TRAITORS AMONG US

While the former MCA Youth leader and current Vice President is dangerously fondling with the idea of scrapping the 30 % Bumiputera Equity, the current UMNO Youth Chief and Vice President wannabe is keeping his tongue tied while allowing the party elders, namely an 84 year old former President and a 62 year old Deputy Presidential Candidate to do his job of coming to the fore to defend the Malay rights currently enshrined in the Constitution.

Other political parties and NGOs with Malay participation are coming out one by one to denounce MCA’s statement while the supposedly UMNO's pressure group remains mute. There is little wonder why the Malays are quickly turning to PAS to continue their struggle. They say there is little Chinese money if not none at all in their leadership.

It seems after the cowardly act of apologizing to the non-Malays for not being able to defend and uphold the Malay heritage, the UMNO Youth Chief has resigned himself to not interfering with issues concerning the Chinese, even when they become antagonistic toward the Malays. Today, he prefers to labour over the petty topic of whether a debate should be held between candidates aspiring to be his successor. Hmm...Very important indeed. Perhaps he thinks the debate might spell the downfall of the Malay Supremacy while what is said by Gerakan and MCA in recent days would enhance our position instead. I'M BEGGINNING TO WONDER WHO'S SIDE HE IS PITCHING FOR!

Is this the kind of leadership material we want to lead the Party that best represents the Malays in this country? Do we want traitors to lead us? Have we not had enough?

He is not the only one. There is a whole catalogue of Vice Presidential candidates just like him who preach about defending “Agama, Bangsa dan Negara” but remain in their cool offices in their Armani/ Hugo Boss suits when our struggle is being attacked by friends and foes.

Come March 2009, UMNO delegates should send these fake leaders to the “guillotine”, metaphorically speaking.

MAY ALLAH'S CURSE BE UPON THESE PRETENDERS.

SNIPPETS

A WEAK UMNO TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF.

I remember vividly a warning statement a couple of years back made by Mr Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar on the possibility that non-Malays would take advantage of a weak UMNO.

Now we are discovering some truth in his foresight although a large part of UMNO being weak is attributed to his father-in-law, the Prime Minister himself.

Last week the Gerakan Wanita chief questioned the status of the Malays as bumiputeras. Two days ago the MCA Youth demanded for a second Deputy Chairman's seat in the National Front presumably to be occupied by MCA. Perhaps when they get there, they’ll demand for a Second Deputy Premiership. Then according to The Malaysian Insider, the outgoing MCA president asked for an “end to the Bumi equity rule” and without ambiguity accused UMNO of being a bully in the coalition in the very presence of the PM and his Deputy who are the top two leaders in UMNO.

This shameless pressure coming from one party that failed miserably after leading a State for more than four terms and another party that pathetically lost 25 of the possible 40 seats in Parliament seems justified when instead of heeding the advice for the Malays to be united from the conclusion of the Rulers Conference, UMNO leaders take potshots at each other for personal reasons. In yesterday’s New Straits Times, Dato’ Shahrir Samad unnecessarily took a swipe at Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin for voicing out the obvious concerns about the length of the campaign period which I too have mentioned in my article entitled “ Long Season to be Jolly for UMNO Delegates” before Hari Raya.

UMNO leaders are better politicians than they are public servants. There IS a distinct difference. Tan Sri Muhyiddin understands this. Dato' Shahrir understands it too but prefers to give the benefit of the doubt to his peers. Enough said.


CHUA SOI LEK- YOU’RE THE MAN!!!

A politician’s dream come true is if one is caught with his pants down ( literally ), makes a graceful exit and then a SPECTACULAR comeback on a higher plain. This is the Deputy President of a party that is asking for a second Deputy Chairmanship in the National Front.

And I thought UMNO had big problems.

GROUND ZERO - AN ANALYSIS OF UMNO'S NOMINATION WEEK 1

PREDICTABLE, UNBELEIVABLE AND OUTRAGEOUS! ALL IN ONE WEEKEND!

I’ve been asked to give my views on UMNO’s first nomination week by a highly respected gentleman of journalism.

Though I may not represent the majority on ground zero, here’s my take on it.

PREDICTABLE:

1. Yes when one person is preferred by the outgoing chief and that person is also the current Deputy President of UMNO, it’s a given that people will line up and slobber all over his hand and pledge loyalty. So it’s no surprise that Dato’ Sri Najib wiped the floor last weekend with the nominations.

2. Yes when a strong, experienced and senior political candidate for Deputy President was hauled up by the Presumptive Nominee for President and within 48 hours withdrew his candidacy, it is a given that the latter wants an easy path for a more deserving candidate whose tireless and risky effort has accelerated the impending departure of the incumbent President and will complement him with his support. True enough, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin later pledged his full support for Dato’ Sri Najib as President leaving Tengku Razaleigh out in the cold without really discounting him completely. No surprises with the majority of the nominations going to Muhyiddin.

UNBELEIVABLE:

1. When Dato’ Mukhriz Mahathir who was almost reduced to being a cry-baby for not being able to reach and meet members of the Youth-wing around the country suddenly had an explosion of nominations from the same, it raised eyebrows as the ones flying high prior to nomination week were Mr Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar and Dato Seri Mohd Khir Toyo. Could it be true that Mukhriz is indeed as popular as even he didn’t realize or is this a political illusion?

Note: I wonder if Mukhriz will be as vocal under Najib, now that they are in the same team. I wonder if Mukhriz was vocal before more because of his allegiance to the Nation or his loyalty and love for his father. I wonder if Khairy would play the reversed role of Mukhriz if he wins and doesn’t have his father-in-law as his guardian but the backing of the Youth to propel him. A usually concurring Youth leader serves no purpose. It is proven in the last ten years.

OUTRAGEOUS:

1. When Dato’ Sri Hishammuddin Hussein, perceived to be a non-starter due to his infamous ordeal with the Keris that should have stabbed him instead of the Party, obtained nominations in almost all of the divisions completed leaving more worthy politicians behind by double-digits, it looked obvious that he had a helping hand from a “concerned” relative. Either those who nominated him were (a) high on some mind altering substance, (b) easily forgetful or “mudah lupa” as Tun Dr Mahathir used to say or as predicted, (c) a hidden hand is in play.

Note: In the 90’s, I distinctly remember my Menteri Besar, Dato Abdul Ghani Othman and Dato Seri Panglima Osu Sukam garnering the second and third highest nominations respectively. They ended up in the bottom four ultimately. In Hisham’s case, they may be seen as obedient in nominating him if indeed there is a hidden hand or voice, but in the end, could common sense prevail?

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, Tan Sri Muhammad Muhammad Taib, Dato Seri Ali Rustam, and Datuk Nur Jazlan Tan Sri Mohamed.

1. Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah is facing an uphill battle due to the current scenario. Had the Prime Minister decided to contest with Najib maintaining his current position then my bet would be on TRH hands down because the PM has been deemed, with due respect, as damaged commodity. The culture manifested in UMNO today is of patronage. One dare not go against the person perceived to be next in line in fear of not being able to beg for future favours when he is anointed to his position. Trust me, if by the stroke of Allah, Tengku Razaleigh were to be made Prime Minister, in this case by technicality for instance, they’d have to close the road leading to his mansion due to the beeline taking their turn to kiss his hand. Such is the ways of UMNO leaders. Nominations will fall for him like snowflakes on a Christmas morning.

Note: Tengku Razaleigh is the man who should have been and could still be, but his campaign machinery leaves much to be desired. He is a bona-fide leader, but not many leaders of today’s UMNO know of his accomplishments. They only know his name unlike the leaders of the previous generation. He alone has sacrificed and given more for the party than all the members of the Supreme Council stacked together. IT IS NOT TRUE THAT MR BADAWI IS THE LAST FROM TUN RAZAK’S GENERATION OF LEADERS. HE FORGETS THAT TENGKU RAZALEIGH IS THE LONGEST SERVING PARLIAMENTARIAN AND WAS CLOSER TO TUN THAN ANYONE ELSE PERHAPS EVEN NAJIB, POLITICALLY SPEAKING.

2. Tan Sri Muhammad is in the twilight of his career. He has nothing to lose but everything to gain. I can’t see him as getting enough nominations but he will certainly give a good show if the opportunity arises. It needs to be remembered that he only lost to Tan Sri Muhyiddin by a mere 45 odd votes for Vice President in the last round despite the fact that the latter was supposed to be a clear winner having missed the cut to be Deputy Prime Minister despite being the preferred choice of the PM at the time.

Note: His time is up as he is not well liked for doggedly protecting his boss instead of advising him on the truth from the ground.

2. Dato Seri Ali Rustam on ground zero was initially tipped to be “the One” to give Muhyiddin a run for his money for the Deputy Presidency despite being not deserving to hold the position. The behavior of the UMNO members of today is not one to support those who excel in their duties but to embrace those with human-relation skills. I’m told that a good number of divisions in Johor were ready to nominate him (which is not unusual due to the “cold war” between the MB and Muhyiddin) until a mysterious wind blew over Johor very recently. Now they’ve shifted and will be nominating Muhyiddin as should be. We shall see the outcome these coming weeks. If Ali Rustam gets the numbers to qualify, Muhyiddin had better be propelling at full steam ahead.

Note: Ali Rustam could throw a spanner in the works when the going gets tough if he announces that if he wins, he won’t accept the Deputy Prime Minister’s post but would like to concentrate on fortifying the Party. I’m sure the Vice Presidential candidates will pull all their support for Ali as they would be the next in line to be picked from to fill the seat if Ali wins instead of Muhyiddin. This is against convention, however all else but the word of God can be amended.

3. Datuk Nur Jazlan, well what can I say? He is after all my Division Chief. At first instance I thought he did well to steal the thunder from Datuk Zahid Hamidi and Dato Seri Ali Rustam. The media went after him ever since and left the latter two in the cold. At least for now he looks more matured than Zahid for holding to his guns instead of looking like a child who didn’t think thoroughly before acting. After all, he merely expressed his interest and willingness to be nominated. If he succeeds well and good but if he doesn’t, at least he gave us an alternative. Who are we to say who should and shouldn’t offer themselves as candidates? This is democracy at its best. Do we not trust the delegates enough to nominate and vote with a right frame of mind? Do they need to be nursed into nominating and voting who we think they should nominate or vote? Haven’t we learnt from the mistakes of the great Tun Dr Mahathir of force feeding the leaders of his choice on us only to see us all suffer and be ridiculed henceforth politically? It is time the leaders stopped playing God in UMNO and let the grassroots pick their choice without duress, without undue influence.

Note: Nur Jazlan may not qualify to contest the Deputy Presidency but from the ground, I have found that the affluent young Malays and of course others find him a breath of fresh air, even if it is but for a brief moment. It will be difficult to penetrate through since 75 percent of the delegates usually are of the same people and mentality.

Next weekend should be interesting. Let’s see if all the divisions who nominate Najib will nominate his cousin as well. Let’s also see if the majority of these divisions nominate Najib, Muhyiddin, Hishammuddin and Mukhriz as a package.


If so, and if it prevails come March, then we bid welcome to the Kennedys and Rockefellers of UMNO.

HE WILL GO.

Thank you & goodbye.

The Prime Minister will be leaving his office earlier than expected. No it doesn't mean that he'll be signing off at 3pm everyday while Najib clocks out at the normal hour of 5 pm.

The gentleman politician will be retiring in March 2009 and will not be standing for election for President of UMNO. He picked the first option from my last posting.

Scenario # 1 WINS!

Recap: The PM’s back is against the wall. He tried his best to make the necessary and promised changes but they were slow in coming and didn’t quite meet the target by the last election date. At the same time, national unity nosed dived under his watch that open animosity between races began to rear its ugly head and the position of the Malays and Islam were threatened for the first time in many years. He lost his own State of Penang along with 5 other states and got whipped in the recent by-election in his homestate by his nemesis reflecting people’s rejection for his leadership.He sees the facts point blank and decides to resign gracefully and save UMNO from further embarrassment. He does so by announcing his retirement in March of 2009 and not offering himself to contest as President of the Party in March of the same.

The Presidential race will be between Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Dato’ Sri Najib Razak. I have said that Najib might have the edge in nominations but we shall see the outcome. I may be wrong again.

Have a pleasant holiday Sir. Thank you for your selfless decision in favour of the Party and thank you for your services to the Country.

WILL HE? WILL HE NOT?

Will he hand it over?

Will he or will he not?

That is the question the whole nation is waiting to be answered.

In the next 48 hours, we will find out whether Datuk Seri Abdullah Hj Ahmad Badawi will declare either to contest or to stand down in the next UMNO elections due to be held in March of 2009.

Let’s play with the different possibilities available.

SCENARIO # 1.

The PM’s back is against the wall. He tried his best to make the necessary and promised changes but they were slow in coming and didn’t quite meet the target by the last election date. At the same time, national unity nosed-dived under his watch that open animosity between races began to rear its ugly head and the position of the Malays and Islam were threatened for the first time in many years. He lost his own State of Penang along with 5 others and got whipped in the recent by-election in his homestate by his nemesis reflecting people’s rejection for his leadership.

He sees the facts point blank and decides to resign gracefully and save UMNO from further embarrassment. He does so by announcing his retirement in March of 2009 and not offering himself to contest as President of the Party in March of the same.

The Presidential race will be between Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and Dato’ Sri Najib Razak. In this scenario, Najib will have the edge as many have declared their willingness to nominate him for President if Mr Badawi decides to leave.

SCENARIO # 2

The PM’s mind is poisoned by influential UMNO leaders into thinking that he is stuck in a corner, and there is no way out except the honorable one which is to withdraw from office. He gets the Supreme Council to agree to postpone the Convention to March 2008 and has 2 weeks to gauge the truth on the wavering support for him before he declares his position.

He realizes that even if he withdraws now, people will not be grateful to him for his sacrifice and will always see him as a failed Prime Minister. He later discovers that he will have the minimum required number of nominations to defend his position with more than 3 months to consolidate his stand using all the necessary resources available to him as Prime Minister of Malaysia, even if it means having to remove Najib from his current position.

He thinks for instance if he gets 60 nominations while Najib gets more and refuses to withdraw, he will have the power to retire Najib as Deputy Prime Minister and replace him with another candidate, possibly Zahid Hamidi and with one stroke catapult the latter as the strongest contender for the Deputy President’s post. At the same time he reshuffles the whole Cabinet and also retires Muhyiddin to cut off his authority and bring him down to size. With most of the UMNO leaders save Muhyiddin out to save their own necks and backsides, they will very quickly cuddle back up to the PM and seek his forgiveness and slurp all over his hand.

It is a known fact in UMNO that the majority of the delegates’ loyalty lies with those in office. For example, Musa Hitam got whipped by a less polished politician in Ghafar Baba who was the Deputy Prime Minister while Musa was the incumbent Deputy President defending his position in the party but was out of the Cabinet.

In addition, the PM’s counselors will also advise him that if he wins without Najib’s withdrawal from the race, naturally the transition plan will become null and void and he will be stronger than he ever was in UMNO.

The PM decides to contest.

The Presidential race will be between Pak Lah, Najib and Tengku Razaleigh. The winner will be one of the first two.

SCENARIO # 3

PM decides to run but hands over the power to Najib in March. Najib believes him and decides to remain Deputy till then because he’d like to be able to choose his deputy as opposed to having it force fed if he goes for broke and Muhyiddin wins the number two spot.

In the meantime, Muhyiddin too gets enough nominations for Deputy President and doesn’t quit. Najib will be frozen because his supporters who are angry with him for not contesting for President will support Muhyiddin out of spite.

The Presidential race will be between Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah and the PM.

Tengku Razaleigh will win hands down with Muhyiddin possibly as his number two.


I THINK SCENARIO # 2 WILL PREVAIL. ABDULLAH AHMAD BADAWI WILL EITHER GO DOWN FIGHTING OR RISE LIKE THE PHEONIX FROM THE ASHES OF DEFEAT.

What do you think?

SELAMAT HARI RAYA AIDILFITRI 1429H

Asalamualaikum WBT.

Kepada semua rakan-rakan dan pengunjung blog " The Patriot " samada yang menyumbang mahupun yang membaca atau mengintai sahaja, kami sekeluarga ingin mengucapkan Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri 1429H. Dengan tulus ikhlas, kami menyusun jari memohon Ampun dan Maaf, Zahir dan Batin di atas segala bahasa dan kesilapan yang mungkin menghiris hati samada disedari ataupun tidak selama kita bersama.

Semoga Saudara/ Saudari sekeluarga senantiasa dibawah peliharaan Allah SWT.

Wasallam.

Tengku Putra H. A. Jumat
Johor Darul Takzim

LONG SEASON TO BE JOLLY FOR UMNO DELEGATES !

Coming from Johor, I'm used to celebrating the birth of our Prophet Muhammad (Peace be upon Him) over a period of 5 months while it is usually remembered and observed for a day in other States and Muslim countries. I look forward to it because these functions are usually coupled with Briyani in a large tray to be shared amongst Muslim brothers and sisters and a religious sermon to round off the evening.

I never realized that Christmas too can be stretched over a period of 5 months until the announcement was made after the Emergency Supreme Council meeting yesterday at noon. Yes indeed, from 9th November till March, "tis the season to be jolly "for those successful candidates in the divisional delegates meeting beginning October 9th. For the first time from as far as I can remember having been a delegate since 1996, this is yet the longest campaign period ever to be experienced.

I may be chastised for likening it to Christmas but let's not fool ourselves. Several times before, the campaign period has been shortened to avoid political corruption in the party. Did it help? Perhaps. Did it wipe out corruption completely? NO. The candidates always had ways of reaching the delegates.

Even when the team of watchdogs were deployed, there were leakages from those high above who wanted to protect their "favoured ones" by alerting them of the names of the personnel in each state watching out for money politics (as it was known then). I'm not just "spitting in the wind here", I'm talking through experience. I was one of those who were recruited to cleanse the party of such ills only to be treated like a leper once a candidate explained to our common friend why he was against coming to my residence where most of the Johor delegates had usually met potential candidates. Having been a delegate many times, those contesting for posts in the Supreme Council knew me and the others fairly well and was comfortable with holding clean meetings at my residence. No money changed hands but of course refreshments were served. Once my cover was blown, the venue changed, not because they were all dirty but because they just wanted to be safe. It's like you're driving within the speed limit but once you see a patrol car, you slow down just in case. I never trusted UMNO officials ever since and I'll give you one guess which finger I'll flash in their faces if ever they try to recruit me again for such a purpose.

To me, this extension primarily for the election of federal posts in UMNO is rediculous. We've already postponed it once to make way for the general elections, now we have to do it again presumably to save the President's face. Looking at it point blank, moving back the goal-post isn't going to change a thing if the momentum is against him. It'll just add the yardage that he has to recover to score at the other end! Either way, he'll be humiliated unless one possiblity occurs, i.e. he decides to either go out fighting or get a fresh mandate from UMNO using all possible resources he has available to him whether known or otherwise.

Whatever is said and done, yesterday, the interest of the party wasn't taken under consideration. We should've continued with the original schedule and let the chips fall where they may according to the party's constitution without paralysing Putrajaya for the next five months due to heavy politicking.

With that, a bonafide leader would emerge, colossal political corruption would be avoided and much attention can be given to the economy instead.

For the life of me I can't fathom why Dato Sri Najib won't grab what's already his for the taking given the circumstances and instead prefer to take further risks of losing his support from impatient members from the grassroots., many of whom are beginning to see Tengku Tan Sri Razaleigh Hamzah as the original and true candidate who is willing and able to carry their aspirations through.

The RAHMAN theory might very well turn into RAHMAT if the current trend persists. May Allah grant the Nation with the best possible leader. The Supreme Council, nay, the President and his Deputy may propose, but God disposes. That is a promise.

SAVING FACE OR THE PARTY?

Who is the one we should blame? The hand that gives or the one that receives?

In these last few weeks, these phrases kept on playing over and over in my head.

" Work with me, not for me. I want to hear the truth. My ears are on the ground ".

I wonder whether the person who said all these things really meant it or just said it because it sounded trendy for a politician trying to sound sincere.

Well last Thursday he heard the truth spoken in the Supreme Council, usually known for either apple polishing or rubber stamping his decisions. He has ears on the ground in the form of the Special Branch, Military Intelligence, KEMAS and even JASA (the well known body that brought thousands of branch leaders to KL to meet the PM giving some goodies to mark the occasion). I'm sure some truth came from these establishments but it doesn't look like he is properly digesting the information given. What's the point in having one's ear on the ground if one isn't able to figure out what noise it is and which direction it's coming from?

Now, he is asking the people to work for him instead of with him to ensure that he gets at least the minimum required number of nominations to qualify to run for President again.

A couple of months ago it was the question of whether his contender is able to garner enough nominations come December to contest for the Presidency. Today the situation is reversed. Again, we are hearing of State UMNO Liaisons openly supporting the 2010 power transitional plan. How can they pledge this when the members of the liaison committee themselves i.e. the divisional chiefs, aren't even sure if they'd be re-elected in their own divisions? In Selangor alone, when Mohamad Taib as State UMNO Chief announced their support at the beginning for Abdullah, it was discovered that more than half of the liaison committee members were letting go of their position as division chiefs. Does it make sense for people who are unable to nominate and support him to pledge their support for the same?

The people have spoken in March of 2008 and now UMNO members are telling the President to withdraw gracefully before he is humiliated in the coming UMNO elections. UMNO is seen to be the major reason for BN's slim win because the BN component party leaders are too polite to condemn the Prime Minister. His weak leadership has caused UMNO much distress and loss of respect from the other component parties.

Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should take a leaf from Mbeki's book and step down upon hearing the truth from his party. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should learn from the MCA on how to take responsibility and withdraw gracefully when the people do not want to work with him anymore. Abdullah Ahmad Badawi should not attempt to save his face in the expense of the Party. Ironically, it is the act of saving UMNO that would save his face in the end. But I doubt if he has the decency to do this.

Almost irreparable damage is done to the party in his hands. If he is willing to win at all cost, and does so albeit with a black eye and a bloody nose this December, I won't put my money on the 2010 transitional plan but I'd double my money on BN being put to sleep in 2012.

ONE'S WINDOW SHOPPING, THE OTHER'S WINDOW DRESSING.

One's cheating the Rakyat, could the other one be attempting to fool the party?

One's a Master of Theatrics, could the other be trying the Art of Deception?

Anwar Ibrahim didn't keep his promise, but kept stretching his markers by asking the Rakyat to continue believing in his lies. To be honest, even I was waiting in anticipation to see if he could pull the rabbit out of the hat. He is cheating the Rakyat because he is trying to lure members of the ruling party, the coalition party that the rakyat voted for in the 2008 elections to join him, instantly making him the Prime Minister through the back door. Matters of the hind seem to constantly get his attention doesn't it?

I hope the people have learnt their lesson watching him maneouvre his way through their trust. The thing is, if he became Prime Minister and his time came to leave this world prematurely, who would succeed him, and would the rakyat be agreeable to the candidate? Would there be chaos? Could the other parties within the Pakatan come to terms with the person being the successor?

Simply said, they are not ready to lead yet considering they haven't worked out the differences between them. Pakatan's a bad choice right now.

As far as Barisan Nasional is concerned, they shouldn't be too worried about a breakup. People need to remember that UMNO has 79 seats, MCA 15, MIC 3 and GERAKAN 2. The others barring SAPP don't pose much of a problem for BN. MCA, MIC and GERAKAN need BN more than anything now because if they choose to leave the party to join the opposition, they'd be playing second and third fiddle to DAP and PKR. Surely the latter would maintain the lion's share and GERAKAN's chances leading Penang once again would be worse than a snowball's chance in hell. So, frankly speaking, they can keep their innuendoes. We've got more important things to worry about.

Regarding the window dressing. Of late, one after another carrot is waved at Dato Sri Najib to discourage him from going for the number one post and simultaneously sweet-coating it for the impatient UMNO grassroots to make them think that a quicker and sincere transition is imminent. The Finance portfolio sounds right for him having an economics background.

It looks like it's working as Najib has stepped back and forth a couple of times dancing to the desparate tunes of the embattled President. But the ultimate decision lies in the hands of the 191 UMNO divisions (with the will of God), most of which are already tired and afraid to gamble with another two years of political and economic uncertainty, not to mention disunity amongst the rakyat of different races. We want to be united once more as a nation albeit with cultural and religious diversity, and it can only be done with a strong and stable, no-nonsense leadership.

So let's see if this window dressing will actually help sell the product on display this time.

I personally buy a product that works instead of one that looks good on exhibition.

HAPPY MALAYSIA DAY!

We (Malaya) gained our Independance on 31 st of August 1957 corresponding to 6th Safar 1377H but Malaysia was formed with the inclusion of Singapore, Sabah and Sarawak on the 16th September of 1963 corresponding to 28th Rabiulakhir 1383H.

May God Bless Malaysia.

A KING'S RANSOM FOR A CONCUBINE?

The Law Minister is holding the Cabinet hostage over his displeasure on the ISA issue.

If I were one of his colleagues I'd guide him to the door without much fuss next Wednesday. He is behaving more like a Minister in Pakatan's never-neverland.

More later - I have a clearer conscience spitting fire after the break of fast. For now think of his threat as asking a King's ransom for an old concubine.

Continued-

He is of the view that "the ISA should be used to curb terrorism, which is why it was first enacted."

Perhaps to him preventing blood on the streets due to mounting anger relating to a cause worth dying for doesn't warrant the use of the ISA. Remember when a group of Hindraf supporters almost cracked open the skull of a Chinese police officer in Ampang not long ago?

Well that was a case where one party, the policeman, was restraining his force while the other party employed it. Now imagine if both large parties came without any restraint because of something they truly believe in and are willing to die for. Would we want to wait until that happens before doing something to rectify the situation? Wouldn't it be better if we cage the instigator first rather than see all hell break loose?

We are living in a multi-racial and multi religious country. Once sensitive lines are breached, it will invite big trouble if it is allowed to continue. We cannot gamble with giving people who constantly prod these sensitivities the benefit of the doubt. That is a no brainer accept for perhaps someone who has lost too many brain-cells cosuming alcohol.

Knowing people personally in social events and forums doesn't mean that one knows the person inside out. I mean can anyone describe if the person whom one claims to know personally is a wild creature after hours (keeping it kosher in here)? That would only be the case if one is privy to and participates in her activities all day and night.

Does a person have to brandish a gun and have a grenade on her waist before she is deemed to be a threat to national security?

Why should people fear anything if they are not doing anything wrong. I mean the rules of the game is spelt out crystal clear for everyone. Stay clear of the matters of race and religion and you can pretend like the ISA doesn't exist.

The home minister made the right move to come down hard on the perpertrators. Then, a ridiculous statement was made on the purpose of the journalist's detention that followed her release that was so quick it probably took longer for her to travel from Penang and back making the ISA look worse than it actually is. She must have served the shortest time in the history of the Act.

The irony here is that we have one minister who is willing to quit for a wrong cause and another minister who is afraid of losing his job for a right cause. If he isn't, he should have defied a presumably wrong call made by his boss.

Bloggers and reporters are not above the law which includes the ISA. We all have to be responsible for what we do and write. We musn't take our freedom for granted.

Read carefully the news report by Sin Chew and RPK's contraversial article. Check out Teresa's behaviour in harping on Malay and Islamic issues and ask yourself if there is any justification in their detention under the Act.

The Internal Security Act has served us well to preserve harmony. I'm willing and happy to see several irresponsible citizens dumped under this Act in exchange for a peaceful Malaysia. Why am I not worried about this Act? It's because I have no intention of breaching the law however unjust it may be.

So Zaid, do us a favour and leave your post. The ISA is here to stay and if you want to give the country an ultimatum, the majority will pick the ISA over you any day of the week and twice on a Sunday.

DATO SRI NAJIB, YOU DIDN'T REPRESENT ME SIR!

I'm a staunch supporter of Dato' Sri Najib Razak but I have to painfully state here that I didn't consider myself well represented when the man himself apologized to the Chinese community on behalf of the whole party of UMNO on the accord of one person's statement. If at all an apology was warranted it shouldn't have come from the top brass representing the whole 3.2 million UMNO members.


More to follow...I'm just too distraught to write more right now

Continued....There you have it. The Malay leaders in UMNO have adopted a new habit of jumping the gun everytime the Chinese community speaks slightly louder than a whisper about their supposedly "oppressed" community. It seems now we're always ever ready to apologise in fear of being called a racist. If this continues at the current rate, we will become as pathetic as the Americans where it is taboo to call a negro anything but Afro-American while the negros can call a caucasion "white boy" in public without any fear of being called a bigot.

Perhaps the problem is that the Chinese can understand the Malay language and listen earnestly to any Malay political event while the Malays know nuts and couldn't care less about what goes on in a Chinese political forum. Malay journalists are also useless in reporting non-Malay events because the Managing Editors of the Malay dialies are not intelligent enough to employ worthy reporters who can speak more than one language. Heck! They can't even quote the Malay leaders properly let alone summarise in the Malay language a press conference that is held in English or any other language spoken in Malaysia. That is why there are no charges against the Chinese and Indians on sedition or racism based on newspaper reports.

Anyway coming back to the apologetic UMNO culture, I'd like to recapitulate on a few events that should have caused much embarrassement to the Malays due to their leaders but dismissed off the cuff as innocent mistakes.

1. A Malay girl who was mistakenly thought to be a Chinese citizen was "abused" in a Malaysian prison. After a lot of flak by the Chinese community here, and without thorough investigation on something so elementary, the Home Minister was sent to China to apologise on behalf of the Government only to realize that it was a local of Malay ethnic origin.

2. The UMNO Youth leader (whose name is not even worthy of mentioning in my blog) introduced a Keris ( the Malay warrior's dagger) and named it Keris Panca Warisan waving it a few times with a cry that supposedly offended the non-Malays in a Youth Convention. The MCA youth wing paid him a visit and the hatchet was buried along with a substantial allocation for Chinese schools under that chap's Ministry. You'd have thought that was that, but the pressure kept rising from the community for the youth chief to apologize even after giving the handout to the Chinese schools. Yup! The rest his history, he succumbed to the pressure and like the scared puppy offered his apology, pathetically at a time when it most didn't matter, i.e. after we got "whipped" in the General Elections. The Chinese community still speaks ill of his past action even after his apology. He'd just as well have offered his resignation along with it and that would have made the Malays very happy indeed.

3. Recently, the UMNO Deputy President, after hearing calls for Dato' Ahmad Ismail's apology for referring to a fact in history by the Chinese leaders decided to offer an apology on behalf of the whole party. Lo and behold, 13 UMNO divisions in Penang backed Ahmad Ismail defying Najib's action and the President's call for his apology. So it seems besides me, there are more than 50,000 other UMNO members in Penang alone represented by the 13 divisions who begged to differ with Najib and Pak Lah.

Instead of being on the defensive and constantly cowed into obedience by Gerakan, MCA, DAP and Hindraf, in the last 4 years, what we'd like to know is what has UMNO done to condemn those who openly accuse our party alone of abuse of power and corruption? (as though they are squeeky clean).

According to the Malaysian Insider, this is what Lim Keng Yaik had to say about us. "We had the worst kind of Umno arrogance as a result of the 2004 elections. The abuse of power, corruption, negotiated tenders with government tenders going mainly to Umno-associated companies. All this is not decided by the Cabinet but by the Ministry of Finance. You think people don't know. Prices are jacked up and there is no check on the implementation of these projects." http://themalaysianinsider.com/index.php/malaysia/8459-keng-yaik-its-all-money-money-money-money-money

And according to the New Straits Times Online, Ong Tee Kiat, the presidential candidate told an MCA function that the party should consider pulling out of Barisan Nasional if Umno continued to champion the concept of Ketuanan Melayu.

http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Thursday/National/2334291/Article/index_html

These are extremely serious allegations made by the advisor of a useless component party which lost a whole state because of the same arrogance they condemned UMNO for, and a dangerous play with seditious remarks just to win an election by a presidential nominee of another component party.

The Billion Ringgit question is, what in the name God are our leaders doing to straighten these characters out? Or, if there is any truth in what Keng Yaik had to say, will the bandits be brought to justice to clear the party's good name?

Instead of going out of this world trying hard to win the hearts of the non-Malays, it is time the UMNO leaders started to pay more attention to the Malays who are fast running out of patience and looking toward the other party that is beginning to look like the real McCoy in the struggle for Religion, Race and Country.

SALAM RAMADHAN

One of the minerets of the Masjid Sultan Abu Bakar in Johor Bahru

I'd like to apologize for the delay in wishing everyone Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadhan. I should have done it as soon as the Crest moon of Ramadhan was sighted but was tied up with the activities welcoming this blessed month in my Division.


MAY ALLAH ACCEPT OUR IBADAH, FORGIVE OUR SINS AND EXTEND OUR YEARS. Amin.

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY !

LOOK AT THE PICTURE ON THE FRONT PAGE AND IMAGINE HOW IT WOULD HAVE FELT LIKE IF YOU WERE THERE AT THE STRIKE OF MIDNIGHT ON 31st AUGUST 1957 LISTENING TO THE LAST PLAY OF BRITAIN'S NATIONAL ANTHEM AND THE FIRST RECITAL OF NEGARAKU.

IT'S ON THE WALL !

The words are written in large CAPITAL letters for everyone to see.

Perhaps Datuk Seri Najib Tun Abdul Razak needs to read it aloud for the One who is hard at hearing and possibly blind as well. The voters have spoken in Permatang Pauh.

Congratulations to Saudara Anwar Ibrahim. It needs to be said that there were more UMNO members there then the number of votes our man received, i.e. even the UMNO members chose not to back our nominee. Nonetheless, Anwar's win is legitimate.

Barisan Nasional got WHIPPED! Plain and simple. The voter turnout was less than the March election yet the winning margin increased for Pakatan despite the advantage BN had using the government machinery with unlimited financial resources. That's a TRIPLE WHAMMY!!!

Some argued that Anwar won resoundingly because of the September 16th deal that he's selling to the Rakyat. So the Permatang Pauh people were hoping to get a homegrown Prime Minister. I'd rather not venture on what worth they put on the current Prime Minister who is also the Chairman of the Penang State UMNO Liasion Committee.

It is shameful and selfish to stay longer than one's welcome. It's also mind boggling that the presumptive heir apparent who is supposedly highly intelligent puts much faith in the pledged power transition due to take place in two years time when several indicators including strong political intuition seem to show and feel that it is very unlikely to materialize.

We are told not to misconstrue the Permatang Pauh election results. Going back to the basics, I feel that some things should be taken at face value and we should snap out of this state of denial that we're in before we start believing in our own lies.

HOME RULE ! ! !

This is the most popular Merdeka picture. I wasn't born when this was taken of course and I'm sure none of the VVIPs sitting down behind the Tunku are with us today. If you look carefully, long and hard enough, you'll almost hear those famous exclamations of MERDEKA! MERDEKA! MERDEKA! The call of Merdeka covered the whole stadium and through thousands of radio transmitters across the whole Peninsula seven times over. Tears flowed sending chills through the spine knowing they were finally Masters of their own Soil. If we were there, on the concrete seats of the Merdeka Stadium, perhaps we would be more compassionate about it today and fly our flags (upright) with more conviction without having them to be given to us for free. Enough said. Give this photograph a hard long look and give it due appreciation.

FREE MERDEKA T - SHIRTS

In the Spirit of Merdeka, this blog would like to offer T-Shirts like the above which is also available in Black to the first 10 applicants for each colour, limited to one T-Shirt per person.
Please send the address for the delivery. Sizes are limited to S-M-L only. Since most of you prefer to read and not leave comments, for the purpose of privacy, your application will not be posted by the moderator.

The first FIVE applicants will also receive an exclusive notebook (not a computer) with historical pictures, from the signing of the "Perjanjian Persekutuan oleh Raja-raja Melayu dengan Kerajaan British, 1948" to the first opening speech of His Majesty the Yang Di Pertuan Agong in Parliament after Merdeka.

A real classic must have for true Patriots! Gimme a Holler!!!

MERDEKA!!!

SELAMAT MENYAMBUT BULAN KEMERDEKAAN

We are living in one of the most peaceful countries in Asia. A multi-racial nation rich with different cultures, customs and a variety of food that is compared to none in the world. Malays, Chinese, Indians, Eurasians, now Bangladeshis and off late Ghurkas from Nepal reside on our shores today. Besides the last two having joined us more recently, we have all lived side by side in peace and harmony for the most part of the last 51 years since Independance.

Peace is usually taken for granted as we claim that it is our right to have it. Well it is actually but how we handle delicate and sensitive issues relating to each other's customs and religion would determine how long we will enjoy this peace. We have history to fall back on and learn from. Once this peace that we have grown accustomed to is corrupted and destroyed, it will take generations to mend. Life is too short and the stakes are too high for us to gamble with it.

I miss the times when the only difference that mattered between us was religion. The fact that we were Malay, Chinese or Indian were almost insignificant because everyone then didn't step on each others' toes and knew their limits. Today, I don't see children of different races playing with each other in the playground anymore. It's pathetic how it has become.

The spirit that was forged between Tunku Abdul Rahman, Tan Cheng Lock and V.T Sambanthan has faded and strangely, it has done so rather rapidly in the last four years .

Below are pictures of the 50th Merdeka Anniversary Celebration that I organized at the Danga Bay in Johor that I would like to share with you which brought family members of the late Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Tun Tan Cheng Lock and Tun V.T. Sambanthan together. Through them, I felt the spirit of comraderie of the Merdeka era come back to life that my eyes swelled up on stage while handing them portraits of their respective patriarchs with the Malaysian Flag flying behind each of them.







YM Tunku Muinuddin Putra Ibni Tunku Dato Ahmad Nerang. Grandson of Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj.

Madam Kunjari Tun Sambanthan, daughter of Tun V.T. Sambanthan.


Madam Tan Siok Choo, Grandaughter of Tun Tan Cheng Lock, daughter of Tun Tan Siew Sin and the Patriot himself.

In their veins flow the blood of true Patriots.

While the pioneers of Merdeka worked towards getting us closer together, those that came after them one after the other spread us apart making us aliens with one another. While it was the responsibility of our leaders to promote peace and harmony in this blessed land, the burden is now left on us to secure it. So let us salvage what is left of the Merdeka spirit and build on it to ensure a better future for all Malaysians. We can begin by appreciating, understanding and respecting our Constitution. Reflect on it.

MERDEKA!

DEFEND OUR SOVEREIGNTY & PROTECT OUR INDEPENDENCE

Asalamualaikum WBT and greetings to everyone.

Yes I am back! I saw no reason to remain quiet while all the other UMNO candidates from top to bottom continue to air their views on a host of matters.

I have decided to come out of hybernation especially because important events have cropped up that begged for UMNO participation but couldn't garner even one UMNO Youth EXCO member to defend such as Article 121 (1A) in the Constitution. All that was offered was the lip service given by the Youth Head and the EXCO in charge of Religious affairs. What appalls me is that they can come screaming their lungs out, when Islam is threatened thousands of miles away in the Middle East like Palestine but remain like sick mice when it is threatened here in Malaysia.

Yes, I'm talking about the Bar Council's recalcitrant behaviour touching on Islam, the religion UMNO leaders so heartily claim to defend but was nowhere to be seen when it needed defending. The Council's representative argued that they have no issue with Article 121 (1A) contradicting themselves in their agenda asking it to be revisited. On this score, in the name of God, King and Country, I would like to commend our counterpart in PAS, namely their Youth Wing and most importantly Saudara Zulkifli Nordin, MP, whom I was told is the former Youth Chief of the Kotaraya UMNO branch for their gallant effort and success in getting the forum to be aborted. Isn't it a shame that UMNO has to lose the real fighters for " Agama, Bangsa dan Negara " to the opposition leaving the lame ducks who are only good for crying out the slogan instead and getting rich doing it?

On that sorry note, I'd like to take this opportunity to urge every Malaysian citizen to Rise, Protect and Defend our Sovereignty, without which there would be no Independence. May Allah bless those who fought tooth and nail, and sacrificed much to achieve Home Rule from Great Britain without a shed of blood. and curse those who forsake the struggle.

To my fellow members in UMNO from the Supreme level down to the Roots, repent and be righteous again. We have astrayed from our original struggle. Work for the people and be grateful to those who have served. Make the change or be prepared to turn opposition in the next General Elections.

LET THE GAMES BEGIN

Ladies and gentlemen,

This could be my last posting if the Little Red Book that denies all UMNO candidates the right to issue anything through the electronic media etc takes effect by tomorrow as announced on TV1.

I will seek further clarification on this from the UMNO HQ and if permitted to continue blogging, I will do so only after getting a definite clearance from the powers that be.

In the meantime, from this day forth until six months after the UMNO elections (believe it or not), I will be in hybernation, ie. if I win my bid for Division Vice Chief. If not, then I won't be compelled to comply any further.

Thank you for reading me.

Happy Birthday to HRH The YDP Negeri Sembilan, Happy Birthday to His Majesty The Sultan of Terengganu, Selamat Menyambut Hari Kemerdekaan, Selamat Menyambut Bulan Ramadhan, Selamat Hari Raya Aidilfitri, Happy Birthday to HRH The Sultan of Pahang, Happy Deepavali, Selamat Hari Raya Aidil Adha, Happy Birthday to HRH The Sultan of Selangor, Merry Christmas & A Happy New Year and Selamat Menyambut Awal Muharram all in advance. May God Bless Malaysia. I hope we're still in one piece post December.

DO UMNO MALAYS DESERVE GOOD LEADERSHIP

A DEFINITE YES! But as they used to deserve good leadership then, they are now forced to earn it, no thanks to Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad.

I try not to sound like a broken record so I'll skip repeating the score in the last General Elections. Under the current circumstances and with the widespread cry for the Prime Minister of Malaysia and President of UMNO to retire, it is indeed a monumental task to replace him through the current system if he wishes to remain President.

Much power had been vested in the UMNO President and the Supreme Council to suggest and propose with little resistance the rules and regulations or even guidelines that sometimes go against the UMNO constitution but to their own advantage. These powers were introduced sometime during the 22 years of Tun Dr Mahathir's rule. One of them is the 30% quota for a Presidential candidate to qualify to contest. This comes to 58 nominations needed to cross the bar.

Today, most Malays are tired of the bickering amongst their current leaders, tired of the bad leadership that they know needs changing but is made more difficult to affect, and tired of the previous leader who says the right thing but was guilty of imposing then the very system that is failing the party now. Most Malays are so frustrated that they prefer to throw their hands down and let the chips fall where they may.

The system has made local leaders more subservient to their superiors than to the party. The grassroots generally want change but with strong resistance from the division with much self interest, they would have to fight for it even harder than they should.

The New Malay Dilemma is that we want change but not many are ready to make the sacrifices our forefathers made when they achieved Independence. Today, although the country is independent, the UMNO Malays are not entirely so. Most of them are dependent on leaders at different levels all the way up to the top, either for contracts, state decorations or most often than not for positions. We seem to have lost our direction because the struggle is no longer to preserve the special privilege to be a Malay born in Malaysia, but to preserve the positions of our respective leaders in order to maintain our power in the community and the spoils that come with it.

To make this big change, we the Malays must be brave and independent in our thoughts and exercise our rights without fear or favour. We must remember to repay the good deeds of those who were and are constantly at hand to assist us, not only the last hand that does so. We must choose the right person who has the charisma, foresight, wisdom and who is also independent from family interference be it from a brilliant son in law or even a saucy consort.

The Malays have expected and received good leadership since Merdeka. Today however, if they fail to earn it, they will cease to deserve it.

There is a Hadith that says, " Destruction awaits those who choose a man who knows not of the field he is chosen for. "

May the best man win the day for the sake of our Nation.

TIDAKKAH BADAN PERHUBUNGAN NEGERI-NEGERI PULAU PINANG DAN SELANGOR MELANGGAR TATAETIKA PARTI?

Dalam dua hari yang berlalu, di dalam Berita Perdana, pemimpin-pemimpin UMNO dari dua buah negeri telah mengumumkan secara terbuka sokongan mereka kepada kedua-dua pemimpin Negara untuk di kekalkan kerusi-kerusi mereka di dalam pemilihan UMNO yang bermula tidak lama lagi. Mungkinkah perbuatan mereka itu telah melanggar Tataetika UMNO yang telah di persetujui dalam Mesyuarat Majlis Tertinggi pada 27hb Mac 2008?

Perkara 5 SALAHLAKU.

Ahli parti di larang dari melakukan perkara -perkara berikut:

5.3 Penerbitan dan Penggunaan Media Massa Elektronik atau Internet.

" menerbit, menyiar atau menulis apa-apa risalah, majalah, makallah, buku atau lain-lain karya secara langsung atau tidak langsung, yang mempunyai unsur-unsur menyokong, memfitnah, mencela, mengkeji, atau mengandungi kenyataan palsu terhadap mana-mana Ahli parti yang di siarkan melalui media massa, elektronik atau internet dengan tujuan untuk mengelirukan sesorang berkenaan Ahli UMNO yang lain, mempengaruhi atau mendapat undi atau sokongan bahgi pihaknya atau orang lain dalam mana-mana Pemilihan Parti."

Mungkinkah dengan menggunakkan televisyen untuk mengisytiharkan sokongan terbuka kepada YAB Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dan YAB Dato' Sri Najib Tun Razak sebagai Presiden dan Timbalan Presiden oleh Timbalan Pengerusi Perhubungan Pulau Pinang dan Pengerusi Perhubungan Negeri Selangor itu bersifat sebagai pelobi yang secara terang berkempen dan boleh menjejaskan pencalonan penyandang Presiden dan Timbalannya? Apakah tindakan yang akan diambil keatas mereka? Ini perlu dihalusi supaya ahli-ahli dari MKT ke akar umbi dapat tahu dimana batasannya. Rakyat jelata yang bukan ahli UMNO sedang melihat bagaimana UMNO sedang menjalankan peroses pemilihannya. Sudah tentunya kritikan keras akan di keluarkan apabila jelas kelihatan ada darjah berkembar (double standard) didalam pentadbiran parti yang menguasai kerajaan yang boleh menjejaskan kredibilitinya untuk terus memimpin.

Ahli-ahli UMNO seluruh negara sekadar ingin tahu dengan jelas dan tepat apa yang boleh dan apa yang tidak boleh di lakukan dan samada peraturan ini berkuatkuasa keatas kesemua ahli-ahli UMNO atau hanya yang bertanding di peringkat bahagian-bahagian sahaja.

KONSPIRASI MENGKUSUTKAN LAGI PEMIKIRAN RAKYAT

Tidak cukup dengan kemelut yang diwujudkan oleh ahli-ahli politik dan orang-orang suruhan mereka, para ulamak juga mula masuk campur. Ada yang kerana benar-benar ingin mengamankan keadaan dan ada pula kerana ingin mencari publisiti untuk bertentang sesama sendiri dikhalayak ramai membuat rakyat khususnya yang berbangsa Melayu dan umat Islam meluat dengan tabiat mereka yang lebih jijik dari ahli-ahli politik.

Saranan Mufti Perlis adalah tepat kerana masalah fitnah-memfitnah ini bukan sahaja dosa besar tetapi ia juga adalah masalah persepsi orangramai. Walaupun hukuman telah dijatuhkan oleh mahkamah, ramai juga yang akan mempunyai syak buruk tentang keputusan hakim, lebih-lebih lagi apabila hukuman tersebut tidak memihak kepada mereka. Dari itu, sebagai umat Islam, ada kaedah lain yang boleh mententeramkan jiwa orangramai, iaitu dengan cara "Muhabalah" sebagaimana yang di sarankan oleh Mufti Perlis dan disokong oleh Tok Guru Nik Aziz. Pada firasat saya, sudah tentunaya umat Islam tidak akan bersyak-wasangka dengan keputusan Allah SWT.

"Muhabalah" adalah dimana pihak-pihak yang terlibat menyerahkan kepada Allah SWT dengan lafaz meminta Allah supaya melaknati mereka yang bersalah yang bersembunyi di belakang tabir pembohongan.

Umum mendapati bahawa apabila kaedah undang-undang masih membawa kemusykilan, kaedah ini sahaja yang boleh mengamankan pemikiran umat Islam dan di dalam keadan yang kusut seperti yang kita alami pada hari ini, kaedah ini patut di guna pakai, lebih-lebih lagi apabila peruntukan ini ada disediakan di dalam Agama Islam.

Terasa kecewa apabila saya membaca di Bernama hari ini bahawa Ketua Pengarah Jabatan Kemajuan Islam Malaysia berpendapat bersumpah dengan menjunjung al-Quran atau 'mubahalah' tidak perlu dilaksanakan kerana ia bukan sahaja akan mendedahkan keaiban seseorang di khalayak umum malah akan menimbulkan kesan lebih besar terhadap umat Islam.

Mungkin beliau tidak bergaul dengan khalayak umum dari itu beliau tidak dapat merasa nadi rakyat ketika ini khususnya orang Melayu dan umat Islam kerana ini menyentuh maruah pemimpin-pemimpin Melayu dan perbuatan luar tabi'i dari segi Agama Islam.

Celikkah mata hati Ketua Pengarah tersebut. Adakah beliau sedar bahawa kita sudah melepasi lingkungan keaiban dan sekarang apa yang kita mahu adalah keadilan bagi yang teranyaia? Beliau menyambung " Banyak cara lain boleh digunakan bagi menentukan kesahihan dan kebenaran terhadap setiap tuduhan yang dibuat. " Saudara, anak-anak saya yang belum baligh pun boleh menidakkan usaha-usaha orang lain seperti Saudara tetapi yang kita mahu adalah cadangan yang proaktif bukan sahaja untuk mendapatkan kesahihan dan kebenaran tetapi juga yang boleh meyakinkan rakyat.

Pada hari ini, rakyat sudah meluat dengan telatah ahli-ahli politik negara. Tidak payahlah Mufti-mufti berlaga-laga di khalayak ramai untuk menunjukkan kononnya dialah yang lebih Islam atau berpengetahuan dari rakan sejawatnya dari negeri lain. Ini adalah lebih jijik dimata kasar rakyat kerana kita muak apabila melihat ulamak-ulamak kita pula yang cuba bermain politik di antara satu sama lain demi untuk mencipta nama di dalam media.

Mufti Perlis telah memberikan cadangan yang baik untuk ketenteraman jiwa rakyat lebih-lebih lagi yang beragama Islam. Ramai di kalangan rakan-rakan saya dan tentunya orangramai yang terasa seolah-olah dipermain-mainkan, turut berdoa agar sesiapa yang telah menkhianati kita dengan kes-kes yang menggoncangkkan Negara ini sehingga terasa gegarannya di Amerika Syarikat akan dilaknati Allah dan ditimpanya kecelakaan yang setimpal dengan angkara pembohongan yang dilakukan kepada kita, Rakyat Malaysia.

Andaikata Mufti Perak atau Ketua Pengarah JAKIM tidak ada cadangan lain yang boleh menyenangkan hati rakyat, maka dipersilakan berdiam dari berkata-kata seolah-olah Khatib sedang berkhutbah kerana RAKYAT SUDAH MELUAT dengan karenah kamu-kamu dan mereka yang bersekutu dengan kamu itu!

Seharusnya ulamak-ulamak negara kita menjadi contoh kepada ahli-ahli politik untuk mensucikan perjuangan mereka, bukannya mengikut tabiat buruk ahli-ahli politik negara kita itu untuk di bawa kedalam institusi Agama Islam. Kalau tidak mahu bermuhabalah pun tidak mengapa, tetapi sila bermuhasabah diri sebagai pemimpin di dalam Agama suci kita ini. Jangan sampai kamu-kamu juga dituduh turut berkonspirasi untuk mengkusutkan lagi pemikiran rakyat yang sedang merana akibat kenaikkan harga barangan keperluan hidup.

Allahu Alam.

CORRECTION TO MCA YOUTH LEADER'S PERCEPTION

I would like to respectfully make a small correction to the statement by the MCA youth leader YB Datuk Liow Tong Lai.

While it is correct that UMNO was responsible in dragging down MCA in the last election it isn't entirely true that the reason for it was due to MCA's soft stance on UMNO's governance. If at all this is true as perceived by many, why then did GERAKAN, the opposition in residence get blown out of the water, so to speak? They were utterly outspoken in issues and were in direct confrontation at times with UMNO, yet they lost one whole state.

“People feel that Umno (has) become arrogant. When it is too powerful, (the people) feel that (Umno) ignores the feelings of other races,” said Liow, who is also health minister.

This statement implies that only the Chinese were responsible for putting MCA in it's place and because they lost confidence in MCA's ability to stand up to UMNO, they turned to the opposition. Need he be reminded that MCA enjoyed the confidence of a large number of Malay voters too and they won many seats the last time because these voters had confidence in the government then. They lost this time because the Malay voters chose the opposition and I'm sure it's not because MCA didn't stand up to UMNO. If anything, they lost the Malay votes because UMNO became too liberal that topics which were deemed seditious were allowed to be touched unchecked by the current administration.

If I can remember vividly, when the MCA Youth delegation met Hishammuddin on the issue of the Keris, they went home with a certain allocation in the millions for Chinese schools and everyone smiled from ear to ear leaving Hisham's office letting bygones be bygones. I guess it was not meant to last long as Hishammuddin had to apologize for his gesture when the MCA Youth that were happy with his explanation and allocation then didn't bother to convince their voters of the same. I wager UMNO delegates in turn this December, will not let this one go as a bygone for Hishammuddin . He will pay his price.

UMNO under Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi tried to change even before MCA and MIC did after their bashing. It changed by being more open, liberal and allowing more freedom of speech. The other parties who were not accustomed to it under the previous administration didn't know how to handle this newfound freedom and went overboard with their demands turning UMNO into being more arrogant and forcing Hishammuddin to brandish the Keris (which he so foolishly apologized for). This liberalization which later turned UMNO into an arrogant party after the fact was the cause of the setback experienced by BN.

When too many people are allowed to talk and the wrong emotional statements are registered and printed, all hell breaks loose. MCA, MIC, GERAKAN and PPP should equally be blamed. They should collectively take responsibilty because they were unable to handle the changes made by UMNO post Dr Mahathir.

BN is still the best solution for our Nation. Now let's heal the wound, pull together and work hard to win back our lost ground.

JOHOR MALAY VETS' EVENT

Kelab Veteran Melayu Negeri Johor
&
Kelab Veteran UMNO Bahagian Pulai
Dengan Takzimnya Menganjurkan Majlis
“PERJUMPAAN MELAYU BERHEMAH”

Sebagai Bangsa Melayu yang berhemah, bersopan, setia dan santun di hiaskan dengan menjemput hadir semua orang Melayu untuk kita bersama mengkata dan mengkota-kata suara keramat

“MELAYU BERHEMAH PEMIMPIN UMMAH”

Ucaptama dari
Y.B.M. TENGKU RAZALEIGH HAMZAH
Ketua UMNO Bahagian Gua Musang

Tarikh: Sabtu 28hb Jun 2008
23 Jamadilakhir 1429
Tempat: M Suites Hotel
Johor Bahru
Masa: Jam 2.30 petang

Pakaian: Semolek-moleknya Baju Kebangsaan Melayu
MOHON DIPERSUDIKAN

SPLITTING THE PARTY

I'm constantly amazed at how everytime the incumbents want to remain in their respective positions or in power, they would equate avoiding a contest to avoiding a split in the party.

This is a problem created by people who demand personal allegience from the supporters of the party using their government positions as a tool to remain strong in the establishment. When this happens, then the loyalty shifts from the party to the individual leaders. It is a an understatement to say that it is unethical but the leaders advocate this behaviour to ensure their continued strength over the rest. When such leaders leave the party, we will see an exodus of his supporters following suit. This didn't happened when Dato' Onn Jaafar left UMNO because at that time, UMNO members were taught to be loyal to the party which is not the case today. I'd like to believe that today's UMNO members are equally loyal judging by the lukewarm response to Tun Dr Mahathir's call to leave the party but then this is election year in UMNO and everyone is gearing up with more zest then during the General Election because of personal interests.

I wonder how many have served earnestly in their respective divisions and actually made annual reports of their activities during the last, say four years of holding office. But they are still fighting tooth and nail, even challenging those deserving office bearers just so they can be recognized and bribed handsomely if they win coming up to the UMNO elections in December. Some even have outside leaders backing their bid out of spite just because the incumbent can see through the hypocritical methods of these leaders.

I don't see the willingness to offer oneself to contest in any position as an attempt to split the party. However, I see the willingness of certain powerful individuals demanding loyalty to him/herself as a crime towards party unity.

Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah's bid for President is not harmful. It is democratic. In fact he is being truthful to the current President by declaring his bid openly. It is up to the members to listen to him or any other possible and "honest" candidate before deciding who is best to lead the Party and subsequently the Nation.

Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi has declared that he will be defending his seat and with that, there are two candidates to choose from for the position of President. The members can make comparisons between the two and decide swiftly even before the last division holds its delegates' meeting.

Dato' Sri Najib Tun Abdul Razak has repeatedly said or implied that he will not contest the Presidency and will wait for the transition of power to take affect, which both he and Datuk Seri Abdullah had come to terms with.

The 3 million odd members are now aware of this and appreciate Dato' Sri Najib as he, like Tengku Razaleigh and Datuk Seri Abdullah are honest men and have declared their positions. This should give an indication to the Divisions of who is willing to contest for which posts.

This will not split the party as everyone knows what they want. What would split the party and give a rude headache is if Dato' Sri Najib says one thing while working to do the other, like contesting for President, confusing and not giving people enough time to digest and decide with a clear mind.

UMNO leaders must conduct themselves as gentlemen. This means they must say what they mean and mean what they say.

If there are any other contenders for President, please step up NOW and be accounted for or forever hold your piece. If there should be any amendments made to the UMNO constitution, they should add a clause whereby a candidate vying for the post of President in the party must declare it openly at least six months from the election date. The members must be given the space and time to choose the most appropriate candidate not only for President of UMNO but also for the Prime Ministersip of Malaysia.

UMNO members must not degrade themselves by being subservient to certain leaders. They must pledge their allegience to the Party and not to individuals with positions within the party and government. If they do the latter, they are prostituting themselves and helping the irresponsible leaders to destroy the party. UMNO must be given back to its members and this can only be done if the members themselves act with full responsibilty and with dignity.

Serve the Party, not the Leader. Remember this doctrine and we shall be saved.

ABOUT LAST NIGHT

“I am not out to be popular. We try our best, and this is something we are very serious about, but naturally people will not be happy", said the Prime Minister. Well Sir, if not being popular is the main objective, I'd say you've met your target.

Yesterday I tried to reason with people when the announcement was made in the afternoon thinking that the implementation would be sometime in August. Then I gave up defending what I thought would be a form of National Service in fear of being slapped silly by my audience when we were told that the hike would take effect at 12 midnight.

There was no room left for the rakyat to adjust. It came down just like that, like a blade from the guillotine. Kuala Lumpur was paralysed for a few hours last night because of this. Everytime I pressed down the power windows I heard profanities, no prizes for guessing right whom it was for.

I thought March 2008 was the lowest ebb as far as support for the government was concerned. But if a snap election is called this week, I'd give a ten to one odds that BN would be slaughtered like the cows during Aidil Adha, and it'd be so quick there won't be enough time for the religious recital before the knife strikes either.

The act was necessary I suppose, but the timing is suspect. This involves the everyman. It could have been more subtle. There will certainly be a converse effect in relation to other goods. Unscrupulous merchants will take advantage of the situation, and bad words will continue to flow out of the consumers everytime they go out shopping. Are we able to get out of this political doldrums or could Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi be The Last Prime Minister from UMNO.

78 SEN HIKE

78 sen hike. I dare not think of the repercussions in relation to other goods. But we have to face the reality of it all. Continued total subsidy will stunt national growth. We have to come to terms with the fact that we are living beneath the cost of living of other developing countries such as ours due to to the heavy subsidies.

I trust this won't go down well with the rakyat but if we are loyal citizens then we should accept it and hope that the cut in subsidy will be used to help develop the infrastructure as promised. We are still waiting to see an improved public transport system. Poeple travelling to Johor Bahru still ride on bashed up buses boarded from a tight and dusty depot. The better ones are used for the KL-Singapore route. Even the MARA Executive coach has ceased to exist for Johoreans when they were rerouted to Singapore via Tuas.

In the midst of all this, there is still a deafening silence on Singapore registered vehicles being treated the way it should. I still think they should be allowed to buy petrol in Johor Bahru but at the market price and not subsidized. This is one way of not hurting too much the operators within the 50km radius as they can still make some profit from other sales at the station. We should do away with the ban within the 50 km radius but charge the full market rate up till Malacca.

SHOOT FIRST THINK LATER

PKR's Ezam has finally decided to re-enter UMNO. Generally from the ground, no problem except for one issue. Why has his re-entry been blown out of proportion? Why should the Honourable President of UMNO himself be receiving him? What's the big fuss over a known "party traitor" who finally saw the light and came back? He wasn't even the head of the PKR. Was it wise for the number one man in UMNO to degrade his office by receiving an application form from an ex-youth leader from a small opposition party? Same goes with the Honourable Deputy President, lowering his status by recieving application forms from lower officers from the PKR when it is the job of leaders at the branch level. These are the queries from the grassroot leaders. We tried to justify our leaders' actions but it just didn't sit well with the hardcore UMNO workers on the ground.

One classic case was the contention by a fellow who was a member of the BN machinery in several elections . He claimed he was cursed and jeered at by the people supporting the opposition when he was putting up pictures and posters of these two leaders, yet they are the ones who took it upon themselves to organize a special VIP reception for these "traitors". He went on to say that in wanting to win the hearts of those who left UMNO to come back to the fold, the leaders shouldn't hurt the feelings of the loyalists within the party.

Now there is a survey to ask the people on the ground for their response to the Ezam saga. It is a case of shoot first think later. Instead of avoiding a catastrophy, we are constantly controlling one damage after another. If there is no quick end to this, there will certainly be a premature end to the party. May God forbid.

EMERGENCY BREAK TO BARRING SINGAPORE VEHICLES FORM FILLING UP

Doesn't it look like a real kitchen in the current Cabinet? I mean it's like a trial and error thing. Just mix the ingredients and then add sugar or hold on to the spice for a bit then sprinkle some cinamon till it tastes good for someone else.

Decisions are made then withdrawn till a certain date on the issue of subsidized petrol on Singapore but not on Thai vehicles. Why is it that when it involves Singapore everyone gets spooked?

According to The International Herald Tribune, the Deputy Prime Minister who was in Singapore to attend a security summit, told reporters that an anti-inflation Cabinet committee would meet Tuesday to review the plan.

"We have to find a new effective date because there are other matters, like for example, can we have separate pumps because the Singaporeans are saying that they don't mind paying the market rate," he said.

Hmm...I am very sure that this matter of having saparate pumps (islands) was suggested by an UMNO member to the Deputy Prime Minister two years ago. It appalls me to think that this method is considered not because of a suggestion from the UMNO gentleman trying to save money for the treasury, but because " Singaporeans are saying that they don't mind paying the market rate." Forgive the recurrence. This is a good idea as it would only subsidize Malaysians driving Malaysian vehicles and would ease the burden off the treasury to the tune of RM1 billion a year. It has always been a good idea but I guess it didn't have the blessing from our neighbours down South.

Now they are saying we'll have to pay the market rate which is double the current price. Don't even think about calling for a snap election after this kind of an announcement. This practically puts our backs against the wall and takes away whatever remedy we might have in the event that there are crossovers from BN to the opposition. Sometimes I wonder if our Captain is really playing for our side or for the opposing team.

What a drastic measure right after we ponder over charging the Singaporeans the same. Could it be a sort of a punishment meted out on us just because we were about to jack the subsidy off the Singaporeans?

Time will tell. But for now, lay off Singapore or risk suffering more.