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.

FAILURE TO UNSHEATH THE KERIS MAY PROVE COSTLY FOR HISHAM

In about four hours, the UMNO Youth Wing will begin it’s meeting with the traditional Keris being presented in what will be Hishammuddin Hussein’s last appearance in the Youth stage as it’s leader.

In a report by a news portal on the 22 March, it said that Hishamuddin will not unsheathe the Keris but “will lift up a covered keris as part of the opening ceremony of the youth assembly.”

When I bumped into a close associate of the Youth Chief earlier at the PWTC prior to the closed door meeting with the President, he said that after due deliberation, it was decided that Hishammudin will continue with the tradition of unsheathing the Keris and will be supported by the UMNO Youth Excos in his act because this is a Malay tradition and the others have no business in it.

As at yesterday afternoon, support from the ground for Hishammuddin for VP has been lukewarm because a good number of the members think that he is generally overrated. This comes from delegates who had not much power in their divisions’ nominations but have voting rights on the 26th to decide who they want to lead the party. This is the level where nominations mean nothing, and division chiefs have no influence whatsoever on the delegates as their votes will be by secret ballot. Most of them are waiting for him to continue being cowed into submission by non-Malays so that they can go to town even before the youth meeting ends running him down before voting begins for the main body.

Hishammuddin will either win or lose his Vice Presidential attempt on the Youth stage and not on the voting day proper. If he does the right thing and redeems himself in the eyes of the Malays with his world famous rhetoric, he may end his tenure as a hero and sail through the next day with his face on the front covers of all newspapers before voting begins for the main body. The Malays usually get carried away and get easily sold by rhetoric, especially if it is driven by emotion. In the end, others will benefit while they only get that brief satisfaction of exhibiting strong emotions, hence the old Malay proverb “Menang sorak, kampong tergadai”. It means literally that we may win in loud arguments but we lose our village.

As I have written in my posting http://tpj-one-thepatriot.blogspot.com/2008/04/might-of-keris.html entitled “The Might of the Keris”, a wise man once said that the Keris, once unsheathed will protect the person as long as he uses its power with full responsibility and fairness in the struggle for the community. If there is impurity in its use, then the hand that grips it will in turn earn its wrath.

Let us see if Hishammuddin repents and does justice to it this time. The Keris will either defend his future or end his political advancement with one fatal stroke.

A FINAL RUNDOWN ON JOHOR CANDIDATES FOR SUPREME COUNCIL

PART TWO

Johor being the State that gave birth to UMNO and is the biggest benefactor in the Ruling Government is fielding the most number of Candidates in the coming UMNO elections. While many are deserving and capable leaders, there are also several who are taking advantage of the State’s reputation to make it big in National Politics. Let’s go through them one by one and maybe after that you’ll be able to determine who they are with a little help from me.

ABDUL GHANI OTHMAN – MENTERI BESAR OF JOHOR

He was appointed Treasurer of the Johor UMNO Liaison Committee by Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, the then Menteri Besar which kick started his career in politics. Later he was appointed Senator before being elected as Member of Parliament in 1986. From 1987 to 1993, he was Deputy Minister before becoming the Sports Minister at the end of 1993. One of his achievements was to initiate a National Youth Program called “The Rakan Muda”.In 1995 he was appointed Menteri Besar of Johor succeeding Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin. He still enjoys this position at the behest of the Sultan of Johor.

He has since promoted Malay Arts and Culture specifically the Zapin and Ghazal keeping it alive and well in the Malay Community. He also introduced mandatory Quran readings every Friday morning before work begins in the government sector to promote the comprehension of the Holy Book. As an UMNO leader protecting Religion and defending the Race, he has done his part in both aspects and is a worthy candidate for Supreme Council.

SHAHRIR ABDUL SAMAD – MINISTER OF DOMESTIC TRADE

He was the youngest Political Secretary in the country serving Musa Hitam. Later he served Tun Razak in the same capacity until the latter died in London. In 1978, he won the Parliamentary seat in Johor Bahru. He was Deputy Minister of Trade and Industry, then Minister of Welfare, Youth and Sports before being the Minister of the Federal Territories. He was out of mainstream politics for a long spell before finally being re-appointed into the Cabinet by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi after the recent elections in 2008.

He is generally not a team player and has a mind of his own as proven twice when he resigned his seat in Parliament to stand and win as an independent and later when he resigned as the Backbencher’s Club Chairman for voting in support of the Opposition in Parliament.

He serves his constituency well and I once followed him to tend to a complaint by one of his constituents at 3 am just to confirm the report and take immediate action.

He is a good candidate for Supreme Council as we need a maverick to stand up for what’s right even if it’s against the wishes of the President as opposed to being a rubber stamp and an apple polisher.

AZALINA OTHMAN SAID – MINISTER OF TOURISM

She established the Puteri UMNO wing from scratch which was a mountainous task. She helped reach the young and restless ladies who were not too inclined towards politics and turned the Wing into a powerhouse envied by the Wanita wing under the leadership of Rafidah Aziz, which proved that they were of tremendous significance in UMNO prepared to replace the senior ladies in the Party.

She was Minister of Sports in 2004 before assuming the current post after the recent elections. She is currently a sitting member of the Supreme Council winning in the last UMNO election after having reached the maximum age in Puteri UMNO.

She is a “hands on” leader who gets things done quickly and was recently elected as the only female Division Chief in the country after her rival failed to get enough nominations to qualify in Pengerang.

We need more Ministers like her. Unfortunately, her officers are currently being investigated by the SPRM for political corruption, but if she is cleared of any wrongdoing, she would be a superb candidate for Supreme Council for her action oriented mentality which is not a widespread characteristic in Malay leadership.

DR ABDUL LATIF AHMAD – DEPUTY HEALTH MINISTER

He is the Mersing Division Chief and was one of the youngest State Executive Councillors in Johor serving two terms while also sitting in the Youth Wing as an EXCO member. He is a second term Deputy Minister and almost didn’t make the cut in the line-up after the elections. He was said to be vocal in the last few meetings while supporting the quick transfer of power.

He is affable but not quite in the frontlines because he is overshadowed by a strong Minister from the MCA, yet he is experienced enough and would be a good candidate to be considered for another term in the Supreme Council at least.

NORAINI AHMAD – DEPUTY MINISTER FOR LABOUR

She is the outgoing Chief of the Puteri Wing. She was appointed Deputy Minister presumably in respect of her position in the wing. She was secretary to the Backbencher’s Club and was deputy to Azalina who did all the work building Puteri while she just took over an already well established wing.

Ever since she took over the wing, the number of branches is said to have reduced out of lack of interest within the outfit. In Pulai alone, it started with around 26 branches under Azalina but at the last count, there were barely 18, this with the fact that our last Puteri Chief is a serving member of the Puteri Exco.(until 25 March) In the eyes of the majority in UMNO, not much have been achieved under Noraini’s leadership and because of this, there have been calls for the Wing’s role and position to be reduced to that of Putera UMNO. A Vice President’s equivalent is too high a position for a wing that is not quite up to the mark. The Puteri Wing should just be a bureau within the Wanita Wing. In addition, members are asking why they should consider a seat in the Supreme Council for every Puteri leader coming of age in every UMNO election.

Noraini is NOT a worthy candidate for Supreme Council although she might barely make the cut considering there are not more than 15 worthy candidates, meaning we have to still elect another 10 lousy ones to complete the 25 or our votes will be considered spoilt.

HALIMAH MOHD SADIQUE – HEAD OF THE JOHOR WANITA UMNO

She was an Executive Councilor in the Johor Government for several terms and was tipped to be at least a Deputy Minister in the new line up after the elections. However the Prime Minister was said to have come to his senses and opted not to appoint her even when Shahrizat Jalil lost her seat and Rafidah was not reappointed to the Cabinet.

She is currently just an ordinary member of the Tenggara Division and is reduced to being just a delegate after deciding not to defend her post as Division Chief. She was once considered a liability to the Menteri Besar in Johor because of her proximity with the leader although it was just merely a “rumor”.

She is a staunch supporter of Rafidah Aziz and it is said that if they both win in their respective contests, she will be looking at Rafidah every time there is a call to vote in the Supreme Council instead of doing what is best for the UMNO mass.

In several State functions introducing nationwide candidates running for Supreme Council, she is said to have brought busloads of Wanita members to cheer loudly when she is introduced on stage exhibiting artificial support for her fooling the locals.

Halimah too is NOT a worthy candidate for Supreme Council though she would be riding on the Johor and Wanita UMNO reputation to sail her through. Again, if she pulls through, it would be because the delegates will have little choice in completing the 25 person ballot.

DR PUAD ZAKARSHI – MP BATU PAHAT

He is currently the Batu Pahat Division Chief and Member of Parliament of the same. In 1997 he was appointed the Executive Secretary of the Johor State UMNO Liaison Committee and was Senator in 2004.

He is very vocal and is consistent in voicing the concerns and needs of the UMNO grassroots without fear or favour. When Prime Minister Badawi met with the Johor Liaison Committee for the first time after the disastrous showing (by BN standards) in the 2008 General Elections, he was only one of the two members in the Committee who asked outright for the PM to make way. The other person is Pulai Member of Parliament and UMNO Division Chief Nur Jazlan Mohamed, reflecting the views of Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and the great majority of UMNO members.

Dr Puad Zakarshi is a NECESSARY candidate for the Supreme Council, and I consider him a National Candidate as opposed to one from Johor because if his past reputation is anything to go by, he will bring the voice of the grassroots in there.

As a Malaysian citizen from Johor, I urge my fellow State delegates to choose ONLY the best and qualified amongst those from the State offering themselves for posts, even if it means there won’t be many who will succeed. Allegiance to the Party, and voting ONLY quality leaders from Johor, maintaining our leadership standard, would be the best way to exhibit our loyalty to the State and People of Johor.

For a recap of PART ONE covering the Deputy and Vice Presidential Candidates please go to http://tpj-one-thepatriot.blogspot.com/2008/12/9-candidates-qualify-to-contest-from.html. A slight correction: There are a total of 11 Candidates not counting the one for Deputy Chairmanship won uncontested from Johor, not 9. I stand corrected.

OF DOUBLE STANDARDS, FUNNY JUDGEMENTS & BREACH OF PROTOCOL

DOUBLE STANDARD

1. Why is it when Pakatan Rakyat’s EXCOs were charged in Court, no one, neither Pakatan members, nor the Rakyat asked them to resign from their posts and they continued to serve in their respective capacities until they decided to go Independent but when Ali Rustam is reprimanded by the Party Disciplinary Board, not charged in Court, he is asked to resign his post as Chief Minister of Malacca?

2. Why is it when Tan Sri Isa Samad, the sitting Vice President at that time was found guilty by the UMNO Discplinary Board chaired by the same person handing down judgment on Ali Rustam, he was forced to vacate his position as Minister of Federal Territories but when Ali Rustam was found guilty, he remains as Chief Minister of Malacca?

Now I can understand the political reasoning which is perhaps because we are afraid to lose Malacca in the next elections due to Ali’s huge influence in the State, but what escapes me is how this decision can come from a Chairman who claims, almost by thumping on his chest that the Disciplinary Board is Independent which has Separation of Powers bla bla bla, yet acts like he has been advised to compromise on his decision and went against precedent.

FUNNY JUDGMENT

1. A person can be guilty of the most watched out for and ONLY crime in a Party election, but he is let off with a warning.

I would think that in politics, either you are guilty or innocent. No two ways about it! It’s not like murder where they will have to determine whether you had the intention to kill to decide whether it is first degree murder, culpable homicide or manslaughter etc. In politics, would you ask a person giving out money or buying delegates the most expensive Chinese dinner whether or not he had the intention to bribe the fellows? Can you really be that daft? If the evidence is loose because the agent is an insignificant acquaintance, should he really be declared guilty? If there is an aiota of guilt, should he be allowed to contest at all?

How can one go on serving as a public official with the words “guilty” hanging over one’s head? How does this sound? “ The Honorable Khairy Jamaluddin is the guilty candidate running for UMNO Youth Chief”. He was found guilty by the Disciplinary Board for money politics but is allowed to contest for the top post in the UMNO Youth Wing.

Queer don’t you think? The Board would have done better by just declaring him innocent.

BREACH OF PROTOCOL

1. I would think also that the Disciplinary Board, although independent in their investigations, findings and judgment, is still answerable to the Supreme Council. This is because they were appointed by the Party Council, not the government or even Parliament. Therefore any judgment made by the Board should be recommended to the Supreme Council for their endorsement. They should have no right to make any independent announcements pre-empting the powers of the Supreme Council. A messy situation could have been avoided with Ali Rustam being persuaded to withdraw from the race in the name of unity without tarnishing his image and angering his supporters whom he can appease when they know the real reason for his withdrawal.

This is Party business and should remain there. Antagonizing factions within the party will only make things difficult in our effort to win back our lost ground in the coming elections. The Disciplinary Board should be headed by someone who can appreciate this front and not someone who perhaps can be influenced by old friends discussing it at the Country Club.

USUL UMNO BAHAGIAN PULAI MENYOKONG PPSMI 2005

Inilah usul yang dibawa oleh diri saya mewakili UMNO Bahagian Pulai. di Mesyuarat Agong Bahagian pada tahun 2005.

MUKADDIMAH USUL

MENGETAHUI : Ilmu adalah tunjang kepada semua akitek pembangunan sains,
teknologi, aero-angkasa, matematik dan pelbagai pengetahuan. Bahasa pula adalah penyampainya. Ilmu itu tidak mempunyai sempadan atau kesudahan. Selagi manusia itu ada:

“MENGUASAI ILMU - MENGUASAI DUNIA”

Ilmu tidak datang bergolek, tidak juga datang melayang – bak kata pepatah melayu:

“PECAHKAN RUYUNG DAPATLAH SAGUNYA”

BENAR : Banyak usaha telah dijalankan oleh kerajaan, dengan melibatkan pakar-pakar bahasa untuk mendaulatkan bahasa kita – Bahasa Melayu - bahasa kebangsaan. Dasar Pelajaran Baru berasaskan LAPORAN RAZAK (1956) dan LAPORAN ABDUL RAHMAN TALIB (1960) telah mengubah sekolah-sekolah yang pada awalnya dikenali sebagai Sekolah Rakyat, yang kemudiannya dikenali sebagai Sekolah Umum dan sekarang dikenali sebagai Sekolah Kebangsaan yang menggunakan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa pengantar. Ini semua dilakukan demi perpaduan dan penjenamaan IDENTITI MELAYU.

KEJUTAN : Istilah Dunia Tanpa Sempadan telah melonjakkan permintaan tinggi untuk menguasai ilmu. Bahasa yang menguasai dunia sahaja yang boleh dibawa dalam persaingan untuk mendalami bidang-bidang Sains dan Teknologi. Maka bersedialah kita dari sekarang demi memertabatkan Negara kita Malaysia sebagai negara maju.

MAKA : Dengan ini saya Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid B. Tan Sri Tengku Hamid Jumat – Naib Ketua UMNO Bahagian yang juga Pengerusi Biro Pendidikan Umno Bahagian mewakili UMNO Bahagian Pulai – mohon membentangkan Kertas Usul Pendidikan dalam Mesyuarat Perwakilan Umno Bahagian Pulai pada hari ini, Ahad, 22hb Mei 2005.

PENGAJARAN & PEMBELAJARAN SAINS DAN MATEMATIK DALAM BAHASA INGGERIS

Keputusan kerajaan untuk menggunakan Bahasa Inggeris sebagai pengantar mata pelajaran Matematik dan Sains telah dibuat untuk menghadapi cabaran era baru. Negara kita memerlukan generasi muda yang gagah bersaing dengan warga negara lain di dunia, terutamanya dalam bidang sains dan teknologi. Bahasa Melayu sudahpun membuktikan kebolehannya menyampaikan ilmu, termasuk Matematik dan Sains, hingga ke tahap tertinggi. Kejayaan ini telah dicapai melalui usaha gigih Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, tenaga pengajar di universiti, maktab dan sekolah, serta banyak pihak yang berkebolehan dari pelbagai bidang. Mereka telah membuat terjemahan dari buku-buku Inggeris, juga menghasilkan buku-buku asli dalam Bahasa Melayu.

Namun demikian, zaman ledakan ilmu dan maklumat (knowledge and information explosion), dan perkembangan ‘dunia tanpa sempadan’ telah mengubah ‘keselesaan kedudukan’ Bahasa Melayu. Kadar pertambahan ilmu dan maklumat tidak lagi seperti dulu. Pertambahannya berlipat-ganda, sehingga kadang-kadang menggerunkan – lebih-lebih lagi dalam bidang sains dan teknologi; terlalu cepat untuk diikut. Jika anak bangsa kita terpaksa menunggu untuk mendapatkannya melalui terjemahan ke Bahasa Melayu, akan ketinggalan akhirnya.

Secara kebetulan, Bahasa Inggeris telah menjadi bahasa dunia yang menyampaikan ilmu dan meklumat ini – sebahagian besarnya menerusi internet. Secara kebetulan juga, sejarah hitam penjajahan telah membawa Bahasa Inggeris ke Tanah Melayu. Bertahun kita bergelut dalam perjuangan memartabatkan bangsa. Ini diikuti pula dengan peristiwa 13 Mei 1969. Berbagai gagasan muncul dengan langkah-langkah untuk mencegah daripada berulangnya peristiwa sepertinya. Antara yang paling penting ialah pelaksanaan Dasar Pelajaran Baru yang berasaskan Laporan Razak (1956) dan Laporan Abdul Rahman Talib (1960) yang dikukuhkan oleh Akta Pelajaran 1961 – yang menetapkan Bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa pengantar, bermula di peringkat sekolah rendah. Bahasa Kebangsaan (Melayu) dijadikan alat pengikat dan pemersatu bangsa Malaysia. Semenjak itu penggunaan bahasa kebangsaan semakin semarak dan semakin diperluaskan ke peringkat tertinggi sehingga hari ini.

Hari ini kita boleh berbangga kerana telah berjaya mendaulatkan semula bahasa kita, Bahasa Melayu. Dengan keyakinan ini kita tidak harus ragu-ragu mempergunakan Bahasa Inggeris sebagai bahasa kedua. Ia adalah ‘alat’ di tangan kita untuk menguasai ilmu dan maklumat terkini, supaya kita tidak ketinggalan dalam era globalisasi ini. Demikianlah yang dilakukan di negara-negara seperti China dan Jepun – ia adalah langkah bijak tanpa mengabaikan bahasa kebangsaan sendiri.

Matapelajaran Sains dan Matematik telah mula diajar dalam bahasa Inggeris pada tahun 2003, iaitu kepada murid-murid Tahun Satu sekolah rendah dan Tingkatan Satu sekolah menengah. Jadi, pada tahun ini (2005), Matematik dan Sains disampaikan melalui bahasa Inggeris dalam tahun 1,2 dan 3 di sekolah rendah manakala dalam Tingkatan 1,2 dan 3 di sekolah menengah. Menurut jadual, tahun ini pelajar-pelajar akan mengambil PMR dan menjawab kertas dua matapelajaran itu dalam bahasa Inggeris; pada tahun 2007 mereka dijangka berbuat begitu di peperiksaan SPM dan demikianlah seterusnya. Bagi murid-murid sekolah rendah pula, UPSR akan diambil dengan kertas Matematik dan Sains dalam Bahasa Inggeris pada tahun 2008.

Kajian awal yang dijalankan oleh Jabatan Pendidikan Negeri Johor telah menunjukkan hasil yang membimbangkan, iaitu prestasi anak Melayu di negeri ini, dalam matapelajaran Matematik dan Sains (tahun 2003 dan 2004) kini rendah, berbanding dengan pencapaian ketika dua matapelajaran ini diajar dalam Bahasa Melayu. Hasil kajian ini, yang telah dijalankan dengan rasa tanggungjawab dan prihatin terhadap kemajuan anak bangsa, haruslah dipandang serius oleh semua pihak.

Hasil kajian ini menyedarkan kita tentang satu masalah besar yang perlu diatasi. Namun, ini tidak bererti kita harus berundur ke belakang, pada peringkat awal usaha besar, penting, malah perlu ini. Setiap perubahan untuk menemui kemajuan memanglah terpaksa menemui masalah pada permulaannya.

CADANGAN KAEDAH MENGHADAPI KESUKARAN PPSMI DI PERINGKAT AWAL

Menginsafi keadaan ini, langkah seterusnya yang perlu diambil ialah mencari penyelesaiannya. Punca-punca masalah harus diselidiki. Strategi untuk menanganinya wajar disusun dan dilaksanakan bersama oleh semua pihak yang berkaitan. UMNO sebagai pejuang dan pendukung kemajuan bangsa – turut mempunyai peranan penting dalam hal ini. Menyedari kepentingannya, UMNO Bahagian Pulai mencadangkan beberapa kaedah awal untuk menangani kesukaran pengajaran dan pembelajaran Sains dan Matematik dalam bahasa Inggeris:

1. Tenaga pengajar: Siasatan selanjutnya mungkin sekali menunjukkan bahawa tenaga pengajar yang berkebolehan mengajar Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris perlu ditambah, terutamanya di kawasan-kawasan luar bandar. Kursus-kursus latihan untuk menghasilkan lebih banyak guru yang demikian perlu ditingkatkan di universiti, maktab dan pusat-pusat latihan harian, hujung minggu serta masa cuti. Bilangan tenaga pengajar turut dapat ditambah dengan mengambil lebih ramai guru yang sudah bersara dan memberi latihan semula kepada sebanyak mungkin siswazah sedang menganggur yang berpengetahuan dalam bidang Matematik dan Sains.

2. Kaedah Pembelajaran: Media massa (radio, televisyen dan surat khabar) boleh digunakan untuk menyampaikan pelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris dengan kaedah yang paling menarik dan berkesan. Di samping itu, rancangan dan siaran tv serta radio berbentuk akademik di samping menghiburkan perlu digalakkan pertumbuhannya untuk menarik minat mempelajari Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris.

3. Kemudahan Pembelajaran: Kemudahan komputer dan internet perlu diperluaskan ke kawasan luar bandar dan pedalaman agar para pelajar tidak ketinggalan untuk memanfaatkan kemudahan tersebut sebagai sumber ilmu dan maklumat. Minat mereka untuk menguasai bahasa Inggeris akan teransang dengan hebat sekali dengan kaedah paling terkini ini.

4. Peranan Sekolah: Untuk meningkatkan prestasi pelajar dalam ujian dan peperiksaan, pihak sekolah harus memperbanyakkan serta memperhebatkan sesi latihan menjawab soalan Matematik dan Sains dalam bahasa Inggeris. Panduan dan latih tubi serta penerangan aspek-aspek sukar yang diajukan kepada pelajar akan membina penguasaan mereka. Penguasaan akan meningkatkan minat dan minatlah yang akan membawa pelajar ke tahap penguasaaan yang lebih tinggi.


KEWAJARAN MENERUSKAN PENGAJARAN & PEMBELAJARAN MATEMATIK DAN SAINS DALAM BAHASA INGGERIS

Anak Melayu tidak kurang kecerdasan otaknya berbanding dengan kaum lain. Bakat dalam penggunaan bahasa juga sama baiknya. Begitu juga kebolehan semulajadi dalam Matematik dan Sains. Segala ini terbukti dengan kejayaan cemerlang yang dicapai oleh anak Melayu dalam pelbagai bidang termasuk Matematik, Sains dan Bahasa Inggeris. Jadi mangapakah masalah kemerosotan pencapaian anak Melayu dalam matapelajaran Matematik dan Sains timbul setelah ianya dikendalikan dalam Bahasa Inggeris, sedangkan pencapaian anak kaum-kaum lain tetap berprestasi tinggi?

Jawapan yang paling logik dan tidak harus dinafikan ialah: sikap. Anak Melayu kurang yakin malah menggeruni Bahasa Inggeris. Pelajar harus difahamkan sepenuhnya tentang peranan Bahasa Inggeris sebagai salah satu ‘alat’ untuk meninggikan daya saing mereka di kalangan bangsa-bangsa dunia. Kedaulatan dan keutamaan bahasa Melayu perlu ditegaskan. Namun rasa curiga dan tidak selesa terhadap Bahasa Inggeris perlu dikikis. Untuk mengubah pandangan dan perasaan negatif ini, penguasaan murid-murid melayu dalam ketiga-tiga matapelajaran ini perlu dipertingkatkan serentak dengan kaedah pengajaran terbaik diiring motivasi serta pembinaan keyakinan diri.

Apa yang telah dimulakan harus diteruskan atas rasional berikut:

1. Kalau kita berpatah balik menggunakan bahasa Melayu sebagai bahasa pengantar mata pelajaran Matematik dan Sains, akan berterusanlah masalah yang dihadapi di peringkat universiti selama lebih tiga dekad. Untuk mencapai tahap yang memuaskan di universiti, kuliah dan kerja makmal sahaja tidak mencukupi. Ilmu tambahan dari bahan rujukan sangat penting. Hasil-hasil penyelidikan dan pemindahan teknologi di peringkat tinggi yang telah diterjemahkan adalah amat terhad. Usaha penterjemahan tidak setanding dengan permintaan dan keperluan bahan rujukan. Pelajar kita menghadapi masalah untuk menguasai sepenuhnya bahan rujukan dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Akibatnya, antara lepasan universiti kita, hanya segelintir sahaja yang benar-benar cemerlang dan dihormati di peringkat antarabangsa. Masalah ini pasti semakin rumit dalam era ledakan ilmu dan maklumat sekarang. Kita memerlukan generasi baru yang dapat menguasai dengan cepat dan tepat segala ilmu serta maklumat yang bertambah secara berlipat ganda. Generasi baru ini sedang kita bina sekarang, dengan mengajar Matematik dan Sains dalam Bahasa Inggeris di peringkat awal. Kita masih mempunyai masa untuk mengatasi kelemahan awal. Dengan usaha gigih dari semua pihak, insyaAllah, apabila generasi baru ini sampai ke universiti, mereka akan berupaya sepenuhnya menguasai ilmu pengetahuan dalam bidang sains dan teknologi. Tidak ada lagi masalah memahami istilah, ungkapan dan struktur ayat dalam Bahasa Inggeris. Semua bahan, baik dari buku mahupun internet, dapat difahami dengan serta-merta. Kita akan mempunyai bukan hanya segelintir malah sebilangan besar siswazah yang setanding dengan lepasan universiti terbaik di negara-negara maju.

2. Mata pelajaran EST (English in Science and Technology), tidak cukup untuk membina penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris dalam sains dan teknologi. Jika mata pelajaran Matematik dan Sains kembali diajar dalam Bahasa Melayu, tidak mungkin semua istilah, ungkapan dan struktur ayat Bahasa Inggeris yang diperlukan itu diajar dalam mata pelajaran EST. Pelajar juga akan sentiasa mengalami kekeliruan antara istilah Bahasa Melayu dan istilah Bahasa Inggeris.

3. Jika kita berundur, kita akan memberi tanggapan negatif kepada anak bangsa kita. Setelah memimpin mereka ke jalan menuju kejayaan, tiba-tiba kita bawa mereka berpatah balik, semata-mata kerana menemui masalah di peringkat awal. Sebaliknya, kita harus mengundang mereka untuk sama-sama mengatasi masalah dan memupuk sikap positif dalam menempuh cabaran.

4. Di mata kaum-kaum lain juga kita membentuk imej negatif jika kita berundur. Mereka pasti membuat andaian bahawa kita berpatah balik kerana jelas sekali kita tidak mempunyai keyakinan terhadap kebolehan anak-anak kita berbanding anak-anak mereka. Tambahan pula, mereka tidak akan mengurangkan usaha mereka selama ini untuk memantapkan penguasaan Bahasa Inggeris anak-anak mereka. Di peringkat universiti, mereka akan cemerlang. Akibatnya, kita akan kalah bersaing di peringkat tinggi, bukan sahaja dengan siswa negara-negara asing, tetapi juga dengan pelajar kaum lain dari negara kita sendiri.

Kesimpulannya, perubahan sikap pelajar-pelajar Melayu, ibu-bapa dan guru-guru mereka, serentak dengan pengukuhan kaedah pengajaran dan pembelajaran Matematik dan Sains dalam Bahasa Inggeris adalah amat kritikal sebagai penentu kejayaan usaha ini. Penerangan telus dari pihak kepimpinan kepada pelajar, hala tuju pembangunan negara dan kursus-kursus motivasi dan penerangan, harus dipertingkatkan. Para pelajar, khususnya dan masyarakat amnya, harus disedarkan tentang kedudukan mereka di kalangan antarabangsa dan pelbagai kaum di tanah air sendiri.

InsyaAllah, berkat usaha kita dari semua sektor masyarakat dan kerajaan, anak Melayu akan menguasai segala alat untuk menimba ilmu dan maklumat seluas lautan tidak bertepi, secepat dan secekap bangsa lain di serata dunia. Semoga terlahirlah generasi baru bangsa kita yang berdiri sama tinggi dengan bangsa-bangsa maju di muka bumi ini.

Dengan kata-kata demikian, dengan rendah dirinya, saya mewakili UMNO Bahagian Pulai, mohon mencadang. Sekian, terima kasih. Wasallam.


Saya yang menjalankan tugas,

Tengku Putra Haron Aminurrashid b
Tan Sri Tengku Hamid Jumat
( Pengerusi Biro Pendidikan merangkap
Naib Ketua UMNO Bahagian Pulai )

Pada tahun 2009, empat tahun setelah usul ini di utarakan, saya masih berpegang kepadanya sebagai langkah yang terbaik untuk anak-anak bangsa Melayu terus maju menghadapi dunia tanpa sempadan dimana Bahasa Inggeris menjadi bahasa perantaraannya.

Tun Dr Mahathir has aired his views on this in his blog http://chedet.co.cc/chedetblog/, and I am inclined to concur with him one hundred percent.

DON'T YOU DARE APOLOGIZE!

Rhetorics are no longer marketable in UMNO

I can safely represent the majority of the 3.4 Million UMNO members by sending this message to the President-in-waiting and the Vice President “wannabe” and outgoing Youth Chief, Hishammuddin Hussein who have in the past been known to apologize unnecessarily for the conduct of some of the members who acted on their own cognizance while responding to a valid cause.

We demand that our leaders take us out of this apologetic syndrome that has plagued us badly ever since Hishammuddin FAILED to live up to our expectation as a true Malay leader when he was unable to defend Malay heritage and the tradition of hoisting the Malay Keris. Since then every single act by UMNO members defending our party and its ideals have been followed by calls for us to apologize.

In the most recent case, when true red blooded Malays who have neither been poisoned by non Malay philosophies nor influenced by their kind financial gestures, demanded for the retraction of an unproven allegation in Parliament by a crippled and senile member of the House in the lobby, they were physically set upon by opposition members before retaliating. For this they were labeled as “gangsters” on top of being cursed and falsely accused of sending live bullets, which is unlawful, to a person who some would describe as a deserving recipient.

The file based on 97 (NINETY SEVEN) reports on Karpal Singh has been on the table of the Attorney General for the past one week according to reports on the web. Some are wondering if the AG’s office is waiting for Karpal to expire of old age before charging him for Sedition. Being an invalid and an old geaser, doesn’t position him above the Law. The longer he is allowed to “wheel” the streets, the more damage he can do with his loud and irresponsible mouth.

If the UMNO members who visited Parliament House have violated the law, let them be responsible for it. I stand and applaud their political chivalry which is a trait rapidly dying in UMNO in the past 8 years under the youth leadership of Hishammuddin Hussein.

Tun Dr Mahathir’s words of wisdom is very true,“ Not every son can be like his father ”…nor his grandfather, I might add. Our leaders should NOT apologize for the actions of the members when it is not the stand of the Party, although it may be the sentiment of the majority. At the very least Megat Zulkarnain, Ungku Mat Salleh, the Gombak and Serdang UMNO Youth Chiefs respectively have more guts than the old cripple who only dare to utter offensive words in Parliament knowing he has full immunity without having to be responsible for it.

Equal rights should be accorded to the handicapped. If they step out of line, they too should suffer the consequences according to the Law no matter how pathetic they may look in defense.

Related topic @ http://bigdogdotcom.wordpress.com/

THE INTERNAL SECURITY ACT - THE REAL DEAL

“Subversion is a threat against the security of the country and against constituted authority. It should therefore, be the responsibility of the government to deal with that threat.”

“The object of detention is to safeguard the security of the country and not to punish persons for crime. A person is detained for what it is considered he may reasonably be expected to do but not for what he is proved beyond doubt to have done. He is detained because he represents a risk to the security of the country.” – TUN ABDUL RAZAK HUSSEIN, second Prime Minister of Malaysia.

The Internal Security Act, 1960, allows for the detention of persons who “promote feelings of ill-will and hostility between different races or other classes of the population likely to cause violence.”

The insensitivities toward race and religion can give rise to violence and terrorism if it is not nipped in the bud. We have seen in recent years acts of terrorism on The Mariott Hotel in Jakarta, a nightclub in Bali, the Australian Embassy all in the region close to us. Further away, we’ve seen incidents in Madrid, London and most recently in Mumbai, India.

After 9/11, several western countries who are well known champions of Democracy have adopted Acts similar to the I.S.A. of Malaysia. They are The Patriot’s Act, 2001 in the U.S., The Anti Terrorism, Crime and Security Act, 2001 in the U.K., Anti Terrorism Act 2001 in Canada and the Australian Anti Terrorism Act, 2005, while the European Union introduced the Anti-Terrorism Measures 2002. In Indonesia there is an act called “Undang-undang Kasus Tindak Pidana Terrorisme 2002, but it has no powers to detain on the basis of prevention like the rest mentioned above.

While the I.S.A. of Malaysia is aimed at rehabilitation as attested by former I.S.A. detainees Dr Zabidi and Lokman Noor Adam, the others like in the U.S. don’t quite reflect the same objectives, as we have witnessed in Gantanamo Bay.

Contrary to minority consensus, The I.S.A. is not being politically abused by the government. There is no member of the opposition party who is being indiscriminately detained and of the 40 odd detainees currently serving time in “rehab” the majority are members of the Jemaah Islamiah and other terrorist suspects including a counterfeit coin specialist.

40 people detained in exchange for the Peace and Security of 26 million people in Malaysia, I’d say is a bargain I’m sure.

THE I.S.A. BECKONS

If ever there was a need for the Internal Security Act to be enforced post 1969 in relation to racial tension, this would be the time.

Multiracial tolerance and National unity is currently at its lowest ebb from my experience. I was too young and was living abroad during the 1969 clashes and was only told of the history much later in life, and in spite of the constant reminders of it during my traditional martial arts lessons, some of my best friends growing up were mainly Chinese and Indians.

Today it pains me to read what is written in the cyber-world about the Malays by those whose forefathers were given a blanket citizenship in exchange for their vows to uphold the Constitution and respect the position of those originating naturally in this land formerly known as Malaya. What aches me even more is that there are hypocritical descendents of the natives who openly question the privileges that come with their birthright, who pretend like they never relied on it at all while excelling in their respective arenas achieving success. This gives rise to the non Malays in justifying their action to press for more equal rights in all avenues that will eventually widen the disparity among us and create social instability in this country.

The Malays are being tested today like they have never been before. I say this because in comparison to the past, the Malays are being stacked against each other and even the presumably more pious of them are willing to be servants of the chauvinists amongst the non Malays, making it easier for us to be brought down if we are not careful.

Worst still, our non Malay allies within the Barisan Nasional are no longer loyal to the Coalition and have on several occasions openly supported the opposition on issues relating to race taking advantage of what they perceive as the weak condition of the Malays who are disunited. Some within the coalition have also taken the responsibility of championing the rights of known crooks just based on the color of their skin, while they remain quiet when others suffer the same fate.

These, coupled with the open challenges aimed at the Institution of the Monarchy, namely in Perak from several non Malays and their loyal Malay servants on top of the vile language used against the former in the blogosphere are making the situation very critical indeed.

The traditional attitude of the Malays in general is to remain calm and patient, at times overbearingly even under extreme circumstances. One will not see their patience run thin. They will just snap and when that occurs, all hell will break loose. That is how the Malay word “amok” arose and is recognized today in the Oxford Dictionary

The Internal Security Act, to my understanding is a preventive law that is to be employed on instigators who threaten National peace, security and social order. My instinct says that if something drastic doesn’t happen in the near future to ease this rising pressure from all sides, we will have a huge problem in our hands that will subsequently lead to serious repercussions. When peace and stability cease to exist, our economy will suffer, and all the good work put in through fine albeit hard leadership in the 22 years before the last 5, will be flushed into the drains of hell.

The government needs to act swiftly and decisively. If they find themselves directionless, they should seek the advice of the former Prime Minister or learn from our neighbor in the South.

WHAT’S THIS CRAP ABOUT “OFFERING” TO RESIGN?

LATEST UPDATE:

It is reported in one of the news portals that the police are "now monitoring websites which posted the pictures" and that "stern action will be taken against those found distributing the pictures."

It seems monitoring websites and taking stern action against those which posted nude photos of a spinster is more important than monitoring and taking stern action against websites that run down the Royal Institution and inciting social dissorder.

Where lies the allegience of the Royal Malaysian Police? I am beginning to wonder.

ORIGINAL POSTING:

A CLASSIC SPIN TO FOOL THE RAKYAT

Elizabeth Wong, the much violated lady politician who is not ashamed of her sexuality as a woman and as a single person, implies that the government is to blame when we are all very sure indeed, that she was the one who erred in judgment and that it was someone closely acquainted to her that actually took those revolting pictures and had them disseminated.

What does “not being ashamed of my sexuality as a woman and as a single person” mean? Does it mean that fornication before marriage is permissible? Well I guess she’s right that no law has been broken but as a POLITICIAN, does she really have the luxury of celebrating her sexuality in such a manner and being single like the ordinary person on the street?

Is it perhaps alright for PAKATAN representatives to remain in office like the previous two who later turned independents while it is a definite “no chance in hell” when it comes to BN office bearers to do the same under similar circumstances?

Where is the transparency? Where is the responsibility? We’ve seen a good number of UMNO and MCA officials resigning without question when a matter of this fashion arose in the past. Today, we read that Elizabeth Wong is only “offering” to resign. This could very well be a way of PAKATAN to fool the Rakyat into thinking that she is a responsible elected official only for her leaders to later reject her offer and then turn the blame onto the government, as though it is the Government that planted the man or woman (she’s entitled to her sexuality) to fall in love with her vise-versa only to take nude pictures of her while she was supposedly sleeping, and then spreading it thin in public. Yeah RIGHT!! If you believe that, it's time you cut down on viewing the 007 re-runs.

HOW IN THE WORLD CAN SOMEONE BLAME UMNO WHEN SHE TAKES THE WRONG PERSON TO BED? BLOODY LUDICROUS!!

Miss Elli, don’t bother pretending to take responsibility by “offering” to resign.

JUST RESIGN WITHOUT RESERVATIONS!

BUKIT GANTANG: BN RIGHTFULLY GOES WITH LOCAL FLAVOUR

Coming fresh out of a by-election that saw BN losing because of an allegedly snobbish candidate, BN will opt for a down to earth, familiar candidate who doesn’t perceive himself as Allah’s gift to Bukit Gantang from Kuala Lumpur. The next thing BN should remember is to hold back on giving out lavish handouts in a form of development there until the people vote us in. It is time we changed our approach and make them earn the development as opposed to giving out freebees only to allow the opposition to walk into a “fully furnished mansion”, so to speak.

BUKIT SELAMBAU: JUST GO WITH A MALAY CANDIDATE!

UMNO should discard this fear, fakely manufactured and imposed upon us by “ our enemies from within “ that the non Malay voters in a Malay majority constituency, worth about 2,000 to 2,500 will make the difference between win or lose for BN. Here’s a NEWSFLASH !! THEY DIDN’T VOTE FOR US THEN AND THEY WILL NOT VOTE FOR US STILL BECAUSE THEIR REPRESENTATIVES WITHIN OUR COALITION HAVE FAILED THEM MISERABLY. SO LET’S NOT BUY THEIR " FRIENDLY " HUSTLE!

MIC wants their man to contest as the BN candidate. I hope Dato’ Sri Najib Tun Razak will pause and realize that MIC has off late disappointed not only the Indians whom they have not served well, but also the BN coalition spearheaded by UMNO. There is no logical reason for their candidate to win the Indian votes if the opposition too fields an Indian candidate. Just stick with a Malay candidate and let the chips fall where they may in a Malay majority area. let's leave this fake fear factor stuck in the imagination of the spin doctors of The Malaysian Insider and it’s likes. Let MIC prove themselves first before we start giving them seats in a Malay majority area again. Right now, they should learn to be good followers and study the mechanics on how to serve instead of insisting on seats.

ENOUGH WITH THE UNNECESSARY ACCOMODATIONS!

A CRIPPLE’S ATTEMPT AT HUMILIATING THE SULTAN!

Courtesy of Rocky's bru

Yes I said it. He’s an invalid hiding behind his handicap for sympathy hoping not to be hit back after trying to be a hero ridiculing a Malay Sultan and stoking anger amongst the Malays who are NOT DAP servants. Will his action of turning the Sultan of Perak as a defendant in Ipoh on Tuesday fly at all? At the very least he will get the satisfaction of humiliating the Sultan. That is perhaps the general idea.

Well, a few responsible young citizens from Johor Bahru have made a police report on him. Although they may not have a standing considering it is not done in the State of Perak, but this serious objection must be recorded nonetheless by someone if not the UMNO Youth Chief and his battalion who are contented with just watching with their hands in their pockets, or busy campaigning for party positions instead of practicing what they preach on Religion, Race and Country. These UMNO traitors should be SACKED under the I.S.A. along with the cripple who committed what could be described as sedition.

Below is the report.

Congratulations to En Jamaluddin Rustam, En Jasri Hj Jamil, En Rais Jaafar and En Shaoufiq Izwan for taking action instead of just talking about their contempt at the coffeeshops and warongs like a large section of the general public.

DAULAT TUANKU! DAULAT TUANKU!! DAULAT TUANKU!!!

NAJIB TEACHES ANWAR ON HOW TO DO IT.

After telling the biggest lie to the whole Nation on the September 16th change of Government and making excuses like having the numbers but was refused a meeting with the Prime Minister bla bla bla, Dato’ Sri Najib finally showed Anwar Ibrahim on how to take over a Government. Najib finally walked Anwar’s talk.

Below are some titles and snippets I thought of while reflecting on the situation in Perak.

WHAT’S LOSING A COUPLE OF BY-ELECTIONS WHEN NAJIB WINS BN A WHOLE STATE?

Indeed many may have blamed Dato' Sri Najib Razak for losing the last two by-elections, though they were in places where we didn’t even have a snowball’s chance in hell. One was because it’s a stronghold of an illusive icon, and the other was because our candidate thought and behaved like he was God’s gift to Kuala Terengganu. Najib can be excused and forgiven for the two when he cleaned his entire slate by winning BN the whole of Perak.

PAK LAH LOST US FIVE STATES, NAJIB WINS US ONE BACK!

The outgoing Prime Minister who was almost indifferent when BN lost 5 states in the 2008 elections has made the people more angry with UMNO with his reckless attempt at allowing indiscriminate transparency apparently targeting only UMNO members alone. Fortunately for UMNO which is almost at its lowest ebb, the incoming Prime Minister almost single-handedly won us back the northern Silver State of Perak. This is indeed a good omen for UMNO as it will continue to rise to greater heights in the hands of the new Prime Minister come March 2009. This is just a taste of things to come. Be ready.

WHAT’S WRONG WITH ACCEPTING THE TWO PKR REJECTS INTO THE BN FOLD TUN?

BN shouldn’t be worried about losing the confidence of the people in the 13th General Elections just because we accept these two fellows into the fold because the Rakyat never sought their resignations after they were charged for corruption as is the standard procedure in UMNO whenever any of our leaders are charged. They continued to hold their positions in the State Government without having to go on leave and without any complaints from the people who voted them in. In fact, they were defended by their former leaders in Pakatan by saying that they were "innocent until proven guilty". That means they were accepted by the people who voted them in. Why should it be any different just because they have switched sides? We are just giving the Rakyat what they want. End of story.

YANG DIKEJAR TAK DAPAT, YANG DIKENDUNG BERCICIRAN.

Inilah perkara yang terjadi jika kita tidak tahu bagaimana hendak bersyukur kepada Allah akan nikmat yang dikurniakanNya, iaitu kemenangan di 5 negeri di Semenanjung. Malah dikejar pula takhta Kerajaan Pusat dengan usaha-usaha untuk mempengaruhi ahli-ahli Yang Berhormat di dalam BN untuk menderhaka kepada parti mereka dan melompat ke parti pembangkang membolehkan mereka merampas kuasa.

Sepatutnya mereka menumpukan segala perhatian terhadap menepati janji kepada pengundi-pengundi mereka dan bukan menjadi gila kuasa dengan menumpukan perhatian mereka terhadap memenangi Sri Perdana. Akhirnya tujuan mereka itu tidak tercapai sebaliknya Anwar telah mencelikkan mata Najib akan kemampuan BN untuk memenangi Perak kerana perbezaan kerusi yang amat sedikit di dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri. Akhirnya juga, Kerajaan Pusat mereka tak dapat, Kerajaan Perak pula terlepas dari pegangan.

THANKS FOR THE CAMRY!

I wonder if Najib actually waited for the Camrys to be delivered safely complete with the added accessories before making this move so that the people cannot put any blame on the BN office bearers when they cruise downtown in it in Ipoh. They sure look flashy! The new MB should hold a press conference and a special function just to accept the keys on behalf of his new State Cabinet.

HOME MINISTER LAUNCHES “THE PATRIOT”

Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar

The Honourable Minister Dato Seri Syed Hamid Albar graciously officiated this blog "The Patriot" on the evening of 24 January 2009 corresponding 27 Muharram 1430H at the Tan Sri Mohamed Rahmat Complex, Skudai, Johor Bahru after holding a forum on the Internal Security Act co-organised by The Patriot and The Ministry of Home Affairs.

May the Blessings of Allah be showered upon the events of the evening and those in attendance.

FORUM ON THE I.S.A. AND LAUNCH OF THE PATRIOT

To those who were officially invited but don't have a real excuse for not attending, BE THERE OR BE SQUARE ;-)

THE MOMENT OF TRUTH

UPDATED: 18TH JANUARY 2009

PAS WINS HANDSOMELY!

Congratualations to PAS/Pakatan. Commiserations to UMNO/BN.

The Kuala Teranggunites have spoken. They want an affable, humble and a low profile representative. In a span of just over 2 months, Kuala Terengganu has lost two Deputy Ministers. Under normal circumstances, this would be unbearable for the electorate in any other constituency but KT is brave enough to risk the consequences.

UMNO should change its ways by not offering too much development to those who don't want it. They should identify the needs of the respective electorates. We should stop offering Bentleys to those who are contented with Volkswagens. If they prefer a friendly representative to rapid development, we should give them a friend and just offer them the bare minimum in terms of development, enough to get their votes while not forsaking them. We should save the big developments for the places where the voters demand it in return for their support.

Kuala Terengganu deserves YB Wahid as their Member of Parliament from PAS. Overall, it was a clean election and generally a friendly contest between two parties who simply want to serve the people.

UMNO and BN should change their sales pitch and learn not to oversell their product. When supply overwhelmes the demand, it'll make the product cheap. Seek equilibrium for each constituency. We will then see the return of support to UMNO/BN at a much reduced cost and dear promises.

Well done PAS. It's back to the drawing board for UMNO. Perhaps this is the time to reflect and heal. The best time and place to do so is at the State and Federal Conventions leading to the change of guards in March. Let's start a new leaf and begin with the right foot.

PREVIOUSLY.

Today, we will see how Kuala Terengganu will decide. Will they choose a candidate who will deliver Barisan Nasional’s promise to bring development or a candidate who is indeed friendly and humble but can deliver not much more than a smile and a handshake? Ultimately, they will deserve whom they choose. May the people of Kuala Terengganu be given the wisdom to make the right choice.

THE FIRST TIME

No Sime Darby takeover here!

I’m taking time out from the heavy duty politics to cool off for a bit. This continued strain and tense on the back of our necks over who is better at leading the Nation or winning a by-election surely couldn’t be good for the heart. It used to be a once in a 5 year affair, not a daily burden like it is today.

So I’ll throw you a question that’s totally out of the blue.

Do you remember the first time you ever laid eyes on the one you truly love? If you can, would you agree that it was the most magical moment of your life?

It happened to me 19 years ago today on the flight back to school via Los Angeles after the Christmas break. What a sight! It’s one that made me want to be a better man.

A wise man once said that “Some things are better left to your imagination. Once a gentleman gets to know the lady of his dreams better, he’ll discover that she’s not exactly what he expected or dreamed of.” Actually he was wrong on this account. She was and is still everything I ever dreamed of and I am eternally grateful that she chose me to share her life with.

If we can remember the root of a memorable moment, we would learn to appreciate it much better. For instance, if we remember the struggle for Merdeka in 1957 whether by actually being there or by watching and reading the archives, we would treasure our Independence today. If we remember what was told to us in the holy books of how Muhammad, the Messenger of God (PBUH), with much resistence, under the worst circumstances, started the religion from a speck, which spread to a whole Nation and then the entire world, we would observe the Muslim code more carefully and not take it for granted.

Likewise, if you can remember the first time the sight of your life partner burst through you like an arrow, like mine did 19 years ago. Insha’Allah, you will treasure what you have today, not having to realize how priceless she is only after she’s gone.

Always remember your first, your last, your everything!

Now it's back to Kuala Terengganu for the last stretch!

Happy Anniversary Sunshine!

WAS IT REALLY NECESSARY TUN?

Wan Ahmad Farid

CHOICES, CHOICES.....

Within 24 hours before Nomination Day in Kuala Terengganu, Tun Dr Mahathir dropped a bombshell by stating that Wan Ahmad Farid was “a very bad choice” to stand as the BN candidate. I’d like to state that the perception that Wan Farid is a proxy and is “someone to be used later if Najib becomes Prime Minister", as was stated in, http://www.malaysiakini.com/news/95821, is weak as Najib will be in a strong position to neutralize Wan Farid when the time comes.

Tun Dr Mahathir had 80% of his men in Abdullah Ahmad Badawi’s Cabinet as well as the UMNO Supreme Council. As brilliant as he is, was he successful in using any of them from the outside when he needed them?

Wan Farid may not have a likeable face and his smile may seem like a fake but he is the choice of the Kuala Terengganu Division which is 103 branches strong.

One of the major mistakes the federal leadership made during the last General Elections was to pick outsiders and little known personalities who were Putrajaya’s stooges in the divisions instead of picking proven and more deserving leaders in the same. We even saw wishful thinking UMNO Supreme Councilors who were aliens and didn’t hold any of the top three positions in their divisions standing as candidates there. Naturally most of the branches in these respective divisions preferred not to open their operation centers and even decided to sabotage the campaign.

Now let me take you back to Kuala Terengganu. It needs to be said how strong Wan Farid is in this division. He won easily as the Division Chief and his elder brother beat the late Dato’ Razali Ismail for Division Vice-Chief. The latter was the Member of Parliament for Kuala Terengganu and Deputy Minister for Education at the time. It is very rare if not unimaginable for someone with such a position to fail in his bid for only the third highest position in the Division. But it happened as Wan Farid and his brother were the flavour of the day for the Kuala Terengganu UMNO Division. As regards to how they managed that, can be debated at another time.

The late Dato Razali on the other hand was generally popular in his own right with the mass (which included non UMNO members and teachers) in KT but in his absence today, we cannot afford to antagonize the 103 UMNO branches in the division by appointing someone who isn’t their choice. Only the homeboys know how to tackle the locals and although there are many outsiders manning their own operation centers evenly spread across Kuala Terengganu, they are still considered outsiders and at best are only able to compliment the effort made by the local campaigners. In other words, we need the 103 branches and operation centers to seal the deal. I was there for several days recently until the day of nomination. I witnessed how hard the UMNO machinery from the whole nation including Sabah were labouring for a much needed win. They are evidently not there for a holiday in the East Coast. Dato’ Sri Najib too is working double-time. They are there to win it for UMNO and Barisan.Nasional. As a past leader and until now at least, a revered Statesman, Tun Dr Mahathir should give UMNO and BN his full support and not undermine their efforts just because of his lapse in judgment 5 years ago. Whether bad choice or good, wrong or right, Wan Ahmad Farid is our best possible candidate to win at this time.

Under the leadership of the new Menteri Besar of Terengganu, with the oil royalty firmly back in the hands of the Rakyat, with the careful and watchful eyes of the much respected and loved Sultan, Terengganu should see rapid development under Barisan Nasional in the future. Being the Capital of Terengganu, Kuala Terengganu would naturally be enjoying the lion’s share. Barisan Nasional’s win in this by-election should smoothen and accelerate this process. I’m sure the voters are bright enough to do the right thing.

After pondering over Tun Dr Mahathir’s statement these last few days, I wonder if this “very bad choice” in Kuala Terengganu is as damaging as the one he made 5 years ago to succeed him as Prime Minister. He may be right in his comments on the economy and the development of the country, but he is definitely out of his league to comment on political candidates. History has shown that he made three wrong choices for Deputy Prime Minister and one for Prime Minister. Tun should capitalize on his strength and not dabble with this weakness lest people will soon pay less attention to his comments.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

2009

The Patriot would like to wish all readers a VERY HAPPY NEW YEAR! May we all strive to be the best that we can be and try to shoot straighter than in 2008. Make it work! Make it real! Make every minute worth its Sixty seconds!