Time for Change

If the problem and malaise affecting BN is merely that of public perception, then they are quite delusional and are caught up in their own self serving propaganda. BN as a government is in decline and is performing badly relative to the days in the past. They are losing economic competitiveness, their keen sense of development strategies which are losing lots of public money, revelations of rampant corruption and they have not been able to transform unlike whatever grand pronouncements made in that direction. They cannot even reconcile between national unity and Malay rights. Their media machines gun after each and everyone's racial phobia. Worse is that they have been caught time and again to be lying through their teeth.  So this is beyond public relations and APCO like perception insights or piecemeal "make people fear or make people feel good" solutions. It needs a major revamp and that denial syndrome or that "even if we are not performing we are still the best for you" attitude and condescendence has to go.

Why is it supposed to be a proposed reconciliation only between BN and PAS? Why be so dismissive of Anwar as if he is not significant politically whether in terms of national unity or Malay interests? If it is thought that  Anwar has lost it and cannot garner public support across the races and throughout the country then let us remind ourselves of what the embattled Pak Lah, a former PM said back then. He said Anwar is someone forgotten before setting out to lead one of BN's most disastrous elections ever. It is a fact that Anwar has been in government administration and has so far been able to transcend across diverse political parties and backgrounds. It is still a fledgling political process but now we almost have a viable two party system for vibrant democratic check and balances.

The ones out to cripple Anwar are the same Malay-Muslims with an outrageous destructive agenda turning everything onto weapons to assail and destroy him. It has gone beyond mere character assassination. Some insane drive has them fanatically devoted to vanquish him.  If God forbid, they somehow manage to be able to terminate him, it shall come together with demolishing and bringing down the whole nation's justice system. Does PAS really want to have anything to do with such wayward terminator like politicians?

We have to ponder this Sufi anecdote of the past. One day, Mulla Nasruddin a famous Sufi was seen kneeling on his lawn outside his house looking for something. His trusted pupil saw him and went to him kneeling beside him to help. The pupil asked, "What are you looking for, Mulla?". Mulla answered, "I'm looking for my keys." The pupil then asked, "Where did you lose it, Mulla?". Mulla replied, "In the house." The pupil wondered, "Why don't you look for it in the house, Mulla?". Mulla replied nonchalantly , "It is brighter outside."

Applied to Anwar, crippling attacks and character assassination shall not stop until realpolitik objectives are not achieved no matter what even if it goes against religious, moral, legal universal or human considerations. Applied to BN-PAS reconciliation, they maybe barking up the wrong tree.

Anwar's detractors seem to be overly infatuated to the point of chronic alarm with his aspirations to be the nation's leader. If we were to ask him, Anwar says he wants to be able to conduct islah - reform the nation for the better. So, please brush aside those intolerable hearsay innuendos - just tell him and us what is so wrong with his ideas and politics so that we are free to choose democratically.

It is a mistake to  simply categorise and stereotype people like Tuan Guru Nik Aziz as if PAS is  similar to UMNO's "follow the  leader right or wrong mentality". We have to give PAS their due credit in managing their own political transformation which out surpasses UMNO's illusions of change anytime. PAS is a party with a future and of the future. UMNO is still relishing and languishing in the past.

UMNO's foe is not Anwar, they are greatly mistaken for Anwar is part of their own history for them to judge. UMNO's bane is the party itself which desperately needs major reform and moral resuscitation even before they can think of reconciling with and partnering any other party with a better semblance of moral principles and practice.

It is actually no more about the continuance of Malay Muslim dominance and superiority  (right or wrong!) - we must earn it through integrity and social justice, to build respect and deliver leadership to all Malaysians. We have to shed this presumed Malay thinking of  this inherited superiority as the sole source of strength every time.

Yes, it is time for reconciliation but it  is also a time for change.

( this is written in response to   http://azrilmohdamin.com/2011/08/05/ramadhan-a-time-for-reconciliation/  )

Wait se minit Minister!

Wait se minit Minister!

Hey, has the outspoken and abrasive minister done it again, flip flopping on the job! He has been too long on the job of being a political hatchet man instead of being an honest and fair representative of government. Are the tables being turned here? Suddenly they are in full reversal shying away from a commission of inquiry, rather relying on police investigations. Looks like the three stooges, oops , datuks are in for it now. However, it is still too early to tell looking at 13 years of conspiracies full of deviousness and vindictiveness.

Slander does not and will never work. Lying and deceiving to an educated and much informed Malaysian public is pretty dim witted and silly. In order to sustain such blatant lies, more incredible feats have to be created and perpetuated until the whole thing becomes bare, exposed, untenable and collapses on the liars themselves. What evil can they think of next to unleash unto Anwar and the ever wary and sceptical Malaysian.

Again, they forgot to take the late legendary artiste P Ramlee's advice in the Malay version of Ali Baba and the Forty Thieves, not to throw the dice thrice - trickery has its limits!

Dr Wan Azizah and family have weathered 13 years of brutal BN aggression in the form of persistent intimidation and character assassinations. Any other family would have been devastated but no, they withstood such scurrilous attacks on their husband and father that even the damning newspaper, The Star had to admit their family values were upheld high and acknowledged as a model.

Many Malaysians were always with them in their hearts albeit silent even in the darkest moments of tribulation. Malaysians of various arrays, hues, persuasions and beliefs stood with them, supporting them, wishing and praying for them. Many cried their tears in the middle of the night, unbeknown to others, while others slept, they were appealing to God to uplift themselves, save themselves but also to put in a supplication, to provide succour for Anwar and his family. All prayers and good wishes are meant for the just, the truthful, the honourable and the steadfast. No one shall wish any good to liars and deceivers. Those who make it their mission and living to hound, slander and terminate others shall have to fend for themselves here and the hereafter.

What is the lesson from all of these sometimes horrible and ever shameful experiences for the Malaysian public at large. We now know the extent of evil and who its purveyors are, who condones them, who are behind them, who collaborates, who sanctions, who does the dirty work for them; we recognise the criterion to distinguish the good and the bad. Instead of breaking us apart, Malaysians can now come together under the banner of truth and justice.

We surely know that things shall have to change.

That is why we say UBAH! UBAH! UBAH! Change Malaysia Change!

Permatang Pasir

Rohaizat's offence a personal misconduct, Ragunath says

Written by Regina William

The Edge, Monday, 17 August 2009 15:38

PERMATANG PAUH: The offence for which Permatang Pasir Barisan Nasional (BN) candidate Rohaizat Othman was struck off the Malaysia Bar Council's list involves the individual lawyer.

Bar Council president Ragunath Kesavan told The Edge Malaysia that the proceedings under Section 103D of the Legal Profession Act 1976 involved misconduct of the individual lawyer.

"The offence was for personal liability and does not involve any other persons as Rohaizat was named by the complainant, and not his partner.

"Rohaizat was disbarred on March 7 last year and he appealed against the Bar Council decision to the High Court, which also dismissed his appeal on Aug 12 this year," he added.

Ragunath said the offence committed by Rohaizat involved stakeholders' money from Koperasi Pekebun Getah and there was no account for it.

"When the board looked into this matter and the order was made, there was no reimbursement to the stakeholders involving the sum of RM140,000.

"Even if you pay, the offence has been committed and it is a serious offence as this involves dealing with client's money.

"If you are an innocent party, you would not be found guilty by the disciplinary committee and the charge leveled under Section 103D is tantamount to criminal misconduct," he added.

Ragunath said the other partners only would be penalised if it involved negligence of the law firm concerned, but the offence committed under Section 103D was for personal misconduct.

On Sunday, Penang Umno chief Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi told a press conference that it was Rohaizat's partner who was involved in the scandal which resulted in Rohaizat being struck off.

Meanwhile at the nomination centre, when asked whether Rohaizat's credibility would come into question following the revelation of him being disbarred, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said: "There is no controversy with regards to his candidacy as we have done our homework.

"As far as the law is concerned, he has been declared eligible to contest and we believe the voters will understand when we explain to them what actually happened.

"We have our ways of explaining to the voters, the opposition can do whatever character assassinations they want.

"We will expose all their lies and the rakyat can judge for themselves," he added.

Islam Memimpin Perubahan

Menyedari iklim politik persada kini menuntut perubahan dan pembaharuan, Presiden PAS memilih tajuk “Islam Memimpin Perubahan”.Berikut adalah di antara intisari dan perkara-perkara yang diutarakan dalam ucapan dasar presiden, Tuan Guru Haji Abdul Hadi Awang:-

Perubahan yang dianjurkan PAS perlu kerana berlakunya kegagalan sistem politik dan ekonomi. Hasil dari ketidakadilan dan kegagalan pelbagai sistem, menyaksikan semakin bertambahnya politik peras ugut dan perkauman di Malaysia.

Dengan pendekatan Politik Li Ta’arafu – politik saling menghormati, bagi negara-bangsa ini yang majmuk, maka PAS perlu menyerlahkan sifat keadilan Islam yang mampumeraikan kepelbagaian. PAS acknowledges and recognises diversity and plurality.

PAS menampilkan model penyelesaian untuk membangunkan masyarakat dan negara abad ini. PAS bersedia menawar diri untuk memimpin perubahan dan memikul amanah kepimpinan negara yang majmuk.

PAS masih menjadi parti yang selamat daripada banjir politik wang manakala parti yang mendokong kuasa melalui rasuah berhadapan dengan gelombang penolakan rakyat.

Bagi PAS hanya Islam yang menjadi rahsia ketahanan , dengan pengisian tarbiyah, dan bai’ah kepada setiap pemimpin dan calon pilihan raya yang dipilih. Ahli PAS diajar dosa pahala dalam amalan politik.

Ahli-ahli Parlimen PAS berprestasi dan bertindak menyuarakan pandangan-pandangan parti dengan penuh keberanian dan hikmah, memberikan gagasan-gagasan sehinggadisegani oleh kawan dan lawan.

PAS bekerjasama atas dasar Tahalluf Siyasi tanpa memaksa rakan perjuangan dan pakatan menganut Islam dalam aspek ibadah, tetapi bersatu dengan mereka yang menentang kezaliman dan PAS tidak bersama dengan orang-orang yang zalim.

Walaupun PAS sungguh terbuka untuk menerima idea-idea baru, semua yang menjadi ahli PAS perlulah ditarbiyah dengan kefahaman fiqh siyasi PAS, memahami budaya dan kaedah PAS. Institusi usrah dipelbagai peringkat pula perlulah diperkukuhkan, untuk melahirkan ahli yang faham serta istiqamah dengan perjuangan Islam.

PAS terus menerus berusaha mencari kaedah-kaedah yang bersesuaian, agresif dan berstrategik untuk memenangi kelompok undi teras pengundi luar bandar dan desa.

Peranan Dewan Ulamak adalah bagi merealisasikan konsep kepimpinan ulamak,pemahaman kepada asas sebuah gerakan Islam menerusi konsep wala dan taat, istiqamah,wehdatul fikrah, dan sebagainya.

Dewan Pemuda menyedari akan asas perjuangan yang diletakkan oleh generasi yang terdahulu memerlukan golongan ’syabab’ sebagai penerusnya. Golongan pengundi muda sangat penting kepada perjuangan PAS, kerana merekalah generasi yang akan mendominasi geopolitik negara di masa yang akan datang.Pemuda PAS perlu merangka pelan untuk mengekalkan sokongan orang-orang muda daripada pelbagai latar belakang, kaum, budaya, taraf pendidikan dengan program-program yang bersesuaian, termasuk “mengakhlakkan” aktiviti-aktiviti hiburan, sosial dan sukan yang selama ini dilihat di luar ruang lingkup PAS.

Dewan Muslimat menyedari golongan wanita adalah sangat penting dalamperjuangan PAS. Komposisi wanita melebihi 50 peratus penduduk Malaysia, memerlukan muslimat turut bersama di dalam masyarakat dengan pendekatan “Da’ie menuju mad’u”.

Umat Islam sedang memasuk alaf baru dengan penuh ujian dan cabaran. Di mata dunia antarabangsa, maruah serta nyawa umat Islam bagaikan tiada apa-apa harga dan nilai. Di Palestin, Afghanistan, Chechnya, Iraq dan terkini di Pakistan, seolah-olah harga nyawa umat Islam lebih murah dari haiwan yang hina.

Islam mengharamkan penganutnya tunduk kepada tindakan yang tidak bermaruah ini.PAS mengalu-ngalukan tindakan protes yang ditunjukkan oleh Perdana Menteri Turki Rejab Tayyeb Erdogan di Persidangan Davos dan Presiden Iran Mahmood Ahmadinejad di Geneva.

Seruan untuk terus menerus memperkasakan parti dan mempersiapkan kepimpinan PAS, bagi menangani cabaran persaingan yang semakin sengit intelektual dan mendepani permasalahan negara dalam konteks global. Pimpinan ulamak PAS perlu berani berijtihad bagi menangani polemik-polemik baru dalam urusan perundangan dan kancah politik yang serba mencabar ini

Seruan menampilkan satu imej dan citra PAS sebagai parti Islam yang sentiasa bersedia untuk berdepan dengan apa jua cabaran semasa dan mendatang dengan menampilkan satu pendekatan imej yang bersifat “Usuliy” dari segi prinsip-prinsip perjuangan, “Mu’asirah” dari segi kepimpinan dan organisasi-jentera, “Istiqbaliy”dari segi persiapan dan kesediaan untuk menggempur senario perjuangan masa depan. PAS aims to uphold the principles of the struggle, be contemporary in leadership and be ready futurisically to face whatever may behold.

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Komentar pemerhati

Ucapan masih menyebut BN dan UMNO berulang kali dan ini mungkin tidak perlu. Sekadar sindiran pun rakyat sudah memahami apatah lagi para muktamirin. Sudah tiba masanya PAS lepas bebas tanpa perlu melihat belakangnya lagi dan berpisah daripada kongkongan atau bayangan UMNO. Namun mungkin itulah mesej yang ingin disampaikan.

Prestasi pemerintahan dan kerajaan negeri penguasaan PAS dan Pakatan tidak disentuh. Adalah menarik jika muhasabah, penilaian awal dibuat ke atas kepimpinan sedemikian untuk tatapan muktamirin dan rakyat.

The Man behind Penanti

The Man behind Penanti

All the king’s men and all the king’s horses couldn’t save Humpty Dumpty from falling down. Kak Min got massive media coverage and precious national air time like no other political personality but Penanti trounced her good. She got a mere over 300 votes from a nationwide campaign and TV losing her deposit as expected.

As Saifudin Nasution predicted and stated sarcastically, that at the moment things are not going well at all for BN because whatever good they do, the rakyat is suspicious and doubtful, whereas anything negative about BN is accepted without qualms.

The bye elections were boring and tiresome for some officials to easily doze off while unprecedentedly BN itself shied away knowing they stood no chance.

Any way she lost to a better opponent who had struggled through thick and thin with Anwar Ibrahim, sharing his ideals of reform even when he was still in government.

Dr Mansor Othman contested and lost 3 times with the last on 8^th of April 2008 being defeated by a mere 300 vote margin. Ustaz Makhtar Shafie, the ADUN for Sg Bakap was luckier by winning at his third try by defeating the incumbent Deputy Chief Minister. Ustaz Makhtar is also respected for being consistent and loyal in clinging to PKR’s uphill struggle after the heavy losses suffered in 2004. Not many could endure the pain of defeat, the sense of hopelessness and being in a never ending political wilderness.

Dr Mansor left a comfortable job as an associate professor and head of department in USM to join ADIL, the fledgling PKN and the emerging PKR. It was a sacrifice not many would undertake considering the economic difficulties, hardship and sure harassment he endured. He would be seen taking a bus from Penang to attend meetings in KL. He was met with al marhum Sheikh Azmi who also took an ordinary passenger bus to attend a high level Parti KeAdilan event. Once Saifudin Nasution was picked up by friends alighting the bus at a toll plaza beside the North South Highway on his way to a ceramah.

Dr Mansor, it is said that he even had to delve into direct selling using car boot sales to make ends meet. An unfortunate defector from Negeri Sembilan was reported as selling lingzhis herbs from the boot of his car to make a living. On stage, these KeAdilan activists growled and expounded the ideals like glorious tigers. In life however, reality bites. Others simply had to fold up and lick their own spittle to become humiliated BN lackeys like many young PKR defectors. These harsh times and the persistent pressure and harassment from the authorities would make anyone crawl back to grovel at BN’s feet.

But not Dr Mansor. His persistence and fortitude paid off, he has finally won his day, and inshallah it is hoped that he shall make a good DCM and deliver to the rakyat.

(below is Dr Mansor’s brief biodata, source: Malaysiakini)

Mansor, a former professor from Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM), was Anwar's political secretary from 1996 to 1998when the parliamentary Opposition Leader was the deputy prime minister in the Barisan Nasional government. He earned a Masters degree in social science from USM, and a Masters in Arts and a Masters in Philosophy from Yale University. Mansor, the PKR Balik Pulau division chief, is married to a housewife and has three sons.He has served in PKR's supreme council for 10 years and is currently the party national election machinery deputy director. Mansor is a highly-respected figure within PKR circle and seen as a politically strong and untainted character who could not be bullied by rivals.