JACKIE CHAN SAYS IT ALL

"Drunken monkey in the snake's shadow"- My favourite Jackie Chan Movie

JACKIE CHAN SAYS CHINESE PEOPLE NEED TO BE 'CONTROLLED'

“Jackie Chan has triggered controversy by claiming Chinese people are so chaotic they need to be firmly controlled by the government.”

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5182114/Jackie-Chan-says-Chinese-people-need-to-be-controlled.html.

“I'm not sure if it's good to have freedom or not. I'm gradually beginning to feel that we Chinese need to be controlled. If we're not being controlled, we'll just do what we want." He reportedly said this at a business forum in the country’s Hainan Province

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/blogs/dailydish/detail?blogid=7&entry_id=38876.

Yesterday, Prime Minister Najib Razak liberalized 27 sub-sectors of the service industry from the 30 % Bumiputera equity participation. Instead of applauding this gesture as a way forward and assisting in seeing its success hand in hand in the spirit of One Malaysia, the MCA through their official loudspeaker/ mouthpiece, it’s Secretary General has pushed the Prime Minister further by asking for all sectors to be opened up without having to gradually progress step by step ensuring that it is fail-proof.

http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/info.asp?y=2009&dt=0425&pub=utusan_malaysia&sec=Politik&pg=po_12.htm&arc=hive.

Give these people an inch, they’ll ask for the Universe! I wonder if the MCA Secretary General started using chopsticks from the moment he was delivered in the labour room.

Jackie Chan’s evaluation on the bahaviour patterns of his race is very difficult to rebut based on the attitude of the current MCA ingrates. In addition, the way the Singapore Government handles its citizens, further amplifies his views on it and is testiment of the case in question.

SUSPEND THE CHINESE DAILIES!

The Home Minister should suspend the Chinese dailies which constantly misquote Malay Ministers on Chinese matters inciting anger and pitting the two communities against each other like it was the company’s top agenda.

In the most recent case, the deputy prime minister was reportedly using the word “ungrateful” to describe the community in the wake of the ruling party’s defeat in the Bukit Gantang by-election. Though this was not what he said about the Chinese community although it would have been right on target if he had done so, the response by the Chinese leaders who didn’t bother to investigate beforehand were direct and could strain the relationship in the Cabinet.

According to the Home Minister, he himself was misquoted in his winding up speech in the recent UMNO General assembly when he said the party and the Malay Rulers were the only parties who fought for Malaya's independence. If indeed this is so and judging by the frequency of this malicious act by the dailies concerned, then the minister should stop being defensive and start doing his job by taking action on them maintaining national security and social order before it gets out of hand.

His first act as Home Minister was to appoint Datuk Michael Chong, head of the MCA Public Services and Complaints Department as his advisor and special officer. I dread to think how much further he is willing to bend backwards to please the Chinese community who are a little unappreciative, though not entirely "ungrateful” to BN, but I hope at the very least as UMNO Vice President, he would tap on Michael Chong’s experience to create a complaints bureau for UMNO that mirrors the exemplary and exceptional work of its MCA counterpart.

KHAIRY CONTESTED FOR YOUTH CHIEF, NOT MINISTER!

I don’t see what all the fuss is about. Khairy Jamaluddin or KJ as he is fondly known, wasn’t included in Dato Sri Najib Razak’s Cabinet last week. The Youth Chief’s post doesn’t necessarily come with a seat in the Cabinet. If in the recent past it has, we can all consider that a terrible accident as the Youth Wing and its role in the party were totally neglected because of the previous person’s conviction towards his job as a Minister.

Prime Minister Najib’s decision not to appoint Khairy minister is dead on target enabling him to correct the mistakes of his predecessor. Khairy should work the Youth Wing like a four wheel drive vehicle, roll up his sleeves and get his hands dirty going to the ground gaining the confidence of the youths and to an extent even the public at large. A lot can be done if indeed his intention to contest was for the sole purpose of leading the Wing and not to be Minister.

If Khairy is safe from further persecution, he can turn the tables and come out smelling like a French eau de toilette by proving his mettle. Let us see if UMNO does well by recycling him or writing him off like scrap metal.

MIC SHOULD WORK LIKE KHAIRY JAMALUDDIN

In recent days, it has been reported that the MIC might withdraw its representatives from the Cabinet possibly for these reasons; 1) MIC didn’t get enough respect in the latest Cabinet line up. 2) The President wasn’t appointed Senator and Minister like Koh Tsu Koon, the GERAKAN President. 3) MIC will concentrate on strengthening their support base within the community it represents.

If the offer to withdraw from the Cabinet is put forth, Najib should do the country a big favour and accept it. Like Khairy Jamaluddin, MIC should forget about sitting in comfort and enjoying the perks. They should go down and meet the Indians and the Youths who are either on the fence or on the other side to win their confidence in us, preparing for the next general election which is not very far down the road.

Barisan Nasional, namely UMNO has been very generous in that it has gone against its members’ wish for a Malay candidate to stand in a Malay majority constituent out of respect for comradeship, even when it was crystal clear that the particular comrade was undeserving. Now after failing yet again to live up to our expectations, they disappoint us one more time with their ungrateful gesture.

It is time to call a spade a spade. MIC will fair better without its current President. He is beyond recycling and MIC has become a liability to the National Front. The message should be loud and clear to them. They should either SHAPE UP OR SHIP OUT!

SECOND DEPUTY PREMIERSHIP FOR THE MCA MY FOOT!

Recently I read in one of the news portals that a lowly Central Committee member from the MCA demanded for a second Deputy Prime Minister’s post for the Chinese. The MCA big wigs of course remained quiet but are ever ready to say that it was his personal view if they are at all pressed. That is their standard answering procedure. They can’t even afford enough Chinese support to win back Bukit Gantang and they are asking for the world! Is this the kind of MERITOCRACY that they’ve been advocating? Fail in your effort but ask for the number two post in the Country? Perhaps they need the post first to win the support from their people. Yeah right! It’s like saying, you give me the Ferarri and I’ll bring in the girls for you. Heck! If you’ve got an ugly face and an obnoxious personality, not even an F50 will bring in the chicks!

My message to the MCA is go back to the drawing board, win back Chinese support for Barisan Nasional, and look at yourselves and your shortcomings before blaming others. If I had the ear of the Prime Minister, I’d ask him to REDUCE THE NUMBER OF MCA SEATS IN THE CABINET AND CANCEL THE MIC SEAT ALTOGETHER UNTIL THEY START PULLING THEIR WEIGHT IN THE BARISAN NASIONAL. THEY ARE BEHAVING LIKE PARASITES IN THE CABINET! AT BEST GIVE THEM CABINET POSTS WITHOUT PORTFOLIOS. I was in Bukit Gantang till voting day. I didn’t see enough Chinese and Indian faces doing their rounds and canvassing for votes, and those who were there to campaign were stupid at it giving the opposition more ammunition to fire us with, like the commissioning of those dancing girls in hot pants in a dinner engagement. First of all, they looked horrifying with their skinny legs and dancing out of tune. Secondly, having the Malay Minister in charge of Islamic Affairs attend, was it a clever move to have those chopsticks dancing in hot-pants? I mean, were the organizers born stupid or did they have to go to school to learn to be stupid? If it wasn’t the Chinese culture then why have it in the first place making it difficult for the UMNO leader to answer to journalists?

Perhaps next time there is a by-election, the MCA should hire pole dancers to “whip” up support from the Chinese with UMNO leaders in attendance, and then ask for the Prime Minister’s position for the party. So much for meritocracy!

SUGGESTIONS TO THE PRIME MINISTER ON HIS LINE UP

LEAVE PEMUDA OUT OF THE CABINET

If I had the ear of the freshly-minted Prime Minister, this would be my advice. The youth wing in the last 10 years has failed UMNO as well as Barisan Nasional miserably in their role to rope in youths and yuppies to join programs that could benefit both parties. Some people also remarked, “it would have helped if there were programs in the first place”. After Zahid Hamidi left the Youth stage, no motivational, mental strengthening courses or the sort were organized. This led to a very large void in our effort to reach out to the future generation in our society. This is evident in our failure to secure the votes from the channels 4 & 5 (saluran 4 & 5 – new and young voters) in the last election.

Perhaps the main reason for this is because the past youth head was busy being a Minister that he forgot his role in the party. He also failed in his duties to uphold the position of the Malays perhaps trying hard not to sit uncomfortably in the Wednesday Cabinet meetings with the MCA and Gerakan leaders in the room.

So judging by the misjudgments from our previous youth chief while he was a Cabinet Minister, it would be wise for the Prime Minister not to appoint the current one into the Cabinet so that he can concentrate on leading the youth wing and win back the support of the younger generation like he did when his father-in-law first came into office riding on rhetoric. Furthermore, we need a strong youth chief to hit back when parties like the MCA try to blindside the new Prime Minister by using a lowly Central Committee member to press for a second Deputy Premier’s post for their party. If there is to be a strong youth leader that we can bank on, it would be Khairy Jamalauddin. Of course, that is an unfair statement because if we want to make a comparison with his predecessor, even the sick Noraini from Puteri would have a stronger advantage.

If he is indeed safe from further prosecution, and can continue to lead the wing, let’s not waste his talent but use him to UMNO’s advantage, Khairy has the charisma, the intelligence and the aggression. He may have major faults, some perhaps unforgivable, but as far as UMNO Youth is concerned, he has done more in the last 4 years than his predecessor had in the last 10. I almost forgot that the wing was still in existence after Zahid’s term until this chap came along.

UMNO Youth started off as a pressure group. Let’s go back to basics and not pretend that they belong to the Big Boys’ Club.

APPOINT SHARIZAT SENATOR OR PUT RAFIDAH BACK IN.

I understand only two Wanita members won their parliamentary seats, they are Rafidah Aziz and Halimah Saddique. Based on this, if Sharizat or any other academically qualified member of the Wanita wing won’t be appointed Senator to fit in as minister, then Rafidah should be appointed instead of Halimah to avoid a MAJOR embarrassment to UMNO. Being a losing candidate in the recent Wanita elections, Rafidah would just concentrate at being a minister with much humility considering she hasn’t got the Wanita wing to extort the leadership with anymore. Noraesah would have made a good candidate for Minister but her tenure as Senator will end soon and she lost in the previous general elections for a Parliamentary seat.

I realize that suggesting Rafidah’s name is inflammable but if Sharizat’s not in, she’d be a good stand-in, at least until the next elections. Ironically, the others who are academically qualified and can lead a ministry can’t be promoted because of technicality, while one who can be promoted is academically unqualified and wouldn’t know what to do with herself in the ministry.

NAMES WORTH CONSIDERING FOR PROMOTION

1. Dr Latiff Ahmad
2. Dr Puad Zakarshi
3. Jamaluddin Jarjis
4. Hamzah Zainuddin
5. Lajim Hj Ukin
6. Idris Haron
7. Saifuddin Abdullah
8. Husni Hanadzlah
9. Zainal Abidin Osman
10. Rosnah Shirlin
11. Mukhriz Mahathir

NAMES WORTH MAINTAINING

1. Khaled Nordin
2. Dr Rais Yatim
3. Syed Hamid Albar (if dropped should seriously be considered for a UN’s post)
4. Azalina Othman (if she is not prosecuted)

NAJIB TAKES OVER AT THE BEST POSSIBLE TIME POLITICALLY

Tun Dr Mahathir left an economically sound country to his successor Tun Abdullah but the latter was unable to handle it. Granted, it is difficult to compete with a successful predecessor. He tried to create his own legacy, spent millions on Islam Hadhari which didn’t make much difference to those who already knew the religion, influenced the release of a very dangerous politician from jail just to be popular, had his advisors further promote him at the expense of the ruling coalition party and UMNO and overturned important national projects to create his own less important ones while making countless policies which proved detrimental to the wellbeing of our national harmony. The ruling party lost 5 States plus Kuala Lumpur as the result.

On the contrary, Najib, the more polished and able politician is handed a country much divided facing an economic and racial situation that direly needs healing. Under normal circumstances, this can be said as the worst possible time to take over as Prime Minister but on the positive side, when we’ve reached rock bottom, the only way to go is up. The Rakyat can’t blame Najib if it gets just a little worse than this but will hail him as our hero when he takes us out of the doldrums. He’ll shine brighter than the Star of David on a bright Jerusalem night.

Time will tell.

THE UMNO CONVENTION WEEK THAT WAS

SHORT TAKES

There were many things I wanted to write about during the UMNO week but the gross deficit in time failed my intentions. So after returning from Bukit Gantang, here I am with my attempt.

GOOD OMEN

After 5 consecutive years of getting sick for a week right after the convention, I am as fit as a fiddle after this one. Could it be because the rightful gentleman has taken his place in the UMNO hierarchy? Could this be a good sign of things to come for our Party and Nation?

CIRCUS CLOWNS

It was a cross of a circus, the night market and a football stadium outside the convention hall with campaigners dressed as court-jesters, wearing masks and chanting names of their preferred candidates as the escalator brought us up to the main floor. Emotions were running high and even name calling was heard by supporters of the losing candidates later. This certainly wasn’t a scene that is to be attributed to the most respected and oldest ruling party in the world. The Secretary General should be SACKED for allowing security and decorum to be breached in such a manner. I am disgusted to be associated with these characters who were probably not even members of UMNO but hired mercenaries to do the candidates’ bidding. This is not the culture we should encourage. The Jom Heboh nonsense should just remain at Danga Bay in Johor Bahru or Dataran Bandaraya Perak or wherever else it may go to intoxicate the minds of the Malays who have nothing better to do. It shouldn’t creep into the August building where we decide on the leaders of the most powerful party in the Nation. The candidates who commissioned these campaigners too should be “shot” for turning the party polls into a circus of clowns. They should bring good character to the people on the ground, not adopt the “Raja Lawak” mentality of the mass into our leadership.

CURIOUS

It took more than 6 long hours to get the results from 700 odd Youth, Puteri and Wanita voters but only 4 ½ hours for the results from 2511 voters from the main body. It defies logic. Either the tabulators learnt really fast or the system for the main body was far superior than for the three wings. A third possibility is also available but I leave that to the imagination of the readers.

THE KERIS IS PUT TO SLEEP

After being pressured by Non-Malays to play down the presentation of the Keris in the opening of the Youth meeting, the Keris which was introduced with all it's Regalia only a few years ago was given its last rights this year. The three year old tradition will not be continued next year and the Keris will reside with the man who created the tradition but was unable to defend it, the undeservingly newly elected Vice President of UMNO, Hishammuddin Hussein.

GRACEFUL IN DEFEAT

One can tell a character of a true gentleman not in victory, but in defeat. Such a person is Datuk Seri Utama Dr Rais Yatim. He held a luncheon to thank his friends and supporters after the Convention before his flight to London on a working trip. He was gracious and calm. His defeat is actually a loss to the party because he is the most knowledgeable leader as far as the Constitution is concerned. His explanation is well received and easily understood. The Perak crisis begs for a crystal clear explanation yet even the ministers directly involved shy away from the responsibility. He will be an asset in Bukit Gantang when he returns from London to speak in the by-election.

GLOATFUL IN VICTORY

While all candidates humbly stand whenever their names are mentioned before and after the vote, one victor decided to sit and wave divinely at the cheering delegates when her name was mentioned. This is one person who took pride on taking calls at odd hours before the election. Do you think she continues the tradition after her win especially after having an extraordinary advantage over her peers? I leave that to your good judgment. Nonetheless, she deserved her seat for her professional capabilities.

WHAT SHARIZAT CAN LEARN FROM KHAIRY

Being clever is capitalizing on your strength while compromising on your weakness. Khairy Jamaluddin measured the sentiment on the floor and knew he was going to have a tough time appeasing the jeering audience. He worked on his speech and delivered it without receiving catcalls and even received an overwhelming all-round applause at the end. Of course the jeering continued every time his name was mentioned in salutations but he survived his speech unscathed. On the contrary, Sharizat who didn’t have much to worry about with the general audience, having won against a much disliked Rafidah, went through hell during her speech because she didn’t study the audience who despised apple polishers. Instead of amplifying on her abilities and future plans for Wanita, she began her speech by sucking up to the new leaders which earned her the wrath of the delegates.

QUALITY OF DELEGATES

The quality of delegates have become from bad to worse. Firstly, many of them didn’t think it was important to attend the debates and left their seats empty after the first day. Secondly, those who attended, behaved like the audience of “Showtime at the Apollo”, where they jeer continuously at the performer or in our case the speaker half way when they disagree with him or cheer him on to speak longer than the allocated period of time when they like him. They are not interested in important issues, but amusement and humour. This worries me much because these delegates are supposedly the “crème de la crème” of our party but some behave like retards (no offence to the latter).

TUN’S GRAND ENTRANCE

The delegates may not have realized it but I suspect it was carefully planned to achieve maximum impact. Firstly, Mukhriz entered the hall just before Khairy Jamaluddin took the stage perhaps to gauge the sort of welcome his father would receive later if he chose to attend. He had a warm reception as most delegates disagreed with his victor. This signaled to Tun that he would receive a much warmer reception when he walked in. He then chose the most opportune moment to enter while Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yasin was on centre stage sending a strong signal of his endorsement on the man he backed as the Deputy President all along. Such theatrics telling people much without having to utter a word is Capital! Hollywood class choreography I’d say!

NON – EMOTIONAL / HAPPY FAREWELL

While most speakers thanked the outgoing President for his services, the delegates in general felt that there was nothing much to be grateful for. Under the leadership of Pak Lah, we lost 5 States and Kuala Lumpur; Malay leadership became weak because of his so called “transparency” and “openness” that led to others questioning our position in society; UMNO was made to look like the main reason for the loss in confidence among the Rakyat when the other component members of Barisan Nasional were the major losers contributing to the overall performance; UMNO is openly portrayed as a party of useless and corrupted leaders.

Delegates asked why they should feel sad when the person leaving has brought more grief than development to the Party. In actual fact, UMNO should be celebrating! That we shall do on Friday 3 April 2009. Insha’Allah.

NEW STRAITS TIMES' 5 QUESTIONS

This was in NST's Friday edition covering the UMNO Convention last week.

WIN BACK THE HEARTS OF THE MALAYS

The vice chief of Umno’s Pulai division talks to FAUZIAH ISMAIL about where the party should head.

Q: Do you think delegates took heed of the president's advice to them on how they should vote?

A: No, even if it was a sound one because we had pretty much made our minds up to clean up

the house after him.

Q: How did you arrive at the decision?

A: Well, I actually could think of only 15 worthy candidates. Unfortunately, I'm compelled to add another 10 names who are not so worthy leaders or my ballot will be considered spoiled. I offered my friends from the general public to provide me with 10 names, who they think are capable, willing and responsible from an outsider's point of view. They gave me six that I hadn't already chosen and I forced myself to complete the task by adding four of the best among the worst from the remainder.

Q: What is the importance of state representation? Do you think all the candidates from your state will make it?

A: State representation shouldn't be the way to choose our leaders because if we decide on quotas, we will end up with the lousy ones from the losing states again.

Johor delegates are very strict in ensuring that only the best and quality leaders are picked from the state. I declare that I did not vote for three of them; one for vice-president and the others for the supreme council.

Q: What are your hopes post-Umno general assembly, with a new president, a new deputy president and some new office bearers?

A: My hope is for the new president to remember that he is the president of Umno first before he is the prime minister of Malaysia and, together with the deputy president and the new brass, win back the hearts of the Malays who are split almost in the middle. They should work towards making Barisan National popular as opposed to making the prime minister a household name like in the past.

From the new office bearers, I hope for more sincerity in serving the members of Umno and people of Malaysia instead of serving their boss, because the better they serve the rakyat, the longer their boss will have a job and BN will stay in power.

Q: What do you personally want to see the new president do first?

A: I want the new president, having been guided by Allah SWT, to safely take his oath of office as the sixth prime minister of Malaysia, to stonewash the whole cabinet and fill it with a mixture of many new faces and some senior ones who can work with him proactively to serve the Malays and the people of Malaysia.

May Allah guide Dato' Sri Mohd Najib Tun Razak to steer this great nation forward.