Semenanjung political parties especially big brother himself, UMNO don't get it. If you want to remain in power, do not anger your counterparts in Sabah and Sarawak. It is akin to shooting one's self in the foot, stomach and head at the same time. Yes, Sabah has UMNO but all Anwar needs to do is tell the Sabah MPs that they now have a chance to kick the invaders off their state and that is what UMNO is viewed as, an invader bent on plundering the riches of Sabah. Why do you think Sarawak has always made it clear that it is a no-UMNO-zone?
As reported on Malaysiakini:
Among others, a backbencher tells his counterparts from Sabah and Sarawak to stop complaining over their lack of representation in the cabinet.
Source: Malaysiakini
So when you go about telling The King-makers to keep quiet, you will in turn be silenced.
Semenanjung politics has always been a pandora box to most Sarawakians. What happens in Semenanjung, stays in Semenanjung and people here are laid back and enjoy living life as it is. We are not bothered by the issues that seem to divide the communities in Semenanjung. It is when Semenanjung-nites come trooping over here and they start enforcing their belief systems, that Sarawakians are irked.
Is it wrong for Sabah and Sarawak to ask for more representation in cabinet? Or will BN come cowering to Sabah and Sarawak for support each time an election comes round the corner, only to short-change them later?
UMNO thinks they can push their weight about since they are so big but they fail to realized that such pompous attitudes do not go down well with simple Sabahans and Sarawakians. To have UMNO in Sarawak would only mean chaos and in-stability because UMNO's only looks out for itself and only itself.
In Sarawak, there are at least 27 ethnic groups - all Bumiputras. While in UMNO's mind, there is only one (1) Bumiputra. So do you seriously think, they will be fair to all? If UMNO is smart, keep Sarawak and Sabah happy besides the other Semenanjung BN component parties were wiped out during the GE.
UMNO needs to build allies not enemies.
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Scan the media, be it Malaysiakini, The Star, New Straits Times, Utusan Malaysia, The Sun; you would noticed the word "democracy" being mentioned over and over again.
It has been used pompously to justify most of what has happened in the aftermath of the 12th General Election. A dejected looking Pak Lah, upon hearing about the massive winnings of the opposition, used it to tell the world that "democracy" was being practice to the fullest in Malaysia.
(So if the BN won all the seats in Malaysia would that be a sign that "democracy" is not practice to the fullest?)
Both camps (opposition and government) claim their take on democracy. Both camps have their own idea what the democratic process should be like. We are a democratic country, one can argue. For 50 years we have been a democratic country but in truth, only in the 12th General Election do we get a real taste of democracy.
The brand of democracy practiced in Malaysia is a mix of Representative and Parliamentary democracy. Representative democracy involves the selection of government officials by the people being represented. Parliamentary democracy is where the government is appointed by parliamentary representatives. What's the danger in these two brands of democracy? Power tend to sway away from the people into the hands of the elected thus creating a dictatorship model.
It has been a case of over-saying the word. Say "democracy" long enough and you would get the idea that you know so much about it yet you actually do not know the real meaning of the word. Sometimes we overuse a word to the point that it becomes meaningless. It becomes cheap and it's true value is lost in the swirl of media spin and collective idiotic consensus.
Yes, sometimes we all decide to be stupid at one time. It has been like this for Malaysia for the pass 50 or so years. Yes, we have progressed from a backwater country to one that is a champion among the developing world.
But have we truly practiced democracy?
Everyone from those who walk the corridors of power to the guy making my teh-tarik has an idea of what democracy is in their own context. But in order to truly know what democracy it, we have to take a step back into history.
First and foremost, democracy is a Greek idea. Democracy is not western but rather mediterranean. One of the greatest legacy the Greeks left the world besides hot baths and the names of planets.
Secondly, there were no political parties in the original democratic practice. The people elected Senators who then made up the senate and from the senate was elected a man to lead the state. The senate moved as one body for the good of the nation. It was a simple arrangement.
Note that the people elected the senators not the PM.
Note too that there were no party affiliation. In fact the senators stood for the people. It was the earliest form of representative democracy. Further more, slaves could lead a revolt and effectively change the government, this almost happened during the time of the Romans by a slave called Spartacus. Poor fella got stopped by the Roman army but he sure created havoc along the way. Anyway, back to my take on democracy.
The Oxford Dictionary gives us a clue to the origins and meaning of the word "democracy":
ORIGIN late 16th cent.: from French démocratie, via late Latin from dēmokratia, from dēmos ‘the people’ + -kratia ‘power, rule.’
So democracy can basically be translated as "the people's power or rule". Folks, it is the people who rule, it is the people who has the "kratia". It is the people's will that the Senators have in mind. They were Wakil Rakyat and not Wakil Party.
Fast-track to present day Malaysia and we see a totally different picture. We have Members of Parliment who kow-tow to party rules. They have to keep the party stand rather than what the people within their constituency want. The party leader runs the show, whether or not the people agree. In short, the focus is more on the "kratia" and everyone forgot about the "demo".
We tend to remember the "demo" when it comes to demonstration, which leads to arresting of the people whom the government should be listening to.
The beauty of democracy was lost during the era of the Romans. The Romans believed in a Caesar to rule the empire. Yes, there were still Senators but absolute power belonged to Caesar. Sounds familiar?
The democracy Malaysia practice is this form of democracy. The draconian-Caesar-like kind cloaked over by a blanket of terms that suggest we practice both representative and parliamentary democracy.
But all that is about to change. The people have risen to take what rightfully belong to them and all elected members of parliament should understand this. There should not be any grumbling or murmuring from the elected or dejected ones. Instead they should humbly bow to the will of the people upon whose hands rest real power.
Each time the word "democracy" is mention, it is an endorsement of "The People's Power/Rule". So when the people demand change, then that demand should be respected regardless if you win or lose. This should be drummed into the minds of all Malaysians. The elected government needs to respect and appreciate the role the people had in empowering them for service. The people chose to hand down authority to a select few. Power to serve the state and country and not to be a means for their personal gains.
It is the people who rule and hold real power in Malaysia. So it is very democratic to call for the a leader to step down. This form of democracy is called Direct Democracy where the citizens participate in decision-making personally contrary to relying on intermediaries of representatives. Such decision making comes in the forms of referendums for instance Switzerland has on national referendums and initiatives two to four times a year.
So lets ask that out government (whether Pakatan or BN) to practice your Representative/Parliamentary Democracy but add another element - Direct Democracy. Remember, it is demokratia - The People's Rule and power".
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Just yesterday we were treated to the PM telling the nation that the reason UMNO did so badly in the previous GE was due to sabotage of it own members (read my previous post).
Today, Malaysiakini reports a slightly different story:
Umno deputy president Najib Abdul Razak today said that the party had no definite proof as to the identity of its members who had sabotaged the party during the recent general election.
No definite proof?
So what was Pak Lah babbling about to the 1,000 UMNO supporters?
Plus, we get commentaries from the MSM that these 1,000 supporters were satisfied with the explanation from their party leader. How easy it is to satisfy these people even when you tell them fibs?
This is clearly a case of I will say whatever I want and you just believe it. It is amazing that the person to break the news that there is no definite proof of the identity of the saboteurs should be the PMs deputy. Something to look out for in the coming month or so.
Another thing that should be observed is the fact that Tun Mahathir is now openly being criticized. Nothing wrong with that since it is a democratic country. It is what he is criticize for that makes it interesting. Tun Mahathir (TM) is criticized for the measures he put into placed in the 22 years he was in power, measures that ensured he had absolute power over what happens in the country. As PM he could stick it up to the Rulers, control the media, put people into prison without trial, be voted party president without any contest, etc. Now, all these things are being brought into the open and criticized by the ones that benefitted the most from it.
If Pak Lah really want to do something good for the nation, here are a few things he needs to do besides merely giving us rhetoric nonsense:
- Abolish the ISA. Everyone has the right to trial.
- Have open UMNO elections. Anyone can via for the presidency as long as they enjoy popular support.
- An independent media - abolish party owned media. This means newspapers and television.
- Abolish race-based political parties and install a two party system in Malaysia. Call them the Government and Opposition or Barisan Nasional and Pakatan Rakyat, whatever that sounds nice.
- Abolish any form of quota system. Could we actually have a Malaysian dream where anyone can make their fortune in Malaysia?
Just my list. What about yours? Feel free to tell me what would your list be like.
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There are some really stupid jokers in the Penang government and they are all UMNO:
Penang Umno will recommend to the Federal Government to stop all proposed mega projects in the state, include those planned under the Northern Corridor Economic Region (NCER), the second Penang Bridge, the light monorail transit system, the Penang Outer Ring Road, the Penang Sentral and the RapidPenang bus service.
State Umno secretary Datuk Azhar Ibrahim said the previous Gerakan-led state government had worked together with the federal government to bring all sorts of development to Penang.
"Since the people have clearly rejected development and made their choice for a change, we will recommend to the federal government to cancel all such projects. Don’t blame us for this," he said after a state liaison committee meeting here today. In March 8 polls, Umno only won two parliamentary seats and 12 state seats.
Article: NST.com.my
They have the nerve to blackmail the populace.
This is typical, if we can't have it then no-one will, attitude of a pompous UMNO. The people have voted for a change in government and they have the nerve to heavy-handedly twist the people's arm into submitting to their own wishes. It is an insult to the fairness in government where policy is separated from the government of the day.
Whatever promises that where made on the federal level before the elections should and must be honored. The federal government is still intact in the hands of BN of which UMNO is the largest shareholder. And rather than looking at their own faults, these jokers in Penang decide to blame the people. Insulting the people's intelligence and subtly telling the people that they were stupid to vote the DAP into government because by doing so, all mega-projects would be withdrawn.
It were threats are what made BN end up where they are today. Blatantly publishing newspaper adverts proclaiming "Only One Choice!"
Hello?
They people had another choice and they made that choice. The rakyat did not vote for no-development, they voted for no-corruption, no-racism, no-religious-drama and no-confident-BN.
So remove the plank in your eye before you judge the speck in your neighbor's eye.
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Stunned is the only word to describe the results of the recent 12th General Elections. Five (5) states went to the (government labeled) 'Opposition' and this effectively denied the current National Front Party (BN) a two third majority. Instead, the BN can only form government with a simple majority.
The main task for the Opposition in the 12th GE was basically to deny BN the two third majority, which gives power to the ruling government to amend the constitution, something the BN government has done 40 times.
Five states, namely Penang, Selangor, Perak, Kedah and Kelantan. A worthy note must also be made of the fact the Opposition also took the Federal Territory of Kuala Lumpur. Yes, the capital of Malaysia is also under the Opposition.
The taking of the five states is a major setback for the ruling BN. Primarily because these states are economically some of the riches in the country. Plus, they are also well developed compared to other states in the country.
The lost of Selangor, especially, was a big surprise to BN. There were few indications that Selangor would fall to the Opposition but BN fail to take into account - Malaysian voters are smarter than they think. The surprise came when Malay voters swung to the Opposition. These voters are not simple people but rather intellectuals, who for years have been mentally insulted by the ruling BN. These are the voters who do not agree with the hypocrisy of BN. Promising to rid corruption yet practicing it within their own establishment. These are the voters who watch (in horror) as wealth is accumulated by a select few while the rest are left to beg for scraps. Yes, these are also the voters who have turned to alternative news sites because the BN controlled media has been rampantly lying to the people.
It was Tun Mahathir who summed up what I believe is the sentiment of the people. They don't necessarily support the Opposition, it is simplt because they are angry at BN.
So arrogant BN were humbled by the people they said would give them the two third majority.
Such is democracy, the people had their say.
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