reformasi Movement that came about after the ouster of Anwar Ibrahim from government. There was clearly officers who were inclined towards the movement, and others who were not. I understood the feeling of those officers who showed sympathy for Anwar, and they had voiced their feelings quite freely among themselves. However, such personal expressions was not welcomed, and a warning was out to cease any talk concerning the Reformasi Movement.
I was then at the verge of retiring, and I thought trampling the freedom of expression over the Anwar Ibrahim episode among the officers corps then was wrong. There is clearly a distinction here between the freedom of expression, and the freedom of being physical or riotous, and I thought that the officers were not inclined to act in a way that will bring disrepute to their noble profession.Of course, freedom of expression here does not extend to them participating in political 'ceramah' for any one political party, which is clearly an abuse to the apolitical stance of the military. Likewise, employing the resources of the military prior to an election is also an abuse.
I do wish to predict the outcome of the by-election tomorrow, but whoever wins, the honorific title of the Yang Berhormat that come along with winning, has its trials and tribulations.
CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION
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11 comments:
The outcome is not important the way it was won or lost IS!
If the Army used its resources and men to win, it would be a sad day indeed!
Yes the military is to serve the government of the day!
But does a wrong and bad ORDERS be taken as RIGHT?
If that being the case we shall all say: THE MILITARY IS A ROBOT!
MIGHT AS WELL REMOVE THE BRAINS!
IN THE HOLY SCRIPTURE IT SAYS CLEARLY: "EVEN IF IT IS YOUR OWN FATHER, AND IF HE ASKED THAT YOU DO SOMETHING WRONG, DON'T DO IT"!
WHAT MORE WITH THIS MORONIC BN MINISTERS AND LEADERS WE HAVE TODAY IN THIS COUNTRY !
Dato,
It is just that the Army traditions and customs do not allow officers to talk about politics, religion and the opposite sex when socializing.The rule is clearly set out in the manual 'The Guide to Young Officers and Cadet." This guideline I believe is further elaborated in the Mess Rule.
Based on the above, officers are therefore expected to keep their feelings to themselves about the Anwar Ibrahim controversial episode.Neverthelss as you have mentioned there were officers who openly declared their support for him which had caused much discomfort to the others.This of course is unacceptable as it goes against the grain of our military etiquette.
The tradition and etiquette above are passed to us by the British who had developed it many centuires before to ensure the British Army remains apolitical organization.
MAURICE, STOP TALKING ABOUT THE BRITISH ARMY, WE ARE NOT BRITISH!
WE ARE MALAYSIANS!
As a reminder to all readers, the SO CALLED BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS A CLASSIC CASE YET TO BE ANSWERED?
WHO REALLY KILLED LADY DIANA SPENCER?
JUST LIKE IT HERE!
WHO REALLY KILLED ALTANTUYAH ?
SO MAURICE PLEASE STOP THE BRITISH THING!
Dear Kamondo,
I need a more convincing argument from you to ignore the role of the British Military in the development of our current military tradition and customs.
If we want the Malaysian Army to be apolitical organization (which you have expressed in your earlier posting), then we would be better off with the Malaysian Army practising the good British military values that have been handed to us by them.
YES MY PLEASURE, MAURICE.
THERE IS ALWAYS A CHOICE.
WE MAKE THEM.
1. DO THE RIGHT THING.
2. CORRECT A WRONG THING.
3. REJECT A BAD THING.
4. DON'T FOLLOW BLINDLY & GIVE BLIND LOYALTY!
5. SAY YOUR PIECE AND FEAR NO MAN BUT GOD.
6. WE ARE MERE MORTALS, WE NEED TO ANSWER ONE DAY EVENTUALLY FOR NOT DOING IT, FOR NOT CORRECTING IT AND WORST CONDONING IT!
7. OBEYING A BAD AND AN UNLAWFUL ORDER IS JUST NOT RIGHT! UNLESS ONE IS BRAINLESS AND HAS NO CONVICTION AS A HUMAN BEING!
SO IF A TRADITION AIN'T RIGHT FORGET ABOUT IT & THROW IT OUT . OUR CULTURE SURE IS DIFFERENT FROM BRITS! BE REALISTIC AND SENSIBLE.
5 CENTS ONLY WORTH!
Dear Komando,
I am sorry I have not ben able to convince you why the MAF must remain apolitical (remain neutral) national institution.
Perhaps other readers can assist me.
Thank you.
No blind loyalty.
Wrong is wrong.
A lie is a lie.
Dear Maurice,
I believe what you say is to remain "APOLITICAL" .
Yes I trust we should be doing that as a professional soldier, but does that really happen in REALITY!
Am sure you know much more than I do in this matters!
I AM NOT AT ALL CONVINCE!
Dear Komando,
The MAF does not subscribe to the ideology of dwifungsi of taking up the political and military role simultaneously as practised in Indonesia before.Their role is clearly defined in our Constitution, ie to protect the sovereignty of country.
Members of the MAF are free to vote for any party whom they wish to support.There is no compulsion to vote for any specific party.If any particular party continously win GE after GE where military personnel are dominant in the constituency this does not mean foul play has occurred.It is just that they believe the party is better than the other(s)in meeting their expectations.Look what has happened in Port Dickson in the last GE?The MIC which has been in control there lost its seat.Why?The soldiers there have expressed their preference through the ballot box.In other words they are apolitical, they are not biased and tied to any specific party.They are free to vote whom they like just like any ordinary citizens.
If you see any military presence in an area where an election is being held, rest assured they are there on standby, in case the PDRM need their help to maintain public order.Our Public Order Law (POPO) requires the MAF to assist the PDRM when requested by them.
Dear All,
I am glad that I have solicited some positive arguments on this article. And let us all agree that our military is apolitical. But whether we want the military to partake in some political activities under the guise of 'tentera masuk desa', that action is solely the individual commander's responsibility; not the military as a matter of policy.
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