Put an End to Racial Politics

When will the political leaders of Malaysia ever learn that all Malaysians must be taken care of at the same time regardless who is voted to represent them.

The ethnicity doesn’t matter at all. It must be true Malaysian leaders representing all Malaysians and no bias to any one group.

At the present state of our country, all political assessments are still along ethnic lines. After 53 years, this narrow view is deeper than ever before prompting PM Najib to come up with the 1Malaysia slogan for unity.

That chameleon slogan uttered even as a greeting like “Selamat 1Malaysia” has given rise to the most obscure meanings and now it means anything to anyone who makes any sense out of it. Meaningless at best.

No point arguing what it means because even PM Najib doesn’t even know himself it seems with conflicting words coming out from him as he plays to the gallery.

In anticipation to GE13, Umno will realise that if MCA is rejected, BN will not be able to regain the 2/3 majority. However, PAS has also pointed out that with an 8% swing in Malay votes to Pakatan Rakyat, BN will lose the election.

Strange that all analysis remains along ethnic lines but that’s not how Malaysian thinks anymore.

In most if not all constituencies, it is impossible for a mere single ethnic group to determine the win of a seat. You need Malaysians from all ethnic background to win seats.

Yes, there are still racial bigots who will vote along racial lines. They can’t understand the bigger country picture.

Then there are those who are party bigots. They will vote their party no matter what. However, we see a change in GE12 where party members abandoning their own parties to vote the opposition or spoiling their votes in protest, the latter being the foolish.

Ignore the rantings that ethnicity in the Government will be best to represent various groups.

In modern Malaysia in the 21st century, all leaders voted to power MUST represent the interests of all parties without fear or favor. It is the capability of the leader and the political group leadership that matters as they seek to serve all Malaysians especially those in need.

Let’s choose wisely for our political representation in the country’s government. It is not the ethnic background. It is the capability to represent us all regardless of ethnic background.

Listen to the voices of those who present themselves for our votes and hear clearly what they say. See through their charade and cut to the chase. What have they done and what more can they do to make our lives better. Not tell us how to vote.

Let Malaysians NOT be divided but united to face the world. We need each other to make this happen.

Najib, Soi Lek Message has no meaning to Malaysians

Najib has declared that if the Chinese won’t support MCA that they will lose their representation in the Government.

Chua Soi Lek today came out to defend Najib and said that is the reality, not a threat, that should MCA fare worse in the next General Election that they will stay out of the government.

These statements and comments about them have made headlines and waves throughout the main stream media as well as on the net.

What difference will it make to Malaysians?

Rhetorical

The latest rantings appear to be rhetorical given that MCA had the worst election results in recent years winning 15 out of 40 parliamentary seats in GE12.

Yet they continued to remain in the cabinet with 4 ministerial positions.

Gerakan, who was almost cleaned out, had Koh Tsu Koon becoming a minister via a senatorship backdoor even after declaring not to accept it if offered. Now that is history.

The statements made appear mostly rhetorical and many construe them as threats to the Chinese community. However, the reality is that most people who read such political rhetorics have pooh-poohed or ignored them as mad rantings.

Can the government of the day ignore the needs of any community? The answer is a clear NO! So what are these statements intended for?

Waning Support

The analysis that MCA and Gerakan have lost the support of the Chinese community and that they have backed DAP instead appears to have sparked the maddening ravings.

This is a skewed view of BN and in attempting to sow seeds of discord and confusion in the political arena, BN has aimed at the Chinese community especially because of the recent DAP success in the Sarawak election.

The reality is that many Malaysians are losing patience on BN and have lost the respect for MCA and Gerakan. It is not just the Chinese community.

In every constituency are always mixed with multi communities. The seats that DAP won had Chinese, Iban, Dayak, Melanau, etc. and they voted against BN.

There are also Chinese, Iban, Dayak, Melanau, etc. who voted for BN. These statements by Najib and Soi Lek will be taken that these voters who voted for BN are irrelevant. Only the Chinese is the primary cause of the loss of BN seats. That is an absolutely narrow and extreme view to cast a blame and find a political scapegoat.

Instead of improving the weaknesses that voters perceive the BN had and to make amends to win their support, such rantings only confirm the feelings of voters to continue to vote against BN.

Soi Lek is sure to lose more support for the MCA with empty lip service.

Mature Malaysians

Malaysian voters are generally more mature and know how to weigh the words of politicians. The general feeling is not about how great the opposition leaders are but how bad they feel against the BN.

The opposition has successfully rode this tide of disenchantment against the BN and GE12 along with the recent Sarawak election has seen the attitude towards the opposition growing very positive.

It has been clearly seen that the issues the opposition raised are all things that affect all Malaysians. The weak economy, rise of inflation and petrol prices, stagnant wages, etc are real problems we all face and they attempt to show how they can resolve them if voted to power.

On the other hand, BN kept on with personal attacks on Anwar, “sex video” revelation and the writing off the opposition claims on how they can improve the lives of Malaysians by saying it will bankrupt the country actually puts off all Malaysians.

Najib can’t put up any decent initiatives to prove he can do the job of improving our lives. Publicity of the Government Transformation Programs have drawn more doubts than positive support. Malaysia losing FDI to countries like Indonesia and Philippines cannot be excused and Najib has remained erriely silent on this matter.

Malaysians Suffer

In reality, all Malaysians, not just the Chinese community, are suffering. The prolonged agony started in the late 90′s at the time of a global crisis and when Anwar was incarcerated. Malaysia never bounced back.

After the Mahathir era, the Badawi era saw no movement. Now the Najib era has seen only hot air publicity to talk up economic growth.

Malaysians are at their wits end now and no amount of positive spin by Najib and gang or such diversions on the Chinese community can change it.

Unless and until the general lives of Malaysians improve in a real way (not perceived), the sentiments against the BN will continue to grow and it has no communal lines.

Mere Distractions

Politics make strange bedfellows. MCA in BN means MCA supports all Umno stands for and Umno supports all MCA stands for, at least in appearance for as long as the tolerance of each other remains bearable.

Political diversions such as these racial statements will continue as long as they think the diversion works.

Malaysians will ignore them and sentiments against BN will grow until they show they care for all Malaysians by fixing things that affect our lives. GE13 is not that thing but if it takes GE13 to make a statement, Malaysians may just rise to the occasion.

Make the Change Now

BN, please do something to improve our lives. Political rhetorics and blame on any community means nothing to us! So far, it’s been nato – no action, talk only!

What difference will support of MCA mean to the Chinese community and all Malaysians who vote for them? What difference has MCA ministerial positions mean for them? So far, if voting MCA means more of the same, there’s really no upside to voting MCA.

Tell all Malaysians something different, something more definite, things that will improve our cost and standard of living now! Before many more Malaysians run away.

That’s what all Malaysians care about. Not useless politicking like picking on particular communities for BN failings. You had 53 years already. You should know what and how to do it.

Don’t wait until it’s too late!

Perak will show if Najib is the People’s PM

Observing all the political and legal rigmaroles for a while now, we can safely say that the situation has become absolutely absurd and convoluted.

Perak went from a rich state to a fool’s circus in the past few months.  We now have this ridiculous history etched into our minds, something to tell our grandchildren one fine day.

As more and more people voice up for a fresh election so that Perakians can show their decision as to who they want govern the silver state, we fail to see a possible solution to the deadlock unless something unthinkable is to happen first.

A KTK Ad Lib

Gerakan’s Koh Tsu Koon (KTK) finally broke his silence in the media when he commented this:

“We must focus on re-building unity among the races, reducing the people’s economic burden and re-assuring them of our deep commitment to ensuring fairness and justice for all.” (read here).

Is there disunity among the races?  Who has been sowing discord amongst the races?  Why even distinguish by races?

Turn Your Eyes on Kuala Trengganu

January 17 is the next important date for Malaysians.  The Kuala Trengganu (KT) by-election has turned out to be another mother of by-elections so to speak.  The Parliamentary seat is now up for grabs and PAS has Abdul Wahid Endut against Umno’s Datuk Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh.

However, in light of the bigger picture, it is Pakatan Rakyat‘s advisor Anwar Ibrahim verses Barisan Nasional‘s Deputy President and Deputy Prime Minister Najib Razak.  This is a classic clash of the giants and much is at stake.  It is a Parliamentary seat as well as a moral victory for whichever party that wins it.  It may herald a new watershed of events and become a growing force of disenchantment against the Government or it can become a major stumbling block to a vision of replacing the Government.

Either way, this by-election has all the makings of a historic event.

Wake Up Call – Mathias Chang

In an excellent recent article by Mathias Chang entitled “Flip-Flopping Fairy Tales – Malaysia Will Not Have 3.9% Growth In 2009 – Accepting Reality Is Not Pessimism, Giving False Hopes Is Not Optimism” , he challenges the nation’s leadership’s position of ostrich economics.

Surely, his grave warnings may sound like doomsday prophecy and may be brushed aside as wild speculation.  Surely, the Badawi Administration can come out and say quite the opposite that all will be well and Zeti says we will not be in a recession next year.  Yes, people in the right places can come out saying almost anything about the well-being of our economy.

But guess what?  Only we the Rakyat will know and has known for a while now that tough times have arrived and tougher times ahead.  It’s not about talking ourselves into a recession but to face the realities and do the right things.

Here are some of Mathias Chang‘s predictions (read here):

1. by H1 of 2009, the KLCI will drop below

Pak Lah’s Legacy? He doesn’t care?

This indeed so strange for a Prime Minister to say.  Pak Lah says he is not bothered with what people will think of him as the PM of Malaysia in the years to come.  Legacy is something everyone should be concerned about.  It is what the individual has done to make the world a better place.  What more a PM who has the power to make a lasting impact on Malaysia as a country.

Pak Lah made many election promises in 2004 which resulted him winning the most votes any PM had done so in the history of Malaysia.  During the four years, none of the reforms he promised which won him those votes materialized although they were much publicized for the wrong reasons like the Lingam scandal.  This year, 2008 March, four years later, Pak Lah again made history winning the least votes any PM had done so in the history of Malaysia.  Not only that, he also lost 5 states (Selangor, Perak, Penang, Kedah and Kelantan) and the KL Federal Territory.  That’s also the most territory a PM in Malaysia has lost, these being the most developed and richest states.

Is this the only legacy Pak Lah is leaving?  Winning the most votes and also the least votes in the history of Malaysia?

Finally Pak Lah Says It

Today, Pak Lah finally said it.  He will not defend his Umno President post come next March.  The MalaysianInsider reported (read full article here)

“I will not stand for the presidency of Umno in the coming elections. My current term as Umno president ends in March next year,” he told reporters after the meeting.

What ifs in October

What if this happens or that happens?  There are a myriad of speculations in the month of hot October.  So let’s do some What-if analysis on possibilities, albeit hypothetical.  Beats reading the newspapers.

What if Badawi goes for the Umno Presidential election?

October Hot Month

October 2008 is the hot month for Malaysia.  This is the month to watch as many things that are going to happen during this time which have a longer term implication to us all.

Oct 1 & 2 – Hari Raya

Selamat Hari Raya to all Malaysians who are muslims.  This day marks the end of the Ramadhan fasting month and in Malaysia, there is the get together by all non-muslims to join our muslim friends in their festivities.

The open houses by various leaders especially the PM and Deputy PM at PWTC was attended by many people today, including those from Hindraf, Anti-ISA and Free RPK friends.  Alas, being an open house, there is little any security personnel can do to stop them and according to MalaysianInsider (read here) they managed to catch the attention of Pak Lah.  All ended well and with respect.

This Saturday at Kepala Batas, there is bound to be some interesting visitors to Pak Lah’s open house at his home constituency.