2012 – LEADERSHIP VACUUM HAUNTS MALAYSIA’S FUTURE by Anon

The unrelenting agenda to annihilate Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim - since his unceremonious sacking by his one-time compatriot Tun Dr. Mahathir Mohamad, continues to haunt Malaysians with that huge leadership vacuum that the nation is trapped in right into 2012.

At a time and moment in history this century, when nations are aspiring to strengthen leadership, we on the other hand are bent on crucifying born leaders.

Whichever camp we swear to support, the objective mind dictates that Malaysians are desperately in need of a born leader to take the nation to the next frontier to battle the global challenges that loom in the future ahead of us as we enter 2012.

Leaders are hard to come by. Tried, tested and proven leaders are an indispensable asset for nation building. Anwar Ibrahim by any measure meets the bill of being able to lead this country to its next destination on the social, economic, environmental and political paradigm.

Yet, UMNO is hell-bent in making sure that this icon of the rakyat is crucified at all costs.

The coalition of ‘opposition-led’ political parties is making such headway – never seen throughout the regime of the Tun Doctor and this is best explained by the leadership of one man, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim. Yet this is the very leader that the UMNO and BN battalion is bent on wrecking.

While nations across the globe are sacking failed tyrants and raising true-democracy leaders, we are busy buried in annihilating a blue-chip leader all in the name of greed and tyranny.

If UMNO does have a true leader, the people will not have to hesitate. They will fall in line, rock solid, behind that leader. Can we say this of UMNO and BN right now?

The time is drawing very close for Malaysians who have only this nation to call their home to rise to protect their homeland at all costs. Whether we like it or dislike it; whether we fear it or are brave enough to face it; whether we are principled enough to stand up to it or otherwise – the truth is Malaysia is at the very crucial brink of joining nations that are well into their efforts to be re-born.

The ‘Spring’ and ‘Jasmine’ revolutions are global signs of our times. They indicate that the world has entered into a cleansing phase no different from the renaissance or the industrial revolution or the independence declarations we witnessed all across this planet in bygone eras.

And so, for as long as the political parties keep leadership-crucification a top agenda, we will only be nearing the gates of revolution no different from the Spring and Jasmine versions that the world is currently bearing witness to.

After all, whether we recognize or deny, know or live in oblivion, the world is today hemmed inside a globally networked society. And the lubricating technology of communication sets an ideal climate for mass uprising at all costs. The fall of the Iron and bamboo curtains were mere clarion calls. The Spring and Jasmine revolutions are definite warnings to stubborn and myopic political parties and despots.

The point is, while there is still a window to escape the pains of a revolution, will the conspirators of anti-leadership quit? Will those who still have any moral fiber in their veins left, rise to save this nation?

There is only one defining truth or option left for Malaysia. And that is, do not kill the goose for the love of the golden eggs you want to haul away into your own nest. Malaysians have a right to have star leadership to lead them. And everyone too has a duty to let that star leader to prevail. Anything that comes in between this fusion will lead to revolution.

Ministers, what is your take on this? Mind you, be objective!


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

CORRUPTION – A DEFINITION BY UMNO

UMNO members are living in a strange world; so different from the world that we live in. They have their own rules and definition when confronted with the issue of corruption. Money politics isn’t corruption (by UMNO’s definition) and a criminal offence; hence there is no necessity to bring the offender to face the court of law. MACC and the police too have no jurisdiction over the offender, and the authority to deal with such cases is UMNO itself. Money politics, an UMNO creation have given us new meaning and definition.

We have seen how UMNO dealt with offenders of money politics in the recent past. I suppose Isa Samad was suspended from UMNO and lost his ministerial post because he may have offered his supporters an exceedingly larger sum of money than Ali Rustam and Khairy Jalamluddin could offer to their supporters. Ali Rustam and Khairy Jamaluddin, though found to be involved in money politics, were both left with a warning and were allowed to retain their position in UMNO. So you see, there are distinct grade of offences in UMNO’s money politics. I suppose the more you give the severe the punishment. Conversely, the lesser you give, the lesser the punishment.

The Isa Samad case has proven to us that being punished for money politics has its reward at a later date. Being out in the wilderness for a number of years, Isa Samad today is back in the limelight. He won back his state seat during a by-election at Bagan Pinang, Negeri Sembilan and was further rewarded as Felda’s Chairman. He is now making his presence felt as Felda Chairman with a proposal to go for listing the Felda Global Venture Holding. The opposition to the listing is strong and if this issue is not handled well, it may cause a serious setback for UMNO during the elections. Be warned that UMNO can no longer say that Felda settlers are their ‘fix deposit’ during the upcoming elections. The split among the Felda settlers are too obvious now and the opposition is exploiting it.

Next is Deputy Minister Awang Adek who confesses to have received a regular ‘cash donation’ to support his branch activities credited into his personal bank account. He believes there is nothing criminal about this arrangement and could show proof that all the monies received goes towards the branch activities. What a clever way to deflect an allegation.

I think Awang Adek is unable to differentiate between what is criminally wrong and what is morally right. He being a highly educated person is utterly confused. Let me tell Awang Adek this - that for someone (who is obviously known to you) to credit donations towards your branch activities into your personal account may not be criminally wrong, but surely it is morally incorrect. A person with integrity, honest and sincere (traits of a good leader) would not do what Awang Adek had done. By doing what he did would be seen by others as someone who is dishonest and untrustworthy. That is what I now think of him. Wasn’t he able to think of a better way to receive donation, other than having it credited into his personal account? Now, let’s say that he was an opposition member. Guess what will happen to him? I think another tragedy at the 14 floor Marsalam building in Shah Alam would have occurred.

Besides Awang Adek, aides of two notable politicians were also found to have received monthly contribution from a contractor,exposed by blogger Whistleblower711. Some months ago, we also had another aide to a minister with bundles of unexplained cash found in his house, but that news now has gone into silent mode. It was only yesterday, DPM Muhyiddin when asked about the alleged corruption of his aide said that he is looking into the case and will act accordingly. This case has been quite a while and why hasn’t Muhyiddin reported it to the authorities? What kept him so long to investigate? I smell a stink here? I can tell you that nothing will happen to all of them, unlike what happened to TBH and for a meager sum of RM2,000, he lost his life for it. What sort of justice is this? They can all hide such cases now, but let me tell them that a ‘stink’ like this cannot be kept hidden for too long. It is bound to explode sometime.

So you see, UMNO has set a new definition for corruption for this country. The term corruption only applies to others but not to themselves. They will undertake their own investigation and award ‘punishment’ accordingly and would later reward the offenders for their misfortunes. Say what you like, it is because of this that I believe corruption in UMNO will never cease. I am not the only person to believe in this, but many others and even from among UMNO members themselves.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

PM NAJIB’S PREDICAMENT

There are now calls for DPM Muhyiddin Yasin to quit for being an accessory to the failed NFC project that has rattled Sharizat, her family members and the UMNO fraternity, with allegations of a criminal breach of thrust. Muhyiddin was the Agriculture Minister then when the project was approved, and a soft loan amounting RM250 million. Muhyiddin is therefore deemed accountable, though not necessarily responsible for the ‘mess’ the NFC has created.

As I had alluded in an earlier posting, Muhyiddin wasn’t the first to defend Shahrizat, but it was Noh Omar, the present Agriculture Minister who poked his nose into something he wasn’t quite sure about. Then, it was followed by Khairy Jamaluddin who yielded enormous power at level 4 of the PM’s Department; him being the SIL of then PM Abdullah Badawi, who is believed to have a hand in approving the project. When the debate over the NFC got heated up, Agriculture Minister Noh Omar took a retreat, curled his tail and went into hibernation. Likewise, Khairy Jamaluddin who had earlier agreed to debate the issue with PKR’s Rafizi Rahim, has for now thrown in the towel. Muhyiddin was a bit wiser. He believes that silence is not an acknowledgement of guilt.

I do not know what is in the mind of PM Najib and the leadership of UMNO over this issue. I view this NFC fiasco as a scaled down PKFZ debacle where the ‘actors’ are of the same make and brand i.e. UMNO/BN. There is now the unusual silence from Shahrizat including those of her boisterous Wanita mates. Shahrizat isn’t anymore the same Wanita boss that spoke from the rostrum during the UMNO General Assembly with her theatrical tirade mimicking Aldof Hitler; blaming the opposition, and not herself. The mainstream media as we knew from the start wasn’t too keen in reporting. Least, they are seen to play to the gallery of the opposition.

Be that as it may, this ‘scandalous issue’ that had brought shame to the nation, and more so to UMNO that is already mired in numerous cases of corruption and abuses of power, is not going to be cast away by the rakyat that easily. This involves a huge amount of tax payer’s money; an amount that could otherwise be utilised to serve the dire need of the rakyat, rather than enriching a government minister’s family members. I do not know if others (cronies and the like) had a share in the ‘spoils’, but I believe they do.

Let me tell you this – the upcoming GE will be tough for UMNO/BN, and this NFC scandal has negated the chances of UMNO/BN narrowing their 2008 losses. Tun Dr. Mahathir can say otherwise, but he does not see the reality on the ground that is so obvious in the cities, kampongs and among the marginalized estate and farm workers. The government can keep throwing cash handouts to rally the support of the rakyat, but when the coffer goes dry and the rakyat begins to demand for more, then that’s when the problem starts. Or, is the government resigns to the fact that this will no longer be their problem after the 13 GE?

To the UMNO/BN leadership, time is no longer in their favour and the tide of change is fast being felt by Malaysians. The rakyat knows what they want – a government that is trustworthy, responsible, incorruptible, not abusive, just and fair. It is changes to the UMNO/BN leadership that the rakyat wants, and if the leaders do not change and are stuck to their old mould, than be rest assured; it will be the rakyat that will eventually change them.

To the opposition PR, the path to Putrajaya will not be easy. While the PR has an edge in the urban areas, the rural front will still be decisive in ensuring whether it is BN or PR to helm the government post the 13th GE. And should Muhyiddin, Shahrizat and Khairy Jamaluddin decides to go for the polls, they will have a lot of questions to answer.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

AWANG SELAMAT – LEAVE TUAN GURU NIK AZIZ ALONE

Who is this Awang Selamat of Utusan Malaysia to suggest that Kelantan Menteri Besar Tuan Guru Nik Aziz should step down as he is “physically getting weaker, his mind is not as sharp as it once was, his hearing and speech are also not as good”. I can expect such a comment to come from Awang Selamat, as we all know for whom he writes, serve and speak in his column, in Utusan Malaysia.

Now, may I ask Awang Selamat this question – between Tuan Guru Nik Aziz and your chosen leader within the UMNO elite, who do you think you could trust for honesty, incorruptible, subservient to Allah, pious, patience and a heart filled with humbleness and generosity. Name me one from the current crop of UMNO leaders with such personal traits. I say to you now that there is no one from among the present crop of UMNO leaders that are anything close to the personal traits that I have described. I tell you now that these are the personal traits that are inherent in Tuan Guru Nik Aziz, and if someone were to say that he loves Tuan Guru Nik Aziz, it comes from his heart. One gets nothing in return; only a warm smile and a sincere salam from Tuan Guru Nik Aziz.

Now, compare this with anyone of your preferred UMNO leader. Do you see genuine humbleness and generosity in anyone of them? Are they totally free from corrupt practice i.e. not having taken even a sen from someone? Are they free from abusing the powers of their office? Now, don’t get me wrong please. I am not accusing that all UMNO leaders are corrupt and have lined their pockets with ill gotten money. There may be some good ones and some bad ones too, and I know that you know who the bad and good ones are. You have seen a bad one recently; abusing public money to buy all the luxuries that you and I could never afford in our lifetime. You call this an honest person. I’ll call this person a thief.

Please Awang Selamat, age is no factor. Anyway, Tuan Guru Nik Aziz does not rule like an Egyptian pharaoh. I am quite sure he has his advisors whom he consults with. Had he ruled like an Egyptian pharaoh, he would not have lasted even a term. Surely, he knows when is the right time to leave (you don’t need to tell him) but as of now, the party and the people in Kelantan still wants him to lead the state. And what’s wrong with that?

Yes, Kelantan may be a poor state; unlike some other states with a skyscrapers to show. But being poor does not mean that the people are not happy, disillusion and mired in poverty. If you were to talk about poverty, it is everywhere and who do you blame for this. Sure, you will blame it on the state government, but do you not know that the BN/UMNO government has rule the country for more than five decades? Are you saying that they should not be blamed?

My advice to Awang Selamat is simply this i.e. please do what you are good at i.e. writing silly commentaries in your Utusan Malaysia column. But do not teach what the Kelantan people want; in particular with regards to the position of Tuan Guru Nik Aziz as the Kelantan Menteri Besar. You will do great justice to this country and to UMNO in particular if you were to write about corruption that has infected UMNO and the country today. If you can save UMNO from corruption, you will save this country. And for a start, why don’t you comment on the NFC fiasco that involves an UMNO minister?

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

NEW FACES – WHAT IT MEANS TO UMNO

The UMNO leadership has reaffirmed that the party will field more new faces in the upcoming general elections. While the idea is good, I think the party leadership needs to satisfy these questions; though not exhaustive.

First, who are the new faces? I presume the word ‘new faces’ here do not reflect an age limit, but to mean that the candidate is of a suitable age and a ‘first timer’ to appear in the party hierarchy. I also think that these new faces are those that have been lingering at the ‘periphery’ of UMNO politics – often seen but seldom heard.

Second, how will the selection process be made? Deciding upon a process of selection I think will be tough, and it will be much tougher to implement that process. I suppose the party will have to establish a set of criteria or traits that a candidate need to have. I can list some based on what I observe of an UMNO politicians, as an outsider. For me, I view politicians as leaders; hence it is the leadership traits that are important, that should form the primary basis of selection, and there are many.

Third, how will the grass root members respond? This is a touchy issue. To ignore grass root support is to invite disaster, and to seek consensus all the time is a never ending process. How then will the party leaders circumvent or overcome this thriving issue will be their greatest challenge. In this regards, the party has learnt many bad lessons in the past, one of which is to choose and place a candidate in a constituency that is foreign to the candidate, especially so in a rural constituency. To prove my point, just try and place PM Najib; the party’s most winnable candidate so to speak, to contest in my kampong Ulu Langat and I can assure you that he may lose. Or have KJ instead; this so-called highly rated youth leader, he too is certain to lose.

UMNO is known as a party of patronage and this ‘culture’ is too difficult to eradicate now. I think the statement by PM Naijb to field new faces must have caused some concern within the party ranks, especially those that are comfortable and well entrenched in ranking position in the party. Even the post of a Ketua Bahagian which is a fiercely fought post, I am told comes with a number of perks, and is a step closer towards acquiring a ministerial position. How then could the leadership ignore such members that are already having some power of influence, and to choose someone that is outside the realm of the party leadership?

Based on the above analysis, I think the new faces referred to by the party leadership will eventually come from those that are already holding some position of influence within the party. Some have held their position for quite awhile, and it is only being human that they too aspire to advance up the political ladder. Such will be the group that will be slighted if they are ignored and are likely to sabotage the party, and the party has experience this before. And the spirit of volunteerism to appeal to individuals to leave on their own accord is never UMNO’s culture.

And taking the example of our previous PM Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, wasn’t he being forced out? In the case of Malacca Chief Minister Ali Rastum and Rembau parliamentarian KJ who both were found to have been involved in money politics (coincidently not a crime in UMNO, but morally wrong), did they voluntarily resign? You know the answer.

I don’t think UMNO lacks members that are qualified and make good future leaders. But the problem with the party (I am told) is that the ‘herd mentality’ is so strong that it is difficult ousting someone from a position although he/she is proven not to be performing or has done something wrong. I also believe that this ‘herd mentality’ had a defining role in putting back Isa Samad as the candidate for the Teluk Kemang by-election and subsequently appointed FELDA’s Chairman. His past wrong doing does not really matter to the party, and I think this is UMNO’s biggest sin.

Finally, I say this in no uncertain terms that a leader that is tarnished loses all morality to lead, and sadly UMNO has many such leaders. I am just too keen to see who these new faces are to contest in the upcoming GE, and my only hope is not those tarnished, recycled or reconditioned ones.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

LOYALTY A PLEDGE ON PAPER – A NEW UMNO INVENTION

Why need a loyalty pledge on paper for all UMNO leaders and elected representatives? This was a proposal by Mukhriz Mahathir announced in Kodiang, Alor Setar recently when he said, “Saya harap setiap orang (pemimpin dan wakil rakyat UMNO) menandatangan akujanji bagi membuktikan mereka mengutamakan kepentingan parti, menyokong, berkerjasama dan kerja keras bagi memastikan kemenangan calon yang terpilih”.

This has never been done before in UMNO’s 60 odd years history, and why has it to be done now? The only logical answer that I can think of is that UNMO no longer trust its members, and even if the loyalty pledge is made, does that guarantee the person honors his pledge? Now, if that person reneged on the pledge, what action can the party take? UMNO cannot send the person to prison; can they? The least that UMNO can do is to suspend or sack the person, but doing this may incur the wrath of some party quarters itself and that isn’t good for the party. This has occurred to the party before where loyalists to the person being punished has shied away from the party or even demonstrated against the party. UMNO surely does not want a repeat of the 2008 elections – do they?

Now, it looks like UMNO is showing signs of desperation and lacking in ideas. By adopting a loyalty pledge is akin to someone who wants to join a secret society. I am told that all adherents of the Free Mason have to sign a loyalty pledge and I hope this idea isn’t derived from that. The idea of a loyalty pledge on paper sounds so absurd that it would appear that no party member can be trusted, and that members are forced to prove their loyalty by committing it on a piece of document. I just wonder what would be the wordings of the pledge.

If I were an UMNO elected representative, I would certainly object to this kind of proposal if it was forced upon me. It degrades and questions my integrity. I do not know the reaction of the present crop of UMNO members who are by and large mere followers; the yes men so to speak. This is the UMNO of the new millennium where loyalty has to be demanded off its members which are normally accompanied by promises of material gains. Isn’t this the reason why there has always been so much of infighting among members even for a mediocre post like a Ketua Cawangan? I did not say this – it was told to me by some UMNO members, and I am not surprised.

For Mukhriz Mahathir to have come with the proposal surprises me, for I have all along perceive him to be a reformer. Reformer he is, but for the wrong purpose. This proposal has changed my perception of Mukhriz Mahathir since, and I begin to imagine what else he can do to further unveil the inherent weaknesses of his leadership within the party. UMNO, as I knew it, was build upon trust and unquestioned loyalty of its members towards the party (not to individuals) and I think this is no longer true today.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

TAJUDDIN ABDUL RAHMAN – A SUPER DOPER CLAIRVOYANT

Who is this obscure UMNO parliamentarian Tajuddin Abdul Rahman who claim that leaders in the opposition are inexperience, knows nothing about managing the economy, will appoint a Prime Minister who is a non Malay and predicts that the share market is doom if Pakatan Rakyat (PR) were to govern the country. This man must be a super doper clairvoyant who knows the worse about others and the future, except not knowing about him and what his fate will be if PR does take over the government. He gave the impression that all is damn with others, but with the exception of himself. I thought that if he was smart, why wasn’t he made the Prime Minister or given a ministerial post or be elected to a top party post? I think he simply isn’t smart – that’s the reason why he is just an ordinary parliamentarian at 60 years old and with nothing to prove his scholarly attributes and Machiavellian managerial, political and economic skills. And at 60, he might as well forget being a winnable candidate in the upcoming election. This reminds me of a complaint by Tun Mahathir made recently when he said that UMNO now lacks leaders of quality, and I think Tajuddin is surely one of them.

I just do not understand what is happening to UMNO today, and this year’s General Assembly is nothing more than an assembly of red and white attired men and women to spew condemnation at the opposition, to arouse race and religious suspicion, and to support what is morally wrong undertaken by its members. There is absolutely nothing in the speeches of its leaders that dare to accuse and challenge the many wrong doings of its top leaders; but with the exception of a lady delegate from Pahang Datuk Wan Amizan Wan Abdul Razak who claimed that the NFC scandal has brought difficulties and disrepute to the party. Now, where are the champions of UMNO i.e. I mean the men that are suppose to lead the party? Not a whimper – just dumb and mute, or have they chosen to wear skirts now? All that they dare talk about are words to ‘apple polish’ their bosses so that they look good. They being stupid do not really matter.

I was in a taxi travelling home yesterday morning and the driver was an Indian man from Kedah who spoke fluent Malay with a typical Kedah accent. I noticed he had an Indian local daily placed on the front seat beside him. I asked him, “What’s the prime news in the daily”. He said it is all about the UMNO General Assembly, and laughingly he said.”Depa ni dok cakap cakap saja. Susah kami depa tak tau dan saya ni dah pandu taxi hampir 20 tahun. Tadi saya baru hantak ramai orang UMNO dan depa dok cakap pasai cara nak jadi kaya saja” I just keep listening to him and finally he said, “Pilihan raya in saya tak tau lah. Mungkin UMNO tumbang kot. Itu kata orang kampong saya”. From the short conversation that I had with the taxi driver, I sense he is politically active and conscious of the happenings within the country, and the remarks that he uttered to me can strongly influence the minds of an unsuspecting passengers. I believe taxi drivers make excellent front liners to the politically conscious rakyat, and can also act as a ‘propaganda machine’ of any political party.

And to go back to Tajuddin and his nonsensical claims, I wish to invite him to seriously read the Auditor General’s (AG) report on the performance of all the states governed by the opposition to see what these states have achieved since the takeover from the BN in 2008. I think Tajuddin is blind to the reality that the opposition controlled states had outperformed their BN predecessors, for he should be ashamed if he had read the AG report carefully. The report wasn’t prepared by the opposition, but by a legally constituted and neutral body manned by people of the highest integrity. And if Tajuddin does not believe in what was provided in the AG report, than he had better not open his big mouth and spew nonsense. Let me tell Tajuddin this, that the opposition controlled states was able to rein on corruption which the BN governing states simply couldn’t. And wasn’t it Tun Mahathir who claimed that UMNO is corrupt from top to bottom? Now, what else has Tajuddin got to say to this?

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

MUHYIDDIN DID AN OPPOSITION BASHING

Opposition bashing! Yes, that’s the theme of UMNO Deputy President Muhyiddin’s speech to Wanita, Youth and Puteri delegates at the opening of the party’s general assembly. I wouldn’t want to repeat what all was said by Muhyiddin, but I can only describe the speech as one of the most idiotic speeches ever in the history of the assembly from a statesman who aspires to lead the nation one day. The audience may have given Muhyiddin a standing ovation after the speech (this is standard procedure), but the fact that by ‘criminalizing’ and bad mouthing all that is opposition, Muhyiddin had exposed his own weakness and that of his party i.e. the fear for the opposition and the party’s uncertain fate in the upcoming general election is very real. I think Muhyiddin knows this and what best he can do to distract the delegates off the many distressing issues infecting the party, other than to criminalize and bad mouth the opposition. In military tactics, this is called a ruse or feign. But be warn, that such tactics do not guarantee success.

Say what you want, but I think what Muhyiddin did was shameful. As the party’s Deputy President cum Deputy Prime Minister of the country, he should have shown his true leadership prowess by appealing to the audiences all that he aspires of the party and its members, particularly now in the face of an impending general election – the mother of all elections, he claims. He should highlight the weakness and failures of the party (there are numerous) and to outline the corrective measures that he wishes to take to rid the party of such weaknesses. He should focus his thoughts on how to win the upcoming general election that is threatening the party’s survival by outlining new strategies that should appeal to the voters. He should make a stand on how party members should act and talk henceforth in order to garner public support. He should articulate on how he sees the party in the future and the kind of leaders that should be leading it. Such are the issues and many others that Muhyiddin should have addressed, but not by bashing the opposition. And if someone were to ask me how would I grade Muhyiddin? I would answer by saying that Muhyiddin is no better than a leader of a third world country who seems lost in his own world and devoid of intellectualism, maturity and progressive ideas. I think President Mugabe is far more intellectual and speaks in more constructive tone.

They say that this year’s UMNO General Assembly is the last before PM Najib calls for the 13th General Elections, believe to be anytime next year. Coincidently the number 13, to some strikes a superstitious eerie feeling that something isn’t going to be right for some people. I am not a soothsayer nor am I a superstitious person, but of late the nation seems to be struck by a number of contentious issues blamed on the government i.e. NFC fiasco, and the most recent being the government’s handling and passing of the Peaceful Assembly Bill amid opposition from activist and civil society.

I also read that Felda Chairman Isa Samad too had made a mess of himself by ridiculing some Felda members in Pahang, knowing full well that Felda settlers form a substantial voter’s pool that may well decide the fate of UMNO/BN during an election. Isa Samad may have overlooked that Felda does not belong to him; rather it belongs to the settlers, and that his past record in politics too is much to be desired.

The above are some of the issues that the rakyat can turn against the government, besides the controversy caused by Rosmah Mansor recently over the multimillion ringgit ring that she denied purchasing and the expensive handbags. Rosmah may not have sense the anger and frustration of the rakyat in the way she spends and the extravagant lifestyle she appears to lead. There is no hiding the fact that the Mak Chik’s in the kampongs are well aware of this too, and this spells certain disaster for her mate i.e. PM Najib. How is she going to appear with Najib during the campaigning and the responses she gets is much awaited by the electorates.

Finally, UMNO leaders bashing of the opposition throughout the general assembly can backfire, for there is already too much that the rakyat knows that UMNO/BN seems oblivious. While UMNO is too engross with party affairs, the opposition is already out in force campaigning. Indeed, and taking the words of Muhyiddin, the upcoming general election will be the “mother of all elections”.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

AHMAD MASLAN – PLEASE WAKE UP!

Have anyone read what UMNO Information Chief Datuk Ahmad Maslan said should Pakatan Rakyat (PR) win the upcoming election? For those who have not read it, this was what he said i.e. “the Malay language will be lost, say goodbye to the Malay Sultans, say goodbye to Islam”.

Now, can anyone believe in what he said? Even the cows at NFC would be laughing, even though the cows do not understand what was being said. I think this Ahmad Maslan fella must have his brains at his knees, or has he any brains left? The only reason I can think of for him to come out with such a preposterous statement is the fear that he would lose the upcoming elections. I can imagine what will happen to him if he loses. He had better say goodbye to luxurious lifestyle (if he has one now), say goodbye to his friends, say goodbye to his businesses (if he has any).

I do not know how old is Ahmad Maslan; definitely not as old as I am. You see, I was schooled at the time when the British were the masters, and I have not lost my Malay language or my religion. The Malay rulers survived under British rule and some were even accorded protection by the British. Today, the Malay rulers still resides in regal splendor and Malaysians of all races fully respect and acknowledge the Malay rulers role in society.

I think Ahmad Maslan must have been born during the Constitutional Crisis of the 1993.Does he not remember which political party and the leaders that had gone after the throats of the Malay rulers during the crisis? Even the gentle Kedah Sultan was not spared of the blistering attacks by of all people, the Malays themselves.

Can I ask Ahmad Maslan if there were any Chinese or Indians that sided UMNO in criticizing the Malay rulers then? My answer (if Ahmad Maslan wasn’t born then) is that the Chinese and Indians were completely out of the scene. They did not do what UMNO did to the Malay rulers i.e. to be ‘kurang ajar pada Raja Raja’. Sorry, Ahmad Maslan for saying this, and I also wish to say that what the Malays have lost today is the doing of UMNO itself. Don’t you blame it on the other races? UMNO were the ‘rulers’ since 1957, and I can also say that if UMNO wasn’t greedy and had followed religiously the party’s avowed principles, the Malays will not be what they are today.

I feel sorry for Ahmad Maslan who is perpetually lost in his selfish ways, but I feel even sorrier for my race. I think it is only now that the Malays have awakened to realize how much they have lost due in part to the selfish actions of its own brethrens i.e. UMNO.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

SLANDER – A NEW POLITICAL TOOL

The claim by a pro UMNO blogger that the son of Penang CM Lim Guan Eng (LGE) had molested a girl has been circulating in the media for far too long. It appears that Malaysians has the propensity to sensationalize stories relating to sex involving individuals without due regards to whether such stories are true or otherwise, and its consequences.

Now is it found that the allegation is not true, but the reputation of the LGE and his family and in particular the son has been sullied to the point the boy will now find it hard to be his usual self among his peers and many friends.

This is a sorry state of affairs of the country today and it gets no better by the day, all in the name of political survival, and I suppose in the spirit of Malaysia Boleh. I now think that the theme Malaysia Boleh is a curse and should be disregarded; just as 1 Malaysia, which is to me a misunderstood concept. Coming out with high sounding and melodious themes and pronouncements has little meaning if society does not understand it and is continuously in breach of its aspired aims and objectives. Do we not see what had happened to Islam Hadhari, a concept that was perpetuated during the Abdullah Badawi era that is now silent? I have yet to hear anything being said about it by our Religious Minister.

The sex issue allegedly involving LGE’s son should not have happened if we have cared for the sentiment and sensitivity of others, more so when we are a multi racial and multi religious society. We preach to others that despite Malaysians being a multi racial and multi religious society, we have lived in harmony devoid of any racial and religious misunderstanding. Our leaders take pride in making such pronouncement and lecturing to the world about how we manage to live as one Malaysian society, but the reality at home is quite the contrary.

Clearly, I do not have any reason to doubt that the issue relating to LGE’s son is politically motivated. If it is true that the story was originated from a pro UMNO blog, then UMNO has to share the blame and not distanced itself only when the truth is revealed. All that had been said and commented by UMNO leaders prior to the truth being revealed show that they are in agreement with the story. They can say whatever they like in whatever form and language, but the truth of the matter is that they had said nothing to deny the story and to condemn it. Just listened to the comments made by Muhyiddin on the matter which is disgusting. And even PM Najib who has been silent all the while has now made his comments by saying that family issues should not be politicized, but short of saying that the pro UMNO blogger had spewed lies. I think Najib’s comments came a bit too late.

Now, many will say that I sound like a pro DAP person. I say to all and sundry that I am not. The basis of my writing is simply to speak out the truth and to be sympathetic to someone who has been slandered (Fitnah) and has suffered because of this. I do not care if the person being slandered is a Chinese, Indian, Malay or some alien nationality, because in the eyes of Islam, slander is a grievous crime.

Clearly, this is a case of slander and the person that had exposed the story has committed a grievous crime and ought to be punished.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

A LESSON IN HEROISM – THE SOMALIA EPISODE

On September 5, 2011, I posted an article titled, ‘The making of a hero out of our own stupidity’ that commented on the shooting incident in Somalia involving a Bernama photographer Noramfaizul Mohd Nor that led to his untimely death. Noramfaizul was on a humanitarian mission organized by Putra 1 Malaysia Club; an UMNO outfit headed by one Datuk Abdul Azeez Abd Rahim. While we ought to grieve the lost of an innocent life, I somehow think the government has been over zealous in the manner it handled the incident, that I as a former soldier finds it somewhat of a mockery.

My simple argument and reasoning is this - firstly, it is pointless to glorify a dead person when Noramfaizul’s death was the result of the organizers’ sheer stupidity in putting civilians in harm’s way, knowing full well that Somalia is the most unsafe country in the world. Didn’t the organizers know that at the height of the Somalian civil war, Malaysian soldiers have lost their lives and almost an entire platoon of Pakistani soldiers too was killed? Even the most powerful military in the world i.e the USA found it difficult to deal with Somalian rebels, and remember 'The Black Hawk Down' USA propoganda movie?

Here, I am not implying that the humanitarian mission was a worthless cause, but what I am saying is that going into a country like Somalia (despite the presence of the African Union peacekeeping troops) is still dangerous and venturing into that country by people who are clueless about the dangers confronting them smacks of ignorance and stupidity.

Secondly, I think conferring the status of a National Hero upon Noramfaizul who died without him knowing what actually killed him and in such haste, I think is most inappropriate. I do not know the basis upon which Noramfaizul was conferred a National Hero, but I do know there are a set of criterions and eligibilities upon which one is conferred an award for valor by the government, such as the SP, PGB and other gallantry awards. Such award generally relates to actions in the face of an enemy in combat. But in the case of Noramfaizul, can his death be classified as death in combat in the face of an enemy? Maybe the Malacca state government that had conferred Noramfaizul with a gallantry award can explain the rational for such an award. We know that history does tell us that Malacca had many warriors in the past (Hang Tuah, Hang Jebat and others) but I think none of the ‘Hangs’ are ever conferred the status of national or state heroes. I am not surprise that one day an award of a similar nature will be conferred to someone who died from being knocked down by a motorcycle while on duty in some war thorn country.

Thirdly, I do not know if an insurance payment of almost half a million ringgit to the family of Noramfaizul could dampen their sorrow and grief at having lost someone dear. And half a million ringgit is not an amount that the next of kin of a soldier who dies in combat is paid by its group insurance. It is far less and it is certainly not front page news in the media. I suppose, dead soldiers has little news value; unlike national sportsman and sports woman who even failed to make a cut at international sport circuit.

Fourthly, the reception given to Noramfaizul at the airport upon his arrival is like a grand circus, including the clowns and court jesters. I am not saying that he does not deserve a ‘grand reception party’ and a full police escort right to his grave site. What concerns me is that those VVIPs that were present at the airport had all the time to be away from their offices and to accompany a funeral motorcade, then to be in their office; thinking, dealing and solving national issues. Who does not sympathize with the family of Noramfaizul; I certainly do, but the least I could do is to recite the first surah of the Koran in remembrance of Noramfaizul in my prayers.

And if I could relate my experience having return home with my troops after a 15 months successful UN peacekeeping tour in Cambodia, the reception party that received us at the Johore Bahru airport was merely the Brigade Commander and of course our families. We returned home minus one soldier who died in Cambodia. There wasn’t a single VVIP and I am not at all disappointed. I think, what is more important is that we as soldiers had presented and performed well Cambodia and most of all, maintained the good name of the country.

To the organizers of the Somalian humanitarian mission, let this be a lesson to you, and if you think you want to be a hero in a country like Somalia or to any other war thorn country, my brotherly advice to you is to seek the professional advice from those soldiers that had served the country, and there are many that you can seek from.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

WHO IS A HERO AND WHO ISN'T

I have been asked by some readers to comment on the recent statement made by PAS Deputy President Mat Sabu concerning the attack on the Bukit Kepong police station by communist terrorist that killed 25 policemen back in 1950; seven years prior to independence.

Mat Sabu was alleged to have said that the policemen that lost their lives were not heroes, but it was one religious teacher named Muhammad Indera (subsequently sentenced to death by hanging at Taiping prison on 30th Jan 1953) who corroborated with the terrorist was the acclaimed hero. Mat Sabu also alleged that UMNO founder Dato Onn Jaafar and Tunku Abdul Rahman (the nation’s first Prime Minister) were British officers then, insinuating that both were not ‘the fighters for independence’ as history had depicted them to be.

Interestingly, Muhammad Indera who hailed from Batu Pahat, Johor is acclaimed a Malay freedom fighter (not necessarily a hero) who fought against British colonialism, and is documented as such by Yayasan Warisan Johor; an agency of the Johor government. Also, no mention of heroism was made of the 200 odd terrorist that attacked the police station on that fateful night. I would call them simply murderers and nothing less.

The statement by Mat Sabu has caused a media frenzy in the mainstream media as well as the alternative media for almost a week now (don’t know when it is going to cease), and the public has been continuously fed with comments, arguments and statements coming from politicians from both the political divide, even from a retired senior military officer to historians, retired members of the security forces and even from family members of the dead policemen. UMNO Youth leader Khairy Jamaluddin too does not want to be left out in the fray over this issue and has offered to challenge Mat Sabu in a debate that I know will not materialize.

I may disappoint my readers if I say that I am sick and tired at reading all the comments, arguments and statements made by various people concerning what Mat Sabu is alleged to have said. It is this media frenzy that sickens me for I think there are much more critical issues affecting our nation and its people that require urgent attention. An issue as to who is more a hero, and who is a lesser hero is of little significant to me. I see that there is no winner or loser over this issue, nor does a debate bring about any meaningful gain to the ordinary people. If indeed there is a serious historical error in the case of the Bukit Kepong incident, I think our historians would be the best people to consult and to comment. Certainly, Mat Sabu, Khairy Jamaluddin, Mahuyiddin Yasin or some obscured retired officers of the security forces are not the competent authority to make statements on the incident; and I included.

Now talking about heroes, Malaysians have a funny way of determining who is a hero and who isn't. For members of the security forces, they have certain procedures and guidelines to follow before one can be considered for a gallantry award. Today, there are many recipients of such an award and they are not called heroes; certainly not national heroes. It is merely recognition of an act of bravery in the face of the enemy or adversity, and by this simple definition, even Muhammad Indera cannot be called a hero; rather he was merely a freedom fighter against a colonial power. And in this regards, Mat Sabu and all others are wrong if they were to claim that Muhammad Indera was a Malay hero.

Now, what about the fallen Bernama cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor who was shot dead in Somalia and was pronounced an instant National Hero by the government recently. Will Noramfaizul be considered for a gallantry award this Merdeka Day? Or will he just be remembered for having lost his life for some 'unjustifiable reason'? I just want to leave the answering to my dear readers.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

THE MAKING OF A HERO OUT OF OUR OWN STUPIDITY

I received this distressing email from a colleague regarding the death of Bernama’s cameraman Noramfaizul Mohd Nor who was shot while on UMNO Putra’s humanitarian mission in famine stricken Somalia. For those Malaysian soldiers that had served Somalia during the troubled period of the early 90’s would know the dangers fronting them, and UMNO Putra’s humanitarian mission in that god forsaken failed state is to my mind a total waste of time and effort. Noramfaizul’s death was in vain and there is no denying this, and to declare Noramfaizul’s a hero now is the making of UMNO Putra’s own stupidity.


DEATH OF BERNAMA CAMERAMAN by a retired soldier


I write with two emotions – one of sadness and the other of anger. I was just watching the news and am taken aback at this sad episode. One life – a father, a husband, a son an employee and a citizen just gone……….like that.


Now, allow me to point out a few things. I am well aware of being in an environment of civil war, or a state of anarchy. I served at the UNPF HQ during the Balkan War. I have a few questions:

1. Why were our media people travelling with a Somali government military vehicle? The Somali government military is one party to the warring factions and is surely subject to military attacks by the rebels.
2. Were they wearing bullet proof vests and clearly identifiable as media representatives?
3. Were our media people adequately briefed, trained and deployed with safety and security as uppermost principles?


I ask all these questions simply because I notice recently, political parties behaving like NGOs and political personalities behaving like kampong heroes, and of course wanting maximum media coverage at home. WHO IS RESPONSIBLE TO PUT THIS POOR CAMERAMAN IN HARM’S WAY?


We (the Malaysian soldiers) were different – as we were operating under the auspices of the UN and we were simply duty bound to the MAF. There were adequate training sessions and preparations for us to fit the assigned role.


I was a desk officer for Sarajevo and had to go in and out of that place very often. I insisted on being unarmed, kept faithfully my helmet and flak jacket and always anticipated the situation and made no sudden moves whatsoever. All these came with training and understanding our position and role. There was always “fear” in my mind and I am not ashamed to admit this as a soldier. This fear was not one of cowardice, but a sense of rational thinking that keeps one alive. Correct reaction to every situation is critical for survival.


I am not accusing this poor victim of stray bullets in a firefight of anything. I am accusing the organizers, the government and any other agency that contributed to this sad episode. If the Putra fellows went in with the Somali government, then they did it wrong as a humanitarian agency. You simply tie yourself to other “INTERNATIONALLY RECOGNISED AGENCIES” who are experienced, logistically well supported and have the legitimacy to exist in the war zone for example, UNHCR, MSF, ICRC etc.


Our politicians are a bunch of fools!!!!!!!!. I was watching on TV how this Azeeeeeez fellow demanded from a Somali (official I suppose) that the President of Somalia should initiate a thorough investigation and report to our Prime Minister. Helloooooo Azeeeeez! Firefights and sniper forces are a norm in war zones and the Somali military is subject to attack by rebel forces. What arrogance and lack of understanding of international protocols! These goons are responsible, and now I want to watch the drama of “situating the appreciation” and how these UMNO boys will absolve themselves of responsibilities by spinning stories of how the poor cameraman died for “Bangsa, Agama dan Negara”. What a pathetic lot.


Finally, my heartfelt condolences to the family of the deceased; may God bless his soul.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

UMNO – PLEASE SEARCH YOUR SOUL

So, Utusan Malaysia (UM) got away with a warning. It was a written warning I was told. If it was a verbal warning from Home Minister Hishamuddin, I guess he would have said something like this……….”awak jangan buat begini sekali lagi ya. Orang dah marah sama UMNO. Takut kita akan kalah pilihan raya nanti. Kalau kita kalah, kawan dan termasuk awak akan kehilangan kerja”. And may I ask Hishamuddin this question………….”why don’t you show the keris to UM. That might frighten them from reporting further rubbish”.

Well, most have expected the outcome, and let’s see what else will the daily report to stir further ‘shit’. Then, what about the blogger who persistently claimed that the report was true? Wasn’t he called to be warned? What if the report was initiated by a pro-opposition daily or an anti UMNO blogger? What would you think the punishment would be? My guess is that the daily will cease to be circulation and the blogger detained under the ISA (Ikut Suka Aja). And what about the police reports launched by various parties against UM? NFA them I suppose.

Coincidently, UM Editor-in-Chief Datuk Aziz Ishak is a person I know. He wrote an article about the Malaysian Army contingent serving Cambodia during UNTAC, when I was there. I met him at the Cambodian-Thailand border during the repatriation of Cambodian refugees back into Cambodia. That was back in 1992. He even wrote a feature article about me prior to my retirement in 1998, I must thank him for that. Just wonder what kind of dressing he got from Hishamuddin. Well, this is the price one pays for being the Editor-in-Chief.

The warning is a sort of anti climax to the entire fiasco created by UM. It must have troubled PM Najib, but I suppose this did not make him lose sleep. There were much larger problems like how to get Anuar Ibrahim off his mind, but I believe thinking about Anuar Ibrahim does not make him lose sleep.

Now, Puteri UMNO has got into a fray with Anuar Ibrahim’s wife Wan Azizah over her husbands’ alleged sexual escapade with a China doll. Seriously speaking, what wrong has Azizah done to be criticized by Puteri UMNO? Is it wrong for Azizah to be firmly besides her husband during difficult times like this? I think that is the most obvious thing to do. Are the Puteris expecting Azizah to divorce Anuar or what? What a silly expectation.

Now, may I ask Puteri UMNO these simple questions? Are you to believe that none of your male colleagues in UMNO has not had any sexual relationship with someone other than their wives? Are you to believe that non among you has not had a relationship with someone that is not your husband? Don’t tell me that all of you are ‘malaikat’. Now, just take a look to see the characters around you. First that Thamby fella who was said to have molested an underage girl and now turned sex video peddler. Next is the Raba Raba minister who is now His Excellency the ambassador? Why don’t you ask their wives to divorce their husbands? Mind you, a rapist gets to be a Tan Sri and a raba raba minister gets to be an ambassador? There must be something seriously wrong with this.

I think a lot is wrong with UMNO today. They seem to do things that eventually turn against them. It was never like this 30 years ago. My call to UMNO leaders is to do a deep soul searching of every single one of them. Ask this simple question…………….. ‘What have I done to myself and to my community? It has been 50 odd years, and yet I am not able to solve the many woes of my community. Is this Allah’s way of punishing us for the many wrongs that some of our leaders have done?’ I believe it is, and what is your say to this?

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

MALAY DISUNITY – A CAUSE FOR MALAYSIAN DISUNITY

I am 67 years old now and I have seen enough of the political development of the country prior to and after independence. As a school boy of 14 year old, I did listen to the ceremony of the lowering of the Union Jack and the rising of the new Malayan flag at the then Selangor Club Padang, of course not on TV but on the transistor radio. We had no TV then, and the transistor radio was all that my parents could afford.


Although, I could barely understand what independence meant, it nevertheless brought joy to the many school friends that I had; Chinese, Indian, Punjabi, Bengali and Eurasian friends. Sabah and Sarawak was then unknown to us. These are still the very good friends that I frequently meet during our alumni function. That was the spirit of yesteryears that carried on to this day where race and religion wasn’t an issue; rather we acknowledged our racial and religious difference, but there was deep respect for one another.


When I joined the army cadet in 1965, we had an almost equal number of Malays and non Malays in my intake, and our racial and religious difference wasn’t in any way a hindrance throughout our training. We worked, played, eat and slept together and again our racial and religious difference had no part in determining our final commissioning as officers of the Armed Forces. The top cadet of my intake was a Eurasian from Singapore who also became the parade commander during the commissioning parade.


I was commissioned into the Royal Malay Regiment, and although the battalion was exclusively a Malay battalion, we somehow had a Chinese officer as the battalion paymaster. Being from Ipoh, he could only marshal a few words of Malay, but that did not hinder his work. After several months in the battalion, he began to master the Malay language devoid of the Ipoh Chinese accent. To all officers and men of the battalion, he was no different from us, and we even called him by a Malay name. He even had a Malay baju and a songkok that he wore at dinner.


Besides a Chinese paymaster, we also had an Indian Medical Officer who was on a compulsory one year stint with the Armed Forces. Upon completion of the compulsory service, we had a Punjabi Medical Officer and like the Chinese paymaster before him, he got along very well with the Malay officers and soldiers. There were no race and religious distinction and inhibitions.


And throughout my years in the Army, I have been working alongside my non Malay compatriots, and again our racial and religious difference, and my Malay status does not make me any different from them. I had even served under a non Malay superior officer, and my loyalty towards him as my superior is no less than any other Malay superior officer that I had served with. I only know that he is to be respected and obeyed, and regardless of my Malay status, my loyalty towards my non Malay superior is not to be questioned.


Now in my age of retirement, I begin to hear issues of race and religion taking center stage in almost every aspect of our daily lives. A new form of race identification and slogans keeps appearing almost on a daily basis in the mainstream media i.e.…………1 Bumi, 1 Malay, 1 Malaysia, Ketuanan Melayu, and God knows what. And having gone through years of friendship with people of the other race and religion, I begin to wonder what all this slogans really mean.


Let me be honest and straight in my personal views about all this sloganeering and race identification. I do not believe in the superiority of one race over another. I believe my religion Islam is for the whole of mankind, and it is not the privilege of any one particular human race. The difference in race, creed, colour, status, religion and belief is Allah’s will and creation. But despite these differences, Allah wills that the human race is to live in peace with one another.


But differences in political ideals have divided the human race, and this is clearly seen happening in our own country today. Power has corrupted the minds of people, and the fear of losing power as well as their personal wealth, has made people to ignore Allah’s will that the human race is to live in peace with one another……………hence we have all the sloganeering brought about by people who fears the loss of power. They are quick to lay blame upon others for their failures, but seek to absolve themselves of the blame.


As a result of differing political ideals, unity within a particular race takes a serious toll. The Malays are more divided now than ever before. Similarly, it is with the Chinese and the Indians. But of the three major races in this country, I think the Malays have been so fractionized that it is seen beyond redemption. PAS does not see UMNO as being the defender of the Malay race, let alone to be recognized as a good practitioner of the Islamic faith. Likewise, UMNO accuses PAS of being too rigid in the practice and furtherance of the Islamic faith that it has caused serious concerns among the other races.


Now, there is an attempt by concerned parties to unite the fractionized Malays. PM Najib has been quite open to the idea, but I think the reason he gave to invite PAS into ‘UMNO’s fold’ lacks sincerity. He sees DAP as the ‘devil’, but devils are in every facet of the human life, and UMNO Malays are no exception.


Having had the best of my formative years, and the many close non Malay friends that I had nurtured, I wonder if ever there will be unity among the various Malaysian races, and more so among the Malays today. A disunited Malay can be a reason and a cause of a disunited Malaysian society.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

AN OPEN LETTER TO MELAKA CHIEF MINISTER DATO MOHD ALI RUSTAM

BERNAMA reported that you said “Malaysia will suffer the same fate as Egypt which recently faced a revolt if PAS were to rule the country”.

Pardon me for saying this, that you must be out of your mind to have come out with such an assessment. I do not know who your advisors are, and nor do I know the basis upon which you came out with such a ‘horrendous’ statement. Are you to believe that if PAS were to rule, they will begin chopping off hands, heads and tongue of thieves, murderers and liars? I just could not believe a statement like this could come from a seasoned politician like you.

Being a politician and with an impending by-election in Merlimau, I believe you have to make some sort statement however outlandish, merely to please your leadership and to win votes in particular. And you being the Chief Minister of the state, you have no choice but to make such a statement without due regards for the truth, and more importantly disregarding totally Malay unity. Are to say that PAS members belong to an alien race that is not Malay? And that you are a very special Malay that must be considered and treated differently?

I have this to warn you that the Malays are even more divided now than before, and your statement about PAS has made such division even worse. You know very well that a divided Malay is bad for this country, and the more divided we are, the lesser will be your chances of retaining political power.

As a Malay that had served the nation as a soldier for 33 years, I do not take lightly with what you have said. My loyalty is to this country and to my race, is one and the same. I treat all Malays regardless of their political leaning as brothers. But sadly, politicians like you have a very different way of viewing a Malay. Just because your political leaning is with UMNO, you therefore do not view other Malays from other political parties as being the same like you. I just would like to ask you this simple question……..what then is your religious leaning? Is it different from that of PAS? Or is yours so very special that others are to be despised upon?

I do not want to teach you about Malay unity because as a politician you should know better. My brotherly advice to you is to be more careful in what you say especially if it is one that will hurt Malay unity.

CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

'SAPUISM'

'SAPUISM' is defined as 'the act to acquire personal wealth through dubious and unscrupulous means, and at the shortest time possible'. Sapuism is derived from the Malay word 'sapu', meaning to sweep.

I have coined the above definition to aptly described the act by a Political Secretary to a Senior government Minister who is reported to have amass huge amount of ill-gotten wealth that is beyond his means, within a short period of time that he is with the Senior Minister.

Many have asked that if this person could amass so much of wealth, then what of the others in the circle of the Senior Minister's office? Would it not be strange that the Senior Minister is oblivious to the 'thievery acts' of his own personal staff, or was the act carried out with the connivance of the Senior Minister himself? If anyone were to say to me that the Political Secretary was acting alone, I most certainly would not want to believe it. He must have acted with some conniving parties; whoever it maybe.

I believe too that 'sapuism' is not a strange act among those who claim to be in the inner circle of the minister's office, and I suppose for that matter in all other government ministers offices. The talk around town these days are that those working in the ministers offices are an 'elite lot', driving around in flashy cars, spotting expensive homes and dinning in posh hotels. I believe there are honest ones too, but they too have been perceived to be dishonest merely on grounds that they are associated with those deemed to be corrupt.

Now, this takes me to the latest article posted by Tun Dr. Mahathir in his blog titled 'UMNO' in which he wrote about a statement uttered by a retired senior UMNO leader who said that “UMNO is rotten to the core”. It is a damning article by Tun Dr. Mahathir of his own political party, and I suppose he fears that if this poor perception of UMNO is not address properly, what the country will get in the end is a totally corrupt government.

I do not know how the present UMNO leaders feels about what Tun Dr. Mahathir has written, but there is nothing in Tun's article denying what has been said to him by the retired senior UMNO leader. It is therefore quite obvious that Tun is also in subtle agreement with the statement made by the retired senior UMNO leader. I am surprise that no UMNO leader has come forward to strongly condemn Tun on his article, or have they been silenced by the truth, as revealed by Tun Dr. Mahathir. Tun certainly has done something abnormal by saying things that are bad for the party, and a bitter pill to swallow by current UMNO's leadership.

The ball is now at the feet of Najib and his party leaders. To deny is to challenge Tun, and to accept is to face the wrath of the Malays, and a sure loss of face for the party. The question asked is, what's next for UMNO in its efforts to counter such negative perception and to remain relevant?


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

SONGS GALORE

If someone were to ask me, which political party in this country has the most number of song? My answer would be UMNO.

At the launching of One Malaysia by PM Dato Seri Najib in Ipoh recently, I was told that the Perak state UMNO members sung the UMNO state song to the smiles of everyone. I am not quite sure if everyone at the launching knew the lyrics.

I know UMNO has a party song that will being played on TV each time there is a General Assembly, and will be sung in unison at the assembly itself. I am not aware of each state having its own song, but I do know that even some UMNO Divisions (Bahagian) have a song. Now, what about the UMNO Branches (Cawangan)? Do they have a song too?

So we now have a song for the Cawangan, a song for the Bahagian, a song for the State (Negeri) and finally a song for UMNO Pusat. That's Song Galore!

I do not know what all these songs means to the party. But I would agree that there should only be just one song for the party; not any other songs.

If a song is to symbolise unity, then by allowing every strata of the party to have its own song, this would then give the impression that there is 'diversity' and not unity in the party. Can someone from UMNO explain this?


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

HISHAMMUDIN HUSSEIN - THE ARBITRATOR

While the nation is kept engross over the political impasse between BN and PR in the Perak, little attention is given to the impasse between Trengganu Menteri Besar Ahmad Said and former Trengganu Menteri Besar Idris Jusoh. The two apparently were at odds following the March 8, 2008 General Elections, which saw Ahmad Said being more acceptable to the Trengganu palace; hence his appointment as the Menteri Besar, while Idris Jusoh, despite being the party’s nominee was rejected by the palace.

Numerous speculations were abound as to why Idris Jusoh was rejected by the Trengganu palace. But one thing is for certain, that there has to be something serious enough that had caused the palace not to favour Idris Jusoh.

The subsequent protest aimed at the palace by supporters of Idris Jusoh, which is a rare occurrence in this strictly conservative state, further aggravated the situation. Even the former PM Tun Abdullah’s intervention to have Idris Jusoh back as Menteri Besar failed. What the palace did was only to exercise the right to appoint a Menteri Besar, that to the best knowledge of the palace, has the confidence of the state assembly. Idris Jusoh was apparently seen not to have the confidence of the state assembly any longer.

Some say that Idris Jusoh was a loyalist of Tun Abdullah, and the development that was carried out during his tenure as the Menteri Besar was merely to please Tun Abdullah, rather than the people. I could still remember an occasion when Tun Abdullah who made an official visit to Trengganu early in is premiership, was greeted with ‘Hidup Pak Lah’ several times by non other than Idris Jusoh, immediately after Tun Abdullah had concluded his speech. I think Idris Jusoh acted more like an ‘apple polisher’ in this scene.

Millions was spend on projects that had no direct benefit to the people. The crystal mosque that was to symbolized Islam for the state, and to be frequented by Muslims for regular prayers, ended up being merely a show piece for tourist.

The monsoon cup, an event exclusively for the rich, also did not benefit the people. In the first place, who was the wise guy that actually proposed this international sailing event to be brought to Trengganu? This event is totally an alien event to Malaysians, and I do not know of any Malaysians that had participated in such an event internationally, and won any prizes. Yes, there are many sailors in Malaysia, but they don’t sail for sports. Dato Azhar Mansor is an accomplished sailor who had traversed the globe alone, but he does not compete in any sport sailing. And remember Panglima Hitam; he sailed the globe with Christoper Columbus.

Yes, the state of UMNO affairs in Trengganu is not that ‘palatable’. And it must be for this reason that neither Ahmad Said or Idris Jusoh is made the party’s State Liaison Officer (Pegawai Perhubungan Negeri). UMNO had to appointed Vice President Hishammudin Hussein instead.

Will Hishammudin be able to placate the two ‘warring factions’, and to bring both back to terms? This, we will have to see in the next few days when Hishammudin gets down to Trengganu, and to play arbitrator.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION

WILL THE RECENT CHANGES IN UMNO LEADERSHIP MAKE AN IMPACT ON MALAY SUPPORT?

I had in an article titled 'Reshuffling UMNO's party leadership' posted on Thursday, April 23, 2009, made an assessment of who among the UMNO leaders need to be changed, and in particular those in the position of the state liaison chiefs. I had rightly predicted that Muhammed Muhd Taib (Selangor), Mahadzir Khalid (Kedah) and Shahidan Kassim (Perlis) should be relieve of their post. However, I failed in my assessment on Mohamed Hassan (Negeri Sembilan), who retains the state liaison chief. He must be the lucky one, whom many sees him as a failed Menteri Besar.

I am surprised that some 'old guards' are being appointed to the Supreme Council. They include Rafidah Aziz who lost to Sharizad Jalil for the Wanita post, Ali Rustam who was found guilty of money politics and was barred from contesting the Deputy President post, and finally Sahidan Kassim who caused a stir for not being reappointed the Perlis Menteri Besar. Their appointment to the Supreme Council runs contrary to the desire of the top UMNO leadership that had all along been saying, that the party must be daring and bold if it is to affect change in the party.

I personally do not see any more reason for the three above appointees to make any effective and useful contribution to the party, because each one has a 'sad tale' attached to their name. A question that I need to raised is whether UMNO is so lacking in finding good leaders, that the party finds it hard to discard old faces? If this being the case, why then discard Muhammad Muhd Taib? What is so different between, say Rafidah Aziz and Muhammad Muhd Taib that the latter is being left out?

I am surprised too that former Federal Territory Minister Zulhasnan Rafique, having being dropped as a minister is now being relieved of the state liaison chief post. They say that this is 'double jeopardy', and personally I think UMNO has not been fair, because Zulhasnan Rafique has been seen to be doing well as a minister, and a person who is well liked among his constituents. The post of Federal Territory liaison chief is being taken over by Muhyiddin Yassin.

I would also like to comment on the appointment of the three Vice Presidents as state liaison chiefs. It appears odd that Shafie Apdal is now the state liaison chief for Kedah. I do not believe that UMNO Kedah seriously welcomes this appointment; and likewise Trengganu and Penang that now have Hishamuddin and Dr. Ahmad Zahid as their liaison chief respectively. This to me is another 'coup de grace' of sorts, and I am quite sure this will create unhappiness among state UMNO members over the appointment.

Tg. Adnan Tg. Mansor retains the party's Secretary General. Isn't this the same person that was involved in the 'Lingam tape' incident? And what makes him so indispensable, that UMNO feels strongly that he retains the post?

Muhyiddin Yassin has said that the party is only left with two more years to win back the support of voters (particularly Malay votes) that was lost during the last general elections. Will the above changes in leadership be effective enough to woo the predominantly Malay votes back to UMNO? Only time will tell.


CRUSADE AGAINST CORRUPTION