What a flurry the government is in these days! Bouses, dividends, loans, grants and scholarships are now being doled out like candy by Umno, MCA and the like to the masses and their constituents. Acting more like NGOs or charities, the Barisan Nasional component parties have engaged on a charm offensive by handing out our money back to us, and trying to discredit the Opposition.
It really got going when our Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak announced that the government will give out half month Hari Raya bonuses to all civil servants, which would cost in excess of RM1 billion to taxpayers, despite reduced subsidies and mounting budget deficits.
When austerity is the name of the game, it does not look particularly good when billions are handed out at the drop of a hat. Furthermore, the announcement that the first Volkswagen cars to be produced in Malaysia would be out of Pekan, the prime minister’s constituency, it certainly looks like an attempt to protect his interests.
The second big announcement was from the finance ministry with its intention to provide assistance to urban poor earning below RM3,000 a month. It is keeping mum on how exactly this fund is going to be distributed and how it is going to afford the assistance when subsidies are going to be reduced left, right and centre. Is this rational or is it just to pander to a certain section of society to buy them over?
On the political scene, Barisan Nasional is pulling out the stops through the main stream media to give the impression that they are making substantive gains throughout the country. A report appearing on The Malaysian Insider mentioned that BN is confident of taking back Penang, a Malaysiakini report had Umno Kedah saying that the people were tired of the PAS government, and an independent report from the Mederka Centre saying that rural folk would be more likely to vote for BN than otherwise.
The issues do not stop there. The Parliamentary Select Committee (PSC) to review electoral law is now seen as mere lip service as Najib saw it fit to declare that the timing of the general election was the Umno/BN government’s prerogative. This is irrespective of whether reforms can be made on time. Obviously, when Najib tells us not to question his sincerity, we can do nothing but.
Nazri is probably the best known Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department in the history of the office, who is not helping his own public perception by completely dismissing the views of Opposition parties in the PSC as only a minority view, which therefore means that they are in the wrong. Hardly a fair and equitable statement from the de facto law minister.
The continuing trial on Anwar Ibrahim once again places the opposition leader in the spotlight, and obviously BN are taking every opportunity to discredit him as a potential future prime minister. However, by now they should realise that the further they try to prolong this charade and make a mockery of both the justice system as well as intelligence, Anwar’s popularity is now on the rise as once again he has become the victim of the system, rather than his own merits.
With the BN machinery in overdrive across the country, the signs are actually ominous for Umno/BN. They know that they are likely going to lose Terengganu, Perak and Negri Sembilan to Pakatan Raykat. They know that their chances of winning back Penang, Kedah, Selangor and Kelatan are slim to impossible. They know that there is now a considerable body of opinion which would swing several seats in Sabah and Sarawak. There has also been no let up in the grassroots work from Pakatan Rakyat component parties.
This is no reason at all for Pakatan Rakyat to celebrate though. In fact, PR component parties must work harder for the greater good of the Rakyat, so that they are able to genuinely earn their votes, rather than throw goodies at them. The “Lu Tolong Gua, Gua Tolong Lu” campaigns no longer works as proven in Sibu.
March 2008 was a significant milestone in the history of our nation. The major difference going into GE-13 is that the youth have woken up, we have the highest number of registered voters in history, there is more information available than ever, and our daily conversations are awash with politics. The fact that people are now actually being outspoken about political issues is a big step forward from the days when we just kept quiet.
Despite fears of foreigners allegedly being given citizenships and swearing to vote for BN, gerrymandering, phantom voters, if the Rakyat indeed rises up in the polls to oust Umno/BN from office, this would herald a time of change and healing when our nation finally throws off the shackles, and the power to decide our own fate is indeed returned to the people.
3 comments:
I went to the Post Office to register to vote; and upon checking my identity card, the Post officer asked which religion I belonged to. Why? I do not know. Therefore, we must reform the Department of Religion. Right now, only Islam is recognised as the religion in the Department of Religion. Therefore we need reforms. We need to divide the Department of Religion into two branches: one branch to deal with Muslim Affairs, and another branch to deal with non-Muslim Affairs.
Another alternative is to persuade the Malays to separate Penang Island from Peninsular Malaysia. It may be that non-Muslims are the majority in Penang. More and more non-Muslims from Peninsular Malaysia should be encouraged to relocate to Penang. Once Penang becomes a non-Muslim majority state, then the Penangites can ask for greater autonomy from KL. Penang should be allowed to make its own laws for itself. I think the Malays should be happy if more non-Malays relocate to Penang. An increase in non-Malays in Penang will result in a decrease in non-Malays in Peninsular Malaysia; and therefore Malays should be happy. Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. Since Singapore is a non-Muslim majority nation, Penang should also become a non-Muslim majority state. The non-Muslim citizens need a hub and space of their own; and the hub and space would be Penang. Those non-Muslim citizens who are unwilling to accept a second class citizen status inside Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang Island.
If you are non-Muslim Malaysian and do feel socially, politically, or economically shortchanged, then stop complaining and fretting. Do something. Instead of fretting and complaining, please make arrangements to relocate to Penang. If you have non-Muslim friends who fret and complain, then immediately persuade them to relocate to Penang.
If you are non-Muslim Malaysian and do feel socially, politically, or economically shortchanged, then stop complaining and fretting. If non-Muslim taxpayers feel shortchanged, then stop the sweating, brooding, complaining, and having nightmares. There is a solution to the nightmares and depression. Do something. Please relocate to Penang.
If non-Muslims feel that Muslim Malaysians, as taxpayers, are having a parasitical relations with non-Muslim Malaysians, then the non-Muslims must do something. What should non-Muslims do to thwart the parasitical relations with Muslim Malaysians? If you are non-Muslim, please relocate to Penang Island. The solution is relocate to Penang Island; and the Muslim Malaysians also should encourage non-Muslim Malaysians to relocate to Penang.
If the non-Muslims are opposed to the "ketuanan Melayu" ideology, then they should relocate to Penang.
Firstly, I have utmost respect for the many Malays who are so kind. However, there are some Malays who feel that the Malay forefathers made a big mistake about 100 to 150 years ago by allowing Chinese and Indian immigrants into Malaya in large numbers. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. That's the Malay perpective. Well, there are Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian ancestry who feel that their forefathers also made a big mistake relocating to Malaya. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. Now, just as the Malays have to tolerate non-Malays, the non-Malays have to tolerate the Malays too. There is a solution. The non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang. The Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. It's a win-win.
Firstly, I have utmost respect for the many Malays who are so kind. However, there are some Malays who feel that the Malay forefathers made a big mistake about 100 to 150 years ago by allowing Chinese and Indian immigrants into Malaya in large numbers. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. That's the Malay perpective. Well, there are Malaysian citizens of Chinese and Indian ancestry who feel that their forefathers also made a big mistake relocating to Malaya. What happened about 100 to 150 years ago is irreversible. Now, just as the Malays have to tolerate non-Malays, the non-Malays have to tolerate the Malays too. There is a solution. The non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaysia should relocate to Penang. The Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate to Penang. It's a win-win.
Nanyang means South Seas, a reference to the South East Asain region. The Nanyang Chinese are those Chinese who relocated from China to South East Asia about 100 to 150 years ago. The contribution of the Nanyang Chinese is well documented. In parts of South East Asia the Nanyang Chinese founded many, if not most, of the towns and urban centers. The Nanyang Chinese have served South East Asia for about 100 to 150 years and are entitled to a hub and space of their own which will be Penang. (We also have the Straits Chinese). The Chinese from Peninsular Malaya, if they can, should relocate closer to Penang so that Penang will always be a Chinese majority state. The Penang Chinese should seek greater autonomy for Penang. Global geo-politics is changing and China is a rising social, political, and economic power. Amidst all these changes, Penang has to find its niche. We have to keep Penang as a Chinese majority state.
The Indians, as non-Muslims, in Malaya too have contributed to the growth and development of Malaya for 100 to 150 years. Global geo-politics is changing and China and India are rising social, political, and economic powers. Amidst all these changes, Penang has to find its niche. We have to keep Penang as a non-Muslim majority state. Both the Nanyang Chinese and the Indians in Malaya should, if they can, relocate closer to Penang. With good cooperation between China and India, the Indians and Nanyang Chinese in Malaya can benefit. Penang should be spot where the Chinese and Indian communities co-exist; and using Penang's co-existance model, both China and India can also co-exist.
We can say that the forefathers of the present Muslims in Malaya made a big mistake allowing Chinese and Indians to settle in Malaya more than 100 years ago. We can also say that Muslims benefitted enormously from the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaya. It is all about other people's money or OPM. OPM means other people's money. Over the last few decades the Muslims have benifitted by using OPM, namely taxes collected mostly from non-Muslim Malaysians. OPM has given the Muslims a free ride. Using OPM, Muslims have lived the good life. Therefore, it is time for the non-Muslim Malayans to be increasingly Penang oriented. We do have a predominantly non-Muslim government in Penang; and therefore the Chinese and Indians in Malaya should become increasingly Penang oriented.
We can say that the forefathers of the present Muslims in Malaya made a big mistake allowing Chinese and Indians to settle in Malaya more than 100 years ago. We can also say that Muslims benefitted enormously from the Chinese and Indian communities in Malaya. It is all about other people's money or OPM. OPM means other people's money. Over the last few decades the Muslims have benifitted by using OPM, namely taxes collected mostly from non-Muslim Malaysians. OPM has given the Muslims a free ride. Using OPM, Muslims have lived the good life. Therefore, it is time for the non-Muslim Malayans to be increasingly Penang oriented. We do have a predominantly non-Muslim government in Penang; and therefore the Chinese and Indians in Malaya should become increasingly Penang oriented.
Where did the Malays come from? If you ask me, I,d venture to say that Malays come from Hindu/Buddhist influence. It all depends on how far back in history we want to go back to. There is strong evidence that all 6.5 billion of us come from Africa. It is not too good to look back too much, anyway. We have to move forward. There are many new things we have to learn in this competitive world of ours. In any case, I have nothing against the Malays who are kind; and I assure you that many Malays are kind.
There is a need to understand that Straits Settlements, Federated Malay States, and Unfederated Malay States were slightly different from each other. Penang is part of the Straits Settlements and deserves greater autonomy. The goal of Penangites should be GREATER AUTONOMY. Malays should encourage non-Muslims to relocate closer to Penang because an increase in non-Muslims in Penang results in a decrease in non-Muslims in Peninsular Malaya.
Please make sure you go to the nearest Post Office to register to vote. Please exercise your right to vote.
If you do agree with me, please copy and remail it to whom it may concern. Those who receive it must in turn copy and remail it to whom it may concern. Let’s get the word around to as many people as possible. Let’s see what happens.
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