Kesan Positif Sekatan dan Imbangan Selepas PRU13

A Kadir Jasin

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PEPATAH Melayu ada berkata, sekali air bah sekali pasir berubah. Alhamdulillah, selepas Pilihan Raya Umum 5 Mei lalu telah nampak banyak perkembangan positif di kalangan semua pihak yang terbabit. Saya perhatikan hal-hal berikut telah berlaku:-

1. Rakyat jelata nampaknya tidak lagi mahu kerajaan yang membolot (monopolistic). Mereka sudah berasa kebaikan checks and balances (sekatan dan imbangan) yang kuat di Parlimen dan dalam Dewan Undangan Negeri.

2. Pembahagian semula kuasa sedang berlaku. Keengganan majistret merestui permohonan polis untuk menahan reman tiga ahli dan aktivis politik pembangkang, iaitu Chua Tian Chang aka Tian Chua, Tamrin Abdul Ghafar dan Haris Ibrahim adalah contoh pembahagian semula kuasa itu.

Lagipun, dengan semakin banyaknya kes kematian ketika reman, Ketua Polis Negara baru, Khalid Abu Bakar dan Menteri Dalam Negeri yang baru, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi wajiblah lebih berhati-hati menggunakan kuasa reman.

Hadkanlah penggunaannya kepada kes-kes berat di mana orang yang disyaki mungkin lari dan tidak dapat dikesan. Kes bukan jenayah berat dan membabitkan orang ternama yang susah hendak lari, tidak perlulah minta tahanan reman.

Polis kerjalah kuat sikit. Soal siasat mereka sampai tengah malam atau awal pagi. Tidak perlulah tahan mereka di dalam lokap dan polis balik rumah tidur. Kalau tahan mereka dan terjadi sesuatu yang tidak diingini di dalam lokap, polis juga yang susah.

3. Dalam arena parti, kedudukan Mohd Najib Abdul Razak akan terus dipertikaikan. Cuma mungkin tidak lantang seperti berlaku kepada Tun Abdullah Ahmad Badawi selepas PRU 2008 kerana Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad lebih mesra dengan Mohd Najib dan banyak daripada blogger yang dulu anti-Abdullah kini pro-Mohd Najib. Mereka mungkin tidak akan menyokong sebarang gerakan negatif terhadap Mohd Najib malah mungkin 'mendajalkan' (demonise) sesiapa yang cuba menjatuhkan Mohd Najib.

4. Kita sudah tengok komen-komen keras membelasah Tun Daim Zainuddin apabila beliau mengkritik Mohd Najib dan penasihatnya dalam temu ramah dengan akhbar China Press yang disiarkan sepenuhnya dalam blog ini (dan dipetik oleh banyak pihak).

5. Dr Mahathir, Daim dan beberapa blogger bebas akan menjadi penentu sama ada masa depan Mohd Najib sebagai Presiden Umno dan Perdana Menteri akan diperdebatkan secara terbuka.

6. Dengan adanya beberapa orang tokoh kanan Umno yang kalah PRU 5 Mei lalu seperti Mohd Ali Rustam dan Abdul Ghani Othman, kemungkinan Umno kembali ke era yang lebih demokratik dan terbuka ketika mana Presiden dicabar atas landasan hak dan demokrasi, mungkin berulang kembali. Orang lama tentu masih ingat bagaimana Sulaiman Palestin mencabar Tun Hussein Onn dan Tengku Razaleigh mencabar Dr Mahathir.

Apa-apa pun, Abdullah kini boleh mengangkat tinggi kepala kerana tuduhan bahawa prestasi beliau dalam PRU 2008 hambar tidak lagi tepat sebab pencapaian Mohd Najib lebih teruk walaupun disokong oleh Dr Mahathir dan Daim. Melihat kepada pencapaian Mohd Najib, saya sendiri berasa terlebih mengkritik Abdullah selepas PRU 2008.

Suka atau tidak Mohd Najib dan para petugas yang mengendalikan “Bilik Perang” (War Room) BN harus secara ikhlas, terbuka dan telus mengakui bahawa cakap besar mereka telah memakan diri dan mereka kalah kepada Abdullah dan Budak-Budak Tingkat Empatnya.

7. Alhamdulillah sudah ada anggota Kabinet yang berakal yang nampak apa yang berada di hadapan dan mengambil langkah jangkaan (pre-empt) seperti dibuat oleh Menteri Pelancongan Mohd Nazri Abdul Aziz mengarahkan supaya wakil Suruhanjaya Pencegahan Rasuah Malaysia (SPRM) menduduki jawatankuasa tender kementeriannya.

8. Daim dalam temu ramah dengan China Press, antara lain berkata keutamaan rakyat jelata bukan ETP atau GTP, tetapi adalah 1) rasuah 2) urus tadbir yang baik 3) keselamatan 4) pendidikan 5) inflasi 6) masalah kemiskinan bandar dan 7) pengangguran siswazah muda. (Tidak beberapa hari selepas itu tersiar berita beberapa orang kenamaan, termasuk anak perempuan seorang menteri dirompak.)

9. Daim telah menemui Dr Mahathir di Putrajaya beberapa hari selepas PRU 5 Mei di mana mereka dikatakan telah membuat “review” keputusannya serta tindakan jangka pendek dan sederhana yang akan mereka lakukan.

10. Sudah nampak tanda-tanda awal yang sebahagian kecil media arus perdana dan pengamal mereka telah menyedari bahawa cara laporan mereka ketika PRU lalu bukan sahaja tidak berkesan malah merugikan BN. Akhbar The Star misalnya, telah mula berundur dalam beberapa aspek laporannya. Ini tidak memeranjatkan kerana tsunami Cina yang Mohd Najib ungkapkan itu menyentuh langsung peranan The Star sebagai akhbar milik MCA dan suara masyarakat Cina dalam BN.

Kesimpulannya, kalau rakyat jelata khasnya para pengundi mahu apa yang mereka lakukan pada 5 Mei lalu memberi kesan positif kepada diri mereka dan negara, mereka harulah terus memerhati, memberi tunjuk ajar dan mengkritik wakil-wakil yang mereka pilih tidak kira daripada parti mana.

Insya-Allah kita akan mendapat lebih banyak kebaikan daripada amalan demokrasi kita.

Incorrect Strategy Cost BN Votes

A Kadir Jasin

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TWICE the Finance Minster of Malaysia and now a sought after political commentator, Tun Daim Zainuddin, attributed the Barisan Nasional’s poor showing at the May 5 general polls to incorrect strategy.

He told the China Press newspaper that Malaysia’ general elections is a parliamentary election and not a presidential election, adding that Prime Minister Mohd Najib Abdul Razak’s advisors should be sacked.

“If you associate a vote for BN as a vote for him (Mohd Najib), then BN’s poorer results reflect on him too.

“This is a parliamentary election, not a presidential election. The PM's advisors should be sacked.” he said.

And is Mohd Najib a lame duck Prime Minister and Umno President?

The following is the English transcript of the interview, which covered a wide variety of issues surrounding the outcome of the 13^th GE, made available to this blog. I record my appreciation to the China Press for its superb effort and to Tun Daim’s office.

The Day After

1. Tun, what was first in your mind when you first received the full election result? Did you expect it?

I wasn't surprised.  At around 12noon the feedback I got was that - BN 141, DAP 38 but my own assessment was BN between 125 and 135 only.

2. Do you think this election was a fair one? Opposition parties and NGOs still accused BN of misuse the government facilities, and the problematic integrity of the electoral roll.

Of course it is fair. If its not fair how come in Penang and Selangor Pakatan improved on majorities and Federal BN get only 133. These accusations are not new. They said all these even before the elections. I’ve said earlier that they will be saying all these because they know they can't get to Putrajaya.

Read my interviews before this, I said they will be proclaiming to  the world they would win and that if they don’t its because they have been robbed and therefore entitled to protest, incite people which is what they are doing now and they want people to go to streets. They want FRUs, water cannons and teargas then CNN, Al Jazeera etc will be back and they are back in the news.

Anwar and Kit Siang are inviting police to arrest them. They want to be arrested. They are totally irresponsible. If you see the recent rallies and that majority of the participants are Chinese, what do you think will happen if one hot-headed Malay organisation wants to organise a counter rally? But Anwar and Kit Siang don't mind, if there is another interracial incident, they would blame BN.  If you are willing to sacrifice peace and stability for your ends, what kind of leadership is this?

They say they should be the rightful leaders of this country, yet they defy laws, defy the police, and they have no respect for, and undermine every institutions of government which they say they should helm. What kind of leadership promotes lawlessness and anarchy? What message do you send and what lessons do you teach the young and the impressionable? Leadership comes with responsibility.

There are laws in this country. Go to court, of course, they say courts are not fair, yet these same courts have acquitted Anwar. Again when it’s convenient to them they go to the courts to sue and silence their detractors. They accept where they won and reject where they lost.  They are selective. Karpal practices and appeals before this same Court.

Be brave and honest. Accept the results. Karpal says he is happy with the results. PAS has accepted. Azmin is critical of Anwar’s refusal to accept the results and doing these rallies, but don't read too much into his statements. It’s like an old married couple’s quarrel, one party merajuk (sulks) but in the end they are still together.

Anwar is already up to his tricks - putting out feelers to Barisan MPs. He is waiting after the Cabinet appointments for another round of his Sept 16.

Reasons for Poor BN Performance

3. As expected in our last interview, BN managed to retain Putrajaya but couldn't regain the two-third majority. What are the main reasons?

Really you should ask BN. But in my opinion, it’s the wrong strategy. As I’ve said before, this is a parliamentary election, not a presidential election. The PM's advisors should be sacked. If you associate a vote for BN as a vote for him, then BN poorer results reflects on him too.  I kept reminding them that those huge numbers at BN’s ceramahs do not translate into votes. You don’t try to fight his (Anwar’s) numbers with your even bigger numbers. Let Anwar be the entertainer (borrowing from The Financial Times). We are not entertainers, we don’t know how to sing, dance and tell jokes.  It’s a serious business electing a government, so lets leave this clown’s strategy alone and not play to his game.

 If I know, then surely BN knows that the Chinese majority areas were gone. Why waste time and money? As a strategy, you should concentrate on those areas where you lost by slim majorities in 2008 and strengthen the seats you won in 2008. There was also the question of choice of candidates, and for example in Pandan, why be petty?

Many people disputed that there was a Chinese tsunami.  But there was, in the sense that Chinese voters voted en block whilst non-Chinese votes were split; but this is their right. This is democracy.

What was disturbing was the reason for the en block votes. Pakatan preached hatred for BN particularly UMNO. DAP have always told the Chinese that they are victims, marginalised; that the cup they have is always half empty; that this is the time to teach MCA and Gerakan a lesson for being under UMNO’s control, that UMNO (and by extension the Malays) were dominant, and this was a Malay-led government, and the Chinese by voting out all the Chinese parties in BN is saying that they have had enough of being bullied by UMNO/ Malays. If this is not racist, I don’t know what is.

Their cybertroopers were at work, 24 hours a day, sending misinformation, spins, rumours, lies, untruths etc. Where were the Banglas? Where was the blackout? How many people whose ink washed off, voted twice? Tun M flew away in a private jet? Lies and lies and the Chinese believe in "ubah" and "Ini kali lah".

I told you if the Chinese rejected Najib's leadership, the rural votes will swing to BN. DAP benefited the most. PAS, I do not know how it is going to reorganise itself. PKR we know practice nepotism, ask Azmin.

As for the Indian votes, only some Indians votes came back to BN. Koh Tsu Koon has announced his retirement. Chua Soi Lek is not seeking re-election. In the West you lose, you retire. Brown retired. Here they are not morally strong to quit. Anwar stays on, Kit Siang stays on, Hadi stays on. Let me remind you, Anwar said he would retire if he failed to get to Putrajaya. Anwar does not keep to his word. He will never retire, until the day he is on his deathbed he would still want to be PM.

Let’s recognize that nowhere in the world is it easy to get a two-third majority. Urban voters everywhere in the world are anti-government. BN's strength lies in the rural areas. Yet too much time and money were wasted in urban areas where the results were almost certain.

4. Chinese votes for opposition even reached over 90%, why? From your observation, why MCA and Gerakan rejected by the Chinese? We still remember in 2004 the situation was totally different.

I have explained at length in the answer above. Chinese votes for the Pakatan reached 90% because they believed in Pakatan’s propaganda. This is at last the chance to reject the Malay-led BN.  We saw on polling day many Chinese came out in droves believing that Pakatan was going to win. They were all misled. Pakatan knew that they were not going to get the numbers. Imagine Chinese voting for PAS, when they have seen what was happening in Kedah and Kelantan. Chinese voters were taken for a ride that they were going to make the difference. If Hindraf can affect the 2008 results, imagine what the Chinese with their bigger number can do? This was the line given and they swallowed it. In 2004, Chinese gave the then PM with his clean image a chance but that got to BN’s head and 2008 was the result. In 2013, Pakatan tapped into the Chinese and urban psyche. The Chinese are practical people and if they felt that the votes could go either way, they would not take a chance and choose stability over change; but if they believed that they can change the Government and win, then they did what you see in GE13. But Chinese normally bet on minority horse.

5. By analysing the results, we can see DAP won more seats this time and seats won by PKR and PAS also close to their numbers in 2008. Does it mean Malay votes still split? How about Indian votes?

Malay votes split 4 ways. UMNO, PAS, Keadilan and fence sitters. Lucky for BN, this time most went to UMNO. Less than 50% of Indian voters voted BN.

People’s Real Concerns

6. Why the 1Malaysia plans, ETP, transformation plans did not work and caused BN a bigger loss?

I don't think people reject 1Malaysia, ETP etc. The issues were not these. In all my earlier interviews I had listed the rakyat’s concern. These were and still are 1) corruption 2) good governance 3) security 4) education 5) inflation 6) urban poor 7) young graduates. Government instead focused on giving handouts. You give dinner once, people thank you. Give them five times and they think you are trying to buy their votes.

7. Even though you have given your warning, but the so-called Chinese Tsunami was so big to be stopped. But, is it fair to blame the Chinese for BN's not so good victory?

I have explained the Chinese tsunami. Of course, Pakatan have to say it is not Chinese tsunami, otherwise they will be held responsible for this racial divide. Are they denying the Chinese voted en block and Malay votes were split? No one is blaming the Chinese, but this what it is.  As I said they were misled and they voted Pakatan but again it is their right to buy into that argument and voted to kick the BN out.

8. How to change their minds or should BN given up Chinese by promoting the Ketuanan Melayu sprit to rely more on the support of Malays?

You can always try and you must try to change their minds. You cannot give up on nearly 30% of your fellow citizens. But you have to address issues as in my answer to Question 6.

Ketuanan Melayu was when the Malays fought against Malayan Union. Ketuanan Melayu was in the Federation of Malaya Agreement of 1948.  After 1957 and later in 1963, there is constitutional Malaysia. All races have accepted the Constitution. It is a fine and well-balanced document.  Sabah, Sarawak and Singapore too had accepted this document. The Constitution protects all citizens. We are all Malaysians. As I said, I'm born a Malay, you are born a Chinese. We don't chose to be Malay or Chinese, but you and I choose to be Malaysians. That is our choice. If I don't like to be a Malaysian, I can choose to be something else also. So let us stay united and work hard and sincerely and make sure the country continues to prosper in peace.

9. Najib has offered a “reconciliation" plan. How serious is he? In addition, if this plan is necessary, how should Najib deal with it?

I am glad he offered reconciliation. He must be serious. You don't make statements you don't mean. You are a leader. But I read Pakatan has rejected his overtures, they talk about unity but do not practice it. Instead they offer preset conditions.  Are they sincere?  As leaders, the country must come first.

10. How is this so-called process of reconciliation ever going to take place when chauvinists and radicals still there to give their provoking remarks?

We, the rakyat must reject the chauvinists and the radicals. Government must take action against them. Rakyat must show support against these people. Country must come first. Whatever you may think about the Malays, they have shown that they reject extremists.  They rejected Perkasa, Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifly Nordin.

Najib A Lame Duck PM?

11. Some people say Najib is a lame duck Prime Minister, he has not only has to think of how to regain the support of non-Malays but has to guard against the wolves in his party. Will he encounter any problem when party election takes place this year?

I have retired. I don't know the mood is in the party. He has to explain to party members what went wrong. Is he going to be a lame duck PM? Cameron in UK, Gilliard in Australia, Mohan Singh in India so far are ok even though in their cases they are ruling on razor thin majority.

UMNO has to remain united if it wants to get the support of Malays. Strengthen your rural support and the rest of the Malays will respect UMNO. If he explains to UMNO what went wrong then I think UMNO will accept and offer their support. It will take a bit of time with the Divisions and he has to make sure they continue to support him and he has to tell UMNO members that only UMNO is their saviour. I believe UMNO members will give him another chance. Those disloyal, you must punish them. But prove with evidence.  You have the Opposition to deal with you don’t need enemies in the blanket.  You don’t need over 3 millions members if they did not work or vote for you. It is better to have a smaller but committed membership who love the party and want what is best of it. For far too long, UMNO has had members who placed self-interest above the party.

12. Please analyse the result for Selangor. Far from what we expected, BN lost more seats and more popular votes this time despite of thousand good efforts had been put?

Selangor was a disaster. When I got feedback on the problems on the ground, I sent many messages to the leadership. I spoke to Zain (Mohd Zain Mohamed, the BN Selangor Election Director). He assured me of victory, totally ignoring the voices on the ground. His own Ketua Pemuda stood against him and so many ketua bahagians campaigned against him.

I think Zain was a wrong  choice. He was dropped from Cabinet by Najib because obviously he didn’t think much of his ability and then you appoint him as Selangor UMNO Secretary. I don't understand Najib’s logic. When you all asked me at the last interview, I said there were problems of wrong candidates. Ketua Bahagians’ were not happy. Among UMNO (members) sabotage was everywhere. I told Zain a list of state seats that were in trouble. Zain said yes a bit of problem but BN would win. In all those seats that were in my list, BN lost. With wrong candidates not going to the ground, ignoring divisional chiefs, not visiting your members and voters, sabotage, you couldn't win.

When I was in Negeri Sembilan campaigning on Friday night, I got a message that Bukit Selambau state seat under the Merbok Parlimentary seat was in trouble.  I got back to KL at 2 am and a few hours later, early on Saturday morning, I flew to Kedah. They were still quarrelling about the state candidate, even when it’s one day before polling. I told them they were crazy. Just vote BN. Told them they had half a day left to campaign and go together and campaign and be seen to be united. They lost by 500 votes because they closed their pondok panas by 4pm, confident that they had won. I smsed you by noon that BN won Merbok but the Indians there have to quarrel even at the last minute about candidates and we lost. We are our own worst enemies.

13. As well as in Penang. Before 5 May, BN seemed to have some hope as the 1Malaysia welfare group had organized many free dinners around Penang and free concert. They tried to attract the voters with money and presents. But, all effort proved useless. Why?

These people are amateurs. They are silly people. They think they are clever and throw money around. Better give to charity. Why BN allowed stupid events like these? People are insulted because they knew you thought they could be bought with money, concerts and dinners.  So they came to relax, have free makan and  be entertained. This is an election. It’s a serious matter. Let Anwar be the entertainer.

(China Press)

Let Them Start by Debating GST

A Kadir Jasin

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LET us hear some intelligent and productive debates when the new Parliament sits!

We cannot expect anything less since the Dewan Rakyat is now more balanced than ever – 133 Barisan Nasional vs 89 Pakatan Rakyat.

Let them begin by debating the good and bad of a very important fiscal measure the government has been proposing for decades, i.e the Goods and Services Tax (GST) (Read Here).

Let us see who is telling the truth. The government repeatedly argues that GST is the fairest and most equitable form of consumption tax and will not burden consumers. (Read Here).

But the Penang Chief Minister, Lim Guan Eng, said every Malaysian would be burdened by an extra RM1,000 a year should the government impose a seven-percent GST rate (Read Here).

So let them debate intelligently in the Parliament the good and evil of GST. Let them argue with facts and figures whether we should proceed with it, when and at what rate.

Let’s hear the Finance Minister debunking in the House the allegation by the Penang CM that the GST “would make it easy for the federal government to hand out 1Malaysia People's Aid (BR1M) of RM1,200 as promised in the BN’s election manifesto because the government stands to earn an extra RM5,000 from every household by implementing GST.”

Lim could have a point because the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department, Idris Jala, recently hinted that the government could earn up to RM27 billion in extra revenue by imposing a seven-percent GST rate.

And the BN members may want to take note of Lim’s warning when he said: “Pakatan will fight against this suggestion (seven percent GST) in Parliament by reminding BN that it only has 47 percent of the popular vote, and that it doesn’t have the right to impose GST on the majority of people.”

Let us too debate.

Adakah Praktikal Boikot Perniagaan Cina?

A Kadir Jasin

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PEMBAHAS Wan Kamarul Ariffin Wan Ahmad, dalam ulasan sebarisnya menulis: “Dato', boleh buat ulasan skit tentang boikot barangan cina lepas pru 13? ke cuma gimik internet je?”

Maaf cakaplah kalau saya kata, cadangan memulaukan perniagaan orang Cina kerana mereka tidak menyokong Barisan Nasional adalah pemikiran cetek yang disensasikan.

Bagi segelintir penyokong Barisan Nasional yang dikatakan terdiri daripada NGO dan blogger pro-BN yang membuat cadangan itu, mereka perlulah memikirkan sama ada ia praktikal atau tidak.

Mereka mungkin orang Melayu kelas menengah dan atas atau Melayu bandar besar yang boleh membeli-belah di pasar raya hyper seperti Cold Storage, Carrefour, Giant dan Tesco.

Itu pun susah juga kerana antara pemilik saham syarikat-syarikat pasar raya hyper itu adalah orang Cina dan banyak pembekal mereka Cina.

Tetapi, adakah mampu bagi pengguna biasa di Lana Bulu, Kedah, Kurung Batang, Perlis, Mukah, Sarawak dan Menggatal, Sabah memboikot perniagaan orang Cina?

Di kampung saya, Tanah Merah, Pendang, Kedah semua kedai runcit, kedai bahan-bahan pertanian, kedai emas, bengkel dan kedai menjual motosikal dimiliki peniaga Cina. Ada tidak pun yang bukan milik Cina adalah sebuah dua kedai dan gerai makan Melayu dan India Muslim.

Cerita boikot ini membawa kembali ingatan saya kepada satu perbahasan yang agak hangat beberapa dekad lalu apabila Perdana Menteri waktu itu, (Tun) Dr Mahathir Mohamad, ditanya mengenai apa akan terjadi kalau orang Cina meninggalkan negara ini (macam disarankan oleh Menteri (keselamatan) Dalam Negeri, Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, baru-baru ini.)

Jawapan Dr Mahathir mudah saja. Beliau bertanya mampukan orang bangsa-bangsa lain, khasnya Melayu, mengambil alih rangkaian perniagaan runcit orang Cina?

Adakah mereka mempunyai kepakaran berniaga, modal, dan rangkaian bekalan untuk mengisi ruang yang ditinggalkan oleh orang Cina?

Cadangan boikot perniagaan Cina ini mungkin didorong oleh tuduhan “tsunami Cina” yang dibuat oleh Perdana Menteri, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak, pada awal pagi 6 Mei ketika menerima kemenangan BN dalam PRU 5 Mei.

Beliau menyalahkan orang Cina di atas prestasi buruk BN di mana beliau hanya mendapat 133 daripada 222 kerusi Dewan Rakyat berbanding 140 yang diperoleh (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi dalam PRU 2008.

Katakanlah ada orang yang begitu taasub dengan BN sehingga sanggup memboikot perniagaan Cina, soalnya di manakah mereka hendak membeli-belah?

Di pasar basah mungkin boleh. Sekarang sudah banyak orang Melayu dan India berniaga di pasar basah, pasar tani dan pasar malam. Tetapi mereka pun mendapatkan bekalan daripada pemborong dan pembekal Cina.

Seperkara lagi, tidak mudah bagi pembeli memastikan yang mana satu barangan bukan keluaran Cina kerana pengeluar Melayu amat jarang mengiklankan hasil keluaran mereka. Malah, mengikut nisbah, lebih banyak perniagaan bukan Islam yang mempunyai sijil halal sah daripada perniagaan Melayu/Islam. Perniagaan Melayu terlalu kecil atau tidak cukup bersih untuk mendapatkan sijil halal.

Lagipun, kita kenalah ikhlas mengakui bahawa yang memajukan perniagaan orang Cina dan mematikan perniagaan orang Melayu adalah orang Melayu sendiri, termasuk Melayu yang berkuasa. Sampai hari ini pun masih banyak orang Melayu yang cemburu dan khianat terhadap orang Melayu yang berjaya dalam perniagaan.

Melayu Yang Majukan Perniagaan Cina

Antara kedai Melayu dengan kedai Cina, orang Melayu lebih suka membeli-belah di kedai Cina kerana harga lebih murah, boleh cincai, boleh tawar-menawar, boleh maki-hamun, boleh hutang dan boleh gadai. Baja subsidi pun curi-curi jual kepada peniaga Cina.

Dulu ada kedai, kilang padi dan kilang papan kerjasama Melayu di kampung-kampung. Hari ini gerakan kerjasama ibarat rumput di tengah jalan. Dulu ada Pernas Edar yang bekal barangan secara borong kepada peniaga Melayu. Sekarang Pernas sudah dijual kepada swata.

Kementerian yang sangat berguna dan berjaya bangunkan usahawan Bumiputera – Kementerian Pembangunan Usahawan dan Koperasi – pun entah mengapa dimatikan oleh Mohd Najib.

Jadi saya tidak nampak bagaimana cadangan boikot ini boleh dilaksanakan atau elok dilaksanakan semata-mata kerana orang Cina tidak undi BN.

Lagipun, bukan orang Cina saja tidak pangkah BN. Orang Melayu dan India pun ada. Jadi kalau penyokong BN hendak boikot, mereka kenalah boikot peniaga Cina, Melayu, India dan macam-macam lagi yang tidak mengundi BN.

Rasa-rasanya, adalah lebih afdal bagi penyokong tegar BN mencari jalan lain membantu BN menarik undi Cina daripada memboikot perniagaan mereka.

Kalau mereka boikot perniagaan Cina, apa pula akan jadi kepada pengeluar Melayu yang bergantung kepada peniaga Cina untuk memasarkan hasil keluaran mereka?

Kalaulah boleh saya beri nasihat kepada NGO dan blogger pro-BN yang kononnya mencadangkan boikot itu, saya kata, tidak patutlah mereka putus asa dan marahkan pengundi kerana usaha mereka membantu BN tidak berjaya atau kurang berjaya. Kalau hendak terlibat dalam dunia politik, kenalah sabar.

Setahun dua menulis blog atau bergiat dalam NGO tidak bermakna mereka sudah berupaya mengubah fikiran semua orang. Kalau setakat maki-hamun, berapa orang sangat hendak percaya? Wallahualam.

Doing "Congak" on Transformational Cabinet

A Kadir Jasin

[NO anonymous comments. Please use Google Account, OpenID or Name/URL. Pseudonym accepted. Thank you]

WHEN I came across a Star newspaper report of May 16 headlined “A well-balanced Cabinet of 32 ministers” my brain went into rewind mode, taking me back to my Malay school days in the 1950’s when “congak” and “ujian akal” were both loved and loathed by the pupils.

“Congak” was mental arithmetic and a regular subject. We would be given, in quick succession, questions concerning addition, subtraction, multiplication and division. We would have to answer them without the aid of any instrument – not even pencil. We had to do the calculation in our mind and answer verbally.

The “ujian akal” was a general knowledge test. We were asked on subjects that were not often taught in the classroom. Only if we did extra reading and observed everyday events would we be able to answer them.

Using the basic principle of “congak” and knowledge of general affairs, for which I did not fair badly, and applying them to The Star “well-balanced Cabinet” labelling, I came up with the following mathematics:

1. The Indians, who account for 7.1% of the population according to the 2010 Census, are represented by two Ministers. In addition they have four Deputy Ministers.

2. The Chinese, who account for 22.9% of the population, are, by choice and by their dismal contribution to the BN election victory in the May 5 polls, are not represented. There is, however a nominated Chinese in the transformational Cabinet.

3. There are 32 Cabinet Ministers and 24 Ministries, including the Prime Minister’s Department (PMD). In the PMD, there are eight Ministers. Deputy Ministers are not Cabinet members.

4. Sarawak with the population of 2,506,500, where the state BN won 25 out of 31 seats, was awarded six Cabinet posts, not counting Senator Idris Jala who is from the old Cabinet. It works out to one Minister for every 417,750 Sarawakians. Counting Deputy Ministers, the Bumi Kenyalang (Land of the Hornbills) has 10 federal posts.

5. Sabah with the population of 3,214,200, where the BN won 22 out of 25 seats, was also given six Cabinet jobs working out to one Minister for every 535,700. Counting Deputy Ministers, the “Negeri Di Bawah Bayu” (Land Below the Wind) has 10 federal posts.

6. On the contrary, Johor, which has the population of 3,305, 900 and contributing 21 parliamentary seats (out of 25) has only three full Ministers working out to one Minister for every 1,101,966 proud Johorians.

7. But the Johorians can spare their handkerchiefs. They are not the ultimate victims of Mohd Najib’s “congak”. The real “anak tiri” are the Selangorians of whom I am one. There are 5,037,600 of us and five BN MPs but not a single Minister. Talk about “congak” and about regaining Selangor in future elections! (I am not counting Paul Low Seng Kuan because I am not sure who he represents.) This is perhaps the Prime Minister’s way of teaching the Selangorians a lesson.

8. But the Selangorians need not shed tears. The two million Kedahans are no better. After returning the state to the BN and contributing 10 Dewan Rakyat seats (out of 15), they get only one Minister post.

9. Perakians are luckier. They gave 12 out of 24 parliamentary seats to the BN and got three Ministers in return. The people of Perlis, Kelantan, Pahang and Negeri Sembilan can count themselves lucky. They have more Menteris despite having fewer MPs.

10. Perlis (3 seats 1 Minister), Kedah (10/1), Kelantan (5/1), Terengganu (4/2), Pahang (10/2), Penang (3/0), Perak (12/3), Selangor (5/0), Wilayah Persekutuan (4/1), Negeri Sembilan (5/2), Malacca (4/0), Johor (21/3), Sabah (22/6) and Sarawak (25/6). [Note: Bro. Jalaluddin Bahaudin and Sis. Hardev Kaur, please correct me if I am wrong.]

11. Women who make up 49% of Malaysia’s population and a rising force in the economy are represented by only two Ministers and both of them are from Sarawak.

12. And Wanita Umno members, the backbone of Umno’s campaign machinery and the most loyal to the party, are the ultimate losers. They were left out in the cold for the first time in decades. They have no representative in the Cabinet.

In short, the “congak” does not quite add up and the mathematical logic is lost in what appears to be a haphazard arrangement that disregards the key elements of our demography and in the distribution of seats won by the BN. And the Cabinet could only become larger and unruly despite the BN winning proportionally fewer seats in the House of Representatives since the 1969 General Elections.

Then again, who are we to complain? Our peasant way of looking at things counts for nothing against the brilliance and cleverness of the people who make up the Prime Minister’s council of advisers - the political secretaries, the special advisers, the special officers and the Blue Ocean consultants. Wallahualam.

Kabinet 2013 Mohd Najib

A Kadir Jasin

UPDATE, 16 Mei - MAAF kerana terlambat membuat ulasan. Pada mulanya saya tidak bercadang memberikan pendapat dua sen mengenai Kabinet Perdana Menteri, Mohd Najib Abdul Razak.

Bagaimanapun, setelah membaca komen-komen pembaca dan atas desakan beberapa orang kawan melalui SMS, berikut adalah pandangan dua sen saya:

1. Saya mengucapkan tahniah kepada Mohd Najib kerana menang 133 daripada 222 kerusi Parlimen pada PRU 5 Mei lepas dan dengan itu memperoleh mandat sendiri walaupun lebih hambar daripada mandat (Tun) Abdullah Ahmad Badawi pada 2008.

2. Saya juga ucap tahniah kepada rakyat 1Malaysia kerana mendapat Kabinet transformasi baru. Sama ia transformasi atau tidak, terpulanglah kepada penilaian mereka.

3. Tahniah kepada orang India Malaysia kerana melalui saluran tradisi, iaitu MIC dan saluran revolusi, iaitu Hindraf mendapat ramai Menteri dan Timbalan Menteri.

4. Tahniah kepada saudara/saudari kita di Sarawak dan Sabah kerana sokongan padu mereka menyelamatkan Barisan Nasional nampaknya dihargai oleh Perdana Menteri.

5. Tahniah kepada Wanita Umno kerana setia kepada ketua sedia mengorbankan diri sehingga tidak mendapat jawatan Menteri. Bukankah ini setia yang membawa bencana?

6. Tahniah kepada MCA kerana berpegang kepada prinsip dengan menolak jawatan Kabinet selepas kecundang dalam PRU.

7. Tahniah kepada Mohd Najib kerana bukan sahaja memperoleh Kabinet sendiri malah sekali gus memperkukuhkan kedudukan beliau bagi menghadapi pemilihan parti.

8. Dan tahniah kepada Menteri serta Timbalan Menteri kali pertama, tidak kira muda atau tua kerana diberi kepercayaan oleh bos mereka. Tetapi hendaknya berkhidmatlah untuk rakyat jelata. Lima tahun bukanlah lama. Takut-takut tsunami yang lebih besar melanda.

ORIGINAL POST

PUTRAJAYA, May 15 (Bernama) -- Following is the list of the new federal cabinet announced today by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak here:

Prime Minister: Datuk Seri Najib Razak

Deputy Prime Minister: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

 
Prime Minister's Department

Ministers:

Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom

Datuk Seri Abdul Wahid Omar (to be appointed a senator)

Datuk Seri Idris Jala (to be appointed a senator)

Tan Sri Joseph Kurup

Datuk Seri Shahidan Kassim

Nancy Shukry

Datuk Joseph Entulu Belaun

Datuk Paul Low Seng Kuan (to be appointed a senator)

 
Deputy Ministers:

Datuk Razali Ibrahim

P. Waythamoorthy (to be appointed a senator)

Ministry of Finance

Minister I: Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak

Minister II: Datuk Seri Ahmad Husni Hanadzlah

Deputy Minister: Datuk Ahmad Maslan

Ministry of Education

Minister I: Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin

Minister II Datuk Seri Idris Jusoh

Deputy Minister I: Datuk Mary Yap

Deputy Minister II: P. Kamalanathan

Ministry of Home Affairs

Minister: Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi

Deputy Minister: Datuk Wan Junaidi Tuanku Jaafar

Ministry of Communication and Multimedia

Minister: Datuk Seri Ahmad Shabery Cheek

Deputy Minister: Datuk Jailani Johari

Ministry of International Trade and Industry

Minister: Datuk Seri Mustapa Mohamed

Deputy Minister: Hamim Samuri

Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment

Minister: Datuk Seri G. Palanivel

Deputy Minister: Datuk James Dawos Mamit

Ministry of Transport

Minister: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein (acting)

Deputy Minister: Datuk Aziz Kaprawi

Ministry of Tourism and Culture

Minister: Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz

Deputy Minister: Datuk Joseph Salang

Ministry of Agriculture and Agro-based Industry

Minister: Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob

Deputy Minister: Datuk Tajuddin Abdul Rahman

 

Ministry of Defence

Minister: Datuk Seri Hishammuddin Tun Hussein

Deputy Minister: Datuk Abdul Rahim Bakri

 

Ministry of Works

Minister: Datuk Fadillah Yusof

Deputy Minister: Datuk Rosnah Abdul Rashid Shirlin

Ministry of Health

Minister: Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam

Deputy Minister: Datuk Seri Dr Hilmi Yahaya

Ministry of Youth and Sports

Minister: Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar

Deputy Minister: Datuk M. Saravanan

Ministry of Human Resources

Minister: Datuk Richard Riot

Deputy Minister: Datuk Ismail Abdul Muttalib

Ministry of Domestic Trade, Cooperatives and Consumerism

Minister: Datuk Hasan Malek

Deputy Minister: Datuk Ahmad Bashah Md Hanipah (to be appointed a senator) 

Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development 

Minister: Datuk Rohani Abdul Karim

Deputy Minister: Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun

Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Minister: Datuk Seri Anifah Aman

Deputy Minister: Datuk Hamzah Zainuddin

Ministry of Urban Well-being, Housing and Local Government

Minister: Datuk Abdul Rahman Dahalan

Deputy Minister: Datuk Halimah Sadique

Ministry of Plantation Industries and Commodities

Minister: Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas

Deputy Minister: Datuk Noriah Kasnon

Ministry of Rural and Regional Development

Minister: Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal

Deputy Minister: Datuk Alexander Nanta Linggi

 

Ministry of Federal Territories

Minister: Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor

Deputy Minister: Datuk Dr J. Loga Bala Mohan

Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water

Minister: Datuk Seri Maximus Ongkili

Deputy Minister: Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid

Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation

Minister: Datuk Dr Ewon Ebin

Deputy Minister: Datuk Dr Abu Bakar Mohamad Diah

-- BERNAMA

My Two Sen Worth of Advice To New Wakil Rakyat

 A Kadir Jasin
 

[NO anonymous comments. Please use Google Account, OpenID or Name/URL. Pseudonym accepted. Thank you]

LAST Saturday, after a long silence, a dear friend of mine who is a penasihat (adviser) to a very important Barisan Nasional big man water land, invited me for a cup of tea.

(Big man water land is Johan Jaaffar’s literal translation of orang besar tanah air a term used to describe the important people of the country.)

                                                          

This friend of mine is such a secretive fellow that after ruling out several venues (because he doesn’t like the groups that hang out there), we settle for Bangsar Village. Yes the “secretive” Bangsar!

                                Wanting To Look Like John Lennon

So we met there after Asar (the afternoon prayer). The after Asar bit is significant because in our younger days we were from the joli generation – the hippie fringe that kept long hair and thick moustache to look like John Lennon and DUI (danced under the influence) like crazy to the rhythm of Kung Fu Fighting.

                                             On Diet Of Rose Chan

We were the products of schools of hard knock and thrived of the diet of Rose Chan and Annie Cheah, the Cave Night Club (now KLCC), the Eastern Cabaret (now Menara Multi-Purpose) and Kelab Malam Tropicana in Jalan Ipoh, but we were full of perjuangan (struggle). The jahiliah (age of darkness) days were over for us some decades ago when the “penerapan nilai-nilai Islam” (the inculcation of Islamic values) of Anwar Ibrahim did have some positive results on us.

He “tried” to explain to me what went right and wrong with his boss’s party in the May 5 GE. The story is familiar so I will not repeat it. I gave my version of the event for whatever it is worth.

A Phone Call From Salahuddin

In the midst of our discussion, my cellular phone (not a Blackberry or any of the smart variety) rang. I sought his permission to answer. On the other end was PAS’s Vice President Salahuddin Ayub.

When I sent him an  SMS after the May 5 polls, he sounded a bit under the cloud. He had just lost to the BN in the Pulai parliamentary and Nusa Jaya state seats.

He told me that after studying the statistics, he believes that he “did not lose”. After just over a year of returning to Johor (from Kelantan) to set up base in Johor, he was able to reduce Nur Jazlan Mohamed’s majority from 20,449 in 2008 to 3,226 on May 5.

                               Salahuddin Gave Jazlan A Tough Fight

Jazlan is no mean person. He is the chairman of UDA Berhad and the son of the former Information Minister, the late Mohamed Rahmat. He has been Pulai’s MP since 2004 and Pulai was his father’s old seat.

During the election, I sent messages via the SMS to candidates of all parties whom I know well to wish them luck. Literally all PR’s calons responded but only one BN’s candidate namely Johari Abdul Ghani of Titiwangsa in the Kuala Lumpur Federal Territory acknowledged. He went on to win the seat, one of two out of 11 in Kuala Lumpur won by the BN. The other is Setiawangsa, won by Ahmad Fauzi Zahari.

He wrote: “I am here to serve. Titiwangsa is where I was born and grew up. My primary (schooling) was at Sekolah Kampung Pandan (and) secondary (at) Aminuddin Baki. If I am selected and win, I will meet you for advice from time to time. Will take note of some of the mistakes and weaknesses of leaders of the past and will learn from the good things that they have done for the country.”

My Two Sen Worth of Advice

I told him if he wants to survive as MP in an urban area like Titiwangsa, he has to be like the former DAP MP for Bukit Bintang, (Tan Sri) Lee Lam Thye, whose service to his constituents was second to none.

Although he was an opposition MP, he was well liked by city officials because of his please personality, hard work and incorruptibility.

Johari told me that he had met Lee, who is a voter in his constituency, and when I met Lee at a wedding kenduri on Sunday, he said Johari had spoken to him.

                               Johari Can Emulate Lee Lam Thye

I would like to add Johari should carry out his own transformation programmes by transforming everyday public amenities like clogged drains, rat-infested eateries, broken down lifts at low-cost flats, leaks water mains and illegal garbage dumps. Do not make a habit of suap the constituents with money. Get close to young people and motivate them.

A Malay pantun says:

Pisang emas dibawa belayar

Masak sebiji di atas peti

Hutang emas boleh dibayar

Hutang budi dibawa mati.

(In gist it says, debt of money can be repaid, but debt of gratitude lasts forever.)

My political version of the same pantun:

Pisang emas dibawa ke barat

Masak sebiji di atas peti

Beri BR1M mereka sebat

Beri budi ingat masa mengundi.

(You gave the 1Malaysian People Assistance they would grab but if you gave service they would remember forever.)

Alas money is not everything. With the wrong niat it can corrupt. Ironically, even the corrupters, albeit hypocritically, disassociate themselves from corruption. A former Cabinet member who campaigned actively for the BN said, when young people asked him about corruption he had a hard time explaining to them. So an elected representative must non only be clean but also seen to be clean.