cakap cakap...for those of you who were at Dataran Merdeka!

One thing I forgot to do…and may I be forgiven for doing so. I forgot what BERSIH 3 was all about! BERSIH 3 is a resounding and deafening endorsement of our Rakyats commitment to free and fair elections and their continuing demand to protest peacefully for what they believe in no matter what this Barisan Nasional government do to stop them from doing so! If the 12^th general elections was a political watershed to endorsed the political maturity of our people in deciding what and who they want to have as their elected representative in Parliament – then BERSIH 3 is the flexing of our peoples ability to tell this Barisan Nasional government – and Najib in particular – that the time for change is nigh! Be afraid ….be very afraid that the momentum started by BERSIH 1 and 2 and now 3 does not mean the beginning of the end for anyone that does not heed the aspirations of the Rakyat – be it Pakatan Rakyat or Barisan Nasional! 

And to think that it took Ambiga, a women, to do this. Sybas Ambiga. Syabas!

My heart goes out to each and everyone of you that took the decision to present yourself at Dataran Merdeka and throw caution to the wind and in so doing told Najib and Barisan Nasional….do your worst! I am here to tell you that I will no longer be cowered or intimidated by anything you care to throw my way! I stand before you to do good not evil. To ask for free and fair elections and if that is not give then I will wait for BERSIH 4 and do it all over again!

We are no longer a people with that ‘tidak apa’ mentality. The Chinese are no longer pragmatic people who simply want to be left alone to do their business. They are as passionate as anyone else that our elections are free and fair. The others – and in the others I include the Malays – are now together for 1Malaysia.

Today I received a comment from Sally in on my latest posting and she said:

sally has left a new comment on your post "Is Najib the lesser of the two evils?":

Noble Leaders other than the two characters, Pak Husen?

Nope, unless Malaysians open the door to others instead of just Malays?

Do you see any UMNO leaders you would want to put in the PM's shoes? MCA? Boh ! MIC? Poorah! Gerakan? Haha! Sabahans or Sarawakians? Maybe but not sure as they are not that exposed to us.

PAS? Yes, 1 or 2 or maybe 3 newer faces. DAP? Quite a few (if you are honest with yourself without all those Ketuanan Melayu thoughts)   

Sally you do me a disservice by mentioning Ketuanan Melayu and me in the same line. I think I have done enough to tell you all that I do not live in Malaysia (for now) because I do not want to be bothered with such things as Ketuanan Melayu and other bothersome relics of our past in the living of my life.

All of us, Malays and non-Malays were represented at BERSIH 3 and so we all have a claim to what happened there…and we are responsible to ensure that BERSIH 3 will not be in vain. Some of you have asked cynically if I was at the BERSIH rally in Adelaide. No I was not. I had more pressing matters to attend and as much as I am for Bersih the living of my life does sometimes take precedent over many things political….and I am sure that goes ditto for many of you.

In closing I give thanks to those that walk the talk in KL. Each and everyone of you that was in and around the vicinity of Dataran Merdeka can tell your children and grand children that you were there to make BERSIH 3 happen – just as I will tell my grand children that I am steadyaku47. Together we will make that brand new day come for our people, our nation and our future generations! Once again from my heart…thank you brothers and sister and to the young and the old….I bid you a fond farewell for now.     

Is Najib the lesser of the two evils?

Is this what our country is now reduced to? That our people are left to choose between two evils? Anwar or Najib to lead them after the 13^th general election is done with? Are there no more noble leaders amongst us upon whom can be conferred the privileged of being a leader of our Rakyat? Or is all this a figment of our imaginations and in truth Najib and Anwar are men of courage, ethics and morality in their own right and both deserve to take over the mantle of leadership and save our country from the brink of bankruptcy, chaos and mayhem that we now seems to be slipping under?

What happened at Bersih 3 is purely a manifestation of our frustration and disappointment of the state of affairs that we now find ourselves in. And when we say “WE” I use it in the same context as the royal “WE” that the Queen of England uses it when referring to herself and her husband Prince Philip. Supporters of Pakatan Rakyat and of Barisan Nasional are Rakyats of Malaysia. The thugs and goons within PDRM are also Rakyats of Malaysia. All who call Malaysia home are Rakyats of Malaysia. All of us have our gripes and our complaints about how things are done in Malaysia –by BN and PR.

Why it has come to a choice of the lesser of the two evils is arguable – and today we will argue!

I will first start pointing fingers at Pakatan Rakyat -  mindful of the fact that while one finger is pointing towards Pakatan Rakyat, four more are clenched my way – because what I write in my blog has been for Pakatan Rakyat warts and all. Is it because many of us are so enamored with ABU  - to have anything but UMNO  - that we have given free rein for Pakatan Rakyat to do what it needs to do to win this general election? And what happened at Bersih 3 is a good example of what Pakatan Rakyat is prepared to do to create chaos, mayhem and allow PDRM brutality to rear its ugly head again? And before you say why do I say Pakatan Rakyat and not just DSAI – well is not DSAI leader of Pakatan Rakyat? And is not DSAI as its leader representative of what the organization he leads is? If Anwar is deceptive then PR is deceptive. If Anwar is courageous, then PR is courageous? You be the judge of what DSAI did at Bersih 3 – because I was not there and what I see on youtube and the media is not gospel….but while the first reaction from our people has been righteous anger at the brutality of our PDRM towards our people it cannot be denied that as cooler heads prevailed, questions are now being asked as to what really happened to provoke PDRM into its SOP mentality! So go figure out yourself what really happened because I am not here to argue on that – what I am here for is to argue about the lesser of the two evils choices that we are now faced with!

Now Najib was not anywhere in the vicinity of Bersih 3 though you can take my word for it that he has as much interest in its outcome as any one else. He knows that Besih 3 is building up momentum in its ability to move the masses to demonstrate for free and fair election. This ‘free and fair election’ demand is a no brainier! Anybody who can think rationally – and that includes Najib – can do nothing else but agree to it! About the only person that will not agree with it will be that great man – Mahathir – and you and I know that at this point of his life just being able to get up in the morning is a blessing he is grateful for! So Najib, whether he likes or not, must agree that we must have a free and fair elections too.

Now what we need to work out is how these two hulublangs or warriors will interpret what this ‘Free and Fair Elections’ should be! And again what is free and fair to Najib may not be so to DSAI and vice versa – so these two can do what they think is right, but we decide! And having decide, we vote!

And that is where we are now! How to decide?

I tell you now that the elections will be in September! And I tell you now that I am trying to decide which of the two is the lesser of the two evils! Those who have made up their minds on this matter may have to do some rethinking as September looms nearer simply because the art of politics is in doing the impossible. What is more impossible then UMNO losing the general election or DSAI leading Pakatan Rakyat into Putrajaya? So I think it is best that your keep an open mind on this matter. For now…watch this space!     

After Bersih 3 - what comes next?

You and I have read enough, seen enough and are up to our eyeballs about the goings on at the recent Bersih 3. We know what the demonstrators did and we know what the Police did. In these days of total coverage even on what happened when Neil Armstrong was on the moon it goes without saying that what happens on the streets of Kuala Lumpur will somehow find its way onto the public domain.

I am not going to write about this BN government stifling civil rights and letting loose a rampaging PDRM onto the defencless Rakyat because that is par for the course. Nor will I write about how anybody could think that having thousands of agitated and frustrated bersih activist in Dataran Merdeka is NOT  a recipe for riot and mayhem. Putting PDRM and the activist within close proximity of each other would tantamount to asking for exactly what happened at Bersih 3 to happen. Tapi nasi dah jadi bubur…and so let those who have nothing else to do go bicker and debate about what they thought happened at bersih 3. What I want to think about is who would have gained more politically if Bersih 3 became a spectacle that would attract a worldwide audience for the wrong reasons? Anwar or Najib?

The election will probably be in June, September or March next year. Anyway you look at it you know that it is damm near to Armageddon for BN or Pakatan Rakyat. So pray tell me why should you doubt that PDRM have been told by their political masters to be on their best behavior?

At the very least Najib would have told cousin Din at the Rumah Ministry to have a word with the IGP to instruct his officers and Mata Mata to NOT be proactive in their physical maneuvers. Stand your ground but do not initiate anything to provoke the crowd into doing anything untoward. Najib is fully aware that there are cameras everywhere and everything done by anybody n the streets of KL that day will be recorded for posterity. He will not want the world to think that the Police state is alive and well in KL even if it were true!           

What do you think is the opposition thinking? Nothing makes more good copy for the local and global media then to see the spectacle of a Police Force beating their own people. Who will be doing the beating? PDRM! And who does PDRM takes their orders from? That Din guy and Najib.

So pray tell me why would Najib want PDRM to beat his own people when it is so near to election time and with all the global eyes on BN. There are many things I have called Najib, but stupid is not one adjective I have used. So if any of you think that PDRM had orders from Najib to charge the demonstrators – PERISH THAT THOUGHT! There is no way in hell for Najib to put his chances of continuing as Prime Minister after the 13^th GE to any danger by instructing the Police to go and hantam those demonstrators!

So why did the police revert to their animalistic behavior?

You can answer this yourself!

For me the Police were provoked –the same provocation that caused that IGP to beat DSAI senseless! The same provocation that Iran is now goading Israel to do – attack Iran to rid Israel of any danger from any guided missiles that could pose a danger to Israel’s sovereignty. And if by goading the Israeli to attack Iran  - and an attack did happen – what about the collateral damages to their own innocent people resulting from that Israeli attacks on Iran? No problems – just collateral damage!

And this is what happened at the Bersih 3 rally. There were elements within Bersih 3 who was more then willing to hijack what should have been a peaceful and quiet rally and make it their platform to accuse the BN government of brutality on its own people – and of course all this will be on the 7’o clock news not only around the world- but also in the public domain. Yes it is hard to get our minds into the evilness that others carry but such is life!

So what have we learned from Bersih 3? If you want to test the resolved of PDRM to stand their grounds when being provoked – you can be assured that despite what Najib DO NOT want them to do –they will do when push comes to shove!

In closing let me say this – like Iran and Israeli – those agent provocateurs whether paid or not, did disservice to many other Malaysian who had come out in numbers to show the BN government that the critical mass that will vote any faction in. MUST be listened to. Now after Bersih3 how many will turn out in any other demonstration because of the danger they will put themselves is – as was evident at Bersih 3.

If Najib is at fault it is that he did not instruct PDRM to not defend themselves even if provoked…but then if he did ask them to defend themselves Najib will still be accused of condoning brutality! Damm if he does, damm if he don’t. So if any of you are wondering what comes next after Bersih 3 we can expect anything but the numbers that turned up recently.

MAMAS & PAPAS - I CALL YOUR NAME

A Melody You Will Never Forget

Its just past 5.30am. Saturday morning. Listening to one of my all time favorite Hurricane Smith with his "A Melody You Never Forget"....thought I will share it with you....yes I have posted this song before but I need to listen to it as often as I can. Salam to each and everyone of you.....may life be good!

UMNO/BN Reprise. Lest we Forget!

The time has come for the great but corrupt, the mighty but low life dregs of society and the powerful but despicable UMNO politicians of our land to bow and scrap their knees on the floor as they go cap in hand to the non-Malays to ask, beg and where necessary buy, their votes in readiness of the 13th general elections. UMNO knows the Malay votes are no longer solidly behind them. UMNO knows the balance lies with the others. So let us now watch how these self appointed paragons of the Malays go seek the non Malay votes.

That Din guy will have to sheath his manhood….errr I mean his Keris. That guy from Titiwangsa will have to eat humble pie and admits that he does need the non Malay votes after all – if not for himself then for UMNO and BN. Our DPM will have to put his hand up again this time to tell anybody who will listen that he is a Malaysian first. All the bluster at the recent UMNO gathering will be quietly put aside and in its place will emerge the UMNO politician that fights for 1Malaysia, that talks about land given for Chinese Schools, about land given for Indian Temples and initiatives made to recognize the Orang Asli as the real Bumiputra of this land. This same UMNO politician will talk about 1Malaysia and about their vision of the people in East Malaysia being as developed as West Malaysia and about East Malaysia having what is their fair share of their State resources to be used for their own development. Everything that has to be said will be said, everything that has to be done will be done and everything that has to be promised will be promised! Put back UMNO into Government and all will be well. And if you believe that then you believe that the foxes have a vested interest in the well being of the chicken even as they stalk the chicken coop in the dead of night!

Eating humble pie for UMNO politicians comes with the territory. It is work they undertake with enthusiasm because it is an opportunity to show to the public their ‘other’ side. The other side that they roll out when they need to do so. Play bombastically to the gallery when in PWTC in front of a Malay UMNO crowd – talk contrition and reconciliation when on a Chinese TV talk show. Promise a no stone unturned investigation over the death of Teoh Beng Hock, Kugan, Aminurasyid and Sarbani and then stone walled your way to a conclusion that say NFC (No Further action) required! Let the Sultan understand in no uncertain terms that UMNO is the hand that feeds them and then roll them out to do UMNO’s bidding as the 13th general election nears. 

Now how does UMNO intend to overcome this terrible and dismal record of abuse and mismanagement in government for 53 years? Three words. Melayu. Islam and Sultans. They have Perkasa to beat the drums in a tempo that they hope the Malays will march to. So far all Perkasa has is a self appointed General – Berahim – without an army. A toothless tiger who loves his own shadow much too much think of anything else. The Malays are not following him in droves….not even a platoon does he have to march to.

Melayu: While this can be the saviour for UMNO for now it is more likely to be a bummer! Disappointment would be too kind a word to describe UMNO’s reaction to the lack of critical mass within the Malay population to support UMNO – it would be more apt to say that the pendatangs, the mamaks and the new found ‘Melayu’ within the ranks of UMNO will have to be UMNO’s vote bank for now.     

Islam: Despite the attempt to whip up mass hysteria against potential Christian conversions of Muslims into Infidels the only significant episode so far that has generated any debate and interest amongst us all was the appointment of a Muslim as head of a Catholic  School –which much to soon resulted in a back down by the Ministry of Education who admitted a faux de pas in making the first appointment – and replaced said first appointment with an appropriate appointment approved by the Christians themselves.

Sultans? The only thing worth mentioning on this was the emergence of the Sultan of Sulu. Need I say anymore?

I watch all this with fascination. Is this what you have to do as a politician – an UMNO politicians? For what rewards? Money and power? Much money and much power? How much? Millions and many billions? RM$10 million penthouses? Hermes handbags? Numbers with so many naughts after them that it blows your mind away! Welcome to UMNO land! Welcome to a world where murder and mayhem abounds. Where Petronas is where you go to for your spending money and the EPF is for your petty cash. Yearly budget allocations for the various Ministries are just small change to be distributed amongst the faithfuls and ‘orang kita and sahabats’ that makes up the numbers within Barisan Nasional. And all this UMNO do at will. We have given them the political power to do so!

Should not all this be stopped? Should we not say enough at this 13th general election and give political power to Pakatan Rakayt and allow them to do their work for five years and see what happens? Or at the very least we need another 12th general election tsunami that puts into place a balance of power between government and the opposition that will once and for all establish a system that will keep those political bastards honest! The possibility excites me and yet fills me with trepidation in case our people make the wrong choices as to who should represent them in parliament. So think and think well. This would be the mother of all elections in the short history of our nation and you will decide its outcome – good or bad.

After the election we want to see all these arrogant politicians arrogant no more. We want to see those who have become wealthy by plundering our nation’s coffers are wealthy no more. And we want each and every bastard that have taken anything that is not their due from the Rakyat’s money be held accountable for the wrong they have done while holding the trust placed upon them while in public office. No revengeful pursuit of those that have done wrong – we will just allow the wheels of justice to move along at a steady pace to dispense justice as it should have done (but did not!) in all these years of BN rule.     

And then we will sit and watch Pakatan Rakyat do government. And woe betide Pakatan Rakayt if they should stray from the path they have promised to take – open, accountable and responsible government. No more, no less.

This is just a short piece to remind you that as the momentum gathers towards the 13th general election we must not forget our work for change. Do not take your eye off the ball – keep it focus on our matalamat –our end! Change for the better! ABU!

Towards a common goal of common good for all! 1 Malaysia

The aftermath of the 11th and 12th general election resulted in a paradigm shift to things that essentially made the Malaysian society what it has been since Merdeka. The self-enforcing Malay and non-Malay divide that had been encouraged and set in concrete by UMNO for its own vested interest began to crumble. This was set in motion not by the non-Malays but by the Malays themselves who started to question the concept of a privileged Bumiputra’s lot and the Ketuanan Melayu touted by UMNO as essential for the survival of the Malays. The issues seem to be clear-cut for the Malays: Why after 53 years of Malay dominated rule under UMNO were the Malays still economically disadvantaged when compared to the non-Malays? Why was wealth destined for the Malays ending up among the political elites of UMNO? Why was Malay political power in bed with immense and insane amount of wealth supposedly destined for the Malays but instead found its place in the pockets of these UMNO politicians?

The Malays no longer accepted the adage that the non-Malays were their nemesis. Islam was not being threatened by the Christians. The Malays began to question these “truths” that UMNO has been insisting were the reasons that the Malays should hold on to political power  - and that that political power should be in the hands of UMNO!

On the other hand faced with the mounting litany of abuses of executive power by the UMNO led Barisan Nasional government the Malays began to look elsewhere for others to take UMNO’s place as the custodians of Malay political power.

The failures of UMNO political elites to understand the need to address this shift within the Malay psyche proved to be their undoing. Too enamoured with their 53 years of perceived success in holding on to political power what concerned UMNO was still the acquisition of material wealth and the necessity of holding on to power in order to carry on merrily with their preoccupation of plundering and pillaging our country to their hearts contents. Nothing else matters – not their promise to the Malays of Ketuanan Melayu nor their lies to the non-Malays of a Malaysia for everyone.
       
Increasingly as the Malays started this process of introspection and self-examination of what they have gone through under UMNO for the past 53 years, they found an unlikely ally amongst the non-Malays.

For had the non-Malays also suffered greatly under the UMNO led Barisan Nasional government? What had been denied of the Malays by the BN government was doubly so for the non-Malays. If the Malays had found that their children were woefully unprepared to face education in foreign universities, the non-Malays were also severely disadvantaged by the lack of education opportunities for their children in Malaysian and were burdened financially by the need to send their children overseas for further studies without assistance from the government.

If the Malays were denied a fair share of the nations wealth because for the most part it was kept within the BN political elites, their families, cronies, acquaintances then so were the non Malays disadvantaged by their inability to share in the nations wealth and then burdened by the abuse of it by BN.

If the Malays felt cheated by UMNO, so were the non-Malays similarly offended by MCA and MIC who, to all intents and purposes, were subservient to UMNO in the BN coalition?

All this could be traced back to the 53 years of rule by UMNO where complacency and a sense of entitlement to rule in perpetuity was compounded by a slew of initiatives that ranged from reengineering of the population ratios through immigration and migration to the use of the election process to benefit themselves and also included and not necessarily ending with, the use of corrupt and abusive practices to win elections. All this was perfected and put into practice by UMNO especially during the 23 years regime of Mahathir.

With the advent of the 21st century all Malaysia had by then commonly experienced the abuse of their trust in the government they have elected to govern them. And once this thought was shared amongst the Malays and non-Malays what was unleashed upon the UMNO led Barisan Nasional government was the tsunami of the 2008 general elections!

But it was a lesson learnt but not understood by UMNO. Their solution to the loss of their two thirds majority in Parliament and the five states to Pakatan Rakyat was to go back to their tried and tested ways of getting votes – Ketuanan Melayu was promised to the Malays and 1Malaysia was promised to the non-Malays –two impossible utopian goals diametrically opposed to each other. The impossibility of these two co-existing was lost to UMNO but not to the people of Malaysia.

The political realties today reflect the frustration of the people and their demand for change from the ways of BN and UMNO. Malaysian who have had no interest in politics are now passionately involved as activist and participants in Pakatan Rakyat effort to oust BN. I myself have never registered as a voter, lived for the most part of my adult life and still do, outside Malaysian and yet I have committed effort and time to Pakatan Rakyat’s cause. The Malays and Non-Malays are united in a common goal – a change in government from BN to PR.      

And so the stage is set for the 13th general election, which would determine the political future for all Malaysians. What was promised by 53 years of abuse and mismanagement by UMNO has now happened. The people have had enough of UMNO and they want change. The Malay complacency disappeared and in its place Malay activism within Pakatan Rakyat promised the non-Malays that we are all together in this fight against BN/UMNO. There is now a national consensus that change is inevitable. We have the numbers, we are resolute in our focus, we have the political will and we now have a credible alternative to the UMNO led Barisan Nasional coalition in Pakatan Rakyat. So let the games begin.

No longer will UMNO use Ketuanan Melayu to hood winked the Malays into voting for UMNO. No longer will MCA or MIC be able to claim that they are the representatives of their own racial groups. Everything has changed. Each of this party has lost big at the 2008 general elections. Now the 13th general elections should once and for all determine their place in the mind of the people of Malaysia – and in this I would hazard a guess that irrelevance would be the main sentiment to be expressed by the people of this nation to all three of these political organizations! So help me GOD!

While we await the 13th general elections let us take stock of the situation we now find ourself in. We the people are in the driving seat. We the people will have this UMNO led Barisan Nasional party bowing before us for our votes. And we the people will decide who will govern us. We know it will be Pakatan Rakyat. We know it will be 1Malaysia in its entirety and we know that we will all see a brand new day in the annals of our history as we all go towards a common goal of common good for a common purpose – that of a better, decent and all inclusive Malaysia. MERDEKA!      

Cakap cakap...the Iceman Cometh!

Are there any legal restrictions to UMNO’s political power? Do they have exclusive control over the government? Does UMNO have the approval of the people to do the things they do? Do they use force to maintain their power? Do they limit the freedom of speech, assembly and the press? Do they deny their people much basic freedom? Does our Prime Minister have supreme power not restricted by law, by any institution or by any group of people? Can he do whatever he please? And do UMNO and our Prime Minister conceal all this political trickery through rigged elections?

These are some of the questions that we ask today of the UMNO led Barisan Nasional Government! We know that UMNO took over our country during the 1969 May 13th Racial Riots to maintain order, security and its prosperity. That was over 40 years ago.

Questions are now being asked as to the relevancy of UMNO to the times that we live in today. Has UMNO served its purpose for the Malays? Do the non-Malays still want UMNO to lead? These are questions to be answered when we go to the polls at the 13th general election due before the first quarter of 2013 – less then 12 months away.

Already the last two general elections have been a watershed in the history of our nations. If anything it indicate that the people will now decide for themselves what is best for our nation, our people and our future.

The 11th General Election was a resounding endorsement of the incoming Prime Minister – PAK LAH. After over 22 years of the stifling and autocratic rule of Mahathir the people were eager for change. Pak Lah promised change. Pak Lah seems to promise an end to money politics, open and responsible government and 1Malaysia in its entirety! The people gave Barisan Nasional its biggest election victory ever – but BN and Pak Lah failed to deliver what was expected of them.

UMNO met its waterloo at the 12th general election! Five States lost to Pakatan Rakyat – amongst them the most developed state, Selangor! They lost their two-thirds majority in Parliament and for once we had a credible opposition in place.

And now the 13th general election is almost upon us. Ask yourself whom the people will now vote into government.

This is a people that understand political trickery. A people no longer ignorant of the abuses of neither political power nor are they unaware of money politics within both sides of the political divides. A people who have ably demonstrated in the last two general elections that it is they who will decide who will be in Putrajaya. And surely in what must be a politician worse nightmare, a people who has access to the good and the bad that any politician do, the promises made and not kept by these same politicians and with these and other relevant information at their beck and call, they will then decide who their elected representative should be. In short Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat will be facing an informed electorate able to discern the corrupt politicians from the honest ones, the good from the bad.

I am sure that there will be some amongst us that will vote along party lines, follow racial and religious divides and even some who would have got it all wrong despite every possible assist available to enable him to do the right thing….but that is human nature. What I know is that if there is any politician out there hoping to get elected for any of the above reasons then not only has he failed himself and his family but also his people and his country!

The fat lady is almost ready to stop singing. All you politician that has not done your work, lied to the people and used politics for your own ends -  you and I now know that the time for reckoning is near. You will be now be called to account for Altantuya, for PKFZ, for NFC, for your sexual indiscretions, your financial misdeeds, your arrogance, your use and abuse of executive power to benefit yourself….all this will now come to haunt you while the people decide what to do with you.

UMNO will begin to understand that no political organization can legitimately govern unless acceptance of its right to govern has been given by the people. And once given government there are rules of conduct that they must obey – and if you do not, then this general election will be the time the people will call you to account for what you did. Do not ever forget that it is the people who are the only legitimate source of authority for any government. And now the time nears for the people to give legitimacy to either BN or PR to be in Putrajaya.

For those politicians that have done good during their time in office then this 13th general election is the time for their electorates to endorse their time in office and elect them to another term in Parliament. For those who have not…..the iceman cometh!

Common Good. Common Goal. This we still lack.

Raw Political Power in the hands of those who have no need of it themselves will be used for the good of the many. That same Power in the hands of those who has need of it to serve their own selfish purpose benefits only a few at the expense of the many. This is the situation that now exists in Malaysia where raw political power is in the hands of a few Malays who uses that power to benefit them!

We are familiar with the likes of Idi Amin, Mubarak, Saddam, Ceicescu, Ben Ali, Suharto, Mugabe and now sadly for our country, Mahathir and UMNO.

Why we have allowed UMNO and this Mahathir to
abuse our country, its people, its resources and impose their will over everything Malaysian will be discussed, dissected and understood probably many years from now when we are dead and gone.

Our need now for change is more immediate.

UMNO and Mahathir is the very personification of what harm raw political power in the hands of irresponsible and self-serving political elites can do to any country. We are the living example of it all. Corruption, insane amounts of illegal wealth, abuse of executive power are all there to be gaped at and suffer under by all of us.       

The arrogance of UMNO political leaders lost in their sense of self-importance that you see happening around you now is the use and abuse of that raw political power by UMNO. Political power is use to maintain the political elites in power, in wealth and in isolation from the very people they govern. An isolation that numbs the ruling elites from the growing contempt the masses have for them. A contempt that is breed out of decades of neglect and an acute sense of betrayal from the Malays that first gave them political power.   

Here I may be stating the obvious but it is Malaysian that gave them that power and it is the same Malaysian that must now take it away from them.

I believe in the strength of the individual Malaysian to decide their fate after the 13th general election. We must recall the results of the last two general elections that we have had.

The 11th general election saw Pak Lah leading UMNO/Barisan Nasional into its biggest victory in its history and yet this same Pak Lah led UMNO into its biggest defeat at the 12th general election!

What made the difference were the Malaysian electorates. They understood that Pak Lah had failed to deliver what he promised. For that failure the Malaysian people voted for the opposition in numbers large enough to cause BN to lose five states to the opposition.

Let us for a moment forget the political rhetoric. Forget the gutter politics used by both side. Forget the venomous recrimination hurled by the politicians, the bloggers and by everyone that matters against each other.

Let us say that the dust has settled and we are now on polling day of the 13th general election. What do you think the voters will do? Not the thousands of committed Barisan Nasional votes and not the thousands of die hard Pakatan Rakyat voters….I am talking about the million of voters that use common sense and a sense of duty to country, race and religion to decide who they should endorse as their representatives. Tell me brothers and sisters…….will these millions endorse change? Will these millions want change? Will these millions take a chance on change after what happened in the 11th and 12th general elections?

AND WHAT THEY DECIDE MATTERS!

Not the banter that passes for political discourses over the net between you and me. Not the numerous theories of conspiracies and collusion that has been opined by almost anyone that matters about this blogger and that blogger. Neither the expose nor the various accusations of abuse within state and federal government hurled at both side of the political divides. All this the people will read, listen and hear –and then decide for themselves who is right and who is wrong. Then they will vote!

Like the 11th general election they voted for Pak Lah because he promised change. The people were wrong!

Like the 12th general election they voted against Pak Lah because there was no change – and in lieu of no change they gave Pakatan Rakyat a mandate to bring about change.

And now as the 13th general election nears, Pakatan Rakyat has to ask itself if they have brought about the change that they people wanted!

In Penang maybe – elsewhere “NO!”. And in between what has happened in PKR, in Selangor, Kedah and Perak augers ill for Pakatan Rakyat. So you tell me what our millions of voters will do when they vote at this 13th general election?

Penang is a Chinese state. The millions of voter who are in the majority are Malays! NO my friends I am NOT bringing up the race card again – I AM JUST STATING A FACT!  What do you think these Malay voters will do?

And this is why my friends in the time we have left just yelling ABU is not going to do it for Pakatan Rakyat! Just telling the electorates that they must give Pakatan Rakyat a chance at Putrajaya is not goint to convince them to vote PR. Just having bloggers who forsake everything to support ABU and Pakatan Rakyat unconditionally will never be enough. The voters want more.  

We have a few months left to convince the millions of voters out there that if they vote for Pakatan Rakyat then there WILL be change. To think otherwise demeans the intelligence of the voters that will cast their votes on polling day because they have shown us that they do think about what their votes will or will not do to their country and their future.

You and I can banter and argue for as long as we like but it would serve no other purpose then to bolster our sense of self-importance and righteousness. What matters is those who read what we write understand that we mean well – that we are open and responsible in our comments – and that we will side with those who are right! That we are against those who do wrong no matter who they are! And that when necessary we are willing to change to make what is wrong into a right.

And that is why I write they way I do. More focussed on ideas and what is right and what is wrong rather then to descend into gutter expose that is negative and without positive any outcome unless it seeks to define certain wrongs committed by our political elites. It is wrong that Najib talks about thrift and economy when Rosmah does otherwise. It is wrong for DSAI to talk about doing good on the national level when matters within his own party still needs to be attended to. 

I do not know who reads what I write. What I do know is that those who read what I write is hardly a drop in the ocean of those who surf the net. It is zilch! Naught! But I do keep on writing because I have something to say about all that is happening in Malaysia. Yes I am far away from home. Yes I am not able to feel the heartbeat of our nation but my heart beats for the future of our country and for the battlers amongst you all that do what you can to try and make that difference for all of us. Let me be one of you!

This is what our country now lacks. A sense of togetherness, a common purpose, and solidarity built out of common goals and a wish to do common good. And common gaols and common good means everybody! I believe in common good. I believe in a common purpose and a common goal! From where you come from and who you are matters not to me – what matters is where you are heading. There are good people in UMNO and in Barisan Nasional just as there are bad people in Pakatan Rakyat. Good or bad we are one people. You are one. With me we are two! Let us advance and do good for our people, our country and our future!   

Cakap cakap….At 3.19 a.m. Wednesday morning.

Nothing is sacred. Nothing is kosher. No limits. The Internet is borderless. The Internet is fearless. It could be faceless and nameless too. It takes anonymity for granted. And behind this façade you are at liberty to say whatever you want, to who ever you want at anytime you want. The high and mighty can no longer hide behind their power and their money. Anything can be hurled against their person without any regard for truth or authenticity. It is a brave person who today stands for public office for they are putting themselves into the public domain - where for any perceived indiscretion they will be called to account and for any moral or ethical failings they will be savaged. All this done at arms length by the legion of bloggers, foes, self interest and self appointed guardians of our society whose avowed intentions it is to keep those political bastards honest….so they say!   

For some of you that makes your comment under the guise of anon on what we write you then become one of those faceless digit within this digital world able to have your say without revealing your self to us. We who publish under our own right tell ourselves publish and be damm…….and we certainly will be damm by those that take umbrage of what we write. 

As a blogger of about four years standing I self publish my thoughts and my take on issues that moves me. Mostly in politics and the antics of those that profess to practice one of the most ancient of all arts. Some mischievously allude that politics as done in Malaysia is a close cousins of the other most ancient of profession in the world. In both, money is the currency that moves the participants to do what they do. In politics politicians sell their soul for power to make money. In the other ancient profession, they too sell themselves for money. What separate the two professions are its participants. In Politics the male dominates….in the other females …but I digress too much.

In what I write I seek to engage you in rational debate on the things that matters to us. Politics is one.

Today a battle rages over those that support BN and those that do not. And those that do not are factionalised into those that want DSAI as PM and those that do not. A third force has surfaced but until now it still lacks the ability to play any spoiler role between BN or PR. It exist in the imagination of many who hopes against hope that this third faction will make a difference – and that is how it will remain for now – just a hope bereft of coherence in what it seeks to be or do in the balances of power in Malaysian politics. 

The reason anyone do or do not support DSAI as PM no longer seems to matter. Each DSAI supporter is no longer taking any calls from anybody that might seek to change their stand. Their commitment to DSAI’s aspiration to oust UMNO from government is total to the point that they brook no dissent or debate.

When you think of how DSAI is able to still command such passionate support despite all that has been hurled at him you cannot but give him your respect – even if it is grudgingly given. He survives against all odds. He has taken more than his fair share of abuse and vitriol from his unworthy political opponent – UMNO.  Nothing seems to be able to bring him down or keep him down despite all indications that points to his coming political demise. But DSAI insists that his coming political demise has been greatly exaggerated. Sodomy two was proof of his charmed existence – so who could fault him for thinking that it is so? 

Now my question to you all is this. If DSAI opponent is unworthy then is DSAI worthy of our unqualified support? Before you go ballistic at my gall in questioning DSAI worthiness, just consider this. There are many unbelievers out there. You need to win them over…hell you even need to win me over to your cause! So how do we start?     

Civilized debate, respect for each other’s arguments and a willingness to listen and hear what each other say could be the place to start.

Do any of you care to disagree with me if I say that PKR is now facing it’s darkest hours? Rather then being ready to face UMNO in the coming 13th general election PKR is fighting for its very survival? And yet the refrain is that it always is darkest before the dawn!

PKR has to contend with attacks from without and it also has problems within itself – problems of loyalties and commitment from its own members that has manifest itself through defections of its elected representatives to benefit the BN coalition. The long knives are drawn as PKR begins its selection process for candidates to represent them in the 13th general election. Acutely mindful of the many defections of its elected representatives DSAI and his team will not want the same thing to repeat itself. PKR can withstand attacks from without but betrayal from within will not be tolerated. PKR can try to select the right candidates but no party is immune from defections. Not UMNO, not MCA not MIC – and certainly not PKR! How many of UMNO’s past president have elected to denounce their UMNO membership? To date Dato Onn, Tunku and Mahathir and counting.

What worries DSAI are the sleeper within those PKR candidates vying for selection. These are those who seek to stand as candidates under PKR’s banner but are in reality sleepers/Trojan horses who are just waiting to be activated by their BN political masters to create havoc and damage PKR’s political balance by defecting after they have taken their place amongst PKR MP’s elect. These are the people most held in contempt by any political organization and PKR is no exception.

There are those within PKR inner circle that have been asked by DSAI to pledge a personal commitment that they will remain faithful to DSAI no matter what. The Sec Gen of PKR is one of them. Not that DSAI does not trust him – but to DSAI that promise from the Sec Gen that he will remain loyal to DSAI (not PKR!) is comforting in an organization where its leaders sees enemies everywhere they turn, even within their own party –and this paranoia can only be exorcised by being able to count on personal loyalty rather then loyalty to party! 

In this atmosphere no wonder there is an inevitable air of doom and gloom within PKR’s members.      

But it has not always been like this within PKR. The highs must surely transcend the lows? For PKR’s sake we hope that it would. One common denominator exists. DSAI was leader in PKR’s glory days. DSAI is still leader in the present lows. What happens in between is a tale waiting to be told in its entirety. But for now it has to wait.

What DSAI must to do now is to lead from the front. By default, achievement and ability only DSAI can lead PKR for now. All pretenders to the throne and those who would, could or should be KING must remain at bay. May I respectfully ask DSAI to first make his peace with those who have been with him from the very beginning? Those that have for various reasons, rightly or wrongly choose to desert PKR and mount dawn raids, afternoon raids, night raids…any kind of raids to weaken PKR with the objective of removing DSAI as leader of PKR.

If anybody can make peace with his enemies it will be DSAI. And it will be a peace easily made because the enemy that is once a friend, is known to you. How many of you have made your peace with your own siblings and friends after a falling out? Was not the bond greater now then before? And so it will be for DSAI and those with whom he has had a falling out. Get these people once again on side and then we go to battle against UMNO! 

Yes we know that UMNO have pull out all the stops in their attempts to rid themselves of DSAI. For DSAI there will inevitably be other Carcosa like moments, other Nallas and Umis who will be recycled on a need basis to rehash old tales with a new twist to make it interesting to all of us and they will certainly be other tales of power abused and power used for personal gains in Selangor.

Some true, some not so true, some outright lies. DSAI must deal with them head on – sitting quietly in the hope that it will all go away is not an option. We are not stupid. We can read, listen and hear what is being put onto the public domain and what is being said all around us. Most of you are too fond of reminding me – NOTHING THAT PR HAVE DONE COME CLOSE TO THE AUDACIOUS PLUNDERING AND PILLAGING DONE BY UMNO! Agreed  – but do we not want zero abuse by our PR politicians? As I have said before – you aim for Everest and you may at least reach Gunung Tahan or Mt Kinabalu. So when these expose is put into the public domain do not just dismiss it as being UMNO inspired gutter politics. There just may be some truth in it – and if there is we must question those involved and seek credible answers.

There is also the question of Nurrul and her place within PKR. Her time to lead PKR is yet to come. For one, her Father is still there to lead PKR. Nurrul loves her Father dearly and I cannot see her standing up to her Father if he decides that he still wants to be leader of PKR. And her father wants to be leader of PKR for the moment. And the moment is now, next week maybe even longer and so she must wait. But I know as any father knows – you want the best for your children. We must believe that her father wants the same thing for her too – to believe otherwise tantamount to us saying that DSAI paternal instincts is questionable. I doubt that to be the case – not after what Nurrul has done for him before his incarceration, during his incarceration and after his incarceration. He owes her but there is also the Azmin factor to be dealt with first! And so Nurrul waits. 

Now comes the unpleasant part. When should DSAI retire gracefully from politics? That is for him to decide. If you ask me – I will say that the clock is ticking! He has done whatever is humanely possible to take PR to where it is now.

PR is ready to do battle with UMNO on an almost level playing field at this 13th general election. I say this because whatever advantage UMNO may have – money, deep pockets and a large army – DSAI has made irrelevant because of what PR is now – a credible alternative to UMNO. So the people now have a choice. And that is all that the people ask…..a credible alternative to the corrupt and arrogance ways of UMNO and BN!

The time has come for change and nothing will stand in its way – nothing but DSAI himself! And nobody knows this better the DSAI himself. So let us leave our future in his hands….at least for now. As Regan said – trust but verify. Let us hope that DSAI will do right by us.

We will have to trust Anwar with our future. We may even have to trust him with our children’s future and our country’s future. Let us hope he will have the Wisdom of Solomon, the patience and greatness of Mandela to forge a new future for our nation and the determination of Thatcher to make our nation and our people, great again.
         
P.S. This is not a paid advertisement for DSAI or PKR. It is just me writing at 3.07 am on a Wednesday morning. A time when one tends to wax lyrical over how one would hope for things to be. Also a time when one allows one’s imagination to meander over possibilities and abilities of what could possibly be.  If only people would do as we say and not do things their way. We live in hope – always in hope for if there is no hope life would not hold much promise of good things to come. But alas…what we want is not always what we get….
 
Now I must to sleep.

After ABU what is next for PR?

I think the time has come for us to look at where Pakatan Rakyat is heading. But before anyone starts plunging their knives into my back for being a turncoat or even worse, a traitor to the cause of ABU, I want to state categorically and without any reservations whatsoever that I am for CHANGE! But I am not for NEGATIVITY!

It is time we stop asking people to CHANGE for the sake of changing. ANYTHING BUT ABU is a fantastic and all encompassing slogan that succinctly tells us what we all want. But it has become the excuse that too many people are using to not vote UMNO and Barisan Nasional. The focus seems to shift to UMNO and BN and why we should not vote UMNO and BN – the corruption, the plundering and pillaging of our nations coffers, the arrogance, the abuse of executive powers by those holding high public office – all valid reasons for not allowing them to hold government any longer. In emphasizing these failings by UMNO and BN the focus shifts away from Pakatan Rakyat. Away from whether Pakatan Rakyat is ready for government. Away from whether the leaders of Pakatan Rakyat are ready to lead this nation of ours. Away from what we are letting ourself in for when we have a Pakatan Rakyat government in Putrajaya.

I am sure this is not a deliberate ploy by Pakatan Rakyat to prevent us from scrutinizing their readiness to be in government but nevertheless it is negative politics. Why not Pakatan Rakyat now tells us why we should vote them into government? I am sure it is just not because the price of petrol and essentials food items will be fair. Nor should it only be because they have promised us open, accountable and responsible government. I want to know how they intend to achieve these promises. I want to know who amongst the Pakatan Rakyat leaders will be Ministers? Who will be Prime Minister and Deputy Prime Minister? What will be the criteria for these appointments? We want only the best to be in government. We want Pakatan Rakyat to now give us good reasons to choose ANYTHING BUT UMNO! Why we should choose PKR, DAP and PAS instead of UMNO. We all want ABU, we all want change. Now Pakatan Rakyat must tell us that they are the one we want to be in government instead of UMNO and BN because…………………………….(please Pakatan Rakyat, please fill in the blanks!)

All of us have been very vocal in saying ABU, ABU and ABU over and over again. Can Pakatan Rakyat please now step on to the podium and tell us all why they are the one we want! Pakatan Rakyat must now tell us that all is well within the coalition. They must tell us that PKR, PAS and DAP are ready for battle at the 13th general election and if the GODS are kind to them, Pakatan Rakyat will win government.

But today I hear too much about the problems within PR that threatens this coalition. Too much talk about PKR being the problem child within PR. Too much talk about whether Kit Siang and Hadi will accept DSAI as the designated leader and probable Prime Minister of our nation should PR win the 13th general elections. Too much questions being asked about so many things happening within PR. Why is Zaid Ibrahim contesting against PAS in Kota Baru when he has said that he is within PR. Why can’t PAS and Zaid work things out? Why is there so much negative things being said on the Internet about the problems within PR states and with PR politicians by OUR people?  Too much loose talk about racial politics even as the potential candidates starts jockeying for position as the selection process for candidates to represent the parties within PR starts. We want PR to walk the talk NOW.

No more mindless slogan shouting of ABU! ABU! ABU! Now we want you tell us why we should vote for Pakatan Rakyat. I do not want to choose PR by default – i.e. because there is nobody else to choose if we want ABU. The same reason everybody seems to be giving for having DSAI as leader of PR and PM designate – by default – because there is no better else better. It may be that there is no body else better – but surely we do not want that! We want to choose PR and DSAI because they are the best possible choices for our people and for our country! Is that not the right thing to do?  

We want PR to be in government because they deserve to be in government. We want DSAI to be leader of the opposition and PM designate because he deserves to be so. So please PR …can you fill in the blanks NOW?     

Sorry...but it had to be done!

Today I made the decision to moderate all comments on my blog until further notice. I think I have done that once before over two years ago when I was affected by the venom of the comments made on some of the postings I did. I was then still thin skin and felt any barbs thrown my way very keenly. Not anymore! Sticks and stones may break my bones ……but not those comments.

The sad part is that we have all sorts in this world. When I say all sorts I mean the human kind – most of whom are not respectful enough of the right of others to not be bothered with harsh language and unnecessary rudeness that they deliberately use to put their point of views across – but then these are the few whose parents have not manage to instil in them the need to have good manners and decorum in the things they do –and presenting their point of views in a polite and respectful ways to others is one of them!

And these people spoil it for others. These people are rude, selfish and bring shame to their own parents and to themselves in the manner they treat others. The pitiful part is that they themselves are not aware that they are doing it. Even when we tell them so they will tell us that it is none of our business to tell them what they must do. What concerns me is to not offend others who stop by to read what I write. So I would rather lose these uncouth and ill-mannered self publish commentators of what I write then offend the others who still wish to read what I write without the cursing and the swearing of these commentators.

When some of you began to mention it in your comment on this blog – I thought it was time to put a stop to it all. And I have as of today.

I welcome any comments for and against what I write but we do not want rudeness and crudeness in the manner anyone chooses to put their point of view across.

And so as today – no more! Amen.