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shuk has left a new comment on your post "Stand By Me!": 

Quoting Tok Guru Nik Aziz......if it's against umno,you can wake me up from my sleep and I'm ever ready to fight them.Happy New Year. 



Posted by shuk to steadyaku47 at Saturday, December 31, 2011 3:47:00 PM GMT+10:30

semuanya OK kot has left a new comment on your post "PRIVATISATION - OR - PIRATISATION?": 

For the sake of the country and planet, learn to call a spade a spade. Is it mere "financial mismanagement", or criminal breach of trust and embezzlement?

Will the non-privileged majority continue believing in the current myths including propietary magical thinking, and settle for the baubles they pick up at the feet of their masters? The literate on the whole are no better, giving deferece to the MSM - which bears a strong resemblance to MSW.

Remember the fate of the American natives who settled for the trinkets and fire-water. Will we have to wait until food, water and electricity run out or become unaffordable? Are we somehow so special that nature will be patient with us as we disentangle ideology from greed?

Learn to understand the essential and inseperable threat of capitalism. Tackling our major challenges requires the these, all of which are is short supply:
- money and intelligence, entrepreneurship - most of which we have chased away or squandered.
- politcal will, morals, an end to double-talk and the criminalisation of bigotry.

"Learn from the mistakes of others; you can never live long enough to make them all yourself." - John Luther 


Posted by semuanya OK kot to steadyaku47 at Saturday, December 31, 2011 3:45:00 PM GMT+10:30

Yeaaaaah! Thanks everybody for reading what I write....I am forever grateful! On the last day of the year too!

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Stand By Me!

Stand by me not because I cannot stand alone by myself. I am strong, I am committed and I am focussed on what I want for me, my family, my children and my country. But there are many that will stand in my way.There are many that will not allow me to have my space in this place that I call my home. And I am a Malay. I tell you my friends that even as a Malay and a Muslim you will not be left alone by UMNO if you are not with them. 


If we falter and hesitate in this push for change then we will not have another opportunity in our lifetime for this change that we want because once UMNO has power again they will legislate to make sure that power will reside within them in the time that you and I have left to live in this world and maybe even for the lives of our children.


We must go into 2012 by standing together against Barisan Nasional, against UMNO!  My friends I wish you all Selamat Tahun Baru ! Happy New Year!  

Clarity of purpose and vision: ABU!

UMNO is full of failed leaders. More of their first tier leaders have, at one time or another, left UMNO than have stayed. Tunku, Hussein Onn, Mahathir, Tengku Razaleigh, Musa Hitam, Anwar Ibrahim and maybe Mahathir again if he does not have his way in the run up to the 13^th general elections.  Some have done so out of spite, some out of a sense of moral responsibility while some chose to do politics outside UMNO. I look at Najib today and see a man out of his depth in a job he is ill equipped to handle.

He is clearly not a leader able to put two separate pieces of information together in his head – what more process the numerous inputs coming in from all angles and sources – and digest them before making the necessary decisions that would affect his party, his people and his country.    

It is tragic for us and our country that this incompetent leader is advised by people whose vested interest overwhelms all other considerations. UMNO is obsessed with one thing and one thing only – how to hang on to power. There is no competent strategy of what to do with the malaise that has now overtaken our country because of this obsession for power over these last 50 years. No competent strategy of how to move on after the 13^th general election. These UMNO goons have no plans beyond taking back power in the 13^th general election. It would seem that should power be theirs again after the 13^th general election it would be back to the orgy of plundering and pillaging of our country wealth and resources!

Who advises Najib? Mahathir? The same Mahathir that wants his so called ‘legacy’ wreck asunder by Pak Lah to now be ‘protected’ by Najib? What legacy? Abuses and incompetence would more appropriately describe the 20 over years of Mahathir’s rule. This same Mahathir has already fast tracked his son into Cabinet! Now he stands poised to ‘negotiate’ with Najib his support for Najib in the coming 13^th general election in return for what? The crooked bridge in Johore? A minister ship for his son? The protection of his crony business interest because without the OSA he would be exposed as having betrayed the trust put upon him by the people to safeguard the interest of the nation rather then to abuse it by giving lucrative IPP and other projects and contracts to his cronies? What sort of advise would Mahathir give to Najib? Surely no advise that would benefit our nations interest and its people!

He is advised by UMNO leaders? Take Isa Samad and Thamby Chik – what advise would they give Najib that would benefit the rural Malays that are under their purview? These are two UMNO rejects that has to be recycled because UMNO has need for Isa’s proficiency in money politics and Thamby Chik expertise for gutter politics. It sickens me to the core to have these still titled dregs of human society in position of such responsibilities!

What advised has Najib been given to deal with the opposition – Pakatan Rakyat? His first foray into opposition territory was infamously successful with the taking of Perak from Pakatan Rakyat – not through the electoral process but through the baiting of opposition MP’s to cross over to Barisan Nasional. I will leave it to your imagination to figure out what bait was used. Suffice to say that apart from that bait, the Sultan and the Judiciary were co-opted to come onto Barisan Nasional side. What the price was for the capitulation of the Sultan and the Judiciary is still to be tabulated but we have a fair idea what the final costs will be!

After Perak Najib embarked on a relentless vendetta against the opposition. At times even death, as in Teoh Beng Hock’s, did not dimmed the enthusiasm of the offending mechanism used to harass the opposition.  As if one death was not enough, it took another death before MACC began to get its act together – hopefully it will not regress to what it was before – a running dog for UMNO’s political agenda.    

 

And now it would seem that only the jailing of the opposition leader would satisfy Najib. What have we regressed to? Somalia, Chad, Zimbabwe or the Democratic Repblic of Congo? In these places arrest warrants and the judiciary are weapons of choice for the government to neutralize any opposition!

Dealing with the opposition was never a primary concern of UMNO  - not until the 12^th general election. And they dealt with the opposition the same way they dealt with problems within UMNO, within Barsian Nasional and within the government they had – MONEY!

Even as they use money to deal with their problems UMNO itself was not beyond being distracted by the opportunity of making even more money for themselves even as they use money to buy themselves out of trouble. Nothing demonstrated this more then the PKFZ debacle. UMNO was prepared to give this ‘business opportunity’ to MCA so that MCA will not ‘interfere’ with UMNO’s ‘business opportunity’ for its own people – but PKFZ merely became another problem to UMNO rather then being able to keep MCA leaders ‘happy’.

For what it is worth what leadership Najib has over UMNO is leadership tolerated by UMNO in as long as he is able to allow UMNO to continue with their merry money making  - as it has done for half a century!

Let us in the opposition learn from Najib’s failure as a leader.

What we now have in our country is a growing ground swell of a critical mass of people that wants to see change in the way their leaders govern. They want their leaders to be accountable and responsible to the people in what they do in government. This grassroots idealism has been fueled and enabled by technology and social media. This critical mass is serious in its focus and committed in its goals. They have the same intensity as the Arab Spring, which spread relentlessly across 16 Middle East and North African countries. And they are focus on one issue and one issue only: CHANGE! They are serious enough to brave being harmed by baton wielding armed PDRM goons. They are brave enough to risk arrests.

And they have a leader: PAKATAN RAKYAT and who leads Pakatan Rakyat leads them. For now that galvanizing force is DSAI. I just want Pakatan Rakyat to understand that no uprising, no revolution or great change happens and succeed without effective leadership. The challenge for DSAI and Pakatan Rakyat is to sustain this leadership! And we achieved it through mutual respect and humbleness between that leader and the people that he leads.

Now the critical mass is not people who are protesting for the sake of protesting. Ask anyone of them and they will tell you what change they want. Get UMNO out. Ask them whom they want to replace UMNO with. They will say Pakatan Rakyat! And after victory at the 13^th general election what else do they want? A responsible and accountable government. And good governance. And then? Prosecute those leaders who had abuse the trust place upon them by the people.

These critical mass have their distractions. No need to go back to far – just the recent ones would do: Prof Dr Abdul Aziz Bari, Adam Adil, NFC, Berahim Beruk, Datuk Ambiga Sreenevasan, Tan Sri Ambrin Buang…..  and all these distractions do is to tighten the noose around Najib and Barsian Nasional neck!

But this critical mass for ABU has purpose and clarity in its vision while UMNO and Barisan Nasional does not! Let us now hope that our leaders within Pakatan Rakyat will not fail us!

As a leader, I have always endeavored to listen to what each and every person in a discussion had to say before venturing my own opinion. Oftentimes, my own opinion will simply represent a con-sensus of what I heard in the discussion. I always remember the axiom: a leader is like a shepherd. He stays behind the flock, letting the most nimble go out ahead, whereupon the others follow, not realizing that all along they are being directed from behind. – Nelson Mandela


For now we go onwards into 2012 and then onto PUTRAJAYA. Destiny awaits. You are one. With me we are two. Who else will join us!

The Morality Of Defence Spending

with thanks to : Major (Rtd) D.Swami

The Morality Of Defence Spending by Lt Col (Rtd) Tommy Pereira formerly of the Royal Malaysian Engineers Regiment

Friday, December 30, 2011

I have served a few years in the Malaysian Army but do not pretend to be knowledgeable in the subject of strategic studies,not that it really matters, as the nation obviously has many experts. I have also been a taxpayer since 1972 and still am, although according to Pemandu only about 1 million Malaysians pay tax. (This is another topic on which I have a huge grouse to air as well.) This letter is thus written in my capacity as a taxpayer. For the last five decades the Government has been spending on defense as if we have a bottomless pile of money. As a taxpayer I am questioning the rationale behind this unbridled spending. I am certain that for each item of expenditure there would have been numerous papers written to justify each such expenditure. I am also certain that most, if not all, of these papers are top secret,as ordinary laymen like me are not qualified nor intelligent enough to contribute, discuss, understand or possess the security clearance to have access to them. But if I had been clever enough to sneak into the country, secure a citizenship and with the aid of godfathers end up in the corridors of power I would off course have access to them. In fact if I claimed to be an expert even if I were a non-citizen but with the right connections, I would be paid handsomely to provide my views. The first question I would like answered is; who decides whether money should go into providing shelter, basic necessities and quality education or be spent on expensive items for defense? Can anyone with a conscience deprive our citizens of their basic necessities on the pretext of building up our defense? Can all the money in the world guarantee that we will protect our nation from all threats? We just need to look at what is happening around us to realize that at the end of the day no level of military sophistication will guarantee us a safe nation. Recent events should serve as a clarion call to remind us that it is the unity of our citizens which will ensure a safe nation within which every citizen will be allowed to prosper. We can own any number of submarines, modern fighter aircraft and modern tanks but if a true aggressor wishes to do so all of them could be taken out within a short time. At the end of the day it will be the collective will of a united nation which will turn the tide. Iraq, with all the money it had spent on defense and with a wide array of weapons and armaments in its arsenal capitulated within weeks in the nineties and again in 2003. Libya did not have a regime change because of a foreign invasion. In spite of all the reports we hear of a tax free, heavily subsidized nation it imploded because of the dissatisfaction of its citizens. NATO air power was only effective because a large number of Libyan citizens were prepared to fight on land. Wikipedia states that the small Libyan Navy had 8 Foxtrot Submarines from the Soviet Union in 1982. It also had a number of Frigates and Corvettes. During the February 19th Movement, Libyan Navy vessels were initially used by the Gaddafi regime to bombard rebel(Libyan) locations especially around Tripoli.On a single night in May 2011 NATO took out 8 of the Libyan Navy vessels thus incapacitating the Navy. The developments in other Arab nations, including the once mighty Egypt, should be lessons for defense and strategic planners of all nations. We should also be wary of Armed Forces, within in a corrupt system, who will not flinch when asked to turn their weapons on their own people, like in many Middle East nations. For centuries we have learnt that no matter how powerful an arsenal a nation has, if there is a capable aggressor it will be defeated and subjugated. This lesson has been passed down to us from events stretching back thousands of years. For recent history we only need to look as far as Germany, Italy, and Japan in the last Century and Iraq in this Century. No amount of money spent on the wrong items of defense is a guarantee of any peace. In fact the more a nation spends erroneously on defense the more it is encouraging it’s perceived adversaries to spend on armaments as well. However, if a nation diverts its funds from defense spending to providing basic amenities to its people, ensuring good infrastructure, good education, good health care and provide jobs, the less likely its citizens will allow its nation to be attacked by outside forces. It will also be less likely to implode. We still have hundreds of thousand if not millions needing a roof over their heads. They are unable to eke out a living due to lack of access and opportunities. They are unable to have a decent meal. Never mind education, water, electricity, mobility and the other items which many take for granted. We seem to be in a rush to declare our townships “Cities”, our sites “Heritage”, our states “Developed” or “Historical” and our nation developed, by 2020. But does anyone, especially those in Parliament, truly care about the plight of an alarmingly large number of our citizens. If we were to take into account the billions we have had at our disposal since independence is there any excuse for a single Malaysian not to have a roof over his head. We have had the same government in power for over five decades so we cannot, like the British, Americans, Australians and New Zealanders blame disruptions resulting from the true exercise of democracy, for this pitiful fact. What I would like to know is who ultimately decides whether a Ringgit should be spent on providing basic necessities for our citizens or spent on the latest aircraft, naval vessel or tank. Who decides that a Malaysian citizen should continue to be deprived of water, electricity, foodand education so that we can build up our defenses. Who decides that we should build high end “villages” for our EXCOs while metres away our people are crammed into slums. Who decides that our people should be allowed to continue to be deprived of basic medical care while they themselves fly out to the best hospitals in the world? Who decides that we should not provide classrooms for our children while they send their children to Oxford and Cambridge and the like? Who decides we need mega structures while school children and ladies have to negotiate creaky make shift bridges over raging waters just to get to school or the market? Who plays God to the extent that a fellow human being is to continue to be condemned to “Hell on Earth” while they conjure up enemies and decide that our money should be spent on defense. While there are many areas of unjustified spending, especially in our nation, I would classify spending on mega defense projects such as submarines, the latest fighter aircraft and heavy armaments as the most mortal of sins. It does not have a multiplier effect apart from that on the bank balances of the advisers, agents, the suppliers and many others along the hierarchy . A Ringgit spent is a Ringgit down the drain or sea or river. As an analogy, we can provide a decent house of 750square feet for RM 40,000. This includes water supply and solar panels for electricity. A Billion Ringgit could thus provide decent houses for 25,000 families. Nine Billion Ringgit could therefore provide houses for 225,000 families. Even RM 500 Million, which is the figure claimed to have been paid as commission for a single deal could have been used to build 12,500 houses or 50,000 people assuming an average of four to a household. Instead there are those who justify such expenditure by flippant statements such as “Willing buyer willing seller”. As it is impossible, for me at least, to obtain actual figures let us assume that currently we have 2 million (based on 8% of our population) people who need 500,000 houses. If we take the earlier figure of RM 40,000 as the cost of one complete house we would need RM 20 Billion. Haven’t we spent many times that amount on various adventures over the last five decades. Can we, in all honesty, look at those in need of a home in the eye and say to them “sorry we cannot afford to allocate money to provide houses for you”. It is akin to condemning a person to prison. In fact it would be better to commit a crime and end up in prison as you are guaranteed shelter and food if not the other amenities. The innocent homeless do not have even shelter and food, so who is better off. It is not too late for us to conduct honest evaluations of our situation and our actual priorities. We do need an Armed Force. That Armed Force should be built up within our means. We should focus on quality with high ideals. We should ensure that all of them are truly patriotic and not there just to earn a living or collect medals. Why do we need to engage in an arms race? Who are we competing with. Nations with a siege mentality can be excused for high defense spending. The top eight military spenders in terms of ratio of GDP are in the Middle East. And yet when their nations imploded there was nothing they could do. In Libya for example while NATO air bombardments destroyed large sections of Libya, more real damage to the property of the citizens resulted from the weapons of the Libyan Armed Forces. In terms of global defense spending as a ratio of GDP, There are only two nations from Europe in the top ten, Macedonia(6%) and Greece (4%). It is interesting to note that once powerful Japan, restricted to spending less than 1%, but because of its large GDP still has a credible defense capabilitiy. Likewise Germany. The Philippines with a GDP which is 25% of ours, with almost 100 million people living in thousands of islands, ongoing insurgencies in the North and South to contend with and embroiled in the overlapping claims issue over the Spratly Islands, only spend less than 1% of their GDP, do not have any armaments to speak of, never mind fighters or submarines, and yet have not been invaded by any foreign forces. We should take a lesson from Europe. That continent had been at war for the last two thousand years right up to the Second World War. Then it was the Soviet Era. However in the 1950s some European nations, including Germany and France, started cooperating economically. Then Europe witnessed the crumbling of Communism and the expansion of nations wishing to cooperate and ensure the stability of their continent. Their resources were diverted towards economic growth. For the first time in their history Europe is at peace. Greece while a member of the EU continued to spend up to 4% of their GDP on defense as they had their problems with Turkey, and is now in ruins, not solely because of defense spending, it must be admitted. The best form of defense is projecting a vision of a nation which is solidly united and with no territorial ambitions. It should make it clear in no uncertain terms that invaders will be met with the full force of the anger of its citizens even if it does not have cutting edge defense equipment. It only took weeks for the Allies to invade and throw out regimes in Afghanistan and Iraq but years later they are still struggling to project some semblance of success in their endeavours. They are pulling out of Iraq with their tails between their legs no matter what the American spin doctors and Obama spew out. You can destroy the best armaments in the world but you can never destroy the will of a true patriot. History has countless examples to prove this yet with the glitter of quick riches we justify our military spending with numerous justifications most of which are kept secret. It is quite simple to paint a gloomy picture to justify an Arms Race. At one time it was communism, then the Domino theory. We have spent Billions. Can we truly say that it was all necessary? The reality is that even if a nation were to fall, most of the decision makers would be the first to take flight while the poor subjugated, deprived masses would have to contend with the reality of continuing to eke out a living. We should focus on building up an Armed Force which is truly capable of defending the nation to the last man even if it means resorting to insurgency tactics. We cannot afford to have an Armed Force which crumbles when it is deprived of its modern armaments, which is a very strong possibility in all conflicts. We should look at equipping them with modern but basic weapons, educating them correctly, housing them properly and utilising them in nation building activities all the time. In peace there is no challenge greater than keeping an Armed Forces motivated. There are military personnel highly trained in all fields which a nation sorely needs, such as medicine, engineering, infrastructure building and even education, but languishing in their barracks. Some even resort to crime. They can be utilized to go into the interiors and build up nucleus of secure communities wherein all basic amenities including education and healthcare will be provided. A nucleus team can comprise: a. A Section From the Engineer Regiment(For construction) b. Two Electrical and Mechanical Corps Personnel c. Two Medical Corps staff d. Two Education Corps personnel e. A platoon of Infantry This team, with the right equipment and pre-prepared materials, should be able to complete a settlement comprising 25 houses including sanitation, a classroom a medical room, a community centre and a trading centre, all with water supply and solar powered electricity, within one month. The locals will also be trained to participate in the construction and soon will be able to continue with minimal supervision. Most of the citizens in the rural areas are usually experts in tilling the land. All that needs to be done is to encourage them to produce for the market, in addition to producing for their community thus developing nucleus farming communities, adapting to some form of modern agriculture methods. The team can remain for six to 12 months and then be pulled out. While undertaking their construction tasks for the community, they will continue to abide by military rules and procedures including training. They will also be tasked to train the locals in basic community leadership and security duties. In fact this had been an active part of the Armed Forces activities in the past under “Hearts and Minds” “JiwaMurni” and other similar programmes. Why it has not been exploited to the fullest is a mystery. We can also use retired and serving Armed Forces Personnel to assist in character development, sporting activities and outdoor activities in schools thus, in the long run, eliminating the need for national service training. This will also free teachers to concentrate on academic activities. This nation is regularly subjected to floods. We are also well aware of the flood prone areas. Yet year after year we see women and children being evacuated and made to sit and sleep on floors. By now we should have built proper hostels in the affected areas to house these people. Over the last five decades we could have built sufficient houses for all if not most of those living in flood prone areas so that many need not be evacuated unless it is a once in a 100 years type of floods. The urban poor continue to live in crowded slums and are fast developing into major threats to society. Crime rates have increased. We have large tracts of land. We are far from self sufficient in agriculture, poultry and meat. We can build up our production capacity by following similar approaches to the Felda schemes. This should be made available to the urban poor and will go a long way rather than RM 500 handouts. There are many other similar areas where funds spent on non-priority items of defense can be utilized to cater for the basic needs of our nation. It is time we conducted an honest appraisal and focus on the welfare of our people first.It is time we become accountable for each sen spent. 27th December 2011

posted by Major (Rtd) D.Swami @ 10:13 PM

Save the Sultan, nab the boys

with thanks to: 

The BENCHMARK

Iskandar Investment Berhad couldn’t have imagined such publicity even if Kalimullah had been their Chairman and   Abdullah Badawi was still sleeping somewhere in Putrajaya.

The past few days ISKANDAR INVESTMENT has been in the limelight for all the wrong reasons. When news of the MACC operation and subsequent court appearance of a few super senior ISKANDAR INVESTMENT officers broke, some FOURTH FLOOR boys up North in KL must have been rattled.

No doubt that Shahrizat Jalil could have a breather, a temporary one that is, but MACC’s hit in Johor has definitely sent a chill down the spine of quite a number of high profile operatives- those in Khazanah included.

What many may not notice is that the Iskandar hit may just be the tip of the iceberg as some of the trails could be leading up the ‘serene’ hill, or so they say.

Word has it that a former MMRCB senior officer has spilled the beans about a so-called multi million under-table payment to a newly minted Sultan. It could be empty talk or just the former 4^th floor policy maker’s name-throwing antics but that has surely led to a series of other allegations against the same Sultan.

Its certainly snowballing and people in Johor and Singapore are talking about it.

Sources, not from the North, East or West, say the Sultan on the advice of the ex-4^th floor boy who claims to have the Sultan in his pocket, has been encroaching into the affairs of the state civil service with impunity.

The said Sultan’s friends and business partners could also be deeply involved in the ISKANDAR scandal which is fast unfolding now. Medini Iskandar, the say, could be holding lots of secrets.

Since the shit in Iskandar has hit the ceiling, the Sultan may want to reconsider his partnership with those who claim to have paid him millions from MMRCB and continue to sell the Sultan’s name from Kota Baharu to Kallang , Kuala Lumpur included.

One DTK ZZ is up to no good, or so they say.

Being a Sultan, the monarch may also want to stay out of business that involves state land, state policy and arm-twisting the state civil service.

In the meantime Azman of Khazanah should do an audit on the GLCs (or rather their directors) who have been claiming that the Sultan could be bribed. The Sultan may appear fierce but we his people don’t believe that he is corrupt or has been abusing his powers. 

Why should he be doing such things when he is the Sultan of our state?

Ampun Tuanku! Jangan biarkan si-kitol menikam dari belakang Tuanku. 

THE OUTING OF ANAS ZUBEDY.

with thanks to :

zorro-unmasked

Revealing anything swept under the carpet and unmasking the sweepers.

SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011

THE OUTING OF ANAS ZUBEDY.

Commander (Rtd) S. Thayaparan, Royal Malaysian Navy, is a regular kopi-tiam kaki of mine. He graduated from the Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth in 1965. His tour of duty saw him as Commanding Officer of KD Tombak, KD Gempita, KD Ganyang and Executive Officer on Training Frigate KD Hang Tuah.

Through self-study he qualified to read law at Lincoln’s Inn and was the first Malaysian Naval Officer to be called to the Malaysian Bar in 1985.

Commander Thaya was the prosecutor for the Navy in the case of the collision between K.D. RAJA JARUM and M.V. SHOUMARU, and acted as Defense Counsel in the case of the sinking off the petrol vessel K.D. SRI PERAK in the South China Sea, both making front-page news.

Since retiring from the Navy, his expertise were sought in Timor Leste supervising both Parliament and Presidential elections and as a UN Volunteer Sri Lanka. He is currently with Yayasan Salam, an NGO.

His articles often appear in the Mainstream Media. He sent me this article as a blog-post. It is a rebuttal to ANAS ZUBEDY:

1. Openly acknowledge that we were sired from a Malay polity

Without an iota of doubt, make it clear that you completely accept history that this country is sired from a Malay polity; with a history, religion and way of life that are from the Malay-Islamic tradition. Only when you make it very clear that you acknowledge this history, communication lines will begin to open.

1. Firstly, who do you mean by “we”? We as a nation? We as a culture? Who comprises this “we”? We are a diverse group of people seeking shelter in a country not our own. The only people who can legitatemely say they are “natives” are the Orang Asli and the indigenous people of Sabah and Sarawak. Perhaps it is you who should acknowledge that before the arrival of Islam, “you” were Hindus. Perhaps it is “you” who should acknowledge that your culture contains aspects from both Chinese and Indian Culture.

Perhaps this should be acknowledged in our history books and taught to our young. Perhaps when you acknowledge this like many other Malays, you would be able to empathize with the rest of us who acknowledge the polyglot nature of our culture. Just ask the Baba Chinese or the Chittys of Malacca. I assure you when you acknowledge this; you will find communication much easier.

2. Appreciate that the Malays shared the land

Generally, the Malays are a gracious people. They are more inclined towards giving than taking. They showed this when they agreed to share Tanah Melayu. They see it as a sacrifice. You must learn to understand why they feel that way.

2. I appreciate that the indigenous people shared their land…….Not that they had much choice in the matter.

I think grace is shared by most people in this country. I suggest you read up on how the Malay rulers negotiated this “giving” of Malay land. I suggest you educate yourself on who helped build the infrastructure of this Malay land. I hope some day you understand the sacrifice of the Non-Malays who contributed in a very significant way during and before the coming of the British to this land you seem to think the Malays shared with us.

They agreed that from 1957 onwards the communities who came here initially

to earn a living were automatically promoted from "immigrants" to co-owners

of the land. They welcomed millions as fellow citizens. By doing so, the

Malays agreed to become a community among communities. All they asked was to

be assured of two things - that their Malay Rulers and that their religion

Islam are respected.

Who has disrespected Malay rulers and denigrated Islam. Who has curtailed the powers of the Sultans? Who has made a mockery of the great religion which is Islam? Yes we are different communities living under the umbrella of certain principles , the most important of which you mentioned but the fact is, it is UMNO and UMNO alone who is responsible for the lessening of power of the Sultans and the injudicious way Islam is applied. Anyone who becomes a citizen is expected to follow the laws of the land. The non Malays have honored this. I suggest you look to UMNO who claim they represent the Malays who have usurped the powers of the Sultan and denigrated Islam.

A show of appreciation for this act of sharing will make a big difference to

the Malay community. If you and the DAP set the example to appreciate that

the Malays shared the land, the hearts of the Malay community will open to

you. Just a simple acknowledgement, a simple thank you, would have warmed

their hearts.

Why should the DAP thank the Malays? And by Malays I mean people like you. Perhaps it is people like you who should thank the non-Malays. Who pays more taxes? Money that goes into education institutions that benefit the majority of Malays. Money that goes into religious organizations that morally police the Malays. Money that goes into institutions that denigrate other races – BTN for instance. Perhaps it is people like you who should be thanking the Non Malays. We are a simple people and I am sure we would receive your appreciation with open arms.

3. Get to know the Malays

You (Guan Eng) and the DAP need to get to know the Malays and get to know Islam. Embrace both the good and bad within the Malay community. Learn to accept

their idiosyncrasies, just like there are idiosyncrasies in any other culture.

3. I think Mr. Guan Eng knows the Malays pretty well. After all he was detained under the ISA for defending a Malay girl while the Malay Menteri Besar who assaulted her got away scott free. So, really it is you who need to know Mr. Guan and the rest of the DAP better.

It is you who need to understand that Mr. Guan Eng and the DAP already know the Malays. Mr. Guan Eng for instance probably got to know more about Malay culture when he was detained under the ISA with Mat Sabu hisPAS comrade. I have no idea what you mean by getting to know the Malay community. As a people we understand each others community. The DAP is merely a political party and not some sort of stand in for the Chinese community.

If the DAP really wants to represent all Malaysians, regardless of race and religion, you need to understand all Malaysians. And the Malays need to know that you understand them. Fifty-four years after agreeing to become a community among communities, they are naturally concerned that those in authority are people who will not understand their needs.

Of course the DAP wants to represent all Malaysian. This is why their political principles are based on certain basic commonalities that all communities can subscribe to. Of course the Malays understand the DAP especially now that the DAP is forging closer ties with PAS. They understand better now because the blindfold is slowly but surely being lifted of their eyes.

They see that both DAP and PAS are working together for the benefit of all people and that all people of this country are equal and should be treated as such. The Malays realize that people in authority have used race for years to divide this country while enriching themselves and exploiting their gracious nature.

As a basic start, it would be good to learn and practise Malay peribahasa. Peribahasa has been a part of Malay culture for many generations and it reveals many insights into the values of the Malays. If you use it in your daily conversation, it will give you a medium to gently communicate with the

hearts of the Malays. Another simple thing to cultivate is the habit of wearing traditional Malay wear, especially during official functions. Perhaps you can also organise programmes for your leaders to stay in a Malay kamping. It will be a good eye-opener for them to understand how to relateto the Malays.

I have no idea what you mean by Malay adat and peribahasa. Exactly what has this got do to with understanding Malay culture? Does Mr. Guan Eng speak Malay? Yes he does. Is the manner in which he speaks it rude? No it isn’t. Does Mr. Guan respect the Malay community? Has he allocated funds and resources to help the community? Yes he has. In short, has he run the state he leads competently?

What is wearing Malay traditional dress really mean? What is staying in a Malay kampong achieve? If people are in need regardless of race, an effective leader carries out programmes that benefit them. Your mundane suggestions make it seem as though Mr. Guan Eng is an alien, who has no clue of Malay culture when he has lived here all his life. Perhaps it is people like you who should wear the traditional dress of Non-Malays then maybe you would not feel as though non Malays don’t understand you.

If the DAP practises simple gestures like this, it is an opportunity to show

that you respect and value Malay culture. It will demonstrate the DAP's inclusiveness. A good example of inclusive culture is shown in the Peranakan community who draw from both Malay and Chinese traditions. By being inclusive, they do not lose out anything but become a richer people for it.

Practicing simple gestures like you describe is nothing but symbolic gestures meant to distract from the real problem of the community. I would rather Mr. Guan Eng concentrate on the numerous social problem that affects the Malay community and by helping remedy such problems, Malays (like you) will realize that substance is far more productive than form.

4. Say sorry

Some of the DAP's actions in the past, rightly or wrongly, may have hurt the Malay community. For the Malays to stop seeing the DAP as an antagonist, the DAP has to acknowledge the hurt they have caused the Malays and say sorry. If you look at the practice of asking for forgiveness every Aidilfitri, you will realise how important this act is to the culture. The Malays will say sorry even if they did not do wrong. They will ask for forgiveness simply as a good gesture out of respect. They say sorry all the time. That is embedded

in the Malay culture. The Chinese may see saying sorry as "losing face" but for the Malays, saying sorry it is to give the other party "face" - an act of high culture.

4. What does the DAP need to apologize for?

Please list out the wrongdoings that the DAP has perpetuated against the Malay community. Why is the Malay community feelings hurt? What exactly has theDAP done? Please be specific, because simply asking for an unwarranted apology is the height of hubris and exactly the sense of entitlement that the policies of UMNO have created.

But seeing how Malays like you, like to say sorry, perhaps you could apologize for Ibrahim Ali, for waving the Keris around, for the systemic discrimination that the Non Malays have to put up with, the constant reminders that we are foreigners even though as I have stated above it is our taxes that are being used for the majority.

Sometimes, to achieve bigger purposes we know that we have to humble ourselves and take the wiser path. In this spirit, I suggest that you apologise for the chauvinistic actions the DAP has taken in the past. For

example, the DAP's attempt to forge a "Malaysian Malaysia" in the way of making the Malay culture and all cultures of Malaysia equal. That is wrong to our history. They are inconsistent with the DAP's objectives as an inclusive Malaysian party.

Right, now we get to the crux of the matter. You do not think that non Malay culture is equal to Malay culture. Behind your benign rhetoric is really a supremacist, wanting his due. Yes, we are all equal. In other words, you probably are a firm believer in Ketuanan Melayu. I trust you realize that PAS has abandoned that perspective. Thankfully most Malays are not like you. When you finally ever read Malaysian history you will be disappointed to discover that what you think of as Malay has got a lot to with non Malay cultures. I hope the DAPnever bows down to the supremacy you subscibe. I hope no party ever bows down to your racist and bigoted views.

Once you say sorry, it will not be difficult for the Malays to forgive and to forget. It is part of the Islamic principles that are ingrained in the Malay worldview. Prophet Muhammad also showed the example of a forgiving spirit. The Quran in 8:61 commands: "But if they incline to peace, you also incline to it, and (put your) trust in God."

It amazes me that you advocate Malay supremacy and yet quote the Quran, which is one of the more egalitarian religious books around. I suppose you are Malay first then a Muslim, which is funny because most of the Muslim I know would say that all men are equal before God regardless of race or culture. I repeat unless you have some specific list of wrongs doings done by the DAP; there is nothing really to talk about.

5. Lim Kit Siang must retire

If the DAP is serious about being a multiracial party, it needs to re-brand public perception towards it. There must be fresh leadership so that the DAP is no longer judged based on past actions. The old must make way for the young.

5. Lim Kit Siang must not retire. Again, you are the few who wish to perpetuate this old canard that the DAP is a chauvinistic party. It is not. What the DAP is has a lot to with Mr. Kit Siang. His principles and integrity are vital if the DAP is to navigate this new terrain we find ourselves in.

As long as Lim Kit Siang remains in power directly or indirectly, I feel that the DAP will continue to be perceived as a Chinese-exclusive party. Detractors will use his past actions as a scapegoat to disrupt the DAP's multiracial aims. This is why I believe that it is good time for Lim Kit Siang to pass the baton to new leaders.

What has Mr. Kit Siang’s leaving got to do with rebranding? The party is rebranding itself with it’s commitment to PAS and the Pakatan Rakyat. They need experienced leaders to offer guidance in these troubled times. I have no idea why you would signal out Mr. Kit Siang and offer no reason for why he should leave except for vague accusations of chauvinism.

You do not have to worry. The only reason why the DAPis perceived to be a Chinese based party is because Utusan Meklayu continues in it’s scurrilous campaign to convince it’s declining readership that the DAP is to be feared, much like how the BN propaganda organs attempted to do so with PAS. Mr. Kit Siang has got nothing to do with it.

6. Be willing to lose out a considerable portion of the Chinese voter base

I am glad that in terms of theory and constitution, theDAP welcomes all as equal members regardless of race and religion. But to really have this in practice, the DAPhas to be prepared to lose out the portion of the Chinese voter base who wishes to remain exclusive.

The DAP can be a positive alternative to race-based political parties. To do this you need to let it be known that the DAP is serious about being inclusive to all. Make it clear to the rakyat that you are willing to give up ties with the chauvinistic Chinese, and all Malaysians will feel assured that you will fairly represent all.

6. Again, with the fallacious reasoning. The fortunes of the DAP have risen and fallen because of their association with PAS. One of the reasons they didn’t do well before 2008 was because of their association with PAS. It wasPAS who decided to be more inclusive in terms of its principles which is why both the DAP and PAS have benefited.

Exactly who are these chauvinistic Chinese you keep referring to? And what ties have the DAP, got to cut? It is you who are going on about the superiorty of the Malay race and although I do not speak for the DAP; they have no need for your vote. What they do need is the Malay voter who understands that we are all equal and that change is needed for the stewardship of this country. And thanks to the efforts of PAS many more Malays are beginning to realize that the DAP is not a chauvinistic party.

7. Merge the DAP and PKR

The fastest way for the DAP to be a formidable alternative to race-based politics is to merge with PKR. Once you do that, automatically you become a multiracial body - a truly Malaysian party.

Let us be honest with ourselves. The loose coalition of theDAP, PKR and PAS seems similar to the BN formula of Umno, the MCA and MIC. Before long, the rakyat will begin to see you as a copy of BN.

The real issue that needs to be solved here is trust among leaders. When it comes to the membership, the majority will follow the leaders. If you and the DAP leadership make a clear stand to merge with PKR, the majority will follow suit.

7. Why should the DAP merge with PKR. What don’t they merge with Pas? The BN is a coalition of single race based parties. The Pakatan is a coalition of two multiracial parties and one religious one, who have shown that they can attract votes from across the board. The only one who seems to think otherwise is people like you.

I think your idea of merging the parties is pure nonsense. What Pakatan has got going for it is a diversity of views. You can keep screaming about how you think that DAPis not multiracial when what you obviously mean by multiracial is that it needs to be dominated by Malays. That’s not multiracial that’s your supremacist attitude peeking out. As it is, there are Malays who would vote forDAP and their number is growing everyday as they are Chinese who would vote for Pas.

Your idea of a merger while it seems like a nod to multiculturalism is rather about your race insecurities.

Lastly, I felt compelled to respond to your Open letter because it caused great concern amongst the retired Malay Armed Forces personnel I mix with. Has it come to this? They wondered.